Into the Wild

Today was a sunny, gorgeous day! For the first time in what seems like forever it was a little warm outside, around 51 degrees. I decided to take advantage of this rare warmth during the harsh winter season, and went to Moss Rock Preserve to spend some time in nature. Moss Rock Preserve is a park in Hoover, Alabama where many rock climbers go to climb the boulders. I decided I would do a little bird watching and maybe try rock climbing while I was there. 

As I entered the park I saw a huge boulder and wondered if there would be any rock climbers on it. I heard some birds chirping and I am pretty sure I heard a hawk calling through the woods. Hawks are pretty cool birds, I love that they look as though they are just floating through the sky as they soar through the air. I walked up to the boulder at the front of the park and decided I'd try to climb it. I heard that this particular boulder climb is called the "heart problem" because the main hold in the rock is in the shape of a heart. If you look at the hold sideways it really does look like a heart! It was a really tricky climb, I had to squeeze my fingers into cracks in the rock and put chalk all over my hands so that I wouldn't slip. Thankfully, I made it to the final hold, the "heart of the problem" so to speak. I was pretty tired after climbing, but I decided to keep exploring the park.

I found another rock to climb that was pretty easy to climb up but it was so tall that it was scary! I put my fears aside though and made it to the top! I climbed back down and walked to the outskirts of the reserve and found a little creek. I jumped across some stones and took a little rest on a log in the middle of the creek. I thought about how lucky I am to get to spend time outside instead of being in school or at work. Not many people get the time to sit and enjoy the beauty of nature. I started to walk back through the middle of the park, and found a few interesting cave-like formations in the boulders. I wonder what kind of creatures were hiding in there! Next to one boulder there was a tree that grew in a 90 degree angle. I wonder how some trees can grow that way. Next to the tree was a little ledge on a rock so I took a little nap. It started to get cold outside, so I headed back to my car. On my way to the car I saw a Carolina Chickadee! What a magnificent day it was! I can't wait to explore some more of this great state.