New Year's brunch and Iroquois Park hike, Jan. 1: Doris Herp invited members of both our club and the Louisville Hiking Club to a pot-luck brunch at her home. Afterward, 20 people hiked to the top of the hill in Iroquois Park.
Knobstone Trail at Delaney Park, Jan. 3: Four people hiked this very warm but occasionally rainy Saturday, doing six or seven miles.
Charlestown State Park, Jan. 4: The weather was fantastic, with a high in the sixties and clear skies after we started hiking. A total of 21 people hiked, of whom 16 did all three trails for about 7 miles of hiking. Most of those ate afterward at Neil's Place in Sellersburg.
Mammoth Cave, Jan. 11: Nine people went on this trip. We got tickets for the Frozen Niagara tour (the "half-day" cave tour isn't available this time of year). Since we had a couple of hours, Jim Greer led us on a neat hike down into a group of connected sinkholes. Then we went on the cave tour. There were a lot of stairs at the beginning and some wet areas, but it was interesting and fun. After we lunched in the hotel lobby, Jim led us on another surface hike down to the River Styx (no, not the one in Hades), along the Green River, and to the historic entrance to the cave. We dined at the Country Kitchen in Cave City.
Indian Lake, Jan. 18: The 18 hikers (1 new) did about a 7-mile loop around Indian Lake in the Hoosier National Forest, including some bushwacking and some road walking. The weather was in the 30s, with a few peeks of sun and a few drops of rain. Most of us ate at the Overlook Restaurant.
KT: Elk Creek to Leota, Jan. 25: Hikers: 20 (new: 3; Larrys: 2, Teds: 2, Bobs: 2); age range: 22-71. Dogs: 1. Miles: 7+. Hills: 6?. Temp.: 30s (F). Sun: a little. Exercise: plenty. Sweat: quarts. Fun: lots. Dinner: Neil's Place (diners: 11).
Mount St. Francis, Feb. 1: On this sunny, warm day, 21 people hiked with the main group along the creeks and fields in the woods of this retreat center. Another 4 hiked on their own. About 15 stayed for the pot-luck dinner party at Jim P.'s beautiful house; 4 more came later.
Bernheim Forest, Feb. 8: Before hiking, we visited the forest's Nature Center to see an exhibit of works by past artists in residence, including Catherine A., who has hiked with us. The 15 of us (3 new) hiked most of the Lincoln Trail loop (the connecting trail) in about ten inches of snow, returning on the road. It was bright and sunny and the scenery was beautiful. Most of us ate at The Kitchen in Shepherdsville.
Pilot Knob, Feb. 15: On another beautiful, warm, sunny day, the 11 hikers struggled through the obstacle course created across the trail by wind and snow damge, then climbed the steep but short trail to the top of this hill near Clay City, the peak from which Daniel Boone and his party reputedly first saw the Bluegrass. We were again accompanied up the trail by the knob's resident dog. We had lunch on a ledge, then descended, with a side trip to a lower ledge. When we came back down to do the short millstone quarry trail, we encountered a pair of volunteers who were clearing the trails with a small saw and an ax. We decided to give them a hand. Art H., Jim G. and Tom M. chopped a path through a tangle of fallen trees and others helped them drag the branches out of the way. Then we did the trail. Ten of us ate at the Cantuckee Diner in Winchester.
German Ridge, Feb. 22: Nineteen people (one new), came on this hike. The scenery was pretty and the hills were short. Not being familiar with the trail here, we ended up a bit further from our cars than we intended. So two people hitched a ride back to the cars, then ferried the other drivers to the cars so they could pick the rest up. While we were walking along the gravel road (it was a little too chilly to stand still and wait), we discovered a pair of tombstones on top of the embankment beside the road. The stones, inscribed in German, marked the graves of a couple born in 1801 and '02. Most of the hikers ate at the Overlook in Leavenworth.
Kleber Wildlife Mgmt. Area, March 1: Twenty-seven people (2 or 3 new) came on this hike near Frankfort and Georgetown, Ky. We hiked down a 3-mile gravel road that runs along a creek, for an easy, but not boring 6-mile round trip. A dozen of us ate at a Shoney's in Frankfort.
German Ridge, Saturday, March 7: Four hikers covered 7 or 8 miles of a different part of the trail than on the Sunday hike two weeks before.
Otter Creek Park, March 8: Of the several who showed up, most decided not go because of the prospect of rain, leaving too few to go. Ironically, it was a beautiful, warm, day.
Moonlight hike on the Knobstone Trail at Deam Lake, Friday the 13th of March: A dozen people went on this neat hike (after dinner at Neil's Place). Flashlights were at hand, but not used. Once our eyes had adjusted, we could see the trail clearly by the light of the full moon.
Red River Gorge, March 15: We hiked a part of the Sheltowee Trace running north from KY 77 toward Indian Staircase (but didn't go that far). Out of 20 hikers, 17 did the full hike of about 8 miles. Most of the hikers came back to Louisville before eating, while a few ate at a McDonald's.
Siltstone Trail in JCMF, March 22: Fourteen came on this hike, including three new, despite the rugged trail. We hiked about seven miles out and back from the Welcome Center. Several of us ate down-home cooking at Jay's Cafeteria in the West End.
Shaw Lake, March 29: About 14 people hiked about 5 miles on this rugged horse trail. About half had an early dinner at Schuler's in nearby Henryville.
Harrison-Crawford State Forest, Saturday April 4: Five people (one new) did the section of the Adventure Hiking Trail across a dry streambed and along the Ohio for a round trip of 7 or 8 miles.
Hemlock Cliffs, April 5: After we did the small central loop, Larry Miller led the 22 people (about 3 new) on a siz-mile loop passing cliff shelters and short caves. Most of us had dinner at Magdalena's in Corydon.
Moonlight hike in Jefferson Co. Mem. Forest, April 10: After dinner at Hometown Pizza in PRP, 6 people (1 new!) hiked about 4 miles of the Siltstone Trail, with a reading at the turnaround point by hiker poet Bob L.
Natural Bridge State Park, April 12: Five people hiked this Easter Sunday, visiting both popular sites and lost trails, for at least six miles of hiking, followed by dinner at the Cantuckee Diner in Winchester.
Knobstone Trail at Spurgeon Hollow, April 19: Only nine people made this hike. But we had fun. We followed part of the Spurgeon Hollow loop, then Lynn took us on a shortcut along a creek, keeping the hike to about 7 miles.
Clifty Falls, April 26: Janet O'Neal led the 17 hikers on a different combination of trails than we had done before, including parts of trails 8, 2 and 4. The creek was low enough that we could cross it several times. Dinner was at the Pines in Madison.
Knobstone Trail, Delaney Park loop, Saturday, May 2 (Derby day): Four people hiked this loop starting from Spurgeon Hollow trailhead for a good 8-mile hike.
Charlestown State Park, May 3: The seven hikers did all three trails (and some did a little scrambling), encountering two small harmless snakes. They didn't eat dinner as a group.
Levi Jackson State Park, May 10: About six people came out for this early-starting hike on Mother's day. The first two trails were mostly level and soggy that day. Only the last trail redeemed the park as a place to hike again.
Knobstone Trail at Deam Lake, May 17: We decided to hike part of the Knobstone instead of the loop inside the park. The 11 hikers (2 or 3 new) did about six miles round trip, spotting numerous frogs, two turtles and a lizard along the way. Most of the group had dinner at Neil's Place in Sellersburg.
Knobstone Trail at Delaney Park, May 24: Six people (two new) hiked this rugged loop on this sweltering day. It seemed longer than the 6 miles it's supposed to be. We ate at Mama Rosa's (Italian & Mexican) in Salem.
Bernheim Forest, June 7: About ten people hiked about six miles.
McCormick's Creek, June 14: About 11 people went on this trip to this very popular park northwest of Bloomington.
Otter Creek Park, June 21:
Raven Run, June 28: About nine people (one new?) hiked the red trail (in the "wrong" direction) this very hot day. We ate at Hall's on the River.
http://members.iglou.com/frazar/hike/log1998.html, 28 November 1998