 |
| Our group today, taken by Amy |
Seven Senior Trailblazers met at the Senior Center to spend a day hiking a new trail in the Lookout Mountain Forest Preserve. Three more hikers, who live nearby, met us at the trailhead, so there were ten of us on a day in between rain showers. (We actually had a few raindrops anyway.)
 |
| The new Rufus Creek trail |
There are four miles of new trails added to the Preserve, and we spent most of our time today on the new Rufus Creek trail. Parts of it are brand new, and some places were reconstructed from previous trails. There's a little bit of uphill now and then, but nothing too strenuous (almost 2,000 feet up and down today).
I found a link on our local newspaper that explains what the next steps are for the area. We hiked all the way up to the junction with the Cougar Ridge trail but it's not only closed, it will apparently be reserved for mountain bikes once it's finished. However, there are more areas to be developed, and in the end we will have many more miles of beautiful forest to explore.
 |
| Moss and ferns |
Once we got to the junction of the closed Cougar Ridge trail and Rufus Creek trail, we decided to stop for lunch. Since what rain we had wasn't much, and since there wasn't a breath of wind, we spent more than a half-hour laughing and sharing stories, in no hurry to leave.
 |
| Lots of fresh cut logs to sit on |
We considered perhaps going down the Cougar Ridge trail, even though it is still closed, but instead we turned around and went back the way we had come. It was hoped that perhaps we might see a bit of a view at the overlook on the way back, since it was completely socked in when we first passed by.
 |
| Misty view (taken by Melanie) |
Sure enough, there was a bit of a view of the lake and, if you use your imagination, you can see Mt. Baker on the horizon. I look forward to coming back here on a sunny day and enjoying the complete view. However, this was pretty darn nice!
 |
| So many ferns |
We live in such a beautiful place, and anyone who loves trees and moss and ferns and mushrooms would love it, too. What a great place to be outdoors and get some exercise. We covered almost ten miles, and would have if we had taken a short trip to the waterfall, but we'll leave that for another day. Everyone was happy and spent as we headed back home, another great day with my pals.
:-)
That looks incredibly beautiful. Thank you so much for sharing some of the magic.
ReplyDeleteIt's great that they're making new trails. But 2000 feet up and down sounds pretty strenuous to me!
ReplyDeleteIt's great that they are doing new trail development and also putting in trails in for bikes.
ReplyDeleteQuite a hike! Melanie's misty view intrigues me.
ReplyDeleteAnother gorgeous trail! I've so enjoyed your Thursday hiking posts.
ReplyDeleteAll the moss and ferns makes it look like a fairy tale! How beautiful! :)
ReplyDeleteI love ferns and oddly in Florida I had a yard full--here I just can't get them going.
ReplyDeleteHow nice that they make new trails to keep you interested.
Glad you didn't slip on the moss. My nephew slipped on moss near his home and had a hard time getting up.
ReplyDeleteTen miles is a hefty hike! Good for you all.
ReplyDeleteWow that was a long hike! Sounds like a fun day. Everything delayed, hope to be warmer later today have crossed fingers and toes.
ReplyDeleteWhat a perfect outing! And such beautiful, new territory! Tell Melanie next time you see her, her photo is fabulous! As are yours, always.
ReplyDeleteI love your oh so green rain forest! I admire you intrepid hikers who go out in any kind of weather. It's very cold here in CO and very snowy in the mountains. I must navigate the trails on my skis now. Happy New Year DJan!
ReplyDelete