Quantummist's blog: "Rides"

Cumberland Falls http://gowaterfalling.com/waterfalls/cumberland.shtml This is an OK run but while the ride in is pretty along the park road it’s doesn’t have a lot of views other than the woods along side it. To get there you take KY. Highway 25w south from just east of Corbin, Ky. … Now be careful unless you know the area as there are two Highway 25’s. One is a 4 lane that connects Corbin to Barbourville and is called 25e. These two roads cross just east of Interstate 75 and has a Stop light at the intersection. (From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Cumberland Falls by day. On clear moonlit nights, the mist from the falls occasionally produces a moonbow. For the Cumberland Falls meteorite of 1919, see meteorite falls. Cumberland Falls, sometimes called the Little Niagara, the Niagara of the South, or the Great Falls, is a large waterfall on the Cumberland River in southeastern Kentucky. Spanning the river at the border of McCreary and Whitley counties, the waterfall is the central feature of Cumberland Falls State Resort Park, which itself is surrounded by the Daniel Boone National Forest. On average the falls, which flow over a resistant sandstone bed, are 68 feet (21 m) high and 125 feet (38 m) wide, with a water flow of 3,600 cubic feet per second (100 m³/s). Under a full moon on clear nights, an elusive lunar rainbow or moonbow is sometimes formed by the mist emanating from the falls. The site is promoted as the only one in the world to feature this phenomenon, with Victoria Falls at the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe having lost its status due to forest cultivation. Actually, almost any waterfall can produce a moonbow under ideal conditions; however, many comparable sites have too much light for this feature to be visible. History and preservation Long known to Native Americans of the area, Cumberland Falls received its name from Zachary Green, whose party discovered it during an expedition in 1770. From the 1860s to the 1930s, Cumberland Falls and the surrounding land were privately held. The Moonbow Inn, a popular hotel dating to around 1875, was perched on a ledge overlooking the falls. The area was a favorite vacation destination for T. Coleman du Pont, a Kentucky native and U.S. Senator from Delaware. Disturbed by plans to build a hydroelectric dam at the site, Louisville Times editor and conservationist Tom Wallace spearheaded a campaign to save the Falls from 1926-1931. In 1930, Wallace and other conservationists persuaded DuPont to purchase and donate 600 acres (2.4 km²) surrounding the falls to Kentucky, urging the commonwealth to set aside the property as a state park. Despite DuPont's death later that year, additional land was purchased, and in 1933 the state legislature designated the property as Kentucky's third state park. Much of the early work at the park, including construction of DuPont Lodge and cabins for guests, was undertaken during the Great Depression by Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and Works Progress Administration (WPA) employees. With a reported 700,000 to 1 million visitors per year, the park remains one of Kentucky's busiest and most profitable state parks.)

Chained Rock http://www.roadsideamerica.com/geo/showMap.php?attractionNo=531 http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tips/getAttraction.php?tip_AttractionNo==531 Just south of Pineville,Ky. in the Pine Mountain State Park is a Ride that is another Must ride in southern Kentucky. You turn off Ky. Highway 25 approximately 5 miles south of downtown Pineville to ride up a two lane paved road that is so curvy that as they say down here so curved you can spit and hit yourself. Its a steep ride for a few miles up the mountain where you will fined several really nice picnic areas along the way. It’s a very slow ride up the mountain as its very steep and very curvy but the views along the way are spectacular as you round curves to see mile after mile of mountain ranges out to the horizon. When you get to the top there is a parking area with a railed overlook looking over the town of Pineville. From there you can take a well laid out trail that is a bit on the tough side for us older folks but has benches and boarded walks so it’s not bad if you take your time. The trail is about a mile and takes you to Chained Rock. This hunk of stone hangs out over the side of the mountain and has a large chain from the base rock on the mountain to the rock dangling over the town below.

Little Shepard’s Trail http://www.kingdomcome.org/maps/kcsp.html Near Whitesburg ,Ky, this run is one of the Must Ride roads in the area. The trail is in the Kingdom Come's State Park which also has many scenic areas worth the trip. Little Shepherd Trail is a 38-mile narrow road on top of Pine Mountain. The Trail, or Kentucky Highway 1679, clings to the southern edge of Pine Mountain's crest from the intersection of US 421 at this location to US 119 south of Whitesburg. This serpentine route twists though numerous refreshing overlooks and massive, spine-like rock out-croppings, termed "Hogbacks." Rhododendron and mountain laurel bloom profusely in craggy exposures. This route is not for the faint of heart. It’s a very narrow one lane paved road that has switch back curves that wind around and over many peeks. At the top is an old park area that has been abandoned with a large roofed cabana to get out of the weather, but it has 100’s of bullet holes from people popin rounds over the years. At 38 miles long its not the longest ride you can take but its off the beaten path and the vistas are stunning. You should be on the look out for bears as this area is noted for having a lot of the critters and not long ago a woman was killed by one.

Hello Folks… This is Blog about rides I’ve taken and over time I will write about roads, trails and areas I’ve ridden so other can make the run when they pass through. I have been asked many times about where I suggest riding when passing through areas so this blog set will be where I will put any info about sites, local color, watering holes and other info I can gather. I will also put up photos in my photo space as I gain photo space, and actually remember to take one of my cameras with me. I tend to go for rides without planning and just get lost so I will be writing about some places that most never run across unless you’re a local. When possible I will check the net to see if info is available and put links to get more info. Hope this helps when passing through the areas and always feel free to drop me a note if you plan a ride through the mountains down here and I may be able to give you some heads up on places to go, places to stop for grub, and warnings of stuff to watch out for.