Four Wheeling at Dogwood

One of many pink lady slippers growing in this area

Four-Wheeling at Dogwood

Kenny, Dana & Gabriel Koogler

Saturday April 21 , 2018

Pictures are here starting with frame 101

Dogwood 4x4 Pix

   We'd been wanting to take Gabriel out to go four-wheeling to see some of the beautiful sights
of Spring.    We had not been to Dogwood for a long time and thought that would be a fine place to
take him to explore.   We always enjoy it.  It is one of those places that has a wormhole where you may go back for return trips and try to recreate whatever route you took before... but it will end up quite different.   Today turned out to be no exception.

      We went in behind the Dogwood church and parked. We started out into the forest.
We saw some dirt bike riders go in ahead of us, but they went a different route than us.   We knew from talking to some locals that the access to Basin Rock was cut off so we did not waste time
trying to go there.   Out through the woods we rode and finally began seeing our first Spring
wildflowers.  These woods are a good place to see pink lady slipper orchids. 

Up on the bank to the right of the trail some pink lady slipper orchids were emerging.  They look pretty in the morning light.

 Above is the first stream we came to.
Below are some of the massive cliffs we traveled by.

     We enjoyed the sunny, blue sky day. Gabe was having a marvelous time sitting on Papaw's lap and :driving. Then he'd get over on my lap and ride cause I am softer.   He is a good baby.  Such a fun little boy.  We're trying to fill his head and heart up with as much beauty and fun and goodness as we possibly can.

We saw lots of water today and it was all pretty!  Each time we thought it couldn't get any better we were proven wrong!

Healthy hemlock forest on a sunny Spring day.  It looks like a post card.

 Above we came to a place where three streams came together! We realized we had never been here before. It was very pretty.   We stopped for a snack break and for me to take photos.

 The water has that snow water aqua color of early Spring.

A trio of violets growing on a sand bar in the river.

    We forded the creek and kept going.   We saw a trail that had police tape marking it saying to stay out. Someone had already knocked it down.  We did not know where it lead and we did not really plan to go up that way today. We stuck with our planned route for now. 

 Here is a beautiful hole of water and cascades we came past.

 Papaw giving Gabe a drink break with some Capri sun juice.

 Above and below: Gabe the reknowned rock thrower.   So many rocks!

Someone said he looked like Opie on Andy Griffith!

   We rode on a bit further and Gabe got a little fussy.   We stopped and had lunch and baby got a dry diaper.    It did him good to get a full tummy and dry butt and run around a little.  He was raring to go again though.

  More white water on our travels

  We figured on coming out near the bridge on Alloway Road.  Making essentially a loop.  We'd have to drive half mile or so on the road, but that wouldn't be a problem in this low traffic area.  We have the RZR tagged to be legal on roads where the speed limit doesn't exceed 40 mph. 

 

Above is a beautiful blue hole of water on Fall Branch.  We stopped to check this out. It was too cold today for swimming, but I bet it would be a good spot.  Water levels definitely go down in Summer. We have been by here in August and it doesn't look like this.  

 More rock throwing and running around.

Gabe is all boy. He's a four wheeling dude!  Brrrrmmmm! 

   A cluster of some of the few wildflowers we saw today. It was surprisingly bare of them!

 Southern red trillium growing near that first clump shown above.

    We made it out onto the hard top road and the bridge.  It was a pretty ride with lots more water crossings.  We passed the Sparta hunt club gate and their animal pen.

     Once we got back to the truck we loaded up and went up the road to another spot. We unloaded there and planned on trying to find the way over toward Hwy 68.  We went right through the history crab orchard!  It was pretty, but it was extremely rough.  Gabe was very sleepy and we had him napping in the RZR.  He was all cushioned between us snug and that warm afternoon sun coming in.
Good sleeping as far as he was concerned.  It became clear after awhile that we'd gone into one of those interdimensional vortexes that makes sure you don't come out where you're trying to come out.
All we knew was that we were not on the right path and we had a baby along.  It was not the day to subject him to our aimless wandering.   We turned around and headed back. It took awhile too.
The day turned out to be just right.  No troubles that mattered.   We saw a lot of nice scenery and had fun.  We did not make it into an ordeal for us or for Gabe.  We don't want to sour him on this sport.

Below is a photo of the blooms on the old crab apple trees.
   

Last of all is a short video of the various pretty creeks we crossed.