So, jumping back into posting last September didn’t pan out… Since we have a friend whom recently had good things to say about blogging and a friend that has just starting up a blog, Matt is inspired to get ours rolling again. Here it goes!
Last month we went on a summer camp-out with a bunch of friends. It’s always nice to go out to the woods, or least to the edge to the woods. We camped at Clifty Falls State Park in Indiana. Matt camped there many times as a youth and it was where we went for our second (and so far last) annual just-the-two-of-us camping trip. We know the park well.
There is a nature center and a couple playgrounds and a “scenic” view of some smokestacks by the river, but the real jewel of Clifty is that it’s a great place for hiking. There are short and long and very long trails. There are moderate and rugged and very rugged trails. Some trails work their way between the various buildings of the camp and some go right off the edge of the river valley and plunge to the bed of Clifty Creek. It’s all rather invigorating. Oh, plus there are waterfalls.On Saturday morning all of us went on a "rugged" hike. All of us; from the 30-somethings to the preschoolers. We went down Trail 5 to the top of Tunnel Falls, then along to the tunnel. You used to be able to walk through the tunnel (part of the old unfinished rail road through the area), but now it is closed off - to protect the bats. They are being attacked by some kind of fungus! The trail goes along the hill side to the other end of the tunnel then up the hill to the camp road. It’s rated a rugged trail, but it’s so short that it’s more like a moderate one. It was a great time. All of us together and especially to see the kids there, going right along and the way everyone was keeping an eye on them. It really felt like we were all one big happy family.
After lunch, some of the more adventurous of us were ready for a second hike. Maya was in the group that stayed at camp and chatted. Matt was in the group that headed down to the "very rugged" Trail 2. We took the easy trail to the nature center and then worked our way down to the hard stuff. That Trail 2 is the best one (says Matt) because you go right along the creek and you have to watch out to not step in the water and you see fossils in the stream – all very neat. We probably only went on about a fourth of Trail 2 but with the getting there and the getting back and the up and down, it was probably a three mile hike. Good times.
Ah, camping. Good food, good conversation, good friends. You should come with us next time.