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Backpacking in the Heartland offers surprising adventure for the weekend warrior Indiana lungs scream for oxygen. My heart beats wildly as I push one foot over the other up the incline. Half way up, I halt my progress and take a much-deserved break. Scanning my surroundings, I take in the beauty of the moment. The silence of the forest is magical, almost spooky. The large trees slowly let the sunlight trickle through their leaves, creating playful images on the path. Right now, this is the only place in the world I want to be. Indiana may not be known for its epic hik- ing trails, but that does not mean a weekend warrior cannot get his outdoors fix just a few hours from home. Indiana boasts sev- eral trails and wilderness areas that will test the endurance and will power of the most seasoned backpacker. Not to mention, offer amazing solitude that will leave you coming back time-after-time for more. Never mind that the highest elevation in Indiana barely peaks above 1,000 feet, the Knobstone Trail in southern Indiana touts 10,500 feet in total elevation gain over a 58 mile trail. Locals call it the Appalachian Trail of Indiana. Other recreation areas such as the Charles C. Deam Wilderness satisfied my enjoyment of wandering into the wilderness with only the bare essentials strapped to my back. Indi- ana offers something for everyone, making it the perfect location for beginning backpack- ers and seasoned enthusiasts alike to plunge into nature and enjoy the solitude Indiana’s beautiful landscape offers. Go farther, see more While there are certainly sections of trail in Indiana that will challenge anyone, most are relatively flat. The joy of backpacking on flat ground cannot be understood until you have tried it. On one of my first Indiana backpacking trips, I began to doubt the accuracy of the map because our party was traveling so quickly. You suddenly feel like you’re in great shape, and the miles fly by. Forget about the exhausting death marches that leave you dead-tired when you hit camp. This makes trails such as the Charles C. Deam wilderness the ideal location for people who are new to the sport. Hiking on easier terrain allows backpack- ers to enjoy the essence of the sport: explore, enjoy their surroundings, and find them- selves. You can still see the sights you want, but no longer have to kill your legs in order to complete a 25 mile loop in two days. Indiana trails are unknown to most outside the state, which means they are perfect for escaping the buzz of the office to the haunt- ing silence of the wild. You could go days without passing another human, and yet be still relatively close to civilization. As Knobstone Trail backpacker Matt Averill journaled, “I entered the forest and a trans- formation took place. No longer was I in a car, at work, or even thinking about much. I was on the trail, alone.” Indiana will change you. It will give you an appreciation for the beauty that can be found in your own backyard. It will let you escape into its large forests and hide from the world for a weekend. If you allow your- self, you will fall in love with the Heartland. Knobstone Trail The Knobstone Trail is considered to be the premier trail in Indiana. It has inclines that will challenge your fitness and fortitude, but also rewards with a startling beauty. The Knobstone Trail draws its name from the Knobstone Escarpment in southern Indi- ana. It features some of the more rugged terrain in Indiana, which also makes it one of the most challenging areas to hike. The Jackson Road Trailhead is a great start- ing spot. The trail is well-marked with white blazes on trees intermittently pointing out the correct trail. Mile markers also indicate how far you’ve come. The first section of the trail is the most dif- ficult as you constantly ascend and descend towering hills. However, each new hill brings a renewed sense of appreciation for the beauty of the trail. You can see for what- seems like a hundred miles. The Escarpment juts out of the farmland like a scar, so miles of rolling forest and farmland open before your eyes. The first night, claim a hilltop campsite, about 6 miles from the Jackson Road Trail- head. The reward of a breath-taking gaze at the stars will send you to bed excited for the next day of adventure. The second day, means a descent into the valley, however, not without facing several daunting inclines, the most notable of which could take nearly an hour to ascend. However, you will soon be welcomed by a valley bottom, which means a cooling river. The river sweetly babbling in the distance makes a perfect site for the second night. The trails are waiting for the boots of those ready for the challenge, just don’t let too many people in on the secret. MY

Backpacking in the Heartland

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Backpackingin the Heartlandoffers surprising adventure for the weekend warrior

Indiana

lungs scream for oxygen. My heart beats wildly as I push one foot over the other up the incline.

Half way up, I halt my progress and take a much-deserved break. Scanning my surroundings, I take in the beauty of the moment. The silence of the forest is magical, almost spooky. The large trees slowly let the sunlight trickle through their leaves, creating playful images on the path. Right now, this is the only place in the world I want to be.

Indiana may not be known for its epic hik-ing trails, but that does not mean a weekend warrior cannot get his outdoors fix just a few hours from home. Indiana boasts sev-eral trails and wilderness areas that will test the endurance and will power of the most seasoned backpacker. Not to mention, offer amazing solitude that will leave you coming back time-after-time for more.

Never mind that the highest elevation in Indiana barely peaks above 1,000 feet, the Knobstone Trail in southern Indiana touts 10,500 feet in total elevation gain over a 58 mile trail. Locals call it the Appalachian Trail of Indiana.

Other recreation areas such as the Charles C. Deam Wilderness satisfied my enjoyment of wandering into the wilderness with only the bare essentials strapped to my back. Indi-ana offers something for everyone, making it the perfect location for beginning backpack-ers and seasoned enthusiasts alike to plunge into nature and enjoy the solitude Indiana’s beautiful landscape offers.

Go farther, see moreWhile there are certainly sections of trail

in Indiana that will challenge anyone, most are relatively flat. The joy of backpacking on flat ground cannot be understood until you have tried it.

On one of my first Indiana backpacking trips, I began to doubt the accuracy of the map because our party was traveling so quickly. You suddenly feel like you’re in great shape, and the miles fly by. Forget about the exhausting death marches that leave you dead-tired when you hit camp. This makes trails such as the Charles C. Deam wilderness the ideal location for people who are new to the sport.

Hiking on easier terrain allows backpack-ers to enjoy the essence of the sport: explore, enjoy their surroundings, and find them-selves.

You can still see the sights you want, but no longer have to kill your legs in order to complete a 25 mile loop in two days.

Indiana trails are unknown to most outside the state, which means they are perfect for escaping the buzz of the office to the haunt-ing silence of the wild. You could go days without passing another human, and yet be still relatively close to civilization.

As Knobstone Trail backpacker Matt Averill journaled, “I entered the forest and a trans-formation took place. No longer was I in a car, at work, or even thinking about much. I was on the trail, alone.”

Indiana will change you. It will give you an appreciation for the beauty that can be found in your own backyard. It will let you escape into its large forests and hide from the world for a weekend. If you allow your-self, you will fall in love with the Heartland.

Knobstone TrailThe Knobstone Trail is considered to be the

premier trail in Indiana. It has inclines that will challenge your fitness and fortitude, but also rewards with a startling beauty.

The Knobstone Trail draws its name from the Knobstone Escarpment in southern Indi-ana. It features some of the more rugged terrain in Indiana, which also makes it one of the most challenging areas to hike.

The Jackson Road Trailhead is a great start-ing spot. The trail is well-marked with white blazes on trees intermittently pointing out the correct trail. Mile markers also indicate how far you’ve come.

The first section of the trail is the most dif-ficult as you constantly ascend and descend towering hills. However, each new hill brings a renewed sense of appreciation for the beauty of the trail. You can see for what-seems like a hundred miles. The Escarpment juts out of the farmland like a scar, so miles of rolling forest and farmland open before your eyes. The first night, claim a hilltop campsite, about 6 miles from the Jackson Road Trail-head. The reward of a breath-taking gaze at the stars will send you to bed excited for the next day of adventure.

The second day, means a descent into the valley, however, not without facing several daunting inclines, the most notable of which could take nearly an hour to ascend.

However, you will soon be welcomed by a valley bottom, which means a cooling river. The river sweetly babbling in the distance makes a perfect site for the second night.

The trails are waiting for the boots of those ready for the challenge, just don’t let too many people in on the secret.

MY