Love in Them There Hills

I think I have mentioned before that Hocking Hills was a destination I wanted to land on the 2016 solo trip, but because I was dodging hurricanes, I needed to get to the Outer Banks sooner than I had planned and the Hills were sacrificed. But here I am now! It is everything I expected it to be. Stunning in its beauty. Magical if you believe in wee folk.

Hocking Hills isn't just home to gorgeous waterfalls and trails. In fact, it is universally known for its gorgeous roadways and scenic routes. The Scenic Byway has been recognized by serious roadsters like the magazine Car and Driver Magazine. My motorcycling family and friends just need to put this on their bucket list.

The drive into the state park is spectacular and it takes only a moment to realize that this is a large area and not just a park. The Hocking Hills is a deeply dissected area of the Allegheny Plateau in Ohio, primarily in Hocking County, that features cliffs, gorges, rock shelters, and waterfalls. The relatively extreme topography in this area is due to the Blackhand Sandstone (so named because of Native American graphics on the formation near Newark, Ohio), a particular formation that is thick, hard and weather-resistant, and forms high cliffs and narrow, deep gorges. Every photo I've seen on Pinterest is absolute truth. It is that spectacular.

I was right about arriving here early. I was able to get a site after an hour of waiting at the front office and we will settle in here for 3 days. It is hot. I am grateful for the electric hookup to run the air conditioning. I set up camp and scour the maps and find that there are access points that we can drive to experience some of the waterfalls and Sitka won't have to hike so far.

I hear that the trail that is just feet from our campsite to Old Man's Cave has many stairs. I won't take Sitka. His leg is giving him a bit of discomfort. We stash our table and chair into the screen tent and take off for Ash Cave.

In the southernmost reaches of Hocking Hills is Ash Cave, the largest, most impressive recess cave in the state.

The approach to Ash Cave is through a narrow gorge lined with stately hemlocks, massive beech trees and various other hardwoods. The valley floor offers brilliant displays of wildflowers including large flowered trillium, Dutchman's breeches, trout lily, Jack-in-the Pulpit and jewelweed. The narrow gorge is only a 1/4 mile in length a good walk for Sitka today The trail gives way to the tremendous overhanging ledge and cave shelter and waterfall.

The horseshoe-shaped cave is massive; measuring 700 feet from end to end, 100 feet deep from the rear cave wall to its front edge with the rim rising 90 feet high. A small tributary of the East Fork of Queer Creek cascades over the rim into a small plunge pool below. Ash Cave is named after the huge pile of ashes found under the shelter by early settlers. The largest pile was recorded as being 100 feet long, 30 feet wide and 3 feet deep. The source of the ashes is unknown but is believed to be from Indian campfires built up over hundreds of years.

All the trails to the different areas in the park are connected, but Sitka can't hike those distances and some of the areas have many, many stairs. We have time to go to Cedar Falls before we call it a day, but we will drive.

Cedar Falls itself is the greatest waterfall in terms of volume in the Hocking region. Queer Creek tumbles over the face of the Blackhand sandstone displaying the awesome force of water power. In the mid 1800's, a grist mill was built above the falls to utilize this water power for grinding grain. Cedar Falls was misnamed by early white settlers who mistook the stately hemlocks for Cedars.

So this is cool–Democracy Steps, leading down to the falls were created by Akio Hizume, artist, architect and mathematician. Drawing from his love of nature and expertise in the relationships among numbers and dimensions, Akio designed a staircase descending gently down the hillside leading from the parking lot to Cedar Falls. Akio set out to create a serpentine walkway that feels as graceful as it looks. His goal was to make the act of ascending or descending the nearly 100 steps pleasant and relaxing; not the tiresome chore of climbing up or down the typical set of uniform, periodic stairs. The lengths of individual steps are varied, so that walkers alternate the leading foot, establishing a comfortable pace and rhythm. Though it seems like second nature, this walking rhythm was planned carefully and deliberately. It reflects mathematical principles of the Fibonacci sequence and the one-dimensional Penrose lattice. Sitka handled them like a champ.

The temps don't cool down as I had hoped and we will run the air until about 3am and then finally Sitka can sleep outside and I can run just the fan. The nice surprise is there is a pool and most folks spend there afternoons sitting and floating in the water. While I take my soak, Sitka naps in the van. We have met this delightful family across from us and they will keep an eye on Sitka while I hike to Old Man's Cave at daybreak.

I head out of the campsite and down the trail near by and immediately take a wrong turn and land at Rose Lake. If I had taken the other trail to the right of my campsite there is a sign that would have put me on course. Old Man's Cave area can be divided into five principal sections found along the valley of Old Man's Creek. In order, they are: Upper Falls, Upper Gorge, Middle Falls, Lower Falls and Lower Gorge. Along the length of the trail the magnificent gorge cuts through the entire 150-foot thickness of the Blackhand sandstone. I skip the upper falls because I have added miles with my wrong turn and don't want to leave Sitka for that long. I think I can take him on the upper section before we head out.

Old Man's Cave derives its name from the hermit Richard Rowe who lived in the large recess cave of the gorge. His family moved to the Ohio River Valley around 1796 from the Cumberland Mountains of Tennessee to establish a trading post. He and his two dogs traveled through Ohio along the Scioto River in search of game. On one side trip up Salt Creek, he found the Hocking Region. Rowe lived out his life in the area and is buried beneath the ledge of the main recess cave. Earlier residents of the cave were two brothers, Nathaniel and Pat Rayon, who came to the area in 1795. They built a permanent cabin 30 feet north of the cave entrance. Both brothers are buried in or near the cave. Their cabin was later dismantled and relocated on the nearby Iles farm to be used as a tobacco drying house.

Wandering the trails up and down through the gorge leaves you with the feeling you are being watched by fairies and gnomes to be sure.

When I return to camp Aileen is playing with Sitka, those neighbors I said who would look after him. My plan is to head out in the morning, but take Sitka to the upper falls where there isn't as long of a descent. I received a text from my friend Margaret who we will be meeting up with in a few days, saying definitely go at daybreak. Then we will hit the road. Heading into West Virginia, a state I have never been in. Looking forward to the drive. I always relish the time on new roads.