Hocking Hills with Family

May 21, 2016

We had the pleasure of my step-mom coming down for a visit.  Originally, we had planned for us to go to a Clipper's game on Friday and a kayaking the Darby on Saturday.  The best laid plans.  I mis-read the Clipper's schedule so they were actually away.  Mother nature didn't help for Saturday's plans either, all day light rain and high 50's would not have been a pleasurable float.

We decided to put on the rain coats and boots and head down to the Hocking Hills.  Usually, hitting up Old Man's Cave, Cedar Falls and Ash Cave on a Saturday is a mistake in my book.  Waaaaaay too many people.  But, we didn't have much choice and I figured the rain would keep most people away.  I wasn't too surprised though, to see the lots pretty full even with the rain.

The benefit of the rain we have had over the recent days was the waterfalls were flowing really nice.  Sometimes later in the summer, the falls are reduced to a trickle, if flowing at all.  This was spectacular for photos.  The trick was getting photos without people in them, except of course, for photos of the family.

  

No matter how many times I am visit the Hocking Hills, it never gets old.  It is always worth the drive, the time, and energy.  It was great to see it through family's eyes for the first time.

  

Matanzas River Paddle

May 1, 2016

We had one more day in Florida before we went home.  Time to get out on the kayaks.  We decided to head out to the Matanzas inlet, a place she used to paddle and explore years ago.  The inlet can be an amazing location for all sorts of marine life.  I was excited to see an area of the world that is near and dear to her heart.  A place full of great memories before I met her, a chance to glimpse a portion of her past.

We decided that we would put in at the State Route 206 bridge, then paddle down the Matanzas River, 3 miles to the inlet.  West from A1A onto 206, take the first left, this is an immediate left, and the only road before the bridge.  Turn right onto Coastal, which ends at a sand parking area at the river.  We parked in the shade under the bridge with several other cars.  This area is popular with shore fishermen.  You can also park on the west end of the bridge in similar fashion, and would actually be launching into some salt flats which were fun to explore and you wouldn't have to cross the Matanzas river to get to them.



Tide was coming in, and coming in strong.  We were also faced with a strong head wind.  Needless to say it was slow going.  If you plan to do this paddle, take note of the tides and plan accordingly.  The Matanzas River is part of the Intercoastal  Waterway System.  It was 2 in the afternoon on a perfect, sunny, not too hot Sunday.  The Intercoastal might as well been I 95 interstate highway.  Boat traffic was high, Big boats with big wakes, little boats, heck even jet skis towing tubers.  We quickly realized we were not going to make the inlet.  In reality that was okay, because when we passed the inlet on A1A, it was packed.  I mean every parking lot was full and the both sides of the road for a half mile of the inlet was parked with cars.  People everywhere on the inlet.  She was actually amazed, when she was hanging out there 15 years ago, she always had the place pretty much to herself.  Seems like the secret has been leaked.

Knowing the inlet was out of reach, we crossed the river and entered the salt flats/salt marsh on the west side of the river.  There were birds galore, but I unfortunately forgot my binoculars, so I could not identify the small white, swallow-esque bird that was swooping and diving in to the water. Egrets and herons abound.  The tide was low (but rising) and the numerous oyster beds were exposed.   Highlight of the paddle was a quick glimpse of a sea turtle sticking its head ever so briefly above the water.





 

After we were done and the kayaks were loaded back on the jeep, we were going to drive to the inlet and check out the beach.  It was still super crowded so we opted for Washington Oaks beach instead, On the short trail to the beach we encountered a small gopher tortoise munching on some grass.  Brought back a ton of memories from my time at the Joesph Jones Ecological Research Center during the gopher tortoise study.  I showed her how you can get an estimate on the tortoises age by counting the rings on the scutes of the palasteron.    The beach and ocean never disappoint.  We walked down the beach, my flip flops in one hand and hers in the other.  Ruddy turnstones in full breeding plumage were walking along with us, foraging the beach along the way.  They were accompanied by the ever present dunlin.

 

 

We headed back to the house to pick up her mother and headed back out.  This time in search of birds.  We drove the loop through the salt marshes and didn't see much.  We went through Gamble Rodgers State Park  and North Peninsula Park.  Still nothing, at least bird wise.  But I did get some photos of a crab climbing up a tree.  We called a night with a seafood dinner at The Anchor in Flagler Beach.  A little pricey for what you get, but good none the less.

Another Florida trip in the books.  Head back north, with my head still in the sand.

Peillicer Creek Paddle

A view of the Pellicer Creek estuary from the kayaks

4/26/16

We are back in Florida for a few days.  This time we hauled the kayaks down on the Jeep in hopes of getting on the water at least twice.  So, day one we decide to float the Pellicer Creek.  Originally we planned to put in at Faver-Dykes State Park and paddle down the creek to Princess Place Preserve.  According to everything we found on the internet, it would be a 3 mile paddle.  Checking further we discovered Princess Place closes at 6 p.m., which was not going to work since we got a late start.  So, we decided to switch it around, put in a Princess Place and paddle upstream to the Faver Dykes.  We had family help drop the kayaks and ferry a car to the take out.

Paddling out the launch inlet at Princess Place Preserve 

 The put in at Princess Place is in the back of the park, at a little inlet, and it is for hand launching boats only.  We got in the water about 4:30p.m.  The tide was coming in, going against the current.  We also had the wind at our back.  Both of which, helped us on our paddle upstream.  It wasn't extremely hard but it wasn't easy either.  Then again, we don't usually paddle upstream, and it was our first paddle if the season.

It felt great to be out on the water.  Different than the clear waters of our last float, the Weeki Watchee, with visibility today of about a half foot.  We started out in the wide mouth of the estuary, salt marsh along the banks.  A pair of eagles nest at Princess Place, and you can see the nest off in the distance from river.  Nest is huge and we were lucky enough to see a eagle sitting on the edge of the nest.  When we came to the point where the river begins to narrow, an alligator splashed into the water from the bank of the salt marsh.  We were only about 20 yards from it, startling us a bit.  and it quickly and silently disappeared under the water.

It wasn't long after that we caught site of a roof of a gazebo and Kerry thought it was the take out.  It couldn't have been.  We had only gone about a mile!  As we rounded the bend it became clear it was indeed the take out.  Turned out, from the launch to the take out was only about 1.5 miles and we had been on the water for less than an hour.  Now that we knew we had plenty of time to make it to the take out, we pulled out the fishing rods.  Kerry's first cast and she catches a catfish on a crank bait.  A crank bait!  It was the only fish we caught, then again, we have never fished this area or habitat before.  I tried to get some help form the locals, they weren't much help.  They said use shrimp.  As for artificials, they didn't give much info.  I saw one guy using a white paddle tail, and he said he had caught an 18 inch red fish.

 We paddled past the Faver-Dykes boat ramp and fished a little bit.  It was interesting to float in the middle of the creek, having the current going one direction and the tide and wind going the opposite direction, with a result of the kayak floating stationary.  It was a bit surreal.  This area is mostly salt marsh, with some trees along the boat ramp area.  We saw some osprey and a little green heron, and found a bunch of hermit crabs and fiddler crabs at the boat ramp.



So total paddle was 2 miles.  If we would do it again, we would have put in at the US 1 bridge over Pellicer Creek.  I wouldn't leave a care there, as it is not an official put in, but there is plenty of shoulder on the road at the end of the guard rail, and kept free of brush.  The bank isn't steep either.  Pellicer Creek Camp Ground is northwest of the bridge, and have a private launch, but we were told it is for campers only. This would give you about 5-6 miles

16 Degree Road Trip

2/14/16 - Valentine's Day

So the temps were only supposed to be teens today.  Neither of us felt like hiking long distances in that type of cold, but neither of us wanted to stay inside.  Kerry had wanted to go to the Lanternman's Mill in Mill Creek Metroparks, up in Youngstown Ohio, for some time now.  There are some other falls in the park too, so we figured today would be a good day to go see them.

We also heard that Brandywine Falls was frozen after the arctic like temperatures we had been experiencing.  Sounded like something we had to see, and not too too far from Mill Creek Metroparks.  So that was our first stop and this time, we just parked at the falls, camera in hand.  Wow!  What a difference 9 days can make!

Brandywine Falls 2/5/16

Brandywine Falls 2/14/16

We got to Mill Creek Metroparks and were totally blown away.  We parked in a small lot at Lanternman's Mill, and walked the small distance to the mill.  There is an overlook of the mill and the falls, an observation deck right next to the falls, and a pretty cool covered bridge upstream of the mill.  

 

All of that is worth the drive, in of itself.  What we were totally not expecting was from the mill falls, the river drops into an amazing gorge with a boardwalk trail extending the length of the gorge, along one side, and about half way up the height of the gorge.  We only walked about a quarter of a mile down the gorge, and there were so many cool rock formations, views of the river and this time of year ice formations.  This was even more spectacular than the falls, perhaps because it was so unexpected. 

We drove the roadways to check out the rest of the park.  We came across a really cool suspension bridge, some amazing old buildings and ended up at Fellows Riverside Garden.  We didn't explore any of these things, but merely conducted a scouting mission.  We will definitively be back to explore this Metropark in depth.

Hike to Brandywine Falls

2/5/2016

A visit to Brandywine Falls had been on the list for quite some time.  We had a Friday off from work so we decided to make the drive and take the hike.  Brandywine Falls is located in the Brecksville Area of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, near Cleveland, OH.  It's only about a 2 hour drive from Columbus and we have just begun to explore this area.  Two years ago we parked the truck at one of the train stations and for $3.00 a person we stowed the bikes on a special car and rode the train 15 miles out, and rode the bikes back along the Towpath Trail to the car.  A bike ride and a train ride... how could you go wrong.

Now, you can park right at Brandywine Falls and have a very short walk from the parking lot to the falls, but that doesn't sound much like us.  We parked at the Boston Store Visitor Center, got a map and our National Park hiking pin, and headed north on the Towpath Trail about a half mile to a connector trail to the Standford Trail.  Turns out you can park at the Standford Farm, behind the barn in a small dirt lot.  You can usually make this a loop trail, but a foot bridge over the Brandywine Creek washed out last spring and has not been replaced.  In the summer time, during warm weather and low water levels, they say you can cross the creek by hopping from rock to rock.  Being that it is February after a few day of ran, we didn't want to chance it, and just made it an out and back trail (the solid green trail on the map), a total of about 4.65 miles.

The trail half frozen, half muddy on the way out, and was only going to get worse on the way back as temperatures were climbing to a whopping 38 degrees (On the way back, we actually walked the Stanford Rd back to Boston Store to avoid the now completely muddy trail.)  The trail started out in old field habitat, but quickly turned to mature open woods.  There were two hills to contend with, but nothing to killer.  It was a nice walk in the woods, but nothing compared to the falls that waited at the halfway point.

These falls drop 65 feet into a gorge, with enormous boulders below.  There is a beautiful elevated boardwalk along the side of the gorge, ending at large observation deck about middle height of the falls. Incredible.

 

Once again we pretty much had the trail to ourselves, and only a few people on the deck. Shortly after our arrival, the other hikers left, and we had the deck to ourselves.  It was the perfect place, and the perfect time for me to take a knee and ask for her hand in marriage.  Luckily she said yes, as a friend pointed out, that would have been a long, awkward hike and drive home otherwise!

The hike was nice, and highly recommended.  And if you don't hike, you at least have to see these falls, they truly amazing... even if you don't get engaged while you are there.

We are super excited to be starting this new phase of our adventure Together Outdoors.

Quick Florida Trip

1/16/2015

We made it down to Palm Coast Florida for a quick visit for some family time, some nature time and some sunshine.  Mother nature didn't disappoint.  While it may not have been super warm by Florida standards, it was 40 degrees warmer than home and the sun was shining.

We flew in on Saturday morning and that night we went into St. Augustine for dinner and to look at the lights.  St. Augustine goes all out for their Christmas lights and leaves them up the whole month of January.  So after some fresh shrimp, we took a tram tour historic area of the city.



The next morning, we headed down to the beach for sunrise.  One of my favorite things to do, that is, except for the waking up early part.  A morning person I am not.  The sunrise was underwhelming.  But how can you not be happy to be on the beach.  The wind.  The waves.  The wildlife.  The sun.  The company.

After breakfast at our favorite local diner the Chicken Pantry, what we affectionately call the duck hut, for what reason, I have no idea, Kerry and I were off to Washington Oaks Gardens State Park.  Started on the beach side and walked north along the beach to an outcropping of coquina rock.

  


We then crossed A1A to the botanical gardens side of the park.  The live oaks and spanish moss here are amazing and the golden afternoon light lit them perfectly.  We were sitting behind the visitor center on a patio under the shade of a massive oak.  We heard the low rumbling of a great horned owl waking up from a slumber and spent the next hour or so looking for it in the tree we were sitting under.  It's call grew louder and louder, and we were certain it was in the tree we were sitting under.   Eventually a crowd grew, all of us with our necks crooked, looking up into this tree.  We met a local photographer who said he has been hearing the owl for weeks, but has yet to find it.  We left, still without seeing it. We checked the photogs website, and he too was unsuccessful.  While we did not see the great horned owl, we did see 4 bald eagles, an osprey, and a Florida water snake.

The next day another shot at the sunrise.  Again.  A little underwhelming photography wise.  Today we met up with the family to explore St. Augustine.  Such a cool city, rich in history and lots to do.  We started with the Castillo De San Marcos National Monument.  It was MLK Day so it was free for the day, which also meant it was crowded.  A really neat place to visit, for both history and photography.  Afterwards we then took a walk down St. George Street, passing the oldest wooden school house in the United States.

 

After lunch, we headed over to the St. Augustine Lighthouse.  A climb up the 219 steps to the top deck and a great view of St. Augustine, and Matanzas River and the Atlantic Ocean.

The next morning was the sunrise we were looking for, and just in time as it was our last of the trip.  A front was moving through, and the temperature was only about 34 degrees and windy.  My hands were frozen after taking pictures but it was worth it.  The clouds associated with the front provided excellent interest in the sky and the colors were spectacular.  The middle of the sunrise was the best and lasted only about 5 minutes.  After that I concentrated on the seabirds in plentiful numbers.  We had a little ruddy turnstone following us, nearly underfoot.  I wonder if he was hoping for us to kick something in the sand as we walked.  Ring-billed gulls were plentiful.  And a new species for me, a redknot, though it was in it's duller winter plumage.

Later in the day we took a walk along one of the numerous greenway trails in Palm Coast.  A nice 3 mile walk through the oaks and palm trees.  Another new bird for me, a limpkin, and we saw a bald eagle soaring high above too.  A great trip hate to see it end.