Well, it has been a cold snowy winter. I have decided to
hike up Mount Washington in 2027-2028. Before that even gets here, I need to
prepare. I know you are most likely saying buddy you got time lol.
While you right I have time, but also life gets in the way
and things come up that can prevent a person from reaching their goal. I want to give myself a generous window of
time to prepare.
This route has an estimated elevation deviation of 7000
feet. While I have already done a 17 miler
with a deviation of 6300 feet that was almost at the end of summer last after
hiking for months.
Today I will be testing myself to see how my stamina and
endurance have waned over winter.
I will pay close attention to my pace and see how it goes
mile by mile today.
I have stripped and sanded this beautiful piece. I have opted to not finish the top. I instead I am using a clear table topper mat. This mat is made by exatamat.
The thickness is 80 mil and clear they call it crystal. The table I am using it on is 6'x3'.
It allows the table natural maple grain to truly shine.
We love doing what we love doing. It’s a passion that many don’t
understand. Like going to bed at 2000 to wake up at midnight and after making
breakfast to watch a sunrise on a fire tower that’s 3.5 hours away.
Those experiences for the people who know it is amazing and
for others they say I would never.
After making a pot of fresh ground bean coffee and having
breakfast I headed out to the Hocking Hills State Park area.
I had read other reviews about the fire tower and how
unsuitable it is for some people. Yes, the stairs have no risers. The small
platforms at each landing do have some chain link fences on them. You cannot
enter the structure, but you still can see an amazing view. I will attach the timelapse
below of the sunrise.
I would also be chasing a few waterfalls today. I would be staring
at the hike a little earlier than normal for myself and that’s only because I was
trying to stay ahead of the number of potential hikers today.
As I hiked up into the gorge of the Twin Sisters Falls you
could see the erosion damage from the storms from last year. A good amount of
soil erosion had taken place, and it exposed new rock formations. This also has
exposed quite a bit of tree roots and they have also fallen.
Some of the newer smaller waterfalls you could see them
because of the ice dams that they left behind.
I was only going to do a short hike because of the amount of
time I was going to spend driving there and back. I would still get in a miler
with an elevation deviation of over 3000 feet throughout the hike.
I changed my GoPro settings to shoot in 9x16 format because
it was more important to see the high walls of the gorges.
The passion we have for what brings us joy is strong. Hmm I
might have gone to bed a 2000 and got up at 0000. I am going to drive down to
the Hocking Hills area to capture a time lapse of the sunrise and then go on a
hike.
I will also be chasing a few waterfalls while I am down there!
Here southerly from the shore of Lake Erie we are not blessed
with mountains. Here there are glaciated valleys and hills.
They have their own beauty, and they are what has made northeast
Ohio. A hiker who is looking for a lot of elevation deviation in their hike
will need to learn through trail and error what trails or trails offer them the
challenge they are looking for.
On Sunday I had chosen a trail that was 11.2 miles out and back,
but the elevation deviation was roughly 1700 feet ascending and descending.
Today’s trail started out in the Cuyahoga Valley National
Park Headquarters parking lot.
I brought along my normal gear, but also packed my micro
spikes by Kahtoola Web Link
After the first flight of sandstone stairs and feeling the
ice under my boots I knew I needed to strap those MICRO spikes on.
One still needs to use caution while wearing them. You need
to lift your feet higher and look where you step. I did not have my GoPro at a
great angle for this and ended up with more of the trail in the videos and not
the landscape.
The great thaw was not an issue this morning when I started,
but buddy did that change on my return leg of the hike. Everything was getting
sloppy and water was starting to run in the ditches and creeks.
What water did see going into the woods was clear, but
coming out it was turning into chocolate milk.
I also noticed in this area particularly that they coyote
like using the trail as a bathroom and It’s better than dog crap!!
I also saw a very interesting piece of 1800’s history out in
front of the Summit County Engineers office out post (see photos below).
I also saw a huge wolf dog and I did not try and pet him, but
he nosed my hand.
It was not because I was afraid of him, it was just out of
respect for him and his owners.
