Sunday, January 5, 2025

1/5/25 - Southwestway Park

Today's hike: 6.56 miles
2025 total: 6.56 miles
Remaining to 2025 goal: 293.44
2025 pace, assuming a hike each week: 341.12 miles

I was so excited to get out and use my new 2025 Indiana State Parks Pass, but Mother Nature had other plans. With some heavy snow in the forecast for today and tomorrow, I decided not to venture too far from home and opted to hike this morning at my old stand-by Southwestway Park.

I actually really like Southwestway. Situated on the outskirts of Indianapolis (not surprisingly, on the southwest side of town), it can seem surprisingly remote in some areas. This morning, it was very quiet. Aside from a pair of ladies jogging with their dog near the Cottonwood portion of the park, and one other man in my last mile of hiking, I didn't see any other people. Plenty of birds and squirrels, but other than that, it was entirely peaceful.

It's a popular spot for mountain biking, but if you go early in the morning when it's below freezing, your chances of an encounter with a cyclist are pretty slim. This park is also open to horses, so if there's a chance of mud, I don't recommend hiking here. Between the bikes and horses, the trails can get really sloppy. Today though, temps were in the low 20s, so the paths were nice and solid.

Anyway, despite the looming weather system, I didn't give it much thought until about mile 4.5 when the snow changed from a sporadic snowflake here and there to a much steadier snowfall. About a half-mile later, it was really coming down so I picked up the pace for the final 1.5 so I could get home before the roads got too dangerous.

It was in this final stretch that I passed the man I mentioned earlier. He was older than me -- maybe mid- to late-50s -- bundled in a parka with his hood up. Although the snow was falling and starting to gather on the trail pretty quickly, he said to me as he passed by, "It's a beautiful day." I got the sense he wasn't being sarcastic, and I couldn't have said it better myself.

Today's route:
Starting at the parking area, I headed first to the top of Mann Hill (the 827-ft. high point of the park). From there, I continued south through the Power Line area where the mountain bikers like to do their jumps and tricks. Then, staying on the ridge overlooking the White River, I kept going south until the trail splits. I took the path on the right and continued south to the Cottonwood Lakes Conservation Area. This makes a loop between a couple of lakes and is usually the most peaceful portion of my hikes here. After the loop, there's a slight backtrack until you reach trail split again. Now traveling north, I turn right and take the path that follows close to the river's edge. I stay on this until I reach the far north end of the park, and then make my way back to the parking area by way of the Cockrum and Lenape trails. These are well-maintained mountain biking trails with several wooden bridges and switchbacks. 

Song in my head: Collective Soul's "Shine". This was the last song on the radio before I hit the trail.

Who I saw: Two ladies jogging with a dog; the "beautiful day" guy

Animal encounters: Plenty of squirrels and birds, also tracks from deer and a couple of trees with significant beaver chew. My favorite animal I saw today was a woodpecker tapping away on a tree trunk in the snow.

Things I found: A football that felt like it had been out in the weather for a while, but I brought it home to see what kind of shape it's in once it thaws out a bit. I also found a bizarre collection of toys arranged on a fallen tree.

Something I wondered about: Why aren't horse owners held to the same standard as dog owners when it comes to cleaning up after their animals? 



Have you done any hiking at Southwestway Park?
If so, please feel free to share your thoughts on your experience there.

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1/5/25 - Southwestway Park

Today's hike: 6.56 miles 2025 total: 6.56 miles Remaining to 2025 goal: 293.44 2025 pace, assuming a hike each week: 341.12 miles I ...