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cornerofmadnessI’m pretty proud of how well I did for as out of shape as I am. I was nervous going on this walk because of all days for my sugar to be normal this was not one of them so naturally it was dead on normal and I was paranoid about it dropping.
L and I went up to Hocking Hills to go to Old Man’s Cave and Cedar falls. The trail to Old Man Cave was actually rather short, no more than a mile round trip so we opted to continue on the trail to Cedar Falls. The lady at the info booth said the blue trail was much more strenuous up and down hills and the red easier so we decided blue while we were fresh, red for the return trip a little less than 7 miles.
After my knee accepted that it would have a brace on it and the patella stopped slamming itself against the J strap I was good to go. Getting to the cave wasn’t bad, in fact it was so developed that most of the trail were man-made steps. Sadly Old Man Cave is pretty much just a rock overhang and not an actual cavern. The sign posts said 2 miles to Cedar Falls. Um they lie. Because they KEPT saying that for some distance.
Once we started on that trail it was not developed. Oh it was a trail but other than a few cut-in steps it was all natural. And strenuous. Took me an hour and a half including having to hold onto rock faces and swing about. My ‘good’ knee was screaming. I think the arthritis in it has gotten worse.
L and I started talking (she teaches Biology too) ‘you know it’s been DRY lately. Think there’s going to be much of a waterfall’ Try none. So there was a cave that wasn’t a cave and a waterfall that wasn’t a waterfall. We asked about the trail back and if there was a ranger station/bathroom up at the parking lot at this side of the park. We assured there was. They lied.
It was a huge struggle to get up there too to find a line to a portapotty. I was too dehydrated to need it anyhow. We were going to try to hitch a ride back to the other lot but that was a no-go. We started back but L looked at me and said ‘you go back and I’ll get that car.’ I didn’t want to at first but it was three more miles back and I knew my sugar was dropping so I did go wait. I must have looked way worse than I felt since L was worried and some poor kid was worried for me too.
I camped out at the shelter house teaching people how to hand pump water from the well. It was good water too, crystalline, ice cold, tasting slightly earthy and iron-like. (If I get giardia and die you’ll know why.)
We headed back into Athens for dinner to casa Nuevos, L’s choice it was her birthday. It’s a little eatery in the historic part of Athens near the college so there was a wait but there was a bar so who cared? I had a drawn and portered which was lovely. Their menu was very different and so delicious sounding. I ended up have the autumn enchiladas which had spinach, Swiss cheese and shredded parsnips and a filling of my choice (marinated tofu) baked with the apple remolache which was a sauce of apples, beets and chilies so it was spicy and sweet and brilliantly colored. Yum.
Now I am dead. I may be incapable of movement tomorrow. Pray for my poor legs. Pictures tomorrow...if I live
L and I went up to Hocking Hills to go to Old Man’s Cave and Cedar falls. The trail to Old Man Cave was actually rather short, no more than a mile round trip so we opted to continue on the trail to Cedar Falls. The lady at the info booth said the blue trail was much more strenuous up and down hills and the red easier so we decided blue while we were fresh, red for the return trip a little less than 7 miles.
After my knee accepted that it would have a brace on it and the patella stopped slamming itself against the J strap I was good to go. Getting to the cave wasn’t bad, in fact it was so developed that most of the trail were man-made steps. Sadly Old Man Cave is pretty much just a rock overhang and not an actual cavern. The sign posts said 2 miles to Cedar Falls. Um they lie. Because they KEPT saying that for some distance.
Once we started on that trail it was not developed. Oh it was a trail but other than a few cut-in steps it was all natural. And strenuous. Took me an hour and a half including having to hold onto rock faces and swing about. My ‘good’ knee was screaming. I think the arthritis in it has gotten worse.
L and I started talking (she teaches Biology too) ‘you know it’s been DRY lately. Think there’s going to be much of a waterfall’ Try none. So there was a cave that wasn’t a cave and a waterfall that wasn’t a waterfall. We asked about the trail back and if there was a ranger station/bathroom up at the parking lot at this side of the park. We assured there was. They lied.
It was a huge struggle to get up there too to find a line to a portapotty. I was too dehydrated to need it anyhow. We were going to try to hitch a ride back to the other lot but that was a no-go. We started back but L looked at me and said ‘you go back and I’ll get that car.’ I didn’t want to at first but it was three more miles back and I knew my sugar was dropping so I did go wait. I must have looked way worse than I felt since L was worried and some poor kid was worried for me too.
I camped out at the shelter house teaching people how to hand pump water from the well. It was good water too, crystalline, ice cold, tasting slightly earthy and iron-like. (If I get giardia and die you’ll know why.)
We headed back into Athens for dinner to casa Nuevos, L’s choice it was her birthday. It’s a little eatery in the historic part of Athens near the college so there was a wait but there was a bar so who cared? I had a drawn and portered which was lovely. Their menu was very different and so delicious sounding. I ended up have the autumn enchiladas which had spinach, Swiss cheese and shredded parsnips and a filling of my choice (marinated tofu) baked with the apple remolache which was a sauce of apples, beets and chilies so it was spicy and sweet and brilliantly colored. Yum.
Now I am dead. I may be incapable of movement tomorrow. Pray for my poor legs. Pictures tomorrow...if I live
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I'm tired and didn't go hiking...
Date: 2008-10-13 03:39 am (UTC)Re: I'm tired and didn't go hiking...
Date: 2008-10-13 04:00 am (UTC)Re: I'm tired and didn't go hiking...
Date: 2008-10-13 04:19 am (UTC)Re: I'm tired and didn't go hiking...
Date: 2008-10-13 02:54 pm (UTC)Re: I'm tired and didn't go hiking...
Date: 2008-10-13 09:03 pm (UTC)Sorry your hike was not as much fun as you hoped.
Re: I'm tired and didn't go hiking...
Date: 2008-10-13 09:06 pm (UTC)*pokes with stick*
Date: 2008-10-13 11:29 am (UTC)Re: *pokes with stick*
Date: 2008-10-13 02:35 pm (UTC)Re: *pokes with stick*
Date: 2008-10-14 12:42 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-10-13 03:08 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-10-13 03:41 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-10-13 11:23 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-10-14 01:38 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-10-13 08:59 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-10-13 09:07 pm (UTC)