Come dwell with me

“Why do you love this beautiful Bloomington weather?” you ask a group of students, and invariably somebody responds with, “Because it’s great for parties!”
And to an extent, it would be a true statement.

But when the air turns frigid, no one’s going to complain about you relocating your keg to the garage or the basement. As far as IU students are concerned, drinking is a game that can be played just as merrily under a roof.

When I was a chain-smoking freshman, I liked the fall season because the weather was ideal for enjoying a cigarette. Something about the temperature of the air was conducive, I think, to maximum nicotine absorption into the lungs. But of course, I’m no toxicologist.

I’ve since quit the habit, though in no way was that decision influenced by the University’s tobacco ban, for the record.

Now, I revel in this weather for altogether different reasons. After two years of living here, I’ve developed an unholy fondness for the parks surrounding Bloomington.

If you enjoy the comfort of a nearby body of water, there are plenty of remote camping areas along the shores of Monroe Lake, some which require a decent walk, others that are accessible by car.

You don’t have to be Henry David Thoreau or Jack London to enjoy a night in the woods. In fact, you can bring the festivities along with you.

There’s no better way to pay homage to the autumn season than a deep forest celebration, or perhaps some lakeside debauchery. After all, we can’t let the pagans have all the fun.

The adventurous in spirit may enjoy taking a hike through Deam Wilderness (a section of Hoosier National Forest) out to one of the peninsulas along the lake, where they can set up their tents in the treeline just above the rocky lake shore and watch the sun set across the water.

Or stay in your car and follow the gravel road deeper into Deam and visit the Hickory Ridge Fire Tower. In fact, there is perhaps no better place to witness the unfolding fall season than atop the platform of this 110-foot-tall steel structure. Built as a means of spotting fires before the use of satellite technology, the tower, which is open to the public, is situated just above the forest canopy, making it an ideal vantage point when the leaves begin to turn.

Other places, like Cedar Bluff Nature Preserve, make for the perfect day hike. The 75-foot-high limestone bluff, which is accessible by foot trail, overlooks the winding Clear Creek below. It is perhaps my favorite local adventure that can be completed in less than 2 hours.

So, if you want to truly appreciate the weather before it takes a turn for the worse, take a break from the city. And for the purposes of the local naturalists and escapists whose nerves this column will no doubt agitate, please be respectful to other visitors and to the environment. Otherwise, they’ll have my head, and yours too.