Wow, time really flies! I’m a bit late posting this hike log entry. I’ll try to get better about that.
Today,
the main object of my hike is Gainer Ridge. Gainer Ridge is one of
the two moderate to strenuous trails in the park. The ridge was named
for Albert Gainer, one of the founding member of the Tennessee
Ornithological Society. In 1923, Albert and TOS managed to convince the L&N Railroad to make Radnor Lake a wildlife sanctuary. Gainer Ridge offers a peak at downtown Nashville during the
winter. Of course this time of year, well, let’s say you can really
practice your tree identification.
Trail: West Parking Lot to Lake Trail to Gainer Ridge Trail to Lake Trail to Otter Creek Road to West Parking Lot
Distance: 4 miles
Max Elevation: 1117 ft
Total Elevation climb: 469 ft
Trail Type: single track dirt, some locations mulched
Temperature: 70s, sunny and warm, not a cloud in the sky
Time: 1:30 moving, 0:24 resting
Significant Features: birds and trees!
Its a beautiful day and lots of people are this Sunday afternoon. Too many. The parking lot is packed. The Lake Trail and Otter Creek Road are packed. I don’t like it. I come for peace and quiet and birds singing. Heard to hear them along the Lake Trail. But it is 1,200 acres of pure wilderness in the midst of a metropolitan area of about 1.5 million people and I should be grateful this many people enjoy it. That’s more people who might care enough to save similar areas. Radnor Lake has a very exciting conservation history and will be the subject of an upcoming research post.
I get up to the Gainer Ridge trail and the crowd slackens. Of course, its a harder hike. I pass maybe 6 people along Gainer today. I stop at the top today for water and to change the batteries in my GPS. And to sit. Can’t see much today. The trees have recovered nicely from the late freezes and have filled in the views. I stop on the downside of Gainer to give directions is a few folks and pass onto the Lake Trail again. Back to the crowds on the Lake Trail and on Otter Creek Road.
Some of the best views of the Lake are from Otter Creek Road on the east side of the Lake. Large open vistas give a glimpse into the waters and all they contain. I stop to take pictures of the ducks on the logs. And then move on. The crowds have irritated me today, but I got my peace up on Gainer.
Links:
Radnor Lake State Natural Area
