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!!!

One Month In

My brother Joe and I did a short hike on Sunday to Withrow Nature Preserve which is very close to my house. It was a short hike. I would estimate that we hiked a little over a mile as part of the trail is closed due to a landslide.  That was quite a disappointment!  This closed section is my favorite part of the trail because it's the steepest and has nice overlooks.  Hopefully it will be repaired in the spring. The Hamilton County Park Service does a great job taking care of this trail. There is a lot of gravel to help combat the mud which makes it easy to hike in all weather.  It was dry and warm at 45 degrees for the hike.  Although this hike didn't feel as adventurous because I've hiked it so many times, it was great to get outside, get some fresh air and soak up some sunshine!

Hiking with Joe was great.  He is an experienced hiker.  He shared some of his hiking stories from the first time he ever went hiking with our older brother, Mark, to hikes he took last summer to Red River Gorge in Kentucky. It was kind of comforting to know that finding your way on trails can always be a little tricky. Joe also had some stories about going on hikes and not always being in good physical shape for what the hike required.  We both agreed that it's important to work your way up.

Wow! It's hard to believe that the first month of my fitness challenge is over! I'm one twelfth of the way to being an "experienced" hiker. I took a picture of my boots at the start and now at one month in.  I wonder what they will look like in December? I have learned so many things this first month. Here's a short list:

• Study the trail before leaving the house!  Some trails are clearly marked and others are not. Sometimes it's like a maze in the woods. It's best to prepare!
• Check out where you're going on the internet.  Sometimes those maps are better than the ones in the book.  Thanks, Lorrie for starting this!!!!
• Don't accuse your hiking buddies of potentially causing a fall. You don't need anyone else because it's easy enough to fall on your own!
• Hiking alone is not necessarily a good idea unless the trail is very clearly marked or you're familiar with the trail.
• Winter hiking is wonderful! You can see a lot of landscapes that are blocked by leaves in the warmer seasons.
• Winter temperatures are not the devil.  When you're dressed right, it's enjoyable to be outdoors.
• Hiking brings people together. I enjoyed hiking this month with my daughter, brother, nephew, and two great friends.

8 hikes down in January!  Woohoo!!!!  Only 52 hikes to go! Next weekend's hike will be to Whitewater Gorge: Cardinal Greenway Rail Trail in Richmond, Indiana.  It will be some good exercise because it's 6.1 miles long.  I'm looking forward to seeing the Thistlethwaite Falls along the hike.

Look Out for Karma!

This weekend Cheryl, Lorrie and I headed out to Caldwell Park on the west side of Cincinnati. The weather early in the morning was very cold with rain mixed with snow.  The forecast was not good for the rest of the day and for the first time this year I was tempted to cancel and tell my fellow hikers that we would take the weekend off. But, just as the forecast was worse than expected last weekend, this weekend it was better than expected. When we got in the car to hit the road, the sun came out. I was grateful that we just decided to bundle up and go with it because we enjoyed the hike at a sunny 37 degrees and knocked out another hike!

We pulled into the parking lot (brace yourself - without getting lost) and got on our gear. Lorrie noticed that she forgot one of her gloves.  This was not a good day to go glove-less! She did some quick thinking and had an extra sock that she put on one hand.  She later shared that she would put on a sock puppet show for us if we got bored along the way.  Fortunately, that didn't happen as we enjoyed the sites of this park set in the middle of this urban area. We heard the sounds of trains and traffic throughout a good portion of the hike.  Despite some sites and sounds of civilization there were many nice woodland landscapes.  We hiked for 2.4 miles and it took about one hour and 15 minutes to complete.

I would consider this hike one of the easier ones that we have done, except for the extremely muddy conditions. Because the trail was mud covered with wet leaves, we were really watching every step!  As we hiked along, I commented how I didn't like being in the front of the pack as we were traveling downhill.  I was afraid if Cheryl or Lorrie fell that they were going to take me out too and that we would all go down like dominoes.  About 2 minutes later, before I knew what was happening . . . down I went on my butt! It was pretty funny and I told the girls that it was Karma calling since I had just been dogging them about not falling on me! Oh well, it kind of felt good to finally get the first fall out of the way. One advantage of the mud was seeing signs of wildlife.  At least one smart little deer used the cleared trail to travel, because we could see its hoof prints here and there along the way.

As we finished the series of loops and headed back toward the parking lot, we commented on how lucky we were with the weather. If anyone would have told me a month ago that I would enjoy a hike at 37 degrees, I would have said, "No way!"  When I was a classroom teacher, my least favorite thing to do was outdoor recess duty in the winter time! As our first month of hiking comes to a close, I am amazed how quickly I have learned to enjoy the outdoors this time of year.  I know how many layers to wear and which coat to put on for various temperatures.  This is one part of hiking that I no longer feel inexperienced.  January was good to me!

7 hikes down and 53 hikes to go!!!!!

Halloween in January

You've heard of Christmas in July - our hike this week was Halloween in January! On Sunday, January 22, 2012 we headed out the door to Spring Grove Cemetery and Arboretum. It is a National Historic Landmark. We anticipated different weather than the day provided, however, the weird weather conditions added to the spooky ambiance. During the wee hours of Saturday morning there was an ice storm and by Sunday it was warming up slightly, so the air was foggy and the ice covered trees were dripping. Can you imagine any better conditions for hiking in a cemetery other than night time? The pictures say it all. It was 32 degrees when we started the hike (a far cry from the 50 degrees the local weather man predicted in the morning!) We hiked 3.63 miles in an hour and 42 minutes. The park covers 733 acres, of which 400 are landscaped and maintained. I am purposely choosing not to share how we did with our map reading. Not because there were any disasters, but because it was business as usual!

Due to the icy conditions over the weekend, there was a sign of caution at the beginning of the roadway into the cemetery. Cheryl practiced her acting skills to get the day going. There were some slushy spots along the walk, but the hike wasn't as treacherous as it could have been had we hiked the day before. The first site along our hike was the Civil War Section, where more than 1,000 soldier are buried. The cemetery was dedicated in 1845, so there were many old grave sites. This fascinated us as we walked along and got a very small snapshot into the people's lives buried there. As the melting ice dripped down on our heads, it sounded like it was raining. I spotted a hawk landing in a tree. There was such an interesting mixture of nature and man-made structures which made this hike so different than any of our previous hikes.  We all commented how this didn't feel quite as much like a "getting away" and "being a part of nature" experience, but we all thought it was a cool place that we'd like to go back to and explore again.

There were so many interesting grave sites and mausoleums. We didn't even put a dent in seeing that many of them. There were some very large structures all the way down to the smallest stones that you can't quite read any more. Because of the weather conditions, some of them had little icicles hanging off of them and frost covering some of their surfaces. One of our favorite headstones was for a 5 1/2 year old little girl. It was straight out of a spooky movie. We also got to see the Johnny Appleseed statue. The sculpture work was very cool and a great tribute to John Chapman who preached his way around Ohio, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Illinois, and Kentucky while planting apple trees.

It was shortly after this that Lorrie realized that her phone wasn't working. The screen was white and she couldn't get it to work. She even took the battery out a couple of times. I told her not to worry about it.  That a couple of spirits were probably using it to communicate while we were in the cemetery.  On the ride home, just when she thought it was time to get a new phone, it suddenly pinged and came back on, fully charged.  Hmmmm...maybe those spirits really were busy with that phone!

Overall, it was great to get outside on a paved surface this past weekend.  I can't begin to think what a regular trail in the woods would have been like.  Thanks to Morgan, Lorrie and Cheryl for enduring the damp and cold weather, joining in the fun, and trying to help read the soggy maps!

6 hikes down and 54 to go!!!!! This weekend's hike will be to Caldwell Park, just 20 minutes outside of downtown Cincinnati.  It's 2.78 miles and the difficulty level is moderate. The trail is a series of loops and looks really interesting.  Come join the fun if you're so inclined!

The Blind Leading the Blind

The title for this blog is probably so politically incorrect, but if the shoe fits... On Sunday, January 15, 2012, I headed out for a hike to East Fork Lake State Park with my friends Lorrie and Cheryl. The previous day, Cheryl and I spent more time in the car hunting for the trail head at Kleber Wildlife Management Area than we did actually hiking (and that’s saying a lot since we hiked for 2 hours!) I wasn’t really planning on hiking on this day, but the sun was shining and the trail was calling – I am shocked at how quickly I am getting addicted to this! It was 32 degrees out. We hiked 2 miles in about an hour and 36 minutes. 

I didn’t anticipate that we would have any trouble finding the trail for a couple of reasons: 1. We live relatively near this park and I have been there on many occasions; 2. I had a new co-pilot who I anticipated would be able to help with directions. Because we impulsively decided to go hike, I didn’t spend time looking at the map myself. When will I ever learn? This is starting to sound like an excuse!  It took us ten minutes longer and a couple of u-turns to find where we were going. Does this happen to anyone else? If so, please comment and make me feel better!!!!! Obviously I am still looking for a suitable co-pilot!

The hike itself was beautiful! There were hills, but they were very gradual.  It was a good thing because there were some very icy spots on the trail.  I don’t know how Lorrie managed to hike it in gym shoes and stay on her feet the entire time! The trail was heavily wooded and did a lot of weaving. It also serves as the park’s mountain bike trail. After walking the trail, I can’t begin to imagine riding a bike on it! That is one hobby I have no desire to try, I value my head and neck too much! Plus, what’s the point? You  wouldn’t be able to see the beauty around you - you’d be too busy watching where you are going!  I’m sure I’ve just offended all mountain bikers – feel free to defend yourselves.

As we followed this weaving hilly trail we came across what looked like a large creek or part of the lake – we weren’t sure. It was so pretty that it almost didn’t look real. We eventually reached a view of the lake where we could see the dam across the water. It was constructed in the 1970’s by the Army Corp of Engineers to control flooding. This part of the trail was flat, but it had a steep drop off and we were grateful that it wasn’t icy along here. Images of Lorrie slipping down into the water with her gym shoes leading the way danced through my head! Yikes!

What was so cool about hiking this week was the dusting of snow on the ground.  Hiking in the winter allows you to truly see the landscape without all of the leafy green brush that is usually there, but with the snow, it gives even more definition to the ground and you can really appreciate the lay of the land – the rolling of the hills and the curves of the trail.

When we got back to our starting point and the kiosk, we looked at the park’s trail map that was posted and realized that we hiked a different path than the one intended. Shocked, right? We had set out to do the easier trail in the same area, but we ended up hiking the intermediate trail.  It didn’t really matter because we had a great time.

5 hikes down and only 55 to go!!!! This weekend’s hike will be to Spring Grove Cemetery which I have actually hiked before.  It’s paved and will be a different setting than previous hikes. Looking at the weather forecast, it looks like Sunday will be the warmest and sunniest day this weekend so grab your boots/shoes and come out and hike with me!

PS. I've already studied the map extensively and have a plan for how to make sure we stay on the right trail!