Ladders, Bridges, and Ravines: Turkey Run and Shades State Parks

I cannot even begin to describe how much I loved these hikes. Right here in Indiana, which you think of as flat and corn fields as far as the eye can see, you've got these two gems. 

We hiked an absurd amount, and I can't believe the kids and Hank held up for it. It's an hour drive from our house, so we geared up, and hit Turkey Run first. 

We started with trails 6, 7, and 11 as a warm-up hike. The kids were super excited when they realized we would be hiking through a ravine and a mostly dried up creek, jumping back and forth over the water. They also very much enjoyed the stairs and the little lookout spot. 

We then combined trails 1, 3, 5, and 10 to create a very wobbly loop around--and we even split up at some points because...

Ladders! Yes! We had to climb ladders! I! Love! This! Hike! What's not to love? Hiking through ravines, along creeks, through creeks, up ladders, past waterfalls, over a freaking suspension bridge... It was The Best. 

Alas, Hank could not hike up a ladder, so we took turns finding an alternate route with Hank, while the other person climbed with the kids. 

After that, which was a solid 5 miles at that point, we headed out to go home except WHOOPS maybe not, we decided to really quick go over to Shades State Park, which is only 15 minutes from Turkey Run. Because we are bananas, we then went on ANOTHER hike of trails 1 and 4, adding on 2 miles. 

JD passed out in the car on the ride back, and I am pretty sure EJ did too. Hank had only been with us for a week at that point, but he seemed thrilled with the entire thing.

Honestly, some of my favorite hiking. It was just wonderful. It was very easy to choose your own adventure--you could keep it easy, or you could make a really hard hike out of it. It's pretty critical here to have good hiking boots or shoes, because you're often doing some light rock scrambling, and the rocks can be slick. I saw more than one person wearing flip flops with blood running down their leg from a fall. 

Some of this was on the edge of JD's abilities--not because he couldn't do it, because he's a climber and loves danger, but because I needed him to listen and do as I said, when I said it. That's a harder skill for him, and he has not yet learned to assess the best path to take, so there were points where I needed to be behind him for safety (the ladders) but I knew when we got up the ladders, it was slick and he needed to choose carefully where to step. Luckily, EJ is quite excellent at finding the best path to take, so she went ahead and assessed things for us while we brought up the rear. 

Anyway, the kids loved it and were already asking to go back.

Lawrence Creek Trail - Fort Harrison State Park

We did one of our (the adults) favorite trails in Fort Harrison--Lawrence Creek. It's a mixed use trail, for hikers and mountain bikers. Part of why it's such a great trail is because of the mountain bikers--all the obstacles they set or leave for them also make great things for the kids to do too. Rocks, downed trees turned into wide balance beams or jumps, log mountains, curves, and more--it's a fun one to do. 

Here's Lawrence Creek Trail on All Trails. 

It's 4.5 miles, but we tacked on just a bit more to make it an even 5 miles. This was the longest single trail hike the kids have been on, so I was thrilled with their accomplishment. We've stacked hikes before--3 miles with 4 miles, etc.--but that usually involves a sitdown break and change of scenery. This was just, get on the trial and go, don't stop style, and they aced it. 

5 miles of hiking = 1 tired puppy. Hank did great on this hike, though he's got some leash learning to do. 

Indiana Dunes State and National Parks Picture Post

Our trip to Indiana Dunes was both delightful and frustrating--we were foiled by the weather, but we can't wait to go back.

It rained and sleeted the entire time we were there. It was always meant to be just a short trip--there in the early afternoon, hike, stay the night, get up and hike again, then head home. We saw the bad weather forecast, but at that point, we were stuck with the dates we had picked, and decided to just go and have as much fun as we could. 

We did indeed have fun--but it was wet, cold fun, and shorter than we would have liked. We heavily leaned on the visitors center, which was excellent. The informational videos were wonderful, the kids were engaged, and the ranger was just delighted that we were full of questions. 

We did short burst hikes around the dunes in both parks before we got totally soaked and frozen (this was back in March!) and had to call it. 

Updates

Well, that was an unexpected break, but so it goes. 

We continued to struggle after the loss of Finn. The kids, as kids do, asked if we would get another dog, but my heart was not in it. We told them that if the right dog showed up, we would know. 

The universe took my deflection as an invitation, and a rescue organization contacted us about Hank.

Hank is a fifteen month old golden retriever, similar in age and coloring to our sweet boy. Hank is a rescue, coming out of a bad situation. He's a sweet good boy, and has been with us for two weeks now. He needs love and attention and some medical help, and we've got those to give. He's been on his first family hiking excursion, and had a blast. 

Hiking updates: We've been hiking at Fort Ben mostly, but we also did a great side trip to Turkey Run and Shades State Parks. Our Acadia Trip is planned and finalized, so I am excited to share more about that. We had a lake vacation with some hiking and biking, and a trip to Buffalo with a nice easy hike through a local park. Hank and I are doing a couch to 5K challenge.

Upcoming: Indiana Dunes National Park

I am EXCITED for spring break. I know we had a (rather glorious, if I say so myself) trip to the Great Smokey Mountain National Park planned that we had to abandon, but I am excited for our little trip sessions that we are taking. GSMNP, we'll see you soon.

On the menu instead is (1) Chicago (gonna hit some museums, eat some pizza, and stay in a fancy hotel with a pool); (2) Indiana Dunes National Park; (3) Gabis Arboretum (which as TRAILS and TRAINS, could this be more perfect for us? Probably not); (4) Shades State Park; and (5) Turkey Run State Park. The Chicago - Indiana Dunes - Gabis section is all on one loop, so we will take a few days do that. Shades and Turkey Run are going to be day trips, so we will leave early in the morning and return late afternoon. There's an off chance that we will also do a daytrip to Brown County, but I am betting that we actually do one of our beloved Fort Ben hikes instead. 

Indiana Dunes NP and Indiana Dunes SP are right next to each other, so we may go back and forth into both. I'd love to do the 3 dune challenge, which has an elevation gain of about 550 ft--hey, it's Indiana, we take what we can get for elevation gains. We are also hoping to do Cowles Bog Trail, Dune Succession Trail, and/or Tolleston Dunes Trail. Gabis has lots of 1-2 mile trails, but honestly, we are going to have a hard time pulling JD away from the trains. We may take turns with adults hiking while the other does the train thing. 

Shades and Turkey Run are within a stone's throw of each other. they've got similar topography--ravines, cliffs, waterfalls, etc. There are long span bridges, stairs cutting down ravines, and even ladders to climb alongside waterfalls. Depending on how good of a time we are having, we may do two separate day trips to them, or combine into one long day. We'd really like to do the 6 Ravine Challenge--really give the kids a challenge--but we will just have to make that call the day of. They can definitely do it, but it may depend on how well JD slept that night. That's a 650 elevation gain, so it would be a big one, and we might take almost half a day to do. JK and I could do it at a good clip, but our goal with kid hiking is get them to love and enjoy it, not march them along. 

Coming along with us this trip, other than humans: (1) EJ's new backpack; (2) JD using the Osprey Moki for the first time on a longer hike; (3) testing out new water filtration devices; (4) my new Hoka trail running shoes; (5) if weather permits, I am going to try my Chacos and see how they do for hiking; (6) JD's new hiking Keens; and (7) new hiking pants for JK. 

What's A Hike? Lee Road Nature Trail

Absurdly busy weeks at work means choices about priorities, and yo, if I am going to pick between writing here and hiking out there, you know what I am choosing. 

This past week was the last week of JK being gone; my MIL's surgery; robotics; and the piano recital rehearsal, not to mention a ton of work. So much work stuff. 

There's a new-ish trail by our house--we thought it was all done in mulch or other recycled materials, but it turned out, they had decided to pave it. We checked it out, hiked it, had a good time.

What makes a hike a hike? Is it no a longer a hike if the trail is paved? I don't think that's a good qualifier for a lot of reasons, but my biggest one is accessibility. If you're going to say that a hike can only be on dirt, or rigged terrain, you are ruling people out of being hikers (at least in your estimate, which is the wrong estimation). Having trails that are accessible--paved with different materials, boardwalks, even very packed dirt--opens up trails and hiking and experiencing the outdoors to so many more. 

Obviously, it's not possible for all trails to be like this. Terrain and nature have their own dictates about how a trail can be, and we also have to be careful with the land we live in--making trails can have huge impacts on the ecosystem. It's also critical that all can enjoy it, and I was glad to take a spin around these trails, cutting through the woods behind baseballs fields and firehouses. It had been raining and had been muddy, so you could see tracks from animals, footprints from people, and lines from wheels from strollers or chairs. 

If your definition of a hike has always involved dirt, tree roots, and rocks, I challenge you to open your perspective more. I know I always need to--it's a process of constant learning and evolution. I love the outdoors and hiking so much, why wouldn't I want that for all?

Lee Road Nature Trail
Varying lengths; we walked the entire trail, doubling back on ourselves repeatedly, for a total of 2 miles. 

Hike: Lawrence Creek Trail

I've been spending a ton of time on my rowing machine and stretching and icing, and it's paid off. My foot was feeling like it might be ready for hike, so we hit the trail. 

Park: Fort Harrison State Park

Trail: Lawrence Creek

Distance: 2.5 miles (full trail is 4 miles)

We've had a constant stream of rain and snow the past month or more. It rains, then it all freezes and turns to ice, we get anywhere from a light dusting of snow to several inches, then it melts, and the process repeats. Even if my foot was fine, it would have made hiking difficult--you either get ice, or you get mud. There is no in between. 

When we started, the trial was ice. We did not have our microspikes, which probably would have been good to have, but it ended up being fine. We crunched along at pretty good speed despite the ice. Every minute we hiked, it got warmer--and it began to melt and expose the mud underneath. We had to stop at every creek crossing and carry JD across, then give Finn enough leeway to get a running start and jump over. 

We were all a happy, muddy mess by 2 miles in, which is when JD decided it was going to be a great idea to jump into the creek.

Since we were now in possession of a soaked 4 year old in 32 degrees Fahrenheit, we decided to call it quits and headed back. It was probably best for my foot to not test it too much--it was sore later but not too bad. JD was stripped down to skivies and bundled up, and medicinal hot chocolate was applied to both children.

The trees were really something to behold--they were all still coated in ice, so with the sun shining through them, it was like walking through a crystal forest. There was glinting and glistening everywhere, and tiny faint rainbows would dance fleetingly in and out of your line of vision. 

Gear Post--Kids and Clothes

Gear post! For multiple days now, I've planned a morning hike with the dog, and had it either rain or ice on me, thus canceling my plan. So instead of pretty pictures of frosted trees in Fort Ben, I've been working out in my gym and thinking about gear. 

Child Carrier Devices. Whew you can spend a pretty penny on these, but if you are into walking or hiking or anything that involves being on the go on foot with kids who just won't keep up, it's worth it. This was a purchase for us on par with a car seat--it was going to be in regular use, and we were going to keep it as long as possible. Unlike a car seat, we could reuse it for the next kid (our kids have too big of an age gap to effective reuse car seats before the expiration date) and eventually resell it. So. We sunk the money in, and I would do it again.

Having said all that, our first one was a bit of a cheat. We were about to take a weekend hiking trip for the first time with a slow moving kid, and scoured Craigslist of all things to find a child carrier backpack. We found a Deuter Kid Comfort, one of the original models, and got for the low price of $20. It had been well loved but was still in good condition.

We used it for quite some time before deciding to upgrade for the next kid--also we were older at that point, and wanted something with a bit more back support, so that we could keep using it until new kid was older and ready to roam free. Incidentally, the Deuter still had a ton of life left in it, so we gifted it to another family with younger kids. The Deuter is still out there, living its best hiking life.

We moved on to the Osprey Poco, which had several great upgrades. Our Deuter didn't have a sun/rain shade (most of them do now), and it did not have a great place for JD to put his feet. The Poco DID have those things, and it was a great addition. It's also got great pockets, and who doesn't love pockets?

A critical thing to look for is a good hip belt, along with how the back is vented. Those two things--support plus cooling--will make the hike more enjoyable for you all. 

In the end, I high recommend either the Deuter Kid Comfort or the Osprey Poco. I lean towards the Poco, but keep in mind we had a older, used model of the Deuter. The two are very comparable. 

Eventually, JD declined to be contained, and wanted out. He was still too little to keep us with us, and frequently wanted to be held, which, the kid is a tank. So, we said goodbye to the Poco, and got a piggyback assist device. Picture included so you can see what I am talking about.

As you can see, it's literally that: it assists with a kid riding piggyback. There would be a harness for JK, a harness on JD, and he just stood on the bar. When he was done and wanted down, we would unclip and JK would either leave it on, or I would stuff it in my daypack. Easy peasy.

Clothes. This is so specific to each person, but here's what we like. 

• Kuhl pants. We love their hiking pants. The material is great and durable. 
• Duluth Trading Co. Dry On The Fly pants. Again, durable, great material, more pockets than I can shake a stick at. Love that I can roll them up and that they have double snaps so one side doesn't sag down. 
• Smart Wool. Does anyone really do a base layer better than Smart Wool? I don't think so. I've got leggings that I layer under my favorite hiking pants, a long sleeve shirt, and a long sleeve hoodie that I wear as a base layer or as a hoodie. 
• Duluth Trading Co NoGa pants. Sometimes I want more of a yoga pant style material, and that's when these are my go to. I get the slim leg (but not leggings) because the regular is way to wide and swooshy. 
• LL Bean, sweaters and vests. When I am hiking in super cold weather, I have a few really heavy-weight cable knit sweaters from LL Bean that do the trick, especially if they are paired with my smart wool. Then I don't need a super bulk coat (unless its even colder). We are both also very picky about our vests, and we like LL Bean vests. They have a nice sweater fleece long vest that does not pill, is a long length, and is the material I like, aka, no swooshing sound while I walk. Also, many pockets. 
• Duluth No Yank. These tank tops and shirts are fantastic. The material is such that it tends to stay put, rather than ride up, and it's all longer in length, so truly, I am not yanking my tops back down. They just don't ride up.

Basically, the themes and things I would look for in clothes are (1) does it fit and feel comfy, even when you are squatting? (2) do you like the material? (3) POCKETS; and (4) does it feel durable? I am willing to spend a bit more if I know it will last, and I don't regret the money I spent on my Smart Wool, Kuhls, LL Bean, and Duluth stuff.