"Add to the interest of winter hikes to know that these flowers are already waiting below ground"

So autumn changed to winter, but that didn't alter our desire to get into the great outdoors. Even though it was colder and COVID-19 numbers were looking better, we still wanted to continue countering the pandemic blues. Despite all our previous hikes (or perhaps because of the lingering effects of the quarantine 15), we still felt a bit out of shape as we struggled to the top of Blackhand Gorge State Nature Preserve (top left). After a snack break at the bottom of the hill, we were able to chug back quickly to our car on the multi-purpose trail that used to be a railroad track bed (top right). Ohio gonna Ohio, which means a lot of variation in weather. Just four days later, the temperatures had risen and the snow had melted at Little Rocky Hollow State Nature Preserve (bottom left). We thoroughly enjoyed the solitude of the sun-dappled trunks in the permit-only park (bottom right).

 

 

And then just two days later, it was a white Christmas at Slate Run MetroPark (left). During our mid-morning hike, we were among the first to break tracks in the powder -- if you didn't count the cardinals kicking up flakes at the bird feeder (right). That day's beauty made us take a chance on hiking some other area MetroParks, Prairie Oaks and Sharon Woods, but the gray and blustery weather made both less than enjoyable, and not worth writing home -- or much in a blog -- about. 

  

So we redirected back to local preserves, state parks, and national forests, particularly ones with breweries nearby, so we could ruddy up our cheeks with more than windburn:

• Gahanna Woods State Nature Preserve, near Gahanna, where we lit into Edison Brewing Company because the nearest microbrewery, Kindred Brewing, hadn't become Crafted Culture Brewing yet
• Myeerah Nature Preserve, near Bellefontaine, where we made good on a promise to pass on well wishes from the owner of Backroom Brewery to a former employee, now the proprietor of Roundhouse Depot Brewing Co. 
• Old Stone Church Trailhead in Wayne National Forest, near Shawnee, where we sampled Hocking College Fermentation Science program's output at Black Diamond Tavern
• Great Seal State Park, near Chillicothe, where we checked out the easterly outpost of Fifth West Brewing Company
• Salt Fork State Park, near Cambridge, where we hit up Southside Brewing Co. at Georgetown Tavern on the Hill
• Char-Mar Ridge Park, near Westerville, where we got cheerier than happy little snowmen (top left) at Galena Brewing Company 

By February, we were nearly running out of options so we doubled back to Boch Hollow State Nature Preserve, which now featured icicles instead of waterfalls (top right). This time, we did a shorter loop from the east trailhead, out on the Cemetery Trail (bottom left) and back on the Buckeye Trail. The former path is named after an old graveyard along the way. If the snow hadn't made the headstones stand out so much, we might have passed right by (bottom right).

   

But by far the best hike-hops combo we did started at Long Hollow, where we really had to gear up for some deep snow and frigid temperatures (top left). We did a circuit, first stopping at Twin Falls, both of which had created towering ice stalagmites (top right). Then we trekked on to Chapel (or 21 Horses) Cave, whose cavernous walls were a blessed respite from a biting wind (bottom left). We circled past Airplane Rock overlook before heading back to the parking lot. On our drive home, we stopped at Double Edge Brewing Company, which was featuring a beer-cookie pairing for Valentine's Day (bottom right). Some scenic sites, some yummy bites, and a tasty flight -- not bad at all for a made-up, commercial holiday.

  

 

I'll throw one more adventure in this post, even though it strayed far from both "winter" and "hiking." During the shutdown, I participated in an online auction to benefit members of the Ohio Craft Brewers Association. Much to my astonishment, I made the winning bid on a two-night package at Fibonacci Brewing Company, which has an onsite AirBnB. We stayed in the Goat View 2 room, which honestly had a better perspective on the beer garden than the goat pen (top left). Nonetheless, we had plenty of interaction with Honey, Fiddlehead, and Buttercup (top right). It would be hard to describe the weather as wintry, but still, it was nice to have a fire pit nearby during the live evening music (bottom left). During the day, we didn't even need a jacket at Mt. Airy Forest, where the sunlight was encouraging plenty of green budding (bottom right). After our hike -- um, walk -- we stopped by some nearby establishments -- Blue Jay Restaurant, Brink Brewing Co., Humble Monk Brewing Co., West Side Brewing, and Vince's Other Place -- that left a spring in my step, just as that season was blossoming.

   

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Hastings, George T. “SPRING FLOWERS IN THE WINTER.” Torreya, vol. 24, no. 1, 1924, pp. 1–4. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/40596305. Accessed 1 June 2021.