May 25, 2012: Boone Cliffs Trails

Two hikes in one week!  Today, I am going to head to Boone Cliffs Trails to check out what has been described as a 'hidden gem'.  This is a hike that I have been wanting to do for quite some time.  I would like to get to Red River Gorge at least once by the end of the summer for a day hike, and based on the descriptions of Boone Cliffs, this may be the closest trail, in similarity, to the gorge in my immediate area.  After reading about the location of the trail, I made a reconnasaince trip to the park a week prior, so that I was absolutely aware of the location. After seeing the THREE parking spaces at the trail head, I decided that I would arrive early for a morning hike. 

I arrived at the trail head parking area at approximately 6:30am.  There was another hiker lacing up and getting ready when I arrived.  I am not quite sure what his pre-hike ritual entailed but, he was still getting ready when I started out onto the trail.  I brought some extra gear with me on this solo hike today: my camelback with basic supplies and my GoPro POV camera.  As I begin to hike more strenuous hikes and venture further from my immediate area, I plan to carry more with me and to document it all with my GoPro, so why not start today!?  

“Hiking alone lets me have some time to myself.” 

- Jamie Luner




A majority of the time, I prefer having someone with me during my hikes, but there are those days when you just need to be out there on your own.  This happens to be one of those days.  The 1.7 mile trail begins with a slight upward grade along a steady flowing creek.  There are several natural springs in the area and based on the heat and lack of rain we have had recently, I can only assume that this creek is being fed by one of the springs.  I kept my eye out for both redback and dusky salamanders, which both inhabit this particular valley, but I unfortunately did not see any.  The hike quickly gains elevation from the start, as the trail takes you away from the creek and quickly uphill.  The climb winds upward ultimately culminating at the top of the ridge.  The the trail continues onto the right, with an overlook to the left.  I went to the left to check out the cliff overlook and was impressed.  It was not quite Red River Gorge, but it definitely had the same feel to it while standing at the top.  Unlike the sandstone cliffs and tops of Red River Gorge, the rock at Boone Cliffs is considered conglomerate rock composed of gravel deposited as glacial outwash about 700,000 years ago.  It definitely had a look and feel of compacted gravel, not the solid feel of granite or sandstone.  Despite the dense growth of the forest, I was able to quickly realize the height of the cliff in relation to the valley floor. Unfortunately, the heavy vegetation limited the view of any other cliffs throughout the remainder of the hike.  

"Climb up on some hill at sunrise. Everybody needs perspective once in a while, and you'll find it there."  

- Robb Sagendorph

After spending some time on the cliff top, I followed the trail back to the loop.  The trail was easy to navigate and follow, but definitely had some elevation changes.  The best surprise of the morning was something that I had not planned for: a beautiful sunrise as I followed the eastern and northern portions of the counterclockwise loop.  Not only was the natural beauty and sounds of the forest breathing new life into me, but I could feel the warm rays of the morning sun on my face rejuvenating me as well.

The remainder of the hike continued along as the morning sun continued to rise higher into the sky.  After one last climb, I could sense a long slow meandering descent throughout the remainder of the hike.  Throughout the hike there are side trails that branch off with what look to be posts that possibly held informational or directional signs.  The signs are no longer there, and I got the better of my curiosity and stayed on the main trail.  Those side explorations are much more suited for a day that includes a fellow hiker.  The last portion of the trail brought me to the opposite side of the creek from where the hike started and followed a rapid descent to the main road, about 50 yards from the parking area and trail head.  

Towards the end of the initial ascent 

 Coming upon the cliff overlook

 The cliff overlook with the forested valley all around

  The cliff overlook with the forested valley all around

 The Boone Cliffs Trail

 One of the many ascents and elevation changees

 Sunrise at Boone Cliffs Trail

  Sunrise at Boone Cliffs Trail

Spring fed stream flowing towards Middle Creek

May 20, 2012: Doe Run Lake Perimeter Trail

Today marks my return to the trails for the first time in over a month. Being away for so long, my lack of trail time could have easily turned into a two month absence and who knows how long the absence could have grown from there.  Today, despite spending most of the day working outside, I made time to hit the trails.  I was accompanied by my older brother, and we decided to check out the Perimeter Trail at Doe Run Lake.  

The trail measures 2.7 miles and as it's name implies; it follows the perimeter of Doe Run Lake.  Today we did not get started until mid-afternoon.  We could finish the hike if we rushed through it, but our desire to enjoy the scenery and take some photos negated that option. Having never been on the trail before and being somewhat crunched for time, we decided to hike in, periodically re-assess our distance and determine whether or not we have the time to complete the trail or if we should turn back.  The temperature was above 90 degrees and our only hope was for a comfortable shaded hike through the woods.  There is just something special about the sight of a large body of water or the sounds of the water as it laps against its banks or flows through the streams that feed it.  Before we had even started our hike, the serenity of nature and the rejuvenation of my soul from being in nature began to take hold.

"You need special shoes for hiking - and a bit of a special soul as well."
-- Emme Woodhull-Bäche

The trail starts with a bridge crossing over what was today a relatively dry rock run-off leading into the lake.  The trail is well kept with occasional side trails leading down to the edge of the lake. We came across another bridge, at approximately the 0.2 mile mark, once again crossing over a dry rock run-off.  I can only assume that with some rain and the size of the hills that feed these run-offs, the water can flow fairly strong during a strong storm or steady rain.  After crossing this second bridge, the trail veers to the right and follows a slow curve to the left before following a fairly straight path to third bridge we would encounter at approximately the 0.5 mile mark.  This bridge actually crosses over the flowing Doe Run Creek just south of its entry into Doe Run Lake at the southernmost point of the lake.  At the point of the bridge, the creek switches back and forth over a short stretch before entering the lake, leaving several exposed creek bed walls that are evidence to the true power of this creek when it flows at full strength. When crossing the bridge, the trail actually goes from a southwestern trek to a northeastern one.  From the bridge, we followed the trail to the first open view of the lake we've encountered.   At this point, the 0.8 mile mark, we assessed that we still had nearly 2 miles of trail to encounter and not enough time to actually enjoy it.  We decided to turn back and completely the entire perimeter in its entirety on our next hike together.  

Dry creek run-off

A stretch of the Doe Run Lake Perimeter Trail

Looking back at the southernmost bridge

The banks of Doe Run Creek

Bridge over Doe Run Creek

Bridge over Doe Run Creek

One of the many wild flowers along the trail

The banks of Doe Run Lake

Sunshine peeking through to the trail