Sauntering...

Hiking - I don't like either the word or the thing. People ought to saunter in the mountains - not hike! Do you know the origin of that word 'saunter?' It's a beautiful word. Away back in the Middle Ages people used to go on pilgrimages to the Holy Land, and when people in the villages through which they passed asked where they were going, they would reply, "A la sainte terre,' 'To the Holy Land.' And so they became known as sainte-terre-ers or saunterers. Now these mountains are our Holy Land, and we ought to saunter through them reverently, not 'hike' through them. - John Muir, quoted by Albert Palmer in A Parable of Sauntering .

Rowe Woods at Cincinnati Nature Center

So close to home, I wonder why we never have been on these trails before?

Beautiful day, clear, sunny and cold! Perfect hiking weather!

We entered the Preserve off of Tealtown Road from Old 74 in Glen Este. There is a $5 admission fee which can be used toward an annual membership within 30 days. There are 20 miles of undiscovered (by us!) trails in this preserve and I'm intrigued!

We started on the Upland Trail with the intention of taking the Whitetail Trace trail, but we missed the turn and ended up on the Fernwood Trail (1.6 miles) instead.

The sun was so beautiful out and cast such a great shadow that we had to capture it!

The trail is marked difficult, but on a dry day - well the ground is still frozen, it's not at all bad if you in good health. I can definitely see where this would be difficult if the ground were wet or muddy due to some steep inclines. This was the perfect trail to hit with frozen ground!

We pretty much had the trail to ourselves too - which is great, because hiking is best in solitude.

About two thirds of the way through the trail, we came upon the Groesbeck Lodge. I don't know anything about it - but check out this amazing slate roof!

Here is the whole building - beautiful architecture. It's fun to think about somebody actually living in this grand place in such a beautiful setting.

We wound are way from Fernwood Trail back onto Upland Trail where we came across Lotus Pond. You can just see what an amazing umbrella this tree is going to make when it has all it's leaves.


I'm really looking forward to discovering the other 18 miles of trails at this preserve - so lucky to have this so close to home!

http://www.cincynature.org/