Cumberland Gap National Historical Park

After leaving the Shaker Village we spent two nights at an RV park attached to a truck stop along the Interstate. Nothing fancy but the truck stop has a cafe with great catfish on Friday night and laundry facilities – and the RV park is easy access and level. We did a bit of laundry and cooking then got ready to head to our next adventure – Cumberland Gap National Historical Park.

Of course there was a Walmart stop near the park for groceries – then we headed for the Visitor Center. The ranger manning the desk called the park campground to verify that sites were available (many good ones available according to the campground host) then suggested a hike that we could get to with the RV.

From the Visitor Center we headed to the Thomas Walker parking lot and started hiking up the Object Lesson Road and Wilderness Road trails to the Cumberland Gap. The highway used to go through the Gap until it was rerouted through a tunnel in 1996 – now the Wilderness Road trail again resembles the heavily traveled route used by the early settlers. This is the sort of trails we are most used to – stony and leaf covered with lots of trees and shrubs. It was a relatively easy trail – although I did appreciate my hiking poles when it got steep!

 

Then from the Gap we headed up another trail to the Tri-State Peak – where Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia meet. Along the way we came to an area where Union soldiers had blown up their ammo supplies rather than let them fall into Confederate hands leaving a large gash in the ground. Then the trail got steeper. We stopped to talk with a local college professor and student near the top (I appreciated the time to catch my breath).

 

The peak has a wonderful arrangement of walls and markings under a shelter showing how the three states come together. And facing each state is a plaque with state flower, bird, song and state formation on it. There is even a royal marker for the state of Virginia. I was excited to have my picture taken while standing on the tri-state survey marker – I’m such a dork!

 

We retraced our steps to the parking lot then drove back past the Visitor Center and through the tunnel toward the campground. In a few minutes we went from Kentucky, through a tiny corner of Tennessee and into Virginia! Once at the campground we realized how silly it was to ask about available sites – there might have been a half dozen or so RVs already in the campground (there are about 160 sites – 41 with electricity). We stopped at the dump station to fill our water tank then found a reasonably level site near a restroom/bathhouse.

Next morning we slept in a bit then eventually decided to go for a hike. From the campground we headed out on the Lewis Hollow Trail to Skylight Cave. Most of the hike was relatively easy – and it was warmer than I expected. I had to take off my sweatshirt about halfway into the hike! Eventually we came to a creek and headed up along it – lovely cascading waterfalls but it sure was steep. The cave was near the ridge (and is closed to the public due to White-Nose Syndrome that affects bats – so we only could go to the opening of the cave). We stopped just past the cave at the bridge across the creek – many photographic opportunities for Charlie (and plenty of time for me to catch my breath). And look – photographic proof that Charlie is really on the trip!

 

This was another in & out hike – so again we retraced our steps. About halfway down we met another local college employee and traded hiking information (he had commented on my Appalachian Trail sweatshirt). Just as we made it to the campground road it started raining – we were able to get back to the RV without getting too wet. Rain on the RV was our music for the night – and a tiny bit of thunder and lightening.

Checking the weather during dinner we found that we might run into a problem with bad weather again! Originally we thought we had three days before we’d have to run from freezing weather – but it looked like it will get to us a bit sooner. This time we decided to stay put rather than run – we can handle the expected lows (just below freezing). So the next day we went into town for more supplies, dumped the black and gray water tanks, filled the fresh water tank, paid more money and reparked the RV. Charlie wanted Mexican food for dinner – so we also picked up takeout.

We woke to snow on our third full day – beautiful view of a winter wonderland on the second day of Spring! The temperature hovered above freezing so nothing was sticking to the campground road and most of the snow on the grass soon melted. But the trees were coated in snow – dropping clumps when the snow got too heavy or when the wind blew. We’re really glad to be able to stay inside! The RV is just barely visible in the lower right of this picture; the restroom/bathhouse is on the left.

 

The snow stopped sometime in the evening and the next day was clear and a bit warmer so no more snow. We headed out for a hike on two loop trails accessible from the campground – Green Leaf Nature Trail and Honey Tree Trail. There were several small streams along the way and a view at the top through the still bare trees.

We then headed down Colson Lane (a service road) after park employees out clearing fallen trees on Gibson Trail got us pointed in the correct direction. Obviously easy walking – past horse barns (I think they offer horseback riding in the park in the summer) and eventually to the highway.

We were hoping for a photo opportunity – when purchasing beer the other day we noticed several bison in a field along the highway and hoped they were still there. The largest (and presumably the oldest) didn’t appear to notice us but the three younger bison all came running along the fence to challenge Charlie. The fence made it hard to get good pictures but as we walked farther up the road there was a bench along the fence that made it easier to see over the fence.

 

After purchasing another six-pack of beer we returned to the campground via the highway and the Colson Trail – and made our own trail to the campground (that we could see) once we realized the trail wasn’t going to turn in that direction.

Lots of Flickr albums this time since we spent so many days! Click here for the pictures of our hike to the Gap and Tri-State Peak; click here for our hike on Lewis Hollow Trail to Skylight Cave, click here for the snow, click here for the loop trails, click here for on the service road and click here for the bison!

Mammoth Caves National Park

We knew Mammoth Caves National Park would be a big day so we were glad it wasn’t too far away. After loading up on fresh produce and some groceries at a Walmart along the way we stopped at the Visitor Center to get advice about planning for the following day. I’m not sure how many others noticed the deer along the edge of the parking lot – he was minding his own business, snacking on the grass. He barely even bothered to look up as we drove by!

They were starting to see some Spring Break activity so we purchased tickets rather than risk the tours we wanted being sold out in the morning. After getting our tickets we wandered the exhibits about the formation of the caves and the history of their discovery and subsequent tourism. The claim to fame at Mammoth Caves is the extent of the caves – over 400 miles that have been explored and mapped and possibly as many more unexplored. The caves are drier than most caves we’ve visited so there are many parts without the decorative features we are used to – stalactites, stalagmites and columns (or pillars).

Since our second cave tour wouldn’t be over until late afternoon we checked into our chosen campground for two nights. Charlie liked the sign in the office as well as the residents of the neighboring farm.

 

Early the next morning we were up and about so we could arrive in time for our first tour – Domes and Dripstones. Our guide (Ranger Eric) was a former teacher and very good at presenting information. We rode buses a few miles to a steel door in a sink hole – then headed down 280 steps to begin the tour. This tour is through one of the wettest areas of the caves so there are the expected formations. Because of the low light conditions and restriction against flash photography we have few pictures of the caves – Charlie did his best but it was difficult. The shadow I cast on the wall of “historic graffiti” is rather amusing.

We had over three hours until our next tour so we returned to the RV and puttered for a while in comfort. Most people would have headed to the restaurant for lunch but we always eat such a large breakfast that we really weren’t hungry.

Eventually it was time for the Historic Tour – again our guide was Ranger Eric (complete with the same bad jokes). No bus ride this time – just a long walk down the hill behind the Lodge to the natural entrance to the caves. The first gathering point was at the remnants of saltpeter mining that took place during the War of 1812 – when the war was over they just stopped mining (gunpowder could once again be imported so the price of saltpeter dropped) and left everything behind. Water was brought into the caves in wooden pipes to separate the saltpeter from the dirt in big square boxes. Then the liquid containing the saltpeter was piped back to the surface to be boiled and when cooled crystals of saltpeter would form. These crystals were then shipped to duPont for the production of gunpowder.

Our next stop was at this large rock formation is known as the Giant’s Coffin – he supposedly comes out at night to roam the caves. They are not sure who carved Cozad on the “coffin” or why – just more of the historic graffiti in the caves! Before leaving this stop Ranger Eric asked for all phones and flashlights to be turned off before he turned out all the lights to illustrate how complete the darkness is – and how a one candle-power light allows you to see quite a bit more than you would expect.

We then traveled over the Bottomless Pit (I tried not to look over the railing or through the steel grating that was the bridge), through Fat Man’s Misery (turned sideways through that winding passage) and Tall Man’s Agony (even I had to stoop for that) before we reached Mammoth Dome and had a climb of 155 steps! Luckily there were landings every so often – Ranger Eric recommended stopping to point out something to your companions as a tricky way of getting a rest!

On both tours Ranger Eric explained the caves are in limestone (as are most caves) but Mammoth Caves are covered by a “roof” of shale and sandstone that prevents water from percolating through the limestone. Only in areas where the “roof” is broken or missing do you get the decorative formations like we saw on the Domes and Dripstones Tour. Most of Mammoth Caves was formed by underground river systems that keep moving lower as the water table drops. The protection provided by the “roof” is key to the extreme length of Mammoth Caves.

So our day consisted of 2-two hour tours totaling 2 3/4 miles of caves (obviously a tiny portion of the 412 official miles of caves) and about 940 steps (some up; some down). The distance wasn’t bad at all but the my legs are still protesting all the steps and the long walk back up the hill after the Historic Tour at the end of the day!

And our visit to Mammoth Caves ended with more deer – feeding along the road near the Camp Store. One brave soul decided to cross the road; his friends kept looking up as if to ask “what are you doing over there?”

 

Click here to see our pictures at the campground. The Mammoth Caves National Park pictures are in three albums – click here for general pictures, click here for Domes & Dripstones Tour pictures and click here for Historic Tour pictures.

Great Basin National Park

After a stop for gas on the way out of Ely, we headed for a tour of Lehman Caves at Great Basin National Park.The drive was through valleys and snow covered mountains but the road was all clear. In one valley was an incredibly large wind farm – I couldn’t count all the windmills! Of course it took longer than expected but we arrived just in time.

 

When I purchased our tickets the day before only four others had been sold but by the time we arrived the other fourteen had been sold – about half for children. The older children behaved pretty well but this was not a good tour for the toddlers. We need to be more mindful of the day of the week when we plan!

The cave was full of fabulous formations – stalagmites, stalactites, columns, shields, popcorn, bacon and soda straws (we started to get hungry after a while). Entry and exit are now through tunnels but originally you would have to use the hole that Absalom  Lehman fell through when he found the caves. Part of an old wooden staircase from the early tours is still in place. A lot of damage to the formations was done by the early explorers and tourists in the caves. If they wanted to open up another room or take home a souvenir then they broke pieces of the formations.

 

After the tour we followed the short nature trail over the hillside above the cave entrance and exit tunnels. The original entry had been closed at one time, but now a large cage-like structure covers it so that people cannot fall into the caves but bats can come and go. There was quite a bit of snow on the ground so it was slow going at times.

 

On our way out of the park we took a short detour up the park road to the Upper Lehman Campground (as far as they plow in the winter) to see the view. No campers in either Upper or Lower Lehman Campgrounds but a pretty nice view!

Our campground for the night was another casino on the state line (Utah rather than California this time). The building actually straddles the state line! I think the motel, convenience store and gas station are in Utah and restaurant, bar, casino and most of the RV spaces are in Nevada. And the survival guide might have come in handy if we had realized we were driving along the loneliest road in America!

 

And this was the view as I was fixing supper – pretty impressive!

There are a lot more pictures of Lehman Caves (and some of the rest of the day as well) if you just click here!