Following That Turtle - Section Hiking the Sheltowee

From Clear Creek Campground to Morehead, Ky.

Month Two of the Sheltowee Trace hiker challenge and we made a little switch - hiking north from the Clear Creek Furnace area north back into Morehead.  Sometimes, logistics take precedence over form and even though we are heading south on the Trace this year, there's no place good for 50 people to park their cars safely and legally around Clear Creek from Saturday morning to Sunday evening.  So, we parked back at Morehead and shuttled south to Clear Creek to walk north.

This was a February hike and not incredibly cold, but we just got over the last annual Snowmageddon that shut down parts of Kentucky for 7-10 days with snow and ice, so getting outside was good.  It was a fleece and light gloves day on Saturday as we started on the trail.

Like most of the section hikes on the Sheltowee Trace, the first stretch of the day is a rise of about 500 feet or so to get up on the ridge and then ridge walking a good part of the day.  All of this north part of the trail will follow forest service road and go back and forth off the road, up a rise, then back down to the road.  The views are not spectacular, and I would say it's a green tunnel, but in February, it's all brown. 

Once you come down from the ridge, you enter a large creek basin in the White Sulphur/Caney Creek creek shed, the mature woods and creeks meander through the valley in a good place for a rest, or a lunch, or a nap.  These areas are spread out through the Sheltowee Trace area and at each one I pick out a place for my cabin and where I would set up to hunt in my imaginary get-away-from-it-all redo of life.  The sound of the creek, the warm sun and the grass and the mature trees, the silence, feels like home.

The next stretch comes up to Cave Run Lake and comes up to the lake side, then winds its way back up every cove and creek, back to views of the lake.  Lake viewing is always calming, so I took my time watching the water as much as possible on what was a chilly, but sunny, long-sleeve t-shirt hiking kind of day.

Camp that night was close to the dam at Cave Run.  Next morning, I started in the dark and walked across the dam and got some great views of the pre-sunrise in the quiet. 

Back up to the top of the ridge again, Sunday was colder and up and down the ridge walks I thought I saw snow blowing in little flakes but convinced myself it wasn't.  Picked up a walk with another challenge hiker and we set out on what was a fairly quick hike for the 14 miles back to Morehead.  This section of the Sheltowee Trace is also pretty nondescript, up and down, ridge walking through the trees and much of the trail is shared with forest service roads and bike trails. For a section of about 5-6 miles up on the ridge there is no water source, but on a 30 degree day with flurries, you don't need much.  Still at one of the intersections with a service road we got some trail magic from an STA board member with plenty of gallons of water to share, so it hit just at the right time.

After more ridges, roads, and other trail crossings, the last 2 miles heading north into downtown Morehead is road walk, first a small county lane, then onto a larger road and through neighborhoods, then the highway. 

Right before you climb down to the road, there's a feature called Amburgey Rocks, an outcrop that is popular with Morehead State students and apparently has been decimated by graffiti.  I didn't go up to see it - my challenge partner for the day asked if I wanted to go, and I said - nope.  I want to go home.  The snow had started in decent showers by then and the temperature was dropping.  I knew where it was and could drive in a car back if I ever got the urge.

Also right before the road, we picked up two more challenge hikers, two women who I was about to find out were very experienced, and fast, hikers and we decided to stick together as protection from dogs that might be loose on the road (rumor had it there were a few on this stretch).

After the first 100 yards, I could barely keep up with those women, but also my walking buddy, who is a little older than me but still can go pretty dang fast when he wants to, apparently.

We made it down the road, through the neighborhood, to a gas station/convenience store, where I got to use indoor facilities, warm up, grab an Ale-8, eat a pork tenderloin biscuit, and watch the snow out the window.  I had just grabbed a foil circle out of the warmer by the counter without caring what was in it, and bit without looking.  It was good.  I grabbed some mustard.

The final stretch into Morehead down Main Street, was right as church was letting out and, having picked up another challenge member, but letting the fast walking ladies go way ahead of us, we were three grizzled, bearded, dirty, middle-aged men, packing loads on our back walking in the snow down Main Street. 

As we stopped to let a car turn in front of us, a lady, old enough to be my mother in her Sunday church clothes, looked at us before she turned, did a double-take, then raised her head back with laughter.

I told the guys - that lady was laughing at us.  Hard.

They said - Well, we're pretty funny looking.

Switched It Up - Northbound, 2 days.

Clear Creek Campground to Stoney Cove

13 miles.

Stoney Cove to Morehead Convention Center

14 miles.

Earlier hike:

Moving at a Turtles Pace, Northern Terminus of the Sheltowee Trace

Brian Privett lives in Paris, Kentucky, and is an avid, but slow, hiker.