The Tuesday Group traveled to Surry and hiked around Chippokes State Park today. The weatherman was wrong again, because we did not have any rain just clouds and wind. The bad weather that was forecast for today and a few sore throats, kept a few from showing up for our hike but we still had 18 out of the 25 that had signed up. We met at the parking lot behind the Mansion and with Kenneth, Buck, Carl, Ellis, Ken, Bob & Evelyn, Gwyn, Sandra, Juliet, Martha, Nina, Bob, Brian, Jim, Margaret & Bruce, we started out for our 5 mile hike. As we hiked about 100 yards, Susan came driving in and we waited for her to get her gear ready and catch up before we started out.
I wanted to hike around the Cotton and Soybean Fields which had been picked the week earlier with some of the Winter Wheat already 2 or 3 in. high. We left the parking lot and headed towards the Equestrian Area and from there we passed by Lower Chippokes Creek and here some saw 3 deer. The park had their annual deer hunt on December 6 and I wasn’t sure if we would see any deer but we saw seven altogether. Crossing over Cedar lane we were about half way through our trip and we made a stop at an old barn with 70 or 80 old tools that the park does not use in their displays. Pictures were taken here and people were asking what is that and that and that. All tools were pulled by horses back 150 years ago and some still looked good.
From here we hiked to one of the deer hunt stands that overlooks College Run Creek and I showed everyone this beautiful place which visitors to the park never get to see. From here you can see all the way out to the James River and back towards the west end of the creek. Leaving here we only had about 1.5 miles left and we were trying to get back at 12:30 so we could go for lunch at Anna’s Pizza Restaurant by 1:00. When there is food waiting the Tuesday Bunch can walk fast and we all drove into Anna’s at 12:59. We had talked it over that morning and everyone agreed the restaurant would be better than sitting on a log eating PB&J‘s. We had a little of everything and all went home feeling good and full. Thanks to everyone that came out on a day like this. We still had fun.
Bruce