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Wow! Indiana took a bit of a hit this weekend. I live in Central Indiana, so we got a mix of ice and snow. Northern Indiana and some parts of southern Indiana took on more of one or the other. It was a real mixed bag. I finally managed dig out my old hiking shoes, but found just cleaning off the porch and sidewalk a bit treacherous under the current conditions. Not good hiking for a beginner like me, in my opinion.
Still, I would have liked to have gotten out and done some hiking. The best I could do was some "close to last minute" christmas shopping later in the afternoon on Saturday. It was a truly beautiful time of day to be out and about. About four in the afternoon, the sun was shining through the ice covered trees at a low angle and the dancing light made them shine and sparkle. Absolutely enchanting. I felt a little like a four year old looking up and telling mommy to look at the shimmering lights. My boyfriend was trying desperately, of course, not to slide us off the side of the slush-covered roads, so I think I was driving him a little bit nuts with my "ooo's" and "aaahhh's".
Unfortunately, I am not one to drag a camera around everywhere I go, so I was unable to get a picture. I'm sure I'll get plenty of opportunities before the end of the winter. I'm hoping to get back out to Cataract Falls soon, as all the snow and rain we've received lately will have greatly improved the river's volume of water and there are bound to be some wonderful icicle shots from the overhangs around the falls.
Happy hiking and be careful out there!
I've recently purchased my first real piece of hiking equipment. It's a hiking pole made by Swiss Gear. It's something I've been wanting since I started hiking. My sense of balance going downhill and crossing streams over logs is a bit iffy, so I wanted something that could provide a little extra balance. Eventually I may get two, but for now I just wanted the one so I can keep a hand free for the camera.
The Swiss Gear Hiking Pole is a very nice piece of equipment for the price. I bought mine at Dick's Sports, which tends to be a little pricey, but I have seen it slightly cheaper at Wal-mart and online at Amazon. It's red aluminum with black ergonomic handles. The stick can be easily adjusted to height (which is great because I'm short). The handle has a small compass embedded in the head. I double checked mine and it seems to be working appropriately.
I've taken it out on my first hike and it worked just as I hoped it would. There is little to no flexing in the pole. The tip comes with a plastic cover or you can remove it to reveal the spike (would I would expect will be more useful during the winter months). I have found that just about or slightly above elbow height works best for me. I would give this product 4.5 stars out of 5.