Scenic Caves

One of the view points on the easy trail

So after the BV hike this am, I went and had a shower and a nap, but after that was feeling okay and considering what's next.   I was disappointed during the Blue Mountain hike that we didn't go through the Scenic Caves section (it was closed due to the ice storm damage) and considered going over.  But...  do I *really* want to go hiking again?   Esp given that I still have tomorrow? 

I checked Google - $35 to get in?!?!   Yeah, no.  Less interested.   Also, hiking boots or proper running shoes required.  My options were sandles or putting my hiking boots back on.  You can imagine how much I wanted to put my hiking boots back on ;-P

So I decided lunch first - stopped at the Ravenna Market; tiny little blink-and-you-miss-it town, but their lunch counter had a line out the door.   So was texting C while waiting in that line for my worth-the-wait sandwich and he recommended that I go.    AND, the Market was on the same street, AND the weather forecast had changed so the rain would be later.  So that combination decided me and I sucked up the need for the hiking boots and went over.

One of many types of signs to ensure everyone stayed safe
and refrained from getting lost

Worth it.  100%.  At least once.  Future me knows that there are other places in nearby areas that are just as good and can be explored for free (another day!) but at the time, I hadn't seen anything yet.   Whoever designed the wayfinding and signage for this place both knows what they're doing for signage AND knows just how stupid the public can be.  I was really impressed a number of times :)

The park has main trails and back trails.  The main trails are mostly wide and flat (easy enough to push a stroller for instance) although some significant hills.   All the hills have a number of benches along the way.   Any potentially intimidating areas (tight spaces, heights, etc) had clearly signed alternatives for people who didn't want to participate to meet others at the end.  

Suspension Bridge

One example of that is the suspension bridge.  It was more wobbly than you'd think, but not bad compared to some I've been on.  Had a great example of "the two types of people" walking by one couple where the woman was fascinated with the view and the man was fascinated with the type of steel used in the cables and commenting on how strong they were. 

You could walk all the way through here

My favourite part was actually on the "Ridge Trail" which was super easy to hike, but this one section was a crevice walk-through.  Not very long, but very cool, and there wasn't a single other person anywhere around.

The parking lot was packed when I got there, but there was only one area that was actually crowded.  Everywhere else I basically had the place to myself.   I did do a little bit of the back trails (mostly to get to a view point) and they felt more like the BT - a noticeable difference in difficulty.   In the end, I headed back more because I needed water than anything else.   I came into this already dehydrated and expecting a no-skills-required stroll and definitely inhaled a number of bottles of water.