Old Trace - Garrison Creek Trail

Today my hiking group did a trail on part of the Natchez Trace. I did not realize that there is a parkway that runs alongside the trail all the way to Mississippi. It's a very pretty road from the little bit I saw of it!

We had 27 people come on the hike with us. It was also a big day for several Boy Scout troops in the area. We passed several groups of them along the trail. At our midway point, we met a man with the Scouts. I guess the kids were working on their biking and hiking patches, so they had stations set up with water for them.

My friend George was on this hike whom I haven't seen in a while. It was good to see him. He always takes great pictures!

The hike was good, but I don't feel like I was really paying attention to the scenery. Corey and I were talking afterwards about the pros and cons of hiking with a large group. It's great to meet new people, and see new places, but sometimes we hike so fast that we don't take any time to truly enjoy our surroundings. Our trip leader tried to keep the group together, which meant that sometimes we had to stop and wait for people to catch up, while other times we wanted to look around for a minute but couldn't without feeling like we were holding everyone up.

This trail had several creek crossings. On one of them, we had to walk across a log to get across. Most of the others were fine to walk through, as long as you had waterproof boots or shoes.

I have also realized how out of shape I have gotten with my hiking hiatus. (I don't hike in the summer in middle TN because it's too hot and humid!) Hopefully with my new job I'll have more opportunities to get out and do some hiking and backpacking. Corey just bought a new kayak, so he's been on the water as much as possible. Fall is my favorite time to hike--I love the chill in the air and all the pretty colors and hope to take full advantage of it this year.