Pokagon State Park - January 13, 2020

Pokagon State Park is the park I’ve been to most often.  Numerous family camping trips, including an ill-fated outing last summer that ended in a deluge sweeping through our campsite.  I wanted to try a different part of the park I’d never been to, so I started at the Acres Beechwood Nature Preserve located outside the park, which connects to Trail 8 .  My run started off with some excitement as two large, off-leash dogs came running at me barking while their owner assured me, “They’re friendly!!!”  I channeled Cesar Milan and made the dogs stop in their tracks, while the owner caught up with them.  After that episode, the run was tranquil.  The trail starts with a descent through woods, then over some shoddy boardwalks across a wetland area, before heading back up a wooded slope, and out into an open field.  From here, I experienced some of the best cross-country trails I’ve ran on in a while.  Soft groomed grass or moss-covered trails winding through the rolling hills and connecting with Pokagon.  I did Trails 8 and 7, which also had beautiful grass covered trails, rolling hills, circling a pond.  The cold gray sky, bright green snow-lined trial, and open grass fields made me think of the Scottish landscapes Robert McFarlane describes in The Old Ways, at least the closest NE Indiana has to it.   Bright green trail grass and moss – bright blue wild raspberry canes – crimson sumac berries – large owl or eagle flying away – two swans on the pond, again.