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Day 11 - Day of driving around

 
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sheltowee wanderer
on trail
on trail


Joined: 25 Oct 2004
Posts: 30
Location: Lexington, KY

PostPosted: Thu Sep 29, 2005 9:01 pm    Post subject: Day 11 - Day of driving around Reply with quote

I was now back in civilization and was once again depending on four rubber tires to take me from place to place. Knowing that there were many road miles ahead my Dad and I decided to continue documenting the Sheltowee from a drivers perspective until friendly trails resumed. We first came back to the area that he picked me up from and decided to explore “ATV hell” in the light of day in order to get better photographs as well as a better look to what was going on in the area. The first thing we noticed was that there was an actual notice posted by the Forest Service indicated that off road vehicles were not authorized in the area. I could not help but wonder if this was actually being enforced or not. The light of day drew a very realistic picture of what poor land management can result in as well as the effects of off road vehicles when not used responsibly. After taking many good photographs my father and I continued across I-75 and on our way up to Camp Wildcat, location of the first Civil War battle in Kentucky. Along the way we passed by several Turkey Buzzards circling in flight over some type of carrion as we waited for a train to pass. We come to a trailhead that marks the beginning of a long ascent, one which I am glad that I did not have to walk! It is also the old Wilderness Road that Daniel Boone used as passage into new western lands. At the top lies Camp Wildcat monument, an old cemetery, and a shelter that is surrounded by informative signs that paint the picture of the day of the battle. There is an old farm that I took a picture of on the way down the hill. My dad, the best driver/navigator in the world, decides to follow along the Trace until S-tree, noting where the trailheads that cross the road are. I decide to track our position and to see the land that the trail runs through keeping an eye on how close we are to the actual trail. If you look at the online photo album you can actually see the GPS on the dash of my dad’s Jeep. The dark line at the top of the screen is the trail and the triangle in the middle was my current position and direction I was traveling. We crossed the Iron bridge that goes into Rockcastle County and drove along side the headwaters of the river…or the lack there of. The drought had taken its toll on the river and there was not a drop to drink… or more importantly to cool off in. The day was very hot and I am not even sure where I would have found any water if I was road walking this section. About this time we entered what is known as the Horse Lick creek watershed which is inside of the Mill Creek Wildlife Management Area (WMA), home to the endangered fresh water mussel. There were couple of mudslides on our way through and we even saw a house out in the middle of nowhere that did not seem to have a driveway or a vehicle. It was about that time I saw just about the funniest thing on the trail. A custom made headstone with an inscription that will not be soon forgot. Still don’t have a clue what it means but it is funny regardless. About 100 ft. away from “Leroy’s” grave runs Horse lick and several signs that go into detail about the life of fresh water mussels and their value in nature. Horse Lick Creek is one of the last places that they reside. Poor water quality is a big killer among the Mussel, unfortunately for them they are an early warning system to us for bad water conditions. Salutation is one example of degraded water conditions that kill off the mussels and ATVs and off road vehicles are primarily responsible for it. In previous travels through the area I have seen numerous ATV usages in the area, the kind that dump tons of sediment and top soil into the water supply. My dad and I then walked a little ways to an abandoned farm he had come across in his adventures. The barn had fallen in recently and the house had been long reclaimed by nature. It was hard to imagine a family living here and Dad took me just up the hill to S-tree, the half way point of the Sheltowee Trace. S-tree is a free public campground that is frequented by ATV’ers and dirt bikers. It is a great place to camp if you arrive in a vehicle and bring enough water. Otherwise you be searching in some interesting places or hoping there are some campers that give you some water because the closest supply is Horse Lick and it is a couple miles down hill. I took a couple of pictures of the area and then Dad and I headed back home, stopping by Berea College to drop off some supplies.


The Photo Gallery - Day 11
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