Kentuckiana Hiker’s Review

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,

With a little Spring heat, the forests in the Ohio Valley have gone from almost barren to luscious green in less than two weeks. Since my last blog post, I’ve taken a couple of beautiful hikes in Bernheim Forest and Jefferson Memorial Forest just to check out the dogwoods and other trees in full bloom.

Last weekend, in between bouts of rain showers, we had  three hot days in a row with temperatures in the upper 80’s. That was more than enough to wake the remaining trees still slumbering in their winter hibernation. Early Spring wildflowers are dying off with the increased heat and the flowers of May are taking over. Spiderwort and irises and even the wild blackberry bushes are in full bloom now in Jefferson Forest. These attract lots of butterflies and it looks to be a good year for them, especially with the Japanese honeysuckle starting to take off.

At Bernheim Forest this past Sunday with my mom, the Canadian geese with their babies in tow seemed to be everywhere there was water. The hills in all of the area parks have taken on the pastels of spring as flowering trees begin sprouting their leaves and start maturing to the lush deep greens of Summer.

It’s a great time of the year to get out on the trail, I hope you get to soon. I have two new photo albums entitled Dogwoods 2009 and Tortoise on the Trail filled with lots of flowers and wildlife. I hope you enjoy them.

A word of warning to hikers in the area: Ticks! Be sure to check yourself when coming off any trail in the Kentuckiana area, especially right now. Ticks are abundant thanks to our ample Spring rains and I’ve picked off a few almost every time I’ve gone out in the last 3 weeks. Avoid wearing white clothes, especially white socks, since this color attracts ticks the most. Be careful out there!

Scott’s Gap Loop in the Jefferson Memorial Forest is a nice little 3 mile hike if you need the exercise. There are enough ups and downs to give you a decent workout if you push yourself. In fact, it can be walked in under an hour if you are truly fit.

But if fitness isn’t your major concern, take your time on the Scott’s Gap Loop and look at all of the interesting plants that are popping up along the trail this year.

I’ve been hiking Jefferson Forest for well over a decade and this Spring has been quite an eye opener with the new species of wildflowers and plants I’ve spotted. Most notably has been the proliferation of Jack in the Pulpit along Scott’s Gap Loop. They are literally everywhere right now, especially along the first big hill at the beginning of the trail. At the first fork uphill, continue up and look for the three-leaved juveniles that look like trillium, but the leaves are arranged vertically rather than horizontally and have no central flower bud. There are already a few mature Jacks early on the trail as well. This is the first year I’ve ever spotted any in the JMF.

After hiking the initial hill along  Scott’s Gap (counterclockwise for the loop), you’ll continue along a ridge for about a half mile and you’ll find a short ascent that is almost completely covered with Dutchman’s britches and Squirrel corn wildflowers, another new find this Spring.

Another half mile will find you descending into a creek valley which the trail will follow for a while. In the valley right now, Celandine poppies are everywhere, along with spring ferns and a couple of different trillium species. You’ll also spot Fire pink wildflowers right on the trail. When the weather gets warmer, this valley will also have lots of frog and toad species. Skinks and fence lizards are already out along the trail, but to spot them you have to take it slow as you approach downed timber, the preferred sunning spot for these cold blooded forest dwellers.

If you are quiet enough along the Scott’s Gap trail, you will most likely hear wild turkey calls and if you’re lucky enough you might spot a foraging group. Deer will also frequent the creek valleys during the wetter months for feeding.

Scotts Gap Loop is a diverse 3 mile trail through several habitats. Try to check it out over the coming month or so for the wide variety of plants and animals indigenous to the Jefferson Memorial Forest. It can be a rigorous hour or a fascinating 3 hours of discovery. It’s just up to you how you want to hike it.

Be sure to check out the photo album Scott’s Gap Jacks.

Especially for an amateur photographer, like myself.

Early spring can really throw you curve balls in the Ohio Valley, much like it did late Monday afternoon when rain mixed with a little snow was the weather throughout the day. The cold mixed with the wet made for a lonely late afternoon hike along the red trail in the Horine Reservation section of Jefferson Memorial Forest (JMF). But the wet conditions along with the cloudy skies made for excellent photography conditions, or at least for my favorite subject to photograph, water on plants.

I happened on the subject by accident this past fall when I took a November hike in the rain and noticed how the rain beaded up on the freshly fallen leaves. After taking a few pictures that I REALLY liked, it’s been a minor theme in my photography and a big motivator for me to get out hiking when the weather turns bad.

Even though the Spring is very young, it’s been quite a season of firsts for me in the JMF. Morels, newts and new butterflies are just a short list of some the things I’ve seen for the first time this year. On Monday afternoon, I added another first when I sighted a red trillium in the section of the Horine Red Trail that I like to call Mosquito Valley. Once the weather gets warmer, Mosquito Valley is about 200 yards of trail following a creek bed that can swarm with the bloodthirsty critters and it marks approximately the halfway point of the 4.5 mile loop trail.

Trillium are 3 leaved flowers that I normally  associate with the Great Smoky Mountains. This is the first time I’ve ever seen them in Jefferson County and it was a really great day to spot them. Mosquito Valley is a very diverse spring flower habitat and I look forward to hiking back to it again in the weeks to come as new plants flourish and grow. Right now, the dominant flowers in the valley are trout lillies.

I hope to see more trillium and other new flowers in coming weeks as I plan to hike the Millenium Trail in Bernheim Forest as well as other hikes in the area. I also hope to hike Red River Gorge and Natural Bridge State Park during their Wildflower Weekend in April.

The photo album for Monday’s rainy/snowy hike is titled April Snow Showers 09. Enjoy.

It’s been a busy couple of weeks in the Ohio Valley. I’ve watched as Spring has taken a strong hold on the Kentuckiana area and I’ve got several trail reports, so let’s go!

Mitch McConnell Loop: Jefferson Forest

The Mitch McConnell Loop trail in the Paul Yost recreation section of Jefferson Memorial Forest is listed as a strenuous trail. Of all the loops or “there and back” trails in the Forest, the Mitch is definitely the toughest. With a length of 5.4 miles listed, the Mitch Loop is simply a long series of ups and downs. Every time you climb, you’ll descend again quickly and then repeat the process.

One of the cute characteristics of this trail is what I like to call “shoulders”. There are several long and fairly steep ascents that tease you with false pinnacles. As you reach what you think is the top of a ridge or hill, the trail simply goes over the hill’s shoulder and continues to climb. This is especially true if you walk the trail clockwise from the Paul Yost recreation area parking lot. Rest assured though, no matter which direction you tackle this trail, you will get a good workout.

Since the Mitch is very hilly, you will see a wide variety of habitat. Lower sections contain creeks and loads of early Spring wildflowers from Spring Beauty to Bloodroot. The cool weather of early Spring though keeps the majority of wildflowers in check until mid to late April and May.

Bloodroot

Spring beauty

Several pine groves along the Mitch were fairly devastated by the January ice storm, but the trails are clear and the forest is waking up. Be sure to take ample water when hiking this trail as you’ll need to keep hydrated, even in the cooler Spring temperatures.

Siltstone Trail: Jefferson Forest

The Siltstone Trail is a one way trail from the Jefferson Forest Welcome center to the Scott’s Gap parking area. It is divided by 2 road crossings at Bearcamp Road and Jefferson Hill Road. If you aren’t in the mood for the entire hike (almost 13 miles), you can park at one of the road crossings for shorter section hiking in either direction.

At the moment, in early April, the section with the most wildflowers as well as wild life is the 3.5 miles between Scott’s Gap and Bearcamp Road. Parking at either side, you can hike a very pleasurable 7 miles there and back along the same trail. Many spring flowers are attracting early Swallowtail butterflies including the striking black and white Zebra Swallowtail. I also spotted at least 5 more species of butterfly including Tiger and Eastern Black Swallowtails.

Zebra Swallowtail

Eastern Black Swallowtail

This section is characterized by a long hill on both road ends and then short descents and climbs along a long ridge. Conditions can get windy and in a one week period, I spotted two large 100+ lb widow makers had fallen. As always, in any of the Ohio Valley forests that suffered damage from the January ice storm, be careful and look up occasionally for possible falling wood.

If you can manage to be fairly quiet while you hike, you may spot wild turkeys, white tail deer and plenty of song birds and woodpeckers. This is also the trail section that contains lots of lizards a bit later in the year.

Purple Heart Trail: Jefferson Forest

The Purple Heart trail is a short 2 mile loop trail with spurs connecting to the Siltstone Trail and also Tom Wallace Lake Circle. When you include the Welcome Center with the Jefferson Hill Road section of the Siltstone trail and the Purple Heart Loop, you get a nice 5-6 mile hike depending on the spur from which you exit the trail.

The Purple Heart trail is an interesting contrast to some off the older Jefferson Forest trails in that the underbrush is deeper and closer to the trail than almost anywhere in the forest. In addition, the trail is also a mini-version of the Mitch McConnell loop in that it is a series of ups and downs with little or no breaks in between. This was the first time I’ve hike this loop and I look forward to what the seasons might bring in the flora and fauna.

Spring Morels!

If you’re a foodie like me, you probably know about morels, but you’ve never tasted them. Well, for the next two weeks, you’re going to find black morels in the general vicinity of hickory trees. Keep an eye out and you might be pleasantly surprised by a tasty culinary luxury.

Spring Morels

Check out the photo albums Mitch In Spring 2009 and Early Spring Hikes for all of the pictures

I’ve been looking at the ground practically my entire life.

Before I went to school, I’d watch anthills with fascination for hours. Growing up and going to Florida on vacation, I learned to beach comb searching for sharks teeth in Venice. Once I learned to snorkel, I’d spend most of my time on vacation searching the bottom of the shallow Gulf shores for crabs and snails and the occasional stingray.

I think I’m bound to it in some way. The natural reaction for many when they head outdoors is to look up or out. The scenery, the sky, it all grabs your attention.

When I’m out hiking, I tend to look down.

And it’s not because of my clumsy tendencies that sometimes have me looking up suddenly from a prone position.

Spring in Jefferson Forest is no exception. Looking down this year is even a better idea because there are more tree limbs and other debris on the ground than ever. Though I must admit that the volunteers that have helped clear Jefferson Forest trails since the January ice storm have done a magnificent job.

On Wednesday afternoon (March 25^th) I decided to check out the Siltstone Trail section of Jefferson Forest between Scott’s Gap Road and Bear Camp Road. At 3.5 miles, it makes for a nice “there and back again” 7 mile ridge line hike. The weather was typical Ohio Valley Spring with temperatures barely breaking 60 and scattered showers in the area.

The trail condition was possibly the cleanest I’ve ever experienced in over 10 years of hiking the JF. The trail was clean of almost all small debris, but the windy conditions are still knocking small limbs onto the ground, and this will probably be the case for at least a year or more. There are some serious widowmakers left hanging out there, so be careful when hiking any areas with ice storm damage.

The Spring wildflower season is at its very early stages, but there is plenty to see out on the trail. There are about 7 different species of wildflower already in bloom, but the vast majority of Spring color is still a few weeks away. Thanks to the warm weather, redbud trees are blooming a little early, but are not in full bloom just yet. When watching the trail, look for the tiny scarlet and purple buds on the ground if you want to find a redbud blooming.

In addition to the flora, I spotted some very interesting fauna.

Spring turkeys were way too fast for my camera, as were the usual songbirds including bluejays and bluebirds. The pileated woodpecker continues to be my white whale of photography, even though I saw one quite clearly (the lighting was terrible). Pileateds tend to call their eerie laughter when you are near their nesting site, but they rarely come close if you can be spotted easily.

The highlight of the hike was a first for me, and the second new species I’ve spotted in as many weeks in the forest. Last week, it was the mourning cloak butterfly, this week it was a juvenile red-spotted newt. After some research in my Audubon wildlife guides, I found that the juveniles, called red efts, are found in leaf litter along ridges and the forest floor, usually after rain showers. The conditions were perfect for this sighting and I hope to see a few more in the coming weeks before the usual lizards and toads start making their appearances.

Over the coming 6 weeks, be sure to get out to the local area parks and enjoy the awakening Spring, it is truly my favorite time to hike. And take the time to look down at the little things. Sometimes, they are the best part of the day.

I took quite a few pictures while hiking, so I hope you enjoy the photo album Siltstone Newt.

Red spotted newt

Spring flora

It’s still mid-March, but Spring has sprung in the Ohio valley.

The ice-storm damage from January will be with Jefferson Forest for years to come. Though the trails are clear of major debris, the evidence of the storm is everywhere. Windy conditions for the next year should be approached with caution when hiking Jefferson Forest due to the widespread tree damage and the plethora of hanging limbs.

With all that being said, and temperatures in the 50s, 60s and 70s over the last 2-3 weeks, the greenery is sprouting throughout the Forest. With an eye to the ground and a patient pace, I’ve hiked the Scotts Gap Loop and Horine Reservation trails over the last 2 days. There are wildflowers in bloom, and song birds in song, and critters I’ve never seen before.

There are already butterflies about, and one I’ve never seen before is in abundance. Late this afternoon, I spotted many Mourning Cloak butterflies and they were kind enough to pose for me several times. The Mourning Cloak likes to bask in the Sun, and when you disturb them  while walking, try stopping and just wait for a few minutes. More than half the time, the butterflies returned to their basking spot within a couple of minutes.

In addition to bugs, I spotted a few cricket frogs near Mitchell Hill Lake and I also spotted Bluebirds, Blue Jays and a wide variety of Woodpeckers and song birds.

The trees are still barren, but flowers are popping up and the ground clutter is getting some green back in its color.

Over the next month, expect an explosion of flowers and life in Jefferson Forest. Be sure to make time to get out and see it.

I hope you enjoy the album Springish 09.

When it comes to hiking, there is very little I mind.

I don’t mind rain.

I don’t mind snow.

I don’t mind cold or wind either.

Ice however is just a pain in the ass. It’s rare, it’s destructive, and it hit Kentuckiana hard this week.

I finally got out for a bit of a walk this week after hoping for a snow hike. Instead of the predicted snowfall, we started with 4 inches of snow, then got an inch or so of ice and then got an additional 3 inches of snow on top of it all for good measure.

Jefferson Forest has received a huge amount of damage, especially to soft wood trees such as pine. Almost every pine tree in the forest lost a few limbs if not the entire tree. And oddly, I saw a few that stood untouched during my late afternoon lonely walk around the Tom Wallace recreation area (featuring the Siltsone Trail) and the JF Welcome Center nature walk.

There will be more pictures to come with this topic since it seems the ice and snow will be around for another week or so before temps rise above freezing and this supposed Southern state takes back its normal weather.

I hope you enjoy the album Ice Storm 2009.

I celebrated Martin Luther King’s birthday in high style today, since the holiday coincided with a beautiful fluffy white blanket of snow in the Louisville area.

I made my way out to Jefferson Forest and the Horine Reservation section and spent an entire morning completely alone in the park. I was the first into the parking lot at 10:30 AM and hiked the Blue Loop trail down to Mitchell Hill Lake and back again. I then tackled the Red Loop trail for my early afternoon and ended up leaving at about 3 PM as new flurries started to enter the area.

Aside from some minor slips, it was just an incredible day in the woods. It was quiet and beautiful and inspiring. I’m amazed that I only saw 3 other people and 5 pet dogs while spending almost 5 hours hiking 6 miles in the snow. I took lots of pictures and I’ve learned that snow scenery photos take some practice to do well. I hope mother nature obliges with a few more white blankets this winter.

I hope you enjoy the album Horine Snow.

Occasionally, you get lucky on the trail.

With the cold weather, it’s tough to find anyone to join me on a cloudy day with snow showers. Such was the case when I was hiking Scott’s Gap Loop in Jefferson Forest earlier this week on a gloomy late afternoon. Walking alone though isn’t so bad when you get to stop mid trail and listen to sounds of the woods.

This day, I spotted a rafter of turkeys as I quietly came over the rise of a hill, the wind in the oak leaves still left in the trees had drowned out my footsteps. As I spotted them, I froze and counted seven birds before a large male with a nice beard raised his head and caught a glimpse of me. With a yelp, the other birds raised their heads and made tracks downhill and into the brush. As I watched them go, I realized that even if I had my camera out as I crested the hill (which of course I did not), I doubt I would have gotten a good picture of the elusive gobblers. Sometimes, you can only bring back the memories.

Later, on the same hike, there is a section of the Scott’s Gap Loop trail I call Long Hill. It’s a steady uphill climb of about three to four hundred yards, the kind that seems to never end and your hamstrings burn for the last fifty yards or so. As I turned the corner at the start of the long hill, a young buck white tail deer froze in the middle of the trail, then bolted flashing his tail. I managed to follow the white flashing through the trees for a few seconds, but in about three breaths he was gone. Once again, I glanced at the camera case clipped at my shoulder with a small carribiner and laughed.

As I came to the base of the rocky bald hill that marks the end of the trail when you hike Scott’s Gap Loop counter-clockwise, I heard an unfamiliar call in the sparse tree tops above me. At first, I thought it was the honk of Canadian geese, but this was slightly different. It was more of a trill or a coo than a honk, but almost as loud. As I searched the sky, I spotted a formation of Sandhill Cranes. This time, I had the time to get out my camera and bring home a few photos.