Eric, Matthew and I recently took on the Knobstone Trail in southeastern Indiana. This is Indiana's longest through-hike and without argument, the toughest hiking this state has to offer. The trail was fairly well marked with a couple sketchy exceptions. It seems practical jokers have no territorial limits as we encountered a white blaze, used to identify the trail, intentionally covered with brown paint. That section turned out to be exactly where we needed to go. But don't let this deter you, with some common sense this trail is very easy to follow.
At this time of year the trail was well covered with leaves. This made it tricky at times feeling for rocks as we took each step. It also made it difficult to have a conversation as the leaves crunching underfoot was very loud. Again, don't let this deter you. I'm not sure there's a better time of year to get out in the woods. We had no insects, cool weather and beautiful cloudless blue skies.
Despite the aforementioned hiccups, this was an awesome hike. If this is one you are considering, please plan in advance and learn as much as you can before hitting the trail. If the area has not had plenty of recent rain fall you will most likely see dry creek beds. This means little to no water for filtering. You will need to plan out several water drops along the way.
Eric and I both GoPro'd, if that's a word, the hike separately. Both videos are linked below. Warning! These videos are not short, you may want to grab a sandwich before hitting play. -Bill
