For starters, we tried to stage a car in Tar Hollow State Forest. I may have either traumatized Floridian Denali for life, or transformed her to a person who can deal with winter driving! We made it 3 miles up the road in Tar Hollow, weaving our way around fallen and partially removed trees in icy snow. Then there were trees completely blocking the road. We tried to take a better road out of there, but it was blocked too, so we had to drive all the way back out.
We picked another section of trail that seemed do-able, but weren't hiking until after 10 am. This section didn't sound too apealing. It consists of an active "haul road" up and down a hill, then some road walk, then another climb and a descent on a 4WD road that "frequently runs in a creek bed." OK.
So the first part, up and down the haul road, was a little challenging, but it was only a 200-foot climb. I'll give it that. We can testify that it is "active." Some large wheeled vehicle had clambered over the hill since this storm. And it was something really big, based on the size of the treads and the depths of the ruts and rocks it had to traverse. This is just the beginning.
All we really have to say about that is that we don't have to do it again. Then we did the little road walk and climbed the next hill on a gravel road. We were rewarded with some nice views at the top. I think Pretty Run is at the bottom of this view.
And the view west on the power line is toward Salt Creek
We kept following the road, but it forked several times, keeping us on the main road. So we thought we would go straight at this junction.
However, the "traffic" had been turning down this gully. I was just saying, "Who would drive down that not knowing if you might have to back out again."
Denali was looking up which way to go on the app, when I turned around and saw this. Down the gully it is!
The creek bed part of the description was real. This is the road.
But it wasn't very deep and there were almost always stones just at the surface to walk on.
I found it to be a lot of fun! Goofy, I know, but I'm still smiling.
Hocking Hills and Boch Hollow Trails are still closed. Tar Hollow says they aren't even going to send their trucks out to clear the roads until Monday. We are doing whatever pieces we can in between. It's short miles, but at least we are not sitting around all day not hiking at all.
Miles today: 8.1. Total miles so far: 918.3
 | See Scioto Smiles and Miles |
2 comments:
You sure did have some fantastic views.
Ann- the benefit of hills!
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