Mount Rushmore, South Dakota, 8/5/24

 First of our micro hikes in the South Dakota Black Hills while visiting with Jim's grandson, Micheal.

Above the Mount Rushmore rock carvings of four presidents: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodor Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln. The presidents were chosen to represent the country's birth, growth, development and preservation. The moment is called the "Shrine of Democracy" although some call it the "Shrine of Hypocrisy" because the land was taken from the Sioux Nation.   

Wincopin trail, Savage Park, MD, 4/16/2024

Midweek afternoon stroll along the Wincopin red trail in the company of Master Gardener Ann Coran, who invited us on a spring wildflower hunt.

Photo above taken from the ridge between the Middle Patuxent and Little Patuxent rivers, close to the confluence of both. 

While pulling invasive garlic mustard along the trail, Ann drew our attention to numerous native ephemeral spring wildflowers.  Above: Spring beauty (Claytonia virginica)

Cutleaf toothwort (Cardamine concatenata)

Blue stones. Unusual enough that a sign drew our attention to them. None of the other stones in the river are blue. Apparently no one knows why they are blue although theories abound: mineral leaching, result of heavy storms? 

This hike, just 11 minutes away from our house, is a hidden treasure.  

We will be back.

 

Marshyhope Hike & Bike trail, Federalsburg, MD, 1/23/24

Our 3-day escape to Maryland's eastern shore brought us to Federalsburg, MD, just west of the Delaware border and east of Easton, MD.  Picnicked by a Marshyhope creek inlet and set off to explore the hike a google revue promised us.  As it was the tail end of a week of snow and bitter cold, we struggled at first to find an ice-free trail.

Then, heading north rather than south, we found a trail winding along the outskirts of town and crossing the wide creek twice.

 

 I decided to call it "the hike with the bridges."

The pale afternoon sun helped make this a delightful winter stroll.

Distance: 2.4 miles, no elevation.

Serpentine Trail, Soldiers Delight Natural Environmental Area, MD, 12/25/23

Set out to explore an area recommended by friends on this sunny Xmas day. 

And with good reason: we walked over serpentine rocky terrain formed 500 million years ago,  bordered by beautiful expansive savanna-like grasslands. In addition, the area is of historical importance as the soil is rich in chromium ore that was mined from the early 1800s until 1860. 

Above you can see the serpentinite rock that easily dissolves and erodes, leaving this stony unfertile soil. The area used to be called "serpentine barrens" as in barren of trees. The area is the largest grassland ecosystem of the eastern US. It was once part of the 100,000 acres of the Great Maryland Barrens in the Appalachian piedmont. 

Distance: 2.5 miles with ~ 300 elevation change. 

Caprock Coulee Trail, Teddy Roosevelt National Park, SD, 12/1/2023

 

Trough Canyon, South Branch of Potomac River, Romney, WV, 10/11/2023

Day outing with our Film Society friends to Romney, WV, to catch a ride on the Potomac Eagle

 The main attraction of the ride through the 6-mile canyon is eagle watching. With its 2000 feet cliffs, the canyon is a prime breeding ground for bald eagles. While we saw a number of them, perched on tree tops or flying low of the water, my camera did not allow me to capture any on film. 

Luray Caverns, Shenandoh Valley, VA, 9/29/2023

A one-day bus outing organized by Howard County Recreational Services led us to 

Luray caverns, the largest caverns in the eastern US. We strolled from one large room with stalagmites and stalactites to another. 

Can't remember which is which? Stalactites stand for "T" or top, and stalagmites stand for "G" or ground. Here at Luray, the rate of growth is about 1 cubic inch every 120 years.

Above, a stalagmite and stalagtite joined somewhere in the middle. 

Look carefully and you will see the water level in the middle of the picture and the stalagtites reflected in the water.

More phantasmagorical formations. 

And, in the middle of it all, an organ. 

 The Wishing Well.  

Good business for the privately owned caverns. We were told that at the end of each year two to three feet of coins are collected from the bottom and donated to charity.