Another One Bites the Dust!

The hike on Sunday, February 26, at Mt. Airy Forest (West Fork Road, Diehl Ridge and Elm Ravine) proved to be the muddiest hike yet! It was a beautiful sunny day with a temperature of 48 degrees. We hiked 2.27 miles in about one hour and 15 minutes. It was so muddy...how muddy was it? It was so muddy that we had to stop three times to get the caked mud off of our boots, we used a stick at one point to keep us from sliding down the hills, and Lorrie became a club member of the Fall on Your Butt Club (F.Y.B.C.)

Finding the trail head was a little bit tricky, but we are getting better at using the map to help us out. The book stated that this was a moderate hike, but Lorrie and I agreed that due to the mud situation and the poorly marked trails we felt it was more on the difficult side. We both used trees, branches, and sprouting brush to hold onto at one time or another to keep us standing up. To give a visual for how difficult it was to walk: if we stood still at all you could see our bodies slowly sliding one way or another as if we were on an escalator. The first half of the trail was the most difficult and you can tell by the pictures that this wasn't the best trail to hike in the winter. The trail followed the road most of the way and you could hear traffic throughout the hike.

The second half of the hike was on a ridge and this helped us catch our breaths from the uphill hiking during the first part of the trail. Lorrie and I stopped and did a serious cleaning of our boots because we couldn't get any traction.  The tread of our boots was filled with mud and leaves were stuck to the mud. As we descended the ridge to head back toward the car, the trail got very hilly again. The trail was so steep at one point that Lorrie piked up a big stick and used it to help herself down, then she handed it to me and I followed. I don't know how we both stayed on our feet.  I guess it was that "walking stick".  Slowly the trail leveled out again but there were still some very muddy spots.  When we could see the trail end up ahead, I heard what sounded like a scream mixed with a loud laugh come from behind me.  I turned around and Lorrie was flat on her butt in the middle of a HUGE puddle! She was such a good sport - laughing and sitting in the wet mud while I took her picture - a true Kodak moment!  Needless to say, Lorrie had to sit on a towel on the ride home.

This being the end of month 2, I will close with some learnings from the month:

• Hiking is not a fashion show (as evidenced by our stylish ponchos!)
• Don't judge your outings based on the weather forecast - they were off the mark 3 out of 4 of our hikes this month.
• Never underestimate the value of a good walking stick!
• Falling down is just part of hiking and adds to the whole experience.
• A towel in your car can certainly come in handy after a muddy hike.

11 hikes down and 49 to go!!!! Next weekend's a busy one for me. Taking a short hike, close to home at Chilo Lock 34 Park and Crooked Run Nature Preserve.

Unexpected Victory

When we set off on the road to hike today it was with trepidation because the temperature was only around 30 degrees, but with the windchill it was supposed to feel like single digits. Lorrie, Morgan and I decided to be adventurous, dress in layers and suck it up.  I'm happy to report that the temperature was lovely.  When we got out of the car at California Woods Nature Preserve, I could tell I wouldn't need my hat and shortly into the hike my gloves came off.  Halfway through the hike we passed the car and all three of us left our heavy coats behind and finished the hike in our polar fleece jackets - unexpected victory!!! We hiked 2.7 miles in about an hour and 20 minutes on this beautiful sunshine filled winter day.

Instead of worrying about the temperature, we should have worried about the muddy trail and how slippery it would be.  One would think that the ground would be frozen since the temperature was in the teens overnight, but no such luck. There were times as we were hiking where my heart was beating really hard because I kept slipping and skidding on the mud and wet leaves. I thought about titling this week's blog: "Another One Bites the Dust", because Morgan took her first spill hiking uphill.  This was a very steep trail in some parts and there was a serious sense of accomplishment after tackling the hills. I, on the other hand, fell while traveling downhill.  Unlike my first fall that was slow with a graceful landing in a pile of leaves, this fall was fast, furious and resulted in a very muddy booty!  So, Morgan and I are both members of the Hit the Deck club.  Watch out Lorrie, I think you might be next! There is definitely something liberating about having some falls out of the way.

It was so great to be back out in the woods this week.  There were some really interesting sights. We saw a mini waterfall and a neat little cabin along the creek. There were some plants that were very green that Lorrie said were bamboo. For some reason, the fallen trees really stood out to us.  Maybe it was because there was just a bit of snow still accenting the forest floor. Along several of the hikes, we were amazed at how some of the trees grow, but this week was by far the most interesting.  There was a tree that looked like a backwards number 4.  For my mathy friends I took a picture from both directions.

I'm happy to report that I'm ten hikes down!! I won't be hiking next week as I will be traveling out of town for work and taking a few vacation days.  Maybe I will get a hike in, but it will be a California hike and won't count towards my 60 hikes within 60 miles of Cincinnati.  Until next time...

I'm Too Sexy for My Poncho

Whitewater Gorge: Cardinal Greenway Rail Trail was the site of this week's damp hike.  Morgan and I set out from home around 9:30 in the morning and headed straight to Walmart to purchase some ponchos.  We were both glad that we had them and they are now part of our standard hiking supplies.  Luckily, it was only misting the first part of the hike and then it stopped.  The rain on the drive to and from was much more ominous!  It was a chilly 37 degrees.  We hiked 5 and a half miles and it took us about one hour and fifty minutes.

As usual, most of the excitement took place trying to find the trail head.  I studied the map before we left including looking at a street view on Google Maps.  Morgan will not let me get by without sharing that I went through a stop sign where we had to turn to get to the trail head, BUT in my defense, there were no signs for the park AND the directions from the book did not indicate a turn at this point! Since the writing of the book, the trail has changed slightly and we had to stop and ask for directions at a gas station.  At least we were less than a mile from where we had to park the car.  We are getting better!!!

The strangest part of the hike was when we first stepped out of the car to get on our boots. I said to Morgan, "Do you smell dog food?" It felt like we were walking through a gigantic dog food bag!  It was unbelievable how strong the smell was.  As we walked, we were hoping that the smell would subsist as we slowly walked away from whatever factory in the area was generating this ghastly odor! Thankfully after about 5 minutes we couldn't smell it any more - ahhh, relief!!! (We later discovered that the trail head isn't just next to a pet food factory, but is actually sandwiched between two pet food factories!)

This is a paved hike and much of it meanders through parts of Richmond, Indiana. It is part of a rails-to-trails recreational pathway that covers over 60 miles (from Richmond, Indiana to Marion, Indiana). We only saw one cyclist as we hiked, most likely due to the poor weather, and a couple of other folks walking/jogging.  A paved trail was fine for this soggy day.  Morgan and I saw some cool scenic views of creeks, rivers, a waterfall (we didn't get close enough for a picture), and a lake. This part of the trail is definitely more "cityscape" and I left the hike yearning for the quiet peacefulness of a wooded trail.  I was craving it so much as we walked that when she and I finally saw Thistlethwaite Falls, we left the paved trail and started walking through the woods. Unfortunately, the trail took us straight to someone's private property and we decided getting to the falls wasn't worth getting in trouble for trespassing, so we turned around.

Morgan and I both agreed that the park at Springwood Lake which is right near the falls would be a fun place to come back and picnic in warmer weather.  It's a beautiful setting.  There were many antique stores in Richmond that we would also like to explore.  So, although it wasn't our number one favorite for hiking, we both said we would go back.

 9 hikes down and 51 to go!!!!

This week's hike will be to California Woods Nature Preserve.  It is very close to my home. The length is 3.37 miles and the trail is a series of loops.  Right now the weather forecast is looking chilly, so if you're coming along be prepared to bundle up!!!