Dateline: Martinsville, Indiana, September 9, 2014
Ok so,
We got up at 6 and loaded the car and I headed off to Morgan-Monroe State Forest south of Martinsville, IN. Target- the 3 Lakes Trail. There are now only 2 lakes because the dam broke on one- but I was not to be denied as you will soon see. I signed the log and started out, counterclockwise, and paused at times to look for birds. Before starting I had some kind of flycatcher and I got a good bird early- white eye ring dark eye secretive perhaps an ovenbird or a hermit or wood thrush. Trail easy, slate, dry stream beds, everything fine and I reached the second and last lake figured I was halfway ish.
Second half harder with ups and downs. At some point I stopped- tiny thorn in left shoe a la the classic children’s story, Andy and the Lion. I could feel it downhill so I stopped and pulled it out, didn’t really find a place to sit, turned to try leaning against 2 posts, looked at a low log…. Traveling on, soon I saw something I swore I’d seen before- a log cut out to make a step, a pile of wood chunks to one side- had been the left, was now the right. I actually stopped to look at it to see if the chips were the same, they kind of looked it because I had been thinking of taking one as a souvenir. Nah I thought…
And I went into another section of ups and downs- saw 2 women with loose dogs, one startled me, I startled him, and he was hackling. I almost asked them how far from the start they were, but didn’t. Then I hit a flat spot, had the distinct 10 mile feeling I was coming to the end, saw a road, crossed it… And then saw a third lake, looked a lot like the second lake, only I was approaching it from the opposite side… The trail does not parallel itself anywhere- I saw the same guy fishing the same spit on the dam, and then, I saw the arched branch in the water- Yogi Berra and Chevy Chase, deja vu and lampoon, I had blown it.
And to think I spent much of my solitude remarking (to myself, of course) that the trail was SO much better marked than Jockey Hollow… I decided to continue with the double back because it was the easier side and I knew what I faced (though I knew a hell of a lot about the other side too 🙂 and I was happy I had brought 2 waters. I forgot the food, but I don’t need food, I ate 6 donuts not too long ago. I was mad at myself briefly but I’m fit and no harm and it is soooo typical. It’s better to laugh at yourself than beat yourself up, right? Right.
I was out for over 5 hrs. I did experience much of that area of Indiana- twice. stopped on route 40 for dinner at the Cornerstone Inn for fish and chips and a heinekin- very good.
