Yahoo Falls Hike, Kentucky--Part I

After leaving Cumberland Gap and Cumberland Falls,  while on our way home,  we stopped for a nice hike at one of our favorite places,  Yahoo Falls (not far from Whitley City, KY).  This is in the Big South Fork National Recreation Area.

We have been here several times --at different times of the year.  We knew that, due to the drought this year,  there wouldn't be much water coming over the falls.. But--the hike to the falls and the area itself is fabulous --as you will see from our pictures.

The above picture shows the trail which leads us by some huge rock croppings as we go down into the gorge.  All of these pictures were taken on September 25, 2010.  Below are more.

There are two ways to hike into the gorge... You can do what we did (see picture above) by going down the steps they have built.   OR--you can go around the gorge and enter on the other side...  We chose to go down the steps ---and then we hiked back out by going around the other way.  There is an arch you can also hike to --but we didn't do that this time.

Look at some of the huge rocks and boulders in this area...  This is a fabulous hike even in the hot summer --since you can cool off in this shady, secluded area.  There are rocks to sit on along the way---so that you can take in the beauty all around you.

Here's another picture of the trail we hiked... Since it was September,  there wasn't much Autumn color yet --but the ferns were still as green as can be!!!!!  It would be nice to see this area when the Fall colors are showing off!!!!

Of course, I had to sit and relax a bit also ---just wishing I could stay there  forever.. What a gorgeous place!!!!!

Finally,  here is one more picture of the trail we hiked.  The trail is in good shape --and really is a fun hike to take.  AND--if you are ever near Highway 27 in southern Kentucky,  this hike is not far from there...  We highly recommend it.

Tomorrow,  I'll show you the waterfall itself --and the big bowl surrounding it.

Have a wonderful day!
Hugs,

Winter Weather 2010-11

Many of you know that I love studying and talking about the weather...I think I must have been a Weather Girl in another life!!!!!!   Anyhow,   my favorite way to study the weather is by the signs of nature...  People call this "Weather Lore"----but since I have followed the signs of nature for many years,  I have found that this is actually a better way of predicting the weather than the fancy ways the professionals try to do it!!!

I love the Farmers'  Almanac---and find it quite accurate (at least more accurate than other sources).   There is a lady (Melinda Hedgecoth) from Crab Orchard, TN who has predicted the weather in our area every year since her mother (Helen Lane) died.   Helen predicted our winter weather for years and years---and I remember reading Helen's predictions when I was in college (in the '60's).

This year,  due to nature's signs,  Melinda's headline in our newspaper said:  "Bundle Up! Winter Could Be a Humdinger!"   I laughed at my good friend Neal's comment on yesterday's blog when I asked:  "When is Spring?"   Neal knows me too well... He knows how much I LOVE SNOW.  I must admit that I do love snow ---and get excited when thinking about the possibilities...

Here is what nature showed us about this coming winter's weather:
-the wooly worms around here were black on both ends and brown in the middle;  That showed us that we will have cold weather at the beginning and ending of winter --with a warm spell in the middle;
-the wooly worms were seen this year earlier (June/July) than usual (Sept/Oct)--and that is  a sign of a cold winter
-six early-morning fogs in August  (1 heavy,  1 moderate, and 4 patchy);  This means 1 big snow,  1 moderate one,  and 4 'blue darters' which give no measurable accumulation.
-lots of spider webs grown at ground level --which means a hard winter;
-large mast crop (AMEN to that --since we picked up a zillion nuts/acorns in our yard);
-hornets' nests built near ground level denotes a harsh winter;
-a cold, hard winter always follows a VERY hot summer (which we definitely had);

So ---- will we have another cold and snowy winter here on the Cumberland Plateau????   IF we can believe the signs of nature,  YES  we will...  And yes, Neal!!!!   I am very happy about that!!!!!   "Let it SNOW!"  ----ha

Hugs,