Introduction
It had been 59 days since my milestone 200th hike on House Mountain. The article from 3/26/2025 was published three days after that hike.
What kept me out of the woods so long? Well, as the 4/9/2025 article recounts, our house got a new roof on “Liberation Day.” Further, my wife's middle sister was taxed with outpatient knee surgery on tax day, 4/15/2025. I enjoyed taking my sister-in-law to seven outpatient physical therapy appointments from April 21 to May 12. Her daughter took her to the other appointments. She had improved well enough to start driving herself on May 14th. Finally, we have had plenty of rain. I would rather not hike in the rain or mud.
Welcome, dear hiking enthusiast, to the 79th entry in the hiking topic section! Three days ago, the weather had finally cooled off and cleared out. The rainy pattern was behind us. I started to feel the hiking itch. Two days ago, I scratched that itch!
Last Thursday, chores around the house delayed my hike until the afternoon. Come hike along with me virtually as we trek up the west trail, spend time at the west bluff, and hike back down the same trail. My embedded audiovisual recording is from the west bluff. It features the refreshing breeze that was blowing from the northwest.
A high-pressure system was bringing cooler weather and that peaceful breeze. The mostly sunny sky was a crisp blue. The temperature was in the upper 70s Fahrenheit. I sweated enough hiking up, but the cool breeze evaporated the sweat.
Hiking Up the West Trail
Only four other vehicles were present, when my 2006 Frontier and I arrived at the main parking lot. Touching the marker near the enclosed picnic area at 2:00 PM on the dot started my hike.
I didn't take any photographs during my hike up the west trail. Just past the trailhead, only one group of three hikers and their dogs passed me on their way out. I enjoyed the solitude of the forest.
The water runoff and mud from last Tuesday's storms were not as bad as I thought they would be in the usual low-lying areas. The stepping stones before the wooden bridge kept my shoes dry. (A photograph of that water runoff area is in the hiking down-and-out section that follows.) I navigated up the four lower switchbacks easily. I noticed a small tree near a rock outcropping that had fallen. It had come in handy to grasp for balance during many previous hikes. Perhaps it will grow back.
At 2:19 PM, slowed only by mud and water runoff, I started up the six upper switchbacks. The spring foliage was certainly thick. Poison oak is plentiful along the trail. Recognize it and don't touch it! (A photograph of a section of poison oak is included farther below.)
Nine minutes later, I reached the final or sixth upper switchback. It took me only twelve more minutes to hike the trail heading west below the ridgeline. I still enjoy the challenge of moving on hands and feet up two steep rock formations and touching the “defiant tree,” which juts out between a rock outcropping.
At 2:40 PM, I touched the rock at the west bluff to mark my time. Again, the wet and muddy areas slowed my ascent by a few minutes. In “pre-bionic” hikes, I could have made the wet and muddy hike up in about thirty minutes, not forty. I still challenge myself to do better!
By the way, don't take chewing gum from your mouth and place it into the change pocket in your blue jeans! It sticks in there, and you will have a hard time pulling and digging it out! (I talk about doing this in the upcoming embedded audiovisual episode.)
At the West Bluff
Hiking up to the west bluff from the southwest, the mountain had blocked the crisp wind from refreshing me. Once I reached the west bluff, the brisk and cool wind from the northwest cooled, calmed, and relieved me of sweat! I enjoyed the moment.
The following photograph, taken at 2:49 PM, faces west and shows the two trail signs. The west bluff is visible in the background.
Where is the sound of the refreshing breeze?
It's on today's installment of Appalachian Irishman – Podcasts (YouTube)! The episode is House Mountain Hike 201, 5-22-2025: Sun, Wind, Water, Mud, and Fun! (pub. 5-24-2025; episode 37). Listen to that wind!
Ah! Didn't the sound of that cool breeze relax and refresh you? It did for me two days ago. By the Lord's grace, live the dream! Just don't stick chewed chewing gum into the change pocket of your blue jeans!
Hiking Down-and-Out the West Trail
A young couple, hiking from east to west across the ridge trail, joined me at the west bluff. We exchanged greetings, and I decided to start hiking back down and out on the same west trail. I chose to give the young couple some time alone. At 2:57 PM, I started hiking down and out.
By 3:21 PM, I had trekked down to the middle or third upper switchback and taken the following photograph.
The view looks down and to the southwest. Can you spot the poison oak? It has five elongated leaves, with the longer three pointing closest to the ground. This poisonous plant is also called the Virginia creeper. Around these parts, however, we call it poison oak.
If I had a dollar for every poison oak plant that I saw along the trail, I would be a millionaire! Just don't touch it, unless you know that you are not allergic to it. My wife's middle sister is so allergic to it that, if she even looks at it, she starts itching!
I photographed the following at 3:29 PM. I had already descended to the low-lying area before the four lower switchbacks.
The image does not show as well the mountain stream runoff that I saw clearly. Stepping along the rocks carefully kept my trusty hiking shoes dry.
Farther down, after the four lower switchbacks, I paused at a mountain stream to soak the soles of my hiking shoes in the clear-flowing water. That removed a lot of trail dust and mud.
Nearing the end of my hike, I photographed the “little lake,” as I call it, at 3:47 PM.
The view looks southeast. Dry ground was to the right of the image. I went that way to avoid the standing water and mud in the foreground. Just beyond the single tree standing in the center of the image, I avoided the rest of the water and mud by stepping across the rocks in the distant left of the image. Balance and careful foot placement kept my shoes dry again. Over the years, I have learned not to step on certain rocks, because they will roll under your step!
Conclusion
At 3:52 PM, I touched the marker near the covered picnic area to mark the end of my hike. I enjoyed an hour and 52 minutes in the woods.
I found a twig, sat on the short wall that surrounds the picnic area, and picked out mud from the soles of my hiking shoes. A man, about my age or younger, was starting his hike. He paused and looked at me, as if wondering what I was doing. I told him that I was picking out mud. Silently, he went on his way.
Eleven other vehicles were in that main parking lot. The following photograph shows my 2006 Frontier and the park sign.
My truck wanted me to photograph him today. He asked me. What? Don't you talk with your vehicle?
By the way, how can a park open and close, when there are no gates to close and lock at the entrance and exit? I have hiked out in the dark, after sunset, a few times over the years. For instance, the article from 10/24/2010 is about my hike on Saturday, 10/16/2010. It includes seven sunset photographs and mentions my hike down and out in the darkness. Of course, I do not recommend hiking before sunrise or after sunset, unless you are an experienced hiker and have a good flashlight.
My 201st hike on House Mountain involved sun, wind, water, mud, and fun! Toss in a sufficient amount of sweat. Flying critters didn't buzz around me too much. Only a few other hikers and I exchanged brief greetings as we passed each other. Mostly, I had the woods to myself. Remember, a day, or a part of a day at least, in the woods is better than not having been there!
Also, don't forget to check for ticks after hiking during tick season! Once home and before peeling 'taters (mentioned in my audiovisual episode above), I checked and found no ticks on me.
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