Adventures with Mike and Nate

It's the first day of the new year! Let's start it out doing things that paddlers do!

The Plan:
We're going to hang out and have lunch and a swap meet at the National Guard Armory in Scottsburg, Indiana. Then we're going to get our boats wet at Hardy lake.

Details:
We'll meet at the Indiana National Guard armory in Scottsburg, Indiana. If you've never been in an armory, we'll have a large gymnasium to meet in along with a kitchen and restrooms. It also has as many tables and chairs as we'll need. There is plenty of room to set up corn hole boards, if anyone has any. Don't hesitate to bring your favorite board game or a deck of cards as well.

LUNCH:
We'll do a pitch-in like last year. Bring your favorite dish to share. I'll start a thread on my Facebook page so that we can coordinate. We had some really good food last year. My only regret is that I didn't get to it all. Also, don't feel like you can't come if you aren't able bring something. Everyone is welcome!

SWAP:
Bring your excess paddling and outdoor gear to see if someone can use it. Maybe someone else will bring something that you're looking for. We can set up some tables inside the armory to display your stuff for others to see. Please limit this to OUTDOOR GEAR ONLY! We don't need this to turn into a flea market with a box of Tupperware lids from the 80s. If you aren't sure about something, shoot me a message and I'll let you know if it's okay.

Along with Lunch and the Swap, we'll be hanging out, meeting some fellow paddlers, and working on some adventures for the coming year. Maybe I'll have some of my bigger trips ready for RSVPs. That would be nice...lol

PADDLE:
After we clean up at the armory, we'll head over to Hardy Lake for our traditional first paddle of the year! We'll take a nice leisurely paddle around the lake and enjoy the day.

WARNINGS:

This is a FAMILY FRIENDLY event!

The paddling portion of this this event is WEATHER DEPENDENT. Please be prepared for changes to our plans if we don't have favorable weather.

While this is a beginner friendly paddle, this is also a COLD WEATHER event! Please know your abilities and make sure you're dressing for success. A wet or dry suit is preferable during cold weather adventuring. You never know when you'll have an accident. 'Better safe than sorry'. In the event that you don't have a wet or dry suit, make sure you're wearing synthetic stuff. COTTON IS A NOGO and wool gets heavy when wet. I would also suggest bringing a change of clothes, just in case.

This is an OPEN WATER event! There is no overhead cover. In the event that it's sunny, please bring sunblock. Sunny and cold can be deceptive! Be prepared!

If you don't have a boat but would like to join us, I'll be offering half priced rentals. Solo kayaks will be $30 and tandems will be $50 and include paddles and PFDs. Rentals are by reservation only.

Hardy lake is an Indiana state park and has an entry fee of $7 for Indiana residents and $9 for out of state. The DNR non-motorized boat sticker is required for use on INDNR managed waterways. The cost for the sticker is $5 and is good for the year. I'll see if I can grab a bunch prior to this. Let me know if you need one.

I hope to see a ton of you out there!

Join me for two nights at Turkey Run Inn and an opportunity for hiking at two of the most beautiful state parks in Indiana!

NOTE: Indiana state park lodges are offering a 2-for-1 special Sunday-Thursday on rooms this winter. Make sure you ask for that when booking.

THE PLAN:

DAY 1: 11FEB 11:00am We'll meet at the Turkey Run Inn restaurant for lunch and then we'll head over to Shades state park and Pine Hills Nature Preserve for hiking among some amazing rock formations along the Sugar Creek. Check-in at the lodge is 4pm so we'll get back at some point after that.

WARNINGS: Shades and Pine Hills Nature Preserve have lots of rocky and rugged footing with lots of stairs in places and may be muddy or icy this time of year. I'll contact the state parks before we get there so we know what to expect. Regardless of the weather, please wear appropriate clothing and footwear. Don't forget your ice spikes, just in case.

NOTE: If conditions are bad and we don't feel that it's safe to go hiking, bring your favorite boards games. We played for hours last year and had a blast!

We'll meet in the lobby at 6pm to head over to 36 Saloon in Rockville for supper. This is a really fun place and they have good food and a diverse menu. After supper, we can enjoy some of the amenities that the lodge has to offer (game room, board games by the fire, etc.) or you can do your own thing. The pool is currently closed for maintenance. I'm not sure when it will be reopening.

DAY 2: 12FEB 8:00am We'll meet for breakfast at the lodge and then head outside and hit the trails at Turkey Run State Park. This is one of the places that makes it into outdoor magazines on the regular. If you love hiking and haven't been to Turkey Run, you will NOT be disappointed. We'll start out like we did last year and take trail 1 to the covered bridge. We'll cross the covered bridge and catch trail 4 to the suspension bridge and the rest of the trails from there. We'll have the whole day to do what we want. Supper this evening can be at the lodge or we can find a restaurant outside of the park. I'll have some options ready and we can ask some locals at the lodge for recommendations. If anyone is interested in doing a pitch-in at one of the cabins, that's an option too.

DAY 3: 13FEB 8:00am We'll meet at the lodge for breakfast and head out for the day. Most of us will be coming from the south, so it shouldn't be too far out of the way to stop at Cataract Falls. This is the largest waterfall in Indiana and its on a very large fossil bed (similar to the beds at Falls of the Ohio). There is also a covered bridge over Mill Creek, just above the falls. Great photo ops abound in this small part of Cataract Falls State Recreation Area. If it's cold enough that the falls are frozen, bring your spikes and we'll go for a little hike. Once we finish here, we'll head for home.

Some more information:

This is Parke county Indiana where covered bridges are plentiful. It is also home to the Sugar Creek, Racoon Lake SRA, Turkey Run State Park, Shades state park, Pine Hills nature preserve and many more outdoor recreation opportunities.

The lodge has rooms and cabins. You may find someone in the group looking to cut costs and share lodging. Don't hesitate to ask in the comments. As far as personal details, I'd keep that to private messages.

I'll contact the park a few days before to get some trail and ice conditions in the parks. They are a bit farther north so we might get to see some frozen falls. Keep your fingers crossed!

WARNINGS:
With the chance for ICE comes the increased chance for HAZARDS. Please understand your abilities, the conditions of any trails, and the equipment (spikes and trekking poles) that you may need to make this a safe and fun hike. If you have some questions, ask in the comment section or send me a message.

There are also STAIRS, LADDERS, and ROCKY SURFACES on some trails (can be avoided by taking other routes). So please know your abilities and equipment and plan accordingly.

Please don't hesitate to ask any questions. I try to answer as many as I can in the description, but I can't think of everything. So hit me up. We had a blast on this adventure the last 3 years and I don't expect any less this year. I hope to see a bunch of you there!