3 hikes

Photo by: Tim Bindner

I am about to tell you about three separate days of hiking. Two at the same location and one at another. A grand total of 13+ miles over three days.

Day 1: November 3, 2023

I was off work and planned on heading to the park office prior to hitting the trails. Stanley, my friend, and the property manager, wants me to stop by after 8:30am. He has a map of the property and wants to share some hidden gems he found while hiking. The park sold property maps (well, gave them away) and horse maps (that cost $10). The horse maps were more detailed but mainly show the horse trails. Stanley took his horse map and transposed hiking trails and locations on it by drawing various routes he had done. I bought a horse map and will also follow his lead and create my own custom map.

I was told by Stanley that there was a mountain bike convention in Campground A and there were many bikers going to be on the trails for the next three days. My original plan was to hike the Rocky Ridge trail, but that quickly changed with this newly gained news. I chose to hike the Horse Trail on Iron Bridge instead (which doesn’t allow bikers). Stanley mentioned ‘the Coal house’ which was somewhere along the trail, and I could reach it if I put in the time and effort. He showed me on his map where it was. I thanked him and drove off to the designated parking lot before descending the horse trail towards my destination.

The 39-degree cool air tingled on my face. I wore a t-shirt and puffy jacket to keep me warm as I began my trek and drifted past the campground. This was a familiar route towards the Sharpes Cemetery that I have traveled many times. My boots crunched the newly fallen leaves and the low rumple of engines and smell of the nearby campfires slowly faded. I was alone. A feeling I have relished as I have gotten older.

1 mile into my journey, I passed the cemetery turn off but stayed to the right and moved down deeper in the woods, continuing along the horse trail. I had never been in this direction before, so I was unsure what to expect. Soon I reached what would be the bottom of the hill and I was met with a fork in the trail. To the right was the Iron Bridge Trail, to the left was the Blue River Bluff. As directed by Stanley, I went left.

Each stride led me deeper into the woods. I heard the rustling of squirrels in the distance, my favorite calls from crows, but nothing else. It was peaceful. A pure sense of serenity.

Continuing, I crossed a dry creek bed, then another and finally was standing at the bottom of a ridge. My watch stated I had traveled 2 miles, and I knew I had to return the way I came. With uncertainty in my direction, I turned around and began making my way back. This time all uphill before eventually reaching my car.

Day 2: November 4, 2023

At 8am I met my two friends Amanda in the same parking lot I had parked in the day before. There were additional cars and people around to prepare for the mountain biking event.

I introduced Amanda to Amanda (they briefly met before, but now it was official). We each grabbed our stuff and headed back down the route I had taken before. One Amanda had ridden horses on this path many times, the other had hiked the same direction but took the right fork on the Iron Bridge Trail. During our descent, I asked if they wanted to go find the Coal house and they both eagerly agreed.

The evening before, I had given Stanley the map above and asked him if I was going the right direction to the Coal house, and how much farther it was to the house. His response arrived on my phone as we were hiking today. “You still have a way to go.” A suitable answer, but not very specific. His response garnished the laughter from both Amanda’s.

We reached my previous turn around a point from the day before, but this time I continued along the horse trail. The trail, to my surprise, didn’t go up on the ridge but skirted around it. Little did I know I was a mile from my original destination.

With the ridge on one side and Blue River on the other, we found a dry waterfall, a small cave, and a foundation in the woods. Taking some time, we stopped to explore the ruins before heading up a hill where the other Amanda spotted a partially collapsed shed on the left. We explored that too before moving on to our destination. The Coal house had three structures. The partially eroding two-story house, a partially standing shed, and a collapsing barn.

Spending time exploring each. Amanda and I began taking pictures, pointing out interesting stuff and talking about what the people who lived here might have been like. Amanda and her mom had been to this location before on horses, but they didn’t remember until they saw it again.

After exploring, we returned the additional 3 miles back to our vehicles and parted ways. I enjoyed my three-hour hike with two wonderful souls. My legs ached, and I was tired but full of internal energy and peace.

I plan to explore the other hidden treasures in the park over the course of the next few months and hope both Amandas will join me when they can.

Day 3: November 5, 2023

My last hike was an easier one. My legs still ached for the last two days and took a while to loosen up, but they eventually did.

It filled moments into my hike, my nose with the distinct smell of rotting leaves. A familiar smell of fall. One that instantly relaxes me. There was a slight breeze, and I was alone.

As I hiked, I processed the last two day’s adventures. How much I enjoyed the previous hikes. How I could take some descent pictures and share my experience with two friends.

I smiled as the conversations replayed in my mind. It is what I do. I relive memories, experiences, and conversations. A constant loop, both good and bad, that I cannot shut off.

I am at the start of my hiking season and coming up on one year since my heart attack. I want to make this an enjoyable season. Whether I am with Amanda, Mark, Amanda, Marcie or alone. This is my happy place and my favorable time!

Until next time,

Tim