discovering a new place and a hiking PSA

Last week i was driving home on Main St in Ellicott City. There was a back-up because of a truck that didn't quite make a tight turn and was stuck across the road.
Great.
I took a handy available left turn onto a road i've never taken before, intending to circle around the accident and cut back down to Main St before the river.
Good plan, but this road didn't go that way. Instead, it climbed up the side of a hill, winding and winding and winding until i was high above the town. It was a sunny afternoon so instead of worrying about traffic and the thwarted detour i decided to explore instead.
I had never been in this part of the county; heck, i didn't even realize that civilization went that far up the hill. I thought the town ended after a few blocks on that side of Main St because it looks like nothing but hills and forest.
Nope.
The road forked, then that road forked, then there was a T stop, then that road forked, then there was a super creepy state park with the ruins of a Women's Facility -whatever that means- surrounded by a barbed wire fence, then another fork. At each of the forks one side led to a dead end.
 I could see some newer housing developments higher on the ridge, but no road to get there. There was another housing development with a road running through it, but not down the hill. Basically the road i was on was the only route in and out of this area; if it was blocked there would be no way out.
The road finally ended.
I mean it just ended.
But i was next to a lovely little stream so i got out to look around.

After some climbing and searching i realized this area must be the back edge of some undeveloped section of Patapsco State Park. There was no fencing so i explored for a while before breaking out the camera to play with some zoom settings.


It was nice to have a wee adventure and find a new place so close to home. Plus it was really great to be outside without needing to be totally bundled up; Spring is on the way.
Most of the time when i find fun places to explore i am dressed inappropriately, but unbelievably i didn't have on a skirt this time. Not that bare legs has ever stopped me, but it was nice that the inevitable slips and slides and run-ins with rude, grabby tree branches encountered jeans instead of skin.

 However, i would like to advise anyone who might be considering rock hopping next to stream in cute gold sparkle flats to rethink that choice. They are really, really not the correct footwear for this kind of thing. Really.