Fall Camping in Land Between the Lakes

Fall Camping in Land Between the Lakes

    Every year we meet up with my parents, our best friend, Nick, and his daughter. Sam, for a Fall camping trip. This year we selected Land Between the Lakes and carefully chose our weekend for an overnight trip.  My husband, Donald, and I even went the weekend before and scouted back country camping sites, picking several in case others had the same idea. 

   Finally the weekend arrived but life started interfering with our plans. Issues arose that didn't allow Sam to come and more still that would prevent Nick from joining us until much later in the day. Alternative plans were made and directions given with a plan to text which site we ended up at. 

More life happened and my Dad started feeling a bit ill. Okay no problem, just a little under the weather but reason enough for him to stay out of the chilly air. My Mom opted out also but we resolved to continue on, minus the canoe we had already loaded into the truck. Once we had conducted what felt like a fire drill on loading and unloading the canoe I decided to call my Mom back. We changed our plans again this time requiring my Mom to load up her Chevy Cruze with all her camping gear plus my 13 year old cousin, Ira, who had started living with them and meeting us at our home.  My Dad just had a brake line repaired on the truck and wasn't comfortable letting Mom take off with it.

    Once she arrived Saturday morning we transferred all of Mom's gear into our extended cab Chevy and headed off into Land Between the Lakes. Checking the events listing we noted a race in Grand Rivers and opted to enter through the South end. Making our way down Highway 68 we reached Aurora where everyone was setting up for the annual fall festival, Aurorafest. Everything seemed to be working against us but we pressed on through the throngs of people and traffic.

    We stopped at the Golden Pond Visitor's Center for our back country camping permits and was again foiled by the fact they didn't sell fishing licenses. Plan modified once more, luckily my husband already had his and Ira was young enough not to require them so my Mom and I decided not to drive back out to Grand Rivers or Aurora to get ours. 

   Driving North on The Woodlands Trace we finally turned onto Old Ferry Road where we made our way towards the shores of Lake Barkley. Another turn after several miles had us bobbing down a rough, mostly gravel road till the lake was visible through the trees. It also quickly became visible our first pick for a back country campsite was taken. 

  We lumbered through a three point turn on the narrow road and headed back the way we had came. As luck would have it, our second pick was just a few miles away so we wheeled back on the blacktop of Old Ferry Road and deeper into Land Between the Lakes. Navigating several turns we were back on gravel and several minutes later we arrived at the second site to find it unoccupied. 

  Ira had never been camping, he had "camped" in a friends back yard but had never been on a real camping trip. We were all excited to have the honor of taking him on his first trip and quickly set about laying down the rules.

   #1 No playing, no fishing, no laying around, etc till camp was set up. That means tents, fire pit, back country bathroom, and firewood collection all had to be done first. 

  #2 No whining or complaining, either will just earn you a hard way to go. 

  #3 Do not light the camp fire till closer to dark to conserve wood for the much cooler night.

  #4 Once you think you have enough firewood, go gather 3 times more. 

 We set about to erecting camp on a small grassy area adjacent to the lake shore and in front of a dry inlet. The lakes had already been dropped to Winter pool by Tennessee Valley Authority and added to that Kentucky was in a bit of a drought. The lake shore here was muddy but firm enough in most areas to tread upon without sinking. It would do for fishing and that's exactly what Ira and Donald started doing once camp was completed. 

  My Mom and I set about putting the finishing touches on camp, organizing things, lighting Citronella candles to fend off the flies, and clearing away leaves from around the fire pit we had constructed. We spent the next several hours in camp fishing, milling about, and enjoying the beautiful Fall day we had been granted.

  Someone, who shall remain nameless.....Mom, forgot her camp stove. I always try to bring a grate and as it happens it had been remembered this trip. When the time was right we started the camp fire then by using some large stones placed around it to form the pit with another smaller stone on the outside to trap the coals I made a campfire stove. Mom had been gracious enough to prepare homemade Beef stew in advance so all that was required was reheating. 

  After I doled out heaping bowls of steaming Beef stew with the sun getting low in the sky, Nick pulled into camp. We finished our meal before Donald began to help Nick set up his tent while the remainder of us piled into the truck and headed to the Elk and Bison Prairie.  Not only had Ira not been camping but he had never seen Elk or Bison. There had been talk of a field trip at his school in Southern Illinois but nothing ever came of it so we made our own field trip. 

  The prairie had a line of cars waiting to enter, as usual in the Fall when the Elk are in rut and Ira speculated if we would get to see any. I let him know they animals were used to limited human interaction, such as vehicles and being in vehicles. He read the warning signs aloud as we took our turn entering the large motion sensor gate and over the metal grate that prevents the Elk and Bison from escaping. 

  We were immediately greeted with a large bull resting off the road several yards. Further on we heard a large bull Elk bugle and spied yet another in the tall dry grasses of the prairie just 40 yards off the the little one way road. Many people passed right on by, not noticing as the bulls natural colors camouflaged him. We pulled off the road, onto the shoulder so we could watch him for a bit and take a few pictures. 

  Continuing on we came to a full on Bison back up, along both sides of the road and meandering across it in places Bison were everywhere. We took full advantage of the back up, snapping pictures, taking a live Facebook video and watching young calves feed. Finally the Bison moved enough so the vehicles could start moving themselves, stopping every now and again to let another Bison cross the road. 

   Elk could be randomly spotted standing on the top of a ridge or grazing in open prairie, every now again you could hear the large bull calling somewhere off in the distance. Nearing the back side of the prairie, after a dry creek crossing, there were several cow Elk milling about just yards off the road with one even coming right up to the informative exhibit. 

  Ira had such an amazing time on the first trip around he wanted to circle the prairie again, so we did. This time the Bison had worked themselves into a field and off the road except a few who lingered behind wallowing in dirt, kicking up dust. 

 Making our way by them we once again spied a few Elk dotting the prairie but this time on the backside the large bull was visible, standing high on a ridge overlooking his heard and bugling on occasion as if to gather them up as darkness began to descend upon them. 

As we made our way towards the exit we once more encountered the Bison herd making their way across the road again back towards the more forested area of the prairie. A text came across my phone so I took advantage of the stoppage only to see it was from Donald. He was informing I had his back country permit in my wallet. I quickly realized he wouldn't be legal if checked without me there. I immediately responded with an "OMW". We ended our field trip and as we headed back toward the gates we passed the Wildlife official coming to close the prairie down. 

  As darkness descended I hightailed it back North to our campsite arriving to find that thankfully no Wildlife official had been by. We sat around the fire as the chilly night settled in around us and begun a bit of telling ghost stories of sorts. Ira wasn't very keen on it so we kept the stories to local lore of the area and interestingly enough a pack of coyotes began to howl shortly afterward. 

  Throughout the evening the coyotes would call out, one pack to our West and another to the East, talking back and forth on occasion.  Donald, Nick, and I had never heard coyotes in Land Between the Lakes in the numbers we heard them that night. I had scarcely seen or heard one since moving to Kentucky nearly 20 years previous. They were of no concern to us even with our little pup, Kennedy with us. Nearing bed time the coyotes started their revelry with the East pack sounding very close to camp. We still paid no mind, Kennedy thought about barking back at them and then thought better of it. 

  Donald, Kennedy, and I took ourselves to bed in our tent with my Mom turning into her tent not shortly after. Ira and Nick stayed up for some time talking around the campfire then trying some night fishing to no avail. Finally after some time they turned in for the night and the camp was quiet. 

  I don't know about you but even with an air mattress I don't sleep well when camping. I wake up periodically throughout the night before falling back to sleep and repeating the cycle. During one of these awake periods I could tell Donald wasn't asleep either but said nothing. I just laid there listening to the soft snores coming form the tents around me when suddenly I heard something walking in the woods behind the tents. It was a steady, four legged gait just beyond the dry wash. The sound of leaves crunching steadily through the forest until it stopped just quickly as it started. I knew it had entered the wash behind the tents and whispered to Donald to confirm he heard it as well. Moments later it could be heard entering camp from along the lake shore, crunching on the leaves that were scattered about behind our camp chairs. The sound of a grocery bag rustling, a bag Ira had left lying next to his chair, it rustled only for a few seconds before the sound ceased.  The animal then made it's way out of camp exiting towards the West and I made my way back to sleep. 

  The next morning I made a bathroom call while Donald scouted the lake shore for tracks and he found paw prints, the tracks of a coyote. The pack had sent in a scout in once camp had been quiet for some time, finding nothing, they had left us alone the remainder of the night. 

  We took some time to rebuild the fire and warm up before Nick had to break down his tent and bail off back into life. The rest of us set about to some morning fishing, breaking camp and cooking a breakfast of sausage links and flap jacks. Our bellies tamed we finished tearing down camp, packing everything up and headed out of Land Between the Lakes. 

  Ira had such a wonderful time on his first camping trip he's ready for another. I'm so glad we pressed on despite everything. There were so many obstacles to overcome and so many times we had to change our plans but again we have learned you just have to roll with things or they will knock you off course. In the end we had an amazing time camping, enjoying each others company, the wildlife and being in nature.

Remember, Adventure Awaits!!

 

Fall Camping in Land Between the Lakes

Fall Camping in Land Between the Lakes

    Every year we meet up with my parents, our best friend, Nick, and his daughter. Sam, for a Fall camping trip. This year we selected Land Between the Lakes and carefully chose our weekend for an overnight trip.  My husband, Donald, and I even went the weekend before and scouted back country camping sites, picking several in case others had the same idea. 

   Finally the weekend arrived but life started interfering with our plans. Issues arose that didn't allow Sam to come and more still that would prevent Nick from joining us until much later in the day. Alternative plans were made and directions given with a plan to text which site we ended up at. 

More life happened and my Dad started feeling a bit ill. Okay no problem, just a little under the weather but reason enough for him to stay out of the chilly air. My Mom opted out also but we resolved to continue on but minus the canoe we had already loaded into the truck. Once we had conducted what felt like a fire drill on loading and unloading the canoe I decided to call my Mom back. We changed our plans again this time requiring my Mom to load up her Chevy Cruze with all her camping gear plus my 13 year old cousin, Ira, who had started living with them and meeting us at our home.  My Dad just had a brake line repaired on the truck and wasn't comfortable letting Mom take off with it.

    Once she arrived Saturday morning we transferred all of Mom's gear into our extended cab Chevy and headed off into Land Between the Lakes. Checking the events listing we noted a race in Grand Rivers and opted to enter through the South end. Making our way down Highway 68 we reached Aurora where everyone was setting up for the annual fall festival, Aurorafest. Everything seemed to be working against us but we pressed on through the throngs of people and traffic.

    We stopped at the Golden Pond Visitor's Center for our back country camping permits and was again foiled by the fact they didn't sell fishing licenses. Plan modified once more, luckily my husband already had his and Ira was young enough not to require them so my Mom and I decided not to drive back out to Grand Rivers or Aurora to get ours. 

   Driving North on The Woodlands Trace we finally turned onto Old Ferry Road where we made our way towards the shores of Lake Barkley. Another turn after several miles had us bobbing down a rough, mostly gravel road till the lake was visible through the trees. It also quickly became visible our first pick for a back country campsite was taken. 

  We lumbered through a three point turn on the narrow road and headed back the way we had came. As luck would have it, our second pick was just a few miles away so we wheeled back on the blacktop of Old Ferry Road and deeper into Land Between the Lakes. Navigating several turns we were back on gravel and several minutes later we arrived at the second site to find it unoccupied. 

  Ira had never been camping, he had "camped" in a friends back yard but had never been on a real camping trip. We were all excited to have the honor of taking him on his first trip and quickly set about laying down the rules.

   #1 No playing, no fishing, no laying around, etc till camp was set up. That means tents, fire pit, back country bathroom, and firewood collection all had to be done first. 

  #2 No whining or complaining, either will just earn you a hard way to go. 

  #3 Do not light the camp fire till closer to dark to conserve wood for the much cooler night.

  #4 Once you think you have enough firewood, go gather 3 times more. 

 We set about to erecting camp on a small grassy area adjacent to the lake shore and in front of a dry inlet. The lakes had already been dropped to Winter pool by Tennessee Valley Authority and added to that Kentucky was in a bit of a drought. The lake shore here was muddy but firm enough in most areas to tread upon without sinking. It would do for fishing and that's exactly what Ira and Donald started doing once camp was completed. 

  My Mom and I set about putting the finishing touches on camp, organizing things, lighting Citronella candles to fend off the flies, and clearing away leaves from around the fire pit we had constructed. We spent the next several hours in camp fishing, milling about, and enjoying the beautiful Fall day we had been granted.

  Someone, who shall remain nameless.....Mom, forgot her camp stove. I always try to bring a grate and as it happens it had been remembered this trip. When the time was right we started the camp fire then by using some large stones placed around it to form the pit with another smaller stone on the outside to trap the coals I made a campfire stove. Mom had been gracious enough to prepare homemade Beef stew in advance so all that was required was reheating. 

  After I doled out heaping bowls of steaming Beef stew with the sun getting low in the sky, Nick pulled into camp. We finished our meal before Donald began to help Nick set up his tent while the remainder of us piled into the truck and headed to the Elk and Bison Prairie.  Not only had Ira not been camping but he had never seen Elk or Bison. There had been talk of a field trip at his school in Southern Illinois but nothing ever came of it so we made our own field trip. 

  The prairie had a line of cars waiting to enter, as usual in the Fall when the Elk are in rut and Ira speculated if we would get to see any. I let him know they animals were used to limited human interaction, such as vehicles and being in vehicles. He read the warning signs aloud as we took our turn entering the large motion sensor gate and over the metal grate that prevents the Elk and Bison from escaping. 

  We were immediately greeted with a large bull resting off the road several yards. Further on we heard a large bull Elk bugle and spied yet another in the tall dry grasses of the prairie just 40 yards off the the little one way road. Many people passed right on by, not noticing as the bulls natural colors camouflaged him. We pulled off the road, onto the shoulder so we could watch him for a bit and take a few pictures. 

  Continuing on we came to a full on Bison back up, along both sides of the road and meandering across it in places Bison were everywhere. We took full advantage of the back up, snapping pictures, taking a live Facebook video and watching young calves feed. Finally the Bison moved enough so the vehicles could start moving themselves, stopping every now and again to let another Bison cross the road. 

   Elk could be randomly spotted standing on the top of a ridge or grazing in open prairie, every now again you could hear the large bull calling somewhere off in the distance. Nearing the back side of the prairie, after a dry creek crossing, there were several cow Elk milling about just yards off the road with one even coming right up to the informative exhibit. 

  Ira had such an amazing time on the first trip around he wanted to circle the prairie again, so we did. This time the Bison had worked themselves into a field and off the road except a few who lingered behind wallowing in dirt, kicking up dust. 

 Making our way by them we once again spied a few Elk dotting the prairie but this time on the backside the large bull was visible, standing high on a ridge overlooking his heard and bugling on occasion as if to gather them up as darkness began to descend upon them. 

As we made our way towards the exit we once more encountered the Bison herd making their way across the road again back towards the more forested area of the prairie. A text came across my phone so I took advantage of the stoppage only to see it was from Donald. He was informing I had his back country permit in my wallet. I quickly realized he wouldn't be legal if checked without me there. I immediately responded with an "OMW". We ended our field trip and as we headed back toward the gates we passed the Wildlife official coming to close the prairie down. 

  As darkness descended I hightailed it back North to our campsite arriving to find that thankfully no Wildlife official had been by. We sat around the fire as the chilly night settled in around us and begun a bit of telling ghost stories of sorts. Ira wasn't very keen on it so we kept the stories to local lore of the area and interestingly enough a pack of coyotes began to howl shortly afterward. 

  Throughout the evening the coyotes would call out, one pack to our West and another to the East, talking back and forth on occasion.  Donald, Nick, and I had never heard coyotes in Land Between the Lakes in the numbers we heard them that night. I had scarcely seen or heard one since moving to Kentucky nearly 20 years previous. They were of no concern to us even with our little pup, Kennedy with us. Nearing bed time the coyotes started their revelry with the East pack sounding very close to camp. We still paid no mind, Kennedy thought about barking back at them and then thought better of it. 

  Donald, Kennedy, and I took ourselves to bed in our tent with my Mom turning into her tent not shortly after. Ira and Nick stayed up for some time talking around the campfire then trying some night fishing to no avail. Finally after some time they turned in for the night and the camp was quiet. 

  I don't know about you but even with an air mattress I don't sleep well when camping. I wake up periodically throughout the night before falling back to sleep and repeating the cycle. During one of these awake periods I could tell Donald wasn't asleep either but said nothing. I just laid there listening to the soft snores coming form the tents around me when suddenly I heard something walking in the woods behind the tents. It was a steady, four legged gait just beyond the dry wash. The sound of leaves crunching steadily through the forest until it stopped just quickly as it started. I knew it had entered the wash behind the tents and whispered to Donald to confirm he heard it as well. Moments later it could be heard entering camp from along the lake shore, crunching on the leaves that were scattered about behind our camp chairs. The sound of a grocery bag rustling, a bag Ira had left lying next to his chair, it rustled only for a few seconds before the sound ceased.  The animal then made it's way out of camp exiting towards the West and I made my way back to sleep. 

  The next morning I made a bathroom call while Donald scouted the lake shore for tracks and he found paw prints, the tracks of a coyote. The pack had sent in a scout in once camp had been quiet for some time, finding nothing, they had left us alone the remainder of the night. 

  We took some time to rebuild the fire and warm up before Nick had to break down his tent and bail off back into life. The rest of us set about to some morning fishing, breaking camp and cooking a breakfast of sausage links and flap jacks. Our bellies tamed we finished tearing down camp, packing everything up and headed out of Land Between the Lakes. 

  Ira had such a wonderful time on his first camping trip he's ready for another. I'm so glad we pressed on despite everything. There were so many obstacles to overcome and so many times we had to change our plans but again we have learned you just have to roll with things or they will knock you off course. In the end we had an amazing time camping, enjoying each others company, the wildlife and being in nature.

Remember, Adventure Awaits!!

 

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!!

        

   .

Tradewater River, Dawson Springs, KY

Trade water River

Another hidden gem of the Pennyrile Region of Kentucky is Dawson Springs, KY and their 7 mile paddle trail down the Tradewater River.  Don't own your own canoe or kayak? Rent one from Hank over at

 Tradewater Canoe and Kayak

Located right on the river in Dawson Springs off Highway 109. Hank has very reasonable rates and will even shuttle an additional boat not rented from him at no charge. 

We found the paddle trail while searching for hiking trails in the

 Pennyrile State Forest

and instantly began planning a trip. We planned for a couple weeks with our best friend and his girlfriend to paddle all 7 miles of the trail and finally on a gorgeous Saturday morning we loaded up in our Black Chevy extended cab with our Old Town Sarnac XL 146 and headed east of the lakes region to Dawson Springs.
 We arrived to find Hank at Tradewater Canoe and Kayak prepping for a busy day despite the chilly start. Hank advised me the map I had printed off only covered the section of the river through Dawson Springs and not the upper portion and actual start of the trail. Once our friend rented a 14ft Sun Dolphin Canoe from Hank we helped him load the rental and transferred our canoe to the trailer also and headed to McKinney road to catch the start of the paddle trail.
 Our friend, Nick, owns a kayak, but it's for a single person and his girlfriend, Jackie, had never been paddling. Nick decided to rent a canoe from Hank vs. a kayak due to Jackie's novice level. We gave her a few pointers that morning and a reminder her of them again just as we set off.
 We launched the canoes and set off for miles of sernre country and quiet.

High banks of the upper Tradewater

The upper Tradewater with it's high banks didn't allow for much scenery but the wild flowers growing along the edge of the banks sporadically, mixed with knarled roots of old growth trees, and the occasional rock wall or outcropping gave enough interest to make this section worthy of the trip. We navigated past log jams from recent rains that had clearly raised the water level of the Tradewater for a time, but being a natural river it had abated to normal flow before our trip.

 Paddling our way past feeder creeks we found the only rapids of the Tradewater which could hardly be called such. A small dam just below the surface created this little section of rapids and provided a break up of the slow current.

 Rapids of the Tradewater Video

 Once we had paddled an hour or so we came to the first big bluff along the river, Dripping Rock. The massive rock outcropping hung over the Tradewater with ground water dripping from it's high edge.

Dripping Rock

 Due to the recent high water there was a lot of debris in this section but it was navigatabled, after passing Dripping Rock and a small island we looked to our left and spied a Doe standing along the bank.

We continued on, paddling past budding leaves, the ever growing green  of Spring, and under Blue skies only occasionally dotted with a white cloud or two. Happening upon what appeared to be a rather rocky bank and beyond ready to stretch our legs and get off our bottoms, we banked the canoes only to find the rock an illusion of sturdy ground. Our feet sunk several inches into the muddy silt with every step but we paid little mind, desperate to be out of the canoes. After milling about for 15 minutes or so we boarded our canoes and headed down river again. 

   The banks became less steep in this section and afforded views of pastures mixed with more rock outcroppings and the occasional high bluff.

 Thankfully Nick brought along lunch cakes as we had left our cooler with bread, lunch meat, chips, etc. back at the truck and it was taking us longer than we had expected to get back to Tradewater Canoe and Kayaks where we had left the truck.

Our friends paddle past Far Bluff

After rounding a bend we could see another large rock bluff abutting the river and a bridge crossing the river. We recognized the bridge as the one near Tradewater Canoe and Kayaks and knew we were minutes from retrieving the other cooler then finishing the last portion of the trail.

Suddenly a Blue Kayak entered the water at the bridge, followed by two more and finally a fourth. By the time we reached the bridge which now Hank stood on, the Blue Kayaks had paddle on down river.  We made our way to the foot of the stairs and Hank greeted us. I popped out of our canoe, ran up to the truck and grabbed the cooler of food. Once I was again seated and had set a pick up time with Hank at the last take out before the dam, we continued on.

I was starving at this point with little in my belly, I made sandwiches for each of us with the cooler positioned between my calves in the bow of the canoe and used my thigh as a table to assemble the sandwiches. We got the canoes close enough I could pass off a couple sandwiches to our friends as we paddled on and then another sandwhich I passed back to my husband before finally making one for myself. 

Highwya 109 bridge over Tradewater

By the time we reach the bridge that carries Highway 109 across the river we were all filling our bellies and leisurely making our way down river. We had been on the river for 3.5 hours at this point, the sun had gotten high in the sky and the chill was completely gone from the air, the day warming into the mid 70's. 

 The banks of the Tradweater remained less steep and the scenic views continued. Now recharged and almost finished we made our way past Ghost Sign Cliff to Devil's Dining Table where the river opened up a bit, staying right we paddled past a family fishing and lounging upon the banks. On occasion we would catch a glimpse of the Blue Kayaks ahead but had no desire to catch them and continued at our leisurely pace.

Ghost Sign Cliff

Devil's Dining Table

A field came into view on our right, a long rock bluff along its edge a couple hundred yards beyond. It ran diagonal in the field till its edge met the Tradewater.  We paddled on, our arms beginning to feel the days work. I began to wonder if we would ever reach the final take out, my bottom completely numb at this point.

 In my haste to finally get off the water I missed Moonshiners Bend, not realizing so till we reached Chalk Cliffs and now had the railroad bridge in sight which meant we were closing in on the finish of our trip.

Rock outcroppings along the Tradewater

 After paddling underneath the bridge the Bule Kayaks could be seen ahead as well as Hank waiting at the take out. Grateful the end was near despite the beauty of the trip I paddle harder, ready to finally be off my bottom again. The roar of the water flowing over the dam was loud and the local baseball field sat off to our left, Tradewater Pirates blazened across the grandstand.

Ashore we loaded up and headed back toward the place we started off our day, we made a quick stop to drop off the other party whom I found out to be the woman behind Kayak Kentucky on Facebook
 and had the pleasure of meeting. Shara was awesome and it was nice to finally meet someone in person who shares the same passion for the outdoors and inspiring others to get outdoors and explore. You can follow Shara, Kayak Kentucky via her Facebook page or check out Explore Kentucky 
 And Facebook 
 Or even follow #ExploreKentucky

 Back at Tradewater Canoe and Kayak we loaded our Old Town back into our truck and made the drive back home. Overall it was an amazing trip although an additional spot or two to get out and stretch would be an added benefit. We spent a total of 5 hours paddling all 7 miles, quite a bit longer than anticipated but well worth every second.
 Go ahead and Explore Kentucky!

Happy Facebook OOr

Pennyrile State Forest - Dawson Springs

 Pennyrile State Forest

I'm a member of a Facebook group called Hike Kentucky and through this group I received my inspiration to return to Pennyrile State Forest in Dawson Springs, KY.

Once research had been done and with a freshly printed map of the park I hit the road with my husband and Jackshund, Kennedy. Unfortunately my Garmin can not take the shortest route and still avoid gravel roads, not my preferred driving surface in my Malibu. I followed the GPS route off Highway 109 and onto a State Forest road which had occasional patches of pavement but was also pocked marked with potholes. Only bonus to this route was the wildlife, a wild turkey and deer which I would have enjoyed more if we had taken the truck and not my car. Once I dodged the potholes and navigated a small bridge, we were back to the main paved park road.

We made our way back toward the ball fields and Pennyrile Lake to find the Clifty Creek Trailhead. We started near the dam of the lake, which was overflowing from snow melt and recent rains. The Sun was shinning, leaf buds hung on the tree branches, a chill hung in the early Spring morning, and the sound of the water flowing over the dam provided a very relaxing feel to the day.

We made our way up the trail next to Cliffy Creek, past rock out croppings with green moss and ferns beginning to gain their luster again. The sound of the overflowing water growing louder with each step and Kennedy leading the way, we came to an open area skirted by rock walls and concrete at the base of the dam. 

I began taking pictures and video while my husband walked Kennedy around. My husband called to me to look at our dog and when I did I saw the little 18lb. Jack Russell - Daschuand mix had jumped up onto the retaining wall that forms the beginning of Cliffy Creek. Kennedy pranced along the top of the wall then decided he wanted off, but on the creek side. The water here wasn't deep but I didn't want him to risk injury jumping off onto slick p, water covered concrete nor did I wish to ride home with a wet, smelly pup so I called out to stop his jump down from the wall. 

Done exploring the foot of the dam we found a way to cross the upper portion of the creek via rocks protruding up out of the water, only thing was I had to carry Kennedy. Despite his last escapade of almost jumping down into the creek just moments before, he doesn't like to get wet and this water was deeper and faster than he will normally brave. So with Kennedy tucked under one arm, he behaves better for me than my husband, I began following my husband across the creek who thankfully gave me his walking stick to better balance myself with. The rocks were slick and unsteady with the extra weight on one side I struggled to keep my balance without the stick but with it I was able to steady myself and pick way across. 

Once across the creek I put Kennedy down and we headed downstream toward a small foot bridge that provides an easier crossing for less adventurous hikers. We passed the bridge, losing the trail in a still brown bamboo stand, but it wasn't thick and easy to find our way back to the trail which skirted along the creek and the bottom of a large hill that had exposed rock along its base. On the opposite side of the creek more exposed rock at the base of another hill, hung over the edges of Cliffy Creek creating stunning scenery. 

We continued on the trail which now followed beside the creek and entered another stand of brown bamboo still dormant from the long, hard Winter. The trail was more pronounced through this bamboo stand and easy to trek along. The hills on either side of us began to shrink and we soon found ourselves at the end of Clifty Creek Trail and back to the park road with the ball fields sitting across it. 

Hiking along the road side we made our way back to to the car and piled in to drive back toward the next trail we had decided to hike that day. I parked the Malibu in a gravel area near a utility box for the park facilities and headed across the road to the Indian Bluff Trailhead.  

The trail was obvious as it picked its way through the trees, over gently rolling hills, and made its way back to the base of yet another large hill with exposed rock at the base. Following the trail along the exposed rock there were all kinds of knooks, crannies, and crevices in it. Green moss had also began to gain its been luster back in this spot and the day had warmed enough we shed our light jackets, tying them around our waists. Large boulders sat opposite of the hill along the trail and soon the hill gave way and it seemed there was nothing but stone next to us. 

Keeping along the trail we soon came to a large overhang of rock that created quite a large cave, the floor bone dry with sporadic smooth stones and covered in fine dust. An odd sound was heard from a large crevice in the back of the cave, by getting close my husband was able to discern to be bats from the sound and smell of guano.  

We continued on the trail making our way by tall bluffs on one side and large boulders scattered about that other side, obviously the boulders had broken off the bluff and hillside at some time eons before. Now they stood in groups or by themselves leaving one to wonder when the next one would come away from the hill and tumble down toward the park road. 

The view was amazing, close by the aforementioned scene of hill, bluff, stone, and caves but also off in the distance with the trees only baring the buds of leaves one could see the high forested hills of the Pennyrile meeting the horizon. The rolling peaks crested against the sky,  the tops of the trees breaking the clean blue line of the sky merging the brown, greens and blues all in one place.

Continuing on the trail the hill and exposed rock to our right began to blend back into level ground and the park road became more prominent on our left as we reached the end of the trail. We either had to exit the trail and continue back along the road again or return the way we had come, so we decided to return the way we had come, besides we knew the view was good.

The Pennyrile is a beautiful place and well worth exploring and it has all the amenities of a State Park. Next we explore the Trade water River also in Dawson Springs, Ky and take the Old Town Canoe to a new location as well as our first river trip!