Rock Creek Trail, Connector Trail and Spoon Branch Trail at Cedarock Park
Solitude: the state of being alone without being lonely - Webster
“To sit in solitude, to think in solitude with only the music of the stream and the cedar to break the flow of silence, there lies the value of wilderness.” - John Muir
“Hurry up Dad, you are slowin’ me down old man.” - Alex Shields
The Story -
On Saturday Ginger, Alex, Sophie and I hiked the combined Rock Creek Trail, Connector Trail and Spoon Branch Trail at the lovely Cedarock Park in Southern Alamance County, for a total hike of about four and a half miles.
Three trails are better than one right? Even better than the original Three Musketeers candy bar, Turducken, or Neapolitan ice cream? -
Cedarock Park is aptly named for the sheer abundance of cedar trees and rock outcroppings along the property and the trails. The Rock Creek Trail takes you through a mature hardwood forest from the outset, with views of the creek throughout. It includes several moderate inclines to raise your heart rate, many large rock outcroppings for scrambling, and the potential for an eye-catching waterfall over an old mill dam. (The waterfall is dependent on the weather and unfortunately, it wasn’t much of a waterfall on our visit)
The Connector Trail links the Rock Creek and Spoon Branch Trails, meandering along the creek for about a mile before joining the main trails. The Spoon Branch Trail includes a gorgeous long boardwalk through the wetlands and some remnants of an old rock wall built by German WWII prisoners of war in the 1940s.
Spill the Tea -
The combined four-mile hike is relatively easy - great for beginning hikers and families with young children. Even experienced hikers will find the hike enjoyable with the modest elevation changes, optional rock scrambles, and some engaging scenery. And although The Cedarock Trails are not among my favorite hikes, I would gladly return in hopes to experience the waterfall in its full glory and to visit the restored Cedarock Historical Farm.
The Family Tea -
To my surprise, Alex volunteered to join us on this hike without being coerced, even seeming somewhat eager and excited about going!!! Hold on, what? (Pump the brakes, you are joking, did you say that a teenage boy was excited to spend time with his parents) Well ok, eager and excited might be a stretch, but he did genuinely seem interested and happy to join us. How could this be? Did he want something? I’m not sure, but I'm always happy to have him join us! Sophie again had the energy of a dog half her age yet the heat and humidity did seem to slow her down a bit. She adorably slept in the back seat the whole ride home; I even heard her snore a few times. Ginger, channeling Amelia’s keen eye for intriguing things, found a variety of compelling objects to photograph.
Wrap it up -
I asked Alex towards the end of the trail to name his favorite thing about hiking. Not sure what his response would be, I was still surprised at his answer. According to Alex, the best part of hiking is solitude. Was this why he always hiked so fast, to get away from us perhaps? Intrigued and trying to better understand his answer (I think of loneliness when I think of solitude), I asked him to explain. Alex said that he liked hiking because it allowed him to be alone, collect his thoughts, and to be away from his annoying sisters. I think he might be on to something, minus the annoying sisters part. We all need to be alone from time to time without feeling lonely. And In this hyper-connected world, making time to be by yourself, perhaps even without a cell phone, is even more important than ever. The benefits of solitude are endless, and I feel I am always a better person after spending some time by myself. Hiking and getting out in nature is one obvious way to accomplish this, yet we also need to find time in our daily routines to collect ourselves and to be alone. It is not an easy task, but I believe if we try hard enough, we can find those quiet moments in order to be the best versions of ourselves.
