Mission Accomplished!

Early this month we made it to Ohio, making it possible to report that we visited and hiked in each of the states that border Indiana in 2022! We chose to revisit Hocking Hills State Park, a state park that we first visited in 2018 and found so interesting we wanted to include it in this year of recorded adventures. It is located about 60 miles southeast of Columbus. Any of the several ways google maps suggested took us through beautiful rural Ohio countryside. One take away from this year of visiting so many parks; you have to work at it to get there. As I did on other road-trips, I took note of the farm fields along our route. Like Illinois and Indiana, Ohio’s landscape has its own unique feature, hills poking up on the horizon. And eventually when we arrived in the heart of the hilly countryside, the fields themselves were on hills. An especially funny sight were the cows grazing on steep hillsides, not something typically seen in central Indiana.

Hocking Hills State Park is located in an area called Hocking Hills Region and that pretty much describes the lay out for the state park, it is spread out over many square miles. Unlike, for instance when you visit Turkey Run State Park and arrive to the park’s gate house and then plot out the day’s adventure, at Hocking Hills State Park your have multiple destinations to pick from, each separated by winding hilly roads. There is no main gate, or obvious park boundaries. For the most part the hiking trails are stand-alone entities. Hocking Hills Forest was established in 1924, incorporating the initially designated individual forest areas of Cantwell Cliffs, Rock House, Ash Cave, Conkle’s Hollow, Crane Hallow, Cedar Falls and Old Man’s Cave. We chose to explore 3 trails on this 2 day visit, re-hiking 2 from our 2018 trip and one new one.

Our first stop was to the Visitor Center where we spoke with a ranger to evaluate the ruggedness of the trails and to pick up trail maps. From that parking lot we could access the Whispering Cave and Old Man’s Cave Trail Head. We ventured off to Old Man’s Cave, a hike we could squeeze in before sunset. We quickly learned that hiking in December really cuts down on the crowds and makes for wonderfully quiet hiking. There is plenty of evidence that the trails typically are far more crowded in warmer weather as almost all the trails we traversed were marked as one-way. Several of the trails we hiked would be too narrow and dangerous to navigate with two-way hikers, so most of them are a circuiting path. We had comfortable weather for hiking, but did need to keep an eye out for the occasional icy patch since most of the paths we picked were in ravines and didn’t receive much direct sunshine with the sun now so long on the horizon. In one section many icicles have already begun to form. Even as the temperature rises above freezing during the day the cold gets trapped between the steep stone walls and these signs of the changing season are clinging to the ragged walls.

Information about the area explains that the hallows and caves found throughout the area show evidence of attracting people as long ago as 7,000 years! In the mid 1700s several Indian tribes called the area home. In 1835 when a power mill and grist mill were built the area began to develop.

The geology of this area is phenomenal. That was the draw for us to want to make a return trip to the park. The sandstone cliffs create amazing walls for the pathways that meander along the creeks that form interesting rock features and in other areas the ground on which we hiked, providing the steep up and down terrain we experienced as we tramped toward a cave. On each hike I’d think that I had snapped enough pictures then would hike around another bend and be struck with the beauty of another natural formation and would dig the phone out of my pocket, pull off the gloves, place the walking stick between my knees and be wowed by the sight before me and start snapping more pictures. The force of nature, especially gravity was humbling…and I really couldn’t help but hope that a cliff would not let go of a boulder as we passed below.

On our second day of hiking to allow time for the fog to lift and temps to rise before heading out on trails we headed to Logan, OH and visited some local shops and while visiting in one of the local artists shops we learned about the notorious “Great White Oak of Logan.” The shop keeper encouraged us to find it as she handed G a pamphlet describing their popular tree. Always being interested in local lore we had to find the tree before heading out of town. The 600+ year old oak tree stands atop the Logan cemetery, is over 23 feet in circumference and over 80 feet tall. Indeed, it was impressive in size, but we left feeling as if without its leaves it left something to be desired.

Our second side trip, between our two hikes, involved making a stop at the Jack Pine Glass Blowing studio. We were treated to watching the artist blow glass into the shape of pumpkins. It was mesmerizing to witness a red hot blob of glass to be formed into a piece of art within minutes. The studio and giftshop felt like an unlikely find tucked into the hills of the remote small town of Laurelville.

But before enjoying our stop at the art studio we explored the Rock House Gorge Trail. Rock House “is the only true cave in Hocking Hills State Park.” The cave is 25 feet high, 200 feet long and 20-30 feet wide. Sandstone columns support the roof of the cave and several “windows” allow sunlight into the cave. The only residents that we observed on this day to the cave were the many pigeons. Archaeological evidence shows that Native Americans took shelter here, constructing small ovens in the rock walls and man-made troughs in the cave’s floor for collecting water. Legend has it that robbers and bandits also used the Rock House as a hideaway.

After reaching the cave the trail descends down a steep set of stone steps to a creek in the ravine. A wooden bridge connects the two sides of the steep ravine, but after reaching the bottom of the steps it is revealed that the bridge has been severely damaged, likely from a fallen tree and it is impassable. We saw only 3 other people on this trail and all of us reached this concerning area at about the same time. Another couple and us stood there playing out the options to be able to return to our cars, turn around and return the way we had come or slide down the steep muddy ravine and climb up the other side. In the end it looked harder than it was and all 5 of us traversed this unexpected obstacle pretty easily. But in the few minutes it took for us to size up the situation we chatted and couldn’t believe that the couple lives 5 minutes from our home in Indiana. The young man hiking alone is a recent OSU graduate and is giving Indianapolis serious consideration to locate and find a job. It was fun to speak highly of the Indy area. What a small world!

Revisiting my amazement with the geology of the area, on our last hike through Conkles Hollow Gorge I learned about “slump blocks,” or “float blocks” that after gradually eroding and falling from their lofty home they “slide imperceptibly down the hillside on which they lie.” Looking along the stream that is littered with these blocks I could imagine these large round boulders to be a giant’s play toys. Again, reflecting upon the effects of the elements of weather upon the cliffs was awe inspiring.

The final side trip we made was to the John Glenn Astronomy Park. I have followed it on Facebook since our last trip to the area and wanted to check it out in person. They are finished with the organized evening programs for the year, but the area continues to be open to the public. They are located just a mile or so from the Hocking Hills Lodge and Conference Center where we were staying so before we returned to the lodge we stopped in and walked around. I felt it apropos to get this shot of the moon peeking out of the clouds.

In January I set specific goals for the year, using this “phog” to keep me accountable. I am happy to be able to say that I didn’t simply let this milestone year to “slip slide away.” Here’s how it went: I consistently wrote and posted photos of our many hiking adventures. I have not gotten either of my children’s books published yet, but I have made positive progress by finding an illustrator who is interested in embarking on this endeavor with me in 2023. I did complete my formation and I am now a certified Spiritual Director and looking forward to what awaits me as I embrace a listening ministry. And lastly, but most significantly, we hiked well over my mileage goal of 60 miles during this milestone year of turning 60. We hiked over 130 miles; visiting 22 municipal parks, 21 State Parks and 5 National Forests. What a blast it has been! I don’t know what next year will hold in regard to this blog but you’ll know when I know.

Merry Christmas & Sending Wishes that 2023 Is Full Of Fun Adventures And Secure Footing.