“Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home; that wildness is a necessity,” John Muir, “Our National Parks.” If you aren’t one of the tired people who have realized how helpful getting into the wilderness is, I encourage you to take one of these hikes – or the closest one to you – then call me in the morning. I guarantee you that whatever problems you face seem so much better after a long walk outside.
As I’m tackling the 52 Hike Challenge this year, this book will be a great resource in helping me find hikes. As the title promises, the book contains 60 hikes, including maps, descriptions and directions to each park.
Hike one of the 52 Hike Challenge was a half frozen one around Big Bone Lick SP’s sulfur springs and creeks.
Blogger’s Note: (Logo above courtesy of 52hikechallenge.com) I wrote this post, oh, probably three months ago. I tried to start the challenge introduced in this post in October, but it was a fail. So was restarting my blogging at that time. But, we’re through the holidays and on to the lonnnnng haul of winter, where there’s nothing to do but wait for spring. (And hike!) My life is a mess of halves right now. I have half-unpacked boxes stacked in corners and shoved into closets – even though I moved almost a month ago. There are half-written blog posts and half-edited pictures and videos littering my laptop. I have a half-eaten sandwich next to me. And don’t forget the half-dead mutt laying in the floor next to my desk because I’m ignoring her begging right now. Eventually, I’ll get my life together again. But until then, I’ll stop neglecting my blog. Summer got a bit nuts there at the end. I wish I could say I took off on a grand adventure, or spent more time …
This park is a great place to crank out some miles when you need to stretch your legs a bit. I just wouldn’t recommend getting in the water unless you are very confident in your immune system.
One of my favorite local parks to hike at is Big Bone Lick State Park. So named for the bone digs that were so popular in the 1700s. Today, the big bones are gone but there are miles of uncrowded trails to explore — and bison!
Well, I survived my first self-inflicted flare this summer, with the help of some adventuring bloggers. Here’s a short list of some of the places from which I draw inspiration.
“The Appalachian Trail Girl’s Guide” was written to inspire more women to hike the Appalachian Trail, but it’s also a treasure trove of information about the trail and how to survive it.
I’ve hiked at Clifty Falls State Park in Indiana twice this year, and every time I go I like it more. With four waterfalls, an abandoned train tunnel and miles of trails, its a wild wonderland of adventure.
After his wife’s brother commits suicide, the author and his wife embark on a healing thru-hike on the John Muir Trail, a 211-mile swatch of land in the Sierra Nevada that mostly follows the Pacific Crest Trail.
Hocking Hills State Park has some moderately rugged trails, but there are still some suitable for members of the busted lung club. One of those is a short, out-and-back trail to Old Man’s Cave.
breathlessadventurer.com 