Eleven Miles Today

The weather was so good today that a hike was in order. Temps this morning with in the upper 50's and the sky had these poofy clouds hanging around. After having gone more than two months waiting for the heat to break I couldn't let a day like this one get by me without getting in the woods.

The day started out pretty well. I met a hiker from Ft. Wayne that was doing the entire 24-mile loop of the Adventure Trail in the Harrison-Crawford State Forest that was into his second day. This was right after I got out of my truck. He was in need of water and it just so happened I had an extra bottle that I was able to help him out with. During the spring water sources can be found everywhere on this trail but during the summer and early fall water is few and far between to find. Most of the time you have to pack it in if you're going to do more than a day. That can be pretty stressing.

I got a pretty good start and about 2 miles into jumped up a deer that didn't have time to chat. My body let me know that it had been a while since it had done anything like this. About 3 miles into it though I began to hit my stride and was feeling pretty good.

Fungus and toadstools were everywhere. The picture at the top was a massive fungus growing at the base of an old black oak tree. There were different colored toadstools as well including yellow, blue and pink. They didn't give me much of an appetite either.

I got to the Indian Creek Shelter (at left) and found a man and his two sons having lunch. The man worked at Purdue U. and noticed an interesting fact. He hadn't seen any chipmunks on the whole hike. Once he mentioned it I noticed I hadn't seen any either. I even watched for any on the way and didn't see any. Usually up see a dozen or so of the little guys with their cheeks all puffy with nuts or something. He said he believed all the heat was keeping them hidden. The squirrels had been working overtime though with lots of acorn shells on the ground. It made me wonder what the winter was going to be like.

On the way back I developed a knee problem. My meniscus ligament on my right knee had apparently become inflammed and it made going down hills a real bummer (and they're supposed to be fun). I had had the same problem in my early hikes at Mt. Washington in New Hampshire. I'm certain it's from the two-month layoff. I've got plenty of ibuprofen to take care of that. I just need to get it worked up and loosened up more before the next one. Hey...gotta keep the legs movin'. We can't have any slowdowns from something like this.

Two weeks from tomorrow I start a 60-miler....and I will be ready for it. Camping right along Kentucky Lake will be a real treat. How many times do you get a chance to do something like that?? You take them as they come, especially the sweet ones.