Black Friday

We had a great Black Friday.  We drove within 50 yards of a small Wal-Mart, but did not stop.  (There was probably no place to park anyway.)

The photos below show where we went on Friday, November 25, the day after Thanksgiving.

We hiked the trail in the Barn Hollow State Natural Area. 

My hiking partners were Linda, my dad, my sister Janet, and her husband Dwight.

We needed the exercise and fresh air after our big Thanksgiving dinner the day before. 

Barn Hollow is the local name for the intermittent stream that drains directly into the Jacks Fork River. The 252-acre state area is deeply dissected by the 1.2-mile long canyon. 

The Conservation Department purchased the area in 1979. To protect the unique rugged topography and native flora, 115 acres of the tract were designated as a natural area.

We viewed the narrow, steep-walled hollow from a viewing platform located at the end of a one-half mile foot trail.

I counted seven 20-ft contour intervals on my topo map from the ridge top to the bottom of Barn Hollow.  That means it is at least 140 feet deep.

We had a great Black Friday!  

Eat your hearts out, you Shoppers.

A Beautiful Fall Day

Saturday was beautiful.  High temp in the upper 60s.  A great day for a hike. 

This is the view from the bluff above Alley Spring.  The red mill is almost obscured.  We took the 1.5 mile hike up and around the bluff.  My dad, the hooey stick master, age 84, went with us (see Sept. 29 post). 

The beauty of the day was enhanced by the inner glow all Cardinal fans are still experiencing.