Stairs

We got up a bit earlier this morning and drove over to Turkey Run State Park.  We had considered staying there instead of here at Shades State Park, but it’s a lot quieter here and we’ve stayed at Turkey Run a couple times already.  The last time was 16 years ago, shortly after Abigail joined our family.

First hike was Trail 2, a two-mile loop which goes through Box Canyon and Gypsy Gulch, two ravines that had us scrambling over rocks at times and using stairs, some cut into the rock.  At the far end of this loop is a covered bridge and the Salmon Lusk home. Salmon Lusk was awarded this land in lieu of pay for his service in the Civil War. When he died his son, John, inherited the land and really did nothing with it except prevent timber harvesting.  Much of this land eventually became Turkey Run State Park.  As a result of John Lusk’s conservation of the land, old-growth timber still remains and our hike along this trail was through areas of massively tall trees, something that we don’t see very often.

This was a pleasant hike, challenging at times, and we appreciated the cool of the morning.  It was also strenuous, and the exertion from this and a good lunch made us all sleepy, so we all took a nap.  Three of us on the small bed made for a crowd but we made it work.

Feeling renewed after a snooze, we tackled Trail 3, listed as Very Rugged on the park map.  This is probably the coolest trail in the park, in more than one sense of the word. “Cool” because it follows the bottom of the ravine through Rocky Hollow and Bear Hollow, and the temperature is several degrees cooler than on top.  Very nice on a hot day.  And “cool” because of the rock formations, scrambling up the creek bed and the variety of things to see in a scant 1.7 mile loop.  This trail has lots of stairs.  So many stairs as it descends into ravines and climbs out of ravines.  And two ladders where it was too steep for stairs.

I took a picture of Abigail 16 years ago on one of the ladders.  I took a similar picture today.  What a difference 16 years makes.

It took us over two hours to do the 1.7-mile loop.  By the end of it, we were ready for another nap.  Or dinner.  Dinner won out and we drove back to Shades to make a dinner of stir-fried Shipshewana brats and bell peppers and onions.  It was delicious.