Trail Discovery for Kids: Lake Artemesia

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August 2012 Highlighted Hike

Lake Artemesia Trail

Berwyn Heights, MD

Trail Description

ü  This 1.4 mile circuit hike on a hard surface trail is just across the railroad tracks from the University of Maryland in College Park.

ü  The trail circles the 38 acre Lake Artemesia with no elevation gain or loss.

ü  To find Lake Artemesia, use Interstate 495 and take Kenilworth Avenue south to Greenbelt Rd/Rt. 193. Turn right and drive three quarters of a mile. Turn right onto Branchville Rd. which goes under the railroad tracks and turns left and becomes Ballew Ave. Make a left into the parking lot just after the stop sign with Berwyn Rd. Follow the trail along Ballew Ave. to the gate of Lake Artemesia.

ü  The trail is stroller and bike friendly.

ü  See the trail map image to the right.

Age Appropriateness

This hike is appropriate for children of all ages but especially great for toddlers and preschoolers.

What is fun for kids?

ü  The park has two floating docks for fishing. Children younger than 16 do not have to possess a license.

ü  The park has seven gazebos, one raised above the lake, to seek shade, rest and watch wildlife. Many benches sit along the trail and throughout the park.

ü  Wildlife seen includes: Eastern Painted turtles, Snapping Turtles, Bullfrogs, Green Frogs, Great Blue Heron, Egret, Wood Ducks, and Mallards. The lake is a migratory ground for many birds.

ü  Watch the metro and trains travel by the western side of the lake.

ü  Beautiful water lilies that bloom in July. A few blooms were still alive in August.

ü  There are a few large open green spaces for a picnic or a game of tag.

ü  The Lake Artemesia Trail is part of the Anacostia Tributary Trail System providing miles of trails in Prince Georges and Montgomery counties. From the park, the Paint Branch, Indian Creek and Northeast Branch trails can be accessed.

ü  Lake Artemesia is metro accessible from the College Park station on the green line.

Caution

ü  Swimming, boating and ice skating are not allowed on the lake.

ü  A majority of the trail is exposed to the sun and lacks shade.

What I Learned About My Kids (and Myself)

Looking at Mt. Lafayette and Lincoln at Lonesome Lake

Greenleaf Hut

Engaging in the outdoors and testing my kid's physical (and mental) limits has allowed me to view deep into their personalities and how they experience life. In the last couple of years, I have taken them (ages 7 and 11) backpacking, hut hiking, kayaking, bike camping, rock scrambling and camping for long periods of time far away from home. Each time I push the difficulty level on the adventure meter.

     Before last week, they have hiked 8 miles in one day, carried a backpack on short distance backpacking trips and hiked over 1,000 feet in elevation on a short trail. I combined it altogether to hike two AMC huts in the White Mountains. I was confident they would rise to the challenge. The challenge for me was keeping my sometimes impatient nature in check and being the most positive, patient mommy when the going got tough (more on that later). Huge insights learned:

• My son is internally motivated. He didn't need me, his sister or anyone else to get him up the mountain. He enjoyed the physically challenge. Often he said, "mom, this is fun." He had his moments on the second day when his little feet developed hot spots. I was grateful he communicated with me. We patched his feet a few different times and he was good to go never developing blisters. That would have definitely slowed him down. Often he was the lead encouraging us with his bouncy steps to maintain a presence behind him.
• My daughter is externally motivated. However, garnering that motivation from her mother is not the key. Instead, I received the whines of, "I'm tired or I don't want to do this anymore." Her brother can sometimes provide that motivation through competition. However, her peers and friends are the best motivators. Stalling up the mountain and complaining was the name of the game on the first day. By coincidence, we ran into neighbors at the Lonesome Lake hut. The three girls, older than her, helped motivate her to hike the difficult trail to Greenleaf hut. Upon reaching the hut, she would normally have been done for the day but she decided to summit Mt. Lafayette with the girls. The reward was the beautiful view. The reward for me was her telling me with a smile that the view was beautiful. This meant it was well worth the physical effort.

      Did the going-get-tough? Yes, from each child. I realized I had more patience for my son. Was I being fair? No, I concluded. Why was I being less patient with my daughter than my son? Upon reflection, I realized I want her to be TOUGH; be strong. Unlike her mama at her age. I have learned since then to be tough. I continue to learn everyday. There is a little voice of doubt in my head that creates fear and anxiety to remind me that maybe I can't do it. But I love proving it wrong!

      Each of these challenges in the outdoors allows me to work on my patience with my kids, in particular my daughter. I want them to learn about and explore their physical limits. I want to model for them that going beyond reaps rewards of greater self-confidence.

Finding Strength as an Environmental Hero: A Review of Teen Fiction

    Who doesn't like to root for an underdog? As I read Totem Magic, Going Mad, I cheered for Enrique and Connie to win against the evil witch doctor who kidnaps Connie's father, the leader of Green Force. Furthermore, I rooted for Enrique to discover the strength and courage within himself to fight against bullies; those in school and in the secretive Magic User community.

   John Griffith, a California environmental educator, wrote an engaging and creative book for teens. Connie and Enrique, otherwise known as Vulchy, are best friends in sixth grade whose families are part of the Magic User community. Each member of the community is a totem mage born with the gift to protect an animal threatened by extinction. Going MAD in the Magic Users community is a rite of passage. The community and the world's existence are threatened when Connie's dad is kidnapped by Kaktor, the evil witch doctor. Will Connie and Enrique save Connie's dad and the planet? The story has a surprising twist to keep the reader engaged to the end.

    The author had the best time creating and writing about the funny, unusual and sometimes grotesque cast of characters that Connie and Enrique run into along their quest. Both teens are forced to problem solve in unique ways to conquer physical and mental obstacles; each given a magical tool, sunglasses and flip flops, by the people's witch to aid them.

    Connie, a black girl, is a strong character who doesn't take crap from people, witches or monsters. Her strength throughout the journey helps Enrique to notice his own in spite of his fear. So when Vulchy vomited green puke on the vampire to escape death, I cheered with pride. In the end, it’s Vulchy becoming his totem mage that lifts his wings in ultimate self-confidence. Totem Magic, Going Mad is an engaging read for teens and adults that mirrors the complex themes of bullying and environmental degradation present in today’s world.

Note: This book was published by Wheatmark and is available on Amazon. All proceeds from the book are donated to four environmental organizations.

Trail Discovery for Kids: Michaux State Forest, PA

Taking a rest next to the reservoir

July 2012 Highlighted Hike

Beaver Trail

Michaux State Forest, PA

Trail Description

ü  This 2.5 mile out-and-back hike is in Michaux State Forest north of Route 30 and 10 miles east of Chambersburg, PA.

ü  This natural surface trail hugs the reservoir with only one 75 foot climb away from the reservoir and then a gentle slope descending back.

ü  To find the Beaver trailhead, turn left onto Milesburn Road (dirt road) from Rt. 233. At the end of the reservoir, turn right onto Birch Run Road (dirt road). Follow it for less than a mile. Park along the road after the second bridge. Walk back over the bridge to stairs on the left of the road which descend the embankment where the Beaver trailhead sign is located.

ü  The hike is not jogging stroller friendly.

ü  Trail map. To help orient, look for Caledonia State Park in pink. The reservoir is north of it. The Beaver Trail is on the north side of the reservoir adjacent to Birch Run Road.

Age Appropriateness
This hike is appropriate for children five years or older.

What is fun for kids?

ü  Hiking along the reservoir. There are six different locations to access it and play; the largest being a mile down the trail.

ü  Blueberry bushes are abundant along both sides of the trail throughout the hike.

ü  In June, the Rhododendron bushes display huge flowers.

ü  Bring a kayak or canoe and enjoy the lake. The boat ramp is located on the south side of it off of Milesburn Road.

ü  Bushwhack, rock scramble and play in Knob Run. This is the stream that runs under the second bridge on Birch Run Road. Rocky Knob Trail runs along this stream.

ü  Camp along Hosack Run at the small campground at Caledonia State Park.

Caution

ü  There is no bathroom or trash cans; therefore, pack out your garbage. The closest bathroom is at Caledonia State Park.

Beware of the posted restrictions in the state forest.

Top 5 Family Adventures in Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks

Snow ball fight on Rendezvous Mountain

Hike on Bunsen Peak

         Discovering our national parks with my children is a dream that I am making a reality one summer at a time. Two summers ago, we started with Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado. Last year, we went to Acadia National Park for four days ofadventure in the rain and sun. This summer, we ventured to Grand Teton, Yellowstone and Rocky Mountain National Parks. The following are the best family adventures in both Grand Teton and Yellowstone.

GrandTeton National Park

1. Ride the tram in Jackson Hole Mountain Resort and hike the Rock Springs Trail into Cody Bowl - Although this is just outside of the Park, it was the most fun our family had while there. We rode the 100 passenger tram from the base of Jackson Hole to the top of Rendezvous mountain, a four thousand foot climb. We packed a picnic lunch for our day's adventures at the top of the world. We descended along the ridge line on the Rock Springs Trail into Cody Bowl. We spent our afternoon having snow ball fights, sliding down the glacial snow and rock scrambling. Afterwards, we treated ourselves to homemade waffles at Corbett Cabin. Yum!
2. Kayak (or canoe) Colter andHalf Moon Bays -  We rented two two-person kayaks from the Colter Bay Marina for half a day of paddling and wildlife viewing in Colter and Half Moon Bays.
3. Hike around String and Jenny Lakes to Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point - We hiked 7.8 miles along the north and west sides of both String and Jenny Lakes. This route is gentle with minimal elevation change. The best part of this hike is taking in the mountain peaks and the lake vistas.
4. Raft the class I and II rapidsof the Snake River - This activity was my son's choice. Grand Teton LodgeCompany was our guide down the Snake River in the Park. This float is gentle enough for a six year old. Daniel, our guide, was experienced at navigating the river and very knowledgeable about the natural history of the Park. We were fortunate to spot two moose, a beaver and an eagle.
5. Camping - Camping is the best way to truly experience everything a national park has to offer from scenery to education. Grand Teton offers five first-come-first-serve campgrounds. They do not take reservations; however, visitors are able to easily get a site in one of the campgrounds. At the entrance stations and visitor centers, there are campground boards providing information on the availability of sites and at what time the campground became full.

Yellowstone

1.    Circuit hike along the south rim of the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone to Lily and Clear Lakes - The best way to see the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone is to take a hike along the South Rim Trail, in addition to Lily Lake and Uncle Tom's Trail. The Lily Lake trailhead is at the far end of Artist Point. The trail follows the steep ledges of the Canyon before it enters a pine forest and by two small lakes and thermals. Uncle Tom's Trail gives all visitors a cardo workout climbing down and up 328 steps. At the bottom, you stand at the base of the lower falls to feel mist on your face.

2.    Take a picnic dinner to an overlook in Lamar Valley to watch animals - If there is one national park known for wildlife; it is Yellowstone. We grabbed fixings for a picnic dinner and drove into Lamar Valley. This valley is stunning. My children learned a valuable lesson from animal spectators fitted with their large scopes about why preserving this valley's habitat is vital for the balance of the ecosystem. In the valley, we watched hundreds of buffalo and looked for bear and wolves.

3.    Hike to Bunsen Peak - Have you ever want to bag a peak with your kids? Bunsen Peak is a good one to do. The hike is a moderate 2.1 mile trek to the peak on switchbacks. The views at the top are well worth it. The climb was a good challenge for my kids but they loved skipping down the mountain.

4.    Walk the Fountain Paint Pots boardwalk - This was the touristiest adventure of our time in Yellowstone because everyone wants to see the geological thermals. They are well worth the crowds. This was my son's favorite part of Yellowstone.

5.    Camping - Yellowstone offers both reservation only and first-come-first-serve campgrounds. The reservation only campgrounds usually fill well ahead of time. The first-come-first-serves are in beautiful locations in the park but have limited, such as vaulted toilets.

Many of these adventures enabled us to leave behind the crowds and explore each park to discover the beauty, peace and solitude. The more we trekked down the trail the more we drew back the curtains on the amazing scenery all around us. I loved sharing each of the above adventures with my kids and watching their faces light up with huge grins. We hope you enjoy them too. 

Reading about thermal cones

Lower falls in the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone

Looking for wolves in Lamar Valley

Kayaking in Colter Bay

Mother Nature's Adventures: Check Your Attitude

   Have you ever ask yourself, "why do I camp?" I have. Even though I love to camp, there have been a few times when I thought, "camping is a pain in the butt." One those times was recent when camping in the National Arapahoe Recreation Area outside of Rocky Mountain National Park.

   Mother nature can really throw a curve ball sometimes. It did the three days we spent camping and hiking in the Rocky Mountains with mine and my brother’s kids. Each morning we woke to a beautiful blue sunny sky but by early afternoon the storm clouds rolled in during two separate hikes in the mountains. Both storms produced thunder and lightning: one with rain and the other with hail. All eight kids have never hiked so fast. Even though it was scary, it provided a great teachable moment for them.

   By late afternoon when we returned to our campsite from hiking, those same storms rolled into the basin of the mountains. Our campsite was beautiful; a 360 degree view of the mountains and Lake Granby. Best view ever! The downside was there were no trees. The pine bark beetle killed all the trees in the campground. Therefore, when the storms hit each evening; winds gusted up to 60 mph. Sometimes rain and lightning came with it. We could see the storms approaching from the west, providing us some time to prepare for cover.

   Of course, the storms hit us during dinner preparation on all three evenings. On the first evening, we used the backend of our car as a wind shield when cooking the beef for burritos. We were interrupted by rain. We shoved the pot under the car and ran to the tents. On the second night, the storm hit just before dinner prep. After a late start, we thankfully had a beautiful and relaxing dinner of which we didn't have to worry about flying food, napkins and spilled drinks.

   The third night's storm was the worst with the highest winds - dirt swirled around us and the tents poles bent against the wind begging to snap. My sister-in-law and I thought the dark clouds to the west were far enough away that we could prep dinner and eat. The chili was made and we were reading the directions to the rice when the strong gusts began.  The winds threw the garbage, utensils, paper towels, stove windscreen, and the entire one pound box of rice off the table. We scrambled to pick up everything, move the stove and chili into the fire ring, salvage some of the rice on the gravel, place the remaining items into the cars, prevent the tents from flying away, and instruct the kids into the tents.  My sister-in-law and I got into our tent to anchor it down. My husband braved the high winds to cook the rice in the fire pit with the wind screen. The kids laughed and created their own adventures in spite of the storm.

  After thirty minutes of holding up the tent, it was time to eat. We were losing day light and were hungry. We devised and executed a plan to move the cars to create a wind shield. We gathered the food and utensils and called the kids. All twelve of us, sat on the asphalt, in a circle, sheltered by the wind, to eat chili and rice. It was the best dinner.

   After three frustrating afternoons and evenings of dealing with Mother Nature, we laughed at the ridiculousness of our situation and ways of coping to maintain a smile on our faces for our children. Mother Nature can through us curve balls when we camp but it is the attitude for which we choose that creates the experience.

Wildlife Wonders in Yellowstone and Grand Teton

Grizzly Bears

Pronghorn

Bison laying next to a thermal at Mud Volcano

Yellow-bellied Marmot

Red Fox

Female Sage Grouse

Mountain Bluebird

Male Moose

     For two weeks at the end of June, my family embarked on an amazing outdoor adventure to Yellowstone, Grand Teton and Rocky Mountain National Parks. After a few days in Grand Teton, my husband, kids and I started reflecting on the animals that we had seen thus far and were amazed at the list we had generated. Everyday afterwards, we added to that list.


Elk – male and female

Yellow bellied marmot - many along Jenny Lake

White pelican - on the Yellowstone River at Fishing Bridge

Moose - one at Willow Flats and one female and
male on our raft trip

Bison and bison calves - hundreds everywhere
but the most spectacular was in Lamar Valley
Snowshoe Hare

Coyote - surprised one while hiking the Howard
Eaton Trail along the Yellowstone River

Black bear - multiple times in Yellowstone

Osprey

Wood duck

Grizzly bear - two adult and one cub off the road 
near Canyon Village

Red fox

Wandering Garter Snake

Wolf - in distance at 8:45 pm near Pleasure Valley 
in Yellowstone

Pronghorn

Ground squirrel - these burrowing animals are everywhere

Sage grouse - on our hike up Bunsen Peak near Mammoth Springs

Mountain Bluebird - on our hike down Bunsen Peak near Mammoth Springs

Cinnamon black bear - side of the road at 9:30 pm on the pass south of Roosevelt Lodge

Bald eagle - on our raft trip down the Snake River in Grand Teton

Beaver - on our raft trip

Loon - kayaking Half Moon Bay on Jackson Lake

Bighorn Sheep (ewe) - Colorado River Trail in Rocky Mountain National Park

    I am so grateful to have been able to share this wildlife experience with my children, for them to understand that we are visitors in these animal's homes and that we must do everything in our power to respect and protect them and their habitats.

Note: These photos were taken with respect to the wildlife using a high power zoom lens.