Hiking

[Catrin]

Birthday is next weekend, but yesterday was a good way to celebrate my upcoming 57th. Broken "bits" aside, I think I can't complain if I can hike 11 miles So what if I had hours of foot/shin cramps last night - I really need to figure THAT out. Obviously something is lacking. At least I learned I CAN drive when both lower appendages are in agony - I drive a manual. Probably shouldn't have but I saw no other way to get home.

Onto the pictures:

I love this upwards shot, the trails were quite empty. We did meet people from time to time but not that many. These trails are quite remote.


These diamonds were our friends. Maps were horrible. No real internet phone connectivity. Not one trail sign that actually had a trail name or number. AND, drum roll, neither of the two 10 mile loops actually end at the location from which they start. I don't mean they end across the street, but down the street, around the corner, and (literally) through the woods 1/4 mile or so. Did I mention the lack of signage? So regardless of which trail-head one enters the system, you do NOT finish at your car and there is no information to tell you how to get back to it. That's how we hiked 11 miles on a 10-mile trail. No wonder we were sweating daylight THANKFULLY the two 10-mile trails do NOT intersect.



Very calm/peaceful lake that our trail took us around.



Overlooking the same lake as we made our way down/through the ridges to the bottom lands.


The trails themselves were quite diverse. Lots of up and down - mitigated in the steeper areas by switchbacks. They DID reinforce some of the steep areas to help prevent erosion. Other areas were quite flat and another section appears to have been an access road at one time leading to a long line of telephone poles that cut through the state forest. Much of the trail, thankfully, was quite "mountain-bike-trail-like", which fits my limitations well. Both 10-mile looks in this forest is classified as rugged, probably due to the MANY creek crossings. Most of those were dry, but I can see how it could quickly become impassable after a lot of rain.

I will return at some point - but not solo. Also with printed or downloaded maps on my phone or other device. And, unless I can figure out this cramping thing, not the full route.