April 13, 2004
Southern Charm and then some........
Mammouth Caves KY April 9-12 2004
Sometime early last Friday in the AM we loaded up Doro ( the luxurious gas hog), and were heading south to central Kentucky. It was a 400 mile trek and the car was packed to the gills and a huge apparatus was bungee strapped to the trunk. We were cruisin', and in our typical fashion taking our time. We had a 4 - day weekend so why hurry, right? The sky in Chicago was still gray and bleak and it was getting chilly. Prior to our trip the weather had been in the 70's at our destination, however, the forecast called for mid sixties falling to the mid fifties as a daytime high and a seventy percent chance of rain. We would not be denied our first camping excursion of 2004, no matter what so we prepared by taking a bounty of warm clothes and picked up and 11 x 11 canopy on the way down.
As always the excruciating drive through Indiana was boring and tedious, it is a drive that no matter which way you cross that state is nauseating. 300 miles into the trip changed dramatically as we crossed the border and weaved through Louisville. The grass was green a lot of the trees were in bloom, it was warmer and hills rose out of the landscape. Wildflowers and other vegetation colored the roadway making the drive more stimulating as we got further into the south.
April would be the earliest in the year I have camped in my adult life and I was looking forward to the extremities, as well as my very first introduction into caves and caverns.
Sometime in the early afternoon we arrived outside of Cave City KY and drove out to Onyx Crystal Caves campground where we had planned to camp for the next 4 days. However, we quickly learned the grounds were closed due to a death in the family. It was a beautiful rustic campground, isolated from the highway and tourism and sat back in heavily wooded hills. It was a bummer yet as we always do, we made the BEST of a bad situation. We spent the next couple of hours scouting the area prior to deciding on a riverside campground at Houchens Ferry on the Green River inside Mammoth Caves National Park.We were engulfed in Beautiful scenery, limestone bluffs, extordinary wildlife and caves. There was a ferry that ran across the river daily from 10:15 am - 6 PM which took cars from one side of the river to the other.
After we set up cap the ferry operator took us to the forest on the rivers edge on the other side where we were encouraged to gather our own firewood from tress that had either naturally fallen or were manually chopped down by the park. This was a nice bonus being that it saved a lot of money considering the bevy of fire wood I typically burn on a camping trip. Not to mention it was an extremely nice surprise being able to gather firewood in a national park, which I consider a rare privilege. As it should be.
After all that Brigette explored the area and it's two country stores as I got the fire raging. When we departed Chicago gasoline was $2.27 per gallon for regular, in Kentucky it was $1.57. I would also learn that although the areas is a very popular tourist destination the cost of everything in the area was relatively inexpensive considering other camping trips I've taken to national Parks, State Forest Parks and destinations in general. Upon her return it was nightfall and the stars were plenty and we opened the very nice bottle of rare tequila Zoran bought for me a few weeks prior. And it was off to sleep.
Early on Saturday we had breakfast by the fire and drove into the heart of the huge sinkhole where the main cave entrance was and embarked on a four and a half tour of the Grand Avenue Cave Tour. The tour was sold out as always and as cynical as I am about my distaste guided tours I didn't seem this one in particular and I was sincerely impressed with our tour guide Ranger Ron who grew up in the area and gave tours of the caves since the 1960's. We hung back toward the back of the line where we could film and move at our own pace, and the first hour of the tour was easy and casual, but after the first break in the snowball room, the passage ways were challenging, narrow, wet and steep. There were descents of 225 feet at points and changes were dramatic. We saw a few bats resting, some cave crickets and very little inhabitants on the tour, however it only managed to wet my appetite for the wild cave tour that I anticipate next spring. This was one of the few places I've explored that has made me want to return and further become familiar with.
There was only one couple and their kids who lagged behind with us and the tail end guide Ranger Rick whose job was to keep us in the group and turn out the lights behind us. I overheard them tell Rick they were from Northern Indiana and I told Brigette it was obvious by their southern accents. Oh, and they took a minute to demonstrate what total darkness looked like, and it's really fucking dark, the only darker they say on earth is death.
The only annoyance of the 5 hours we spent with the other 112 folks on the journey was the "man with the terrible smell" who not only exuded the worst BO I've had to inhale since my trip to Alaska, but he was farting all over the caves. And his stuff reeked ok rotten eggs in sour milk. It was like burning sulfur. Brigette walked around like the guy from Bazooka Joe who wore his turtle neck around his face and I begged light a match when it turns out he was within whispering distance of us. To make matters worse, don't you know he'd be sitting in front of me on the bus ride out.
So this has documented the genesis of my fascination with Caves.
And I also took notice of some very nice hosptality. The people working in and around the park were friendly and helpful. And even with their thick southern draw were not as rude and socially prejudice as most of the people I've met in central and southern Indiana which was what I was expecting. This is their bread and butter and they are happy to serve ya'.
And I also heard some great radio out of Bowling Green on 93.3 FM.
Pure southern hospitality and charm ran abundant and I enjoyed it as Cartman does Calamine lotion.
Around 4 we were back at the campsite and it appeared that we had the place pretty much to ourselves. We gathered some more firewood and began the useless attempt of setting up the canopy. This is an entire different story. I care not go into detail but it was extremely aggravating with both of us inventing new curse words and fighting the dammed thing. The wind had not helped however, the poles were cheap fucking pieces of shit. We finally jerry-rigged it and though it still hadn't rained as forecast like the Boy Scout I was I stay prepared. I an imagine some of what the people fishing were thinking as they watched us wrestle with the 11 x 11 thing I was ready to set on fire. We laughed at it later and enjoyed some tequila and some killer pork chops and rice. As darkness fell we had a nice long night not feeling any pressure to be anywhere the next morning. Sunday morning we skipped taking a canoe trip in favor of hiking the many trails in the forest in the area. I ate sporadically throughout the day and completely exhausted my self climbing rocks, hills, trees, crossing logs over creeks and streams and swinging from vines. I only fell one and when I did I was a muddy wet mess and yes, she got a photo of it. We explored the trails till night fall had dinner and stayed up a while building bigger fires. And then about 3AM the rain came, and came and came. The wind whipped the canopy over and everything we had covered was soaked.
Now this was not the first time I have had to deal with packing wet camping supplies in the rain It's not fun, and in the past it has been frustrating and a cuss fest, and having to drive long distances in the cold with a soaking wet carload of "stuff" simply put, sucks. But we work and a team and had fun with it. I had the great idea to haul everything to a big picnic shelter and we laid everything out sand packed it as orderly if not more orderly as we it was packed when we left Chicago 4 days prior. When it was all done we drove around the park in the rain, shot some last minute photos and stopped to eat in Cave City.
On the way home we made a detour in Clermont, KY. to visit the Jim Beam Bourbon Whiskey Distillery.It was a nice stop and distraction from the wet ride and we can now say been there - done that. It pretty much rained all the way till Indianapolis and we were feeling very tired and road burnt. But after unloading the car at home at a little after 10 PM feeling exhausted we both felt renewed.
I can't say how bad I need this trip but I am back and full of energy and ready to rock and there is a lot of rock n roll to kick into gear.
Spring has sprung and I'm back in black baby! Serenity NOW! - AZ
PHOTOS COMING SOON!
Posted by Alex Zander at April 13, 2004 12:22 PM