Hike coordinator: Penny Groth
Narration by Lane Harris
Mildred Kanipe Park is one of those hiking destinations that you never have the same hiking experience twice. The weather notwithstanding, there are so many different options here that the odds of repeating the same hike twice is next to nil. And so it was as Penny, who wasn’t there to defend herself when this hike was chosen for her to lead, set out with the rest of the group to explore the hills of Mildred Kanipe Park.
The hike began under overcast skies, but with no threat of rain. This would slowly change as the hike wore on.
The decision to go counterclockwise seemed just as good a direction to go as anything else, so that’s what we did. However, less than a mile in we found ourselves purposely departing the trail in order to avoid the sticky muddy mess which it had become after the recent rains. Our attempt to briefly parallel the trail and eventually merge with it later was immediately halted as we ran into a waist-high wall of prickly foliage that made us rethink our decision about leaving the trail. We were left with basically 2 options: Go back down to the muddy trail or head up the hillside and do a little cross-country trek until we met up with the trail again along the east side of the park. While Richard opted for the easier, albeit muddier choice of traipsing along the mucky trail, the rest of the group chose to be a bit more adventurous and take the cross-country route. Well, it was nice hiking with you Richard! We never saw him again that day. We assume he made it back. (FYI, has anyone heard from him since then?… 🤔)
The short hike across the open hillside with no trail to follow was actually pretty fun, and it turned out to be a smart decision. We intercepted the trail just uphill from a particular section that Penny had mentioned earlier. She was not looking forward to the possibility of it being steep, muddy, and slippery. Sure enough, it certainly appeared steep and muddy, and since we popped out above it, we didn’t have to prove the fact one way or the other that it was slippery. Yay us!
After reaching the Oak Savannah Trail, we veered off of it and took the Fern Woods Trail on the north side of the park. This is my favorite section of the park, as it immediately transports you to a deep, green forest that is covered with large, thick ferns. Not what you’d expect immediately adjacent to grassy farmland filled with oak trees.
Upon reaching Bachelor Creek Bridge, we headed northwest along the Underwood Hill Trail. By now, grey skies were slowly giving way to good ‘ol Mr. Sun, and layers of sweaters and jackets were shed as we trudged up the trail. The trail reached a peak on a ridge, then dropped and looped around and soon brought us back to the bridge. There was limited discussion at that point about whether we should tackle the Mildred’s Forest loop. Instead, we chose to go just part way down the trail along the large meadow and then double-back through the meadow itself on an old road. Once again at the bridge, it was time to head back toward the pond for a well-deserved lunch. The sun was out in full force now, as puffy white, non-threatening clouds painted the sky. A perfect end to a perfect day at Mildred Kanipe Park. Oh, and if anyone finds Richard, please let him know!
Pictures below by Lane Harris
