Footsteps

I’m enjoying some summer time with the kids today and am re-posting one of our favorite central Ohio locations:  a little known trail by Hoover Dam on Hoover Reservoir in Westerville.

**More Arizona adventures, Boston exploration and some Frank Lloyd Wright to come…

Originally posted:  June 8, 2009

 

 In-Town Tourist: The "Other" Hoover Dam (Westerville, Ohio) [1:34m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

The Hoover Dam that brackets the Arizona/Nevada border may sell more postcards, but Ohio’s Hoover Dam is close enough to be a regular visit for us. Matt and I rode bikes across the imposing cement structure just last week, and on Friday we took Lily to swim at a secluded beach along its shore.

Like Alum Creek Dam to our north, Hoover brims with outdoor options for the active. Rollerbladers, cyclists and runners weave between those strolling or walking dogs along the paved pathway atop the dam. Sports fields, picnic and play spaces and a frisbee golf course are among the well-used amenities at the recreation area.

Less utilized is the canoe launch area below the dam and a delightful nature trail that leads to Lily’s swimming spot. The nature trail entrance is located to the northeast of the walkway at the edge of a parking lot turn-around. Blackberries abound in late summer (as does poison ivy, so pluck with care!) in a sunny stretch of brush near the trail head. After a short stroll west through woods, the path swings north again. We rarely continue the trail from here, however, opting instead to slip through one of the side paths that lead to the water.

A flat shoreline and an abundance of big sticks make this a great swimming spot for dogs. Most often we have the beach to ourselves but occasionally, to Lily’s delight, she finds a playmate such as Otis (pictured with Lily). There are always a few logs to climb over (or fall over if you’re me and having a less than graceful day), plenty of flat skip-worthy stones and some lovely views.

More on Lily the Lab

More “In-Town Tourist”: Hoover Reservoir

More “In-Town Tourist”

Tags: Deja Vu (Reposted "Favorites") by Heather Dugan
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I’m headed back to Arizona with my oldest son Zach this next week -but have stories from Cape Cod, Boston and the “Boom Boom Room”  in Bellevue, Kentucky in queue to post during my absence.  We’ll pack a video camera in addition to my trusted Nikon and hope to record some of our better hiking moments.

Our plans include hiking/biking near Sedona, photographing Antelope Canyon, floating around Horseshoe Bend, hiking into the Grand Canyon and -oh yeah!  A college visit.   We also hope to climb Camelback Mountain near Scottsdale again.  Here’s what happened the last time…

Originally posted on April 9, 2008.

 

 A Bug is a Bug [2:04m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

If I’d spotted it creeping across my carpet, I’d have crushed it into a paper towel with a shiver and no shame. But as this bug was moseying across red sandstone on Camelback Mountain, I instead dropped down to the best camera angle, thinking it quite spectacular.

As was the view… Camelback Mountain rises some sixteen hundred feet above downtown Phoenix. The incongruity of this heap of a mountain is striking as one gazes down into the flat basin of desert city below. Similar lumps of reddish rock loom in the distance, bold backdrops to Sky Harbor International’s constant air traffic. During my recent visit, a friend and I clambered up a trail labeled “strenuous” hoping for a good late afternoon work-out.

We got our work-out and then some! As a cardio-nut, I didn’t find it strenuous so much as “scary.” And altogether lovely… Sheer drop offs, sliding gravel, and the occasional wind gust made an inward lean preferable. Ascending the uneven terrain was akin to stepping up the equivalent of three or four stair steps at once. The climb required focus and a constant momentum, more than a little bit of nerve, and a lot of photos.

Camelback’s granite base soon gave way to sedimentary rock cemented with a pleasing rust colored sandstone that provided wonderful contrast to the sparse foliage along the way. Purple lupine sprouted steadfastly in unlikely places. The occasional palo verde tree clung tenaciously at cliff edge. Cacti such as yellow brittlebush, jumping (or “teddy bear”) cholla, hedgehog and barrel provided occasional splashes of color and texture.

The ascent was the easiest part. After a water break and panoramic elation, the rapidly approaching sunset chased us back down the mountain. We descended quickly, knowing how fast the flash from afternoon to darkness can be when shielded by a mountain. Climbing down felt a lot like downhill biking with the brakes on and made for good “jello” legs when we finally walked contentedly out from under Camelback’s shadow.

Tags: Deja Vu (Reposted "Favorites") by Heather Dugan
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