Guest Blog Post: Winter Getaway 2012 ~ Hocking Hills, OH
This Guest Blog Post is by Jeri Amrine, a photographer, who first shared her experience in Hocking Hills on her blog, here.
Winter Getaway 2012 ~ Hocking Hills, OH
A few weeks ago, my husband and I went on our annual winter weekend getaway in southern Ohio. We do this to celebrate our anniversary, that gets pushed to the wayside during the holidays, and to enjoy the beauty of winter. Winter hasn’t actually hit us yet in central Ohio, but on our getaway weekend, we got a fresh blanket of snow in the hills. We were able to hike some trails we haven’t been on in a few years and were often the first ones to muck up the untouched snow.
We hiked Old Man’s Cave first. If you prefer a less crowded hike, the key is to visit this spot on a weekday.
The second day, we tried to hike Cantwell Cliffs, but I thought it was too icy along the top trail. I did manage to get a few photos before we called this hike off, though.
When all else fails, we hike Conkle’s Hollow. If the top trail is too icy, there is always the lower trail. This year, we were able to hike the top and the views were totally worth the trek!
This last photo is of an old church that we love. The name is Wesley Chapel, which is the name of the town where we lived in Florida.
I say this every year, but these winter getaways help us to get over the holidays blues and ease into winter a little easier. We have learned to see the beauty in the snow and ice.
I recommend getting out and doing your own winter hike! Dress in layers, heed the trail warnings, pay attention to your boundaries, and take in the too-amazing-for-words views.
The full photo galleries can be viewed HERE.
Photos: Jeri Amrine
About the Guest Blogger: Jeri says: I am a portrait and wedding photographer based in Marysville, OH. My husband and I were married the day after Christmas and each year, our anniversary gets put on the back burner. Several years ago, we decided to celebrate it after the holidays and booked a weekend getaway to Hocking Hills. We rented a cabin for 2 nights and hiked until we couldn’t push ourselves any longer. We learned to love having the caves and trails all to ourselves during the colder season and kept coming back for the last 5 years. We both love hiking wherever we go, but Hocking Hills will always be a local favorite spot for us.
