Ice Age Trail – Wisconsin (IAT) – Aug 5 to 9, 2018

The IAT is an over 2,000 mile trail that generally follows the end moraines of the most recent ice age glaciations.  It was designated a National Scenic Trail in 1980.  I choose to hike in the Kettle Moraine South.  This section of trail travels over rolling terrain with outstanding examples of kettle ponds, eskers, and kames, and moraines.  The most recent glacier being only 10,000 years ago.

• Moraines – a ridge formed by unsorted gravel, sand, and boulders carried by the glacier and can be as high as 300’
• Kettle – A surface depression formed by large, detached blocks of melting ice that were buried with sand and gravel.  The ice melted and the surface collapsed leaving a crater-like depression.
• Kettle Moraine – Also called the Interlobate Moraine.  The Kettle Moraine is a series of ridges, 120 miles long and only a few miles wide in eastern WI.
• Esker—A long narrow ridge of sand or gravel deposited by a stream flowing on or beneath a glacier.
• Kame—A short ridge or mound of drift deposited by glacial melt water.
• Erratics – Boulders carried long distances by the glaciers and deposited when the glacier melted.

8/5 – Met up with Bob and Lorrie Preston at White Water Lake after a nice visit with friends Jill and George Seaworth in Huntley, IL.  We left a car at Clover Rd and drove to Rt 12 to hike the 4.6 miles back.  Storm clouds were gathering and we wanted to have the option of bailing out if rain and lightning came. It was very hot and humid but a nice well maintained and blazed trail.  After lunch and no storms we shuttled a vehicle to Young Rd and hiked the 7.0 mile Black Hawk Segment back to Rt 12.  There were lots of wild flowers and butterflies.  It is always fun to hike with Lorrie.  She is a master gardener and shares her knowledge of plants and wildlife.  I set up camp at Hebron Campground.  The Prestons at the Holiday Inn, in Ft Atkinsons,.  Total for the day 11.6 miles.

8/6 – Several thunderstorms all night with really wild lightning like 1,000 flash bulbs going off in my camper van.  It was still pouring at 7:30 so we decided to meet up in Palmyra for breakfast and see if the storm system moved on while we ate.  By the time we were finished eating the rain had eased and we decided to hike.  Hiking is what we do and what we were here for.  Set up a vehicle to do the 7.1, Blue Spring Lake Segment.  This section has a panoramic view from the top of Bald Bluff and the Stone Elephant, is a massive granite erratic.  Prairie Potawatomi Native American visited the site and probably considered it a sacred area.  The early settlers named the rock Stone Elephant because of its color, size, and general elephant-like shape.  7.1 miles of up and down over moraines and down into kettles and up again.  The trail is well blazed and maintained.

We had lunch and relocated a car to hike the 3.1 mile Stony Ridge Segment which winds through a pine plantation, oak forest, and dry prairie.  The prairie was beautiful with wild flowers and butterflies.  We saw a Monarch lay two tiny, tiny eggs on a Whorled Milkweed.  The eggs are about the size of the period at the end of this sentence.  We had dinner at Cozumel Mexican restaurant.

8/7 - Another overcast day with rain in the forecast.   We set up to hike the Eagle Segment which passes through extensive prairie wetlands and is the largest native wet prairie east of the Mississippi.  The prairie is growing in the bed of the former Glacial Lake Scuppernong.  We passed Brady’s Rocks, a rock outcropping which has a unique fern population including walking fern, fragile fern, and cliff brake fern growing out of cracks in the dolomite bedrock.   We will have to take their word for it because the mosquitoes where so bad we could not spend much time trying to identify the ferns.  Have I mentioned the mosquitoes?   Guess I have to.  They are here, there, and everywhere. 

After lunch at a picnic table parking area we hiked the Scuppernong Segment over hilly terrain, through hardwood forest, up and down the moraines, and into the kettles, and up the moraine, and into the kettle, etc, etc, etc.  At the lunch break there were some Alaskan horses.  The owners said they are a good riding horse.  They give a very smooth ride, like riding on a cloud.  Well, when we got there the horses were having a bit of a disagreement biting and kicking each other.  Maybe a good ride but not very nice to each other. Another good hike on a nice trail.  33 miles done. 

We stopped at the Forest Service info center and museum which has very nice displays about the ice age and local history.

Dinner at Forks restaurant in Mukwonago.  Love the names.

8/8 – We decided to do something different today and set up to hike the Albany Segment from Monticello to Albany.  This is a straight and flat section following the Little Sugar and Sugar rivers.  It promised rustic wooden bridges, frequent wildlife sightings, and pastoral views.  Well the only wild life we saw were about a million little American Toads hopping from one side of the trail to the other.  We had to watch our footing so we did not step on them and squash them.  I am sorry to say I did step on one; this after Bob stepped on a small snake.  Seems we were leaving death and destruction in our wake.  This was a very boring hike and certainly not nearly as enjoyable as the moraines, kettles, and prairies.   9.4 miles seemed like 20.  Oh, about the mosquitoes, we can now also talk about the deer flies.  We had stopped counting our bites days ago.

8/9 – Hiked the Lapham Peak Segment for the final miles needed for my 50 miles of Ice Age Trail.  This hilly segment winds through woods and prairie restoration areas and includes a great view from Lapham Peak observation tower.  After passing through some wooded areas and climbing to Lapham Peak the trail opens up into another prairie restoration area.  The sun was hot in the open but the breeze kept the mosquitoes at bay.   Once again all three of us enjoyed the open prairie.  The long open view over the wildflower and prairie grasses was beautiful. 

When we visited the State Forest Information Center, a ranger, which we told what I was doing, ask me what my favorite trail was.  I told him the trail I’m on, but I must say the Ice Age Sections we hiked will be marked as some of my favorites.  The trail was well blazed, trail parking good, and the trail well maintained.

I do have one lasting thought about WI.  I am 4’ 11” tall, not very tall and I found the toilets in the public restrooms really, really, low.  Like kindergarten low.  What’s with that?

North Country Trail (NCT) – July 15 to 20, 2018

The NCT runs through northeastern and north central US, beginning at Lake Sakakawea, ND and ending in Middleburg, VT.  When completed the 4,600 mile trail will be the longest continuous hiking trail in the US.  Right now hikers can enjoy over 2,600 miles of completed segments ranging from 1 mile to over 300 miles.

On 4/3 I hiked 10+ miles on the NCT in MI before I got snowed out, so I still had 40 more to hike and decided to hike them in the Allegheny NF in northwest PA.

7/15 – Met up with hiking buddy Carolyn Banjak aka “Freckles” my AT thru hike partner.  We dropped a car at Rt 948 and drove to Rt 346, where Rich, Carolyn’s husband, dropped us off. We planned to hike the 44 miles in 4 days.  Taking it easy and enjoying the scenery, so we hiked in a few miles, found a campsite, and stopped for the night.

7/16 to 19 – The weather was nice for hiking during the day but we did have a really violent electrical storm one night.  One band of storms after another came through.  The lightning was making it seem like daylight inside the tent and the rain was so hard it was spraying a fine mist right through the tent walls.  Both of us were getting pretty wet inside our tents.

The trail is well blazed and maintained but did need brushing back in a lot of places.  We hiked through chest high brambles and my arms and legs where very scratched and bloody.  There are plenty of camping spots along this stretch and good fresh water sources.  Some of the camping is organized like the Red Bridge Recreation Area, where we camped one night.  There were showers and picnic tables.

When we crossed Rt 6 we met two young men pushing carts containing all their camping gear and provisions.  They were walking from Iowa to Maine.  I think Katahdin.  One fellow said, because he considered himself the “ultimate pedestrian”, so he thought this was a good idea.  They were camping along the way anywhere they could and sometimes in people’s yards.  Just some of the fun interesting people you meet when you get out into the back country.

Enjoyed the hike and, since the trail is so nice, finished up pretty early on Thursday July 19 for the drive home.

AT  50 miles completed

On July 30 I hiked the final miles I needed for my 50 miles on the AT with my daughter Wanda.  We hiked from Shippensburg road to Rt 30.  The day started sunning and mild with afternoon showers in the forecast.  The afternoon showers did come in the form of heavy rain.  We were soaked through to the skin.  Since it was warm I did not want to wear my raingear so opted to carry an umbrella for the showers.  That was working pretty well until I fell and landed on the umbrella and bent it all out of shape.  It was shaped more like a crescent than a circle.  Oh well.  You can only get so wet.  After this section I had 59+ miles on the AT in PA.  That gives me 7 trails done, well maybe not, there still is that 18 miles left on the New England Trail.

New England National Scenic Trail – July 11 to July 14, 2018

The New England Trail is 215 miles from Long Island Sound in Connecticut to the Massachusetts-New Hampshire border.  It was designated as a national scenic trail in 2009.

I planned to drive up Monday, July 9th in my camper van to hike 50 miles in southern CT.  I moved the van in the driveway to get loaded up.  When I was ready to leave the van would not start.  Called AAA and they came, checked the battery, found it okay so they figured it was the starter.  Called around for a garage to have it towed to for repair. I unloaded it and packed my car for the trip.  Tow truck came and the fellow started it using a different key.  He said "No starter problem, key problem".  So I moved my stuff back to the van and hit the road.  When I stopped for gas in Hazelton, PA the van would not start.  I had, as the tow truck driver suggested taken all my keys for the van with me, but none worked so I called a tow truck.  Now I am going to be stuck in Hazelton.  Anyway that driver also got my van started by some magic fiddling.  So I drove home and unloaded the van.  Next morning, Tuesday, I loaded up the car and started for New England.  Traffic was horrible with accidents, construction, etc, etc. What should have been a 5+ hr drive was a 10hr drive.  Anyway I got to Meriden and checked into a hotel.

I did a little driving around that evening looking for trail heads and checking to see what the roads where like.  I had taken my bike with me thinking I could do some bike shuttles. I saw that, with the heavy traffic that was not going to be an option.  I had contacted everyone in the ALDHA directory about my trip but had gotten only one response, so I set up a shuttle using a taxi and had a nice 12+ mile hike.  The taxi driver was having some difficulty figuring out what I was doing.  After we dropped my car at Rt 147 I had her drive me to Rt 77, a 12.2 mile hike.  When I got out of the taxi she asked me how I was going to get back to my car.  Walk of course.

Thursday I got a good hike of 14+ miles in with Larry & Freida Luxenburg driving up from NYC to give me a shuttle.  Friday I thought I would just do an in and out, decided I could just count a 6 miles in and back as 12 miles.  Well the trail heads for the New England trail are not easy to find. I soon became very tired of driving up and down roads looking for them, but finally got on the trail.  I got my hike in but the thought of another night in a hotel at $100/night and another day of driving around looking for trail heads was too much.  I had not planned on the expense of lodging and shuttles and was way over budget.  I had planned to stay in my camper, and without input from locals about trails it was turning into a not very good trip.

So I got maybe 32+ miles of the NE trail and that may be it, unless I have a major change of feelings for that trail.

Guess I should give a little report about the trail conditions:  Pretty well blazed except for a few spots.  One fork in the trail had no visible blaze and as Yogi Berra would say, “I came to a fork and I took it”.  Well, of course, I choose the wrong path.  I ended up at a hunting camp and joined about six older gentlemen having their morning coffee and donuts, which they were happy to share with me, before one of them walked me back to the trail.  The trail heads could use a little pruning.  It is pretty hard to see that little blue sign among the branches.

Arizona National Scenic Trail (AZT) – over 800 miles from Mexico to Utah, May 2018.

I guess it is time to get caught up.  I have been very lazy about getting to writing on the blog but have gotten 4, well almost 4 more trails done since the last time I posted.  I’ll cover them in the order hiked.

5/15 –Up at 4:30 to get to the airport for 7:30 flight to Phoenix, AZ, for a hike on the Arizona National Trail.   The Harrisburg flight was on time but we had problems in Phil.  I am traveling with friend, Fred Rickter, a good hiking buddy.  The plane loaded and left the terminal only to sit in a long line waiting for takeoff.  During the wait the pilot turned off the engine to save fuel and when the pilot went to start it again it would not start so we went back to the terminal.  After that problem was fixed they discovered another, so that was taken care of then, guess what, Problem #3.  Wow!  Not feeling really good about this plane.  So we all deplaned for about 1 hour while that problem was taken care of then back on the plane for takeoff.  One has to wonder that if there were 3 problems, were there maybe 4?  Anyway we finally arrived in Phoenix picked up our rental car and drove to Flagstaff arriving at Barry and Terry Brennaman’s, late, tired and hungry.  After eating a nice dinner of taco pie went to bed with plans for the next three days hike.

5/16 – After doing some shopping for provisions we drove 33 miles north of Flagstaff to get on the AZT at Rt 417, Cedar Ranch, to hike south toward Flagstaff.  This section travels through pine, spruce, and aspen forests at a high elevation reaching 9,000’.  It skirts the west side of the San Francisco Peaks, where Mt Humphreys Peak is the tallest in AZ at 12,633’.  Our packs where pretty heavy with carrying several liters of water.  There is no water along AZT, like streams or ponds, so you have to depend on water caches and carrying a lot.  With the high elevation, time change, and not much sleep the night before I was really dragging, but did get to our planned camping spot.  Along the way we met a young lady from York, PA, who was out in AZ doing a thru hike on the AZ.  York is very close to my home in PA.

5/17 –Not much sleep again last night.  I always have trouble sleeping at high elevation and we were camped above 7,000’.  But I started the day feeling pretty good, the trail is good and well blazed with great views of the SF Peaks.  By 1:00 I was beat so I decided it would be best if I quit for a day or two to get acclimated and try to get caught up on sleep.  Terry came and picked me up and I went back to Brennaman’s for a shower and nap.  Fred and Barry hiked on.

5/18 – Fred and Barry decided to just stay out one more night and then came back to Flagstaff.  Barry had a flat tire to fix and I had to pick up a rental car so we would have two cars to drive north to hike from the North Rim of the Grand Canyon to Utah.

5/19 – Drove to the Grand Canyon North Rim and waited in line for camping permits.  Rob, a friend of Barry’s, was also there with his friend Ron. The ranger, Steve, was a friend of Fred’s from when he was a volunteer at Natural Bridges NP.  So we had a bit of a homecoming week with chatting and picture taking, while others in line patiently looked on.  After all the chatting Steve discovered the computer was down so we could not get permits anyway.
We hiked around the visitor center, to Bright Angle Point and a few other short trails to enjoy the view of the canyon.  If you have never seen the Grand Canyon there is really no way to describe it and if you have, you know.

We spent the next few days hiking north through the Kaibab Plateau.  I did not keep a daily log, but found the trail well blazed and maintained.  We camped the first night with Rob and Ron and had fun exchanging stories.  Rob promised us a story that included a beer, a naked lady, and one other thing that I can’t remember, but he couldn’t get it together so promised it for the next time.  Any way we made our way north for 41 miles to Jacob Lake.  Hiking along the East Rim (I did not know there was an East Rim) and thru a large burned area.  In 2002, 50,000 acres burned.  It was a man set fire and burned so hot it is only now recovering.  Oddly it is called the “warm fire”. The aspen growth is coming along with trees 8’ to 10’ tall.  The nice thing about the burn is it opened up the view to the east to the Vermillion Cliffs.  After the burn, the trail goes back into the trees and in and out of pine forest and beautiful meadows.  The meadows are open grazing for Bison and Beefalos, but we saw neither, just cow pies and a skeleton.

It was very cold camping at night, in the low 30’s and the tents where covered with frost in the morning, but the days were great hiking weather.  When we got back to the Jacob Lake, Barry left us to head back to Flagstaff and Fred and I got ready for the next leg, a 28 mile stretch that would get us into Utah.

In the morning Fred discovered that he had lost his trekking poles and thought he may have left them at the “East Rim Lookout” parking area.  So after breakfast at the Jacob Lake Café we drove back to the parking lot and there they were.  While there we decided to hike the 3+ miles to a lookout known as the Edward Abbey lookout.  We had missed the side trail when we hiked past 2 days before.  Edward Abbey, author of “Desert Solitude” and several other books, worked there as fire spotter.  But legend has it that he spent most his time writing and missed some fires so the Forest Service closed the tower.  There is an old ramshackled cabin with some furniture and a dead porcupine in it.
After returning to Jacob Lake we drove north to cache some water along what a local called a knarly road.  We had filled our water jugs at the North Rim where water is pumped up from Roaring Spring about half way down the Kaibab Trail.  Um! Um! Good water.

Hiked 28 miles from Rt 89 to Utah.  The final major ecosystem change on the AZT occurs on this route.  The trail begins with ponderosa pine forest and descends into high desert.  I enjoyed all the blooming cacti, they were beautiful.

Rob and Ron gave us a lift from the Utah border back to our car and we then drove to the South Rim and camped 3 nights in the National Forest just outside the park and did some day hiking along the South Rim and Coconino Rim.

Great hike.

North Country, Potomac Heritage and Appalachian Trails

North Country Trail

It has been awhile since I posted anything.  So I guess it is time to get caught up.

After finishing the Natchez Trace I headed north toward Michigan to get miles on the North Country Trail.  Pete’s brother has a cabin in Manistee NF and the trail runs right past it.   Stopped in Nashville to visit The Hermitage home of Pres Andrew Jackson and of course could not pass up a visit to the Grand Ole Opera for a fun show.  Then stopped in Indianapolis Easter morning to visit Pete’s nieces and had a nice dinner with them.  Woke up the next morning to several inches of snow and freezing temps, but headed north anyway.

4/3 – Hiked Upper Creek Access to Rt 76 trailhead – distance 10+ miles – I like to keep the hike length to 10 or 12 miles.   The trailheads where easy to find and well marked and had parking.  The trail was in good shape, well blazed and maintained.  Rain was in the forecast but by late afternoon it was light snow.  That night the temperatures were in the teens and the snow got serious.  By morning there was about 6” on the ground.  The well pump at the cabin was not working so there was no water, and the propane was running low and the night temps where going to be in the teens. It was snowing hard and I do not have 4-wheel drive on the van. Also, I did not have the right hiking gear for that kind of weather.  After not too much thought we decided to head back to PA.  I will just have to work on the NCT a little later after spring arrives.

Potomac Heritage

Since the weather did not cooperate for the NCT I thought I would head south and work on the Potomac Heritage Trail.  I had planned to hike the VA east side of the Potomac, since they would be new trails for me.  Many years ago I had gone from Alexandria to Mount Vernon on a bike trail but that was over 40 years ago.  So that section seemed like a good idea.

4/8 – Headed to Occoquan, a charming little town with a lot of history.  It was a nice Sunday so lots of people on the streets.  We found parking at the trailhead by the river bridge and all looked like go for a nice hike.  Pete was going to hike north with me for a few miles then walk back and move the car 11+ miles north to Mt Vernon to meet me.  The trail starts by crossing the Occoquan River on a foot bridge and continues on, crossing Rt 123, a very busy road.  There is a pedestrian crossing light. It then goes into Occoquan Regional Park.  Most of the trail in the park was blazed but then we came to a section of the park where some construction was going on and had to wonder around looking for the trail.  After we found the trail and emerged from the woods it proceeded on the road.  Not very scenic.  After about a mile we came to very busy Rt 1 and no pedestrian crossing light.  Not sure how anyone is going to cross that road on foot.  So we turned and returned to our car.  I am not sure how this section of trail will ever be completed and it did not seem very scenic to me.

4/9 – Drove north to Great Falls NP – Beautiful park and really great falls.  Hiked the trail along the Potomac to Algonkian Regional Park, about 12 miles, this is a great section of trail.  The wild flowers where wonderful and at their peak.  Virginia Blue Bells everywhere.  When I was looking for the trailhead I ask at the visitor center and a young man told me the trail was blazed blue.  I was unable to find a blue blazed trail but did find a green one.  Not an uncommon mistake for color blind people.  After I was on the trail I found it was well blazed and maintained.  Along the way I walked by some really big houses.  That section the trail crosses private property.  Glad the property owners give permission to cross because this is really nice section of trail.

Unfortunately cold weather returned and since I camp, I again decided to head home and wait for spring.  Will it ever be spring?

4/28 – Nice weather in the forecast.  In the 60’s in the day and 50’s at night so decided to head to MD and finish up the Potomac Heritage Trail by biking on the C&O Canal.  In 2007 I rode bike from DC to Pittsburg along the C&O Canal Towpath and the Great Allegheny Passage on a   I planned to take the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad to Frostburg and ride the mostly downhill 16 miles to Cumberland, MD.  We arrived in Cumberland mid af  After eating something I took a 5 mile ride north from the campground and then came back.  This was the first time I was on my bike this year and the butt got a little sore.  The camping area is really nice right between the Potomac River and the C&O Canal Towpath.

ternoon and purchased tickets for the one way trip with bicycles to Frostburg and then went to set up camp at Fifteen Mile Creek camping area.
supported Rail-to-Trails Conservancy outing.

4/29 – Drove to Cumberland to get the 11:30 train to Frostburg.  It was windy and much colder then I planned.   When we lined up (line of 2, Pete and I) the conductor ask us if we knew it was 36 degrees and snowing in Frostburg?  Well no!  What about that weather forecast of in the 60’s?  After some thought we decided we had warm enough clothes and we would go for it.  After having some lunch in Frostburg we started our downhill trip.  It was not as bad as I thought it would be and we past several other people on bikes riding uphill.

4/30 – The mouth of the Fifteen Mile Creek, where we were camping, is so called because it is 15 miles west of Hancock, MD, so I decided to ride my bike to Hancock.  The weather was nice, after a night in the low 30’s.  The trail was lined with Virginia Blue Bells and nice views of the Potomac.  At mile post 127.4 near Hancock the limestone kilns of the Round Top Cement Mill are visible and about 200 yards east a rock formation called the Devils Eyebrow.  There are 74 lift locks along the canal to adjust water levels for a 605’ difference in elevation between the western terminus and the tidewater in the east. 

Digging was started in 1828 and finished 22 years later.  The canal averaged 40 to 60 feet wide and 6’ deep.  Loss of business to railroads, floods, dry weather and freezing caused the C&O Canal to close in 1924. The C&O canal was proclaimed a National Monument in 1961.

So with a very sore butt, I rode into Hancock and completed my miles on the Potomac Heritage Trail. 

Three trails done.

Appalachian Trail

I have been working on the AT around home, here in PA, and have hiked from Pine Grove Furnace SP to Rt 850 on various days.

4/19 – In a fine mist and off and on rain I hiked Pine Grove Furnace SP to Rt 34

4/22 – On a beautiful sunny day hiked Boiling Springs to Scott Farm AT work center.

4/24 – A somewhat cloudy day with some rain in the forecast hiked Rt 850 to Scott Farm.

4/27 – Another beautiful day in central PA – Hiked Rt 34 to Boiling Springs.

I have been seeing thru hikers but mainly flip floppers.  One family of father and three sonsvwho had started in Front Royal. Also met a young man who had started in GA.  He had also hiked last year and was the first one to reach ME in 2017.  I plan on finishing my AT miles tomorrow with a hike from Shippensburg Rd to Pine Grove Furnace SP with the Roads Scholars.  Every month, May thru Oct, Roads Scholars organizes a four state AT hike.  WV, VA, MD, and PA.  The hike in PA finishes at the AT Museum and several volunteers from the museum go along as guides.  It is always a fun hike with them and answering questions about thru hiking the trail.  Tomorrow, May 7, will be the first of the season.

We hikers do like to go on and on and on about hiking. Last year a fellow AT hiker’s wife gave him a t-shirt that said “Warning – May start talking about Hiking”.  This seems to be a problem with us hikers.  Every time there are 2 or more of us together the conversation is; Hike, Hike, Hike.

Every year the AT Museum has a recognition dinner and inducts several candidates into the AT Hall of Fame in recognition of outstanding contribution to the AT.  It is held at Allenberry Resort along the Yellow Breeches Creek and close to the town of Boiling Springs where the ATC Mid-Atlantic Regional office is located.  Needless to say there is lots of trail talk at that function.  I was very happy that “Gray Beard”, who, last year at the age of 82, became the oldest person to complete the AT in one year, was there.   I was very excited to meet him and he said he felt the same about me, the oldest woman.  He is a very lively fellow and we had a lot of fun comparing stories. 

Since I am hiking tomorrow, I can just count on the AT as being finished.  4 down 7 to go.

I will be leaving May 15 to hike the Arizona Trail so will be reporting on that after I return May 31.

Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail

3-21 – After stopping off in Slidell, LA to visit with my Grandson we made our way up to the Trace.  There are 67 miles of Scenic Trail which follows the parkway.   The original foot path was 450+ miles and connected Natchez, Mississippi to Nashville, Tennessee.  The Natchez Trace was used for thousands of years by Native Americans; Choctaw, Chickasaw, Natchez and others, who followed a network of north/south trails, but in the late 1700s, it gained new importance to settlers of the Ohio River Valley.   The farmers would transport their goods down the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers on wooden flatboats to the ports in Natchez and New Orleans where they sold the farm goods, then by foot and horseback they made their way home on the trails made by the Native Americans.  In 1801 Pres Thomas Jefferson designated the Trace a national post road for mail delivery.  The Natchez Trace was established as a unit of the National Park System in 1938 and in 1983 the Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail was established.  There are 5 sections of hiking trail designated as National Scenic Trail, along with many miles of other trails, including some areas where the original Old Trace can be walked.   The NST may also be used by horses, and is never far from the Parkway highway.  The average width of the Parkway corridor is 800’.  The NST often comes up onto the Parkway and it is necessary to walk along the road although there is not heavy traffic it does take away from the experience.  The trail is also open for equestrian use so it can be very chewed up at places.

Before we got to the camping area we stopped at Emerald Mound, an 8 acre ceremonial mound built between 1200 and 1650.  When I got out of my car who should be there but Ron Burger, my fellow ALDHI hiker.  He had just completed riding his bike the full 444 miles of the Trace and was on his way home.  Ron said he rode into a head wind almost every day.

There are three camping areas on the Trace operated by the National Park Service.  They are free on a first come basis.  We set up camp at Rocky Springs Campground and set out to hike the 3 ½ miles to Owens Creek Waterfall.  The beginning of the hike is on the old Trace which is very deep at places, over 6 feet.  That part of the trail was easy to follow, but then the trail leaves the old trace and wanders through the woods.  It was not maintained or blazed except by some orange streamers someone had hung on the trees.  So we were able to make it to the falls and back following the orange streamers with not much of a path to follow.  The next day I hiked the 4 miles going from the north into Rocky Springs camping area.

There were many snowbirds camped around us, most from Canada.  The ones we talked to said they drive the Trace every year going south to winter in Texas and then north home, camping at the three free campgrounds.

3-23 – Pete dropped me somewhere around milepost 120 along Ross R Barnett Reservoir.  I planned to hike 10 miles south to West Florida Boundary, which used to run from the confluence of the Yazoo and Mississippi rivers to the Chattahoochee River.  The trail was horrible with many downed trees to climb over and large areas of muck to wade through.  Sometimes I would lose the trail completely and have to come out and walk along the road for a while then go back looking for the trail.  When I came out at Rt 43 I saw a sign that said “trail unmaintained proceed at your own risk”.  Dah!  After Rt 43 it was maintained and a very pleasant hike although I did not make it to my goal.  By then I was too tired and hungry so I walked out to the parkway and called Pete to come pick me up.  After a shower, beef fajitas, and a margarita I was feeling much better.

3-24 – Tried to hike the rest of the West Fl Boundary to Yockanookany, but had to do a lot of road walking due to swampy unmaintained trail.  Camped at Jeff Busby camping area another of the NPS free campgrounds.  From the campground there is a hiking trail up to one of Mississippi’s highest points, 603'.

3-25 – Hiked the Blackland Prairie section of the trail.  This is a 6 mile section close to Tupelo and is a popular trail for residents and visitors alike.  It had many braided trails and several marked NST.  I tried to follow the one with the most hoof prints, but was never sure if I was on the trail or on the way to someone’s barn.

3-26 – Camping at Meriwether Lewis campground.  Number 3 of the free NP campgrounds.  We have been seeing several of the same people on their way back to Canada at all 3 camp areas.  I  hiked 8 miles today on the Highland Rim section.  The trail was well blazed and pretty easy to follow.  Pretty rough at spots from the horse traffic.  Tomorrow heavy rain is predicted.  Hope to get in a few more miles before it starts raining and before heading to Michigan and the North Country Trail.

3-27 – I was able to finish the Highland Rim section of the NST hiking in a fine mist off and on most of the day.  This section is well maintained and blazed with a lot of ups and downs and several stream crossings.  The ups and downs reminded me of the “roller coaster” on the AT in VA.  The last 2+ miles of the trail are on the old trace which makes it a great way to finish.  I could think about the early travelers getting home after their long trip down the river and the long walk home.  Since the Natchez Trace was not conceived as a recreational trail but a true trail for travel it made it a more meaningful experience for me to hike.  Two down and nine to go.

Completing the Florida National Scenic Trail

3-6 – Paddled today on the Black Water Creek out to Lake Norris at the Lake Norris Conservation Area.  The creek is aptly named because the water was very black.  Nice narrow creek with shores lined with cypress knees.  On the lake we saw Osprey and a large white egret rookery.  This was a short paddle because we spent time early in the day looking for internet service so everyone could get some business done.

3-7 – Moving day.  Went from Alexander Springs campground to Hog Island in Florida State Forest.  On the way resupplied and stopped at the Villages to visit a friend who has relocated from PA to FL.  If you are not familiar with the Villages it is a super, I mean SUPER big over 55 community.  It is really crazy with golf carts zipping all around and over  55ers staying active.

3-8 – We were joined today with fellow PA’ers Dave and Maria Walborn who are on their first FL canoeing adventure.  I have been coming down in the spring to paddle for about 12 years.  We paddled the Weeki  Wachee spring and river.  We saw about 8 manatees.  They look so funny when they surface to breath.   Manatee can remain under water for up to 20 minutes but seem to surface every 4 or 5.  Sometimes they come up under a canoe and spill the paddlers.  They look so funny when they surface; just their nostrils surface and they blow out and inhale.  It is hard to believe that the legend of the mermaid came from sailors who saw manatee.  Really too long at sea.

3-9 – Hiking day on the Florida Trail.  Started at Rt 581 near Inverness to Rt 580 – 15+ miles.  I wanted to hike this section in the Withlacoochee SF, because it is known for its abundant wildlife and challenging hikes.  According to the write up this is where Floridians train for the AT.  Well there was not much wild life excluding Freckles and me but there were some hills.  Actual hills, I think Freckles said her Fit Bit gave her 50 flights of steps.  I am not really sure how much training you would get from that for, say, the White Mts in NH, but I guess the flatlanders have to take what they can.  I saw a lot of trees banded with white, which I understand marks the nesting spots of the Red–cockaded woodpeckers.  The Sibley field guide says they are rare and local.  Only found in mature longleaf pine savannas which exist in managed forest.  We did not see or hear any.  In fact I have not been seeing many birds at all. Maybe it has been to cold.  The night temps are down in the 30’s and 40’s so maybe that has something to do with it.

3-10 – Paddled the Withlacoochee River.  Had dinner at River Ratz Café and Grill which we had paddled by on the river.

3-11 – Moved to O’Leno SP today.  Usual laundry and shopping along the way.  Pete O visited the Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing while I did the shopping.  Nice camp ground but I liked Hog Island better due to more remote and bigger sites.

3-12 – O’Leno is on the Santa Fe River and is one of Florida’s first state parks.  The distinctive geological feature of the park is the River Sink where the Santa Fe River disappears underground and re-emerges three miles south.   The natural bridge between the sink and the rise provided easy passage over the Santa Fe River and the first federally funded road connecting St Augustine and Pensacola used the crossing.  Leno was once a town but in 1896 the railroad by passed the town, causing the town to disappear like the river, but Leno did not rise again.  We hiked the 9 miles from the campground along the river past the sink and the rise.

3-13 – Hiked the final miles needed for my 50 miles of Florida Trail from Rt 90, Olustee Battlefield, to Rt 250 Turkey Run Trail head, which is a little over 10 miles.  Once again the hiking was easy.  The trail well maintained and blazed.  Saw no other hikers and no wild life and few birds.  This section was in the Osceola NF and had some swampy areas near Big Gum Swamp and areas with more diverse trees.  There was a shelter on this section of trail.  The first I saw on the Florida Trail but not much water that I would have liked to consume.  I only saw one spring along the trail sections that I hiked and one area where bottles of water had been put out for the hikers.  I wonder how much of a problem fresh drinking water is for thru hikers.  There is plenty of water but it really does not look appetizing.

3-14 – Really cold last night and only got up into the 60’s today.  Did a short section of the Ichetucknee River.  Great clear spring with nice vegetation and lots of fish visible in the clear water.  Saw four manatees but once again not many birds.  Where have all the birds gone?