Naturalist John Muir hated the word hike. He famously said “I don’t like either the word [hike] or the thing. People ought to saunter in the mountains—not hike!”
He believed that nature shouldn’t be treated as something needing conquering or to be endured. Instead he thought it should be experienced and approached reverently. Nature and the mountains in particular were a Holy Land to him and walking through them should be peaceful.
It should be a saunter.
And that’s exactly what I did today. I sauntered through Lake Katherine State Nature Preserve, stopping to admire tree bark, to watch squirrels scurry up their trees, and to admire tiny little wildflowers no bigger than the nail bed of a toddler’s pinky finger.
I ran my hand across many kinds of moss and admired the texture of rock walls that were here long before humans and will hopefully withstand us for many generations to come.
It was wonderful.
And despite going slow, I still worked in some nice cardio on the long uphill stretches. Here in Ohio, we tend to avoid the switchbacks seen in western outdoor spaces and send hikers straight up steep hills.
It will strengthen the heart, knees and lungs!
My hiking companions all seem happy going at their own pace so that makes it easier for those who need or wish to keep their own pace.
Since it was warm and humid I was quite happy going a little slower. All the same, it was a good day for a saunter and a good day to be outdoors.
The stoic philosopher Marcus Aurelius famously said “what stands in the way becomes the way.” I was reminded of this quote while hiking Saturday.
We hit the trail at Lake Katherine State Nature Preserve where we blessedly saw almost no human beings but we did see a good bit of standing water and flood water on the lower trails.
So we started down one only to hit a small lake where Salt Creek had flooded the trail and much of its surroundings. So we headed back to the parking lot and down another trail only to find similar results. So we backtracked to higher land and still had a wonderful hike.
It was an adventure and I enjoyed every minute. That’s because we were moving, we were outside, we were surrounded by tall trees, rock formations, and by reminders that real civilization is to be found in a quiet forest. Real civilization is in the quiet. It’s in a brisk breeze through hemlock. It’s in the birds that sing. It’s even in the small snake that graciously moved off the trail after nearly giving me a heart attack when the “twig” on the path started to zig zag toward my foot.
Evidently the shriek I gave off was uncivilized enough the snake went the other way.
Anyhoo, those detours gave us an excuse to see a trail coming and going. They also reminded us of the power of water and how forces of nature can put humans in their place.
I’m sure not everyone would be so thrilled by such detours but I thought it was a good day. Plus, we went over four miles which is my current personal best since developing a leg issue a few months ago!
What stands in the way when you’re determined to have a good day? Not a darn thing!
Some folks look for shapes in clouds. I search for faces in rocks.
This one isn’t just a face. It looks like an entire head with hair of ferns and moss. Can you see it? There’s a squinty eye, nose, cheek and a mouth fixed in a grimace just above a double chin. It reminds me a little of those modern 4D ultrasounds that give parents a better view of their child’s features.
Odd, I know.
This rock and many other fabulous sights can be found at Lake Katherine State Nature Preserve near Jackson, Ohio.
Lake Katherine State Nature Preserve has become one of my favorite places on earth. I had hiked there a few times over the years but it was always in the dead of winter or on sweltering Indian Summer days and always with someone else.
Last year I had a chance to explore solo and saw the place with new eyes.
The trails aren’t too long or too difficult for most hikers. But you can piece together a few trails for a longer experience. Each of them offers something outstanding to enjoy.
I stopped by after work one night earlier this month and was struck by how beautiful it is everywhere you turn. I was a little sad that I didn’t pack my camera that day because I saw a ton of birds, butterflies and dragonflies that my iPhone simply couldn’t manage. One dragonfly seemed to stick with me, providing unexpected company for several minutes.
It was a delightful end to a work day and much needed respite from life’s chaos. We all need that sometimes, don’t we? Remember this- there’s not much that can’t be fixed by fresh air in your lungs and dirt beneath your feet.
I abandoned my household chores yesterday in favor of a stroll at Lake Katherine State Nature Preserve.
I hiked the Salt Creek Trail and a short section of another trail. Starting down the path to the Salt Creek trail makes you feel like you’re about to do something truly special. I always have the sensation that I’m walking into a storybook.
It starts out wide, gradually becoming a bit more narrow as you begin a gradual descent. It’s still wide enough to walk beside someone but the trees appear to be leaning in to see who is coming down the path.
Then a sharp turn sends you further down where you glimpse a concourse of these incredible boulders on which hemlock grow.
In this spot, you will have the feeling that you are the first to discover it and the only one to hold the secret of its mystique. It feels like a place where you might encounter elves or trolls or maybe a centaur.
This time of year, leaves release their grasp on the limbs overhead, floating down to return to the earth from which they came.
If you are paying attention at all, as you reluctantly leave this spot, you will turn and look back. I promise.
Down, down, down you will go, enjoying a slight decrease in the temperature while catching glimpses of Salt Creek along the way.
You’ll follow a rock face and, in one particularly spectacular place, go under an outcropping of rock. The leaves fell in earnest here yesterday. I saw a butterfly here, heard the insistent buzz of a bee, listened to a distant woodpecker, and enjoyed the cry of a far off train whistle. If I have to hear civilization in nature, the mighty whistle of a train is pretty nice.
I always marvel at how nature bends to the will of its surroundings and you’ll see a lot of that along this trail. Trees grow from meager patches of soil on a rock, not as strong as some of the neighbors but, with a will to live that cannot be denied. Others will grow in ample earth in the shadow of that same rock, leaning to follow the contours of the stone while reaching skyward.
Others will stand alone in a place with no cover, growing increasingly twisted and gnarled by the wind. But they’re still trying and I admire that about them.
It is on a short spur off this trail that you will arrive at a flood plain filled with Paw Paw, Maple and Sycamore trees.
In this space, you will begin to feel very small – in the best possible way.
When you find a place in nature that makes you feel small, you will realize that your life and problems, your joys and mere existence in this grandly designed Universe are minuscule.
If you have never experienced this, I suggest you stop reading now and go find a place like Lake Katherine. You need to know what it is to be both alone and accompanied, at the same time, through the wilderness we call life.
Remember Michelangelo’s painting The Creation of Adam?
This is nature’s rendition.
It looks like they are reaching toward each other. Can you see it? You won’t find this kind of amazement in any manmade place.
Remember, a hike isn’t a footrace. Get the exercise, enjoy your quickened pulse but stop and look around – look up, down and behind you. There are untold joys and blessings to be found along the journey.
The land was once mined for coal and for a while was the site of a summer camp for boys called Camp Arrowhead. Today, it’s the Lake Katharine State Nature Preserve.
I had hiked there a few times over the years but always hiked the same trail. This time I chose a different trail that took me past the lake and a waterfall. There was a stand of pines, large boulders and all manner of wildflowers and fungi to enjoy. The birds were boisterous the day I visited and there were a ton of squirrels.
This fifty acre lake is surrounded by sandstone cliffs and open for recreational fishing.
The beautiful thing about nature preserves here in Ohio is that the trails are typically in great condition and they usually don’t draw big crowds. Also, pets are not allowed which is a big plus for those of us who are intimidated by dogs.
If you’re in southern Ohio and looking for a peaceful place to hike, fish or reflect, Lake Katherine is lovely. It’s almost idyllic.
Want the specifics? Find trail descriptions, rules and more here.
