Adventure Indiana | Summer 2014 by Hoosier Times Inc.

SOUTH-CENTRAL INDIANA’S ADVENTURE MAGAZINE

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Cowboy Page 16

Also in this issue SCUBA Page 8

SURVIVAL Page 14

PROSPECTING Page 22

SUMMER 2014

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CREDITS Publisher E. Mayer Maloney, Jr. Editor Kathryn S. Gardiner kgardiner@hoosiertimes.com 812-331-4289

ON THE INSIDE

Finding Gold Page 22

Advertising Laurie Ragle lragle@heraldt.com 812-331-4291 Marketing Shaylan Owen sowen@schurz.com 812-349-1400

Football Family Page 10

Design by Andrew Lehman

Editor’s Adventure Page 4

Digging Detectives Page 6

AdventureTool Kit Page 26

Adventure Calendar Page 27

Indiana Underwater Page 8

Cowboy Page 16

On the cover Mounted shooting specialist Bryan McDonald takes aim. Photo by Darryl Smith.

The Family that Survives Together Page 14

©2014 Schurz Communications, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED BY COPYRIGHT. Prices, specials and descriptions are accurate as of the time of publishing. This publication or parts thereof may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the express written consent of the publisher. Advertising information has been provided by advertisers. Schurz Communications, Inc. does not make any representations as to the opinions and facts contained herein. All terms and conditions are subject to change. The cover, cover design, format and layout of this publication are trademarks of Schurz Communications, Inc.

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A Dog Named Dart Page 20

Racing–for the Birds Page 24

EDITOR’S

Volunteering at

pals

I Kathryn, on right, with rider Joslyn and fellow PALS volunteers. Photos by Darryl Smith. 4

t was during last year’s gymnastics adventure that my classmate Cindy Linsenbardt suggested I turn my eye to PALS and take on the adventure of volunteering. Cindy is the head instructor at PALS (and dynamic on the parallel bars, too). PALS—People & Animal Learning Services—is an equine therapy program located in Bloomington, providing at-risk youth and individuals with disabilities or impairments the opportunity to ride and interact with their stable of specially trained horses. I attended my training session in midSeptember of last year and volunteered weekly through November. My goal with these editor’s adventures is to not only try something new, but to face a fear. I have some experience with horses, though not enough to feel completely comfortable. My greater fear, however, related to the humans in the equation. My only experience with individuals with impairments was an older brother who suffered a series of strokes and brain damage during a traumatic long-term illness. Walking into the PALS barn for my first day, I was afraid of awakening painful memories and I was also just flat-out afraid of doing or saying the wrong thing. I, like many, usually defaulted to silence and avoided eye contact out of that fear—fear of offending, fear of condescending, fear of provoking a response that

[Top] Cindy Linsenbardt with rider Libbie, and [right] Aaron mounts Veloz for his ride.

I may not know how to handle. As a sidewalker (which is just what it sounds like), I was assigned to people who were a variety of ages and abilities. Primarily, Aaron, Joslyn, Maggie and Libbie. Some needed sidewalkers nearby and others barely needed us at all.

he power of equine therapy lies in the relationship between horse and rider (and PALS has some great horses). Those who can learn to command and steer the horse experience a 1,000-pound animal going where they ask and stopping when they say, “Woah.” The warmth of a horse’s body is soothing to tight muscles and the challenge of sitting upright in a saddle strengthens the core muscles for those who may spend much of their time in a wheelchair. While I certainly did face difficult memories, they weren’t as hard to move past as I feared (ain’t that often the way?) and what proved most

enlightening was being a part of so much joy and seeing so many smiles— seeing someone respond and pick up the reins, to feel that he’s there with you, even when he may not have the ability to tell you. It’s always valuable to learn all the ways happiness can show on a person, be it grin, a squeal or a click. In addition to sidewalking, PALS turns to its volunteers to groom the horses, sweep the floors, and muck the stalls. I greatly enjoyed grooming Bell, a handsome Clydesdale/Thoroughbred mare who is so big, I had to stand on my tip toes to brush her. And honestly, mucking stalls just isn’t that bad, especially since you usually get a buddy and the folks out at PALS are fun.

o, my thanks to Cindy for the great suggestion—one that I’ll pass along to you, reader. (And psst, PALS also needs people to stuff envelopes and tidy up files, so if you’re

not a horse-grooming, stall-mucking type of person, they have a place for you, too.) Tell Bell, Fred, Walter and Splash I said hi.

Kathryn S. Gardiner, Editor

Learn more about PALS and how you can help (while enjoying a beer, a glass of wine and an auction) at their Mane Event. PALS Mane Event June 20, 6 p.m. Indiana Memorial Union palstherapy.org 5

Ken Wray searches for treasure beneath the ground.

Digging Detectives Seeking metals and keepsakes in Seymour soils WORDS | Lauren Slavin PICS | Darryl Smith

othing ruins a fun day at the beach like drying off and realizing you’ve lost a piece of jewelry. No matter how long you sift sand through your fingers, it’s too late. A favorite ring or necklace is lost to the waves. Or at least you thought it was, until you receive a phone call years later from someone like Ken Wray. Wray is the modern equivalent of a pirate searching for buried treasure. He has decades of experience wielding a metal detector. But unlike a pirate, Wray is a good Samaritan. One day at the beach, Wray found 27 gold rings, including class rings he was able to identify and return to their owners. “I’ve had people who want to pay me for just giving them back,” said Wray, owner of Wray’s Treasure Shop in Seymour, Ind. “They were very appreciative.” Wray’s reward isn’t the value of his findings, but “the thrill of not knowing what you’re going to find under the ground,” he said. “I go out and I still want to know what’s under the ground.”

ray purchased his first metal detector in 1969 after a colleague brought handfuls of coins into work day after day, some very old and very rare. “Finally I said, ‘I’ve got to have one of them if you keep finding coins like that,’” he said. Wray estimates that it took about two or three weeks to learn the basics of using the device, but soon his

pockets were just as full. “Everybody was coming up and asking what I was doing,” Wray said. “Was I looking for fishing worms or cutting grass?” He opened Wray’s Treasure Shop in 1971 to sell detectors to the curious and other enthusiasts, and started hosting and participating in metal detecting competitions in 1974. One year, participants came from 48 states to look for pre-buried items. Wray says hopeful “diggers” (as the National Geographic Channel dubbed metal detector enthusiasts in their TV series of the same name) should start by purchasing an inexpensive model to test. Metal detectors range in price from less than $200 to upwards of $1,000. Wray’s also sells used metal detectors to interested customers before listing them on eBay. “A lot of them are kind of toys,” Wray said.

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ther tools to carry while out treasure hunting include headphones to muffle outside noise, small digging trowels, and ground cloth for sifting dirt. The best sites for finding old coins and rings have to be just as old. Historical house properties, old fairgrounds, and picnic areas are just a few starting places. After getting permission from the owner of the site, Wray recommends first looking around the edges of the area to learn how to use your detector. Other than solo practice, the best way to learn metal-detecting techniques is from the pros. Wray’s Treasure Shop hosts a monthly club for locals to share and sell their finds. “I have customers that come back lots of times and trade for a higher priced metal detector,” Wray said. Guess they liked what they found.

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Indiana Underwater

Hoosier trains divers to explore water everywhere—even here

12-year-old Jacob Barber and his father Jason from Pike County try scuba with Southern Indiana Scuba. [Top left and center] Jacob and Jason learn from Master Diver Tony Johnson. [Right] Lindsey Wilbur helps Jacob with his goggles.

WORDS | Laura Gleason PICS | Darryl Smith

ark Brooks enjoys people’s surprised reactions when he tells them he runs an Indiana scuba diving company. If they try it, Brooks says, the skeptics will soon discover that there are plenty of exciting places to dive in the region, and his company, Southern Indiana Scuba, can help them learn the skills they need to explore them. “In lakes you can swim up and look eyeball to eyeball with a bass, and in sunken quarries you can see boats and cars—the one in Linton has a school bus,” Brooks said. Brooks first felt the pull of underwater adventure from watching “Flipper” and a show

called “Sea Hunt” during his Evansville boyhood. “When I was 16 years old, my family took a vacation to the Florida Keys, and I went snorkeling and that finalized it,” Brooks said. His family told him he’d have to pay for his own lessons and equipment if he wanted to pursue the hobby, however, so the dream was deferred until he was 20 and his wife gave him a gift certificate for lessons at the scuba company he would one day own.

earning to scuba dive at Southern Indiana Scuba is a progressive endeavor; first you learn the basics in open water and study up on safety protocols. Next it’s time to learn about specialized equipment that divers use and how to do rescues. “Then you get into dive master class—that’s the first professional course—and that’s how you learn to teach all of this,” Brooks said. In 1989, Brooks got a job at the company fixing regulators and worked his way up the ranks until the business was put up for sale in 1998, at which point he purchased it with his wife. Most quarries in Monroe County are privately owned and closed to the public (thanks in large part to the legacy of the

Scuba instructor Mark Gerwig, left, works with certified diver Todd Riker from Washington, Ind., who is pursuing his dry suit specialty certification. movie “Breaking Away,” in which young Hoosiers horse around in a quarry, oblivious of possible liability issues, Brooks said) and public bodies of water like Lake Monroe and Lake Lemon have mud bottoms that make them ill-suited for diving. Nevertheless, there are many places to scuba dive in the region, Brooks said. “Outside of Monroe County there are lakes and quarries; it’s a great place to be from,” Brooks said. Some are public bodies of water, like Sunset Lake in Linton, and others are privately owned quarries that landowners will allow divers to use for a fee.

or those interested in underwater adventures beyond of south-central Indiana, Brooks leads monthly trips to places like Paducah Springs in Kentucky, and he also helps lead more ambitious trips: Turks and Caicos islands and Grand Cayman island are on the docket for this summer. “Give it a try. We offer this class called ‘Try Scuba.’ All they have to bring is a towel and bathing suit; we’ll put them in the water and let them blow bubbles, and their biggest regret will be that they waited so long to try it,” Brooks said.

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“All of these guys treat each other as brothers. That’s the first thing we tell them, ‘These are your brothers.’ You’re going into a war, and you want to make sure your brother has your back.”

– Stephanie Smith,

President of the Indiana Cutters Board of Directors

The Indiana Cutters huddle pre-game.

Football

Family Local semi-pro team becomes brothers on the field

WORDS | Lauren Slavin PICS | Darryl Smith

Cutters quarterback Robbie Colon hurls the ball during the game against the Indianapolis Tornadoes.

he Indiana Cutters were well on their way to the playoffs as the No. 1 team in the Interstate Football League when quarterback Robbie Colon was injured. Colon spent the rest of his first season as starting quarterback from the sidelines, including watching the Cutters take home their third Interstate Football League Championship. “You live your whole life to play that game, and when it gets taken away from you, it’s kind of depressing,” Colon said. “It’s motivating me this year to really get in shape, to get my body better than it was last year and hopefully make another run with guys this year.” The Cutters start their eighth season as a part of the Crossroads Football League, which consists of semi-pro teams from Indiana, Michigan and Ohio. The CRFL has more teams with tougher players, but Colon isn’t nervous about the competi-

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tion—he’s looking forward to it. “You live for that close game, that grudge match, that war on the field, because it makes that triumph so much better,” he said.

emi-pro football teams like the Cutters differ from National or Arena Football League teams because amateur players pay to participate. “It’s a good way to keep in shape, keep your football skills sharp, and get some exposure,” said Stephanie Smith, president of the Indiana Cutters Board of Directors. “Commitment is the key. If you get a player who’s willing to come to every practice, who’s willing to put in time on his own ... those make our best players.” Players who want to join the Cutters pay a $200 fee ($150 for offensive lineman) and arrange their schedules to fit in practices. “When it comes to guys that have to pay to play, have to take time away from families and jobs to be able to be committed, it’s just amazing what these guys can do,” said head coach Eric Anderson, who is in his second year with the team. “When you combine that with all other obligations that people and adults have, it’s really amazing to see them be so committed and put in time to do what they love.” In return, players not only become part of a team, but a new family. Smith, who is also a massage therapist who travels with the team’s medical staff, said some of the players don’t know her first name. They all just call her “Mama.” “All of these guys treat each other as brothers. That’s the first thing we tell them, ‘These are your brothers,’” Smith said. “It’s almost like battle. You’re going into a war, and you want to make sure your brother has your back.”

nderson’s coaching style is very team-oriented, according to Colon. When the players huddle up before the game, Anderson has them shout “champion” before they break, not the plural “champions.” “You put two teams up against each other ... the team with better chemistry and more team attitude will come out on top, in my opinion,” Anderson said. And after the Cutters play as a team, they play as a family. “We love away games because the bus ride home when we win a game is amazing,” Colon said. “It’s a bunch of grown men having the time of their life on a bus.”

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The Family That Survives Together Scenes from a survival weekend: families test their skills in the great outdoors.

DNR event puts outdoor skills to the test

WORDS | Kasey Husk

PICS | Darryl Smith

our plane crashes in the middle of the woods. You escape with your life, but you have no idea where you are or when you might be rescued. What happens next? The Indiana Department of Natural Resources’ annual Brown County Survivor challenge invites participants to find out the answer. Teams of outdoor enthusiasts can see how their skills stack up when it comes to getting the bare necessities needed to survive in the woods at the challenge, planned for 9 a.m. Monday, Sept. 1 at the Brown County State Park Nature Center. Teams require five members—usually families or groups of friends—and at least one teammate must be younger than 12 years old, DNR interpretive naturalist Jim Eagleman says of the family-friendly event. Each team member competes in one of five events based on a different survival skill: shelterbuilding, finding water, orienteering, building a fire,

On the right, Team Bags hold their first place certificate and pose with Team Dee, who placed third in the DNR 2013 Brown County Survivor event.

and fishing. The team that completes all five challenges the fastest wins. Each task comes with a few bare necessities that the lost or stranded might have with them. To build a shelter, for example, participants are given “two big trash bags, because we assume you’d have something like that in your backpack if you were taking a trip,” Eagleman says. Likewise, the fire-building challenge allows participants three matches, but the trick is to get the fire built up high enough and hot enough to burn through two strings suspended one and two feet above the fire. Other challenges include locating a bucket of water around the nature center and using a “fishing pole” with a clothespin to hook plastic fish with a cuff

attached to them in a grassy field. For the orienteering challenge, participants use a map and compass to determine how they would get to two nearby lakes and how long it might take.

he tasks may not sound overly difficult, but Eagleman says that looks can be deceiving. “The public thinks it’s pretty easy—until they do it themselves,” he says. He notes that some common-sense knowledge, such as not making a shelter beneath a dead tree that could fall or a stream that could flood, comes in handy. The idea for the Survivor Challenge, now in its eighth year, originally sprang from the popular reality television show “Survivor,” Eagleman says. In years past,

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the Labor Day weekend event has drawn six to 10 teams. “It’s just pushing them to the extreme of what if: what if this happens, could you make it?” Eagleman says. “Some say, ‘oh, piece of cake,’ others say, ‘I don’t know if I could spend the night in the woods, I think I’d panic if the cell phone battery went down.’ But I would hope people would be a little more resourceful than what they give themselves credit for.” Registration for this year’s challenge opens at 9 a.m. on the day of the event, Sept. 1, at the Nature Center. Registration for each team, each of which picks a team name, is $5. For more info, call 812-988-5240. 2 Locations Deer’s Mill Livery 8295 W. State Rd. 234 1 miles north of Shades State Park

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Cowboy Hoosier horseman takes to mounted shooting WORDS | Kasey Husk PICS | Darryl Smith

atching Bryan McDonald zip around an arena on his quarter horse, wielding an old-fashioned single-action revolver on each hip and a cowboy hat on his head, you could be forgiven for mistaking the 55-year-old for a cowboy of the Old West. That is, of course, if you could forget that his “foes” are red and white balloons, not masked bandits. Horses have been a part of McDonald’s life since he received his first pony at age 6 and he’s done “just about everything you can do on a horse as far as Western goes,” including barrel racing and roping. But ever since he first laid eyes on “cowboy mounted shooting” 12 years ago, he’s been completely hooked. “I was a typical little boy, running around with my cowboy hat on ... slapping my butt like MORE | Page 18

Bryan McDonald fulfills cowboy dreams on horseback.

THE REST | From Page 16 I was riding a horse when I was about 4 or 5,” McDonald says. “I finally got an opportunity to do it for real.” The sport, touted by the Cowboy Mounted Shooting Association as “the fasted growing equestrian sport in the nation,” made its first appearance east of the Mississippi River in Indiana in 1999. Participants are encouraged to be decked out in 1800s-era Western apparel for competition, which entails riding through an arena shooting at 10 balloons, some randomly placed and some in the center of the arena. The fastest person to complete a course wins, but each missed balloon adds five seconds to a rider’s time.

astery of the sport takes a combination of shooting skills, horsemanship and agility for the horse itself, which must be able to respond to cues from a rider using only one hand and his or her legs, McDonald says. McDonald, who lives with his wife Kathy and five horses of his own on a 10-acre property near Connersville, first saw the sport at the Hoosier Horse Show in April 2002. “I saw it and within the hour I had a set of holsters bought, and within the week I had a set of guns bought,” he says with the laugh. “I did everything there is to do wrong.” He immediately set to work learning the ins and outs of the sport, and a few short weeks later he signed up for his first competition. It’s an approach he doesn’t necessarily recommend—he suggests prospective riders attend a clinic held by one of Indiana’s mounted shooting clubs and borrow equipment before buying—but nevertheless, by 2003, he’d earned a state title in the sport. In 2005, he won at nationals.

Bryan and his wife Kathy care for five horses of their own.

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hese days, McDonald competes less frequently in order to spend more time with the couple’s nine grandchildren. But horses remain a huge part of their lives and even their livelihood. Though McDonald works full-time at Emerson Climate Technologies, he also trains shooting horses for other people and helps his neighbors wrangle their cattle from horseback. He also volunteers at a therapeutic riding program. Still, McDonald continues to compete in two or three events a year and can see doing more when he has more free time someday. What’s kept him

“I was a typical little boy, running around with my cowboy hat on... slapping my butt like I was riding a horse when I was about 4 or 5. I finally got an opportunity to do it for real.” – Bryan McDonald coming back, he says, is the sport’s tight-knit community. “If your horse goes lame in the arena, by the time you get to your trailer you’ve already had two or three people offer you a horse,” McDonald says. “The camaraderie and friendships are just really special.”

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A Dog Named Dart IU professor trains triple champion WORDS | Lee Hadley PICS | Darryl Smith

ver since the first wolves were domesticated thousands of years ago, humans have been breeding and training dogs to develop traits they consider desirable. For Jan Wallace and her Vizsla, Dart, years of hard work and love have been rewarded with a very rare distinction: Dart is a recognized Triple Champion by the American Kennel Club. Only 60 dogs have been awarded the title of Triple Champion since the program began in the 1970s. Wallace, professor emeritus of kinesiology at Indiana University’s School of Public Health, began training her first dog at the tender age of 12. “I had seen my uncle do obedience with his dog in the San Francisco Bay area [and] I wanted to do the same thing as a junior handler,” said Wallace. “I continued to compete in obedience with two different miniature poodles in the Los Angeles area until I went to college.” Wallace purchased her first Vizsla after moving to Bloomington to work at IU. “I chose a Vizsla because one of my trainers in L.A. had one of the first Vizslas in the U.S. in the 1960s. I liked the breed and decided to get one,” Wallace said. “Dart is my fourth Vizsla since 1986.”

T 20

he Vizsla (pronounced VEEZH-lah) is a breed of pointer from Hungary. The breed was introduced into the United States in the 1950s and recognized by the AKC in 1960. In 1980, a Vizsla named Kutya

became the first dog crowned Triple Champion. Dart is the third Vizsla to be a Triple Champion. Although she had some help from professional dog trainers, Wallace did most of Dart’s training. “We have been working together since the day I got her. She was 10 weeks old,” said Wallace. “She is a very trainable dog. She responds well to clicker (a small mechanical noisemaker) and treats. In fact, all of her training, including the field training, has been with clicker and treats. She is the first dog to earn her field championships with clicker and treats. She has no idea what harsh training is.”

o earn a Triple Championship, a dog must first become a Dual Champion, an award given to dogs who are champion show dogs that go on to earn a championship in their “function/instinct” area. For Vizslas, that means earning a field championship. A show dog wins by beating other dogs of their breed. Dart accumulated points towards her show championship

by repeatedly placing in dog shows against other Vizslas. A field dog competes against other breeds that perform the same function, so Dart had to compete against other pointer breeds by finding, pointing and eventually retrieving birds on pre-determined courses. Once a dog is awarded Dual Championship status, they are eligible to pursue a third championship in agility, obedience or tracking. Dart earned her third championship in agility. Although the Triple Championship is the highest award by the AKC, Dart actually holds four championships because she is an Amateur Field Champion as well as Field Champion. Only 20 dogs have won four or more championships. Dart will not be pursuing a fifth championship. “Dart will be 12 years old in June,” said Wallace. “She has been retired to jump a lower height in agility and hunt pheasant with me. We have gone pheasant hunting every year since she was four months old. My most enjoyable times with her have been pheasant hunting.”

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Eddie Linder from Franklin, Ind., uses a gold pan.

Finding

Gold Prospecting always provides a good time—and sometimes treasure

P Damon McKnight from Shepardsville, Ky., and his father Larry [opposite page] search Salt Creek with a homemade dredge. [Bottom, right] Prospector Bill Shook from Muncie, Ind., sifts sand and mud, searching for those elusive gold flakes.

rospectors say the illness always starts the same way: A moment’s exposure to a tiny golden glint in the bottom of a bucket, and a novice prospector’s fate is sealed. It’s gold fever, and it’s incurable. “It’s an exhilarating feeling just to find even a little gold speck,” prospector Bill Shook of Muncie says. “The first time you see that in your pan, it’s like ‘Wow!’ ... As soon as you see it, you get gold fever.”

hook is one of many prospectors who spend weekends sifting through the sand and mud on the bottom of the Salt River, hunting for elusive flakes—

or rarer yet, tiny nuggets or “pickers”—of gold carried by glaciers from Canada more than 10,000 years old. It’s a hobby about as likely to help you strike it rich as playing the lottery, but local prospectors say that isn’t the point. “It’s about going out there and the camaraderie and being outdoors,” says Clay County resident Tom Smith. “Sure, I’d like to go where they had bigger gold and get enough to buy me a new house, but that’s not going to happen. I’ve spent more money on having fun than finding gold.” Shook and Smith are both members of the Gatesville chapter of the Gold Prospectors As-

sociation of America, a group that gathers at Salt Creek on the second Saturday of each month to search for gold, gemstones and other precious metals. The club pans the river free of charge with the permission of property owner Robin Stevens, who owns the Gatesville Country Store and rents equipment to amateurs for $4 a day. “The creek and the country was made to share,” Stevens says. “It’s only enjoyed if you can share it.”

anning can be as simple or as complicated as you make it, the prospectors say. Amateurs can start with just a pan to scoop up mud and sand from the river and a sieve, or “classifier screen,” to separate the heavier metals from the muck. More serious prospectors, meanwhile, might

use a suction dredge that essentially vacuums up sand and dirt from the bottom of a riverbed and sends it into a sluice box, where the heavy metals and gemstones are separated out. Novice prospectors interested in panning can learn the ropes during a GPAA gathering at Salt Creek, where members are always willing to give pointers, members say. No one is ever territorial, Stevens says, because everyone just wants to have a good time. Of course, even years of experience and expensive equipment is no guarantee of success, notes Smith, the GPAA treasurer. He jokes that on his best prospecting trip, he spent $1,200 to get to Wyoming to prospect and found roughly $50 worth of gold, but also “about $10,000 worth of fun and

experience.” At any rate, he adds, “My gold’s not for sale! That’s my treasure.” Shook, meanwhile, is headed into his fourth season of prospecting and is still trying to fill his first one-ounce vial of gold flakes, he says. The three grams or so he’s acquired so far, he says, “might buy some gas for the dredge.” “People ask us all the time, ‘If you aren’t making money doing it, why do it?’” says Shook, also a founding member of Muncie’s Indiana Claim Jumpers. “We tell those people we just handed in our fishing poles and picked up prospecting pans.” Ready to try it? For more info, call Gatesville Country Store, 812-988-0788.

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Gasthof Village InnInn 82 room hotel, complimentary breakfast,

2014

June 14- S Eventspr Sept. 20- ing Festival Quilt & Fall Fest Auction Oct. 31 & ival Nov Holiday Baz . 1aar

group rrates and extended stay discounts, outdoor pool, Free WIFI Flea Market Open April-October 9am-3pm Tues., Wed. and Saturdays

812-486-2600 • www.gasthofamishvillage.com OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK

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6659 E Gasthof Village Rd., Montgomery, IN 23

g n i c a R– for the Birds

Patoka Lake triathlon turns athletic trial into naturalist goals WORDS | Lauren Slavin PICS | Darryl Smith 24

he bald eagle, the national bird of the United States, has always been a symbol for freedom. But the birds flew close to extinction in the 1980s, leading to restoration projects across the country. An eaglet from Alaska named C-52 became a Hoosier in 1988. The eagle and his handlers taught locals about wild raptors and extinction for 21 years at Pakota Lake’s Visitor Center in fittingly named Birdseye, Ind. C-52 died in 2009, just two years after bald eagles came off the national endangered species list. The emergency surgery that lead to the bald eagle’s death depleted Pakota Lake’s funds to support the visitor center’s two other non-releasable birds, an

– Dana Reckelhoff eastern screech owl and red-tailed hawk, much less purchase a new bald eagle. “We had really run ourselves through loops to figure out what we were going to do,” said Dana Reckelhoff, Pakota Lake’s interpretive naturalist. “All these ideas sounded great, but didn’t seem like they would produce funds as quickly as we needed for a bald eagle to be here at Pakota.” A friend asked Reckelhoff why scenic Pakota Lake hadn’t hosted a triathlon, which hatched an idea for a revenue source for years to come. After years of planning, the Head for the Hills Pakota Lake Triathlon was held in August 2013. “Keeping these birds alive and well for generations to see is a great thing for [racers] to put their money toward if they’re looking for that avenue for exercise and entertainment,” Reckelhoff said.

he second annual Head for the Hills race will be held on Saturday, Aug. 23. The triathlon includes a 500yard open water swim, 12.8-mile

ast year, the Head for the Hills awards ceremony started with a display of the Pakota Lake eastern screech owl and red-tailed hawk. Some of the 2014 race proceeds will go toward replacing that redtailed hawk, which died in January. After the race this August, participants will meet the Visitor Center’s new bald eagle, which was purchased with last year’s race earnings. “This year at end of race, racers get to see the bald eagle and what their money went toward and see where their money is going into the future,” Reckelhoff said. “People are already getting very excited about seeing the bird to replace C-52’s legacy.”

Athletes of all skill levels challenge themselves for a cause at the 2013 Head for the Hills Triathlon at Patoka Lake.

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“One guy wrote on his commentary that he loved pain and loved torture, and this race was perfect. We took that as a compliment.”

bike course through the reservoir property, and a 5K run. There is also a 1/4-mile up-hill run for racers 14 years old and younger. Though many Indiana residents aren’t used to describing their local terrain as “hilly,” the course’s difficulty is a challenge, even for experienced athletes. “One guy wrote on his commentary that he loved pain and loved torture, and this race was perfect. We took that as a compliment,” Reckelhoff said. “[Racers] said the landscape was gorgeous and really took their mind of pain of running the race.” Participants should also prepare for swimming that’s very different from swimming laps in a pool, where you can put your foot down to rest on the pool’s floor. Conservation officers in boats will be standing by if swimmers need support. “Some people couldn’t complete the swim because the open water freaked them out,” Reckelhoff said.

To help beat the heat…

TOOL KIT Play Safe, Play Smart

Preventing Heatstroke By Kathryn S. Gardiner

Burns and skin cancer aren’t the only risks that the sun shines down. A few simple steps can make sure that the heat—even on a cloudy summer day— doesn’t ruin your fun.

• Wear loose, lightweight clothing. The tighter and heavier the fabric, the less your body is able to cool and regulate its temperature. • Choose light colors. If you’ll be in direct sunlight, wear light-colored clothing. Dark colors absorb heat. • Stay hydrated. Drinking fluids helps your body maintain its normal temperature. Avoid alcoholic beverages—alcohol dehydrates. • Avoid the hottest parts of the day. When possible, schedule your activities before or after the midday scorchers. If you can’t avoid those times, take frequent breaks to hydrate and rest in a cool, shady spot. • Let your body adjust. Limit your amount of outdoors time until your body is used to the heat. • Be aware of your risk. Medications and physical conditions can influence how much heat may affect you. If you participate in a sporting event outdoors in hot weather, confirm that they have medical services on hand to respond to emergencies. • Recognize and respond to the signals. Below are the symptoms of overheating, from moderate (heat

ROCKVILLE LAKE PARK

cramps) to the extreme (heatstroke). Know them and don’t ignore them. Heat Cramps Excessive sweating Fatigue Thirst Cramps, usually in stomach, arms or legs Heat Exhaustion Muscle cramps Dizziness or lightheadedness Nausea Headache Skin that feels cool and moist Heatstroke Muscle cramps or weakness High body temperature Lack of sweating Nausea and vomiting Flushed skin Rapid breathing and heart rate Headache Confusion Unconsciousness If you suspect someone is suffering heatstroke, move him or her to a shady area, apply cold compresses, and seek medical attention immediately. *Source: Mayo Clinic—mayoclinic.org

Coming in Sept. PUMPKIN RUN

AA, Modern, & Primitive Camping Camping Cabins 102 Acre Lake with Excellent Fishing for Bass, Panfish, and Catfish! Rental Row Boats, Paddle Boats, and Canoes! 18 Hole Disc Golf Course! Trails, Playgrounds, Volleyball, Concessions! Great Family Leisure Fun!! 1 Mile North of Rockville 765-569-6541 • www.rockvillelake.net HT-6226281

Fall/Winter 2014 issue

adventureinmag.com

JUNE 14

JULY 7 – 12

AUGUST 24

Spring Festival

Ride Across INdiana: Same Thing, Only Ride More

Head for the Hills Patoka Lake Triathlon

RAINSTORM offers an intensive, yet friendly and non-competitive week of cycling for riders preferring longer distances. Each day’s route is approximately 100 miles, and there are no layover days. Where: Starts and ends in Richmond, Ind., using Earlham College as a staging area. Info: www.triri.org, 812-333-8176, triri@triri.org

All proceeds from the event will go to support Patoka’s non-releasable raptors. Where: Patoka Lake beach, 3084 N. Dillard Rd., Birdseye, Ind. Info: Dana Reckelhoff, race director, 812-685-2447, dreckelhoff@dnr.in.gov.

JULY 12

Course will take you up and over Mann Hill at least once per lap, plus offer views of the White River below and some high speed, flat sections where you can put the throttle down. Where: Southwestway Park, Indianapolis, Ind. Info: www.dinoseries.com

Variety of vendors, gospel music, carriage rides. Gift shops, Amish buffet and bakery. Groups welcome. Where: Montgomery, Ind. Info: gasthofamishvillage.com, 812-486-4900

Cutters Football

Calendar

Events

RUN LONG

JUMP HIGH PLAY HARD GET SWEATY

AIM STEADY

BREAK AWAY

Go. Do.

Versus Michiana Thunderhawks Where: Bloomington High School South Info: www.cuttersfootball.org, cuttersfootball@gmail.com, 317-902-9462

JUNE 15-20

Cutters Football

Touring Ride in Rural Indiana Bicycle Rally

Versus Ohio Crush Where: Bloomington High School South Info: www.cuttersfootball.org, cuttersfootball@gmail.com, 317-902-9462

TRIRI Bicycle Rallies explore Indiana through a series of loop rides from one or two state parks. Where: Lincoln and Harmonie State Parks Info: www.triri.org, 812-333-8176, triri@triri.org

JUNE 26-29 State Shoot Where: Sugar Creek Hunting Preserve, 2191 Bono Rd, Mitchell Info: sugarcreekhunting.com, 812-849-5020 (lodge), 812-276-9675 (cell), sugarcreekhunting@yahoo.com.

JUNE 27 GORUCK Challenge A team event, never a race. Think of it as a slice of Special Operations training. Both hours and miles number in the double digits. Where: Indianapolis, Ind. Info: www.goruck.com.

JUNE 28 College Spirit 5K Registration money supports the Lawrence County College Coalition to better serve the students in college-related activities in Lawrence County. Represent your past/ present/future college by wearing their colors during this 5K. Together, we could represent every college in Indiana! Where: Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence County, 2009 19th Street, Bedford

Indianapolis Mudathlon Three miles, 40 obstacles Where: White River Paintball Adventures, 5211 South New Columbus Rd. Anderson, Ind. Info: www.mudathlon.com, Dan Phistry, 317-800-9973.

Try Scuba Class A chance to enter the water (swimming pool) and try diving for small fee. Where: Donner Park Pool, Columbus, Ind. Info: Mark Brooks, 812-824-7234, www.southernindianascuba.com.

GORUCK Light Takes place over 4-5 hours, and you will cover roughly 7-10 miles. You will also smile. A lot. We promise. Where: Indianapolis, Ind. Info: www.goruck.com.

JULY 2 Try Scuba Class

Want to see your event listed on this page? Email info to adventure@ hoosiertimes.com

A chance to enter the water (swimming pool) and try diving for small fee. Where: Bryant Park Pool, Bloomington, Ind. Info: Mark Brooks, 812-824-7234, www.southernindianascuba.com.

JULY 19 Try Scuba Class A chance to enter the water (swimming pool) and try diving for small fee. Where: Donner Park Pool, Columbus, Ind. Info: Mark Brooks, 812-824-7234, www.southernindianascuba.com.

JULY 26 Cutters Football Versus Indy Renegades Where: Bloomington High School South Info: www.cuttersfootball.org, cuttersfootball@gmail.com, 317-902-9462.

AUGUST 1 GORUCK Challenge A team event, never a race. Think of it as a slice of Special Operations training. Both hours and miles number in the double digits. Where: Indianapolis, Ind. Info: www.goruck.com.

AUGUST 27 Kenda DINO MTB Race

SEPTEMBER 1 Brown County Survivor Competitive survivor team event. Family friendly. Where: Brown County State Park Nature Center. Info: 812-988-5240

SEPTEMBER 6 5th Annual Lincoln Lee 5K Walk/Run Held during this year’s Monrovia Festival to raise funds for the Lincoln Lee Memorial Scholarship which benefits a Monrovia High School student with a demonstrated financial need for his/her post-high school education. Where: Monrovia Elementary School. Info: Linda Louie at Monrovia Christian Church, 812-996-2812.

Warrior Dash

AUGUST 2

3.1 miles, 13 obstacles through a wooded landscape. Where: Tom’s Marine, 1389 W. 200 S, Crawfordsville, Ind. Info: www.warriordash.com.

Cutters Football

SEPTEMBER 12

Versus Evansville Enforcers Where: Bloomington High School South Info: www.cuttersfootball.org, cuttersfootball@gmail.com, 317-902-9462.

GORUCK Light Takes place over 4-5 hours, and you will cover roughly 7-10 miles. You will also smile. A lot. We promise. Where: Indianapolis, Ind. Info: www.goruck.com.

Try Scuba Class A chance to enter the water (swimming pool) and try diving for small fee. Where: Bryant Park Pool, Bloomington, Ind. Info: Mark Brooks, 812-824-7234, www.southernindianascuba.com.

AUGUST 9 Try Scuba Class A chance to enter the water (swimming pool) and try diving for small fee. Where: Donner Park Pool, Columbus, Ind. Info: Mark Brooks, 812-824-7234, www.southernindianascuba.com.

AUGUST 23 DINO Trail Run A challenging and scenic course overlooking the White River. Where: Southwestway Park, Indianapolis, Ind. Info: www.dinoseries.com

GORUCK Challenge A team event, never a race. Think of it as a slice of Special Operations training. Both hours and miles number in the double digits. Where: Indianapolis, Ind. Info: www.goruck.com.

SEPTEMBER 13 Rugged Maniac Mud run with 25 epic obstacles designed to push you to your limits. Where: Paoli Peaks, 2798 West County Road 25 South, Paoli, Ind. Info: www.ruggedmaniac.com.

GORUCK Light Takes place over 4-5 hours, and you will cover roughly 7-10 miles. You will also smile. A lot. We promise. Where: Indianapolis, Ind. Info: www.goruck.com.

SEPTEMBER 14 - 19 September Escapade Touring Ride in Rural Indiana September Escapade will guide you to the scenic and historic sites of central Indiana, with overnights at three state parks. Expect to ride an average 75 miles each day. Where: Starts and ends at Camp Camby, in Camby, Ind. Info: www.triri.org, 812-333-8176, triri@triri.org

Zombie Run At the Zombie Run, running isn’t about beating those around you or finishing with the fastest time. It’s about surviving. 5K with 10-12 zombie-themed obstacles. Where: White River Paintball Adventures, 5211 South New Columbus Rd. Anderson, Ind. Info: www.thezombierun.com

• Walking cave tours • Cave exploring adventures • Gemstone mining • Canoe/kayak trips • Camping Cabins • Camping and more

MARENGO Cave Country CAVE Canoes .c .com

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per person* Cave Tours or Canoe/ Kayak Rental *Limit 4 people/2 boats.

812 365 2705