Turkey Run...More Like...Prickly Run

We set out for an easy little hike along the Turkey Run trail in the Otter Creek Wilderness Area.  The first mile and a half of this beautiful trail was overgrown with stinging nettles.  In some cases their blossoms reached six feet high.  If we had worn shorts, we would have turned back.  Dense nettle-growth overwhelmed the trail.  Both of us were averging 20 SPH (stings per hour).  Fortunately, for both of us the burining sensation only lasts for five minutes, though your mileage may vary.  I would not recommend this trail for children.  They would have not have fun among these prickly plants.

With all complaining aside, they were actually quite beautiful.  The old forest road was carpeted with nettles and blossoms as far as the eye could see.  They were so tall that many times we had to hold our arms above our heads to prevent the nettles from stinging our arms.  The minor nuisance of the stings was a price well worth paying for the beautiful scene.  The panoramic at the top of this entry was taken as we arrived back to the trailhead and looks down onto the Fernow Experimental Forest Road.  

The magnificent nettles of the Turkey Run trail end abruptly when the trail turns and begins hiking along the north facing side of the mountain.  Rhododendron, spruce and hemlock dominate the second half of the dark trail.  We were happy to be done with the nettles and the shade of the spruce and hemlock made for a very comfortable and pleasant hike.  Some folks might disregard this trail as "...a walk in the woods," but in this case, the quiet serenity of the area more than compensated for a lack of drama.     In our entire 8.5 mile hike, we didn't see a single person.  Maybe those stinging nettles are good for something after all.