Belle Isle Wintry Hike

Sunday morning, I wake up and look out the window. Ummmmm... I thought the snow would be here next week.  Oh well, slowly woke up and talked with Jacki. Where are we going to hike today? We settled on Belle Isle there are some places over there I haven't checked out.  We didn't think we would see anyone out there with it being early afternoon and cold and snowy and all that good stuff.  We were wrong-- lots of cars were parked looking at the ice bumps in the Detroit River. Few people ice fishing on the interior ponds as well as some cross country skiing going on, and people walking their dogs and family. It wasn't packed like summer but there were more people than I expected.

We get to the place where I want to hike and the road is closed, forcing us to go right by where we are hiking (perfect I won't pass my turn). The snow is plowed and you can see the ground. Parking spots were not plowed, so I think I parked in a spot... who knows. We get out and add our final layer on before we start. First-time hike for both of us, so I didn't bring any measuring devices or anything. Just wanted to enjoy the trail!

Part of it is paved I think, couldn't tell with the snow, but the ice under the snow wasn't a joke-- it was slippery. There was a butt print left in the snow at some point but everyone is okay!!!  We take it a bit slower and hope to get off what we think was the paved part. A bridge and two kayak launches on this little creek. How cool, might have to check that out once it warms up. We noticed avski trail from someone cross country skiing. Sorry, I did walk on the tracks and I know you're not supposed to as it can make it more difficult for them to move across.

We stuck to the right instead of going over the bridge and taking the other way. Figured it would be a loop and that's the way we will head back.  I was so hoping to break this trail and we didn't. Footsteps and ski marks were proof this was going to be a hard task to get done.  We should have gotten an earlier start if I'll get this task done!! For those who don't know breaking the trail means you're the first to walk on it after a snow. It has been my desire to do this for the past few years. Some trails are hard to break, more so when you don't know what way they go and the open ground forest/woods can easily take you off-trail.

Welcome Post

Hello, I am moving some of my focused posts from my personal blog to here. This blog will mainly be about hiking trips that I make on the weekends, sometimes during the week, too.  All of this info will lead up to a book I'm writing. So make sure you check back for more info on that.

Hiking is one of my favorite things to do... next to kayaking and backpacking and camping and just being outside.  I love to walk on trails that don't have pavement. I love dirt trails that have been carved out by footsteps not machine. However I will walk anywhere, on any type of trail, if the sights are worth seeing. And if it's outside, it's worth seeing.

I normally hike with my partners, Frank and Jacki. I use them for sizing up items in photos.

Remember if you're out in the wild to Leave No Trace, Leave only foot prints and take only photographs and other peoples trash.  To help clean up trails, it's always best to carry an extra plastic bag with you. If you see something and won't get harmed in picking it up, please do so. It takes a community to keep our trails clean and pretty for the next hiker!