Hollow end links are made from one thinner piece of steel that is folded in order to create a curved link. This means that they are lighter and can be bent. Historically, most bracelets on vintage watches have come standard with hollow end links. They are sometimes more desirable because they are more forgiving and the tabs can be bent to achieve a desired fit (or even to fit different watch). For more on that process, see this guide.
Solid end links, on the other hand, are milled from one solid piece of metal, making them heavier. Because of the construction, solid end links are less forgiving and cannot be modified. However, when mounted they sit much more firmly in place, and in general have a higher quality feel.
That morning in late November, I kept bugging Dave to get ready to go hiking like we do every Sunday. He was probably engrossed in reading about World War II bomber planes or what would happen to the Earth when we ran out of room for landfills. Many Sundays, we arrive at the trailhead much later than I hope. My 5th-grade teacher called me a Martian at school since my attention was on outer space. However, by default, I have become the one who plans, prioritizes, and keeps track of time.
We chose to hike at Boch Hollow State Nature Preserve, one of our favorite places and a great alternative to the crowded Hocking Hills. When I checked my phone for the weather report, it had a symbol indicating gusting winds, but I shrugged it off. It was raining but was supposed to taper off by noon.
I realized if Dave had not been lollygagging, we could have gotten hammered with rain out in the woods, but I was hardly going to admit that to him. Now that I had my rain gear on, I decided to keep it on lest the temperamental weather played more tricks on us.
We started hiking at 12:30 and took some photos along the way. The sun warmed the air, and as soon as Dave removed his waterproof winter gloves, he slipped on muddy, wet leaves and fell. His hands got covered with mud, so he wiped them on the vegetation and his pants. A little while later, he tripped over a rock and twisted his ankle, but luckily, he had lots of practice falling while ice skating years ago, so he was okay.
Boch Hollow used to have a screened-in shelter. I could easily imagine a reunion there, with the aroma of hot dogs cooking over a fire, the picnic tables overflowing with chips, potato salad, beans, a chocolate cake with sweet frosting, and crunchy homemade sugar cookies. Children might be playing tag or skipping stones in the nearby stream. Adults would be laughing and tossing horseshoes. But they tore down the shelter, possibly due to liability. Worse yet, the park service even tore down the gazebo by the pond. Why? We like hiking in solitude, but the now empty spaces where the shelter and gazebo once stood seemed sad.
I knew he had left a plastic bag of emergency stuff at home. What did it contain? Why did he take it out? Did I have a flashlight in my pack? Was the battery still good? We had passed two ponds. Would we see well enough not to slip and fall into the pond?
We descended into a valley where the wind was hushed, and all we could hear was the sound of our footsteps. I breathed easier. Momentarily. Dave spotted three deer, and we paused to watch them, but they quickly bounded away.
Shit! That was the third tree we had heard fall. We should have stayed out of the forest. I had forgotten how many fallen trees we see. They are like armies of dead bodies, their skeletal remains littering the woods, some lying in our path that we have to climb over or around. The forest is like a graveyard.
That day, on the first leg of the trail, we had climbed over a blow-down, a dead tree that had fallen across the path. Knowing that the park was well-maintained, I thought the dead ash tree must have fallen recently as I stepped over it.
We picked up the pace. We had no alternative route. The Buckeye Trail was the most direct route back, except we could shave off a half mile by taking the ridge trail at one point. Unfortunately, no roads intersected the path, so there was no way out except to keep going.
The sky grew dimmer. Hiking usually brings me peace and tranquility, but not that day. The rain that had held off began to issue warnings with droplets, but I did not want to stop to dig out my raincoat. I just wanted to get out of the forest.
So, I looked it up. I discovered the weather service provides a wind description for six levels of wind threat with explanations that use colors. Green is non-threatening, but it goes up to red and purple for high and extreme dangers. The charts are helpful when deciding about hiking on any given day.
Another possibility would be to visit a park such as High Banks in Columbus, where the road snakes through the park with many trailheads and parking options. Then, you could take a few short hikes and make it back to the car if a storm blows up.
I called Boch Hollow and chatted with a manager. She said there are too many variables to pinpoint which wind speed would be too dangerous for hikers. For instance, if it rained, a tree was leaning, or the soil shifted, those would make conditions more hazardous.
Parking: There are three entrances. The north entrance is closer to the trail than the west entrance. However, if you want to hike the Buckeye Trail, you must take the east or west entrance.
Founders: Francis Kessler grew up near Boch Hollow and later became a professor of anatomy and physiology at The Ohio State University. He met his wife in England during World War II, when he served in the U.S. Army Signal Corps. Together, the Kesslers had a vision for nature preservation and education.
Boch Hollow derived its name from the Bochs, who once owned the property. The Kesslers, who acquired the property in the 1960s, died in 2006, just months apart from each other. They bequeathed the park property to the state and their home to be used for educational purposes.
Cemetery Trail: If you are interested in old burial grounds, this one dates back to the 19th century. It is a favorite of ours but is not on the Buckeye Trail. It adds 1.4 miles to your trek if you are looking for additional hiking.
Pond Trail: This 0.4-mile trail passes a scenic pond and is an option instead of the 0.3-mile BT section, which passes a rock cave. When doing an out-and-back hike, we often take one trail on the way out and the other on the return.
Robinson Falls (also called Corkscrew Falls): are considered part of Boch Hollow, but you must drive and park at the corner of Zwickle Road and OH-664. You pass this intersection on the way to the west trailhead. However, you need a (free) permit, which can be obtained here: -and-apply/special-use-permits/nature-preserve-access. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) provides all the necessary information.
Hi there! My name is Victoria and I am the author of this blog. I have been hiking my entire life and I wouldn't have it any other way! I especially love the challenge of a strenuous hike and exploring trails across the USA. If you share my passion for the outdoors or you're interested in getting started with your hiking journey, you've come to the right place.
The Islander Baiting Hollow is our first skeleton watch design. Being watch enthusiasts ourselves, we know the bond between a person and their watch, and nothing evokes this stronger than a skeleton watch. It was designed such that nothing gets between you and seeing the living, beating movement powering the watch.
The ISL-166 is powered by the Seiko NH70A automatic movement, which handwinds and hacks. This is a skeletonized movement that allows you a glimpse into its inner workings. As you stare deeply at it, you will see the balance wheel oscillating back and forth, as well as the pallet fork engaging the escape wheel. The more you stare, the more you will see. We also made it an exhibition case back, so light will travel through the movement making it appear even more magical.
There is no dial! Instead, the branding and other information is printed on the underside of the scratch resistant, anti-reflective flat sapphire crystal. But a watch needs to be functional as well as beautiful.
The Baiting Hollow is housed in a 42mm dive watch style case. A large, easy to use screwdown crown helps ensure 200 meters of water resistance. The bezel is a 120 click uni-directional ratcheting bezel. Instead of the traditional count-up bezel, we decided to use a stainless steel bezel insert with a count-down scale.
The chapter ring has also been thoughtfully designed to complement the design aesthetic of the watch, featuring hour markers that seem to dive into the movement, providing a feeling of depth.
The hands are white outline, to not get in the way of viewing the movement but are bold enough to be visible. To aid in low-light visibility, the hour markers are treated with BGW9 Super-LumiNova, as are the hands.
Securing the Baiting Hollow to your wrist is a beads of rice bracelet with flip lock clasp and 3 positions of microadjust. It tapers from 22mm at the lug, to 20mm at the clasp.
Dale Hollow Lake is the second largest wintering eagle population in the states of Tennessee and Kentucky. Eagle Watch tours are held on the third and fourth Saturday of January. Eagle enthusiasts are transported by open air barge in search of wintering bald eagles. The eagle watch tours are free, but advance reservations are required. Please remember tour spaces are limited and fill up quickly. Changes or cancellations should be made by 8:00 a.m. the Friday before the tour date.
For the morning tour, participants will be picked up at Lillydale Campground launch ramp on the Tennessee side of the lake and then transported for pick-up at the Dale Hollow Lake State Resort Park on the Kentucky side of the lake. The afternoon tour will depart from Lillydale only.
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