Tag Archives: walking

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On to November!

As I was hiking yesterday at New Germany State Park, I heard the voice of the D.C. Metro Goddess in my head softly stating, “Doors closing” in that sing-song voice, then more forcibly, “Please stand clear of the doors!”

I looked up through the now bare branches of trees to a steel gray sky. Doors have indeed closed on the season of Fall color here in western Maryland. It was a beautiful season starting right about at the Fall Equinox in September with a few golden leaves, then reaching its pinnacle about the third week in October with reds, golds, and browns. A lovely time of year!

When Fall began, I felt the frenetic energy down in my bones! I rushed to drink it all in before the turn to the darker months of Winter. And wow, did I ever scramble to get the most out of Fall! I got out to hike at Monocacy National Battlefield, the C&O Canal, Shawnee State Park, the Appalachian Trail, Coopers Rock State Forest, New Germany State Park, and Rocky Gap State Park!

A hike on the Appalachian Trail to sit in the woods and write in our journals

I led a “Journaling in Nature” hike for the Maryland Trail Dames. This is an event focused on being present in the forest. We hike in with our journals and supplies, then find a spot to sit for about an hour to tap into our senses and journal. Many of our Dames don’t feel comfortable sitting in the woods alone to journal, so this gives them the opportunity. It is a great experience and was one of my favorite hikes this season!

Below are a few photos from other hikes. I was blessed to be able to take in all this beauty before the temperatures dipped, the winds kicked up, and the rain fell.

Now I hear the Cailleach calling!

A stop at Monroe Run Overlook after a hike at New Germany State Park
Along the C&O Canal near Spring Gap, Maryland

November brings a different vibe into my life. One of burrowing down into the coziness of indoor life. Oh, I still go hiking, but afterwards I look forward to a hot shower, a hot chocolate with a dash of Kahlua, and cozy cuddles with my kitties on the couch! 😻

One of my favorite Winter activities is to bring out my hiking maps and use the time to dream up and plan next Summer’s adventures! I have a lot to look forward to!

New Germany State Park on November 4, 2023…all the leaves are gone!

For now, the Metro Goddess is correct, the doors are closing or possibly have closed…I wonder where that next stop will be? 🥾🥾

Any suggestions for hikes in western Maryland…or within 100 miles of Cumberland, MD? Let me know in the comments! Always up for a new adventure!

Hike on!

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Looking Forward to This…no, That…no, the Other Thing!

Last week I was eagerly looking forward to leading a hike at Coopers Rock State Forest for the Maryland Trail Dames. I scouted that hike a few weeks ago and knew the Dames would love the area with its overlook, the CCC structures, and the canyon! But, as luck would have it, the weather gods threw a wrench into my plans…so I needed to reschedule the hike. Since there would be no hike, I was now eagerly looking forward to sleeping in on Saturday morning. It was superb sleeping weather, rainy with a heavy fog that brought that first Autumn chill to Haystack Mountain. Sublime! I snuggled under my fuzzy blanket and nodded off into dreamland. ZZzzzzzzzzz…several hours later……BEEP, BEEP, BEEP… BEEP, BEEP, BEEP…

What the…I was up and out of bed…the smoke alarm … what???? One eye half open, I stumbled round the end of the bed to get to the hallway. OW! My knee hit the end of the iron bed frame! Graceful, I am not!

Finally reaching the hallway, the alarm was now quiet as a mouse. I flipped the light switch giving the alarm an evil eye. No smoke, no smell of smoke, everything seemed fine. Except, of course, I was now sure there was a secret fire somewhere in the house! I’ll spare you the details on the rest of the alarm story but it climaxed with me yanking it off the ceiling and deactivating it, for the time being.

I put a pot of coffee on while taking a sideways glance at the clock on the stove. Eyeroll…It was 4:00 am. So much for the sleep in! 😒 Still groggy, the smell of coffee brewing brought me to my senses. I humbly accepted that I had possibly been a little over dramatic during this short episode of my life. 😂 Moving on…

Outside, a perfect Autumnal morning had developed! Heavy fog to the ground. Mysterious and a little spooky, I love hiking in the fog! Well then, let’s go for a hike!

A quarter of an hour later, I was turning off I-68 into Rocky Gap State Park…but, but, but…no fog. 🤦‍♀️ Forget this, I got back on I-68, determined to find a suitably foggy place to take a walk. As I was headed west, my partner called me.

“Oh…you’re in the car?”

“Yes, was at Rocky Gap, but I am headed …..”

“toward or away from Cumberland?”

“Um…toward…”

“Well, I am…and could you…and…”

And 45 minutes later, I was meeting my partner at the IHOP in Hancock. She had suggested breakfast and a walk. Perfect, as the rail trail was right across the street!

Starting at the Western Maryland Rail Trail (WMRT) parking lot, we headed down to Hancock on the rail trail. The WMRT is about 28 miles long extending from Fort Frederick State Park to Little Orleans. It parallels the C&O Canal along the way. Both the WMRT and C&O Canal are wide and flat which makes them great for bicycling, running, or walking, especially when I feel it is too hot to hike up mountains.

This morning the trail was relatively quiet and the weather still on the cool side. It was starting to look a little like Fall with a path strewn with brightly colored leaves! A grin spread over my face. My favorite season can’t come too soon!

We reveled in other signs that the turn of the season was upon us. That mulchy, woodsy, smell permeated the area around the trail. We noticed a once rushing creek now dry except for a few pools of water between the rocks here and there. We heard a hum of bees, and other pollinators, weaving through heavy blooms of Goldenrod and Asters. To top it off, cheery pumpkins and colorful mums graced porches of a few of the houses we walked by. The warm fuzzies of Autumn! All this morning was missing was a big cup of Pumpkin Spice Latte! 😜 Hike On!

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Rock Hopping with the Dames

Big rocks are where it is, friends!

A Maryland Trail Dame’s hike on the Appalachian Trail between Rt. 233 and Caledonia State Park (Pennsylvania)

Tailgate of my RAV4 open, I sat, legs dangling, phone in hand, mindlessly swiping through Pinterest as I waited on the Dames. A blessedly cool morning, I thought, as I swung my legs back and forth, and kept swiping. A car turned off of Rt. 30. Someone was yelling from their car as it was driving by. What the…? It took a minute for me to drag myself from a cute backyard firepit setup that I had been getting ready to pin, so I only heard “…have to pooooo!” Ahh…Queen V had arrived. Well, almost. 😂

A good bathroom is a godsend at a trailhead. Especially for women hikers. Yes, we can go in the woods and do…but a nice bathroom at the beginning. It’s a plus!

Once we had everyone together, we piled into two cars, rode down to the Rt. 233 trailhead, and began our hike up and over Rocky Mountain. We all agreed that the weather was an awesome change from the hot and muggy swamp weather we had been having previously.

This hike is mostly regular dirt trail, but just after the cut-off to Rocky Mountain Shelter, it goes through some spectacular rock formations. OH…and in my previous post, I stated that Dames always stop at the shelters. I should have added IF and only IF (that’s IFF for you math folks) the shelter is a reasonably short distance from the trail! 😁 The Rocky Mountain Shelter is 0.3 miles from the trail, so that was a no go!

The Dames did great along this stretch of the AT. Their comments were it was a shock to the body to get out of the car and immediately be expected to go steeply uphill. AND that Queen V was so not truthful about it being just one climb up, then the rest of the way down. 😆 For the record, I never made any such claim! 😏

After the initial climb, the trail was easy walking until just after the shelter cut-off. Then the trail turns right, climbs a short hill, and we entered the jumble of boulders that make this hike one of my favorites.

We slowed down, picking our way through the rocks carefully. Stopping frequently to take in the wonder of these big rock formations, we theorized how they had come to be. No conclusions, as none of us on this hike are geologists. However, none were necessary. It is enough to be in awe of these phenomenal formations.

Coming down off of the rocks, we descended into what was becoming a hot and humid day. Summer is back. We kept our spirits up and our feet moving by chatting about wading in the creek at Caledonia, then going for ice cream. You do what you gotta do!

The creek was as amazing as we thought it would be! So, so, so good!

The ice cream, friendly service, and cute decor at the Caledonia Cafe was a perfect way to celebrate! Highly recommend if you are in the area. 🍦🍨🧁

Enjoy a Reel with more pics of our adventure!

Hike on!

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Spring, Winter, Spring, Winter, …, Spring?

What’s in a name anyway? By calling it Spring are we hopeful to manifest that first lovely breeze that caresses us with oh, so much yummy warm love? Well, I think one of you has dropped the ball on the manifestation homework because it is still winter.

I never liked group projects… 😀

Today was not a good day to hike, but I went anyway. It was cold. It was windy. It was, at times, snowing…fast and furious. Did I question my sanity? To be honest, a little. But, oh, how exciting the world felt! It was intoxicating and I could not deny myself this opportunity to see Lake Habeeb in the drama of this windy, snowy day! Delayed gratification is not something I am really good at…so let’s go!

I parked by the Amphitheater and started the Lakeside Loop by heading towards the campground first. That side of the lake always seems to take for-e-ver to me with all the ins and outs of the lake. I figured by the time I passed the dam I would be looking forward to the straightaway that passes the Casino and Beach. I love the lake, but sometimes the lack of variety in the trail around the lake … not boring…just gets monotonous for me. Oh good lord, I sound like an ass…I am not really that hard to please!!! 😀

Oh gosh! It was such a fun hike! When I pulled into the parking area the wind was blowing snow so hard that my car was moving side to side! I decided to wait for the squall to pass spending some quality time eating my sandwich. The squall pushed on and I headed out under deep blue skies peeking out from behind gray low hanging clouds. The wind was brisk, stinging my cheeks with unforgiving iciness. I zipped up my coat ALL the way to the top and marched on!

In the campground area, bushes were greening up, creating a sweet Spring-like corridor. Periwinkle cascaded on either side and an occasional bunch of daffodils brightened up the dark shadows under the bramble.

Meanwhile, the wind picked up blowing back the hood of my coat (good thing I wore a winter hat)! Looking up, I found a few snowflakes drifting through the trees. Then, LITERALLY two seconds later, it was like someone dumped a bucket of snow … several thousand buckets, actually…from the west end to the east end of the lake! I could not even see to the middle of the lake, when I had been able to see all the across to the other side and beyond just a few moments before. It was wild! The snow stuck in my hair, blew into my eyes, and plastered my whole front side in no time! 😮

Just as quickly, it was gone. The sun came back out, the snow on my clothes disappeared, and on I went. That happened two more times while on the trail and it really was such a joy to stand there and let it take over. Of course, I was never in any danger…this was not a blizzard…just a passing squall. 🙂

Winter refusing to go out without a few more words, Spring refusing to give in to a very pushy, rude Winter. I think Spring is going to win eventually, but for now, in Allegany County, Maryland, it is still Winter! 😀 Hike on!

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Saturday Stroll at Little Orleans

A stunning morning for a walk down along the Potomac River near Little Orleans, Maryland. This was a chilly morning and I almost talked myself out of a walk before I even finished my cup of coffee. Then I saw a friend’s post about how excited they were to be headed out to see the bluebells…well, that encouraged me to get up and get out!

My route around the horn this morning…about 5 miles.

This is a nice 5-mile loop…well, it’s not exactly a loop. That shape requires a more descriptive name…..hmmm, how about Pelican Bill loop? or Butterfly Catcher loop? 🙂

I pulled into the Western Maryland Rail Trail lot across from the Little Orleans camp store at about 8:30 am. Not a soul around except folks in the campground. Nice! I started down the smooth paved rail trail towards the canal. It was surprising that no bikes were out this morning. Oh well, better for me! The rail trail curved to the right and through a small tunnel before ending, rather abruptly, at the beginning of an old trestle that spanned the river. Okay…how do I get down to the canal??? Backtracked to the road crossing, which was the most likely suspect, and looked downhill. A PATC sign greeted me…so I went that way. 😀

That was a good guess and after a small, but muddy, stream crossing I was on the canal path! Lovely stretch of the canal!

I am not a huge fan of walking for a long time on the canal path as it is hard on my feet. Today, was no exception in that regard, BUT there was enough Springtime popping action around me that I was distracted by the absolute beauty of it all!

The redbuds were every where! You can see one in the pic from the little tunnel above. I passed many along my route. They really lit up the forest!

Oh, and then the big hit…Bluebells! I wait for them every spring, calculating when and where to go to see them. They seemed to be at peak bloom! I was over the moon to see them in bunches lining the canal and carpeting the river bank! One of my favorites!

A Bluebell jamboree!

Skirting around the horn of this hike, I passed the 15-Mile Creek Campground. This is a decent sized campground and right on the river. Spring and Fall are probably the best time for camping here. I imagine the bugs in the summer would be pretty unbearable! But hey, if you like the summer river life, go for it! 🙂 There is a boat ramp and with the towpath and rail trail it gives everyone something to enjoy!

I headed down the canal towards the old Indigo train tunnel. As I approached the opening a rush of cool air gave me the chills. I had momentary vision of a scene from one of the Harry Potter movies when Harry’s cousin, Dudley, is attacked by the Dementors in a tunnel near their house. 😀 😀 Okay, maybe not quite that dramatic! 😀 The tunnel is closed off, but it is still a neat side trip to look through the bars towards the light at the end of the tunnel!

And without any discussion on this…I am closing out this post with a cheesy t-shirt slogan…”The light at the end of the tunnel may be an oncoming train!” 😀 Hike on!

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Neighborhood Greenspace Jackpot

I must have won some kind of karma lottery because I have hit the jackpot of all neighborhoods! This little neighborhood gave me all the feels when I first drove into it with its mid-mod ranch and split levels. Brady bunch much? Literally, I was in love! I gazed out my car window at the azaleas, mountain laurel, and TREES with such longing that I knew this was it for me.

I have started to explore the neighborhood on foot now that I have depleted my savings by buying a livable ranch fixer built in 1962. And let me tell you…every neighborhood deserves greenspace like this. Every single person deserves to be able to walk out their door and into the woods.

We started the walk right behind my house and followed a well worn path up to the old water tower. Then we cut down to Sunset Drive, hung a right, and walked to the dead end, where the pavement ends and the adventure begins! Interestingly, this trail is on AllTrails…I guess you would have to park at either Bishop Walsh School or maybe Allegany High School to access the trail. Allegany HS is pretty new and was built on the grounds of the old Sacred Heart Hospital. This neighborhood was where many of the doctors that worked at the hospital lived back in the day. I believe the old hospital closed in 2009.

Looking back at the gate we passed through at the end of Sunset.

Moving on past the gate, we followed a dirt road to the very end of the Haystack Mountain ridge. This took us up to the western side of The Narrows, a deep gorge in Cumberland through which old highway 40, the train tracks, and Will’s Creek traverses.

Looking towards Corriganville, Maryland and Pennsylvania
Looking towards “Lover’s Leap” across the Cumberland Narrows

This is a lovely neighborhood! It is sad that at the moment I am tied to my computer by work and cannot take this walk every day! But the end of the semester is near!! Hike On!

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Hiking Haiku Monday

In the spirit of writing bad poetry, I give you my Hiking Haiku…and this may become a regular Monday thing while we are under “stay at home” orders due to COVID-19.  I urge you to also write bad poetry and a hoky haiku or two!  Hike on!

Step gently into

Trees, Sky, Grass, a winding path 

Up the hill, come with!

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A Little Walk Here, A Little Walk There

I live in a wonderful place with a lot of close by opportunities to get out for a short walk now and then.  I am not pushing my COVID-19 boundaries…rather not get into trouble with the Hoganmeister…Governor Hogan…or get anyone sick or get sick myself.

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Spring awakes

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Social Distancing

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All alone at Chimney Rocks

However, I know how to pick place and time for solitude on the trail.  That is one of the benefits to being a regular hiker, I know where the secret places are and/or the times when everyone else stays home.

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Only one in the Gorge at Rocky Gap

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Solo lunch by the Lake

Occasionally, I have taken Sidekick Pauli and she is loving it!  She is going to be 13 on May 10, is covered with lumps, and is graying around her muzzle, but she still enjoys a mile or so on a trail. 🙂  Especially when wildflowers are beginning to bloom!  We took this micro jaunt along the C&O Canal in western Maryland…not a soul in sight.

I am fortunate to have outdoor resources so near to my house.  I can get there and back without stopping for gas, to go to the bathroom, or anything else.  Added benefit is that I am reconnecting with solo hiking.  I definitely miss hiking with my Trail Dames right now, but once this is all over, we will hike again.

In between the outdoor jaunts I am on lock down with almost everyone else.  I am a teacher and the show must go on…but it has not been an easy transition to online instruction for me or my college students.  I am sure it has been an interesting transition for you as well.

If you are a healthcare worker, a bus driver, a grocery store employee, or any other occupation deemed essential…I salute and thank you.  You all are getting all the rest of us though this pandemic and your sacrifice is immeasurable.

Be safe and Hike on responsibly!

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Trail on Tuesday!

Election Day for many, not here in my immediate area…but still a day off for me.  So I hooked up Sidekick Pauli with her leash, harness, and coat (35 degrees, brrr) and hit a trail down at Monocacy Battlefield!

Sidekick Pauli was elated!  She is now 12 years old and prefers hikes of under two miles so this was a perfect match.  We pulled into Worthington Farm, part of the battlefield, just after sunrise.  The colors on the trees, now past peak, cast a muted, dusty glow over the battlefield.  A low fog had risen before we arrived, but the dew was still heavy in the grassy areas, so I chose to head down the long driveway that splits the fields.

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Sidekick Pauli wanted to pull me off into the wet grass at every turn and judged me somewhat harshly for taking the path of least resistance.  Just look at her face…haha 😀

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Ohhhh, it was chilly…my ears and fingers were tingling.  I sped up to match Pauli’s pace and quickly warmed up.  Nothing like having a dog along to keep you moving.  Patience is not one of Pauli’s better qualities, so when I slowed down to look at a pretty leaf, and then the fungi, and then more pretty leaves, and then the river, and then at the sky…and then…and then…well, she wasn’t particularly pleased!

 

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20191105_090913.jpgI could not be hurried.  I breathed in the crisp air, reveling in the woody scent of Autumn.  The sun splashed warmth across the fields,  and I stood quietly and soaked it up (Pauli also enjoyed this).

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One of THOSE mornings when time sort of stops, when nothing else matters, and the world just seems okay.

Hike On!

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Bean Blossom Bottoms

I cannot believe that, in the past, someone actually tried to drain this marsh to use the area for farming. Lucky for us and for the wildlife, the land was donated to the Sycamore Land Trust. Bean Blossom Bottoms is now a protected marsh land home to many, including the rare Kirtland’s Snake.My son recommended we visit, so after a lovely lunch, we headed down.The Land Trust has completed repairing/replacing the boardwalk through the march. 2.5 miles of boardwalk!The number of water snakes we saw was impressive! We also saw tadpoles, wildflowers, and a baby bunny.I am sure crawdads call this place home by the looks of these mud towers. Or, do you think it could be something else?If you are in the Bloomington, Indiana area, then I recommend a visit. A marshy adventure…plus, you have to drive gravel roads to get here…a delight! Hike on!