I recently bought a hiking log to keep track of the next twenty hikes I go on. I logged my first one last weekend, it was one to remember for sure. I went to Turkey Run State Park with my +1, where we hiked five miles on trails 3 and 5, climb 140+ steps, picnicked on the creek’s edge and underneath a small gorge, then had a grand finale of getting drenching wet from a storm that sneaked upon us. Here are a few questions my hiking logged asked when I was filling it out about our trek.
Duration and distance:
Four hours and five miles.
Gear brought:
Two backpacks, tennis shoes and Chacos, food (lots and lots of food), water, a hammock for which we did not get to hang up in a tree but us as our picnic blanket as we sat down on the sand to eat lunch, first aid, bug spray, sunscreen, rope, backup batteries, masks, hand sanitizer, a change of clothes, and other miscellaneous things.
Trail traffic and style of terrain:
The beginning of the park was fairly populated, but the more you hiked inwards, the fewer people there were, the more you could hear the sounds of nature wafting through your ears. I didn’t take many photos because honestly, the terrain was rough, but in a good way. It was full of dirt, rocks, water, mud, and sand. There was a point where we hiked up a running waterfall. I loved it but didn’t have any intentions of getting my camera wet.
Nature observed:
The natural colors and patterns in the gorge’s rock were stunning. The natural beauty of it all, how it formed from the fingertips of no man. Then the light that made its way through the thick trees and onto the earth’s floor. I only took one polaroid picture of it, but the exposer caught the light in its essence, shinning down, cutting through the darkness.
Hiking snack:
About 3.5 to 4 miles into our hike, we stopped for lunch. My +1 and I picnicked on the creak’s edge and ate an assortment of things, including smoked cheddar cheese, smoked gouda cheese, salami, rice crackers, snap peas with garlic and herb dip, and pistachios. Those were our favorite things out of everything we bought anyway. The cheeses with the salami and rice crackers were the most amazing together, all the flavors thick and rich but a heavenly blend.
Weather encountered:
Although the view of the creek was gorgeous while we were picnicking, it started to lightly rain. Plus, two people in inter-tubs were arguing out on the creek, their voices echoing no matter how fair the water carried them. We packed up our smorgasbord of things and move inwards to the forest of trees, where the echoes dimmed and the leaves were so dense that the rain couldn’t get through.
Up a hill and underneath a small gorge, we found a rock protruding from the earth to sit on and enjoy our food. Once we started to get unpacked, even deeper storm clouds rolled in, and it started to pour, getting heavier and heavier. We packed up and started on the trail once again. On our way, the heavens parted entirely and we got drenching wet in the process of hiking back to the car. It was almost like a dream. Even though I was worried about lighting, I enjoyed the rain. Ever since February, I haven’t had a full-body experience quite like that, the sensation of getting soaked in a thunderstorm, none the less beside the person I’ve fallen in love with.
We got back to the car, safely and with enough water clinging to us that we had to ring out our clothes and change into the spare, we had (thank goodness we packed another t-shirt, or I would’ve been a prune by the time we got home. We drove the nearly two-hour drive back to his house, not on the interstate, but through the Indiana Country. We finished off our picnic on his couch, sitting in front of the TV watching Friends and enjoying each other’s company.
What’s something you’ll remember the most about this trip?
Have you ever had one of those experiences, where you had one plan but with whatever circumstances that follow, nothing quite happened like the way you thought it would? Instead, you ended up camping out on your home’s floor, eating good food, none the less enjoying each other’s company to the fullest. I’ve realized that is what matters the most, not the atmosphere, the weather, or the scenery; not even if the food was gourmet or not. What matters is that you’re enjoying the sensations of the groceries you picked up from Walmart the day before and sharing the whole experiences with someone you love. Let come what may, plans can get altered or canceled, but the truth of the matter all stays the same, don’t take advantage of this moment that you have right in front of you. You’ll never get one like it again. These memories are worth everything.
When I finished, I felt…
Tired, exhilarated, waterlogged, and ready to do it again.
Megan Elaine 