Knobby Rock of Blanton Forest

Today we headed out to hike to Knobby Rock of Blanton Forest near Harlan, Kentucky.  Blanton Forest is a preserved old growth forest.  There are several very large hemlocks along the trail.  We had ten hikers today, several on their first hike with us.  We headed out Watts Creek trail a bit after 10:00, then took a left and headed up the Knobby Rock trail.  It wasn't long before the trail became quite a bit steeper, but fortunately it was only 7 tenths of a mile before we arrived at Knobby Rock.  The younger hikers arrived first and explored the rock as the rest arrived, each wowed by the peculiar looking knobs and massive size of the rock.  After relaxing on the rock, taking pictures, and eating lunch, we navigated down the rock and picked up the loop for the 1.1 mile back down to Watts Creek trail.   After getting back down to Camp Blanton, we were met with the aroma of a cookout.  It smelled divine, but we decided we couldn't invite ourselves.  Sadly, we had to get into our vehicles and leave the wonderful smells, gorgeous weather, and lovely scenery.

Till next time....Keep on hiking!

Guest River Gorge Hike

Five of us headed out this morning for Guest River Gorge near Coeburn.  This hiking trail is an old railroad bed and is now part of the rails to trails network.  It follows the Guest River as it flows toward Dungannon and merges into the Clinch River.  It is a total of 5.8 miles one way, but is easy walking with plenty of benches for resting.  Since we weren't navigating streams, ledges, or dodging roots, we just had a great time chatting, taking photos, and enjoying the perfect September day.  We were hoping to spot an eagle, but no luck today.  If you missed this one, you may want to go back in a few weeks because I think it will be absolutely breathtaking in mid-October!

Guest River Gorge Hike Moved to Saturday the 28th

I've been looking at the forecast all day and looks like we need to move this one to next Saturday.  Forecast is calling for 70-90% chance of rain....tropical moisture with some heavy downpours.  Hopefully next Saturday will be nice and we can enjoy some spots of fall color.  See you next Saturday!

The Devil's Bathtub Hike

We headed out today for Devil's Bathtub located in the Jefferson National forest in Scott County.  We were fortunate enough to have a guide from Natural Tunnel to lead what was our largest hiking group so far.  We've been looking forward to this hike for quite some time.  Everything we had heard was true.  There are about 12 stream crossings, some knee deep, on the trail.  And the devil's bathtub is something like you've never seen.  It is a bathtub-shaped pit carved out in the layers of rock and filled with crystal clear bluish water.  It's about twice as long as a bathtub, but not much wider, and is about 10 feet deep. The bottom can be clearly seen, which gave me the confidence to get a bit wetter than I already was.  Yes, there were about four of us that sampled the bath water.  The whole area was quite beautiful with the water rushing over the crevices in the shale creek bed and creating several pools of water.  As usual, we enjoyed taking photos and took our time examining all the natural beauty of the area.  It was a great way to spend the Labor Day holiday!

The bathtub

Navigating one of several stream crossings

Daniel Boone Greenway Arboretum

Another beautiful day for hiking!  I didn't get to participate this time, but the report from the gang is a good time was had by all.  The hike began at Cumberland Gap, Daniel Boone parking area.  The trail goes through Cumberland Gap, into a tunnel under the road, and out to LMU campus.  The trek was an out and back that ended with a cheeseburger in Cumberland Gap....a very satisfying hike! 

Pinnacle Loop Hike

Whew!  This hike was a bit more than I had bargained for!  The news article said 6.5 miles, but Bob pointed out before we began that it had to be nearly 8 miles, and it was.  Apparently there are a few inconsistencies in mileage estimates on signs and maps.  Nonetheless, three of us ventured out despite the possibility of rain and the extra mileage.  We began our hike on Object Lesson Road trail, then took Harlan road trail, Sugar Run trail, and finally Ridge trail to the Pinnacle.  We enjoyed the cooler than normal July weather, and encountered only an extremely short-lived shower.  As always, we took our time, enjoyed the sights and sounds of nature, and discussed how people generations ago managed to travel for miles and miles in this terrain with such limited resources.  After what seemed like a very long time, we arrived at the Pinnacle, and hiked back down to the parking lot.  I said we were like Marines today, "the few, the proud".  We were few and we were certainly proud to have completed our longest hike to date!

Little Stony Falls National Recreational Trail

What a simply breathtaking hike!  A wet spring and summer has made for a lush, green forest and gushing falls!  Unfortunately, the wet weather made for slick, damp terrain too.  Although we didn't hike the entire trail due to its deteriorating condition, we saw three falls, huge rocks and cliffs, and lots of rhododendron in bloom.  We even got to sit and have our lunch on a big rock in the creek bed, and feed the trout our leftovers.  Good times!  

Rhododendron

Upper Stony Falls

The gang except for Brenda, the photographer

Brenda atop one of the many huge rocks