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OCTOBER 2014 I IM IS EDITOR'S NOTE CONTRIBUTORS

I SPOTTED THE SKUNK after 3 bend in the Glidewell Trail, 3 Winding path that KATIE CLINE Associate art director Katie Cline discovered Lily & skirts Brookville Lake, in the hills rising toward Ohio. The little guy scampered hap• Madeleine just a few months ago. but the local musical pily between an oak and the underbrush not three feet away, until he, too, spotted duo has inspired her at work ever since. "When I'm not me. We both froze. There was a stare-down. I had almost reached the 2,000-year- on photo shoots, I listen to music while I design," she says. "I have pretty eclectic taste, so L&M fit right in." old tribal burial mounds the trail was known for, and I wasn't turning back now. In creating the artwork for this month's feature on the I sprinted past him, his black-and-white tail springing alert, bristly as a chimney ladies ("Almost Famous." p. 76). Cline strived for a look that was as cultivated as the songs. "They're young, but brush. He actually chased me for a few feet. He may have even shaken a tiny fist. their sound is so mature," she says. "I just wanted to do When I made it downwind enough to feel safe, I burst out laughing. Before this those harmonies justice." summer, the only hike I took regularly, I am sorry to report, was up the two flights of stairs between my office and the IM art department. I had therefore filled my back• ROBERT ANNIS Freelance writer Robert pack like I was prepping to ride out the apocalypse instead of spending a few hours Annis has pedaled his in nature: three granola bars, a Clif bar, a tall bottled water, a lemon Vitaminwater, bike throughout the an extra pair of socks, bug spray, a folding knife, a pen, a notepad, my iPhone (for the U.S. and Europe, but he's rarely happier than compass app—no Internet connection required!), sunblock, a sandwich, a beach when he's riding Hoosier towel, maps and tips printed out from the Hoosier Hikers Council site, and pants, dirt with friends. "For which I wasted no time donning over my shorts after spying poison oak. I was never me, biking is a social ac• tivity." says Annis. who a Scout, but my cautious, list-making mother taught me to "always be prepared" researched this month's anyway. Back out along Glidewell, I realized the encounter with my furry foe was cover package ("Hit the Trail," p. 58). "Whether you're trying to set a new personal best or discovering a beau• just part of hiking's appeal—braving (and, in my case, escaping) the unexpected. tiful piece of scenery, it's always better with pals," The The geographic features revealed on the Indiana trails highlighted in this issue former Indianapolis Star reporter traded his mountain (p. 58) were also, frankly, surprising—from the prehistoric by the dunes to a bike for a road-worthy model late this summer as he headed to Italy to navigate the steep. 6,000-foot Stel- sandstone canyon—making hiking and biking them all the more entertaining. Still, vio mountain pass. "My wife thinks I'm crazy," he says. I was nervous about my lack of experience. In Wild, Cheryl Strayed's memoir of "She's probably right." Annis has written for National trekking the Pacific Coast Trail, Strayed gears herself up by repeating "what is hik• Geographic Traveler and Popular Mechanics. ing but walking, after all." And I found that walking to be therapeutic, as my ramble around the reservoir seesawed between soothing ASHLEY RETRY The night before solitude and adrenaline rush. The trails became an freelance writer Ashley antidote for my earthly concerns of sick grandpar• Retry interviewed ents and looming deadlines: the deer I ran across, Father Vince Lampert, one of the nation's the warblers in the trees—my problems meant EDITOR'S few Vatican-trained nothing to them. For a moment, I found relief. OBJECT exorcists, half of the OF DESIRE light switches in her i used a walking house mysteriously stick from the stopped working. "I was forest floor on joking when I suggested to him that my house might my Adena Trace be possessed," Retry says. "He wasn't joking when he hike (p. 61). agreed with me." Did reporting the story ("Ask Me but I bet these Anything," p. 24) make her a believer? "We hired an Amanda Heckert RE I trekking electrician, not an exorcist." she says. "But I try to keep poles ($89.50) an open mind about anything spiritual." Retry's work Editor-in-Chief wouldn't snap in has appeared in Midwest Living and USA Today. two like my oak switch did.

16 IM I OCTOBER 2014 58 IM I OCTOBER 2014 Rocky cliffs. Shaded caves. Summits overlooking valleys ablaze with the crimsons and golds of fall. From leaf-peeping climbs on sandstone ridges in to exhilarating downhill adven• tures in Brown County, the state's most scenic hiking and biking paths reveal all this and more. So grab your backpack and get going—the crisp call of autumn in Indiana awaits.

EDITED BY AMANDA HECKERT

WRITTEN BY ROBERT ANNIS. LINDSEY ERDODY, MEGAN FERNANDEZ. LAURA KRUTY, JONATHAN SCOTT, SAM STALL, JONATHAN STREETMAN. EVAN WEST & ADAM WREN

OCTOBER 2014 I IM 59 WE ENDORSEORSE } Trails 1,4& 5 2.1 miles MODERATajE

down to plunging gorges that cut narrow rock passages to Sugar Creek: At three points, the drops are so sudden that sturdy wooden ladders—about the same height as what you'd use to clear a one-story gutter—are provided to navigate the vertical climb into cavc-iike recesses. But Shades is not all dank gullies: At the top of Trail 1, Inspiration and Prospect points offer high, blazing views of the Sugar Creek valley, and near the end of trails 4 and 5, you can wade out into the broad expanse you spied from above to cool your feet, and then pick up a few of the perfectly fiat stones on the bank. Even if the pressures have changed from school to work these days, skipping those flat stones across the creek's placid surface is still as good for decompressing as it ever was.

ALTERNATE ROUTE A few years ago. Shades incorporated an adjoining 480-aae tract known as Pine Hills, Indiana's oldest state nature preserve. To reach it. hike Shades's Trail 10. a 1.5-mile jaunt that crosses S.R. 234 and descends into one of the neatest enclaves in the state. Look for stands of rare trees like Canada yew and hemlock, and n some of my fondest mem• follow routes left by glacial melts dim, moss-covered chasm at striking formations like Devil's ories of attending Wabash that scoured deep, lush gorges the bottom of a set of breakneck Backbone, a narrow ridge of sheer College, I'm scooting out and ravines into the park's wooden stairs. Convex water• rock that rises 100 feet off the to in my sandstone bedrock, topography falls, such as the Silver Cascade ground—the DNR calls it "one of the Ibeat-up truck, windows down, that comes pretty dang close to Falls, shimmer over smooth rock most remarkable examples of incised meanders in the eastern towanderthe narrow ravines its country cousin. faces. Between these highlights, ." in stress-relieving solitude, At the heart of the park, a the trail follows a craggy creek- contemplating the philosophy, cluster of short but variety- bed where verdant ferns grow » > LOCAL LEGEND Historians religion, orpoetry I'd studied packed trails form loops around at the base of steep, coppery debate how the area, known as The earlier that day. The park lies a central parking lot and picnic cliffs—a still, dark, primeval Shades of Death before it became just upstream from the more- area in a sort of cloverieaf. Col• setting that, I like to imagine, a park in 1947, got its name. But crowded , lectively, they showcase many remains little changed from the rumors abound, mostly fueled by the on the banks of the same Sugar of Shades's most distinctive days when the melting Wiscon• preternaturally cool crevasses that Creek—a broad, clear waterway features, the most famous being sin Glacier gave it shape. Trails contrast so markedly from the whose course and tributaries Devil's Punch Bowl (Trail i), a 4 and 5 follow forested hillsides surrounding forests and rolling fields.

GETTING THERE Take 1-74 W to Jamestown, pick up S.R. 254 W. and look foi signs to the park after about 20 miles, in.gov/dnr/parklake/2970.htm

60 IM I OCTOBER 2014 honda, a kindly lawns that belied the wild bounded away in a blink. Brookvilie Lake I was about to enter at the Thirty minutes in, I clerk in DNR kha• road's dead end. reached a clearing, and kis, assured me A narrow lane no wider the overlook Rhonda Rany span along the Adena than a smile wound promised delivered: A Trace Loop—a 25-mile ring through the forest, a route gorgeous panorama of of trails around the reser• originally cut by Rhonda's the eastern shore opened voir, just west of the Ohio husband, in fact; she had before me, which I drank in border—would be gor• helped him paint white from a wide bench Rhon• geous come October, when diamonds on the trees to da's husband had hauled the leaves would ignite mark the way. The trail here for resting—"Aivey's with crimson and ochre. proved more of a ramble Point," bearing their last But—she tapped the map than a hike, past thickets of name, wood-burned into where the offshoot Midway wildfiowers, along ridges its side. Trail bisected the untamed that sloped into shallow Just a few minutes south Wolf Creek Trail at a series ravines, under mature oaks along Wolf Creek—at 16.5 of tiny finger coves—this and maples reachingfor miles, Adena's longest, was her favorite spot. So 1 the sky. Little broke up the most rugged stretch—I drove around the dam to serenity until, around a reached the first hideaway Brookvllie's western shore, bend, a tawny doe loomed cove, a lovely, hushed through a residential on the path; startled, crook in the lake skirted neighborhood I yelped, and by a clearing, perfect for a PETE BANTA with tidy she picnic. A stone pit with a PRESIDENT HOOSIER HIKERS COUNCIL teepee of firewood awaited, only needing a struck match. Camping "I especially like a trai isn't technically the Council built a HIDEAWAY COVE legal on this side couple of years ago, ofthe lake, but the - ADENATRACE - thought of failing near Bean Blossom, asleep to the water AS THE HILLS RISE TOWARD OHIO. THE ADENA the HITZ-RHODEHAMEL lapping against TRACE LOOP OF TRAILS AT BROOKVILLE LAKE the rocks tempts NATURE PRESERVE. It's PROVES ITS SECLUDED TREASURES ARE WORTH anyway. about three miles THE HUNT. BY AMANDA HECKERT long and has ridges, ravines, nice views, and creeks—pleas• ant to walk, with al the scenery of Brown County without all the crowds. My girlfriend and I go out there and do mainte• nance, cutting logs, to try to keep it fooking good." 812-857-9445, GETTING THERE Take 1-74 E to S.R. 244 E. right on U.S. 52 E. left on Main St. in Brookville, nature.org/indiana a quick left on Reservoir Rd . and then right on Kepler Rd until it dead-ends, in.gov/dnr/parkl3ke/2961-htm

Q: What's legal to forage on a hike and what Isn't? A: The answer is as murky as a stagnant creek. "Our property rulebook is 43 pages long," says Dale Brier, streams and trails chief at the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. "I have an entire section dedicated to definitions of what is a fruit, what is a leaf, what is a berry, what is a nut, and a section with what you can and can't collect. We spent a year going over the definition of a mushroom.' To avoid any misunderstandings, he advises inquiring at the gatehouse.

OCTOBER 2014 I IM 61 GIMME SHELTER (WITH A PAST) - HOOSIER NATIONAL FOREST -

HIDDEN IN THE HEART OF THE FOREST

ROCKY OUTCROPS AND A VERDANT

CANYON HAVE STUNNED FOR GENERATIONS.

BY JONATHAN STREETMAN

i he term "middle headed to the nearby names, wondering if Evan of nowhere" creekbed. The tempera• and Lindsey were still might have been ture dropped suddenly Together qever. coined for spots as 1 stepped into the Teetering several likTe Hemlock Cliffs, a trail shade of the sandstone, stories above the basin GLEECROWDER leading through an oasis its unique honeycomb on the lip of the shelter, of sandstone bluffs desig• pattern caused by the I lingered to take in the RECOGNIZED BY THE INDIANAPOLIS nated a "special place" by weathering of iron ores. breathtaking view of the HIKING CLUB IN 2015 TOR ' Hoosier National Forest I snuck under one of lush vegetation below: THE MOST MILES HIKED (5,019) officials for its striking the stratified crags and Wintergreen, wild gera• and rare features. listened to the chirping of nium, and the pine-like "THE GRIZZLY PARK trail The path forms a sim• the birds bounce off the hemlock for which the behind Franklin College ple loop around the cliffs, wails around me. trail receives its name— delving into the canyon Halfway into the loop, ail call this canyon home. in Johnson County is on one side and exiting 1 reached the highlight. Archeologists believe we just so beautiful. Its the other, so either A detour sign warning modern visitors weren't traiihead works. My "Danger: Cliff Area" the first to seek shelter one-and-a-ha mi es neighbor in Jasper sug• directed me to a massive here, in this slightly mys• and picks up in the gested I go right, where overhang and—up a per• tical place; Native Ameri• a waterfall, flush from a ilous, nearly invisible trail cans inhabited the area country—"/ou can see recent rain, awaited. Not of crumbling stone—a as early as 10,000 years horses, a really big farm, far past the traiihead, vast rock shelter, inside, ago, and the box-shaped the first of many cliffs the air was cool and canyon likely acted as a and lots of lovely trees." loomed, and I made my damp, but light enough natural defense system. franklingrizzlies.com/ way down stone-cut that I could see graffiti This one rock shelter stairs to the base of the from hundreds of hikers alone could have housed facilities canyon. There, I left the crowding the wail. I ran half a village—or perhaps trail for a little while and my fingers over a few one very important chief.

GETTING THERE Take S. R. 37 S to S. R. 237 S. right on N. Union Chapel Rd.. right on S. Hatfield Rd.. right on National Forest Rd. fs. usda.gov/detail/hQOsier/speciaiplaces/

62 IM I OCTOBER 2014 JOIN THE PACK r Sprained ankles. Snake bites. Spotty cell reception. For these reasons and more, WHERE THE Stretch your legs before a it's always best to pick or wheel your way longer trek at these pretty through the wild with a buddy. Here are a SIDEWALK places around town. few local groups to consider. ENDS I BY ROBERT ANNIS & LAURA KRUTY

The Indianapolis Hiking Club Founded in 1957. this 580-member group organizes more than 2.000 hikes annually around the state and beyond (including a 2015 weeklong trip to the Rio Grande). $10 new-member fee: $20 annual dues, indyhike.org

Hoosier Backpackers Hikes with this more-informal crowd include Deam Wilderness this month and Big South Fork, along the Tennessee-Kentucky border, in November. Free. To Join the mailing list, contact David Culp. 255-5498.

The Indianapolis Hiking Meetup Group A loosely organized collection of about 1.800 hikers have the opportunity to commune with nature and each other at spots such as Shades State Park and Red River Gorge. $5 annual dues. BIKING drops, The middle third of the park. The northwestside meetup.com/hiking-225/ trail takes you through a flat enclave's miles of color-coded SOUTHWESTWAY meadow, allowing you time trails wind through woods Hoosier Hikers Council PARK to recover. 5525 E. 96th St., and meadows (follow the Volunteers and members build, maintain, and This southwestside park over• 964-9184 signs of your chosen color promote trails across the state, and the HHC looking features to avoid any confusion). Or website includes for-sale maps and invaluable tips several miles of mountain- HIKING detour down the Edesess for stretches like the popular Monroe-to-Brown biking trails, including a tight, Trail near the Ornithology County Tecumseh Trail and their newly built white-knuckle downhill. The STARKEY NATURE Center for picturesque water Eagles Crest Nature Preserve, which overlooks curved, banked turns and PARK and bird views high above Eagle Creek reservoir. $25 annual dues. 855-812- jumps on Big Fire also thrill. Nestled within a Zionsville the reservoir. $5 per car for 4455. hoosierhikerscouncil.org 8400 S. Mann Rd, 888-0070 neighborhood, quiet and Marion County residents: $6 serene Starkey Nature Park for out-of-county visitors. 7840 TOWN RUN TRAIL practically defines "hidden W.S6th St.. 327-7110 PARK gem." Steep, packed-earth The granddaddy of Indy trails lead you to the flowing SOUTHEASTWAYPARK trails. Town Run features waters of Eagle Creek, and Stick to the winding, paved nearly seven miles of twisty grassy paths traverse hip-high walking trail that leads you Hoosier Mountain Bike Association wildfiowers. A set of wooden singletrack near The Fashion beside woods and a pond, HMBA maintains more than 120 miles of the ramps connects hikers to the Mall. Most consider this and you'll have logged more state's narrow singletrack trails, and it's also a great three-and-a-half mile Zions• wide-open trail, with its than two miles in this peaceful place to meet other fanatics at events like the mostly gentle grades, to be ville Rail Trail. 667Sugarbush retreat. Veer off into the Hoosier Outdoor Experience. $50 annual dues. an easier path—a great way to Dr.. Zionsville. 733-2273 forest to enjoy a maze of hmha.org build skills for more technical connected trails, a portion of Hoosier trails. Keep an eye which parallels Buck Creek. Central Indiana Bicycling Association out for the frequent (but Deer sightings are almost 5624 S. Carroll Rd.. New Although it's primarily a road-riding club, many very well-marked) jumps and a given at Indy's largest city Palestine. 327-4834 CIBA members like to get dirty on the trail every now and then. J25 annual dues, cibarlde.org

IndyCog FORT BEN TWO WAYS IndyCog advocates for bicycle safety in Indianap• proves fun for those on foot or wheel. $5. 6000 N. Post Rd.. 591-0904 olis, and also takes part in events like the Thirsty Thursday Urban Ride, a trail-cruising, barhopping The affectionately nicknamed Fort With 1.700 acres, there's a good time. The route changes nearly every week. Ben features a beginner trail and two lot of ground to cover here. $55 annual dues. 665-5425, indycog.org pieces of more-advanced singletrack. Schoen Creek We recommend Trail, a path that Trail travels along a wetland before heading upward, snakes alongside its namesake waterway and Sub-9 Productions hugging the hillside and giving riders a precipitous uphill to an observation deck, or the paved— Jonathan and Tania Juillerat put on some of the view of the dogwood-filled ravine below. Morning but not flat!—Harrison Trace Trail, a 2.75-mile best biking events in the region, including the rides are ideal for catching a glimpse of deer or the route lined with woods, wildfiowers, and annual Midwest Women's Mountain Bike Clinic. occasional owl. scenic views of Delaware Lake. 415-0624. suh-9.com

OCTOBER 2014 1 IM 63 OfithevdUebv ^ For more ways to ' explore this favorite fall , destination, visit rk IndianapolisMonthly i L .com/Brown-County.^

4. i^..J eeking fali foliage lures clockwise around the loop— verdant, yellow, and ruddy hues in the direction of bustling many to Brown County otherwise, you'll start with a come autumn. tourist haven Nashville. Picnic State Park's trails, but climb up steep steps that instead Another half-mile uphill led tables and park displays about to get the best of both make for a relaxing denoue• us to the apex of a ridge. For a wildlife, history, and more Sworlds—splendid views and moment, we thought we'd fallen populate this highly trafficked ment if you take this route. After an enjoyable workout—the a decently rigorous half-mile off the path somehow, as we spot, it's a busy intersection for Hoosier Hikers Council Trail, ascent, we steered left at a fork climbed for more than a mile parkgoers, but the view is pure. located on the west side of the to continue toward Hesitation near the road that originally From here, the hike finished park, wins. The longest of the Point; veering right takes you to took us in from the park's west up straightforward and pleas• available 12 hikes, the HHC Trail the Tulip Tree Shelter connec• gatehouse. Though the traffic ing—down a notably tighter begins and finishes by lovely tor, slicing off about a mile of the was light, that stretch almost path thankfully clear of foliage, Ogle Lake. Granted, that means excursion. The trail then leveled killed our rustic buzz. The pay• and that series of wooden you'll share your hike with for a hit before we came upon off, however, more than made walkways reminiscent of the dozens of friends in waiting; my a clearing that spilled down up for it: Hesitation Point, one of Swiss Family Robinson's pad. partner and 1 came across about into ahreathtaking valley. Just Brown County's most beloved The trip was so pleasant, when 40 people before I stopped one man and his best friend, a vistas. From there, we could spy 1 found myself hack at the lake counting. boxer, were on hand, making the Aynes Loop and Hesitation post-hike, I wanted to turn We began our trek from the for—finally—a serene scene Point mountain-hike trails, and around and do it again—relent• left traiihead so as to travel replete with a view known for its nothing hut forestland for miles less crowds and all.

GETTING THERE Jake I 65 to Columbus, right on S R 46 W/Jonathan Moore Pike (turns into Old S.R 46). left at the stoplight in Nashville onto S.R 46 W toward Bloomington. and left into

64 IM I OCTOBER 2014 rown County State Hesitation Point. There, the my Kryptonite. Keepingyour Park cycling trails are narrow singletrack trail is thank• momentum going fast enough weii-iauded, even earn• fully wide-open, but a few tight to roil over the rocky switch• ing the coveted "Epic" spots and switchbacks kept backs unscathed while pedaling Bstatus from the International me on the edge of my ciipiess upward can he difficult. This is Mountain Bicycling Associa• pedals. My Giant Anthem's front definitely a trail that rewards sunrise or sunset, and even T.C. tion. And while options such as suspension absorbed the impact multiple visits, searching for the Steele couldn't paint a prettier Limekiln or Green Valley make of the few small log crossings, perfect line. My limbs are dotted Indiana picture. me feel as if I'm riding a two- allowing me to sail over them with the scars of my failure over On the descent, I kept my ped• wheeled roller coaster, Hesita• with relative ease. the years to do just that. als level and arms bent, letting tion Point has heen at times The trail rose higher and So why return to the site of gravity do the hard work. Soon more of a dirt-and-rock house steepened slightly when I so many scrapes and gashes? I glimpsed the stone remnants of horrors—one well worth the reached the first of several rock The view at the top—Hesita• of a Depression-era cabin that challenging slog. gardens to cross. I've ridden my tion Point—is absolutely burned down to its foundation Most riders start at the first bike all over the Midwest for spectacular, especially during years ago, a popular meeting traiihead at the parking lot near the last decade, hut for some autumn. Layered by the park's place for riders. As 1 roiled up, a the entrance, where I wound reason, rocks—he it weathered roiling hills, the canopy of trees few friends were there taking a my way up a few beginner and sandstone, slick limestone, or explodes in color, nature's most breather, and we headed toward intermediate trails to reach any other mineral—remain perfect fireworks. Add in a fiery the next section of trail together.

Brown County State Park's west entrance, in.gov/dnr/parktake/29d8.htm (hiking); browncountymountainbiking.com (biking)

OCTOBER 2014 I IM 65 - MORGAN-MONROE STATE FOREST - widened, and there before me was the mother of ail rock shelters: a deep recess, SURPRISE! A REMARKABLE WILDERNESS naturally carved from solid rock, that LIES RIGHT ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF INDY'S slithered along under an overhang for a distance of too feet or more. The serpent• like furrowfeels like the kind of awesome, baffling feature that shouldn't he there hut, incredibly, is. An obscure sanctuary that, once found, you don't want to leave. After a climb hack up the hillside, the trail forks, with one route back to the traiihead and another that turns east into the wild backcountry of the state forest, miles and miles of ridges and ravines just like these, and the very good likelihood that you'll encounter not another soul, but more inspiring places that are good for your own.

STAY You don't have to camp for a deep-woods overnight in Morgan-Monroe: Draper Cabin ($52.IO/night. two-night inlnimum). a restored, 150-year~old log structure, offers a stone fireplace and an outhouse (but no electricity or running water), while handsome Cherry Lake Lodge ($150/ night, two-night minimum) has amenities like a full kitchen and a deck with a gas grill.

GRAVE CONCERNS Historic burial places dot the state forest, most notably Stepp Cemetery, located just west of the intersection of Forest and Beanblossom roads (look for the unmarked gravel pull-off and low stone wall). Local teens have long thrilled to t's a good thing I didn't read up much on switchbacks to a shady, fertile ravine below. Stepp spook tales—beware the Rock Shelter Trail, the 3.1-mile first From there, it splashes across a babbling the haunted stump!—but leg of the Low Gap. Before embarking, creekbed and meanders deeper into the nar• be respectful: Wreaths, I imagined—dumbly—finding a hovel rowing vale. Progressively higher cliffs rise up flags, and plush toys Iof stacked stones abandoned in a holier by on either side as the path picks its way around testify to the fact that settlers, or maybe remnants of the cellar-like tumhled-down boulders, and the watchful loved ones still visit springhouses that old-timers built into hill• observer will begin to notice, between crags, these memorials, too. sides all around Southern Indiana. Not until a dainty waterfalls and, curiously, rock projec• mile or so in did I realize how far off the mark tions that jut out from the hillside to form »-Y ALTERNATE I'd been—and experienced the kind of a-ha cozy, cave-like enclosures underneath. After ROUTE Setting out from the main forest office, discovery that hikers live for. spotting two or three such formations, I slowly the one-mile Tree Identifica• The trail follows a fire road through a dry, realized that perhaps these were the "Rock tion Trail consists of a pleasant, kid-friendly breezy ridge-top forest before zigzagging Shelters" this portion of the trail was named self-guided tour of Hoosier trees, with down a precipitous hillside in a series of for. Then I turned a blind corner, the ravine easy-to-spot markers calling out more than 30 species, from black gum to basswood.

GETTING THERE Take S.R. 57 S, turn left past Martinsville at the brown "state forest' sign, take Old S.R. 57 to the A companion map is available 24/7 outside big wooden Morgan-Monroe sign, turn left, and follow Forest Rd. to the Low Gap traiihead. in.gov/dnr/forestry/48l6.htnn of the office.

Q: Can my buddies and I drink beer on the trails? A: Alcohol is perfectly legal on almost all trails, says the DNR. but not necessarily a great ide -especially if you get falling- down drunk and risk plummeting off a ravine. Stilt, booze-related injuries are comparatively rare. Of greater concern is the threat of dehydration, which can happen when you try to replenish your sweaty, overheated body with booze instead of H2O. But no matter the beverage, make sure you don't ditch your empties by the trail. That's 100 percent against the rules. MORE RAMBLE, LESS GAMBLE - FRENCH LICK -

THIS PEACEFUL ROUTE UP MT. AIRIE FEELS A

WORLD AWAY FROM THE NEARBY SLOTS. .,...„.„.M.lil»8iIffAM«.„.,-.

fter signing in at the area's numerous slopes as it Valley Links golf rises toward Mt. Airie. course's pro shop— My nostrils detected the a courtesy for using scent of fresh pine long ALL-TERRAIN FUN Athe free trails—1 followed the before 1 noticed the fallen - - signs to Buffalo Trace, a loop needles on the ground; the so named for the eponymous temperature seemed to drop RISK AND REWARD AWAIT MOUNTAIN-BIKERS path that once graced the land 10 degrees as 1 roiled through AT THIS HISTORIC SOUTHEASTERN nearby. The loop ascends into a grove. About halfway up, INDIANA OUTPOST. BY ROBERT ANNIS the hills from the French Lick the more difficult four-mile Resort complex, but travers• Waterfall Loop connects to ing the trail clockwise pro• Buffalo Trace, and it proved a vides a slightly more gradual worthwhile detour—a small uphill climb than tackling it waterfall lies 1.5 miles in. from the steeper opposite Many of French Lick's direction. visitors rarely find them• ersailles saw actimi To get to the Cliff side and A glutton for punishment, selves outside the luxe onsite during the Civil Creeksidc trails, the most 1 took the harder route. As my casino, so traffic on Buffalo War, as Confeder• scenic of the lot, 1 traversed legs churned and my lungs Trace can he sparse. During ate troops hriefly Shadow Run, an easy four- screamed for more oxygen, I my visit, the only other riders Vheld the city during the mile jaunt perfect for opening quickly realized this stretch I came across were a young infamous Morgan's Raid. up the legs. Two miles in, has significantly more eleva• couple exiting the woods as Now most of the sleepy 1 reached Cliffside, rising tion gain than most Hoosier 1 approached the trail. (Next hamlet's local excitement is 250 feet and running along trails—including Brown time, wear helmets, guys.) of the two-wheeled variety: the hillside—the dropoff to County's Hesitation Point. The wide mix of terrain over the ravine can be steep, so Designed by Alex Stewart, •-»• GOOD TO KNOW Versailles State Park's 16 stay alert. The topography the architect of much of The pro shop offers bike rentals miles of singletrack has made is worth the risk, though, 's costing $25 for four hours—and a the trail system a favorite particularly for the lovely acclaimed singletrack, Buf• shower If you bring your own of many Hoosier riders, it's waterfall you ride by. Cliffside falo Trace contours to the towel, gratis. also why local race promot• connects to Creekside, which ers love using the park for descends, splashing across a GETTING THERE • SR. JZStoS.R 60 W. left on FleenotRd.. righton W. events, such as Doing INdiana couple of ankle-deep streams, County Rd 700 N. left on N. County Rd. 500 W. right on S. R. 56. and right into Off-road's (DING) 24-hour to the traiihead along Laugh- French Lick Springs Hotel, where the trail begins, frenchlick.com mountain-bike race. Each ery Creek. When 1 noticed the September, the event allows herons and cranes relaxing hardcore riders to bike the in the creek, 1 shook the urge course for 24 hours straight. tojerk my handlebars to the At night, members pedal with right and take the refreshing high-powered lights atop plunge. their helmets and handlebars, taking over the forest from DON T FORGET An the owls, raccoons, and other extra pair of socks, for when the animals that normally own water level's high at Laughery the night. Creek.

TBHWTJ!N:1A Take 1-74 E to US. 421S. follow for 26 miles, torn right onU.S. 50. The park will be on your left. The hike trails can he accessed from the parking lot closest to the camp store, in.gov/dnf/parklake/2965.htm

OCTOBER 2014 1 IM 67 In 1973, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources tasked a young Univer• KNOBSTONE101 sity of Oregon graduate, Jerry Pagac, with creating a iong-distance hiking trail along the stark hiuffs and ravines of an escarpment rock formation in South• ft ern Indiana that featured round-topped hills, or "knohs." The result: Indiana's lengthiest footpath, stretching across 58 miles of the state's roughest terrain Three ways to dip your boots into and two state forests—from Deam Lake State Recreation Center in Borden to the Knobstone Trail, Indiana's longest Deianey Park in Salem. footpath—a beloved practice run for Avid hikers often use the Knobstone to warm up for longer hikes along the the Appalachian Trail. Appalachian Trail—even calling it "the little AT." But if you'd like an easier BY ADAM WREN introduction, these three day hikes will do the trick. Gird your glutes!

COMING SOON Plans are afoot to triple ^ the Knobstone's length by connecting it to the Tecumseh Trail south of Martinsville, DELANEY PARK LOOP extending Knobstone to 150 miles. The | 6 miles / Moderate Knobstone Hiking Trail Association, which | Consider this section Knobstone's Choose Your is working with property-owners to get Own Adventure area, where you can shorten easements for portions passing over pri• our suggested route to a quick two-mite jaunt vate land, is aiming for a 2016 completion. J or extend It to a nine-mite circuit past Spurgeon Hollow Lake. The six-mile loop, however, will take you around logging operations (and consequently, the trail is sometimes rerouted). Dotted with patches of greenbrier and water- .OVE THE KNOBSTONE? bars, this region features a mix of flat footpaths You can thank the National and inclines, too. After mile marker 42d. you Trails System Act of 1968. can catch picturesque views ofthe forest thanks which spurred its construction. to thin trees and fail colors. Near Spurgeon Hollow, you will contend with narrow sections of the trail that are often dense and overgrown. GETTING THERE From 1-65 S. take exit 29 to S.R. SNAPPY SHUTTLE (812-620-0023, 56 toward Salem, right on S R. 135. right on Deianey snappyshuttle.com) will pick you up and Park Rd., and then right into Deianey Park. take you back to your car for $50 for the first rider and $10 for each additional rider. It's best to call a week ahead of your hike to schedule shuttle service and pick-up and dropoff logistics. An emergency shuttle service is available for LEOTA TO ELK CREEK LAKE $45 If you re unable to finish a hike. 7 miles / Rugged Here, you II start your hike near a picturesque valley but will quickly ascend 850 feet above the nearby town of Leota. Next, you II enter the trail's backcountry and some of its most HISTORY! In March 2012. the EF4 challenging terrain, including steep uphill Henryville tornado erased some of this climbs and switchbacks. For most of the rest of section's most scenic and canopied the hike, you'll trudge under a deep canopy of views, flattening a sea of trees In Clark chestnut oaks as the dirt trail snakes through State Forest. You can still observe the a dry creekbed, thinning to only a foot wide damage—and slow recovery—today. in some places, with a 60-degree-or-so drop between knobs. At mile marker 32, your sylvan toiling pays off with a stunning, foliage-framed view of Elk Creek Lake. GETTING THERE From 1-65 S. take exit29 to S.R- 56 toward Salem, left on Zion Rd.. right on f Stagecoach Rd., righton Leota Rd., right on Saylor DEAM LAKETRAILHEAD Rd.. and right into the gravel traiihead entrance. TOMILEMARKER10 10 miles/Rugged Start your trek at Deam Lake, the Knobstone's southern terminus. From there, serpentine paths and moderate terrain get the blood flowing. At mile marker 4, the trail tapers atop Bartle Knob, where you TAKEALONG The path's quin• can catch your breath, grab a snack, and enjoy autumnal views of Blue Lick below. Just feet from mile tessential guidebook, A Guide marker 6 stands a rock formation carved with the initials of Hoosier hikers dating back to 1896. Steps off to the Knobstone Trail: Indiana s the trail, just up a hill to the north, rises Round Knob, one of the footpath's highest marks. Mite marker Longest Footpath, by Louisville 10 provides a panoramic vista of Louisville-a sight that will make you forget your aching legs. naturalist Nathan D. Strange GETTING THERE From 1-65 S. take exit 16. Head west on Memphis-Blue Lick Rd.. left on Bartle Knob Rd.. left (Indiana University Press, $9.98) on Beyl Rd.. and then right on Crone Rd.. which picks up on Cummins Rd. Take a right on Wilson Switch Rd.. and then left on Flower Cap Rd. The Deam Lake Traiihead will be on your left.

68 IM I OCTOBER 2014 f I had my trip to do over, i you to that | LINES IN THE SAND would hike the Succession precious habi• Trail—the most impressive tat the ranger - INDIANA DUNES NATIONAL LAKESHORE I of three eonj oined loops in described: ONE-OF-A-KlND HABITATS ALONG LAKE the national lakeshore's West pockets of wet, MICHIGAN OFFER HIKERS MORE THAN JUST A DAY Beach area—twice. low-lying sand known as AT THE BEACH. BY EVAN WEST A ranger had described "pannes," which, due to their the trail as perhaps the most high alkalinity, support threat• ecologically unique corner ened and endangered plants like mENDORSE of Indiana. I was skeptical. lakeshore rush, rose gentian, Somehow, right on the border and horned biadderwort. of gritty, Rust Beit Gary, andjust Resembling little swamps, but a few miles from roaring I-94, without the muck, the pannes lay not only windswept, grass- are flanked by a grove of Jack speekled dunes, but hardwood pines held over from Indiana's and fragrant evergreen forests; a post-glacial days, the southern• wetland wildlife sanctuary; and most indigenous colony of the even, the ranger said, "one of trees in the Great Lakes region. the rarest habitats in the world." From there, a short scramble We'i/see, I thought. delivers you to the lakeshore Farthest inland, the flat and the most disappointing 1.6-mile Long Lake Trail fol• stretch of the hike—passage lows the westernmost bank through a brick-and-concrete of its namesake and a shallow bathhouse and along a paved marsh—a renowned birding site driveway. In an instant, the thought to be the only place in natural beauty I should have the state to see the Red Crossbill backtracked to see again seemed and Long-eared Owl. Next, the not just a hundred feet behind 1.4-miie West Beach Trail rings but miles away. a crater where sand was mined before the land came under »-Y DETOUR! , federal protection. Restora• about a half-hour drive east of West tion efforts there established a Beach, may be the last feature of its scarce "oak savanna," a prairie- kind In Indiana. The 300-acre bog's like setting of sparse trees and lake, formed by a hunk of melting dense, golden grasses evocative glacier, is up to 70 feet deep in some of Africa's dry plains; it also places and covered by a thick mat hosts Indiana's lone native of sphagnum moss. Only very rare cactus species, the Eastern vegetation, including three species prickly pear. of carnivorous plants (inset), can The Succession Trail Loop, tolerate the highly acidic water. The though, proves the center• public may access the bog's interior piece, beginning in powdery, via a floating plastic boardwalk by calf-burning sand and climbing appointment (2I9-595-J882) or at a 250-step wooden staircase up Sunday open houses. the side of a sun-parched dune. After a heart-stirring 180-degree view, the path drops down a sec• ond staircase into a bowl dense with deciduous trees shaded by high, sandy ridges. Another climb, panoramic summit, and GETTINGTHERE • Take 1-65 N to Gary, east on U.S. 12 (Dunes Highway) to descent takes you across more National Lakeshore West Beach entrance at County Line Rd. nps.gov/indu/index.htm shifting dunes, and then delivers

1

Q: What's the dumbest thing someone has done on a state trail? A: Indiana conservation officer Jet Quiilen says you shouldn't hike a couple of days after major surgery. Which, apparently, a few geniuses have attempted. "They get out a mile or two and realize they've pushed themselves past their limit," he says. "Then conservation officers or firefighters have to hike in and pretty much carry them out.' Also, don't trek in wingtips, flip- flops, or bare feet. "I've never seen high heels, but I've seen a lot of footwear that wasn't meant for hiking," Quiilen says.

OCTOBER 2014 I IM 69 A WORTHY QUARRY - FRANCE PARK -

TRAIL IMPROVEMENTS HAVE THIS LOGANSPORSPORT M

DESTINATION ON THE UPSWING. BY ROBERT

s a Logansport Off-road (DING) race orga• efforts, few sections are native, i spent nizer Brian Holzhausen, truly challenging, making much of my park staff, and volunteers the route an ideal place to formative years at began to drag the trails into really open it up and get in Athe expansive France Park, the 21st century. A longer, some fast laps. camping, swimming, and more manageable descent Pedaling up to the edge of trying to iook cool in front replaced a terrifyingly steep the limestone cliffs, though, of the ladies. It wasn't until downhill. And a technical offered me the perfect time I ventured to Bail State in climb flanked by limestone to slow down a bit. Below, the early 1990s, though, that cliffs and dense tree cover a crystal-blue vision of mountain-biking really took took the place of a much- the Gld Kenneth Quarry off at the Northern Indiana too-difficuit uphill hike-a- opened up, with large sha• recreation spot. bike section. dows moving in the water. France Park, however, The best way to navigate Reaching up to seven feet eventually got stuck in a rut. the trails, I've found, is by long and i6o pounds, these Trails that once seemed fast foilowingthe DING race massive paddiefish iook and exciting to hundreds of route, a map of which can fearsome but are actually mountain-bike noobs were be found at dinoseries.com. very gentle creatures. Bald SALLY rendered tame and boring Trail markings are virtually eagles, too, pass through the over the ensuingyears as nonexistent, so print out the park, so stash a pair of bino• MARCHAND other parks across the state map beforehand or ask for culars in your hydration COLLINS began building their own one at the gate. Even with pack in case you're lucky singletrack. France Park's map in hand, be prepared to enough to catch a glimpse. MOUNTAIN-BIKE RACER WHO mountain-bike glory days do some wandering; luckily, PLACED THIPD AT THE200724-HOUR seemed to be over. the park is fairly small, so * 'DON T FORGET'ibur WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS That is, until the past few it's impossible to get too swimsuit for the dear-as-glass years, when Doing INdiana lost. Despite volunteers' quarry lake. "Brown County's GREEN VALLEY guar• antees a smile. It's a fast, swooping trail that causes me to scream like a little gir as I launch off the top of each little roller- coaster peak. There are times I find myself sideways as I punch out of a turn, hoping I hit the ground before the next bend." browncountymountain biking.com GETTINGTHERE • Take U.S. 421N to S.R. 29. and then take the U S. 24 Logansport Bypass, francepark.com

70 IM I OCTOBER 2014 he Hickory Ridge Look• rottingbark; sunlight sneak• out Tower soared into ing through the towering pine the sky as I reached the trees. Below, rust-colored Sycamore Trail park• needles dusted the ground, inTg lot. The tower, built by the making the hike softer on my Civilian Conservation Corps feet. The difficulty returned in back in the '30s, would wait, the hills that follow the curves though—my reward for taking ofa narrow cliff. on the Sycamore Trail, the sole After rejoiningTerrili and hiking-only path in the Charles making my way back to the C. Deam Wilderness, 13,000 parking lot, it was finally time acres of steep ridges, curving for Hickory Ridge. The 110-foot creeks, and thick woods within gray steel tower's narrow stair• the Hoosier National Forest. case shook slightly as 1 climbed The loop begins on a small to the cramped overlook, once stretch of the Terrili Ridge Trail used for spotting fires. When and then turns east and forks 1 saw "Turn Back!!" scribbled in two directions—stay to the on the railing fourflights up, right. Hardly anything broke my heart pounded, and 1 briefly the path's peace, especially considered doingjust that. after I lost ceil service when Two flights from the top, an the elevation sank alongside a encouraging "Almost there" bare creek bend. I encountered kept me going. The 360-degree only a handful of other back• sightline revealed a brilliant packers—and two fluttering, sea of sycamores, beeches, and irst, the bad news. The gradually descends into the biack-and-orange monarch but• pines. I scanned with pride the four cascades that give canyon until you can hear terflies—during my three-and- woods I had just hiked beneath. Ciifty Fails its singular creek-hikers at the bottom. a-haif-hour adventure. On the way down, I noticed appeal slow to delicate Pass by a daunting wooden F"bridal veils" in autumn. The stairway to Lilly Memorial Along the way, I spotted another message—"You are awesome!" Indeed. upside: Even without the and pick up Trail 5, a smooth, other lovely bits of nature: plunging flumes that arrive high passage with occasional moss-coated rocks bordering with spring's snowmeit, the wooden boardwalks and steps. the stream crisscrossing the •"^LOOKOUT! By the 1950s. steep canyon knifing through It ends at the prettiest, longest trail; mushrooms breathing off 33 lookout towers—used to patrol 178 the surrounding farms and forests the park's -acre nature pre• waterfall. Tunnel Fails, which for fire in the pre-aerial surveillance serve offers plenty of drama. sits in the middle of a broad and pre-cell phone days—dotted The nicely groomed trails clearing. You can see to the Indiana. Today, there are only 16 dip in and out ofthe wooded other side from a big observa• towers left, and all but one remain gorge and lead to ledges, rock tion deck next to the 83-foot open to the public. wails, and scenic overlooks. shaie-and-limestone wail. To flirt with the park's rigors, There are three ways back: I cobbled together a trek of a calf-busting staircase to the varying difficulty from inter• shaded road at the rim; the way secting trails, one that would you came, a gradual climb; or pass the two tallest falls. the wooden stairs at the half• Pick up a flat section of way point. Someone smartly Trail 3 across from the Poplar built benches into the observa• Crove parking lot and bear tion deck just for pondering right. The going is easy until the decision. a bend, when the woods surrounding Hoffman Fails ' DANGER! Copperhead open foryour first glimpse of snakes occasionally sun the canyon's immense scale, themselves on the trails. Stop by a sight striking enough to the nature center to see one in a compensate for the trickling glass case and read precautions. waters. 1 crossed a hulking log 4, »-> STAY The park's lodge-like bridge to Trail where the ter• Ciifty Inn (from $1lO/night. rain changes to short, natural- cliftyinn.dnr.state.in.us) perches rock staircases, slippery little above the Ohio River with a firepit grades, and slim paths right and patio backdropped by on the edge of the dropoff. panoramic views. Buy a s mores kit The choppy, meandering trail In the gift shop. O

ESiEBBEBSl^ Me SR. 57 s to the S.R. 45N/46Eexit Turn left onto E.Std GETTINGTHERE . * Take 1-65 S to Scottsburg and follow S.R. 56 easttoward St. Turn right onto S.R. 446. Turn left onto Tower Ridge Rd. and park at Hickory Ridge Madison to the park's south gate. When you see massive smokestacks from an Fire Tower fs.usda.gov/recarea Ohio River-front plant, you 're close, in.gov/dnr/parklake/2985.htm

OCTOBER 2014 I IM 71