Hiking at Last

We were excited to join friends for a long hike near a small lake in the Danial Boone National Forest on Saturday.   It's been nearly five years (!) since our last big hiking adventure in Peru, so Brandon and I expected sore muscles after our leisurely nine mile trek.  We weren't disappointed either!  Oh, my aching feet!  But, it's time for us to get our hiking muscles and gear back in the groove, so we hope to hit the trails regularly from now until January, when we may meet our next big hiking challenge -   Sheltowee Trace, here we come.      

It's so nice to be in the forest.  It smells good, like dirt and plants in the sun.  There weren't too many other hikers either, and we passed some groups on horseback.  The trees were tall and shaded the trail, which was lined with wildflowers.  

This white flower was most prominent.  My book says it's called American ipecac, or Indian physic (Gillenia stipulata).  It's in the rose family, and the powdered root was used by Native Americans as a laxative.  

I saw butterflies drinking from the flowers.  

We stopped for a snack and shared a rock seat with this little fence lizard (Sceloporus undulatus).  We also alarmed a long shiny black snake, probably a racer (Coluber constrictor), and it slithered across the trail so fast we almost missed it.  I got some trail mementos - tick bites, which itch now.  I have numerous chigger bites from either the hike or some field work for my job, but either way, I am reminded of my time outdoors every time I scratch!