A Short Aside

Curious. It's not often that I do things on a whim while I'm traveling. There are too many variables, too many things that can go wrong, and I like to at least leave some sort of plan with Jared when I go off on my adventures. Every once in a while, though, I see something that looks too neat to pass up. On my way home from my birthday trip at Sea Rim State Park, that's exactly how I found myself on a dirt road winding towards the unknown in Angelina National Forest.

I had driven past the brown sign pointing to Bouton Lake and another wilderness area before I made the decision to see where the little dirt road led. I flipped around on the highway and doubled back to the road. A forest in the grips of a southern winter greeted me. The deciduous trees were bare but there was still plenty of green courtesy of the long and short leafed pine trees that make up the majority of the forests in East Texas. The day was mild, in the 60s, and I drove with the windows down as Callie and I bumped along on the dirt road. I wasn't worried about getting lost; I had a full tank of gas, and besides that, East Texas is so populated that sooner or later you hit a paved road and just follow that to the next small town, and orient yourself from there.

I drove down every road I could, more often than not ending with "Road Closed" signs and blocked with fallen trees. A couple of times the road I was on came out on a paved road parallel to the highway I had first turned off of, and I felt like a gopher popping it's head out of the ground before turning around and plunging back in. I spent a good hour and a half on those back roads, seeing except a couple of random cyclists navigating the soft dirt. I found Bouton Lake and its attached campground and made a mental note to camp there some day. I finally ran out of road and found myself back where I started. It was a short side trip, but well worth the time I spent cruising around the forest. I love Texas in the winter, and I'm sure I'll be back.

According to Plan

Contented. Sometimes on my travels things don't go exactly according to plan. Actually, more often than not things don't go the way I envisioned them in my head when I planned out my adventure, and those times are what give me my stories. Who wants to hear about a trip where everything was choreographed and rigid? They don't make for fun stories, and I find myself only sharing the times on my adventures where something didn't happen like I thought it should. Even my short weekend get-aways, with less room for error due to time constraints, sometimes don't go the way I want them to. This year's birthday trip was no exception.

I like to take trips every year to celebrate my birthday. Given that I'm a January baby you would think that my options are limited as far as celebrations can go, but I was never one to shy away from a challenge. When I was younger my birthday trips were usually limited to a single day, usually ice skating or maybe driving to a museum or something. As I got older and more independent, I started travelling (go figure, right?) Now, traveling in the winter has its own logistical difficulties, but I always seemed to manage ok. I started exploring outdoors in the chill of mid-winter, first in my home state, followed the next year with a trip to Colorado and Rocky Mountain National Park with a friend, and the year after that (last year) I spent a week by myself in the deserts of southern Utah. That trip in itself was an exercise in changes to my itinerary, what with me getting sick and the blizzards I encountered. This year, however, I wanted to go somewhere warm. I envisioned sunny beaches with that sea breeze that keeps everything from getting too hot, camping out in my tent with my pup while wearing shorts and a tank top. Lucky for me, I moved to Texas almost two years ago and the gulf coast is only four hours away, plus previous adventures had led me to a tiny little state park with no crowds. A perfect get-away for the birthday girl.

The day I left home it was foggy, threatening rain. I'd checked the forecast obsessively, making sure I wouldn't have to change my planned location, though I wasn't opposed to travelling further south down the coast until I found warmer skies. The forecast promised the fog would burn off by noon, so I timed my arrival at the park for 11am to ensure I got the perfect spot on the beach. Setting up a tent, which is essentially a giant sail, by yourself on the beach takes some skill and patience, and with only one minor mishap where I had to chase down my rainfly before it blew into the alligator infested marshes I managed to get the tent set up and pitched tightly against the strong breeze, all while dense grey fog swirled around me. The sea was indistinguishable from the sand and the sky.

With the tent up, I waited. And waited. Noon came and went, and the fog only seemed to thicken. I took Callie on a walk along the water where she enjoyed chasing the waves and bringing me seagrass that washed up with the tide. If I wasn't paying attention I could have lost her in the fog that turned everything into the same monochromatic grey. Everything was diluted, even the bright red paint of my car. My grey tent with orange linings all but disappeared, and the only reason I found my way back to it was by walking along the edge of the dunes until I nearly walked into it. As 2 o'clock came and went, I crawled into my tent to try to keep my dog and I a little dry. It didn't matter; everything was damp from the fog that swirled around outside. Finally, an hour before sunset, the fog lifted and sunlight sifted in through the clouds, giving a false warmth to the drenched beach. I crawled out of my tent, but my hopes of lying on a beach while the sun warmed my bones had been dashed hours before. Instead I curled up in the last rays of the sun, wearing a hoodie and sweatpants, and read my book until the light became too dim to continue outside. The fog was moving back in from the ocean, and Callie and I crawled back into the tent for the night.

My one last holdout for the weekend was one of the spectacular beach sunrises that I've come to love so much, but Mother Nature wasn't having it. The fog that had begun creeping back in at sunset the night before enveloped everything in just as dense and damp of a mist as the previous day, and I found myself packing my tent just after what should have been sunrise. Instead, I got to watch the grey mist develop from a dark charcoal fog that blocked out all light into an ethereal landscape that held no shape or feature. After one final walk along the water's edge (only discernable by the wetness of the water washing between our toes, because we sure couldn't see much) Callie and I loaded up into the car and left the park. It wasn't exactly what I had envisioned when I thought about a beach trip for my birthday, but I find myself still happy that I went. Fog on the ocean and beach is something I hadn't experienced before, and now I can say I have. Next time though, I want some sun!

Cabin in the Woods

Amiable. There's nothing better than a good old-fashioned girls weekend getaway, unless you get the opportunity to have said girls weekend at a private cabin along a beautiful river. That's exactly what Julia and I had planned one weekend last month at a gorgeous cabin owned by one of Julia's relatives where we got direct access to the Blue River and the nearby Tishamingo National Wildlife Refuge. Knowing me, you can bet our weekend had something to do with being outside.

Julia and I both have a thing for fine wine (I'm a wine snob, no shame) so as soon as we met at the cabin Friday night we broke out the wine and some dinner. Our night consisted of catching up, wine, movies and chocolate. Saturday, though, the exploring began. Of course, we chose the weekend that Mother Nature decided to plunge southern Oklahoma into sub-freezing temperatures... but that didn't stop us! We bundled up and headed out the back door to scale the riverbanks, hunting for shells and pretty photos. We also explored the surrounding woods, commenting that we probably wouldn't have been walking through the leaf litter during the summer because of the likelihood of venomous snakes.

It wasn't too long before it became apparent that the temperature would continue to drop, and that the fine drizzle that was showering us might possibly change into sleet or even snow. From the river banks at the cabin we decided to check out Tishamingo National Wildlife Refuge, maybe hike a few trails or at least find a place for a picnic. On our arrival to the refuge, though, the wind seemed to really kick up and we were shivering after just a minute or two outside the car, even with layers on. We mostly decided to tour by car from that point, only getting out a few times to check out overlooks or buildings. Turns out the refuge used to be a chicken farm, with the buildings and houses still standing, though either turned into storage/maintenance buildings or otherwise off-limits to the public. There were a few buildings that were open however, including one that looked drab from the outside but when we actually went inside we found the walls, ceilings and even part of the floor covered in bright, colorful paintings. It was completely unexpected and absolutely gorgeous, and I took more pictures of it than I'd like to admit. After the painted building due to the continuously dropping temperatures and the persistant drizzle we decided to call it a day and head back to the cabin for more movies and wine. We threw in breakfast for dinner as well and settled in for the night.

We woke up the next morning to brilliant sunshine, a crystal clear day, and temperatures in the teens. Brrr!!  Neither of us were in a hurry to go home, especially with the likely ice on the roads, so we popped in a few more movies and wrapped ourselves in blankets while we waited for it to warm up. Once we deemed it warm enough and late enough in the day we started to pack and load up our cars. In the bustle of getting ready to leave, the cabin door got shut behind us...and locked us out! Luckily we had our car keys on us and Julia had her phone, but my phone and most of our stuff was still inside. Oops! Eventually we ended up getting ahold of the cabin owner and got ourselves back into the cabin, but I decided right then and there I wanted to learn how to pick locks. I feel like it's a good skill to have! (Side note: Julia got me a practice lock for Christmas so I can learn! Thank you!!) After our bit of excitement, we got all loaded up and reluctantly took our leave. It was an awesome weekend, if a little cold, and I can't wait to do it again!

A Snapshot and The Scoop: Berries on the Trail

Petit Jean State Park is a little gem hidden in central Arkansas that surprised me at nearly every turn. Callie and I were hiking on a brisk autumn morning there, chasing the sun, when we turned a corner and nearly ran into a shrub bearing the most brilliantly purple berries I've ever seen. I have no idea what they are, or if they're edible or not, but they looks so pretty clustered against the green leaves and branches of their plant that I couldn't help but take a picture or two. Learning what I can and can't eat while on the trail is something that has always held my interest, and it's something I really should look into. Of course, I'm not stupid enough to go eating random things at will without a trained professional to tell me yes or no on plant... I'd like to live, thanks.

Leave me a comment below and tell me about a pretty plant you've seen while out in nature. Do you know what kind of berry this is?

Breaking Records

Jubilant. As far as goals go, it wasn't unobtainable: all I wanted to do was break my hiking distance record, preferably within a year of the last time I broke it. I set out to do that in the middle of December, headed once again to the Turkey Creek Unit of Big Thicket National Preserve, determined to hike the trail until I reached my goal of 20 consecutive miles in one day. December is an amazing time to hike in east Texas due to the facts that it is relatively cool, the mosquitoes are quieter (if not totally gone) and there is less humidity than during the summer months. Of course, winter also brings the rainy season but as long as you're prepared to get a little wet it usually isn't a problem. Oh, did I mention I wasn't going to do it alone? My favorite little white adventure buddy was coming with me!

Callie and I set out from our home before dawn and headed south, watching the sun rise on a perfect day. The miles seemed to fly by, and before I knew it we were pulling into the trailhead parking lot. Callie seemed just as ready to hit the trail as I was, and all but dragged me across the pavement toward the short boardwalk that signaled the beginning of the trail. The Thicket hadn't yet received the memo that it was winter, and still held on to its mantle of orange and yellow leaves, with some trees still proudly bearing green. We mostly walked on the litter of last year's winter, the crunchy leaves beneath our feet and the twitter of birds above our heads the only sounds in the stillness of the forest.

So, we hiked. I'm not sure how far away the roads parallelling the trail actually are, but for all we knew there wasn't anybody around for miles, nor did we see a single person on the entire trail. We had the forest completely to ourselves, and that alone made me giddy. Only once, lost in my own head, did I nearly jump out of my skin when my phone went off unexpectedly with a text from Jared. I normally don't hike with my sound on so I don't disturb the peacefulness of the trail for myself and others, but that morning I had obviously forgotten to turn it down and almost had a heart attack when it went off. I quickly pulled it out, shot off a response to Jared, turned it down, and marveled at the fact that I even had cell service at all.

It felt like I had just started walking when Callie and I reached the ten mile mark, and our turn-around point. I was good about making sure we stopped often, about every four miles or so, to rest our feet and legs, snack a little, and drink some water because I knew I wouldn't start to get tired until mile fifteen and needed to make sure both Callie's and my energy stash would last us until we hit 20 miles (and then the car). Callie and I passed through some amazing scenery, and it certainly helped keep me motivated to see more. We walked through tunnels of trees so thick it seemed like evening, open savannahs of giant long-leaf pines, and across boardwalks set above soggy marshes and bayous where cypress knees stuck up like gnome hats. The cypress bogs were my favorite, mostly because we were greeted every time we passed through them by a chorus of frogs calling even in mid-December.

At about mile eighteen, though, it started to rain. A light mist at first, which morphed into a slightly heavier drizzle, then eventually became heavy enough for me to stop in the shelter of one of the tree tunnels and dig for my rain jacket. Until that point I had been feeling fine, but the wet and the chill that came with it started making me wish our hike was over. I noticed myself slowing down, though I gave myself a mental kick in the ass every time I became aware that I was dragging. Callie never showed that she was tired, and spent the majority of the hike leading me by several feet. The energy of that little terrier amazes me. Every time I wanted a boost I just had to watch her spring along the forest trail tell myself to be more like her. Finally, seven hours, eight minutes and 20.42 miles after we started, we made it back to the trailhead and I could finally claim my new record. As I hobbled to my car and all but fell into my seat I knew that I'd be trying to break my record yet again in 2017. Who knows, maybe I'll break it more than once.

A Snapshot and The Scoop: Trail Blazes? Not So Much

I've written about them before, but mushrooms amaze me. There is such a diversity of this fungus that I just have to stop and take a picture of almost every one I see. Plus, certain mushrooms taste amazing, so that helps! These mushrooms were growing on the trunk of a tree near the trail while I was hiking in Big Thicket National Preserve a few weeks ago, and the bright white caught my eye simply because I thought they were trail blazes. Closer inspection showed me they weren't, but the contrast with the mossy green trunk compelled me to take a few shots. Also, mushrooms in December! You gotta love Texas weather. I know some people don't like mushrooms, but you have to admit that they can be pretty!

Leave me a comment below and tell me if you like mushrooms! Why or why not?

2016 Wrap-Up: Do What You Love

It's that time again, the time of year where I reflect on each of my travels, compile a list of stats such as how much I drove, how long I travelled, the number of miles I hiked, and so on. I've been a lot of places this year, and done a lot, but the definite highlight of my entire year is getting engaged to my best friend at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter! Read on below to see what else I've been up to.

At the beginning of January I spent a week in the high deserts of southern Utah and northern Arizona. Starting in Canyonlands National Park and winding my way through four of the big five national parks in southern Utah (Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, Bryce Canyon and Zion - I only missed Arches) plus several smaller parks in Arizona, I got my first real taste of winter camping in below freezing temperatures, blizzards, bad roads, and ice. Even with getting pretty sick during the first few days of the trip it was still an awesome taste of a new season in a familiar location, and something that I would love to do again. 

A short and sweet visit to some friends in Stillwater, Oklahoma at the beginning of February reminded me that the southern states get cold, but not cold enough to ice the lakes during winter months. We spent the weekend chatting, drinking wine, and exploring the area in and around Stillwater, a new town to add to my list of places visted!

I took off on Valentine's Day to explore my own little slice of East Texas, starting at Martin Creek Lake State Park, passing through a couple national forests and ending with Mission Tejas State Park. I made it clear to the Louisiana border and halfway south to Houston before completing my loop and heading home. 

The last weekend of February found me in and around Hill Country of central Texas. I visited several state parks, including Guadalupe River State Park, before meeting my little brother at the River Walk in San Antonio. Austin was stationed in San Antonio at the time and had the weekend off, so I made the drive to the area over a weekend and got to know the hills. I loved them so much I went back later!

At the beginning of March my sister came to visit me, and we took off to the gulf coast at Sea Rim State Park. I was kicking myself for not getting to the coast before! The ocean is amazing, and when we can camp right on the beach, falling asleep to the sound of waves and wind, it is heaven. Plus the sunrises are long and lingering, and perfect. Also, beach weather in March is something I can get on board with! Lisha and I made a stop at NASA too, taking one of their tours of the facility and making the nice weather in Houston last a little while longer before heading home. 

The weekend after St. Patrick's Day I headed north and east to Hot Springs National Park, the most urbanized national park I've ever visited. While I wasn't prepared for the buildings and crowds, even on the "nature" trails, I managed to find some solitude on the more remote paths. I also visited Ouichita National Forest on a whim, discovering several little recreation sites that I made a mental note to visit again during the summer.

I finally went backpacking in April! I received my backpack for Christmas last year but didn't have a chance to use it until April, when I ran away to Palo Duro Canyon State Park in west Texas. I took my favorite little adventure dog with me, and we spend two days exploring the second biggest canyon in the states, hiking 16+ miles and weathering a couple of thunderstorms while out in the backcountry. At least my first night was memorable!

At the end of April my dad and sister came down to Texas for a long weekend, and they, Jared and myself took off to San Antonio for our time together. We had originally meant to go to Houston, the coast and NASA, but Houston was under water at the time and we had to go with Plan B. Cue long days and nights full of drinking on the River Walk! We stopped at Longhorn Cavern State Park on the way, taking a tour of the cave I had visited on my February Hill Country adventure. It was the third year in a row that I had taken a trip with my dad, and I can't wait for next year's adventure!

Jared and I flew in to Orlando in May, visited The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, and got engaged!!! He really did everything right, planned it all out, and just in general made our short stay in Florida amazing. Best trip of the year right here!

A short visit to Nebraska over Memorial Day weekend included lots of family time, a visit to a winery and a chocolate factory, and meals with friends. Long weekends seemed to be the main form of my travels this year, and there is nothing wrong with that. Short visits but plenty of them make the months in between seem not so long. 

The first weekend of June found me and Callie back in west Texas at Caprock Canyons State Park where we backpacked out onto a loop trail, hiked up and down bluffs and canyons, found a fern oasis and a bison herd, and located the sloppiest puddle of red mud for Callie to roll in. I turned my white dog orange.  

I went back to Sea Rim State Park over a weekend in June, spending two nights and two spectacular sunrises on the beach, with a full day of sunbathing and shell-searching in between. I finally saw a pack of feral hogs at a nearby national wildlife refuge (a Texan animal I hadn't seen yet) and tried to canoe out into the salt marshes with limited success. But really, there is nothing like those cotton candy sunrises. 

Also in June myself and two of my best friends managed to find a weekend that we all had off and met in Stillwater, OK again, this time to take a much-needed girls' weekend. We talked, drank wine, made s'mores and kayaked for the first time (at least, my first time)! I discovered a boat that I actually liked, and can see myself owning a kayak just as soon as I get a vehicle that can transport it. 

My sister and I decided on a whim to go backpacking in Great Sand Dunes National Park, and went for it over the weekend of the 4th of July. She hadn't backpacked before and I'd never backpacked in the park, so it was a learning experience for both of us. Our first night we actually stayed in a local campground and endured hail, lightning, thunder and torrential rain, making me very thankful we weren't on the dunes at the time. The next night, however, the rain cleared off and we headed out. It was amazing. I also took Lisha to Zapata Falls, introducing her to the so-cold-it-burns waters of the creek and the little canyon the falls cut for themselves out of the cliff. 

The last week of July wasn't a happy one; I lost my little love, Meeka, and ran away with Callie and a friend for a day just to get away from my own head. I find peace when I'm on the road and in destinations that are beautiful, so we headed to central Arkansas and Ouichita National Forest to do some exploring on the forest service roads. We spent all day in the Ouichita Mountains, revisiting the recreation sites I had found during my March visit, and finding a few new ones along the way. I also found the peace I was looking for, so that definitely helped. 

Julia came to visit me the first weekend of August and we spent a few hours one day canoeing around Caddo Lake State Park and the surrounding waterways. Hot summer days, green forests, good friends, and my dog make everything better, and were just what I needed.

My next big adventure of the year was the week I spent in Colorado with Torrey. We went all over the place, but focused our time on hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park (we touched a glacier!), backpacking a couple nights in Great Sand Dunes National Park, and being in Manitou Springs for the Pike's Peak Ascent and Marathon, as we have the past two years. 

I took nearly six weeks off of travelling to try to get myself pulled back together, but finally got back on the road at the beginning of October. I took my dog to Petit Jean State Park in Arkansas where we spent two days hiking all over the small park, most notably to Cedar Falls, where Callie became the star of the day by diving into the plunge pool and entertaining the hoards of people lined up around the edge.

On one of the last days of October I took Callie out again, this time to Brazos Bend State Park and Galveston Island State Park along the gulf coast of Texas. We looked for and found alligators at Brazos Bend, and Callie saw the ocean for the first time at Galveston Island. It's safe to say she's a water dog!

I made a surprise trip back home to Nebraska mid-November, much to my mother's delight. It really was a three day visit where I mostly hung out with my family and took pictures of their cats. Ya know, as you do. 

Ten days before the anniversary of my personal-record-breaking hike I was at it again at Big Thicket National Preserve, hiking 20.42 miles in 7 hours, 8 minutes and breaking my personal best distance record yet again. This time, however, I had my little white dog to keep me motivated and entertained for the duration of the hike. This little terrier led me almost the whole way, and if she wasn't leading me she was right in step with me. She's the perfect hiking companion!

Weekend before last I met up with Julia again, this time at a cabin on the Blue River in southern Oklahoma. We talked, explored the river and woods, scouted out the nearby Tishamingo National Wildlife Refuge, and otherwise enjoyed the time we had together. 

My last trip of the year is the one I just got back from. I headed back up to Nebraska to see my family and friends for Christmas, and spent the week getting a taste of the winter I don't miss. I spent lots of time with family, had a little time to spend with friends, and started to wedding plan with my sister. I also took way too many pictures of my parent's cats. Yay for family!

I have obviously been busy this year, though I have to admit that my heart was into it more before I lost Meeka. Not only did I mourn for a long time, sucking a lot of my energy from me, but I also lost interest in planning any of my travels. I'm sure that has something to do with the lack of energy I've felt lately. I've also been sucking at writing, both on this blog and in my travel journals, but I've promised myself to get back into it during the new year. I have picked my travels back up in the past couple months, and I'm already planning several longer adventures for 2017, but I don't know about the smaller ones. I guess we'll see.

Below I've listed out my usual stats for the year. I have definitely increased my travels over last year, and I'm excited for what 2017 will hold!

Number of Adventures: 23
Time Spent Travelling: 1,504 hours, 46 minutes
Number of Nights Camping: 19
Number of Nights in Someone's House: 22
Number of Nights in a Hotel: 10
Number of Nights Driving: 2
Total Cost: $5.152.38
Number of States Visited: 10
Distance Driven: 23,387 miles
Distance Hiked: 148.39 miles
Number of National Parks/Monuments/Rec Areas/Wildlife Refuges:16
Number of State Parks: 11
Number of Human Companions: 44
Number of Furry Companions: 18

A huge shout out to every single person who accompanied me on my travels, and I hope you all know how much you mean to me. I wouldn't have traveled with you if I didn't enjoy your company!

Bring it, 2017!