National Trails Day 2012

Did you know: If you visited one National Park per year, it would take you 58 years to see them all – and that daunting number does not even include the plethora of national monuments, seashores, and other properties managed by the National Park Service. I guess I had better start hiking them all NOW!

May Totals

TOTAL FOR THE MONTH OF MAY, 2012

14 Hikes

Total Distance Walked - 24.93 miles

Total Walking Time – 10:22:26 hr/minutes

Lowest Elevation - 498 ft at Ash Cave, Logan, OH

Highest Elevation – 1007 ft at Ash Cave Firetower Trail, Logan, OH

*Note – Rock House is not included in the total walking time, or elevation totals.  *2nd Note – Funny how lowest elevation and highest elevation are both at Ash Cave, and no we did not climb the firetower, so this is just being on the land.

Bresler Lake Reservoir

 Bresler Lake Reservoir

Lima, Ohio

 Date  -  Monday, May 28, 2012

Total Distance  - 4.27 miles

Maximum Speed  -  5.14 mph

Average Speed  -  2.94 mph

Walking Time  -  1:20:37 hr/minutes

Total Time  -  1:27:09 hr/minutes

Minimum Elevation  -  687 ft

Maximum Elevation  -  770 ft

Yes we walked all the way around.  Just look behind us how far away it is.

 

We had been told that this reservoir was about 3 miles.  I think they were a little off.  This is the largest reservoir in Lima, Ohio.  We do plan to walk the other 4 or 5 reservoirs in Lima also in the near future.  This was a nice walk late in the evening watching the sunset.  The path is mostly stone all the way around.  We saw an awful lot of ducks, Canadian Geese, and poop.  Lots and lots of duck poop.

Delphos - Gillmore Reservoir

 Delphos - Gillmore Reservoir

Delphos, Ohio

 Date  -  Monday, May  28, 2012

Total Distance  - 1.56 miles

Maximum Speed  -  4.70 mph

Average Speed  -  2.31 mph

Walking Time  -  32:50 minutes

Total Time  -  40:33 minutes

Minimum Elevation  -  633 ft

Maximum Elevation  -  696 ft

I did not know that this reservoir was here.  We were coming home from Lima one day and I saw this off to the side just off of Route 66.  So today we drove over to see what it was.  Rich said he had never been here before either.  This is a nice reservoir with a stone walkway all the way around.  It's just about the same size as Van Wert Reservoir #1.  We took Kaden with us which took us a little longer, but we had a good time.  

Funny thing, this reservoir does not show up on my google maps.  According to Google, there is no water here.  It looks like we just walked out in the middle of nowhere.  Also, if you look real close at my map...US Route 30 is in "Nebraska."  I've never been to Nebraska.  I don't necessarily think my Google Maps App always works just right.

Fox Island Bowman Lake

Fox Island Bowman Lake

Ft. Wayne, Indiana

 Date  -  Sunday, May 20, 2012

Total Distance  - .26 miles

Maximum Speed  -  4.09 mph

Average Speed  -  1.66 mph

Walking Time  -  4:59 minutes

Total Time  -  9:25 minutes

Minimum Elevation  -  620 ft

Maximum Elevation  -  679 ft

This was just the short little trail to walk out to the lake at Fox Island Park from the parking lot.  This is a very nice lake and great place to swim.  No major facilities, just a restroom and pavilion.  It does cost $2 per person just to get into Fox Island Park, and then $2 per person to swim.  We definitely want to go back sometime and swim and walk another trail that goes all the way around the lake.  Today was too hot and we were too tired.  All together today we walked a total of 4.43 miles.

Fox Island Upper Dune Trail

 Fox Island Upper Dune Trail

Ft. Wayne, Indiana

 Date  -  Sunday, May 20, 2012

Total Distance  -  2.58 miles

Maximum Speed  -  4.52 mph

Average Speed  -  2.05 mph

Walking Time  -  59:42 minutes

Total Time  -  1:15:35 hr/minutes

Minimum Elevation  -  626 ft

Maximum Elevation  -  745 ft

So Fox Island Nature Preserve is only 2 miles from Lutheran Hospital.  I never knew this was there.  I found this trail also in my Hiking Indiana Falcon Guide.  This trail took us a bit to find the actual beginning trail head.  We had a map, but we were turned around and ended up walking a few side trails before actually finding the beginning of the major Dune Trails.  Today was very hot, 90 degrees and there were lots of bugs.  We were getting tired and only able to walk about half of the Upper Dune Trail.  We ended up on some of the Lower Dune Trail too. We were a bit disappointed that we couldn’t see more of the actual Dune from where we were at today.  Definitely going back to walk the other half of these trails.

Dogwood - Eagle Trail

 Dogwood - Eagle Trail
Bicentennial Woods

Huntertown, Indiana

 Date  -  Sunday, May 20, 2012

Total Distance  - 1.59 miles

Maximum Speed  -  5.84 mph

Average Speed  -  1.70 mph

Walking Time  -  40:06 minutes

Total Time  -  56:00 minutes

Minimum Elevation  -  689 ft

Maximum Elevation  -  786 ft

This trail was listed in my Hiking Indiana Falcon Guide.  Located at Bicentennial Woods near Huntertown, Indiana.  From Van Wert, Ohio it was 52 miles.  This woods is 8 miles north of Ft. Wayne, Indiana.  There are several trails here on 80 acres.  We walked approximately half of the Dogwood Trail until it connected with the Eagle Trail, then most of Eagle Trail, with a couple side trails in between.  This is a beautiful area with lots of large trees.  Would like to go back sometime and walk the areas we missed today.  Saw lots and lots of squirrels.  One even jumped out at me.  Rich even saw a snake scuttle away into the bushes.

Adams Memorial Hospital Trail

 Adams Memorial Hospital Trail

Decatur, Indiana

 Date  -  Friday, May 18, 2012

Total Distance  -  1.00 miles

Maximum Speed  -  5.14 mph

Average Speed  -  2.60 mph

Walking Time  -  19:01 minutes

Total Time  -  23:05 minutes

Minimum Elevation  -  676 ft

Maximum Elevation  -  715 ft

This was a Friday night after work (actually today…I am finally caught up and current with posting our hikes).  This is a really nice paved trail that goes all the way around the Adams Memorial Hospital in Decatur, Indiana.  They call it the Life Fitness Trail.  It is a lot like walking the small Van Wert Reservoir #1.

Part of it combines with the Kekionga Pathway Trail we walked last month.  There is a really neat fountain at the front entrance of the hospital.  One of the  quotes matches exactly how I feel about hiking...

We took Kaden with us and let him ride his bike all the way around.  It was a lot of fun.  Kaden wanted to do it again but it was way too hot and grandma and grandpa were tired.