Winter adventures are good for the soul!

in #nature5 years ago (edited)

Winter is undoubtedly my least favorite season here in Missouri. It's dark when I go to work. It's dark when I get home. I'm not a fan. However, there is still always something beautiful to be seen in the great outdoors in the Ozarks! When we have some free time during the daylight hours, we love to bundle up and take the time to venture out!

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A few weeks ago, @kayla.denise and I went to check out some caves alongside our beautiful local river. This isn't an easy hike, but the final view is completely worth it :)

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We both decided that we needed a break from our daily routines and we headed out to see the scenery. We may not be able to enjoy the convenience and luxury of city life when we're feeling bored or unenthusiastic, but this beautiful river is just a few minutes drive from home! The river. The caves. The springs. The limestone. Karst topography! It resets the mind.

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And we have it right here in our "back yard"

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We're both full-time working moms, but we managed to get out for a couple hours to go see some cool stuff.

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Hope someone out there enjoyed these photos as much as I loved taking them!

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really cool shots from inside the cave looking out over the river. Is it a large cave system that you could explore (if you had lights/gear and were into that sort of thing)? Caves always fascinate me.

It’s a pretty intense hike to this place, but it’s a stunning view! This particular one doesn’t go back very far, but the mouth of the cave is pretty impressive :) Missouri is often referred to as the “Cave State” because we have over 6,000 caves. Im also fascinated by caves so it’s pretty great :)

We used to love taking our gear back into the caves to explore, but within the last decade or so, most of them have been closed off because of something called White Nose Syndrome. Apparently, human presence poses a huge threat to our bat population. Most of the popular caves in our area have been barred up to keep people out. There are still several like this one that are “open” but we try to be respectful of nature and only hang out in the mouths/entrances :)

It's always a good day to head out into nature and do some hiking... Well, maybe not every day, but most. Nice pictures. :)

True that! I would hike every day if I could, but some days (like today) are just meant for staying in.

Staying in days are nice too...All things in balance I think right?

Im with ya Im not a fan of winter either. Wow!
The convenience of city life cant compete with those views! Glad you were able to get out and share this too. It lifted my winter blues for sure.
Glad to see you back around Melody ☺

The winter blues have hit pretty hard this year, but days like these make it a little better :) Good to hear from you, Michael! You always have a place to hang out in Missouri if and when you’re able to visit!! :)

You know, I would love to! I'm gonna look into it. Do you use Discord? Is there a better way to send you a DM?

I do have an account, but I’ll be the first to admit that I’m pretty ignorant when it comes to discord. Same user name with #3972. Message me sometime! And if I can’t figure out how to get to DMs, surely Jason will help me :)

OK I just sent you a friend request on Discord ☺

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