Escape into Fall Colors

Sometimes you just need to escape from the go-go-go pace of everyday life. It can be easy to fall into the trap of Netflix in bed, which is not necessarily a bad thing, but can make you feel drowsier and more depleted at times. While my cozy blanket-strewn bed is almost always tempting, I was intensely drawn to nature this past weekend as the forest went up in flames—full of rich reds, oranges, and golds. 

I did a ~lot~ of research on the best fall hikes in Cincinnati stumbling across gems like Mt. Airy, Long Branch, and Caldwell. Caldwell Nature Preserve being the most fascinating solely for the fact that a population of flying squirrels live there and you can sometimes see them soaring between trees. I don’t know about you but I think that would be pretty fucking cool to witness. I, however, settled on Rowe Woods for all of my, and my friends, fall hiking needs. 

I think the most unexpected part of this venture was the $9/person admission fee. I’m so used to just rolling up to the smaller parks up in northeast Ohio that are free, but it’s not too bad paying if you think of it in terms of keeping the trails nice and preserving the quality of the ecosystem. For our adventure, we elected to take Edge trail out to Geology trail for a crisp two mile jaunt. Watching water lap against a shoreline that was more mud than anything else immediately released some of the tension I had been holding in my body for weeks now. 

It didn’t take long before we started to find gently flowing creeks that wound their way through the woods—twisting and cascading and bubbling. The sound of moving water rushed over my weary soul, which then began to mend the cuts on my heart and brain from existing in a society that actively tries to ruin both the planet and lives of humans for profit and power. 

Curiously investigating every small waterfall, we slowly picked our way through one creek and another. Each footstep was calculated. If you’ve ever crossed a rocky creek you’ll know how quickly you can topple into the cold water if you misjudge the grip or balance of a stone. We selected correctly and came out on the other side nice and dry. 

Geology trail consisted of many elevation changes, one such change a steep climb up a set of slick staircases. Burning quads and heaving breaths aside the view was worth it (well sort of). It could’ve done with more sweeping valley views, but it did feel like you were in the treetops which is a liberating feeling in itself. My favorite was probably the thicket of yellow maple trees that surrounded us at the top. They felt so bright and cheerful. I made us take a moment to breath in the crisp air and stay silent so we could completely immerse ourselves in the best parts of nature and hopefully let some of our worries drift away on the autumn breeze.