Archive for the ‘South Central’ Category
From Columbus to Elkhorn City, Highway 80 is Kentucky's Longest Road.
Eggners Ferry Bridge
Who helps the bridge over troubled waters when the bridge itself has been troubled? Crews from several agencies began combing over the wreckage within hours of it taking place. Luckily, no one was injured though cars were traveling across at the time. I came to the scene after the crowds had come, taken their novelty picture, and left. I felt for the towns and small shops that depended on the traffic the bridge provided. The layoffs that had already begun to occur. The state park that sits within earshot of the waves lapping against the bridge piers.
1940s Charm
Free Sunrises at KenLake
Thanks again, Kentucky.
-Special thanks also to John Rittenhouse and Tammy Nanny for a great stay at KenLake.
-*Note: Prior to recent events, the Eggners Ferry Bridge was scheduled to be replaced by a new span in 2017. The timetable may now be moved forward.
It is time again for the popular State Parks Family Adventure Quest. Teams of 2-6 will work to complete various challenges and answer questions throughout the State Parks system. This is a great way for families to discover our Parks and have a lot of fun while doing it. Each State Park has its own unique character and history, and this is a great way to explore the Parks and learn more about them. There will again be prizes this year for teams that complete a required number of challenges. 20 out of 25 will earn you a $25 State Parks Gift Card, while completing all 25 will ne
t a $50 State Parks gift card.
While it may be called the Family Adventure Quest, it is also great for groups of friends and outdoor enthuasists. Visit the Family Adventure Quest website to see what other participants are saying & to get your team registered: http://www.parks.ky.gov/family-adventure-quest/default.aspx
So, it’s time to get your team rounded up, get out the camera and the hiking boots and take off on the 2012 Kentucky State Parks Family Adventure Quest!
A drop in the bucket.
article published in last month’s Kentucky Living Magazine that has me touting 5 places across the commonwealth as must see destinations. A “bucket list” stemming from an actual KFC tub I used to carry the paper around in. Dave Shuffett was kind enough to give me some airtime, well, page time and help plug Cumberland Falls as the top pick. Then came four other destinations across the state. As I had to be fair and pick locations from all points of the compass, I feel as though now I need a bucket of apologies for those that were left out of the pile.
Put yourself in my hiking boots for a minute. 158 hikes since April 2009. Yeah, we both read that right. Some places across the country, but most of it right here where the grass is blue and the horses are fast. How the heck am I supposed to narrow all those experiences down to just five? Or get west of the I-75 corridor?
Kentucky is not like West Virginia. There, the entire state is mountains until you get around Huntington. I mean it. In Kentucky, however, they evaporate into farmland about the time you get west of Somerset. Then the mountain fan that I am can get a little lonely wondering why the rest of the state isn’t as elevated with its landscape. Of course, we still have the lakes and rivers and forests that make the other two thirds a paradise still, but where’s the beef, er, elk? Still in that mountainous one-third.
And so, most all of my favorites are ultimately scattered about in Kentucky as noted, but my really favorite places are the mountain locales and especially those that feature a hemlock tree or a thousand.
For example, I left out the Daniel Boone National Forest and Big South Fork. I left out Pine Mountain. I left out Carter Caves and Greenbo. I left out Bernheim, Buckhorn, Kingdom Come, and Otter Creek. Natural Bridge (and Arch). Dale Hollow and Duke Cumberland’s Lake. And I left out my secret place, Shanty Hollow Lake along with several others, not to mention our nature preserves and such. Looks like the bucket is a little bigger than we thought. Next time, I’ll ask for an upsize in article space. For now, I’ll reach into my bucket and pull out an olive leaf of peace and beg forgiveness of my park manager friends and fellow hikers across the nation. I know better.
Kentucky as a whole is in the bucket, how about that?
* * *
Off to an eagle tour on Kentucky Lake this weekend. If you have never taken part in this, there’s no better chance than now. Bald eagle populations are at an all time high in Kentucky, and you are pretty much guaranteed to get your money’s worth for a day on the water being inspired by our national symbol. For information on the tours, visit www.parks.ky.gov. Hope to see you there!
Lake Malone
I was on a quest for three more hiking trips before the end of the year. Last year’s count was 57, and currently I sat at 55. Lake Malone State Park in Muhlenberg County was tapped as a choice for a late afternoon stroll close to the shortest day of the year. I was battling daylight to say the least. Having been to the state park several times over the past five years, I knew the 1.5 miles could be knocked out in ample time to avoid being left out in the dark.
I wanted to try something new and decided to take Interstate 65 south out of Bowling Green to Franklin and then highway 100 to Russellville, onward to 68/80 and 431 to Dunmor. But the road trip got off to a stall. Ten miles southbound from Bowling Green and traffic was stopped. The entire corridor threatened to back up clean to Chicago. Up about a quarter mile from where I sat was a u-turn opportunity, illegal as the sign may have boasted. I and a hundred other drivers took this and headed back to Bowling Green. Russellville Road would be my route instead.
On the way to Russellville I passed Amish furniture stores, signs to Shakertown at South Union, and multiple reminders I was passing Auburn, a casualty of the highway reroute several years ago. But the real treat is on 431 north of Russellville. It’s four lane for a while to accommodate the massive Logan Aluminum plant. Here’s a factory so big, it has its own fire department on site! A few miles north though and you’ll drive through tiny Lewisburg, proclaiming a status of “Purple Martin Capital of Kentucky.” I saw a mocking bird if that counts (but I’m not mocking…).
Baugh Station is where the scenery got good. Wait a minute though. Diamond Springs is the official name of the spot in the road. It hadn’t been named Baugh Station since 1901. All that remained now of the stagecoach stop namesake was a church with the title. Highway 431 from Baugh Station, er, Diamond Springs to Dunmor reminded me of the roads right outside Gatlinburg. Drive there and see for yourself. Tall ridges with a creek running near the road and tiny log cabins built right next to the steep hillside. The curves make a good handling car smile. I kept my hands at ten and two like the trooper suggested when I took a driving test 15 years ago. And within minutes, I was at the lake.
Lake Malone State Park is an awesome example of generosity in that it sits on land donated to the state by Mr. Malone and his wife in the 1960s. Fifty years later, the small park is still enjoyed by visitors from all over the region and continues to be one of my favorites. The blue water is comparable to Dale Hollow Lake, and the woodland trail close to the shoreline remind me of Grayson Lake State Park in Carter County. As per my hiking ritual by now, I walked the length, snapped a few pictures, and was soon enough back on the road to Corvette City by way of route 70 (that will have to be another blog).
Thanks Kentucky, for the Christmas Gift of a great December roadtrip!
Unbridled Adventure is pretty dependent on having, well, an outdoors to enjoy it in. Last week, I had a lady from Florida email me. She let me know that a guy was hiking around in Kentucky. I thought “What else is new?” and proceeded to delete the email with some spam. Then I read the next sentence. This guy had started hiking three months ago…in Key West, Florida!
John Davis (Courtesy Wildlands Network)
John Davis was spending the next couple of weeks in his home state of Kentucky, hiking the Sheltowee up the gut of the Boone National Forest, part of a route eventually taking him into Canada (!) and over 6000 man-powered miles when all said and done. I had to find out more. He’s with the Wildlands Network, and calling his journey TrekEast. It’s his goal to create awareness for the patchwork of wild lands along the eastern United States, including a long couple of stretches in Kentucky. He’d biked down the Pine Mountain Trail to the Blanton Forest before turning north up the turtle trail.
I’m a hiker. But I’m no John Davis. This is his first undertaking of this magnitude, according to that “lady from Florida” who is actually his publicist, Kelly Harris. She went on to tell me that he’d grown up in Lexington, and had done a lot of adventuring over the years, resulting in his love for the outdoors and passion to see it conserved for future generations.
I wasn’t able to meet up with John like I had wanted, but if the world is one big wilderness, we were both on the same trail I’m sure at one point or another. For more on John and his epic adventure that Kentucky had a part in, visit www.wildlandsnetwork.org.
National Trails Day 2011
It’s the eve of National Trails Day 2011, and I hope you have an adventure scouted out for the morning! Lots of our state parks have outings for the day, and a list of those can be found online at www.parks.ky.gov. I’m moving my hiking times to 5am or earlier to beat the heat the next couple of months. Sunrise city! Stay cool, and till next trip…
This upcoming weekend promises to be a good one. Saturday June 4 is National Trails Day. Parks, trail associations, paddling associations and many others are hosting special events across the state. If you haven’t yet made plans, hop onto the homepage, www.getoutky.com, and check out the National Trails Day Calendar. There is something for everyone all over the state. Round up the kids, friends & family and get outside and enjoy one of Kentucky’s scenic trails. This weekend is also the “Free Fishing Weekend” in Kentucky. Anglers young and old can fish anywhere in the
commonwealth without having a fishing license this Saturday & Sunday, the 4th & 5th of June. With more miles of navigable water than any state in the lower 48, no matter where you live in Kentucky there is good fishing nearby. A great option for fishing opportunities is in one of the Fishing in Neighborhoods Lakes (FINs) operated by the Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife Resources. There are 34 fins lakes in 21 counties currently, and all of them are regularly stocked. For more information on Free Fishing Weekend, FINs lakes or anything fishing related, visit www.fw.ky.gov. No matter what outdoor pursuit you choose this weekend, make sure you’re outside taking advantage of the great opportunities we have here in the Bluegrass!
Tioga Falls
What a wet month April turned out to be! Usually the wetness of the quarter month brings flowers with due process, but this year a deluge. Flooding, property damage, homes lost, lives changed. I saw Nolin Lake State Park submerged and several other state parks threatened. Forget the hiking stick. Where are my oars?
I’ve been busy leading and taking hikes over the past month since the end of the Unbridled Adventure Tour. I found the Bluffs Campsite waterfall at Mammoth Cave National Park. Finally. I showed off a Warren County wilderness to some folks from SKYe Magazine. I dropped and destroyed my camera in a cripple creek. Still haven’t recovered from mourning. Celebrated my nephew’s first birthday and hung out with my mom on her day last week. So much activity that a blog got neglected. Hey, hike before write, right?
Thus, a Tivoed hike. I took a trip to Tioga Falls a couple of months ago that I never got around to mentioning. Western Kentucky, bless its heart, bats zero for waterfalls, and north central Kentucky is not far behind. Except for Tioga. On the Fort Knox Military Reservation near West Point is a faded obscure sign that reads “Bridges To The Past.” Drive to the nearby parking lot and see railroad trestles high above you. Venture into the woods and you’re in for a surprise.
I had made the trip from Bowling Green via 101 and 259 north to Leitchfield, then east on the Wendell Ford Parkway to Elizabethtown. Seeing that 31W was listed as a “bypass” I took it and unknowingly landed square in the commercial strip of E-Town. Ten million stoplights later I looked over at a pawn shop sign that read “Gold City.” “Gold City? Why’s it called that?” I wondered. I remembered a half mile north. There, in the distance, sat the key building in an old James Bond movie. The United States Gold Bullion Depository. Impressive enough to do a rubberneck on the highway.
Not much further north and I was parked and trail-hiking. Vegetation had still yet to show itself in the trees. The sky was a perfect rendition of blue. Winds cooperatively calm. I meandered for a mile, crossed a railroad track and meandered some more. I saw some folks standing near a creek and asked “How much further to the falls?” They pointed directly to my left. Whoa.
Tioga was in early spring runoff mode. Prime time to chase any waterfall. A double barrel shot of water blew out of the hillside and generously cascaded several earthen stairs before finding the creek I was standing beside. I took multiple pictures from different angles and caught myself staring more than once. The style of waterfall and character of it is unique to any I’ve seen in Kentucky. Truly a hike to put on your to do list this summer, though maximum flow will soon be reduced if you don’t go soon.
Buttermilk Falls
Back to real-time and another blog soon. Till next trip…
Morning on the Hal Rogers
I pull out of London and head east for the mountains. I can tell I’m not in my native Fulton County anymore. There, it’s all farmland and bottomland and river land and well, flat. A few bluffs near the Mississippi, but nothing like this. It’s day two of my 2011 Unbridled Adventure Tour presented by the Kentucky State Parks and Department of Adventure Tourism. Six state parks and the Red River Gorge in seven days. Green River Lake was the first stop the day before, meeting up with good friend Rob Collins for a wet hike on a horse trail (and a steak dinner). Now, I was off to find Buckhorn Lake, but would have to go through Mr. Rogers neighborhood first.
Road Trippin
East of London begins the Hal Rogers Parkway, named after the longtime Representative of the Kentucky 5th. Most of it is two lane, running 40 or so miles to Hazard, but has all the easy signage and exit ramps that four lane parkways have. Its main draw: it takes you straight through the mountainous Daniel Boone National Forest. For a moment, I thought I had gotten lost in West Virginia. My jaw dropped as I saw redbud and dogwood come together like biscuit and gravy. Giant mountain views around every bend. I got somewhat emotional as I found a renewed pride in the beauty of my state. Here is a drive every Kentuckian must take, as it’s comparable with the Skyline Drive in Virginia.
Once in Hazard, you realize Kentucky has a rugged side to it. It’s Kentucky with a two day beard. A side you won’t find in Louisville. An adventurous side that’s not recreational as much as just a way of life for the people that call this part of the state home. I pull up to a stoplight and “Mountain Ford” is on my right. I tune the dial to “Mountain Hits” on the radio. I feel like going into a store and suddenly buying a new fleece jacket or hiking boots. Or both. I’m in my zone here.
Buckhorn Lake Moonshine Trail
Up highway 15 north of Hazard for a bit, then highway 28 which winds its way to Buckhorn. At one point, the road makes a hairpin so tight, mirrors have been installed on trees to see around the mountain. My hair still looked good, too. Buckhorn Lake State Resort Park is like a diamond tucked away in a safe deposit box. It’s tough to get to from anywhere, but once you arrive, you’re glad you came. A beautiful mountain view with a lake you can play on. A trail that takes you beside a stream flowing with rapids. The true feeling that you’re really away from everything (because you are…really). Tesa Turner greeted me at the desk and let me have full reign for the day, including use of a cool office overlooking the lake to do some internet uploading. That was after the hike in the woods, mind you. I’ll definitely be back to this location, if I can ever find it again…
After lunch, it was time to hit highway 15 once more and take it towards the Mountain Parkway in north Kentucky. Along the way, I pass through several small mountain towns with storefronts in the foreground of a postcard view. Just amazing. I was reminded of the region around Keystone in South Dakota, and the little towns hidden away there. In this day, we sometimes get the feeling that if it’s not five miles from an Interstate then it doesn’t exist. That’s just not the case. If I had enough money to cover the gas, I would try to visit every little city in the state. I’ll bet there’s something unique in every one of them.
The Natural Bridge
Once on the Mountain Parkway, I travel west for a bit until reaching signage for the Natural Bridge State Resort Park near Slade. Down highway 11 to the park and more jaw dropping at the beauty of the bluegrass. I check into the lodge and meet with Naturalist Tyler Morgan, who takes me on a quick tour of the park with some history along the way. Folks have been coming to see the Natural Bridge since 1889. Back then, the only way in or out was by railroad. In fact, it was the Kentucky Union Railway that build the first park facilities. It became one of the original state parks in 1927. And still ranks as one of the most popular in the parks system, and it’s not hard to see why.
After some trail advice from Tyler, I headed out for a hike to see the bridge. I had been to the Natural Arch around the Big South Fork, so wanted to see how this compared. Indeed, it has it’s own unique charm, plus I am partial to hemlock trees. One of the cool things about this bridge is that you can actually walk on top of it. Just watch your step. You can either take a sky lift up or hike the half mile Original Trail to get the full view of hemlocks and other trees along the way. It should be on your bucket list for sure. Like Buckhorn, I have that feeling of being at ease and away from it all, the goal of any park to provide the visitor.
Patron of Green River Lake
Hard to believe, but I’m just a couple days into the tour! Coming up are stops at the Red River Gorge, Grayson Lake, Greenbo Lake, and Carter Caves State Resort Park. More blogs to come for sure! To see the 200 or so pictures I’ve already taken, Friend me on Facebook!
Stay tuned!
"ZIP ON ONE!!"
Owner Shane Bull
Zippers
I’d compare the excitement and rush with whitewater rafting any day. Zip-lining will be something you talk about in conversation about cool things you’ve done. Just another day in the life of the Outdoorsman. For more information on this adventure opportunity, visit www.mammothcave-adventures.com.
For a video account of the day’s adventure, click here.
SIDETRIP: Several large signs beckoned me to Big Mike’s Rock Shop on the way to the adventure. You know me, I can’t resist a roadside. So I delved in for a look and was reminded of Pigeon Forge suddenly and the Three Bears Store there. This place has it all. Literally. They have it all. I got a pair of dog tags for Christmas when I was 10 years old. Twenty years later, I got another pair. How cool is that? They’ve been a fixture in the area since 1970, and I’ll guarantee they have something you want if you stop in for a visit. And tour the Mystery House. Just sayin‘.
Till next trip…
“Ya’ll ain’t gonna look that pretty comin’ out!” I hollered to a group of 20 or so students just entering the cave with not a spec of dirt on them as I was finally coming out covered in mud. They were in for it. I had just spent the last three hours hidden with the river under Horse Cave proper. On my belly at times, knee deep in icy cold water at other moments, still crawling under a low, low, low ceiling for 100 yards or more at different junctions. And all at the mercy of the little light flickering atop my hard hat. Typical life in the day of a caver. And saw a bat to boot!
Peggy Nims!
One Billion Steps...
Peanut butter is the term used to describe the mud we would navigate for the next three hours. Its slick, thick, and quick to make you fall if you’re not tactical in your step. I was not in the cave for more than a few moments before realizing my light was about as dim as my wits. A pause and a change to a brighter outlook. Luckily, Peggy had extras on hand, as well as batteries and other aid just in case we needed it.
More Steps...
We hit the cave on a day when the water was relatively low, and only encountered shin deep water to wade on occasion. But if you go, be prepared for anything (and be in good physical shape). And carry a complete change of clean clothes to get into when you come out. I’ll be back for a five hour tour that takes one further in later on this year. For more on Hidden River Cave and the American Cave Museum on site, visit www.cavern.org.
Till next trip…
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