Boy Scouts of America, Troop 315 The High Adventure Troop Louisville, Kentucky

FEBRUARY ADVENTURE REPORT

02/15/97. We really didn't know what the weekend was going to be like. For as we arrived at the Red River Gorge, part of the Daniel Boone National Forest, the sky darkened and the snow started falling. Undeterred, we put on our back packs and headed out for a great weekend adventure. As we left the picnic area where we parked our troop bus, we started the decent into the gorge. It kept going down, down, down, until we reached the canyon floor with the fast moving stream. I guess that's why they call it the Swift Creek trail.
	There were massive rocks with water pouring over, through and under the formations. Being it was early February, many formations also included ice sculptures along with the rocks and swift flowing water, GREAT SCENERY.
After a brief stop admiring nature, we started back on the trail, it went up, up, up, and then down, down, down. The mountain laurel was thick and often blocked the trail. The trail was rugged and challenging. We started to look for a place to stop for lunch, but there was just the narrow trail that clung to the canyon walls. Around 1:30 we were really needing a break. So we hiked off the trail about 100 feet, (of course that was 100 feet almost straight up) to a small cave overhang to break for a late lunch. The hard part of stopping for lunch, is getting started again. But, as time came to hit the trail, the sun started to poke out from the clouds, so we shed some of the layers of clothes we were wearing, and got back to our hiking.
We reviewed our trail map and decided our hiking plans were a little ambitious, considering the terrain and adjusted our camp site destination to go back up to the plateau via the Wild Cat Trail. Being that we were going to an area that did not have water, we knew that we would have to fill all our containers at the next available water source. This source turned out to be a waterfall that we had to hike under. So we stopped and filled our canteens and jugs. (Using purification tablets to be safe, even though the source looked like an underground spring.)
	Now loaded down with our supply of water we came upon the new trail, and very quickly found out that the reason it is called Wild Cat trail, is that you have to be a cat to climb the trail. It went up, up, up, and with it being late in the day, and all the water, we struggled up the hill. At the top was a great forest with a beautiful camping area just off the trail, we all clamored off the trail and collapsed. After taking off our packs, we then see the sign NO CAMPING HERE.
A couple of the guys went off looking for a camping area. We eventually find one about a couple of hundred feet back in the woods. It already had a fire pit, and we called it home.
	We quickly set up camp, and started making dinner. This troop will never starve! There was enough food for an army! After dinner we started a camp fire and had a pleasant evening as the sun set and the temperature started to fall. 02/16/97. The next morning, (it was about 20 degrees) as the sun came up the breakfast crew kicked into gear. You'd think we had skipped dinner with the feast that was prepared. However, it sure was good to get some hot food to help knock off the ice that had covered everything during the night. Once breakfast was finished we packed up and started our trek back. We had used all our water up during the cooking frenzy at camp, so we stopped at the water fall again and refilled our water supply for the hike back.
We knew that we were going to be running late getting back, so the lead scout really kept the pace moving. We cut almost an hour off the hiking time back. As we neared the end of the trail, we all remembered the initial decent we had taken the day before, but now we had to go back up. The last 1/2 mile was literally almost straight up, in fact along the trail were areas to practice repelling. After we made the final 300 foot ascent back to the plateau where the bus was parked, our guide enlightened us as to the rest of the story. It turns out that the trail we were on for the last two days, has been described as great for Billy Goats. All of us on this particular trip to Red River Gorge, would agree that it was definitely a challenging backpacking trip.
Everyone made it back safe, though we got back two hours late to the church. I'm sure there were some soar muscles, that hadn't been used all winter, the next morning. As everyone said, it was a great trail to get into shape for Misha Mockwa in May.

Next month - We're off the the National Hoosier Forest.

Stuart Barr
Trip Historian