Onward to Old Man's Cave....Again.

Pastor Mark collected Peggy & Butch and headed to the parking area on Big Pine Road. In the meantime, I headed out on a different route but with the same destination.  Rounding a curve on #33, my rear wheels slid out and only by calling on my “Daytona 500” driving skills was I able to correct but with the car sliding across the lane.  Fortunately, no car was there to stop my slide.  The event did undermine my confidence in the traction of my tires.  After turning onto Big Pine I came upon a fairly steep hill and decided the car may not make it so managed to turn around and head to the parking lot at Old Man’s Cave.  By coincidence, as I crested a hill Mark happened to call and ask where I was and I was able to tell him I was going directly to the parking area at OMC. Earlier, after Mark learned the deer gun season began on Saturday, Mark had changed the itinerary from off-trail outside the park boundaries to on-trail to Cedar Falls and Ash Cave.

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As normal, we were greeted with spectacular scenery enhanced by the snow and ice formations.  We hiked over to Cedar Falls and then on to Ash Cave but stopped at the fire tower, where Butch and Mark climbed to the top and proceeded to hurl snow balls at Peggy and I.  Fortunately, Mark and Butch failed at little league baseball and the surest way to avoid the bombs was standing still.  I got my revenge after they descended. After we reached Ash Cave, I separated from them and ran back to the start.  A good day of hiking and trail running 9 miles.

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