I went for a mile-long hike on the Original Trace today. Fortunately no highwaymen were lying in wait to rob me. The pathway is incised into the surrounding hills by up to 10 ft so lurking in ambush would be a simple matter. Being either a mad-dog or Englishmen I made the trip in the noonday sun. In shaded dells the May Apples are already in bloom and the wake robins are about to open. Among the fast leafing trees are sprays of white created by wild-growing dogwoods. The price one pays for all this largess so early in the spring: fire ants, cotton mouths, copperheads, and rattlesnakes. I also saw one rather well-fed feral cat. I’m embarrassed to have to admit ignorance of the bird calls here but one bird has been giving his triple call-note all through the heat of the day. I do recognize the call note of a hairy woodpecker. Flowers stay put and admit of closer examination. What first appeared to be Emeralds turned out to be sweet clover once I saw it in bloom.
Finding the starting point for the trace proved a bit of a challenge as my GPS gave me confusing signals. When I ignored it and followed the street signs I hit pay-dirt. The road itself is well-paved and stable creating a perfect ride and at 30 mph ample opportunity to sight-see. Anyone in more of a hurry can pass when they may. I still find it a bitter irony that the official guide to the Trace is out of print and the second edition comes out April 1st by which time I’ll have covered the 444 mile parkway. Today I finally broke down and picked up the Guide to cycling the Trace.
The Parkway passes through gently rolling countryside and has been constructed so that there are no stop signs or traffic lights along its length. Pull offs for picnic sites, garbage drops, and rest areas exist at regular intervals. My first major stop was for Emerald Mound. A pre-historic Native Burial Mound little exists today beyond the 30 foot mound with promontories at either end. Stands were the name given rustic inns located along the trace and at Mount Locust the best built of the lot has been restored. A self sufficient operation 51 slaves saw to the operation of a 150 acre farm. The house rests about a foot off the ground on 3-ft wide sassafras log pillars. Out back a rude stone stands in the slave cemetery.
Milepost 54.8 marks the Rocky Spring Campground. The campground has electrified washrooms with running cold water-no showers, paved parking areas and pull-throughs, picnic tables and grills, even a small amphitheatre and if you find one of the 22 sites available it’s free. No power mind you means no air conditioning and with the sun laying in and the temperature in the 80ies it’s warm for a northerner. My internal thermostat is adjusting slowly but it will be some time before it cools off sufficiently to allow me to sleep tonight. There was a fairly steady breeze today and one could hear the gusts arriving through the trees but with the setting of the sun comes dead calm. It would seem a sacrilege in this peaceful setting to run a generator so I made another cold salad supper. It was nearby my campsite that I found access to the Trace.
Finding the starting point for the trace proved a bit of a challenge as my GPS gave me confusing signals. When I ignored it and followed the street signs I hit pay-dirt. The road itself is well-paved and stable creating a perfect ride and at 30 mph ample opportunity to sight-see. Anyone in more of a hurry can pass when they may. I still find it a bitter irony that the official guide to the Trace is out of print and the second edition comes out April 1st by which time I’ll have covered the 444 mile parkway. Today I finally broke down and picked up the Guide to cycling the Trace.
The Parkway passes through gently rolling countryside and has been constructed so that there are no stop signs or traffic lights along its length. Pull offs for picnic sites, garbage drops, and rest areas exist at regular intervals. My first major stop was for Emerald Mound. A pre-historic Native Burial Mound little exists today beyond the 30 foot mound with promontories at either end. Stands were the name given rustic inns located along the trace and at Mount Locust the best built of the lot has been restored. A self sufficient operation 51 slaves saw to the operation of a 150 acre farm. The house rests about a foot off the ground on 3-ft wide sassafras log pillars. Out back a rude stone stands in the slave cemetery.
Milepost 54.8 marks the Rocky Spring Campground. The campground has electrified washrooms with running cold water-no showers, paved parking areas and pull-throughs, picnic tables and grills, even a small amphitheatre and if you find one of the 22 sites available it’s free. No power mind you means no air conditioning and with the sun laying in and the temperature in the 80ies it’s warm for a northerner. My internal thermostat is adjusting slowly but it will be some time before it cools off sufficiently to allow me to sleep tonight. There was a fairly steady breeze today and one could hear the gusts arriving through the trees but with the setting of the sun comes dead calm. It would seem a sacrilege in this peaceful setting to run a generator so I made another cold salad supper. It was nearby my campsite that I found access to the Trace.
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