Sahara Creek Morning

Day 129: I varied my walking route this morning so that I could hike in restricted territory, i.e., the horse trail system at Sahara Creek. Oh, it's open to the public with one significant proviso: vehicles are required to have an annual permit at a cost of $30. Access is free to walkers or bicyclists, so as a walker, I sauntered right on in and went a mile and a half up the Upper Elk Spur trail.

Now while $30 may not seem like much in today's world, the permit it buys only covers lands administered by the Dept. of Natural Resources. Forest Service lands require a different permit at a cost of $35 annually. Those two cover the lands to the north and south of me. To the east, visitors to the area will need a third pass if they want to enter the National Park.

Not long ago, I saw a bumper sticker reading, "You can't see the forest for the fees." I appreciate the sentiment. That said, I had a lovely walk in lightly falling snow this morning, thankful that I live close enough to these trails that I only need to walk a couple of miles to get to them.