Saturday, December 31, 2011:Green Rock Trail, Rockwood Portion

Hiked maybe 2 and a half miles in on the Green Rock Trail, Rockwood side. Although this trail is linear and used to be 10 miles, a sign at the Rockwood Trailhead said that improvements at Greensfelder have resulted in the trail being lengthened to 14.5 miles.

This is a hilly trail.

Thursday, December 29th: Hawn State Park: Pickle Creek and Whispering Pines Trails (North and South Loops)

Hawn Park near St. Genevieve

Highway 55 to 32 (or O to 32), through the town of Weinberg

Reached 60 degrees--twenty degrees higher than normal temps in December in Missouri, but it wasn't disgustingly balmy. Took time hiking ten

miles in approximately five hours, stopping to take photographs, climb on rocks, watch the sunlight reflect off of water on to tree trunks and rock formations.

Although there were a few cars in the parking lot and campers in the campground, I saw only one other hiker, a back packer, during the entire five hour, ten mile hike.

Water run off was outstanding. The sound of waterfalls followed me for five hours--I had to take my hiking boots and socks off to cross one of the creeks. The water was cold, but my feet felt inexplicably great for a couple of miles after I'd put back on my socks and boots.

December 9, 2011: Clark Trail with Nina and No Name

Hiked the Clark Trail with Nina France and her dog No Name after school on Friday, December 9th. No Name is deaf, and Nina has, amazingly, taught her sign language! Back in the trail head parking lot at the end of the hike, No Name was standing by my car instead of going over to Nina's truck. Nina told me to first point to my nose, and then extend my arm outward, still pointing. No Name looked at me and then immediately ran over to Nina and jumped in the the truck for the ride home. 5.3 miles. Cold. The temperature dropped significantly while we hiked.

December 3 Urban Hike: Forest Park

Paul and I hiked the perimeter of Forest Park, beginning at the southeast corner, walking north towards Lindell and then following the walking/biking paths that are along the park's edges (we probably walked between 5 and 6 miles). A windy but really pleasant weather day. A myriad of dedicated runners passed us. We finished up our day with a trip to Goodwill and lunch at Six Row Brewery, both located on Forest Park Parkway.

Sunday, November 27

The Hoeckelmann double fireplace.

The Lost Valley Trail (10.5 miles) is located along Highway 94 about 5 miles south of the 40/94 intersection. It took me about 4 hours and fifteen minutes to hike the entire trail--including back tracking because I came out at a different trailhead from the one I started at. I heard shot guns from the nearby range while I was hiking, but deer hunting wasn't allowed this weekend (although it is o.k. to hunt squirrels and such). I learned this information from the James Bolden, Jr., the Conservation Agent for St. Charles County whose number I acquired from the Columbia Bottoms Conservation Office (314-877-6014). (Both the office and Mr. Bolden returned my Sunday morning calls very promptly.)

The trail is for bikers, hikers and some times, hunters. On Sunday, I encountered one squirrel hunter, four trail runners, one walker, three bicyclists and two hikers. The terrain includes creeks, the foundation of an old house in which a fireplace still stands, a corn field, crumbling foot bridges, yucca plants growing wild, and many ponds.



Really cool web site with a history of the land and the people who were forced off circa 1940 for the munitions plant. Complete with old photos, histories, diaries, hikes with GPS coordinates to locate remnants of old homesteads and cemeteries. Totally awesome:

http://www.thetntstory.org/

The Lost Valley Trail

Friday, November 25: Urban Hike--Carondelet

Bellerive: one of the prettiest streets in St. Louis.

Biker bar on Broadway: Cross and Bones? Bones and Skull? Something? Still warm enough for roses.

The river is low, low, low.

November 21, 2011

Clark Trail

3:08-4:55 p.m.

5.3 miles

Saw: one woman at beginning of hike talking on cell phone, ten deer

Heard: one gun shot

This was the last day of a posted managed hunt on the Busch Conservation Area Trails.