Wondrous Wednesday

I’m going to start a new thing, at least for me. This is wondrous Wednesday. I am finding that to a native New Yorker being able to comfortable hike through the wilderness in the middle of winter is truly a wondrous thing.

Today we drove about 15 minutes from here into the Cherokee National forest to a place called Horse Creek Park. The sun was shining and the air temp was in the 60’s. This little creek is the centerpiece of this particular park.

I hike about 1/2 mile up a steep trail that followed the creek and came across this little A-frame. According to the sign in the window it is a private dwelling. Unfortunately the trail ended at the edge of the creek with no visible ford although there was a trail visible on the other side. I’d like to go back another day when the runoff has slowed down a bit and maybe I can ford the creek and venture further up the trail.

Going back the other way there is a paved path through the campground that the park features. We wound up here at this area which looked like it was once either a means of flood control or where a mill of some kind utilized the water to do work.

 I have never been a beach type and visiting civilization is great on occasion but give me a wild stream and dense forest all around. Spending the day in the sun and fresh air has surely worn these kids out. I know the grandmother will be ready for bed when the time comes. Praying that the scents and sounds of our hike today follow into dream land tonight.