Team Turtle and Team Sheltowee

July 22 & 23, 2023

By Stephen D. Bowling

It was hot, and it was miserable at times. Welcome to hiking in Kentucky in July. Hike Seven proved to be a tough hike for those on the trail with several wasp and yellowjacket encounters. Very few made it through the weekend without a sting. I had the opportunity to do something different on the Sheltowee Trace. I ran the shuttle, and I enjoyed it. I took the opportunity to meet some people that I have not hiked with this year and talked with lots of old friends.

Hike Seven followed the Cumberland River from Thunderstruck over the Gatliff Bridge to Cumberland Falls State Resort Park. The Trail passed beside the Falls and headed off into the wood. The next six miles were pure joy, as usual. The ups and downs of the trail talked their toll on the hiker, and by the time Bark Camp Creek came into sight, hikers needed a rest. From Bark Camp Creek, it is a short 4-5 miles to the Mouth of Laurel.

We shuttled Team Sheltowee and Team Turtle hikers from the Mouth of Laurel to the Steltowee Trace Adventure Resort for a night of rest, only to be delivered to the trail again on Sunday morning. From the Mouth of Laurel, hikers entered the “Mystic Forest” and waded the kudzu heading to Laurel River Dam. A pleasant hike followed as the trail meandered around Laurel Lake to the awaiting STA van or their cars at the 192 Trailhead.

Here are a few images from that hike:

Hike 7 is now in the book, and Hike 8 is waiting for us in August. Yellow jackets and wasps joined the hike, and there may be more of them in the months ahead. You might want to bring some sting medication, just in case.

The views improve as we go south, but you must work harder to see them. The terrain becomes more mountainous, and the trails a little more rugged. The good news is that we will be in the Big South Fork by the time the fall colors emerge.

Enjoy the rest of July and prepare for the 30-mile plus trip from Thunderstruck to the Blue Heron Mines in August.

© 2023 Stephen D. Bowling