The Kentucky Two Fer

   I decided to title this blog The Kentucky Two Fer for the simple fact we hiked in two different parks in West Central Kentucky in one day.

     The Fall temps keep spurring me on to explore more, go new places and spend lots of time in the forests. Another weekend coming up and I was hitting the internet researching places to hike and explore. I stumbled upon Panther Creek Park, near Owensboro and learned that their walking/hiking trail had a suspension bridge. Well that would be a new experience for us, so when we started discussing plans I mentioned Panther Creek and to my delight, Donald was up for a little trip to check it out.

     We made reservations at a chain hotel, not willing to risk the uncertainty of an off brand motel again as we did at Reelfoot Lake. Early on Saturday morning we loaded up my car and headed East towards the rising sun before turning North at Madisonville and making our way towards Owensboro. The morning temps hovered in the low 50's, making for a chilly start to the day but it felt good after a long Kentucky Summer with sweltering temps and humidity. 

   Panther Creek Park, we found, sits back behind an upper middle class neighborhood. Estate style homes with carefully manicured lawns lining the freshly blacktopped street. We made our way inside the park, Donald noting bridge sightings through the woods as we went. After a quick trip to the bathrooms we set out from the Nature Shelter trail head with hiking the Marksberry Special Trail in mind. 

    A large portion of the trail system is a long raised boardwalk through bottom lands that leads to a gazebo. The gazebo had been noted on the map with a symbol that was white with pillars, a typical representation of a park gazebo. The gazebo we found was more rustic, full of graffiti and the sign for our trail head placed at a angle where there was no trail or boardwalk. 

  We ambled down the boardwalk trail to the left only to come to a road with no indication which way the trail continued. Turning back we returned to the gazebo and decided to make our way along the covered bridge portion of the boardwalk.
 Not long after passing under the covered bridge the boardwalk came to an end and we were back on solid ground, but not for long. Hiking along the packed dirt path we were able to spy homes and manicured lawns along with a large breed dog barking at us as we made our way along.  Several yards later we came to the suspension bridge noted on the park map and I rather nervously made my way across with Kennedy leading the way. The bridge swayed very little until you reach the middle portion. All the swaying left me trying to get my "sea legs" once back on solid ground.
  Once across "The Swinger" we were met with more blacktop and another suspension bridge laying in wait for us on the next portion of the trail. Debbie's Dream Catcher as it's named was bigger and longer than The Swinger. The park map indicated we should be turning at this point to stay on the Marksberry Special Trail but again no trail markers to help us discern the direction of our selected trail. We made our way across Debbie's Dream Catcher only to find a sign pointing us straight on for the Marksberry Special Trail and so we followed.
  Hiking along on solid ground again we found ourselves at the edge of the disc golf course.....??? What? Wait a minute. We pulled our map out again to find that the trail sign had routed us onto different trails. I wasn't up for this game of trail hide and seek. I was honestly sick of playing it over the past few weeks.
  Two young trail runners made their way past us, all of about 9 and 11 years of age. I was glad to see some youth hitting the trails, doing so quietly and with respect. After the boys passed, we turned ourselves around and headed back to the trail sign at the end of Debbie's Dream Catcher.
  Once there we noted the direction of the sign again and checked our map. It appeared from the map we were to hike along the blacktop road between the two suspension bridges. Donald nudged me and made me take note of the fact the two boys from earlier near the disc golf course, were now on Debbie's Dream Catcher. How the hell did they do that so fast? I could only shake my head and comment on how it sucked getting old and fat. Clearly they knew the trails and weren't having to rely on the material we were. Before we knew it the two boys darted off in the opposite direction and were gone. We decided to do the same, tired of trying to figure out the trail system between signage and the map.

  Panther Creek Park while beautiful, with novel suspension bridges and boardwalks but it had left a lot to be desired for a person more accustomed to hiking National Forest and Recreations Areas. Turns out Donald had done a little research of his own on the way up and chimed in with a new destination, Lake Malone State Park in Dunmor, KY.
  It was located over an hour south of our current location so we decided to make our way there with a stop for lunch along the way. We made our way through the countryside just outside of Owensboro before skirting the city limits and turning South towards Central City.  We took aim at the Sonic in Central City and after wolfing down a fare of fast food we headed South again toward Dunmor.
  There was some debate between my Garmin GPS and Donald's Google Maps application on his phone. My Garmin seems delusional at times so I opted to follow the directions Google Maps was providing only to find myself on some little one and half lane road meandering around a Kentucky hillside. No big deal, no schedules, no curfews and no time limits. We are just going to enjoy the drive through the countryside and....oh hello! Is that huge massive farm equipment coming at me head on? Yes, yes it is. Buckle up, Buttercup, time to get skinny!! As the tractors approached I edged my car as far over onto the shoulder of the road as I could, coming to a stop to keep from plowing down mailboxes or hurtling down into the little ditch next to the field. We sat and waited as the tractors edged their way up and finally past us, giving a friendly little wave to the farmers inside the cabins as they went by.
  Clear of the farm equipment but still on this little road that we both wanted off of, we followed it  a few more miles before we finally made our way onto a typical two lane highway where we soon turned into the entrance of Lake Malone State Park. There was some confusion between where the downloaded map showed the trail heads and where they actually were in the park. Finally after circling what I assume was the lodge area, then heading into the campground and turning around, we drove down toward the picnic area. It was marked as such in the park with signage but listed on the map as back country camping area, we pulled in and parked.
 We spied both trail heads from the picnic area and opted for the longer Laurel Trail that skirted along the shore of Lake Malone. A cool Fall breeze was blowing from up off the water and rustling the dry leaves in the wind as we set out down the trail. The trail was described as easy to moderate but we soon found ourselves hiking along a steep rocky hillside. The trail was uneven and at one point the roots of a tree were used as a set of natural stairs in the trail.
  Pressing on we came to area that overlooked a small bay of the lake. I took this opportunity to head back into the woods to take care of some business, leaving my husband and dog to wait for me. Apparently greasy food wasn't a good idea for me to eat before hitting the trails again. Since having my gallbladder removed it can be a guessing game. It happens, we all have to deal with it some time or other if we are out in the woods enough and I was going to have to do just that, there was no other option.
  Now it had been a couple years since I've been forced to handle such a task in the back country. Things typically work out were it's not needed other than maybe a quick pee but I find taking care of the other business requires more balance for a longer period. Here lies a problem for someone whose knees hates them and they have a well, crappy sense of balance. My Kelty hiking pole couldn't help me here. I chose my spot wisely, next to a tall sturdy tree with a thick base. I dug my little hole, removed my pack, and using the tree as support, I got things done. I was proud of myself, I used what I learned through other blogs and some really funny videos, to get done what HAD to be done.
  Feeling better I rejoined my pack at the base of the hill in the overlook area and found a large tree down in across the trail. I stayed back with Kennedy while Donald went ahead and scouted the trail. He shook his head, it didn't look like the trail beyond the tree. There had been a little side trail up the hill so we figured that must be the main trail and turned around. Up we went, through a small pine grove, seeing more rocky bluffs and hillside ahead as the trail turned left, leveling off along the hillside.
  On occasion we could feel the breeze blowing through the trees and others it was completely devoid of any air movement. The trees were mostly green still although dead and dried leaves crunched under our feet and lined the forest floor. Late Summer had been dry and it's going to make for some disappointing  Fall colors, I believe although I still hold some hope for a vibrant Fall.
  We followed along the mostly packed dirt trail marveling at the steep hillside as we made our way across a small wooden bridge over a dry creek bed. The trail turned, following the curve of the bay back out to the main lake. The amazingly tall hillside began to jut out with huge limestone boulders, the trail became rugged again, requiring us to navigate around and down large rocks.

  Pressing on we found many places to explore, overhangs and small caves abounded in the rocky bluff. I would like to tell you that we hiked to the end of the trail before turning ourselves around but our legs and ankles were sore from the terrain. We still had to make our way back and navigate the steep hillside close to the shore. As beautiful as the day was and as much as we both wanted to stay in the forest it was clear everyone was getting tired and the afternoon was getting late.
  By the time we reached the parking lot I was glad to have called it, easy to moderate was not an accurate description in my experience. Moderate to difficult or rugged, even somewhat rugged would suit Laurel Trail better. If that's even the trail we were on since once again in Kentucky, my own home state that I love, there was inadequate trail markings. They were actually non-existent along this trail in particular.
 Despite the lack of trail markings I would definitely like to return to Lake Malone.  Maybe we can camp in the "picnic area" and even bring our canoe! While there I can try to hike all of the Laurel Trail again hopefully without need to test my back country bathroom skills.

As always......

Adventure Awaits!!!



  

Hematite Lake Trail, Land Between the Lakes

  Another beautiful early Fall weekend in Kentucky and of course we just had to hit the trails. This time we selected an old favorite, once again we hadn't visited in some time. July had proven to be a very wet month, mainly around the Fourth of July weekend with Land Between the Lakes receiving a whopping 17 inches. As you can imagine the area had a lot of damage, from culverts and roads being washed out to flooding at The 1850's Homeplace. The US Forestry Service faced a ton of work and still does. Once we checked the alerts page for Land Between the Lakes and noted Hematite Lake Trail was not listed, we took this as repairs had been made and all was fine.
  We woke up before dawn, sucked down a cup of coffee, loaded our gear, and of course Kennedy. The drive only took us around 30 minutes and we wheeled toward the Woodland Nature Station. Donald, my husband, had decided to drive his truck, giving me a rest from behind the wheel. The temps were cool but not too cool, just right for hiking. Leaving the Trace and turning onto Mulberry Flat Road we knew to keep our eyes peeled for the Fallow Deer  herd. As luck would have it, we spied them at the trail head of the Center Iron Furnace Trail. Five of them milled about feeding off the wet grass, one I noted to be mainly white in color and watching for just a few minutes two fawns began to suckle from her. Magical was the only way to describe the scene and I felt privileged to witness it.

After taking a moment to take in the scene of the Fallow Deer we turned and headed past the remains of the Center Iron Furnace and into the Hematite Lake Recreation Area. We parked the truck near the creek that connects Hematite Lake to Honker Lake. As we headed down the remaining gravel lot we noted a sign on the vault toilet stating the boardwalk was damaged and that you may need to turn around on the trail. We figured we'd take it as it comes, as we usually do and headed across the spillway on the concrete stepping stones.
Walking across the mowed grass of the levy wall with the breeze blowing up off the lake felt amazing. We had a little startle from some Turkey Vultures roosting in the bottom lands between the levy and the road before we finally made our way into the woods on the far side of Hematite Lake.
The trail is packed dirt beyond this point, and follows the lake shore along gently rolling hills. The views were stunning from this side of the little lake, the leaves just starting to turn on some of trees with their reflections visible on the lakes surface.
We made our way past the area of the old observation deck, now gone, removed from lack of maintenance and not replaced. It was disappointing but expected. I have a difficult time understanding the US Forestry Services approach towards managing Land Between the Lakes. Little gems like Hematite Lake, close to the Nature Station, were left to fall into disrepair long before the monumental rainfall of July, while the Forestry Service spent time and money working to develop new areas. I suppose money is granted to them but with terms on how it must be spent. I would probably end up with a headache trying to figure it out.
As we turned to follow the trail along the backside of Hematite Lake the area becomes bottom land. Several dry creek beds fed into the lake, snaking their way down the hills and providing an avenue for run off during rains. Small wooden bridges carried us over these creek beds and we found the trail snaking around downed trees. Toppled over from ground saturation and winds, their massive root balls now exposed and turned up.
Finally we came upon the boardwalk that carriers hikers over swampy, muddy terrain. Late Summer and early Fall had been quite dry here in West Kentucky so despite the level of disrepair along the boardwalk we decided to press on, seeing just how far one could traverse. The boardwalk was uneven, warped in places and in other places missing all together. These spots where the boardwalk was missing had logs scattered in them providing path above the muddy ground. Thankfully the larger bridges that carry hikers over the bigger streams that still held water were intact and in fair shape.

We did find the boardwalk that juts out onto a small peninsula as a small observation area was in worse shape than we wanted to attempt to walk on so we turned back onto the main trail again.
The trail turns slightly, sticking to the shore of the lake and here we found the boardwalk and bridge to be in shoddy shape. Traversing the bridge was questionable at best, the main support beam under the foot boards clearly rotting. We stuck to the sides, walking several feet apart to disperse the weight. Further up more sections of boardwalk were missing, one having more logs to cross upon and another required a bit of a jump to cross which I had to make carrying Kennedy as he refused to get his paws wet and muddy.
Kennedy struggled on some sections, trying to pay attention to what was in the woods and along the shore instead of wear he was putting his little paws. His legs would slip down through the planks on the sections with wide spacing. I carried him for several feet and he was quite content as I did. Finally reaching a section with closer spaced planks, I set him back down and we continued on.
  After reaching the end of the boardwalk the trail turns away from the shore a bit and uphill into the forest. Here we found the forest open and not overgrown, allowing for a clear line of site through it.
Rock outcroppings appeared along the edges of the trail and there were now larger stones in the path to trip you up if you weren't careful. The lake still visible peering through the mostly green leaves.
We made our way along until the trail turned downhill again, back toward the lake shore. Here the trail was relatively flat and even ground again, making for a easy section but again it turned uphill and into the forest once more. As we descended the hillside a small observation area sat just off trail, overlooking the lake. It was overgrown with high bushes and tree branches blocking most of the view.
  Back on flat ground we could hear a vehicle on the road off in the distance and knew we were closing in on the end of the trail. I was glad to see the gravel for the drive and parking lot again. I wasn't near as spent as I had been after previous trails but I had housework to catch up on before returning to work the next day. My Keen's hadn't hurt my feet this time either, seeming to have finally be broken in properly after a few miles.
  It was nice to take a hike that seemed more like a stroll in the cool breeze of early Fall and I still hold out hope the Forestry Service will find the funds or time to repair the trail at Hematite Lake which with current detours in place is 2.4 miles long according to Map My Hike.
  Remember don't let your initial impressions stop you, if we had we wouldn't have hiked the entire trail. By taking all the factors into consideration; weighing the level of risk, noting weather conditions and being alert to issues we were able to safely traverse the entire trail without problems.

Adventure Awaits!!

Trail of Tears, Mantle Rock, Livingston Co., Ky

Trail Marker at Mantle Rock

 

   After several failed hiking attempts at Reelfoot Lake we were ready to seriously hit the trail and finally had the time. We racked our brains and decided to return to Mantle Rock Nature Preserve near Smithland, Kentucky in Livingston County. Years had passed since either of us had been, my husband, Donald, more recently than I and even then I had only been once. In recent year The Nature Conservancy had decided to make changes to the area, redoing and marking the hiking trail. They had also added informative exhibits about the Trail of Tears, what had occurred there and the conditions endured.

Early on a Sunday morning we piled into my car and once again I navigated toward adventure. The drive only took an hour, the site only one county over from our residence. I took a different route this time, following River Rd along the Cumberland River and found it to be a wonderful scenic drive, abutting right up to the river at times and we spied several deer along the way.

No sooner than we had pulled into the gravel circular parking area my husband spotted several does standing in a tree line between two fields. I quickly hitched my Osprey Daylite pack onto my back, adjusted my new Kelty Range 1.0 hiking staff, set my GPS tracker and was ready for the trail. 

Trail Register

      We headed down a gravel path stopping to read the information posted along the way and to sign in at the trail head. The gravel gave way to dirt at the tree line which was actually an old tree lined road bed. We followed it back between fields of tall grass and wildflowers before encountering a fork in the trail. Signs informed us to the left was the Natural Arch and to the right the Original Route of The Trail of Tears. We turned left down into the forest and within a short distance came to a red gate across yet another old dirt road. Skirting around the gate and past another information exhibit we headed back into the forest. Kennedy was sniffing frantically, smelling the fresh scent of some animal. In just a few minutes a Doe appeared 40 yards or so off to our right before bounding off into the bordering field.

    Hiking a short distance through the forest and down a small incline we found the largest Natural Arch East of the Mississippi River, 188 feet long and 33 feet wide peering at me through the last luster of Summer greenery.

  After exploring the area under the arch a bit we headed down the trail that skirted the limestone bluff and a creek on the opposite side. The trail became quite narrow in a spot along this section but nothing unmanageable. Continuing along the trail there are several overhangs to explore and places where waterfalls flowed during rain but not today. This day was warming up to be a hot one and if it's hot in Kentucky there's plenty of humidity to go with it. 

    We made our way around the bluff, stopping to explore here and there along the way. The mostly dry creek bed off to our left several yards through the woods, at times visible, and other times hidden behind thick brush. The trail turned sharply to the right, the creek closing in on one side and the bluff the other. It funneled the trail into a a bit of a steep pass between to large moss covered boulders. I let Donald and Kennedy move ahead and clear the path before I charged up myself, using my hiking staff to ensure my balance. 

   The trail continued to skirt around the bluff but become more rugged at in spots with large rocks in the path, forcing you  to step over and around them. Another creek followed this section of the trail, once again opposite of the bluff with the trail in between. Yet another large overhang appeared, except this one had cairns stacked beneath it. There were at least four by my count and stacked in no obvious way as to mark the trail. 

  Moving on we passed a cave in the bluff now set back up off the trail 15 yards or so and the area was marked, Fragile Habitat, Area Closed. We heeded the sign and trekked past soon coming to a large deep pool in the creek with a beautiful opening on level ground that let you walk right up to the waters edge. Just off trail in the rear of this little spot was a crude Cedar bench made of fallen logs and it proved to be quite a comfortable little spot for a rest. 

  Once rested and re-hydrated we progressed further on the trail, coming yet again across another Fragile Habitat area. This one had no cave or large opening and we decided it best not to go looking for one. The trail continued to be rugged, large rocks jutting out this way and that. I managed to kick a few but the toe guard on my Keen's held true, not a twinge of pain. 

  The day was heating up and we were sweating buckets. Our shirts and clothes were soaked as if we had jumped in the creek. There was absolutely no breeze moving and if there was it was blocked by the bluff itself. Eager to be finished we hiked on until we came to the end of the tree line at a field. The trail was now gravel, situated between a tall meadow of grasses and wildflowers and the tree line. Oh, did I mention it was also in the full Sun! There was a bit of the breeze but with the Sun bearing down on us we took no time to enjoy it, waiting until the trail once again ducked into the trees to take a moment to cool off.  Donald informed me when getting into my Osprey Daylite Pack that the zipper pull was breaking, at that point I could give a hoot less but made a mental note to check it once we were home.

  A sign informed us we were now on the original route of the Trail of Tears which followed an old grown up, treed lined, road bed. The ground had become flatter once leaving the forest which I was thankful for as my the arch support in my new Keen's were starting to freak my flat feet out. Everyone was ready, even Kennedy, for the trail to be over but it continued past more information exhibits.

  The trail turned slightly to the left, still following the old road bed, nestled between two meadows now. Suddenly the trail was littered with broken glass of all kinds of variety. Amber beer bottles and clear glass condiment jars jutted out of the Earth along the trail. I worried about Kennedy's paws getting cut but we cleared the old dump site without any issues. 

  Finally we stopped again, Kennedy was definitely reaching his limits and we need to hydrate again. This time while breaking we heard the highway off in the distance and knew we had to be getting close. We finished up quickly and began plodding along again when finally Donald caught a glimpse of our car in the parking area.  

  By the time I arrived back into the parking lot my new LuLaRoe Leggings were dirty and my Keen's were killing my arches so much so I took of my right shoe and drove home with a socked foot. Got to break them in somehow, right?

  I contacted Osprey about my zipper pull and after providing all the information required for parts, I waited to hear from them. Just two days later I received and email informing me my parts would arrive in one to two weeks. Easy fix but I'm really unsure how it happened to begin with. I'm going to chalk it up as a fluke as the rest of the pack is holding up very well so far, is quite comfortable, and roomy.

   Overall it was an amazing hike and I was very please with the work of the Nature Conservancy but do wish they had been able to obtain the hunting rights with the land. I don't recommend hiking in the area during prime archery or gun season.
   There was contradictory information in regards to trail length. I used Under Armors Map My Hike Application for Android Devices and it showed the trail to be 2.5 miles long. Actually 2.57 miles but we explored around a little so that would account for some of the distance. The trail may have been 1 mile long previously as reported by some but I believe when the Nature Conservancy made changes in 2010 the trail was extended. 
  I would definitely recommend hiking at Mantle Rock, but I seriously doubt I'll hike the entire trail again, then again I just might. 

Adventure Awaits!!

        

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