The ice will be gone but I ordered my Micro Spikes

Todays hike on 2.9.2025

 

Don’t worry, after today’s ice capades I will be purchasing micro spikes for hiking ice.  I had to hug the shoulder of the trail most of the day today. The short climb out of the valley was less than optimal. Lol

You will hear in one of the videos me rethinking aloud my choices today!

I had planned a nine-mile hike today, but mother nature reminded me how I was not prepared for the treacherous footing today. I did three miles and had to really work for every step.

I hope you enjoy the artwork.

Sonder

2.9.2025 I will head out for a hike

 The plan is to complete a 9 miler tommorow.  We will see how this goes.  The freezing rain has plagued most of the northeast part of the state.  

So, stay tuned folks

Sonder

2.1.2025 Todays Adventure

Good morning, folks,

I am going to head out today to see if I can catch some water falls at peak flow. Now they are most likely muddy, but I hope the creek is wadable. Well, we will see. I am back packing my waders in and changing out in the field. The footing is going to be a mess because of all the snow melting and rain.

I was out here about a month ago and I could hear the water fall or falls. We will see how this works out.  The Grand River right now is approximately up two feet from where she was last night.

Her tertiary streams are running hard, but they should be wadable. The snow melt will still be fully affected. The rain has stopped and that will help.

These waterfalls I am looking for are always there, but you need a runoff event to show them in full glory.

I am going to make breakfast here shortly and head out.

I just popped my head out of the house, and everything was frozen. Now I will need to delay my departure from the house.

My footing while traversing the slopes will be tougher than I would have anticipated with this overnight freeze fest.

Stay tuned folks,

Sonder

 

I have returned from the hike. My goal was to find the creek that is in the park. With all the rain we had received over the past few days I was hopeful it would allow for the ice to push downstream.

I hiked into the park with my 120-liter Sealine backpack loaded. I had my waders, boots, wading belt, and camera equipment.

The morning temperatures were in the 20’s. I could hear the water moving in the creek, but it still had a lot of ice in it.  I looked at the falls on my way down and it was heavy with ice.  All the work I would have needed to do to make it to the falls would have been epic.

I also needed to worry about safety. Being down in a small ravine there would have been no escape if the water began to rise and all the debris came with it.  I would be caught in a littoral human washing machine.

The more I thought about it the worse my thoughts became lol so needless to say I chose to hump my pack and me along the shoreline of the Grand River.

As I ventured into the swampy abyss of the lowlands, I realized the beavers had been very busy. They had created huge beaver ponds.

Some of the depths I measure with my walking sticks being over 3 feet deep.  Beavers always surprise me with their engineering feats.

On a side note, I don’t know what the name of the thorn ridden plants I always see in these types of areas, but they were so thick you needed a flame thrower. Side note I will not be here in the summer because the thorns would be so bad so bad!

It was a short hike and making it through the field snow with a heavy pack it was time it call it a day.

 

I hope you enjoy the art work!

Sonder

I will be chasing waterfalls today!

Stay tuned folks as I make breakfast and then I will head out.

Be well,

Sonder

01.25.2025 Winter Hike

On 1.25.2025 it was supposed to get up to 30 degrees! Lol if it was 30 degrees it wasn’t after I got out of the woods today.

I went to finish my second leg of the winter hike of Paine Creek there in Leroy Township, Ohio.

I made breakfast and headed to the creek around 8 am.  I was curious to see how easy this access would be.  I know the main road was closed and their would be a hill to contend with going in and coming out.

I saw a jogger with his dog right off the bat.

Then once I got past I-90 it was all coyote tracks and deer scrapes looking for acorns.

The creek was flowing normally this time of year. The shale creek is mostly featureless, but you need to be wary, and I will show you why later.

It was nice to get out and make coffee on the bank of the creek.

Overall, I hiked 5 miles and slowly I will get in better shape.

Enjoy the artwork,

Sonder

I am going to head out on Saturday

 ..looks like shes going to be above 30 degrees on Saturday! 

Stay tuned folks!

Morning folks,

With these single digit days and nights with the windchill I will be taking a little break. As soon as the day is 30 degrees I will be headed out for an adventure.  

The reason for this is that I really enjoy creek crawling in the winter. This means going in and out of the water and in these temperatures that is a recipe for disaster.

Be well and stay warm,

Sonder

Paine Creek Ohio Winter Hike

It’s been a minute, and my body was telling me we needed some to get some exercise. I decided to take a hike along Paine Creek in Ohio. I was hoping the center channel was open, but as you will see in the videos in some places it was open and some places well it was closed.

 The field snow was all fluff and about 10 inches deep. The daytime high was supposed to be 30 degrees. The sun would poke its head out from time to time. It was a great day to be out, and the Park was void of ppl.

I hope you enjoy the videos and be well.