Trails

In January of 2008, Chris and I hiked two trails at Carter Caves State Park in Kentucky.  A friend and I were supposed to hike Carter Caves today, but we got rained out. We hiked the Raven Bridge Trail, which is 0.7 miles in length, and the Three Bridges Trail which is 3.5 miles in length. We hiked the Three Bridges Trail over nine years ago on our first date.

The Raven Bridge Trail leaves from the vicinity of the lodge and golf course and connects to the Three Bridges Trail giving us an approximate hike of five miles. The Raven Bridge Trail is named after the Raven Bridge which is also adjacent to the Three Bridges Trail connection point. At this point we crossed paths with other hikers. Noticing our camera one of them offered to take our picture.

Being a chilly day, plus the fact I’m cold natured, I’m heavily layered. Below is a picture of this bridge approaching it from the The Bridges Trail, on our return trip back towards the lodge.  I made my hat, but lost it one day while out running errands.  Still have the scarf.  I never could find any yarn to match to make another hat.

You will notice the blue marks on the trees. I have to give Carter Caves an excellent rating on marking their trails – not the case on other hiking trails we’ve been on. The Raven Trail is marked in blue. The Three Bridges Trail is marked in red, and is often simply called the red trail. The trail is named after the three natural rock bridges which lay along the path. Attractions along the trail include Smokey Bridge (the park’s largest), Raven Bridge, Fern Bridge and numerous vistas of the lake. This trail can be accessed at several points including the lodge, the welcome center, the cabins and the campgrounds.

The park’s largest natural bridge is the Smokey Bridge. Chris explored the underneath side while I hiked above.

This picture doesn’t do justice to the steepness of the steps winding down between these two rock formations. At the bottom you hike beneath another natural bridge – Fern Bridge. Here we met other hikers who where from Cleveland, OH. They were warning us about the ice covered bridge.

We made it across by stepping on the moss-covered rock on the other side.

This is another part of Three Bridges Trail.

Some of the trail overlooks the lake. This is a popular stop for many hikers.

The above picture is what we call our spot. On that first date, Chris and I stopped here to rest and must have sit on this rock overlook (he closer to the edge than me) for over an hour and just talked. While he kept talking I just thought, he’s the one. I’m going to marry this man. The oven cleaning (another story – Why I Can’t Look at Oreos) came the following week.

The last time I hiked here this tree was fully intact.

This is one of the seven wooden footbridges along the trail.

A doe peeks through the trees at us.

I would recommend this trail for all you hiking enthusiasts. The Three Bridges Trail, inspite of some hilly spots it’s really not hard, and can be done at a liesurely pace in about two hours. Or take a picnic lunch and spend more time out in nature. Add another thirty minutes for the Raven Trail.

I’m thankful we have gotten to hike so much during our nine years together.

Happy Trails,

Chris and Jerri

What Is Yoga

Our friend, Jeff Hippler, yoga instructor

Several years ago I managed to do “yoga” for 120 days straight.  Then I skipped a day.  The number of skipped days eventually were higher in number than the actual practice days.  I’m referring to Hatha yoga - A form of yogic exercise that emphasizes specific postures in combination with controlled breathing. This is the most  widely practiced form of yoga in the West.

I have restarted the exercise or asana part of yoga.  In August I vowed to myself that I would do my best not to skip days with the goal of surpassing the 120 record I once had.  I’m thankful I have met that goal plus more.  Today made day 167.  I hope I’m not jinxing myself in stating this.  I’m still very much a novice.  Yoga is so much more than what we in the West usually associate with it.

What is the true essence of yoga?  Most will think of it as the stretching exercises.  It’s a very loosely used term.  It can be different things to different people.  Yoga means to yoke, join, or unite with that field of Origin which we have termed God.

My belief is that yoga is a practice of life and finding out who we are in this life and what our purpose is, and how it all relates to God, and how it all actually is God, which may be the conclusion drawn if you are successful in the yogic quest.  I see yoga as relating to all life and how we handle ourselves in all of our relationships in this life – relationships of not only the human kind but of our relationship to all life, what’s on our planet Earth.  A thing called time, the laboratory or theater or school where we can experiment, play out our dramas, and study the lessons in finding our answers, will roll out and unfold for the yogic journey and then will roll back up and disappear when not needed.

 

 

Size Stretch Pants

 

It’s almost the beginning of a new year, and also that time of year, the eleventh hour, when everyone resolves once again to do what they resolved to do at the beginning of the year – shape up, lose weight, and become healthier.  Very few of us do achieve our lofty goals.

The other day a friend told me that she was now into a size 10.  I was happy for her. It also made me think I don’t even know my size.  Somehow size accountability went down the tubes along with the bathroom scale becoming dustier and my discovery of black stretch pants.

Almost everyone we know, including our parents now in their 70′s, has purchased new workout equipment or exercise applications for their smart phones.  I am a strong proponent that it is never too late to start on the road to better health.  As for myself, I have no excuse.  I’m surrounded by hiking trails and can boast of a Crayola assortment of yoga mats.  My biggest obstacle is to put my theoretical healthful living into actual daily practice.

For 2011 my resolution is to practice living fully in the present moment and to be thankful for my blessings.  At this moment I’m thankful for stretch pants.

 

Snowy Trek

Today I seriously bundled up and ventured out in the woods for an hour of hiking.  Two pairs of socks, two pairs of gloves, two hats, two pairs of sweat pants, a wool sweater, sweatshirt and regular top along with a hooded coat was my attire – Michelin woman.  It was somewhere around fifteen degrees.  It’s hardly climbing Mount Everest, but for me it was a small victory just braving the outdoors in such cold weather and staying warm.  I did stay surprisingly warm – not toasty, but warm.  I’m not a cold weather person at all.  I’m thankful for the calories burned and for the commune with nature.

More snow, possibly ice, is predicted to begin tonight.  Maybe I will do the Jeremiah Johnson trek again tomorrow.