We got up this morning and headed out early for today’s hikes. Today was supposed to be a carbon copy of yesterday, hot and humid, so we all agreed to get the hikes in early.
First hike was to Rock Bridge Arch, which was a 1.4-mile loop including the arch and also Creation Falls. Just long enough for a good hike but not so long that everyone gets all hot and tired. This was a beautiful hike that sloped steeply downward for a while through dense trees and rhododendrons. Welcome shade from the growing heat.
One little bonus along the trail was a spider web, brightly illuminated by the sunshine, a perfectly round network of gossamer thread that appeared to be still under construction. So cool.
Creation Falls was a treat, a small cascade with a pool at the bottom that was obviously very popular from the amount of footprints in the sand and the childrens’ sand toys that were strewn about. Several of us waded in the pool for a while and we enjoyed the time just relaxing around a waterfall.
Just a few paces beyond the falls was Rock Bridge Arch. This is one of the few arches in Red River Gorge passing over water.
We took our pictures here also and a few of us clambered to the top of the arch, a feat that required good grip and long legs.
After completing this loop, we drove to the trailhead for Princess Arch and took the short hikes to Chimney Top Rock and Princess Arch. These were easy trails, about a quarter-mile each one-way and we got some good views from the top of Chimney Top Rock and a good group photo under Princess Arch.
Today was somewhat of a re-visit to these same spots that we did on a trip out here 5 years ago. Back then we spent an afternoon visiting these same spots and taking very similar pictures. I didn’t even remember Rock Bridge Arch, but there it was, in several pictures from five years ago.
It was now past 1pm and we were heading back to the camp site. The plan was to make the breakfast that we didn’t have as a group this morning as we left early, however, an ice cream shop got in the way. We stopped at The Brick Ice Cream for a single scoop and received one of the largest single-scoop servings I have ever seen. Not sure I will need lunch after that one. We treated everyone for ice cream as it is our 39th anniversary today. What a great way to celebrate an anniversary: having ice cream with good friends.
Ice cream for lunch. This could be habit-forming.
It poured rain for a while after we got back to the RV, otherwise we probably would have made another trip to the pool.
We had chicken quesadillas over the fire for dinner this evening. Always a favorite but it took a while to get a fire going. Camp fire wood bought at campgrounds is notoriously wet and this time we were dealing with paper that wouldn’t burn well because the humidity turned it into wet rags. We finally had to convince it with a little fire juice and a fan.
Since we will be leaving early in the morning for the long trek back home, we bade goodbye to our friends and did as much packing as possible. Tomorrow it’s get up, unplug, and drive, drive, drive.
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