Hurricane Creek Up and Down and Up and Down

On Friday, Ben has 2.5 hours at band so I went to walk at the park and it was too busy.  Sometimes I am okay with other people, sometimes I am not.  It's been an issue for my whole adult life.  Today was just not a good 'other people' day.

So I decided to go get my oil changed and maintenance stuff done on the van, but when I called Beth they could not get me in until afternoon.  So, I drove out to Hurricane Creek Park and there was only one car in the lot!  I dressed like a serial killer (black hoodie is the Universal 'stay back' upper clothingwear) anyway and put in my earbuds and head wrap, grabbed my poles and camera, and headed down the trail.

I went in via the stairs, down and crossed the creek, went down to the bottom on the high trail and climbed back out, walked back to the office and turned and went down the Grandfather trail, followed the creek, and climbed back up the stairs.  I did not stop on the climbs, though I was pretty sure I was going to keel over coming up the stairs.

It sounds impressive/long, but it was just over a mile.

my foot is awkwardly in frame to orient the photo for me to try to draw later.

This was a fern and some violets growing between 2 mangled pieces of chicken house roofing that had been washed down the creek at some point.

 There are around 50 of these steps, all various heights, covering a 180 foot vertical gain.  There is, luckily, a stretch of trail between sets of stairs so it's not a solid climb.  I was sweating so hard it was dripping off my fingers coming out of there.

I'm ready to keep pushing, to keep feeling stronger, those endorphins are no joke.  I better about myself than I have in a long time.

Bluebells at the Sinks

The Sinks trail at Monte Sano state park is famous for bluebells in the spring.  I have seen whole islands at Bankhead covered in them, so seeing a few thousand in one area isn't unique to the park, but there is something about seeing so many flanking a trail that is visually appealing the way a solid mass isn't somehow.  I blame Jane Austen.  hahaha

We did a quick mile at the Wildflower Trail, off Cleermont, first.

Phlox

Eastern Shooting Star

May apple

Rue anemone

sharp-lobed hepatica

sleepy phlox (it's just not unfurled yet)

Wakerobin Trillium

 We headed to the state park and picked up a map at the office, then parked over by the cabins and took the Sinks Trail off into the valley below.

Virginia Bluebell

that early sun did nothing to help with lighting!

We turned right at the end of the trail and headed uphill to the Stone Cuts trail and walked it back across the mountain.  We enjoyed a small picnic at the top of the stone cuts, which this time of year boasts a great view.

It loops back into the Sinks Trail, making a loop of roughly 2.75 miles.

I headed over to the nearby Maple Hill Cemetery and did a quick walking loop.  The dogwoods will be in bloom by the first week of April.

Spring Forward to Spring!

I've been wanting to hike more, so I decided to set myself a mini goal of 12 miles each week this spring.  I started it on Sunday the 12th because that's close enough to spring for me.  I really just need the later sunlight to get me going.  Monday, Karen and I walked 12 miles on the Richard Martin Trail.  Done!  hahaha

We walked it fast-3 hours and 31 minutes.  I have done it in 3, but that's hard.  This time we were both REALLY worn out by the hike.  I came home with a knot in my calf and she had aching hips.  I told the kids I was skipping the rest of my 40's and going straight to 70.  They started calling me Memom and Mommaw.

Tuesday I tried walking off that sore calf while Ben was at music and put in nearly 3 miles on the bike trails at the lake.  They are surprisingly steep trails and it was a good workout on such a COLD day.

I tried a new thing with the bike trail hike.  I put earplugs between my toes.  And I wore shoes, not sandals (because it was COLD). I was hoping that by keeping those bones away from one another, the nerve would not be pinched and my toes would not go numb.  It worked fairly well.  Even when it did start going numb, it wasn't AS numb and it actually faded within a couple of hours.  Not so lucky with that calf knot. I think I can modify the earplug idea and have it work, which would change EVERYTHING about my hikes.  The Oboz worked okay during off-trail hiking, but my toes were burning by the time I got to the car because of the flat road walk at the end the one time I tried them hiking.  The next time I put them on, my toes were numb before I left the house. :/  (Update, it has not worked)

Wednesday, the calf was mostly back to normal and I ended up heading to swim after lunch with Matt and forgot my swimsuit, though I did bring two towels (one with a sock stuck to it), which is something I guess.  I went to the new library instead, then got drawing supplies.  I walked a couple miles on the greenway, but it was REALLY windy and I didn't enjoy it much.  My ears hate wind.

Thursday, I planned a big hike.  Ben and Chan were with friends and I had the whole day open.  It was warm and sunny and perfect.  Then I woke up hours later than I have slept in MONTHS (9!).  I felt both really groggy and wonderfully rested.  Jake was up minutes later and chatty like a magpie.  He sat on my bed and talked for nearly 2 hours.  Hiking plans flew out the window as we talked and talked and talked.  He got a promotion at work and a very nice raise!  He told me about a friend who is homeless and we started looking for information to get him sorted and sent him all we found and offered a shower and laundry if he needed it.  Another friend, a VERY sweet kid who has been over here dozens of times, lost his Nana unexpectedly.  We talked about that a while, too.

After he left for work, I laid in outside the sun with bare legs (sun on my long bones!) until Matt came home and we walked 3 miles, so it wasn't a totally lazy day.  In between, I set up a desk with drawing stuff and worked on learning how to draw wildflowers.  I'm rubbish at drawing, but that just means there's room for improvement.

Borden Creek Minihike

A second surprise hike in a week!  Owen's soccer game was moved to Montgomery from New Orleans last minute after the whole family had planned off to go out of town and Amanda and Ben opted to skip class Friday to enjoy the weather and BAM, at 11 Thursday night, we had a chat and came up with a plan.  12 hours later, we were all at the trailhead! 

We hiked for 2 hours, stopping at every log, rock, and tree that looked even remotely interesting.  The kids climbed and played and ran around.  We eventually ended up at an open spot near a small creek, maybe a mile in. hahaha!  Everyone set up hammocks and we hung out and had lunch and chatted and the littles built a house by the water (or rather they found a couple logs and imagined a house around them.  There was no illegal construction in the national forest!  :D) 

We spent another couple of hours there and decided to head back about 4 to be sure to be out by dark, but the hike out was barely half an hour since even though we JUST had lunch, dinner was awaiting us and there was far less dallying to be done along the return.

We climbed that last, long, long hill to the parking area and headed off to get Mexican, the only food worthy of the hike.  hahaha!  It was SO good.  Los Charros in Moulton.

Everyone swapped out kids and headed home with their new, even if only temporary, configurations. 

The tunnel was SO freaking muddy!

My mudbuddy and I enjoyed it!  I have missed hiking with this booger.

This may be the ONLY photo I have ever taken that somewhat conveys how steep a section of trail is.

I remember this tree from decades ago.

Virginia bluebells

Above and below-same spot.  The kids all disappear and only one backpack, MINE, is left behind.

Ode to the Left Pack:

Oh, dusty and abused

Backpack, dropped on the trail

Which one of my children forlorned you?

Imma guess Chan.

She understands the concept of returning along the same route.

She don't waste time or energy.

Thank you, that was totes freeform on the fly.

Jukie might be the best dog ever.
I mean that wasn't MY own personal dog.
Who isn't on this hike because I fear wild pigs.

There are 30 trees to choose from, but only these two will do.

Spring beauty

I zapped a few bottles of creek water for the masses.

One of about 8 falls I totally did not see on the hike in.

Hepatica

I love Bankhead.  Every time I go, I am blown away by how lucky we are to have this huge sprawl of land to explore!  

I traversed the muddy tunnel alone on the return.

Buncha wimps, I say!

Your toes need mud to get hairy!  

Every green spout is a yet to bloom trout lily