Well, we will just chalk this one up to a missed trip, and save it for planning purposes I guess. I was defeated by a combination of the Midwest weather and my own forgetfulness.
I was driving to Buffalo NY for a baby shower, and the route between my place and Buffalo takes you directly through Cuyahoga Valley National Park. I've been meaning to stop for years, but we are always racing through on our way to family, usually with increasingly hostile small humans in the back (the trip to Buffalo is at least 8 hours), so we've typically just pushed through. This time, though, it was just me and EJ, so we thought we take our time and stop mid-trip for a hike.
Life did not cooperate.
A storm swept across the Midwest, starting with dumping rain all over us for more than 12 hours, then having the temperatures plummet. Our backyard is still covered in ice. We received a generous helping (for Indiana) of snow to sit on top of that ice. The storm then perfectly traced the route from my house to my sister house, dropping buckets of rain, ice, and snow all along the way. We delayed our departure time to let the roads clear up, and even then, the road to Buffalo was littered with semis and cars off the road in ditches, being rescued by tow trucks. It was very slow going and dicey in some parts.
We decided it was best to drive through, and I waved to CVNPS on the way, figuring we could stop on the way back.
You know what's helpful for hiking in a national park in the snow and ice? Your microspikes and trekking poles. You know what I forgot? My microspikes and trekking poles. I looked around Buffalo at various stores, and while I could have easily bought extra trekking poles, microspikes were nowhere to be found.
EJ and I thought we might give it a try, but one look at the trail head convinced me that was a bad idea. Ice was the reigning theme, and the last thing this trip needed was for the only adult, driver, and sole source of EJ's ability to get home to bite it on the ice because we tried to hike without the right equipment.
Sometimes, that's part of the adventure--the miss. It's always part of learning to hike and have more adventures--knowing when to make the right call, knowing your limits, and knowing the limits of the people you have with you. EJ and I have a funny thought somewhat disappointing story that is part of a larger trip where we had a great time, and we have a plan we are looking forward to pulling off. I will remember my gear and hope for better weather, and there are no injuries, which seemed pretty likely.
I can't wait to hike Brandywine Falls, though.
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