Happy May! What better way to start May than with a throwback to a snowy hike we did on Valentine’s Day of this year. Brandon and I were both feeling VERY stir crazy (as is typical for mid-February in a place like Missouri) and so we decided, in place of any fancy gifts, we’d take a lovely little Valentine’s Day hike (along with H – who doesn’t go to school yet – and our poodle Potato). The hike was beautiful (in a weird sort of dead winter way) and really awesome… for the first two miles. After that, the puppy and H were both completely done and we were regretting all of our life choices. So here is my pro tip: check AllTrails BEFORE embarking on any hike and make sure the mileage aligns with the weather conditions and the ability of those in your party (yes, that includes dogs).
Orange Loop Cole Creek Trail
I love hiking, I really do. But it’s typically Brandon who is looking up the hikes and planning them out (except for when we were in Korea – as I was very comfortable searching out and winging adventures there and he was not). And don’t get me wrong, he does a good job – like a REALLY good job. But one thing that he almost ALWAYS gets wrong is the distance that we are actually hiking. But the really funny part? I think he does it on purpose. Once we went to hike the Engineer Trail on Fort Leonard Wood (post on that one coming soon) and he swore up and down that it was a mile loop. As it turned out, it’s closer to three miles. Three miles is totally fine… when you’re expecting it to be three miles. But when you’re expecting it to be ONE mile, then THREE miles is exactly twenty-seven miles. Silly silly man.
And I haven’t quite gotten to the bottom of why Brandon does this. (Do you like how this post is quickly becoming a therapy session?) I’ve always been a pretty eager hiker and I’m not one to back away from even a long hike (and I think my willingness to do the Big Piney Trail proves that). But it’s almost like Brandon thinks I’ll say no if I think the hike is “too long.”
Anyway, so my husband has this habit of downplaying the distance of the hikes he chooses. And the Orange Loop on the Cole Creek Trail was no exception. He told me it was an easy 2-3 miles whereas it’s actually 4.5 miles. Again, that doesn’t really matter, but when it’s only about 40 degrees outside (if even that) and you have a toddler and a puppy with you… better to be as accurate as you can be.
Despite my husband’s adorable little habit, we did have a good time on the hike. We’d never really hiked in the snow before – so we were definitely ill-equipped when it came to proper footwear – but we didn’t hate it. We talked the whole time and joked and cracked the ice puddles and threw rocks onto the frozen ponds… basically we are twelve years old. It was a fun way to get outside and spend some quality time together on Valentine’s Day. Although H would disagree. For about the last mile she wasn’t happy and it took until we got back to the car to realize that her hands were cold. She had thick mittens on and everything, but they can really only do so much. Poor girl was so miserable, but we got her all warmed up and there was no harm done.
If you’re wanting to embark on this trail during the winter, invest in some warm winter hiking boots. If you’re going during the spring, summer, and fall, I’d imagine you’ll want to treat all of your clothes with permethrin the day before. Obviously ticks weren’t something we experienced during our visit, but this is Missouri, so every other time of year besides winter I’m guessing they would be around. The trail was well marked with orange markers and it seemed to be well maintained. Although there is obviously a lot more growth now than there was in February, so come prepared for ticks regardless.
’til next time…
Ash
Things to know about hiking the Orange Loop Cole Creek Trail
Directions & Parking: Cole Creek Trailhead is located in Richland, Missouri – about 40 minutes away from Fort Leonard Wood’s main gate. You can simply type Cole Creek Trailhead into Google Maps (or use the hyperlink) and it’ll take you to the sign for the trailhead, as well as a dirt roundabout. As far as we could tell, there was no designated parking area. We just pulled off to the side somewhere on the roundabout and hoped for the best. It’s not a super well-traveled trail, plus in February we thought it unlikely we would be in anyone’s way. And we were right. We didn’t encounter anybody else on the trail.
Cost: Cole Creek Trailhead is located in Mark Twain National Forest. Typically there are fees for parking (or you have to have an America the Beautiful National Parks Pass), but this particular trail didn’t have any sort of vehicle registration requirement. So all that to say, this trail is FREE along with the parking.
Navigation: As with just about every other hike we have ever gone on, I recommend using AllTrails to track your route. Search for Orange Loop Cole Creek Trail (or use the fancy-shmancy hyperlink I’ve provided). This trail was pretty easy to follow even with the snow because there were orange trail markers along the entire thing. We found it more difficult to actually find the starting point – and even to this day, we’re pretty sure we skipped an entire section of the hike because of it. But, of course, we were trying to blaze our own trail at the beginning, instead of using AllTrails. So do as I say and not as I do: use AllTrails.
Difficulty: This hike is classified as a moderate hike. Probably partially because of the distance (4.5 miles). The terrain itself was pretty flat and there weren’t any really intense up or down hill areas. If you’re looking to make it more difficult, visit while it’s snowy. I know from personal experience. Ha!
Amenities: There are no bathrooms at the trailhead or on this hike, so plan accordingly.
Know before you go: Dogs are allowed, but they must be on a leash. We may or may not have realized this and it’s very possible that we didn’t follow that rule perfectly. Oops.
