Daniel Boone, Lewis and Clark, and John Fremont had nothing on the Wampum Chapter as explorers. We spent almost three hours this afternoon at Gamelands 285 and the adjacent Kirkwood Farm exploring the routing possibilities for a new trail section eastward from Indian Rock Hill, across Painter Run, up, up, up a big hill into some very nice old pines, and through the woods along a hilltop out to Hodgson Road. An excellent outing on a cool (and somewhat rainy) Sunday in November. The end result of building this new section will be another mile of roadwalk eliminated - all of Sterling Road and about half of Hodgson Road not being the trail route anymore.
My thanks to Bill Majernik, Richard Lutz, Lee and Eleanor Fairbanks, and Doug Turner for making the trip out today to help look at the possibilities and share their input on how this section should be routed - good trail company! We came up with the general route, now the devil in is the details, including how to bridge a thirty-foot creek crossing, and how to route switchbacks or climbing turns up a 140 foot, very steep hill. Piece of cake in the end, I'm sure.
** I informally dubbed this trek today the "Tour De Treestands" as we encountered quite a few along the way. Photos from today start here
I put a light blue line on this map to show our general route of travel today. If you can look at it in 3-D in Google Earth you can really get an idea of the steep hillsides involved - hence our decision to run along the top of the hill. Views of the valley to Darlington (and the industry along Cannelton Road) on the left, farm fields and the Gamelands on the right.
View Indian Rock Extension 8/2010 in a larger map
Hope to see you at the Chapter meeting at Hitoe's Monday evening. Thanks for all you do for the trail!
Dave
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