Farther Along - More Section Hiking on the Sheltowee

Month Three of the Sheltowee Trace Hiker Challenge

Thirty-five miles in a weekend.  Thirty-five miles over two days.  Seven miles of road walk on the first warm day of the year - I got to put that Sawyer filter to good use.

This is the stretch we were all dreading because of the length, but waiting for, because it runs through all of the trail in the Red River Gorge.  I just wish it hadn't been so long.

Starting back at Clear Creek area, 50.8 miles down the trail early on a Saturday morning, again, you guessed it, there's an almost 500-foot incline almost immediately up on to the ridge.  This area is the beginning of what everyone comes for - classic Daniel Boone National Forest with ridges and a mix of hardwood, then hemlocks and rhododendron, then pine woods up on the ridge.  From the northern terminus down to past Morehead, there's not much to see.  This section starts what you were waiting for.

I did not prepare ahead and look at the map for this section, knowing that I would be out in the woods with 40-50 other people on a well-marked trail.  About three miles in, I gasped.  There was Furnace Arch, up about 50 feet off the trail, a pretty little arch, well formed, with Alabama-soil-red sandstone on the bottom of the arch.  It's probably the prettiest arch I've seen in the area.  Gray's Arch is chunky.  Natural Bridge is substantial, but a plain tan brown.  Furnace Arch could belong in Utah, but with Edward Abbey able to enjoy the shade of the woods for a change.

The Sheltowee follows the Ridge up there for another 3 miles, crossing the Bath County line into Menifee County, and after about 6 miles dips down to a gravel road.  If you turn the wrong way on that road, there's an abandoned house with a piped spring there, so you might want to do so intentionally. 

The day I was there, it was close to 80 degrees out in late March, and the forsythia planted by the homeowners generations ago were in full bloom and the daffodils had spread out all over the woods, with pops of yellow everywhere.  I refilled my water and rested for a bit, probably too long.

Here comes the bad part of this section.  Climbing down a narrow single-lane trail with switchbacks off the ridge, the Sheltowee joins Highway 1274 and runs with it for 2 miles, then off onto another paved lane.  I was not prepared for the sun. 

Walking at a quick pace to avoid cars - there were a lot of them and they were going fast, some of them - I got overheated.  I had no sun gear, only sunscreen which I applied at the red barn right onto 1274 where the STA had some water and chips for us, and a little bit of shade.

By the time I got back in the woods at Clifton Branch, I was lightheaded and sweaty.  I stopped for a bit beside the creek where it crossed and watched almost everyone on the hiker challenge pass me up.  I was able to give them directions on the creek crossing, though, which was helpful.

This little stretch of the Sheltowee was welcome - the creek was cold and the shade dense.  There was some other traffic through this section - UTV's from a couple of friendly locals, one of which said he was TikTok famous for story telling - but the mature hemlock woods and cliffs on each side of the trail, felt like a place I could sit and stay for a long time.

Up the hill was Clifton Waterfall, a small falls over an overhang completely covered in graffiti, where TikTok and his buddy were handing out beers to people that wanted one.

Top of the hill, you reach Highway 1242 and road walk the rest of the way into camp.  This wasn't fun.  There were a few people out on their porches waving and talking.  I met a mother and a little girl probably about three years old with a red popsicle, whose name was Aster, she told me.  I said, "Aster, that's a pretty name.  It's a flower." She looked herself up and down and said, "I'm not a flower." Too cute.

After the 4 mile road walk, which seemed uphill the whole way, jumping into ditches to avoid cars on the highway driving too fast, I finally made it to Corner Ridge Campground where we camped for the night.

Up early the next morning, the first two miles of the trail is an old logging road maybe, wide and flat and gentle-sloping downhill, a creek and a gorge on one side of the trail.

Then, we get into Clifty Wilderness and the Red River Gorge.

Of all the stretches of the Sheltowee, this one is probably the highlight of the whole trail. For us, it was on a 17 mile day, so it passed by quickly, because there were no campsites in between Corner Ridge and our next stop that could hold all our stinky, sweaty tents.  So, this section was a fast turtle.

I have been to the Gorge a bunch of times in my life.  Got lost there for about an hour with two little kids that was a massive freakout day, scrambling down a hill to the road because I heard traffic.  I've been out to the hot spots, then Natural Bridge where my fearless youngest stood too close to the edge and freaked me out.

Last year, though, in order to get outdoors as much as possible, and because the Gorge is only an hour away from my house, I had a goal of hiking every official trail on the Gorge map and I did it, except for the Sheltowee.  I've got that one now too.

Coming into the Gorge from the north, it's just different.  The air, the forests, the rhododendron tunnels, it's ancient and cool and green and alive.  I lagged a bit, moving slow, breathing in the air and looking for spring ephemerals, and I was just happy.  I felt joy.

Coming down the Sheltowee to Bison Way Trail, taking that right, halfway along the ridge, following the well-used path up to Indian Staircase, I heard a turkey gobbling up at the top of the ridge.  Then, I heard something in the leaves, and looked up and saw three deer making their way along, not paying attention to me, but running off when hikers up on Indian Staircase got loud.

Here's the thing about the Gorge.  It is the best of East Kentucky, the natural beauty, the eons-long arch formations, the creeks and green woods, but the crowds can be a bit much.  The trail to Indian Staircase is wide and heavily traveled.  I got startled by someone hiking up behind me saying something like, "Isn't this a great day" - or something.  It's hard when something is loved so much and gets crowded, but the Gorge is incredible enough that it's still worth it.

Up to Adena Arch where I took a snack break, joining up with some of the other Challenge hikers, I followed them down the ridge eventually getting to the Red River, where the bridge crossing is still out.

There were some Challenge hikers on the sand bar telling us which way to wade so we didn't get into deep water.  There were also some teenagers swimming, who gave us different directions.  I followed the teenagers and didn't get up over mid-thigh into the water.

I should say, the teenagers WERE swimming, until a water snake wanted to join the fun, then there were a group of screaming teenagers on the bank, trying to shoo the snake away with a stick.

The water was incredibly cold and felt incredibly good.  There were at least a dozen Challenge hikers sitting and sunning on this sand bar on the far side of the river, and we ate lunch, re-applied sunscreen, checked for blisters, and talked UK basketball.  The road walk from the day before ate up my feet.  I had one full blister already and three being worked on, so I gave myself some first aid and headed over to the Rough Trail, to finish out this stretch.

Last July, I had a small outpatient surgery that kept me off the trails for a few months.  Before that surgery I hiked the Rough Trail end to end and did a pretty decent job of it.  This year, on a sunny Sunday after hiking about 9 miles, I was trash on this one section of the Rough Trail. 

At least I wasn't the only one.  Several of us were stopping for breaks and water up the hill, and I kept getting my FarOut app out to see how long the elevation would continue.  I did not say it, but "we're almost there" almost escaped out of my mouth several times.  I kept telling them once we get up on the ridge it was fine.  Of course it wasn't, but I kept watching my app to see when the descent started.  It eventually did.

Coming down Tunnel Ridge Road, crossing the highway, the Sheltowee for its last couple miles of this leg follows down Whittleton Branch, with its cool, wet and muddy trail, and the little trip off to the Whittleton Arch.  There was no way I was going on a side trail after 15 or 16 miles and the campground in sight.  I finally made it down to the shuttle stop and sat my butt down, ready to go home.

This stretch from Whittleton Campground up to Corner Ridge campground would be one of the best in Kentucky if you split it up into 2 days, camping somewhere north of the Red River.  This section is the jewel of the trail, at least one of them.  Thankfully I had hiked so much of it before that it was like briefly visiting an old friend, learning a couple of new things about them, then going for a cold plunge in the Red right in the middle.

On the way home, I stopped at what has become a tradition after sections, stopping by McDonald's for a two cheeseburger extra value meal and a medium chocolate shake.  While in the drive thru, my truck started overheating, about 35 miles from home.  I parked, sunburned, smelly, muddy, with blisters on both feet, enjoying the heck out of that shake.  I called my daughters (who both drive now), called in a tow, and let them come pick me up, not really caring about how I got there, just ready for a shower and bed.

Southbound, 2 days.

Clear Creek Campground to Corner Ridge Campground

18 miles

Corner Ridge Campground to Whittleton Branch Campground

17 miles

Earlier hike:

Following That Turtle - Section Hiking the Sheltowee Trace

Brian Privett lives in Paris, Kentucky and never wants to rush through the Gorge like that again.