Kentuckiana Hiker’s Review

Holy cow. Typhoon hits Taiwan hard.

And we thought the Louisville flash flood was bad.

There is a gem of a trail hiding in Jefferson Forest.

It’s not very long, and it’s certainly not well known, and it’s hiding one of the more spectacular attractions in all of Louisville.

It’s called Fairmount Falls, and I can only describe it with a single word;

WOW.

Before I [...]

Blog.com has seen fit to switch formats, which includes them deleting all of my photo albums. Did I happen to mention how bad their customer service is? Be patient, I’m figuring out the new interface and will try to repopulate the images from at least this year.

Short trails can deliver great sights too

Not everyone enjoys strapping on a pack and traveling over hill and dale for many miles. If you’ve never hiked a trail before, the stories of all-day treks in the great outdoors might be a little daunting. In this edition of the Hikers Review, I’m going to introduce you to a few trails in our area that aren’t long on distance, but are chock full of interesting things to see.

Jefferson Memorial Forest, Horine Reservation Mitchell Hill Trail: 1.5 miles

The Mitchell Hill Trail in the Horine Section of Jefferson Memorial Forest (JMF) is one of my year round favorites for its variety of wildlife and habitat. The 1.5 mile trail includes pines, hardwoods and the gem of the Horine section, Mitchell Hill Lake. The trail is set up as a short spur to a 1.1 mile loop that includes one long downhill and one long uphill section. At the bottom of the hill is Mitchell Hill Lake, where you’ll find a picnic table along with serene lake view benches for romantic outings, a family picnic, or for enjoying Walden-like solitude.

Also known as the Blue trail (marked with blue flashes), Mitchell Hill is known for its tortoise population during the Spring and Summer. Lakeside, you can expect to see a wide variety amphibian, reptile, and insect life. If you’re a photography buff as well as a hiker, Mitchell Hill Lake is one of the best areas in Jefferson County for snapping literally dozens of varieties of dragonflies. (Fishing on the lake is prohibited)

Halloween Pennant on Mitchell Hill Lake

Be sure to hike this trail year round and try to take advantage when Louisville gets an occasional snowfall. (Also, don’t forget that the Horine Section of JMF requires a free pass which you must acquire from the Welcome Center. Directions to the park can be found at the JMF website).

Mitchell Hill Lake in Winter

Other short trails in Jefferson Forest:

• Horine Reservation Orange Interpretive Trail: 1.7 miles
• Tom Wallace Purple Heart Trail: 2 miles
• Tom Wallace Lake Loop: .5 miles
• Tom Wallace Tulip Tree Walk: .5 miles
• Scott’s Gap Shortcut Loop: 1.4 miles

You can checkout more photos from a recent visit to the Mitchell Hill Trail here.

Hoosier National Forest, Hemlock Cliffs Loop: 1 mile

It’s not often you find as many remarkable sights on a short trail as those you will find at Hemlock Cliffs in Hoosier National Forest. I hadn’t heard about this tiny section of the Forest until this year, and I was thrilled after my first visit.

Hemlock Cliffs is a steep box canyon that includes two remarkable waterfalls over 60 ft high, sandstone rock formations and steep rocky cliffs all within a simple 1 mile trail loop. (A note of caution should be made for family outings: watch carefully after young kids since this trail includes some sheer rocky drop offs and areas where rock falls can occur.) Both waterfalls are accessible and there is a short loop trail to one of the waterfalls that allows you to walk behind the falls on a rocky outcropping with an incredible amount of space. If huge overhanging sections of rock make you nervous, you might want to skip this section of the trail.

Waterfall at Hemlock Cliffs

For Louisville natives, Hemlock Cliffs is an easy hour drive west on I-64. You can find a map to the trailhead in the link to Hemlock Cliffs above. I look forward to returning here in winter to see the ice formations. (Check out more photos of Hemlocks Cliffs here.)

Bernheim Forest, Lake Nevin Loop: 1.3 miles

I’ve been visiting Bernheim Forest since I was about 3 years old, so this park and arboretum has a very special place in my heart. As you enter Bernheim (free on weekdays, 5 bucks per car on Saturday and Sunday), one of the first things you will see is Lake Nevin on your right. The Lake Nevin loop trail, as the name suggests, is a beautiful gravel covered trail that completely encircles the lake.

Along the trail’s 1.3 mile course, you’ll see wildlife, sculpture and a combination of habitats. On the backside of the loop, there is a section of bluegrass savanna habitat that segues into a cypress marsh complete with 2 bridge expanses across low water sections of the lake. During the warmer months, you can enjoy the sounds of a wide variety of frog songs.

Lake Nevin

Lake Nevin Loop is also a remarkable four season trail. In Spring, you can enjoy redbuds and dogwoods in bloom. In the Summer, you’ll see Canadian geese and you might spot a huge grass carp tail in the lake as it feeds in the shallows. The Autumn colors along this trail are outstanding, and the Sunrise Amphitheater at the southern end of the lake is a great place to enjoy the view. Winter offers serenity and stillness if you’re hardy enough to brave the hike during a snowfall.

Short trails in Bernheim Forest:

• Rock Run Loop: 0.5 miles
• Cull Hollow Loop: 1.5 miles
• Jackson-Yoe Loop: 1.5 miles
• Fire Tower Loop: 0.5 miles
• High Point Loop: 0.5 miles
• Iron Ore Hill Loop: 1.5 miles
• Guerrilla Hollow Loop: 1.3 mile

Look for an upcoming blog post on some of the other loop trails in Bernheim in the next week or so.

Hoosier National Forest, Buzzard Roost Trail: .8 miles

The Buzzard Roost Trail is a short and remote trail in Hoosier National Forest. The trailhead is located on a high bluff overlooking the Ohio River and it includes a small campsite area for mobile or tent camping. The trail begins next to a lily pad clogged pond that you should really walk down to just to see the rain of frogs you’ll scare back into the pond.

The upper part of the trail includes some great river overlooks while the lower section of the trail will take you through steep and rocky terrain next to a creek ravine. During wet weather, the lower section of Buzzard Roost is supposedly remarkable with outstanding water cascades over boulders in the ravine. The trail ends at the banks of the mighty Ohio.

Buzzard Roost Overlook

This trail is a little tough on the knees (if you have that issue) and has steep rocky sections that are very slippery in wet weather. Watch after children as there are several rocky drop offs of over 20 feet directly adjacent to the trail. On my first trip to this trail, my only negative experience was a run in with chiggers, which are plentiful in this area. Make sure to put on some deet or other bug repellent on your lower extremities.

Part of the adventure of the Buzzard Roost Trail is the drive (see map in link above). Take your time on some of the back roads as deer are plentiful in the area.

Deer along the road near Buzzard Roost

Blackberry Lilies

Check out the photos from my recent trip to Buzzard Roost here.

It took 45 years, but I finally got attacked by chiggers. After a day of hiking in Hoosier National Forest, I thought maybe I’d run into some poison plant or something, but it turned out to be a nasty little bout wiith those red mites we call chiggers.

Does anyone have a remedy for the bites or preventative measure to avoid them?

The Mogan Ridge East trail in Hoosier National Forest is an interesting mixed habitat trail closely nestled to the Ohio River. To find the trail head, take I-64 West to the Sulphur Springs exit and then head South for about 18 miles on Indiana State Highway 66. Just prior to the turnoff to reach the trailhead parking lot, you’ll pass a sign for the Mano Point Boat Ramp and then immediately afterwards, you’ll cross a short bridge. Just after the bridge is a gravel road on your right which will lead you to the Mogan Ridge East trail head.

Mogan Ridge Trailhead

Hiking in from the trailhead, you’ll find the first half mile or so to be dark, damp and rocky. During wet weather, this section can have mud and slick rocks, so watch your footing. You’ll pass what looks like a mudslide or bulldozed area on your right at the .3 mile mark. Although it may not look like a trail, this is in fact the return section of the loop. Continuing on, you’ll exit the forst into an open area filled with scrub and grasses and many types of wildflowers. This is an ideal habitat for birds and especially deer in the early morning hours.

Rose Gentian

In this area, you’ll reach a fork in the trail. To the right, you’ll find the shortcut to the loop. It descends to a lowland area adjacent to a creek. To the left, you start the longest section of the trail up to a high ridge. Taking the left, you’ll begin a climb that continues for at least a half mile or so. On this section, there are still many leftover downed trees from this year’s ice storm and the trail has gone somewhat feral. Lots of high weeds will greet you in between huge downed trees which you will have to navigate.

Ice Storm Obstacles Still Exist

This section of the trail in summer has lots of sunflowers and once I reach the ridge top, provided a great overlook into a valley where I spotted turkeys as well as a few white tails. When you start to walk downhill on this section, you’ll be getting close to the next section of the trail which is comprised mainly of an old hunting or fire road. Turning right from the southern section onto this road, you’ll notice that it’s completely clear of debris and you’ll enjoy easy hiking on this section for the next mile or so before you reach the shortcut loop again.

Continuing on the loop, you’ll enter an area with a few decent ups and downs on the trail. This area links you back up to the spur that connects the loop to the trail head. You’ll find a lot of mushrooms in this area as well and you’ll have two creek crossings. During my hike last weekend (July 18th), I also spotted some tiger lillies but the blooms were way past their prime.

Chicken Mushroom

The Mogan Ridge East trail is one I’ll return to, especially since it is a hiking only trail (though there was some evidence of horse traffic). The different habitats as well as the diversity of plants and animals make this trail a nature lover’s dream. If you don’t mind a little climbing, hike the entire loop for the full effect. I think you’ll find the trail worth the trip.

Zebra Swallowtail

Check out the other pictures from my hike in the album Mogan Ridge East

When I started hiking in earnest several years ago, the Appalachian Trail (AT) became sort of a mythical beast to me. I’ve read about it (Bill Bryson’s A Walk in the Woods I can’t recommend enough) and I’ve heard a lot about it from my sister, who has hiked sections of it. She even knows a few folks that have hiked its entire length from Springer Mountain, Georgia to Mt Katahdin, Maine. It was something I couldn’t quite fathom, the enormity of it all.

It has occupied my mind for some time now. Could I actually hike the whole thing? How could I attempt it? But like every great adventure, you have to take the first step. After two years of regularly visiting Great Smoky Mountains National Park, I finally made my first real venture out onto the AT this past weekend (July 11th).

The 4 miles of the AT from Newfound Gap to Charlie’s Bunion is probably the busiest section of the trail in the park. For one, it’s a very manageable day hike at just a little over 8 miles out and back. For another, Charlie’s Bunion is an amazing lookout affording views that must be seen to be believed. In addition, other than Clingman’s Dome (the highest point in the park), this section of the AT is also the only length that penetrates the 6000 ft elevation barrier. All of these things make this hike quite attractive to hikers of all skill levels.

On a cool Saturday morning, we drove up to Newfound Gap, watching my car’s outdoor thermometer drop from 75 degrees in downtown Gatlinburg all the way down to 62 degrees at the Gap. The weather called for possible showers, but that is the norm for the Smokies in July. At altitude (over 3000 ft), you can get a mix of clouds, rain, wind and thunder on any given day, but it never panned out that way for our hike.

The trailhead for the AT is at the northern end of the Newfound Gap overlook parking lot, just above the restrooms. Be prepared for going uphill for a while. The trail starts at just above 5000 ft and for the next almost 2 and a half miles, rises above 6100 ft. When you reach the Boulevard Trail split, you’ll begin your fairly steep descent of the last mile and a half or so to Charlie’s Bunion.

The AT Trailhead at Newfound Gap

During the first two miles, I was amazed at the lush vegetation even at high altitude that adorned the trail. Ferns were abundant, along with rhododendron and the moss and lichen were thick wherever there were rock outcroppings. To say that it was humid should really go without saying. If you hike anywhere in the Smokies, you would be hard pressed to find a day when it wasn’t humid. The park is practically a temperate rain forest and the reason its flora and fauna are so remarkable is the abundance of water.

Be prepared for walking uphill

Just after the Boulevard Trail split, you’ll pass very close to the highest hiking shelter (5900+ feet) on the AT at Icewater Springs. This is a nice place to check out and even stop for a snack. During our hike, we arrived at the shelter well before noon and it was unoccupied. If you hike later in the afternoon, please be mindful of backpackers and thru-hikers who might be setting up camp for the evening.

The Icewater Springs Shelter sits in a blackberry bush filled glade. Near the beginning of August, the berries will be ripening and bears have been known to frequent the area, so just be aware. After passing the shelter, you’ll come upon a pipe where an actual spring is located. If you have a filtration system or water purifier, you can refill your water supply at this point. For about the next half mile, you will descend a very wet and rocky trail continuing on toward the Bunion. During rainy periods, this section will be almost like walking down a creek bed.

Icewater Springs Shelter

About a third of a mile before you reach the short spur trail that proceeds out to Charlie’s Bunion, you’ll walk along a bald ridge that will afford you panoramic views of the Smokies on both sides of the trail. You can also see Charlie’s Bunion from the this area. During our hike, we came upon a patch of Turk’s Cap Lilies here as well.

Turk’s Cap Lilies on the Trail

Charlie’s Bunion is reached by a short and very narrow spur trail. During busy periods, you may see from 30 to even 50 people in the vicinity, so be patient. It is a very popular spot. The actual “bunion” is a large rock outcropping that requires you to climb to a little to a perch on the top. Since the Bunion is exposed and the drop offs are severe, be VERY careful if you bring youngsters to this overlook. Be patient if you want to see the view from atop Charlie’s Bunion, and don’t camp out too long. Take your pictures and make room for the next viewers.

As for myself, I’m not petrified by heights, but I do get a little vertigo when in close proximity to vast expanses and drop offs. The Bunion is one of those spots that can rarely give me knots in the stomach and the peculiar dizzy sensation. It’s an amazingly beautiful overlook, but seeing so many people tempting the fates made me nervous. We stayed long enough to eat our lunch and then started our hike back.

Charlie’s Bunion

The hike overall is pretty strenuous but certainly can be handled by even the novice hiker. Take plenty of water as always as well as some food and you’ll be sure to have a great time. If you take a little extra time, you will see an incredible variety of mushrooms and fungi along the trail, especially in some of the pine forest sections where spotting them is easy. Even in July, the wildflowers were plentiful and the showy Turk’s Cap Lilies provided an occasional surprise along the way. If you ever hike a section of the Appalachian Trail, probability says you’ll be most likely to hike this one. I doubt you will find a better example of the AT’s beauty and majesty.

Mushrooms are Plentiful

To view the other photos from my weekend in Smokies, check out the photo album Charlie’s Bunion.

I’m working on compiling a Google Map for the local paper of all the hiking trails in Kentuckiana. It should begin with a radius from Louisville of about 60 miles. Please send me any info you might have about trails I may have missed.

Thanks, I’ll post the maps here when I get it completed.

Stories from trails in and around Kentuckiana

Spider Wasps

On a recent hike along the Scott’s Gap Loop in Jefferson Forest I took a moment and stopped for a nice long drink while descending the last hill of the day. Looking around, I heard a loud buzzing near my head, which is a pretty common occurrence on the trail in the Summer heat. Turning my attention toward the noise, I watched a black colored wasp fly past me and land directly on a wolf spider’s web on the hillside just above me.

Spider Wasp

If you’ve hiked any trails in Jefferson Forest, or even looked closely at your shrubbery, you’ve most likely seen a wolf spider web. About the size of a dinner plate, the wolf spider’s web lays flat on the ground or in the cover of leaves and funnels down to a hole at one end of the web. The wolf spider waits in the hole for any movement it senses on its web and will dart out to capture any insect that might land or fall into its trap.

With this in mind, I watched this black wasp land on the spider web and methodically begin to tap its abdomen on the web surface. The wasp continued its tapping while walking back and forth across the surface of the web. It then shocked me by casually proceeding straight down the wolf spider’s hole and disappearing for a moment. It then re-emerged and took flight, landing a few feet further along the trail on the next spider’s web, doing its little tapping dance again.

As the wasp darted down this next spider hole, I realized I was having another animal documentary performance. The wasps I’ve seen on TV usually attacked tarantulas, but I was just watching the hillbilly version of the spider wasp.

Necessities: July

The great thing about hiking is that really, all you need is the desire to walk. As I’ve gotten more and more involved in the pursuit of my hobby though, I’ve accumulated some of the gear associated with hiking, some of it good, some of it great, some of it rather disappointing. Since I would classify myself as primarily a “day-hiker”, I have yet to take the next big step of investing in gear that is associated with camping and backpacking.

With that in mind, I’ll recommend hiking gear each month in this section of Trail Shorts. This month, you have to start at the ground and work your way up.

First and foremost for anyone interested in hiking is a good pair of hiking shoes. Take your time. Get a good comfortable shoe. Don’t be afraid to pay a little extra. Buy a half-size to a full size larger hiking shoe than what you normally buy in an athletic shoe (to make room for a good pair of socks).

Next month: Trekking poles.

Chanterelles

I’m no expert on edible fungus. Earlier this year though, I spotted my first morel mushrooms and even ate a couple when I brought them home. The nice thing about morels though is that they can’t really be mistaken for anything else. With Summer just starting, another much desired and edible mushroom is out in abundance along the trails of Kentuckiana: the golden chanterelle. On a recent hike I spotted literally dozens of these delectable beauties.

Golden Chanterelle Mushroom

What to look for:

• golden to orange coloring

• unblemished and smooth cap tops

• gills starting near the base and continuing to the edge of the cap

• uniform light colored gills

• fluted shape from base to cap

What to avoid:

• discoloration or pattern on cap top

• gills that don’t form straight lines from base to cap

• gills that are mottled in color

• don’t pick unless absolutely sure

• don’t pick if found in park areas

Obscured by clouds

The hills of Jefferson County are not very high by any standards. On a recent July 5^th hike along the Siltstone Trail in Jefferson Forest, the wet weather combined with cool temperatures made for very low clouds. This afforded views of the Forest that you seldom get to see.

As showers and thunder rolled through Louisville, the higher ridges of the Siltstone were shrouded in the clouds, giving the hills an almost Alpine feel. If you ever get a chance to hike in Jefferson Forest under foggy conditions, it is a sight that should not be missed..

Clouds Along the Siltstone

Echinacea in bloom

If you enjoy butterflies, then I highly recommend you make an effort to get out to the Horine Reservation section of Jefferson Forest in the next 2 weeks. Along the gravel road that leads to the campgrounds and the Red and Orange trailheads, the echinacea flowers have bloomed in abundance this year. For almost one hundred yards along the forest side of the road, these flowers are feeding a cornucopia of insects and song birds.

If you enjoy colorful photography, the echinacea make for great subject matter or as an excellent background for wildlife. Be sure to get your free permit at the Jefferson Forest Welcome Center before visiting.

Yellow Sulphur Butterfly on Echinacea

Echinacea Blossom

For more of the photos from the hikes I took for this month, check out the Horine Red Trail, Siltstone in the Clouds and Rain Out,

Next weekend (07/11/09), you might want to plan an outing:

For the adventurous only! Enjoy a day of hiking throughout Kentucky’s Land of the Arches! On these guided hikes you will get a good look at the area’s rugged cliff lines, rock shelters, rhododendron and natural arches. Destinations include both well-known features as well as some little known secrets! Each trip is different. Total distances vary from 6 to 12 miles. Pre-registration is required and space is limited. $10/person registration fee. Adults and children ages 12 and up welcome. To register contact Tyler Morgan at tyler.morgan@ky.gov or call (606) 663-2214.