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On the only hike we've ever done on February 29 (which occurs only once every four years, and rarer still on weekends), today we returned to Sterling Forest
to hike another trail segment that we hadn't done in the past. We were very pressed for time, so we kept it under two hours. But we were still able to get
in a good hike with some spectacular swamp views, and a good climb!
We parked in lot P7, which is a circular cul-de-sac at the end of Ironwood Drive, south of where the Renassance Festival is held every year. We headed west on the northern-most segment of the hellow-blazed Sterling Valley Loop trail all the way to parking lot P8. At this point we turned around and headed back to the car. By far, the highlight was the picturesque Mystic Swamp, south of the trail within the first 10 minutes of the hike. We spotted at least one beaver. There are no sweeping views on this trail, even though there is a bit of climbing from the swamp most of the way to P8. Total distance hiked today was 3.3 miles in just under an hour and 45 minutes.
(Click on the thumbnail to bring up a bigger image in a pop-up window)
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Photographs and content copyright © Dan Balogh Web design by Dan Balogh |