Spring Has Sprung: 41 Degrees at 6:45 (Hiking Overland Trail)

7:47

Up at  7:00 to uncomfortably warm weather, 41 degrees, balmy and misty though still pitch black and no paper yet.  I knew it was supposed to stay in the thirties but the forties at this time is ridiculous.  The snow birds in Florida may contemplate returning north if this continues.  We have two weeks until the Mayville Winter Festival and unless things change, there will be no ice castle.  At the moment, the lake seems to glow as a thin black line distinguishes the far shore, no light visible because of the fog.  Now I can see the slick surface of the lake, with fog rising above it...get out the skates!

Yesterday Evie headed off to work out at the YMCA, and shop for gifts for the Treasure Chest, so I decided to explore a new section of the Westside Overland Trail, near Sherman.  It was not a pleasant day, a light drizzle, but it wasn't bad walking in the woods.  I took RT 18, the Stedman/Sherman road for about 7 miles, turning right on Mt. Pleasant Rd.  About 7/10ths of a mile on the left is a parking lot for hikers and the beginning of the trail.  I headed north on it, into Mount Pleasant State Forest.  I walked in a little over a mile, to the Lean To, then back out, taking about an hour.  There were at least ten trees down on the trail, some quite large and it would make skiing or snow shoeing difficult as you would have to take them off to get over the trees.  I am not sure who manages the trails, if anyone at this time.  The woods were bare, not too attractive, with few if any pines, so most of the walk was open, with leaf less tree limbs, a trail that follows a couple of streams,  a few easy hills which might make cross country skiing difficult.

Lake in Mt Pleasant State Forest

Mt Pleasant Forest

Down Trees on Westside Overland Trail

I went in to Sherman for lunch, tried to find a busy local diner or restaurant.  I found one with four people in it, the other was empty, so I had a Cuban at the 'crowded' diner.  I also stopped in a small antique store and walked out with a Romertopt clay cooker and a Mission style rocker for 50 bucks, both good deals.  So it was kind of a fun morning to try something new and get a deal.