2018 Hiking

Now that summer has finally come - and with a vengeance in Central Indiana - I'm looking forward to hear about any hiking that's happening when you aren't riding!

On Memorial Day I and a couple friends hit Prophetstown State Park NW of Indianapolis. None of us realized that the trails were at least 50% over open fields rather than the 99.99% woods we are accustomed to. Still, we SHOULD have had hats...salt tablets... we really did know better. I knew better, and it wasn't a disaster. Considering that May was the hottest month in recorded history, temps hit 90+ pretty early and the humidity was high - it could have been much worse. We did enjoy the different scenery and terrain. Fairly flat but with interesting scenery and about 3.2 miles hiked. My body was fine with the distance, not so fine with not having neither hat nor salt tablets.

I DO have a wide brim hat now, and tomorrow I am pondering hitting Mounds State Park. It has a 3+ mile trail and several archaeological sites. It will also be comparatively cooler tomorrow. I am being cautious about increasing distance, between my quite arthritic feet and other "bits", and just trying to get SOME kind of conditioning to return after the 2 surgeries last year, it's baby steps. I AM enjoying being back outside though!

That's great, Catrin. I have solved the "should have" problem when I hike, by always having a tube of Nuun, Lara Bars, a hat, etc in my backpack. It's my real backpack that I take on more than local hikes or walks. However, I also have mini versions of this in my waist pack.
Your post reminded me that I haven't done any real hiking since early spring. I am trying to ride more this year... the tic forecast is horrible here, too, although I have never been one to not slather myself in DEET!

I hear you Crankin, though if the only way I can get into the woods us to break out the DEET, than that is what I will do! Pretty sure my neck and shoulders would greatly protest if I attempted a return to my backpack this year - but I do have a small, or not so small, Camelbak waist-hydration-pack. It doesn't have a lot of room for much of anything, but I can get the essentials.

On Memorial Day it was SO hot that the 2 bars in my little waist pack pretty much just melted. They had chocolate as an ingredient...never a safe bet on a really hot day!

Not much for hiking in store for me, this summer, but just wanted to add one more alert on the tick problem. They're been bad in our area, this spring, and I'm picking up a few even on my bike rides, for heaven's sake. I now spray down my feet and legs before doing any trail riding. It's also a must even when waking in the yard. Be careful.

Glad you're getting back out there, Catrin, though hiking in the sun on a 90-degree day sounds rough!

Since I'm still in braces probably through the summer, which means being in Florida, I won't be getting much hiking in for awhile...perhaps in the fall. We are heading up to visit my folks in NC this coming week, but I'll be too busy with them to get much if anything else done. Will be working in my 83-year old mother's yard, which is undoubtedly crazy full of weeds, since they've had so much rain. Not looking forward to it all that much...much prefer to visit in April or even May, before it's quite so hot, but it just didn't work out this year.