Trip to Clark Creek Natural Area

Clark Creek natural area is a state park located in the southwest corner of Mississippi. The park consists of numerous waterfalls, as many as 50 by some estimates. Some are as tall as 30 feet. There is an improved hiking trail and a  primitive hiking trail within the park. The 2 mile long improved trail consists of a gravel base. The 3 mile primitive trail runs through the various creek beds that populate the park. You cannot take the primitive trail without doing at least some of the improved trail. Whatever trail you’re on, you can count on doing some pretty strenuous climbing. There are numerous climbs, some so steep that wooden stairways have been installed to help people complete them. You can also count on getting wet as you hike through the creek beds. You would never expect to see an area such as this in the generally flat lands of the region. It is an absolutely beautiful place and is especially fun to visit in the milder spring and fall months.

I’ve visited the area and have done the trails about 7 times now. This past Saturday was the most recent. Our previous visit was over a year ago. We typically go with a group of people but there have been times when it’s just been us and our children.  This past Saturday we had 19 in our group, ages 7 to 50.

Long story short….. From a physical standpoint, Melissa and I did better on the trails than we’ve ever done. And we can safely say that we did better than most of the others in our group. Only Anthony, our 19 year old son, appeared to breeze through most areas like we did. That stands to reason….. Anthony has been working out with the ROM Machine like we are.

The key thing for me during the steep climbs was A) not having any chest pain and B) not being out of breath. There was one fairly steep climb when all of this became a realization for me. There were two young men (teenagers) ahead of me trying to get up a hill. The hill was probably at a 45° angle, if not greater. It was at least 50′ of vertical gain. A few steps into the hill those boys started jogging. They jogged all the way to the top. I followed right behind them, not missing a beat. I have to admit, I was pretty surprised at myself. Yes, I got tired and rested at the top. Yes, my breathing was rapid. However, I honestly don’t remember it being as easy to make those climbs the other times I visited the area.

This is one of the side benefits I was looking for when I started this ROM fitness program. Talk about a confidence builder!

To Good Health!
Marco