My boys and their friend, throwing rocks at ice of course!
The weather finally warmed up enough to get outside for awhile. We have had several days of frigid weather and we were getting tired of being inside all day. We are naturally outdoor type people and it is hard to get through the winter months, not just because it is cold but because it gets dark early too. We hiked around the backyard woods and looked at all the cool icicles and frozen waterfalls. I say backyard like I have some ownership but it really belongs to everyone. It is the Daniel Boone National Forest and our backyard backs up to it. It makes it seem like we have an endless yard to explore right outside our backdoor! There are lots of rock shelters, little caves, overhangs and big boulders in the area. There is also some pretty cool rock climbing routes. One of the overhangs used to be the site of a moonshine still and you can still find a few canning jar lids if you know where to look. The hiking around here is not like your typical state park maintained trail. You have to work your way through some prickly briers and climb up and over rocks and downed trees. There are a lot of leaves on the ground so you have to be careful not to step in a big hole. Steep drop offs and cliffs keep you on your toes. Most of the time you are going up a hill or down a hill and some areas are pretty slick so you have to walk slow and sideways in some areas. In the winter, you have an added worry of huge icicles that could potential fall from high above and stab or crush you. It may sound dangerous but it is worth it all. The clean air, the beauty and diversity of the forest and rocks, the exercise you get without even thinking about it, make it an amazing experience for everyone who comes here.
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