Hiking 2017 Reloaded

[Crankin]

Have fun, Pax. Someday, I will get to Chicago.

[Pax]

You'd enjoy it Crankin, so much to do and the city is heaven in the summer.

[Catrin]

Nice little ~3 mile hike today with some friends, and a good lunch/dinner/whatever you call it at 3pm afterwards. Good times! Thankfully that part of Indiana wasn't really hit by the huge storm from the aftermath of Cindy so things were quite dry.

[Catrin]

Sounds wonderful! Is a State Reservation more like a State Park, or a State Wilderness Area? In Indiana the latter means very few facilities, no camping, usually gravel road only access, etc.

The Feb trip sounds great as well, glad you're able to line it up on Oct.

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[Crankin]

Yeah, if you don't reserve places near ski areas early, it's difficult. We are going the week before the February school vacation, though, so it's easier, as well as the fact this is very far north, near the Canadian border. We love the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont, it's the place where there will be snow, if there's any snow to be had, and there's a growing number of cool restaurants and breweries. There's only one downhill area near here, so there's none of that vibe we find in Stowe, where even the nordic centers are expensive.
I am not sure what the difference is, between a state reservation and park. It's not a wilderness area by any means, and since we were not at the main trailhead, I can't comment on the facilities. Some state parks here do not have camping (in fact, most), so in typical Massachusetts fashion, it makes no sense.

[Catrin]

Yeah, if you don't reserve places near ski areas early, it's difficult. We are going the week before the February school vacation, though, so it's easier, as well as the fact this is very far north, near the Canadian border. We love the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont, it's the place where there will be snow, if there's any snow to be had, and there's a growing number of cool restaurants and breweries. There's only one downhill area near here, so there's none of that vibe we find in Stowe, where even the nordic centers are expensive.
I am not sure what the difference is, between a state reservation and park. It's not a wilderness area by any means, and since we were not at the main trailhead, I can't comment on the facilities. Some state parks here do not have camping (in fact, most), so in typical Massachusetts fashion, it makes no sense.

Northeast Kingdom of Vermont? Love it!

In Indiana, I think the main difference between a state wilderness area and a state park is the kind of facilities (camping, picnic spots, parking, signage, etc.) that has been invested. Some state parks have camping, some do not. Last October I and a friend took on a 10 mile hike for my 57th birthday in a state wilderness area. The main thing I remember that I considered a substantial difference (outside of the miles of gravel roads to GET there) was the lack of trail signage that played out in an unexpected way. We parked in a very small lot at the trail head of a 10 mile loop. There was a hitch a couple miles in where we wound up off the trail as we followed what we thought WAS the trail...until it disappeared in a creek and didn't pick back up the other side. That's not unusual, and we easily figured it out. That was not the problem. The problem was that the trail name ends in the word "loop". On the highly stylized trail map we found online that turned out to be basically useless, it LOOKED like a loop trail. Some hours later we reached the other end of the trail...but it did not end at the parking lot where we started. There were no signs directing us to the parking lot. There were no signs at all and it was quickly approaching dark.

Thankfully I did have a memory of driving past a feature we were looking at on the way to the parking lot, and I looked down a large field to see some people coming out of the woods - about a quarter mile away. They were headed our way so I caught up with them as quickly as I could and found out that the parking lot where we had started was across two fields and through the woods, about a half mile away. They laughed and shook their heads about the number of first timers who got lost for the same reason. Considering how few people we had seen that day, I could see how there could be a problem the wrong time of the year. The lesson, of course, was to not trust that a loop trail really IS a loop. There was no cell signal there, no way finding markers outside of a couple of tree markings, and the lesson was a good reminder. It was a great day however, and there was no harm from the little adventure at the end. I DID make a map by exporting the GPS points in my phone and posted it online for others. I had hoped to repeat the hike this year, well that can't happen with the 2 surgeries, but hopefully I can do it next year, and without the shin splints this time!

[Crankin]

Oy, that's the kind of thing that scares me about hiking. It's primarily the reason we bought the upgraded All Trails app. We use that and take a paper map, if there is one. Last March, when we did Little Monadnock, we were following an All Trails route. However, there was some snow on the ground and it was a little hard to follow, even with the app. There were markers, but at one point, I am pretty sure we got off of the trail and bushwhacked. At least with the app, we could see where to go. This was a longer, technical hike, and I was not happy. I don't hike alone, unless it is a very well known, easy to follow trail, because of this. I have a good sense of direction on the road, but once I get in the woods, no. Once, I decided to go mountain biking alone, after work. I went to a place that I hike, ski, snow shoe, and used to mountain bike in. It was not as well marked as it is now, and I took a wrong turn. After realizing I had reached the boundary, at a river, I went back, and ended up at a road, which was not the road/parking my car was at. I knew where it was, and I could have ridden back on the road, to my car, but managed to find my way back on the trail. It really creeped me out. I skied there a few times, after work, and while I stuck to main trails, there were always weird guys skiing in jeans that also creeped me out. Harmless, of course, but I stopped going there alone.

[Catrin]

These trails aren't even on the All Trails app., or so we were told. I hike alone all of the time (at least before this year), and have never had a problem. However, when I am alone I only go to trails I know well and see a lot of traffic. This was the first time that I had been in a "state wilderness area", and we didn't know what that meant. It was, however, just lovely. Nor did I realize that a BAD idea it would be to go on a 10 mile hike with new orthotics in rigid hiking boots (my podiatrist apologized for not warning me) - but that was my fault. It WAS a great day, regardless of the fact I still have shin splints in one leg a year later. We just assumed that the map we saw from the State Park system was accurate...but map scale matters greatly, and it was a good lesson learned (the scale made it look like a real loop). I DO want to go back someday. There is another 10 mile loop trail in the same park that is apparently much easier to get lost as it has multiple trails crossing it. The "only" reason we got confused was that it didn't end where it started - which is a bit of a problem if it isn't expected. Very thankful we didn't hit the OTHER 10 mile loop.

You were smart to stop going there alone, if there are those on the trail who creep you out especially. I am sure they were harmless, but it's good to listen to ourselves.