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[52hikeswithcooper]

Hike #11, Yellowwood State Forest

March 10, 2018

This Saturday kicked-off Erica’s Spring break and her “birthday week” so we wanted something special. We packed a picnic and headed east on 46 for Yellowwood. We combined the Lake Trail and the Resource Management Trail for a for hilly, occasionally muddy 6 mile loop. 

The trail was well tended throughout. I suspect many a scout troop had made these trails their projects. I’ve hiked here for a couple decades and despite or due to its increasing popularity the place gets more and more pristine.

We kept an eye out for the controversial logging that has been in the press recently, but saw very little sign. Though we weren’t in the part of the forest being logged it was difficult to escape the feeling of exasperation with our state administration’s short-sighted, nonsensical decision to log some the oldest trees in our state. Such a big loss for so little gain. May they land directly on their asses when they get booted out of office.

We couldn’t possibly stay in a foul mood. The sun was shining and temperature reached 50 for the first time in what felt like a long time. We found a perfect spot to break for lunch and listened to the geese and spring peepers. Eating outside should be a regular part of everyone’s lives. The hard-boiled eggs, apples, cheese and even Butterfingers tasted better for having just hiked 4 miles, loaded up on sunshine and breathed in the crisp cool breeze off the lake. Plus, picnics always feel like we’re on vacation.

We finished out our last couple miles deeper in the woods and found one of Yellowwood’s tree treasures. Of course the picture doesn’t do it justice. Places like Yellowwood need to be explored to be truly appreciated. Do yourself a favor and get out there this Spring, you won’t be disappointed! 

#52hikechallenge #52hikeswithcooper #52hikes #AdventurePoodle #yellowwoodstateforest #getoutside #natureindiana

[planthealingcrystal]

Exploring Oregon. 🐾🌤🌿 • • • #vegan #veganfood #vegansofig #whatveganseat #rawtill4 #organic #hclf #hclfvegan #wholefoods #plantbased #medicalmedium #drdavidklein #fruit #veggies #healing #selflove #love #lifechangingfoods #veganhealing #plantsheal #planthealing #youcanheal #hiking #oregon #oregonexplored #poodle #dog #adventurepoodle (at Cedar Flat, Oregon) https://www.instagram.com/p/BsoxKb1D1x-/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1ajo7jht2nnf2

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[52hikeswithcooper]

Hike #10- Morgan-Monroe State Forest

March 4, 2018

We headed up to Indy on Friday for First Friday and biking shenanigans, then spent lots of family and friend time on Saturday. Sunday, we decided, was just for us. We stopped at Morgan-Monroe State Park on our way back to Bloomington and were not disappointed!

While these are old mushrooms, they give us hope for the new mushroom season coming soon. We just need a few more warm days and sunshine. 

I always love seeing water on our hikes, especially when it’s flowing so crisp and clear! The snow melt and rainfall this season is creating such strong-flowing creeks. I can’t wait to see the little critters that start to come out when the weather warms.

Little microcosms of life can be found everywhere in the forest, and it’s one of the reasons we all need to remember to slow down and look for the little pieces of beauty and joy all around us. These scenes make me think back to the fairy movies I used to watch as a child. Think of Thumbellina, Fern Gully plus the imagination of an eight-year old! (Nate is pretty lucky to have me on hikes with him...)

WE SAW OUR FIRST WILDFLOWERS! Pardon our excitement, it’s been a long winter. We were so excited to see these little flowers peeking through since we know Spring is just around the corner, you guys!

Nate found a “shortcut” that brought us around this little lake. These blue, Indiana skies are forever impressing me, and making me love living here. I suppose the bare trees can be appreciated as well, with their stark contrast to the sky. 

Waterways and waterbodies create varied habitats. We love seeing evidence of the wildlife in Indiana!

#52HikesWithCooper #52HikeChallenge #HikeIndiana #MorganMonroeStateForest #Thumbellina #FernGully #FirstFlowersOfSpring #CouplesWhoHike #AdventurePoodle

[52hikeswithcooper]

Hike #9 - Clear Creek Trail

February 25th, 2018

The snow flakes turned to rain drops in a major way this February.  After seeing postings of flooded trails all around Bloomington we opted for pavement. The Clear Creek rail to trail runs 2.4 miles one way from Tapp Road to Church Lane on the SW side of Bloomington. Though a paved path, it passes through enough fields and wooded areas that you feel like you’re in the country.

Today the creek was flowing and bursting from its banks. The discarded car-sized blocks of limestone on the other side of the creek called to our explorer’s hearts. I’ve spent way too much time staring at the locations of the abandoned quarries all over this part of Monroe County. We were tempted to veer from the path to hike around these treasures, but the creek proved more of a river this day.

Happy for our waterproof boots we enjoyed watching runners try to walk water where the creek flooded and finding our first crawdad of the season. Another sign that Spring is right around the corner.

At the southern end of the trail you'll find a historic 150′ bridge with great views of the creek and lovely trail hikers. Just south of where the Clear Creek trail meets the B-line there is parking and excellent picnic spots. Though the B-line comes to an end at Church Lane the trail continues south where the train once ran. 

For a manicured city park, the Clear Creek trail offers some beautiful scenes and a bit of wildness well within reach of home.

#52hikechallenge #52hikes #wildindiana #adventurepoodle #clearcreektrail

[52hikeswithcooper]

Hike #7 - Amy Weingartner Branigin Peninsula Preserve

February 11, 2018

Cold and windy, drizzling rain, muddy and perfect for a Sunday afternoon hike. We had been hearing about Sycamore Land Trust’s newest preserve for the last six months and were excited to give it a try. Not a long hike, but certainly more rigorous than we had anticipated. This was our second Sycamore hike this year and we’re hoping to get to most of them. You can learn more and get involved on their site.

There are only seven parking spots and a bike rack at the lot. Be advised, neighbors don’t stand for parking on the streets and be sure to mind the speed limit once you turn on to Rush Ridge Rd off of SR 446. The influx of hikers has been a bit disruptive to this quiet, rural neighborhood and we nature lovers want to create and preserve goodwill.

The hike consists of 1.1 miles out to the tip of the peninsula and back to the lot on the same trail. We expected a gradual decline to the edge of the water, but were surprised and happy to discover that the hike consists of a series of fairly steep climbs and descents.

Cooper wasn’t ready for a rest or sitting still for a portrait, but I certainly appreciated the break. The view was pretty spectacular too.

There was a surprising variety of trees and interesting landscape for such a short hike. I always appreciate the massive beech trees with their elephant skin bark. They never cease to inspire awe and transport me from the mundane to the ethereal.

The combination of birch and sandstone stopped us in our tracks. We marveled at what looked like ancient script among the cracks in the sand stone. There were sinkholes and giant hardwoods to marvel at along the path.

When you reach the tip of the peninsula you get a near 360* view of the reservoir. The chilly weather didn’t slow us down from our Sunday afternoon at the beach. We skipped stones, searched for fossils and listened to the chirping of the ice as it shattered on itself in the waves. Cooper couldn’t have been happier.

There was great rock hunting along the water. It was easy to find crinoid stems (indian beads) and geodes among the variety of multicolored stones. With slightly warmer weather we could have easily passed a couple hours exploring.

I would rank this hike as one of the best of our challenge so far. Though short, the scenic overlooks of the reservoir and the variety of topography and trees kept us captivated. It helped that it was also a bit more physically demanding than we had anticipated. Without a doubt, we will back to do this one again.

#52hikechallenge #52hikes #sycamorelandtrust #52hikeswithcooper #adventurepoodle #btown #explorebloomington #exploreindiana #wildindiana #amyweingartnerbraniginpeninsulapreserve

[52hikeswithcooper]

Hike #6- Southwestway Park

February 3, 2018

Nate and I had to make our way to Indianapolis to get our iPhone batteries replaced (thanks Apple...), so we made a pitstop on the way at Southwestway Park. It’s been on our list for some time, mostly because Nate wants to mountain bike there and I love a chance to be near the White River. 

One of the things we find most interesting about Southwestway Park is the way the Indianapolis Parks Department has maximized community usage of this space. There are little league fields for soccer and baseball/softball, multi-use trails for mountain bikes, hikers, runners, and even horseback riders! There are efforts to increase the natural habitat in the area and remove invasive species.

While the current season does not lend itself to beautiful fields of flowers and waving grasses, hopefully you can see the restoration in the foreground and parking way off in the background, with tall lights for evening sporting events to the right. It took a few minutes of walking to get through the fields and into the wooded area.

We passed this gnarly tree on our path into the woods, a taste of the interesting, fairytale-like trees we would encounter throughout the hike. 

The river is in sight!

I love getting to see the river in all seasons. Winter seems to be uniquely beautiful, in my opinion, thanks to the limited colors and ice pattern formations. I especially love the ways the branches are so bare, are such stark contrast to sky.

This trio of trees, perched precariously on the river’s edge, drew my eye to their interlocked roots, then their fallen comrades to the left and right. If you look closely, you’ll see the white of a Jim Beam bottle, left by some party-hard park-goer, in the tree to the left.

This is that fallen comrade to the right of the trio above. Note the icicles strewn like decorations. Winter really has its beauty! And then you notice the piece of trash strangling the branches in a fallen tree.... Our previous hikes have been mostly free of litter. We’ve taken that for granted and are planning to bring plastic bags for litter collection on every hike going forward. Unfortunately, we encountered more as our hike continued. And this is where both of our phones suddenly died, we’re thinking because of the cold. We hiked a bit more and tried to turn our phones back on, to limited success. My phone came back to life but Nate’s did not. I guess it’s good we were getting our batteries replaced!

And then we saw this poop! This coyote had quite the meal to deposit such a load, and on the path even! 

Like I mentioned before, the gnarly trees felt such like a fairytale land that when we passed under this we almost expected a witch or her henchmen to hop onto the trail. 

And we almost thought there would be a troll hopping out from this mushroom-spotted log! 

Straight out of a fairytale, this locust tree had spikes lining its trunk. Quite the defense mechanism.

And just like that we completed our ~2.5 mile loop (we seemed to have gotten a little confused and hopped onto the mountain biking trail at one point...). This park, conveniently, houses recycling receptacles for neighbors who may not otherwise have access to recycling services. I think it’s such a great use of community space!

We’re looking forward to exploring Southwestway Park again sometime, definitely taking Nate’s mountain bike with us. Next time you’re on your way up to Indianapolis or down to Bloomington, take the time to hike for a bit. You’ll be happy you did!

#52HikeChallenge #52HikesWithCooper #SouthwestwayPark #IndianapolisParks #HikeIndiana #ExploreIndiana #WildIndiana #AdventurePoodle #GnarlyTree #Recycle #OptOutside

[52hikeswithcooper]

Hike #4 - Pate Hollow

January 20th, 2018 - Week four marked this year’s first venture into the Indiana wilds.  Hoosier National Forest consists of about 200,000 acres scattered throughout southern Indiana and is one of the few places one can truly lose themselves in the woods. The warmer weather and the fact that our last few hikes averaged three miles had us itching for more of a challenge.  We weren’t disappointed. 

Each step of the hike the snow melted below our feet. As the temperature increased we felt like we were walking on sand. The trail apps refer to Pate Hollow as advanced. With the slippery conditions where the trail often sloped dramatically toward the drop-off I wouldn’t disagree.

As you approach the halfway mark the trees open up to a gorgeous view of the lake. This was another of those moments when we were reminded of how winter hiking means getting all of this pristine beauty to oneself. I made a mental note that it wasn’t far from this point in the trail that one could hike out to the tip of the peninsula for an easy overnight. Nearly 360 degrees of calm waters framed by woods for a sunset and the sunrise. 

Cooper really is one majestic looking pup.  He always seems to know when I’m taking a picture and nearly always strikes the serious, staring off in to the distance pose.  He was certainly a trooper on this hike and was only slightly impatient when we weren’t keeping up. 

After nearly six miles and over 1,000 ft of climbing we had worked up quite a sweat.  We ate snow to cool down and stripped off hats and outer layers.  I can see why Pate Hallow is a popular destination for hikers and runners that want to feel the burn.  And though we passed a few people and their four legged companions we felt lucky to have this rejuvenating wilderness all to ourselves. 

#52HikesWithCooper #52HikeChallenge #HikeIndiana #PateHollow #HoosierNationalForest #WinterHike #AdventurePoodle #Snow #ExploreIndiana #StreamsOfIndiana #WildIndiana #TheCoupleThatHikesTogether #MarriedLife #MajesticPoodle