Things I Find While Running

Let me preface this post by saying that although I am at heart a trail runner, the fact is that I do most of my running on roads. I live in a rural area and my surrounding roads are wonderful and safe for running. When I do need a trail fix, I am about 20 minutes away from the Appalachian Trail (closest access point by car is at the PA Rt 16 crossing, a couple miles north of the Mason-Dixon Line). To the south, I can be at the C&O Canal at Williamsport, MD within 30 minutes.

So...I have never found anything of note on a trail, though on trail I have lost a nice flashlight and a bandana that had great sentimental value. As for the roads, I have never found any money (I guess because it's unusual for $$ to fly out of a moving vehicle). But what I do find with some regularity, in descending order, are:

--Bungee cords: the # 1 find--probably fall off farm wagons or pickup trucks
--Alcohol: unopened cans and bottles of beer (never any hard liquor)
--Pron (misspelled intentionally for firewall and search purposes): magazines, once a DVD
--Hardware: nuts, bolts, washers, nails
--Tools: a hammer and once a big combination wrench (a 2" beast)

(Photo credit here)

I assume the pron and alcohol are items tossed by teenagers rather than risk taking them home where they could be discovered.

As for the big combination wrench, I hauled it about a mile till I got to Fort Frederick State Park (in MD) then gave it to a maintenance worker. Too heavy to lug for the remaining 3 hours back to the car.