Hot & Humid @ Swayback

Hike: Black Trail, Swayback Bridge, Saturday, 07/14/2012, 09:00-13:00
Distance: 8 miles  Rating: 5/5
Difficulty: Moderate due to distance and Heat/Humidity
Conditions: PCloudy. Lite & variable wind.  Hot & Humid (hey it's Alabama in July).  Trails in good shape.
Thoughts/Observations:

To lighten my load in the summer heat/humidity, I left the dSLR at home for this hike.  All of the pictures are in my mind!  (The reader will just have to "read my mind"!)

Encountered two trail runners with their black lab (who seemed to be enjoying the trail) but otherwise I enjoyed quiet during my late morning hike.  It was a time of worship, communion, and refreshing!  My kind of hike.

It was easy to hear the rustle of the light & variable wind in the forest canopy.  The shade and breeze were a treasured blessing -- warding the wilting rays of the sun off.  Quite a few passerines kept me company & cheered me with their choral melodies.  Dragonflies were hovering and darting about -- always a special treat for me.  (I don't know exactly why I like dragonflies so much, but I do.)  I disturbed several lizards and chipmunks, sending them scurrying across the leaf-littered floor to cover.  The Big Leaf Magnolias still make me pause and gaze.  These small trees with their huge, broad leaves are one of my favorites.  There is a stand of these prehistoric-looking trees along the Black Trail at the lake-shore, surrounding an ancient, fallen forest giant (probably a yellow poplar).

Great hike!  Thank YOU, LORD, for loving me.

Gear List for today's hike:
Columbia hikers
MountainSmith lumbar pack (1st Aid Kit & ESK; 2 KleenKanteens of water)
ESEE-4
Do-rag (I relied on the forest cover to protect me from the sun)
Deep-Woods OFF (works great to keep the "critters" at bay)
SPoT
Cellphone
Wooden Hiking Staff