Grandson Connor wanted to do a backpack trip. His Dad, Gregg, agreed reluctantly - not being a camper person at heart, So, we planned our trip to scenic Red River Gorge area in Kentucky. I spent hours poring over maps trying to find the best combination of scenery, manageable hiking distances, and decent back country camp sites. But weather and a forest fire in the area disrupted my planned itinerary. That's one thing I have learned in 30+ years of backpacking trips - be flexible.
The long range weather began to look ominous the week before our trip. Forecast weather was for rain on Friday, then lows were in the 20s, highs in low 40s for the weekend. That's pretty cold for neophyte campers without certifiably warm sleeping bags and clothing. So we decided to stay in the Koomer Ridge campground rather than backpack. We could have campfires there; no fires were permitted in any other areas.
Car camping, as I call it, is a little easier. With a vehicle, we could cover more area than with a backpack trip. And hiking without a backpack is easier. The campfire is a plus in cold weather. The backpack experience would wait for another trip. I brought some extra firewood from home.
Friday dawned bleak and cold, but dry. I left at mid-morning, so I could scout the area, find a campsite, and set up the tents. The boys would arrive in the late afternoon. I arrived at the nearby hamlet of Slade, KY, for a few supplies and extra firewood. The rain had passed through, thankfully.
Slade was memorable from our family camping trip there in the mid-1950's. On that trip, we had become lost - there were only winding 2 lane roads then - no interstates. A kid gave us directions in the finest Appalachian drawl. My mother had misplaced a spatula needed for the camp kitchen and went into a general store (no convenience stores or WalMarts then) in search of one. "A what?", the girl behind the counter asked. "A spatula," Mom replied with a reassuring smile. The girl consulted someone else who asked what we used it for. The other lady finally said to Mom, "Are yew'all lookin' fer a pancake tarner?" Yes, that was it! We still talk about that and many other camping adventures from our youth. I digress....
Koomer Ridge campground was surprisingly busy considering the weather. It's a nice campground with wooded and generally roomy sites. I found a double site with a lot of privacy and set up camp. The guys pulled in about 5 pm.
Connor immediately started setting up the campfire. The rain had stopped, but it was cold - upper 30's by then. We cooked then visited around the fire until we used up our first day ration of wood, then went to bed.
Saturday dawned cold but with a few breaks in the clouds. Connor again built a great fire. We breakfasted, then set out to hike to nearby Silvermine Arch. We hiked through pretty mundane forest, wondering when the scenic stuff would happen. Soon we came to the edge of a cliff, hiked down some long steps, and around a series of narrow, blind turns - until....suddenly a massive cliff loomed before us. We hiked into an opening and saw the arch. Connor's reaction was one of amazement. He started climbing all over and through it. A picture is below. He was hooked on Red River Gorge scenery.
We drove and hiked through several more scenic areas, mostly in the Skybridge area. Skybridge itself is spectacular - a stone arch surrounded by stunning drop-offs with a nearly 360 degree vistas of the surrounding gorge. Later, it was back to camp to recount the days adventures - and restart the campfire, of course. We took a late afternoon hike to Hidden Arch, with several more cliffs for Connor to scramble around.
Sunday, we packed up and headed to Natural Bridge for a final hike before leaving for home. It was cold but sunny. We hiked up a trail built in the 1920's by a railroad company which promoted this amazing natural wonder as a tourist stop. Natural Bridge is a large stone arch. It and surrounding cliff line trail offer incredible vistas in every direction.
We took off for home and the favorable prospect of a warm bed and hot shower. I will always recall Connor's excitement at seeing the arches, cliffs, and vistas. It is one more adventure in the Bittersweet Woods life experience bank.
