Hike Distance: 3.1 miles Yearly Hike Distance: 802.6 miles
Elevation Gain: 206 feet Yearly Elevation Gain: 105861 feet
A very interesting day that turned out fairly well. It began when I drove to the southern end of the Ridgefield Wildlife Refuge and a volunteer walked up to me. She then stated that the road and Kiwa Trail was closed due to the spotting of a cougar a couple of days prior! They still allowed cars to drive around the loop but specified that everyone must stay in the car.
So, I headed north to the Carty Unit of the Ridgefield Wildlife Refuge to go for a hike. I stopped and talked with the wildlife service and they mentioned this area wasn’t closed, due to the cougar, because a large body of water separated it from this area.
I believed I could hike about 5 miles in this location, if the trails were all accessible. Unfortunately, the water level was very high and much of the trail system was cutoff by high water. 😦 There was still opportunities for hiking, and I took them. This is such a beautiful Wildlife Refuge and it doesn’t disappoint! There weren’t many birds, but I still took some pictures of what I saw. The oak trees were so majestic and are always a joy to see.
I did need to take extra steps to reduce the mosquitoes that were attacking my face but it wasn’t a big deal. I did spend some time clearing the trail of branches with my loppers and it feels good to give back to the trail.
During this hike I was using a newly purchased Panasonic G9 camera. I’m extremely pleased with the quality of the image and the camera’s capabilities. My previous cameras just didn’t give me the image quality and features I was looking for so I decided to bite the bullet. I’m selling my other cameras in order to make this camera more affordable, as I never planned on spending this much. The major drawback to this camera is the weight and size. That said, it’s quite a bit lighter than most SLR’s and it’s worth the sacrifice, to me, for what I’m getting.
As I said, an interesting day that turned out well and the fresh air and beauty didn’t disappoint!