Lost River State Park

A good time was had by all…well, by me.  ;-)  The morning started out cloudy and cool as I headed up the Big Ridge Trail, but the clouds parted upon reaching the top of the ridge.  Signs of March’s wildfire were visible with the trail acting as a firebreak at some points.  Along the way, tree showed scorched bases but survived. The mountain laurels were scorched but had green shoots growing out of their bases.  The Cranny Crow overlook shelter’s roof had burned, but is now being replaced.   The view is still amazing!  It’s amazing, however, that the swing right next to it did not burn. The Tusing cabin survived the flames, but the glamping tents did not.  Lots of old oak trees on the ridge were burned up the entire trunks.  Yet, wildlife is making a comeback.  Red headed woodpeckers, millipedes, Eastern-tailed blues, wood nymphs and more flew and crawled along the trail.   Looking forward to future climbs to see autumnal colors and the regeneration progress.  

Let's climb up and see how the trails have recovered from the March wildfires.  We'll experience a 1,000 foot elevation change and cover about 8 miles.  Most of the trails are a moderate climb, but there are steep sections that are strenuous.  There should be lots to see as some birds (hummingbirds, purple martins) begin their migrations and butterflies make their last big show of the season.  So, we'll be climbing at a relatively slow pace, making lots of stops to see what the end of summer brings, yet getting our heart rates up as we climb some of the steeper slopes.  Of course, there's always Lost and Found Pizza at the end of the day, offering cold drinks and the best pizza this side of the Appalachias.  ;-)