Getting a little desperate to walk somewhere other than the neighborhood, without fighting through slush, we went down to the outdoor Rio mall in Gaithersburg. It has a (human-built, of course) lake with a trail around it that had been plowed out.
It's not exactly wild, but it was a nice diversion.
In mid-January, we had a big snowstorm that is taking more than a month to melt out. It was nice the first day, anyway. I got to use my snowshoes, which made me miss the Catskills.
Even though it is less than a half hour away, I had never been to Patuxent River State Park. It's a long, thin park that surrounds the Patuxent River, which is also the border between Montgomery and Howard counties.
Apparently it has a network of social trails, but there are two developed areas in the south and central sections. I went to the southern section, where the nature center is. (Important: It has a restroom, but no merch.)
My hike comprised a loop of the yellow-blazed Free Flowing and red-blazed Cemetery trails. With a few side jaunts, it totaled five miles. River views were mostly confined to the Free Flowing trail, and they are likely most visible in winter.
I would return here again; it's pleasant and has the plus point of novelty.
T and I were just two of many people who headed out to Seneca Creek State Park for one of Maryland's first day hikes.
We hiked partway around the lake and got stickers.
Our final trip involved removing some blowdowns, checking out a possible reroute, and moving this sign about six feet.
