Alright so here’s how my Dimmock Hill hike went down last Tuesday. Woke up stupid early ’cause my dog Barkley was pawing at my face for breakfast. Chugged half-cold coffee while checking trail maps on my phone. Goal was simple: find easy trails that wouldn’t destroy my knees like last month’s mountain disaster.
Starting Point Mess
Parked at Maple Creek lot around 8 AM, thinking it’d be quiet. Joke was on me – school buses full of screaming kids showed up five minutes later. Grabbed my beat-up backpack (forgot lunch, remembered bug spray though), power-walked past the chaos toward the Fern Loop sign.
Trail Surprises & Squirrel Drama
The first half-mile was smooth gravel, like walking on a brown carpet. Easy peasy. Then bam! Mud soup. Rain from Monday night turned a corner into a swamp. Saw three people in fancy white sneakers do a full U-turn. My old hiking boots? Slogged right through, making glorious sucking sounds with every step.
Highlight was the Squirrel Standoff near Oak Overlook. Stopped for water, and this furry dude with half-chewed acorn stared me down from a stump. Tossed him a trail mix almond. He snatched it, gave me a judging look, and vanished. Rude.
- Steep-ish bit near Ridge View: Legs started whining. Just put head down, counted steps like counting sheep. 1…2…3… Made it in 6 minutes flat.
- Weird signpost: Arrow pointed left for “Scenic Lake,” right for “Picnic Meadow.” Maps showed NEITHER. Guessed right. Found a bench with squirrels, not people. Good guess.
- Windy Peak (fake summit): Not actually peak. Just a clearing with one sad pine tree. But wow view! Whole valley spread out like a green blanket. Sat on a rock, found forgotten granola bar at bottom of pack. Victory snack.
Descent & Lessons Learned
Took Pine Needle Path down – all switchbacks, knees thanked me later. Smooth sailing until… roots city! Became a clumsy dance: left foot over root, right foot slide on pine needles. Arms helicoptering. Didn’t fall. Count that as a win.
Back at car by noon. Boots caked in mud, dog glaring from window. Learned three things:
- Mondays rain = Tuesday’s boot-sucking mud pits
- Squirrels are ungrateful jerks
- “Easy” trails can still surprise ya – but this hike? Totally worth the leg humbling
