Again, I wander

This is the new header👇

 It is the top of a rock that I took my friend Pat to Friday morning.

Here it the bottom of the rock....👇

I go here a few times a year. The path to this place is not for the light hearted. The narrow footpath travels through dense woods.

In August and September the forest on each side sports amazing fungi. [Of course! I love mushrooms!]

Beware though. The trail is lined with Poison Ivy on both sides. The narrow trail is rough but well worth it.

I took Pat through and cautioned her not to put her hands down in the brush on either side of her until we got to a clear area.

Photo of Pat looking back at the trail that winds up to the top of the rock.

The first view as we emerge from the forest on top of the ridge.

A walk out to the edge.

Me taking the first photo and the new header for the blog.

For this hike I only used my cellphone camera, it was quick and easy. That is Charlie's rear end next to me.

Both hounds came with us of course.

My friend may be as crazy as I am. I invited her to do a pre sunrise hike to the Rock Top where we could sit and have some coffee and watch the valley come alive.

She nodded and said she wouldn't mind doing that. 

About 4 years ago I convinced another hiking friend to do just that. It was the blue hour when we hiked to the top. It was his first and only time experiencing this amazing place.

He was speechless.

I will be going again soon. My last visit there for a breakfast granola bar and coffee was two years ago with Charlie.

We hiked up in the dark. We waited, listened, and watched the world awaken.

I cannot even describe immense emotional feeling of watching the sun rise and listening to the forest below wake up.

My heart slows, my eyes widen, 

my breath is deep,

 and my mind goes quiet and lives purely in the moment.

It feels magical and I don't want to leave. 

It can be a solo sport....

I watched the weather and saw that it wasn't supposed to rain Saturday morning. I was excited about that and mentioned at the gym that I was planned to go on a sunrise hike. Another lady said she wanted to go. She knew where to park and when I said...."Um, Okay. I will be there around 5AM."

She blinked and said, "Great! Sounds perfect!"

She lives 15 minutes from that parking spot. I live 30-40 minutes from there...it depends on how fast I can drive on a twisted highway with jumping and running hordes of deer. 

Friday evening I got a text: Sorry, but I need to rest up in the morning.

I wasn't surprised, a gaggle of gym folks were meeting at another coach's house for a campfire, singing, and some fireworks.

I texted back: No problem.

Because, really, it wasn't. I'm often surprised if anyone wants to meet me and go hiking. I'm generally a bit skeptical. Mainly because I am perceived as a hard core hiker. But I am not. I hike to anyone else's ability because it is fun to have company.

Except when it isn't.

When I am going solo, I can hike hard and fast as if I were in a race with myself. I know I do. One can't cover the miles going slow and get back home in time to make lunch for hubby. The things that slow me down considerably are amazing views and cool things I see. I always stop for that.

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I had packed up my camera and backpack the night before so all I had to do in the morning was grab a cuppa decafe and head out.

The fog was intense so my drive took longer.

On the trip there, I counted deer just for fun. Too many.

From the parking spot to the top of the bluff is an elevation of nearly 300 feet. Over the years this has been considered a tough hike. I've taken a few folks here and I have to admit, it is a tough one.

However.
This time it didn't feel hard or even difficult. Charlie knows the way so he led.

I took the next 2 shots with my cell phone which has Nightsite. It was predawn and light enough that I didn't need my headlamp. Even most of the forest was fogged in.

When we reached the trail on the top, Charlie trotted out to the end of the bluff. He knew where we were going and I didn't even have to say anything to him. He is a good hiker.

The view is stunning even if when it is obscured by heavy fog. It literally takes your breath away [that is, if you weren't breathing hard from the climb itself].

And the first views of the sun were glorious. In the shot below you can see the shadow of the bluff I'm on in the fog.
I've never witnessed that before.

Charlie and I sat on the rock for a while and listened to the sounds of a Hoot Owl along with Sandhill Cranes somewhere down in the valley.

I settled down and watched the sunlight reflect off the fog. The fog moved slowly as if it had its own intentions.

I felt an inner peace that is hard to describe. I was only there in the moment. Breathing, watching, and listening. That was the only important thing on my mind.

I didn't want to be anywhere else.

Solo worked for me on this day.

Sometimes the smallest things can take up the most room in your heart.
~Winnie the Pooh

Exploring

 

Mr. Charlie and I went Exploring last week on Saturday. We left early and got to the Reserve before most people are getting up and about. I like it that way especially when I take my UnCharted Trails.

Actually, they are trails from long ago and are no longer included on the maps. They are perfectly fine for walking though and equine traffic would have damaged the sensitive plants that are in certain areas of the reserve.

I decided to walk along the base of some bluffs alongside the river. I'd gone this way in the late fall and thought it would be nice to see if any ice was forming along the NW facing bluffs.

Charlie and I saw some Coyote Hunters getting a lecture on something from the game warden otherwise, we saw no one. We turned off the main trail and found our way to the bluffs.

The bluffs sometimes have some incredible ice formations on them and in other spots they have some of the most interesting looking roots and fern growth.

This tree stops me in my tracks every time I walk by it. The twisted roots cling to the bluff and variations of cooler weather ferns hang out with it. Behind it on the rock are various colors of lichen.

To me, it is a wonder.

The edges of some of the bluff tops did have ice forming on them.

This one below is spectacular depending on the year. In past years I've observed these bluffs from the other side of the river. I wanted to see it up close. As melts and freezes continue, it becomes a river of frozen little waterfalls. 

More ice shot with the infrared camera:

When I got past these bluffs, I came to a spot where I'd have to climb rock or go up a valley to head further north. I decided to just end the hike here.

I peered at the huge chunk of rock upstream and noticed it had a gap in it that cannot be seen from the other side of the river.

If I am correct in my thinking, this is the same rock seen from the other in 2017.

And...I think I know how to get to it. Looking at the topo map, it will involve some rather difficult hiking.

That is one of my goals this winter or spring is to check out that 'hole'. It may not be possible, but how will I know unless I try?

The view from bridge 16 with my infrared camera. I was shooting for the black and white effect and was pleased.

I'll be returning to this bridge in the next few days to check out some more ice features and study that bluff from the west side of the river.