The temperature is 75.2 degrees and the wind is blowing at 14 mph.

How do I know? The final Quest is all about the weather.

Ranger Meghan Sochowski crafted a challenge that addresses both ordinary conditions and extraordinary ones found in hurricanes and thunderstorms.

Meghan is a Park Quest original. She was on board four years ago at Pocomoke and transferred her Quest talents here two years ago.

Her attention to detail and ability to balance the needs of both big and little kids shows.

"It wasn't my favorite thing in the beginning," the St. Mary's County native acknowledges. "But now I can't wait. I like planning them."

It's a little difficult to process all that's happened over the last seven days, from the start in Garrett County last Wednesday to sticking my feet in the Atlantic surf just minutes ago.

I'll save that for Sunday's column.

The park folks here at Assateague have decorated a beach buggy with streamers and garlands and are giving me a celebratory ride.

Lieutenant Mike Riley pops the top on a bottle of sparkling grape juice (this is an alcohol-free state park and he is an officer of the law) and proposes a toast.

It really is over.

Like Meghan, I can't wait to begin planning for something a little different for next year.

Wait, did I say next year?

Posted by Candus Thomson at 5:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Park Quest 2011
        

Enter the dark woods and wetlands at Pocomoke State Park's Milburn Landing and you feel like you're on Yoda's turf.

Massive trees provide a welcomed canopy from the sun. A carpet of pine needles pad the trail. Lush ferns sway in the light breeze. Cypress trees give the swamp water its distinctive tea color.

The Quest narrative can be downloaded from the Park Quest website. Dopes like me who forgot can read the script that is supplied in the PQ backpack at the trailhead.

The Quest takes you around the perimeter of the day-use area, where you'll learn about Native Americans, Pocomoke's natural resources and the park's history. Each stop has a stamp to apply to your worksheet.

The circuit hike through Yoda Land isn't required, but I recommend it.

Take your worksheet to the Delmarva Discovery Center in Pocomoke City and get your PQ Passport stamped.

Add a tour of the Center to your day (they have a Nemo clown fish on display).

Getting my Passport stamped means just one thing: Park Quest 24/7, which began last Wednesday at 7 a.m. in Herrington Manor State Park in Western Maryland, has but one stop left.

One.

That has a nice ring.

It's onto Assateaque to dip my toes in the Atlantic Ocean.

Posted by Candus Thomson at 4:00 PM | Permalink
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Turns out the Quest I worried about most in this year's Park Quest 24/7 is one of the ones I enjoyed the most.

Paddling the water trails at Janes Island State Park can be refreshing, educational or relaxing or an endurance event that you endure (my 2010 Quest).

It depends on the weather, the route and the company.

As luck would have it, I hit the trifecta of paddling perfection.

The weather this morning is lovely, the final respite before we return to summer's mouth-of-the-dog conditions.

The route is the aptly named Short Trail.

The company is Ranger Christine Jirikowic, an anthropologist by training and a natural-born naturalist.

During our hour-long paddle, we see lots of salt marsh critters and get to play in the cool mud (it washes off, mom).

The Glendening administration designated  Janes Island the first terrapin sanctuary on state land. The protection, thankfully, is now statewide.

There are plenty of terrapins in the waters around Janes, and they play peek-a-boo with our canoe, ducking underwater as we draw close and popping back up after we glide past.

All too soon, our Quest is over as we pull up to the dock.

I get my Passport stamp -- only two to go. Now it's off to Pocomoke's Bald Cypress Trail.

Photo: Ranger Christine Jirikowic paddling the Short Trail at Janes Island State Park on the final day of Park Quest 24/7.

Posted by Chris Korman at 11:05 AM | Permalink
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After the attack of the horse flies, Park Quest 24/7 flees across the Bay Bridge, checking the rear view mirror frequently, to the breezy expanse of Sandy Point State Park and Quest No. 21.

The flies do not follow.

I am joined by recovering journalist Josh Davidsburg, a Department of Natural Resources spokesman, and an agency intern, who I won't embarrass by naming her. She is, after all, being a good sport about being dragged about the park grounds and her sharp eyes will come in handy as we searched for clues.

Ranger Dorna Cooper rounds out the rag-tag team to make sure we stay on course and don't make search-and-rescue headlines.

This Quest is a treasure hunt that takes Questers from the marina area to the beach.

The best part? Both ends have ice cream for sale.

(Hint: Visit the beach-side nature center, but get your PQ Passport stamped at the marina store so you can pose in front of the pirate picture.) The breeze is bug-free and delightful. Ditto the company.

I run into Quest team Kiddies Galore again, looking none the worse for wear since Susquehanna State Park -- was that just yesterday?

Arrr, success is ours, me buckos!

So, three blank Passport pages, three Eastern Shore Quests to go: Janes Island, Pocomoke and Assateague.

Something tells me the flies are waiting on the other side, waiting to come aboard.

Must be brave.

Posted by Candus Thomson at 3:29 PM | Permalink
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This used to be the hot spot before Tuckahoe State Park came along up the road and siphoned off some business.

But Martinak State Park, with its free boat ramp and access to the Choptank River, still has its fans. On this day, a family has a picnic under the trees near the nature center and nearby Sheenay Adams of Denton is wetting a line.

This Quest is stop 20 for this year's edition of Park Quest 24/7. It's built around five poems that act as clues to lead families to green boxes along the trails. When you find one, sign the logbook and stamp or draw a picture to signify success.

As with Sassafras, early is better than late. The horse flies or deer flies are thick and waiting to buzz you. Resistance is futile.

Off to Sandy Point on the other side of the bridge for the final Quest of the day

Photo: Sheenay Adams fishing at Martinak State Park.

Posted by Candus Thomson at 12:42 PM | Permalink
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So who opens the door and greets me at my first Park Quest 24/7 stop today at Sassafras Natural Resources Management Area?

Former Congressman Wayne Gilchrest.

Knock me down with a feather.

No, he's not a docent at the three-story 1700s home known as Knocks Folly. He's working on a program for school kids that teaches about ecology, geology, agriculture, history and commercial fishing in the area, and this is his base camp.

Good idea being carried out by a good man.

The out-of-the-way historic area has cool farm equipment, a family cemetery, a museum and a working waterfront, where I watched two anglers launching their kayaks into Turner Creek, which empties into the Sassafras River, and a waterman unloading crabs.

Todd Easton, who leads a four-person Maryland Conservation Corps crew, recommends hiking the trails at the back of the property near water's edge.

"You'll feel like you're out there all by yourself," he says.

Outdoors Girl recommends picking a day with a breeze and getting here early, before the horse flies work up an appetite.

Waving goodbye, Gilchrest offered this advice, "Eat a good breakfast."

I think he was talking about me, not the flies.

Off to Martinak, stop 20.

Photo: Former congressman Wayne Gilchrest on the porch of Knocks Folly.

Posted by Candus Thomson at 9:56 AM | Permalink
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Just before beginning the tough, middle part of Park Quest 24/7 last weekend. my BlackBerry buzzed with incoming information.

The subject line: Keep Going! The sender: The Sun's head dude, Tim Ryan.

At first I thought it was a 21st-century pink slip. You know, "Now that we have you out of the building, we've changed the locks and advise you to always keep the Sun in your rearview mirror. Keep Going!"

But, no, the boss of all bosses was sending along his best wishes. He's understood Park Quest 24/7 from the beginning, from some scribblings on a greasy paper plate on Memorial Day weekend 2010 and my announcement that I'd try it again this year.

Lucky me.

Continue reading "Boss to Outdoors Girl: Keep Going!" »

Posted by Candus Thomson at 7:30 AM | Permalink
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A pirate! That's what I'm good at.

After trying and failing as a bike rider, a disc golf player and a chromite miner during Park Quest 24/7, my adventure across Maryland, I found my match at Elk Neck State Park with the help of Naturalist Crystal Hudson.

The Quest is a combination pirate quiz and compass exercise. You'll learn something about the natural resources at the Cecil County park.

If she's around and the nature center is open, Crystal will introduce you to her corn snake that travels to schools as part of the "Scales and Tales" program.

If you answer all the questions correctly, some pirate booty awaits at the end.

Day Five of Park Quest 24/7 is over. Just two more days and six more parks left in the challenge that started June 1 in Western Maryland.

Monday, I'll hit Sassafras and Martinak on the Eastern Shore before crossing the Bay Bridge in the early afternoon for another pirate adventure at Sandy Point.

Then it's a final three-park sprint to the coast to be standing in the Atlantic Ocean before supper time on Tuesday.

Photo: Naturalist Crystal Hudson and Zombie, an 11-year-old corn snake who lives at the Elk Neck State Park Nature Center.

Posted by Candus Thomson at 6:06 PM | Permalink
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I'm back at an old friend from last year's Park Quest 24/7: Susquehanna State Park. If you've never been, you're missing a nice spot. First, you leave civilization and drop through a hobbit forest on your way to the historic area. All of the sudden, the deep woods peels back to reveal an 1800s scene, complete with a toll house, a mansion and stone grist mill powered by a giant water wheel.

By the wheel, I meet up with three other groups of Questers: Ivall Adventure, Team Jordan and Kiddies Galore.

The wheel moans and creaks as it gets up to speed. Inside, the mill grinds corn into cornmeal. Kids can dress in period garb for their mill tour. Before you know it, it's time to fill in your answer sheet, get your passport stamped and head back to 2011.

Next stop--No. 18 on PQ 24/7--is Elk Neck State Park and a chance to show my knowledge of pirate lore. Ahrrr!

Posted by Candus Thomson at 3:29 PM | Permalink
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I started the day in horse country near Big Elk Creek, where a man fishes for trout early Sunday morning, on the trail of a sly fox.

Staying on the right path was easy--look for the orange markers, the yellow pictures of foxes and the brown "blazes" of pony poop.

You see, Fair Hill is a different critter than many of the state lands on this year's Park Quest. It's a 5,655-acre Natural Resource Management Area, where hikers, anglers, hunters, bike riders and folks on horseback and in horse-driven buggies pursue their favorite outdoor activity.

The Quest hike is a pretty one, a 2.5-mile out-and-back, with plenty of history signs. (Don't forget your passport because the stamp is at the end of the out part, and you'll have to go "back" to get it).

Horse people, like pro hockey players, are really nice to reporters, so I learned a lot about their mounts and their training.

The Quest involves an arithmetic problem, but don't worry--I only got a 220 on my math SAT (you get 200 points just for putting your name on the test) and I did OK.

One suggestion to the PQ czars: You might think about putting a yellow fox and arrow at stop F. The "special" PQ trail doesn't look too special.

With No. 16 in the bag, it's off to Susquehanna State Park.

Photo: Piney, a mule, poses while on patrol with Volunteer Mounted Patrol member Charlotte Eggink.

Posted by Candus Thomson at 3:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
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The final Quest of Day Four was a family affair involving two groups: some Park Quest veterans and some newcomers.

Although I'm not related to either group by blood, they both feel like family. We play well together.

So, at the halfway point of Park Quest 24/7, with my  muscles aching and my energy at an ebb, seeing Team Bay Bougheys and the Pits of Despair in the parking lot at Patapsco Valley, ready to Quest, was like eating a handful of chocolate-covered espresso beans with a Red Bull chaser.

The Quest itself was a race against a thunderstorm barreling in from the northwest.

Even though we had never all worked together before, the teams quickly answered the questions on their worksheets and puzzled out the puzzles.

Meanwhile, the Hilton area was a beehive of activity, with kids dashing around the playground as a seasonal ranger nearby led a nature program on red foxes.

Maryland's 66 state parks are really worth trying, whether you Quest or hike or paddle or pedal. Or even if all you want to do is settle under a shady tree with a book and maybe throw something on the grill before calling it a day.

Park Quest 24/7, completing the challenges at all 24 participating parks in seven days, is just my little way to throw some light on a tremendous state asset that is in, or maybe just beyond, your neighborhood.

There's just three days and nine parks left in this year's adventure -- and it has been an adventure. I look forward to telling you all about it.

See you Sunday for Fair Hill, Susquehanna and Elk Neck.

Photo: Aidan Pyle, 7 1/2, of Elkridge, practices drawing a red fox during a nature program. 

Posted by Candus Thomson at 6:00 PM | Permalink
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Once again, Outdoors Girl is under-dressed for the occasion.

This time her faux pas came at the Jerusalem Mills area of Gunpowder Falls State Park, where bride Denise Gielas of Sparrows Point and her bridesmaids were getting pre-ceremony photos taken at the picturesque village.

After finding most of the birdhouses containing stamps to mark my worksheet, I came to the bridal party, just inches from one of the last birdhouses.

Wait or play through?

Luckily, the bride moved on to another spot, but not before she invited me into a photo and a bridesmaid lent me her bouquet to spruce up my outfit.

Congratulations, Mrs. Denise Gielas Wilson. You, too, groom Joey Wilson.

On to Patapsco Valley State Park.

Posted by Candus Thomson at 5:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
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OK, I stink at mining, too.

Better keep my day job.

At Soldiers Delight, I follow the directions on an MP3 player as I learn about "A Miner's Life" and the chromite mining operation that used to dominate the area.

My guardian is Ranger Joe Vogelpohl, who wrote and produced the audio trail guide.

Mining way back when was back-breaking work carried out in hazardous conditions--not much has changed.

Although some readers suspect I'm always in the dark, I can tell you with 100-percent certainty that I can't tell one rock from another under those conditions, one of Ranger Joe's challenges.

Under beautiful skies, I finished my Quest just as my friends, Team Bay Bougheys, arrived.

I hope to see them later at Patapsco Valley State Park -- my last stop of the day.

Photo: Ranger Joe Vogelpohl at a panning area.

Posted by Candus Thomson at 5:15 PM | Permalink
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I stink at golf. No patience. No aim.

So disc golf isn't going to be my shining moment on Park Quest 24/7, an attempt to complete the challenge at each participating state park within seven days.

Seneca Creek State Park has a dandy 27-hole course designed by the Cedar Farm Golf Club.

I try the first hole and realize I could spend all day just trying to complete the first nine holes required of this Quest. So I walk the soft, green fairways all alone, enjoying the early-morning quiet.

Even the arrival of long-time club member Mark Stiles, a scientist at the National Institute of Standards and Training isn't likely to help.

So I finish the word puzzle, get my PQ Passport stamped and head for Soldiers Delight Natural Environment Area, stop No. 13.

Posted by Candus Thomson at 4:45 PM | Permalink
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There's nothing like a quiet walk on a shaded dirt path to make you forget about the gridlock that is Route 301 in Waldorf in Charles County.

Luckily, just over the line in Prince George's is Cedarville State Forest, located at the headwaters of Zekiah Swamp.

I luck out. A cool day means bugs won't be much of a bother as I work my way through all 24 state parks participating in Park Quest in seven days.

This Quest was devised by Girl Scout Troop 2344. Like some others this year, it's a letterbox challenge, a kind of treasure hunt in which clues lead you -- hopefully -- to a weatherproof box filled with a log that you sign and a stamp that you put on your worksheet to prove you made it.

At Cedarville, you can find  two boxes or four. Being in a hurry, I did two.

Nice job, girls.

But what's my rush? I'm only going to insert myself into rush hour traffic.

Maybe I'll go find those two bonus boxes.

Saturday, I'll start my day close to home at Seneca Creek then move onto Soldiers Delight, Gunpowder and Patapsco Valley. That will give me 15 of 24 parks with three days  to go.

Posted by Chris Korman at 5:30 PM | Permalink
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Bad news. No Park Quest trunk on the porch of the Greenwell Foundation, as promised online, so no compass to do the Trail-O challenge.

No one around to shake things loose, and the nice woman in the office says she's heard Marker 7 is down.

So, Outdoors Girl made her own Quest, walking the River Trail along the Patuxent, Maryland's longest fully contained river, and taking a picture of two adorable kids to prove I was here.

Onto Cedarville State Forest.

Posted by Candus Thomson at 2:45 PM | Permalink
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This is the first time this Charles County state park has been a Park Quest site. You wouldn't know it.

Seasonal Ranger Elena Bode read Questers' comments from the first three years and helped design challenges at other parks, so she has a pretty good idea of what will work.

It's a fine line Quest masters walk: can't make it too hard for young ones or too easy and boring for older kids.

This one at Smallwood has the perfect balance of waterfront questions, woodsy challenges and a little bit of Maryland history.

What did I learn? That the sign for a women's outhouse is a moon and the one for men is a star.

Parents bring some coin -- on weekends there's ice cream at the snack bar.

Photo: Ranger Elena Bode at General Smallwood's homestead.

Posted by Candus Thomson at 11:45 AM | Permalink
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Whenever Ranger Jen Miller is having a bad day, she pulls some dead rats from the freezer.

Feeding the owls, hawks, vultures and other birds at the Cunningham Falls State Park Aviary is both necessary and gratifying.

All the birds are the walking wounded of the animal kingdom. They've been struck by cars, flown into high-voltage lines or suffered some other mishap. No longer able to go it alone, they are brought to the aviary to be part of the educational program that is part of Park Quest.

Miller thaws rodents and doles them out on cookie sheets in each spacious walk-in cage. Some birds can barely wait for the cage door to closed before they pounce. Others hang back to dine alone.

The aviary is just part of the Quest here, but leave enough time to visit awhile.

You'll learn to appreciate your place on the food chain.

Photo: A barred owl

Posted by Candus Thomson at 8:30 PM | Permalink
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For the record: Ranger Tammy McCorkle and I didn't start talking about the flavors at South Mountain Creamery until we finished our first mile of the Appalachian Trail.

Coconut Joy? Blueberry Cheesecake? Birthday Cake?

It made the walking go quicker. Contributing mightily to the adventure was Missy, the ranger's 10-year-old pooch of mixed descent ("Her mother was a dog and her father was a dog," McCorkle said.) The hike climbed a tiny bit of the mountain, decorated in an explosion of mountain laurel in full bloom.

A quick note to the idiot who recently carved "Hummer" and "Motorboat" into the AT shelter built by volunteers:

1) If that's your choice of luxury items, go carve them into the wall of a dealership;

2) If that's your trail name, it needs some work.

That little incident aside, it was a hike that ended before I really wanted it to.

But on the other hand, the end of the hike meant ice cream for Missy, Tammy and me.

It's a two-for-one special for Questers.

Make mine a Coconut Joy.

Photo: Outdoors Girl with Missy McCorkle at South Mountain shelter on the Appalachia Trail.

Posted by Candus Thomson at 8:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
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If you have kids who like forts and cannons, bring them here.

You can't see Fort Frederick from the road or even the visitor center, but believe me it's big.

This Quest starts inside the fort but quickly moves you out in the woods and meadows, beyond the thick, stone walls. It's relaxing, educational and the interpretive rangers, like Rob Ambrose, make it fun.

My Park Quest passport now has six stamps. It's off to South Mountain, the Appalachian Trail and South Mountain Creamery for some S'mores ice cream.

Posted by Candus Thomson at 1:45 PM | Permalink
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If Outdoors Girl careens off a paved path and into the woods on a two-wheel death machine, does she make a sound?

No. There isn't enough time.

The 23-mile Western Maryland Rail Trail is a great way for entire families to go pedaling together.

For me, it's stop 5 on Park Quest 24/7: two dozen state parks across the state in one week.

Seasonal Ranger Amanda Carbaugh rides with me. Dennis Hudson, owner of C&O Bicycle Shop, opens up early to fit me with a 7-speed bike.

I'm unsafe at any speed, so I'll keep it in third gear the whole, flat way.

I haven't ridden in nearly two decades, so my main goal is to not kill the ranger or any actual skilled cyclists.

My only d'oh moment comes when I reach down to grab the Park Quest question packet falling out of my pocket. A wobble left. A wobble right. A plunge into a nearby wooded area.

No harm, no foul. I finish.

It's off to Fort Frederick now for the second stop of the day.

Photo: From left, Terri Carr, Tracy Vagrin and Nina Catron, all of Frederick County, at the start of a 25-mile ride on the Western Maryland Rail Trail near Fort Frederick.

Posted by Candus Thomson at 11:01 AM | Permalink
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Four parks down, 20 to go on my marathon Park Quest 24/7 to complete the challenges at 24 state parks -- from Garrett County to the Atlantic Ocean in seven days.

So far, I've hiked following  compass bearings to answer questions, paddled a canoe while staying on a GPS-set course, found letterboxes that taught me about natural resources and history and hiked to a cemetery, an aviary and a dam.

I'm sitting on the veranda at Rocky Gap State Park, enjoying a freshening breeze -- don't worry, it's heading your way, Baltimore.

A decent first day with just a few minor glitches.

The Rocky Gap Quest took me to the quieter end of Lake Habeeb. My advice: don't overshoot the marker on the Old Hancock Road (if you get to an asphalt road, you've gone waaay too far) and steal a crayon from a kid rather than use a pencil for the rubbings.

On Thursday, I'll start the day with a 10-mile pedal on the Western Maryland Rail Trail. I haven't ridden a bike in almost 20 years, so this should be circus-clown amusing.

Maybe they'll have training wheels for me?

Posted by Candus Thomson at 6:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
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New Germany State Park is like buttah.

Literally.

My family and some of our good friends spent Memorial Day weekend camping at NG. At dinner time, just before the corn on the cob was ready to join the grilled steak and baked potatoes, we had a butter malfunction.

My spouse ran down to the park store to see if a quick replacement could be secured.

Instead of sending him away, Ranger Crystal McCann quickly unlocked the snack shop, rummaged in the refrigerator and discovered a lone stick, probably belonging to a staff member.

She donated it to our dinner.

New Germany is a gem, often overlooked by campers.

We will remember it for the  trail system (the pink trail offers the best chance for a black bear sighting), the comforting whoosh of Poplar Lick gushing over the dam and all the terrific 1930s-era buildings and cabins erected by the Civilian Conservation Corps  that are part of this year's Park Quest challenge.

But most of all, we'll remember Ranger McCann's kindness.

Good rangers--and there are plenty in Maryland--make sure you have a great park visit.

But a great ranger makes sure your corn on the cob is buttered.

On to my final quest of Day One: Rocky Gap.

Continue reading "Park Quest 2011: New Germany State Park often overlooked" »

Posted by Candus Thomson at 2:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
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1) A cockroach will live nine days without its head before it starves to death.

2) Turtles can breathe through their butts.

3) Butterflies taste with their feet.

4) Paddling into a stiff head wind on Deep Creek Lake without Ranger Mark Spurrier in the stern providing the muscle is a futile exercise that is likely to result in negative mph.

I learned the first three facts from a poster in the Discovery Center bathroom at Deep Creek Lake State Park.

I learned No. 4 while paddling from the bow of a green Old Town canoe.

The lake is quiet mid-week just after Memorial Day weekend. Cruising with the wind while following GPS coordinates to waypoints is both relaxing and educational. Without giving too much away to my fellow Questers, I'll tell you the 1.5-hour adventure is just the right length for young or beginning paddlers.

Spurrier, who lives along the lake, is worth seeking out for some facts about the lake's ecology and state efforts to keep water quality high.

On our paddle back, as we left the protected cove and rounded the point just before the Discovery Center, a strong wind stopped us dead. Hugging the shoreline and paddling furiously we managed to go...no where. It was like trying to move a boat made of concrete anchored to the bottom.

All of the sudden, we hit a  lull in the wind tunnel. "Paddle now," Mark hollered.

In three minutes, we covered the last 50 yards and grabbed the dock.

Quest No. 2 done. Now, arms quivering, it's off to New Germany State Park.

Posted by Chris Korman at 12:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
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Beautiful start to my state park marathon: 24 state parks in seven days, going west to east. It's only 65 degrees right now at Herrington Manor State Park. But humidity is hanging like damp cheesecloth over the 53-acre lake.

Some folks are out fishing early and the park manager, Lieutenant Al Preston is sprucing up the grounds around the lake house.

This Quest requires compass skills. No worries, I have one owned by the late Bill Burton, Maryland's longest-serving outdoors writer, former Evening Sun colleague and good friend. For good luck, his granddaughter bought a little ceramic bear and left it at the park snack shop for me to pick up. Thanks, Kenzie.

Good Quest. Tougher than last year. Preston said it was designed that way to give Questers basic compass skills last season that they could build on this season.

One down and 23 to go. Time to find a cup of coffee before moving on to my next stop, Deep Creek Lake State Park.

Posted by Candus Thomson at 8:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Park Quest 2011