Hay Valley & Washout Trail ~ Trail Challenge

Hay Valley & Washout Trails, Sections 41 & 44. 1.86 miles & 1.30 miles respectively. Not extremely difficult, but nice long uphill and downhill grades.

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Welcome back to Hay Valley Trail. 
Bill and I headed out from the trail head from Campsite U.

We are trying to get Charlie on all of the trails with us. It might be a BIG feat for such a little dog, but he is a surprising little hiker. 
He does wonderfully in cooler weather, don't we all?

This is trail section 44 which is a gradual but steep uphill climb . According to the maps, it appears that the climbs are up and down of about 200 feet.

Without the leaves and undergrowth obscuring the terrain, we could see that we were going around rock formations. 

If we weren't on a time schedule, I'd have gone exploring once we made the switch back at the top. But both of us have responsibilities.

We found the stone foundation just as Aurora and I did last week. This week there was a surprise waiting at the base of the foundation.

Ginger plants in blossom!

When we got to the intersection #10, I explained to Bill how the Bailout Trail went south and ended back up on Highway 131 just north of Bridge 9. Following the Hay Valley Trail would take us south towards Rockton.

Washout Trail would take us back to where we parked our vehicles. We'd have more gradual uphill sections and down hill sections that would take us across a small stream.
The Trout Lilies were just appearing in the valley.

 

In some spots, these spotted leaves were spotted all over along with so many Blood Root blossoms and Hepatica.

Below is one spot along the Washout Trail, Section 44 that had an amazing amount of Maypoles or Mayflowers sprouting up!

Our total hiking distance was about 3.5 miles.

Section 42 from Campsite U on to Billings Creek Trail head is a 1.87 mile walk alongside Hay Valley Road to County Road F. We will save that for a day we feel like walking on roads.

That area will still be scenic. There is the river to cross at Bridge 6 and some pretty little ponds alongside the road.

Next to where we parked the Virginia Bluebells were all along the roadside coming up alongside the Cow Parsnip which has white flowers in the spring. Wild Parsnip has yellow blossoms. It is a good habit to leave all wild parsnips alone while they are blossoming. 

The Trail Challenge actually has 3 road sections which I am okay with as ... back in the old days we had to ride the roads to get to different sections of the 'Government Ground' as it was called before it became the Kickapoo Valley Reserve.

Trip to Duck Egg

What is Duck Egg? When I first heard about people going to 'Duck Egg' I envisioned an Egg. Literally.
A Duck and an Egg.

But it isn't an Egg. It doesn't even look like an Egg. Nor does it look like a Duck.
However, it is a County Park that I've grown to love and appreciate. It is a Hiking/Trout Fishing/Horseback Riding natural area that has a flood control dam in it.

It is one of our many County Parks that I will call 'treasures'.

The first few photos are going to be some of my Infrared Shots. IF anyone ever tells me again that they need a 'better' camera to take 'better' shots I am going to show them the little Canon ELPH I have.
There is another saying I guess, *The best camera is the one you have with you.*

I will agree that I took the Canon ELPH which is converted to Infrared along because I hoped I'd have a few things that make IR so fun. Harsh sunlight, shadows, foliage, water, and sky.  I also brought my Nikon entry level DSLR with a nice prime lens for the purpose of shooting just wild flowers.

Canon ELPH:

 Foot Bridge 2. I love these shadows with the stream

running underneath. Fav for black and white.

 From the East side of Foot Bridge 2.

I edited for the funky IR colors and then added a 

bit of what is called Faux Color.

The Y Log. 

Hard to imagine 'seeing'

in Infrared but once you start to

think IR you can tell that a scene 

like this with this bright lighting 

wouldn't be so nice

in regular light.

I dig the reflections

in the 

water.

My Favorite shot of the day.

I tried this view from more 

than one angle.

Bridge 1 at the horse

crossing.

I love Wildflowers. Okay. I love garden flowers too. But I find the odd wildflowers more fun to photograph. I get excited like a child hunting for easter eggs or magical gifts when I find those tiny little wonders in the woods. [say that 3 times fast!]

 Bloodroot. I love these guys. They

get my vote for

coolest flower.

Dutchman's Breeches.

I recall my Grandfather taking the domestic 

relative of these

which is the bleeding heart.

He plucked the flower and 

told me a story about

the lady in the

shower....

Ginger Root.

The flowers are on the ground. 

Very cool.

Trillium. 

Not open yet.

Looks like I'll have 

to go back!

I think Charlie would like

to go too.

When I hiked out the parking lot was full of vehicles. Most of them were trout fisherman. Obvious by the clothes they had on. I enjoyed talking with them for a bit and asked if they'd heard of Tainter Creek. They did and it was on their list, but they'd heard it was a bit crowded with fisherman. 

They asked if I was a 'local'. I said indeed I was. I finally had lived here long enough to be considered 'local' by the locals. 

Anyway I left and told them to enjoy their fishing. I'd be back to hunt morels.