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This event will be a hybrid event, as it'll be a hike, a workday, and a orienteering exercise all at once. In a effort to make workdays more interesting, we'll be hiking the new route, pruning and doing some basic clearing as we go. The route is not a built trail, but an occasionally blazed and flagged route that's more like a hide and seek orienteering course. Everyone will get a chance to lead the group from blaze to blaze off trail, and finding the easiest way through. With trying to find the trail and stopping to prune the briars we will be walking through, pace will be around 1mph or possibly slower. Which in late July isn't a bad way to hike! This hike will be up and down some very steep hills completely off trail, some old fire roads covered in briars and more. Wear long sleeves and pants, and bring gloves and any pruners or loppers you might have. I'd also suggest a hat and head net as well as boots instead of shoes if you have them. Bring lots of water, snacks, food etc. This isn't a event you can arrive late to or leave early, so be warned. We might not be out there for 9 hours but it will easily be 6 or 7 hours long.
We'll meet at the gate to Hatfield Ridge at 8:15 am. I'll try to arrive 20 minutes early to open the gate. It's a 2 mile drive past the gate to the parking area at the end of the road. We'll sign all the DNR waivers, and then proceed with the hike. We'll head north to the MMSF border and then get on the new trail and hike south past Prather Lake, hitting Buzzard Point, Pea Ridge and Deadman Hollow before heading back. We might not complete the whole trail, but there are plenty of ways to make it a loop route back to the parking area.
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Morgan–Monroe State Forest, Martinsville,IN,United States
