Rick's Hiking & Fun Group

12 PM CT, 1 PM ET

we are celebrating the 24th anniversary of Rick’s Hiking and Fun Group, by retracing the steps of the 8 hikers on our first hike ever, way back in September 2001.

Length of hike about 7 miles, with options to shorten to 4 miles or 5 miles, some moderate climbs, but nothing too steep.

• Beginning at the State Park Nature Center, we will start out on beautiful trail 9, around the back edge of the Beach House Blowout, and descend through the middle to the lakeshore.
• At the Furnessville Blowout, anyone who wants to go only four miles can continue on trail 9 as it loops back to the Nature Center.
• The rest of us will continue on the beach, and hike along it to the place where trail 10 returns to the woods and through Paradise valley. We will follow trail 10 inland to the trail 2 boardwalk.
• At this point, anyone who wants to go only six miles can continue on trail 10 back to the Nature Center.
• The rest of us will cross the Great Marsh on the boardwalk, and continue on trails 2 and 8 over the marsh bridge and back to the Nature Center, for a total of about 7 miles

Dear Friends--

a few days after the terrible September 11 terrorist attacks, i began working on starting a hiking group. this was my fifth attempt to start a group since 1995, mostly through ads in the Chicago Reader newspaper. i had enjoyed hiking, backpacking, and other outdoor activities most of my life, and starting a group where i could easily and frequently find people for hiking and other outdoor pursuits was a cherished goal of mine.

in my prior attempts, i had not experienced much success, but the recent devastating world events had given me a new urgency to bring people together in healthy, positive community experiencing the outdoors and each other.

there were 8 people at our first hike on September 29, 2001, and i started an email list for a future group. i ran more Reader ads (and later advertised on Craigslist), had two more hikes in the rest of 2001 with 14 and 9 in attendance, and by New Year's, i had a mailing list of about 50 people.

in the following year, i was able to hold hikes, and later, other events with reliable attendance at least a couple times a month, and have been able to maintain this to the present day. in 2009, i put the group on meetup ... and that is how i am addressing all you fine people right now.

the thread of community was stretched rather thin in the months of uncertainty during the early Pandemic, but a robust schedule of cyber-events kept us connected, until we started gathering again in late summer in the safety of the beach.

in 2023--after some unsuccessful attempts in the past--i have found some reliable event organizers who have been providing excellent event experiences faithful to the vision of a caring community of people who love the outdoors--and each other--that i'd had over twenty long years ago.

this was important for two reasons--first, by 22 years after i started the group, age and physical disabilities had compromised my ability to lead the vigorous outdoor experiences i'd had in the past.

second, visiting my far-flung children and grandchildren had kept me away from the Midwest for as much as 3-4 months a year.

i'm grateful to the dozen of so people who have been creating and holding events in the last 2+ years since i expanded the leadership of the group, starting with Eileen and Jonathan, whom i first trusted with this role.

so thanks to Erin, my indispensible co-leader today, and all who join us as we walk the same route that the original 8 in the group took in that fraught September twenty-four long years ago. may we enjoy many more wonderful years together.

—Rick

The Dunes are to the Midwest what the Grand Canyon is to Arizona and the Yosemite is to California. They constitute a signature of time and eternity. --Carl Sandburg

Details

• Dogs are allowed on a leash
• You'll want to bring some water (and probably a snack if you go the long way)

Starting Location

We'll gather in front of the Nature Center deep in the Indiana Dunes State Park.

Nature Center, Chesterton, IN 46304

If you can't get a spot by the Nature Center, continue down the road a bit and park at the North Orchard Shelter. The short trail there will take you to the Nature Center.

Entrance

Unlike many of our hikes, this one is in the State Park. National Park passes are not accepted.

If you don't have a pass, at the gate it costs $7 for residents and $12 for non-residents. Annual passes are also available, and worthwhile if you visit more than a few times a year. car-pooling is also a good idea.

Event starts at 10 am cdt/ 11 am edt

This event will be held jointly is with the Michiana Adventures group https://www.meetup.com/meetup-group-yjezdrty/

A day of kayaking the lake at Potato Creek and a group cookout, with a hike after. This will be a family friendly day at the park.

Rental prices are as follows:

• 14’ Flat Bottom Row Boats: $10/hour or $30/day (plus tax)
• 17’ Canoes: $10/hour or $30/day (plus tax)
• Single Kayaks: $10/hour or $30/day (plus tax)
• Double Kayaks: $15/hour or $40/day (plus tax)

A deposit of $40 or a driver’s license is required for all boat rentals. Mooring posts are available for $1 per day (plus tax).

*Let us know if you are interested in a group cookout and hike after or just a day of kayaking. It’s an option that some might like.

Use your state park pass to get in or

$7.00 In-State Daily Entrance Fee
Admits driver and passengers.

$9.00 Out-of-State Daily Entrance Fee
Admits driver and passengers.

If you are bringing your own kayak or SUP you will need the DNR lake permit stamp. It is $5 and can be purchased at the entrance gate or https://stores.innsgifts.com/watercraft-exp-12-31-15/

/* Thank you for your input. I’m thinking a simple cookout would be nice. Not sure they have a shelter available so we can find a quiet space to setup, I’ll do some investigating.
Does anyone have a small grill they wouldn’t mind bringing? If you are a meat eater, bring what you want to eat for yourself. Then we can all bring a dish to share. If you don’t mind letting us know what you are bringing in the comment section 😊 I’m not really a fan of plastic so I’ll bring my own dish and silverware but you do you. If that is what you would like to contribute, let us know. We can chat more when we get closer. And of course it all depends on the weather 🤙
Bring your own chair. I have a small table if anyone else has a small table. There should be picnic tables but depends on where we setup.

More details to come.

Time 11am CT, 1pm ET

This is a path through West Beach that we rarely take.

We'll go by Long lake, probably see some waterbirds, then exit the national park and walk along the planetary trail that displays a scale model of the solar system. We'll pass through Ogden Dunes, and return to the beach. After a 1/2 mile on the sand, the energetic can take the stairs up the Succession Trail, and everyone else can take the paved road back to the parking lot.

Difficulty
The full route including the Succession Trail is a moderately hard hike of 3.5 miles. Skipping the stairs is slightly less distance but notably easier.

Don't worry, you don't have to decide which way you want to go until we get to the stairs.

Location:
We'll gather near the far end of the parking lot, near the bathrooms, and the the path to the beach. Basically you want to keep driving until you can't go any further.

West Beach,
Gary IN 46403

Coordinates: 41.62258° N, 87.20811° W

Make sure your GPS is pointed to the right place. Once you see signs for West Beach follow them.

Link to my planned Route:
https://www.alltrails.com/explore/map/west-beach-to-ogden-dunes-c535e3a

Details
• Dogs are allowed on leash
• Bring some water
• Bathrooms are next to the parking lot
• In case of bad weather the hike may be bumped to Sunday

Parking
Parking is overseen by the National Park system. The Indiana Dunes National Park pass, and "America the Beautiful - Interagency Pass" are both valid.

• https://www.nps.gov/indu/planyourvisit/fees.htm
• https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/passes.htm

State Park passes are not accepted.

You can call or text me at 217-717-7860 for last minute questions or details.

Hope to see you there,
Jonathan