Discovered gem - close to home.

[cmdr249]

I have found a little gem within my county for hiking/backpacking and/or fishing.

I have been looking for some place to go that wasn't too far away, and found this area within 5 miles of my home.

It is a 288+ acre county park with 7 distinct identified areas. There aren't any "mountains" but there is a lot of uphill/downhill trails. I'm very excited about it and can see myself heading there frequently.

It looks like a great place to get the family involved. My wife has said she would and wants to go and it looks like a great place to start my 3 1/2 year old son into the outdoors and hiking and fishing and learning. I'm truly excited.

The down side is that it's a county park so some outdoor skills can't be freely practiced, but that's what my little sections of woods can be for.

A couple views - taken with the cell camera on a "scout" of the area:

A look back - it had just rained about an hour before and you can see the mist/fog from the heat of the day.

Just before I got to this view point, I had passed an area that looked like it had a lot of raspberrys right along the trail. I didn't sample because I didn't trust my memory for identification and want to be sure, but possibly "yumm!".

A look ahead down the "pond" trail.

Of course, knife porn:

My newly arrived DP Knives Hunter Blood Wood handle - it had just arrived hours before.

The knife is really nice. Doug makes a good product and I'm looking at the companion...

Cell phone quality pics - I'm sure I'll have better pics later.

Thanks for looking. I'll update as I experience.

cmdr249

 

[j williams]

Nice area for sure. I like that DP too bro!

 

[tonym]

I like the looks of the area, looks great for a youngster. I plan on getting my 3 1/2 year old girl camping this summer. I'll probably do a state park to break her in.

That DP looks great, I love his bloodwood!

Thanks for sharing.

Get some pics of those berries!

 

[Horn Dog]

Nice country. Thanks for the pics. It's always nice to find a refuge close to home. Especially with gas prices so high!

 

[DOC-CANADA]

I think your cell phone takes great pictures.

You mentioned your wife is agreeable to start camping, etc. Let me give you a tip - for the first few trips, make absolutely sure the weather is going to cooperate, if it isn't, don't go.

When you go, you do the cooking and the clean up and any other of the 'dirty' jobs, leaving her free to truly enjoy the experience. If the first time she goes, it pours down rain, she has to cook and wash dishes without a proper range or dishwasher, as well as looking after your daughter (?), brother, she ain't gonna wanna go again!

However, once she experiences the joys of camping, without all the negative stuff, she will be much more philosophical about bad weather etc. when it occurs.

Best of luck with that.

Doc

 

[cmdr249]

I think your cell phone takes great pictures.

You mentioned your wife is agreeable to start camping, etc. Let me give you a tip - for the first few trips, make absolutely sure the weather is going to cooperate, if it isn't, don't go.

When you go, you do the cooking and the clean up and any other of the 'dirty' jobs, leaving her free to truly enjoy the experience. If the first time she goes, it pours down rain, she has to cook and wash dishes without a proper range or dishwasher, as well as looking after your daughter (?), brother, she ain't gonna wanna go again!

However, once she experiences the joys of camping, without all the negative stuff, she will be much more philosophical about bad weather etc. when it occurs.

Best of luck with that.

Doc

Thanks for that advice Doc. She's one not offended by the outdoors. She has a biology degree and likes bugs.

She hasn't had a lot of opportunity to ever go camping, and I haven't for a long time, so we are going to take it in stages and it should work as my son grows: From hiking/outdoors, to back yard camping in my woods or the grandparent's woods, to car camping, to outdoor/wilderness.

I appreciate the advice because just trying to "leap" without looking can ruin it.

Thanks for the compliments on the cell camera. It's off a Blackberry Pearl and it hasn't been too bad so far.

Also, thanks to all for the comments and encouragement. I really appreciate the comments from the peers here and the advice.

cmdr249

 

[Breedenknifegirl]

These pics look really good. Nice knife too.

 

[mystical woodsman]

Make sure you have some protection. Never know if you will run into someone out there or what kind of person they are. I would be weary of standing close to people out yonder too. When I talk to people in the woods, I keep a good 10 feet in between. Not to mention that even a wild coon or some critter could be havok, and rabies? Just be careful dude...

 

[Beroya]

You sure did find ya a nice little place to go and enjoy being outdoors! The close proximity to home really makes it nice.
If I am going to really get out and enjoy myself its at a minimum a 45 minute to an hour drive. Someone planted some concrete weeds in my use to be nice small town and they kept growing So everywhere I used to go within a few miles is now someones damn yard in a subdivision or a shopping center.

Whereabouts do you live Cmdr?

 

[MRpink]

Nice find! There are some places near my house I know would be great, but I haven't had time to go exploring.