Mammoth Cave NP trip

Well I keep putting this off due to DW not having the pics uploaded. But I'll go ahead and type this out and add pics later.

Friday May 28, DW, DD3 and I load up our gas sipper and head up to Mammoth Cave NP. Surprisingly this NP doesn't get alot of attention even though it's a short 3.5 hours from Huntsville (half the distance to Gatlinburg), and a straight shot up I-65. John Malloy listed MCNP in his Top 10 Unheralded Outdoor Destinations.

After a flat tire repair in nearby Bowling Green. I raced to the Park HQ office believing that was where I had to sign up/pay for a site at the Houchins Ferry Campground. I also had the erroneously believed that the CG was on the other side of the Green River and was only accessable by ferry that stopped running at 6pm. Well I drove like a maniac, twice missing vital turns, to rush to a ferry that didn't even need to be used (didn't make it in time btw, so it was actually a relief). 

Houchins Ferry CG was a small 12 site cg that has a winding paved pigtrail drive to it that keeps out  the RVs. There's a communal water spigot, port-o-lets, and no electricity. Each site has a picnic table, firegrate and tent pad (be careful driving in those stakes). Of the 12 sites only 4 (including ourselves) were in use on a Friday night in late May.  Perfect. Since we had our 2yo daughter (the other 2 were w/ Nana @ Pensacola Beach) we took the spot furthest from the river which was swarmed by ~20 large Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Butterflies. And got our modest camp set-up.  Dinner, Alfredo Ramen w/ tuna and Cho. Chip Cookies, was cooked on my ancient Peak1 stove. Then we retired to be awaken by a slowly approaching thunderstorm (it boomed loudly for at least 30 minutes before getting to us) the next morning. Oh, one more thing. Registration and payment are self-serve, honor box style but they don't accept checks for the $12 fee. We left them a check anyway, didn't have exact cash. We left there and had breakfast at the local DQ. (caveat: Kentucky still allows smoking in restaraunts.)

After breakfast, and the rain had passed, we went to the Visitors Center area and looked around. It was fairly busy/crowded but not too loud or chaotic. We went off on a short dayhike trail where our 2yo did her first hike walking by herself on the Green River Bluffs Trail. We didn't get to complete it but had fun just enjoying being outside. Btw, the cicadas are out now and at MCNP they are LOUD. After meeting my dad at a nearby i-65 rest area to drop off DD3, Dw and I returned to the visitors cnter and went on the Historic Tour of Mammoth Cave. The tour was only 2 hours, cost $22 for 2 people and was definately worth it to see a good sampling of the highlights of the world's longest cave. 

After the tour we got our backcountry permits and drove over to the Good Spring Church and parked. We rechecked and hoisted our packs. As we're getting our gear together a trio of horse riders go down the Good Spring Loop trail, go scarcly 200 yds then turn around and come back. Hmm.  Well we set off down the trail and it's AWFUL. The trail is practically a muddy ditch. Stinkin' horses have worn it so badly that I curse the beasts almost every miserable second the next 2 days. Trail conditions aside, the scenery is beautiful. We walk up on deer feeding twice and I get w/in 50 feet and take some photos. We hike for 3 miles to the Bluffs campsite. This site is along a hillside, with Sipsey-like rocky bluffs. 200 yds away is a small waterfall for a water source, and waay down the hill is supposedly a stream (didn't try climbing down to it). The site has a tent pad, lamp-hanging post and stone firering. Unfort after the previous week's rain all the wood was damp and the campfire was shortlived. We enjoyed a meal of Knorr Sides Plus Veggies (quite good btw)and a pack of chicken breast. We then went to bed and awakened by thunderstorms late in the night. I quickly threw on the tent's rain fly. 

We got up on Sunday morn and broke camp after breakfast. Our gear performed fairly satisfactorily. Our 13yo 2-man Academy Broadway dome tent did well keeping us dry except where stuff was touching the walls, it was however slightly too short for our Big Agnes sleeping pads. Dw remarked she like sleeping on the BA Air Core Pads better than our big queen air bed we used for car camping. The ancient Peak1 stove did well 2 out of 3 times, the last time however it flared up badly beneath the burner plate. Our packs, both older Camp Trails internal frames performed well and even kept our gear dry when left outside in the thunderstorm. 

The second day on the trail was mainly on more of the same horse-trail mudhole scape we had endured to previous day. Also Kentucky is fairly hilly so don't think its any easier than Alabama trails. The topography changes a few times to keep things from being too monotonous. But seroiusly get those fricking horses OFF THE TRAIL!

PIcs: http://www.alatrails.com/photos/thumbnails.php?album=44