Oaks Opening Metropark in Toledo

I posted on Facebook over the last week, asking for more hiking trails. So many trails locally and so little time. Ugh.  Thanks to Linda for the reminder that local places are around for that little bit of wooded area I need.  Linda is a great blogger who writes about her wondering in and around the area. I hope to meet up with her this summer to check out some other areas with her like Point Mouliee (what I call 5-mile island or make out point). Yeah the kid in me will never die. wanna go to make out point? lol Just now I go to look at waterfowl and other birds and to walk and to be outside and not be stuck indoors. 

We ended up picking a non-local trail still a little over an hour away. In Toledo Ohio. And I must say, signage. Construction on trail all noted and posted in clear easy ways to view. This trail we did called the ridge trail had some detours due to them removing some tree's that are not for that area. As it doesn't help some of the "dunes" (yeah didn't see those next time). 

Mudd Island paved path

The time change is always fun.. more daylight after work!! So with this time change comes warm weather. This excites me. This year I'm going to try to hit up more paved paths. Sometimes I don't feel like dealing with the mud. So I did the next best thing after work one day this week. I went to a park next to Mudd Island / John Dingell Park. Mainly to take some photos. And to look at the birds. I heard there was a Merganser duck out there and the Eagles.

So, my partner and I parked by the rowing club building and walked down to the old docks. The first thing we see was the trash. Why people WHY. And this brings me to a great cause Trash fishing!!! On Facebook Ecorse is doing this I think on May 11th this year with a contest all you need is a boat and the desire to learn something new. I want to do this so we will see if they will let us do the creeks instead so we can use our kayaks or just wade in the water. If I may add, if everyone carries a plastic bag. we can all pick up after those lazy people I know there has been a time or two something fell out of my pocket so it's all in good fun and to help other trail-goers. I have been trying to build that habit of picking up other trash more times than not.  just nature can be distracting... join me and carry a bag... 

holliday nature preserve 2nd attempt...

Holliday Nature Preserve

Short recap.. my first time going here it wouldn't stop raining. We ended up parking at the Hix Park. We had the gear and rocked it out anyway.  It wasn't bad, but no signage-- nothing great to keep you from getting lost. They have some signage, but it's low to the ground and has no rhyme or reason to it. This map might offer some info that, backed up with Google Maps, you might not go in more than two circles with. I state this because even my partners and I could get lost. We haven't, mind you, but we sort of walk around until we find something that rings true or keep walking till we find it. We did get a bit turned around in the Hix Park area, but ended up walking the right way. We didn't go in circles and made it back to our car just fine in the rain.  We did cover some ground, too. 

Never had this map though-- see below. My second time going to this park, it wasn't even this section. We found this area and wanted to check it out. That's how I learned that Holliday Nature Preserve is a linage park. it follows the water. So cool and this spot did have a sign (see image below) SoIi took a close up to the area we hiked without a map. It's still confusing. 

 

Lunch time solo walk

Nature really has a hold on me right now. Being stuck in an office and a car for 10 hours a day really bites. More so when the weather is breaking and the sun is kissing everything but my face. Ugh..

So what a better way to break it up than to skip eating at lunch and go for a walk, and eat at my desk later. Today that is what I did.. I miss my walking lunch buddy tho. We use to go all the time and hike random places-- it did give us the energy to beat the latter part of the day. Living in the city, it's hard to feel completely safe out in this big world full of crazies. But sometimes you just got to let go of the fear and be smart and mindful of your surroundings. So that is what I did. Happy solo hiking Tuesday.

Ducking back in Southgate wooded area

It's cold outside yet still I have to force myself to get up and get out there. It was a slightly warmer day and we were ready to do the crazy idea I had... well, partly... 

My great idea was to walk the line of the Frank and Poet Drainage Creek. There is a trail that runs aside this creek, and I have taken it as far as I could go. Once. Figured, let me get my lovers and do it with someone this time. We didn't make it that far. We stopped at this spot, and it seemed to be a great stopping spot, as you can see the stumps of the trees in the below photo. They are on the trail, so you have to do some climbing... and when it's cold outside and you're not dressed the best, it becomes more of a challenge to escape versus we got this.

Two Owls of Exhaustion

We parked at the kayak spot the one little lot off Jefferson across from some trailer park. On slick walkways we trecked, on to the bridge. The sun kissed the snow and ice covering the little channel and just sparkled. Bringing magic to the trail. Last time one of us were here we heard the owl was near this area so we went trekking in the back flooded areas. Most of it was blocked off this past summer due to the water being so high. The river was to the woods, and the normal relaxing and photo spots have been drowning in water.