We walked down to the trail from the parking lot, and I was awestruck by the view! Unfortunately, I was so awestruck that I forgot to take a picture.. the entire hike. FAIL! However, you can take my word for it that it was absolutely stunning! The trail runs along Gunpowder River almost the entire way. Towards the end it splits off uphill and affords you a breathtaking view of the rapids. Hubs and I stood there for a while just taking it all in, with me secretly being annoyed that I forgot our towels... (camera, towels.. how else could I fail? ugh!)
The trail was really, really crowded before it splits. We often stood to the side while bikers passed, or people with fishing poles came by. I was happy with how the dogs did in the midst of this crowd, though. Before this, Cocoa was barking her head off at anyone we met on the trail! This experience seemed to calm her down and make her realize that she doesn't own the trail. I couldn't figure out where all these people were walking to until we got to the trail split. The river had these great big rocks that caused the rapids and in the midst of all the rushing water a still pool had been created where people were swimming. It was amazing!
When we made it back to Lost Pond, once again, I was taken aback by the rugged beauty of this place. The name Lost Pond came about because this trail is overtaken by lush plant life. As the plant life flourished, the pond dried up and you are left with a great big circle of plants. It was a sight to see! And when we go back I promise I will take pictures!
The trail goes around Lost Pond and deep into the woods, and then swings back towards the river. There are many little, easy to cross streams that make their way down to join in with the river. However, there was one stream that was about waist deep. The opposite bank was elevated about 5 feet from where we stood. I had no clue how my dogs were going to cross. I had no clue how I was going to cross! My husband is a quick thinker, though, and he climbed up on a log that (conveniently) crossed the stream at an upward slope. The dogs were none too happy, but after some coaxing they walked all the way across. I was thrilled with myself for walking across! This is something I would have pitched a fit about before I started hiking, but now I feel like a champion for facing my fears and doing something I never thought I could do!
Picture it: Elle Hiett - Master of the Trail, Log Crosser Extraordinaire!
A little much, do you think??
At any rate, I did feel like I'd come a long way in the short time I've been hiking. Overcoming a challenge felt good not only because I didn't think I could do it, but also because Hubs and I did it as a team, romantic, right?
I think our hike was about 4 miles total. It was a great workout!
P.s. I would normally link to the Gunpowder Falls State Park website, but their site has been hacked. If you decide to search for it, please be careful =]
Thank you so much for visiting My Journey from High Heels to Hiking Boots! I'd love to hear from you in the comments section! You can also follow me by email at the top of the left hand navigation bar by simply entering your email address. Happy Trails!
No comments:
Post a Comment