Archer's Fork loop (Ohio - Nov/7/2020)
Nov 9, 2020 10:55:29 GMT -8
desert dweller, ecocentric, and 4 more like this
Post by GaliWalker on Nov 9, 2020 10:55:29 GMT -8
Archer's Fork loop (Ohio - Nov/7/2020)
I have had the well-known Archer's Fork loop hike, in southeastern Ohio's Wayne National Forest, on my to-do list for a few years now. This past weekend, when I finally did make my way there, I was pleasantly surprised at how enjoyable it was, and a bit embarrassed that it had taken me this long to do so. A couple of caves, a natural bridge and numerous rock outcroppings kept the interest quotient high. What put the icing on the cake, however, was the terrain: the entire loop seemed to be one ridge-walk after another, and I'm a sucker for ridge-walks!
I began the hike at 7:00am. After a short 0.3mi section walking along a forested ridge, I took a right to make my way towards the Great Cave. This was a pretty cool spot, so I took my time enjoying it.
GaliWalker at the Great Cave (selfie)
Next up, less than a half mile away, was the Irish Run Natural Bridge. This was even cooler than the Great Cave, so I spent even more time enjoying it!
Natural Bridge (selfie)
I prefer to swap out my blaze orange cap for a less obtrusive one, but forgot for this selfie
With the Great Cave and the Irish Run Natural Bridge out of the way inside the first mile and a bit, I'd imagined the remaining twelve miles to be mostly a flat and boring woods walk. How wrong was I? Firstly, it was anything but flat! I would walk a ridge, drop down to a valley, and quickly climb onto another ridge. Secondly, there's just something about walking the spine of a mountain, wooded or not, where the ground slopes off to either side, that always puts a smile on my face. Thirdly, there were numerous rock outcroppings that I walked past that were extremely cool. And finally, while most of the fall foliage display was over, I still encountered the occasional splash of color. Plus, swishing through a carpet of fall leaves is always entertaining, no matter how old one is.
Exploring one of the rock outcroppings (selfie)
Fall color splash (selfie)
Stats: 13mi, 2500ft elevation gain, 8hrs
I have had the well-known Archer's Fork loop hike, in southeastern Ohio's Wayne National Forest, on my to-do list for a few years now. This past weekend, when I finally did make my way there, I was pleasantly surprised at how enjoyable it was, and a bit embarrassed that it had taken me this long to do so. A couple of caves, a natural bridge and numerous rock outcroppings kept the interest quotient high. What put the icing on the cake, however, was the terrain: the entire loop seemed to be one ridge-walk after another, and I'm a sucker for ridge-walks!
I began the hike at 7:00am. After a short 0.3mi section walking along a forested ridge, I took a right to make my way towards the Great Cave. This was a pretty cool spot, so I took my time enjoying it.
GaliWalker at the Great Cave (selfie)
Next up, less than a half mile away, was the Irish Run Natural Bridge. This was even cooler than the Great Cave, so I spent even more time enjoying it!
Natural Bridge (selfie)
I prefer to swap out my blaze orange cap for a less obtrusive one, but forgot for this selfie
With the Great Cave and the Irish Run Natural Bridge out of the way inside the first mile and a bit, I'd imagined the remaining twelve miles to be mostly a flat and boring woods walk. How wrong was I? Firstly, it was anything but flat! I would walk a ridge, drop down to a valley, and quickly climb onto another ridge. Secondly, there's just something about walking the spine of a mountain, wooded or not, where the ground slopes off to either side, that always puts a smile on my face. Thirdly, there were numerous rock outcroppings that I walked past that were extremely cool. And finally, while most of the fall foliage display was over, I still encountered the occasional splash of color. Plus, swishing through a carpet of fall leaves is always entertaining, no matter how old one is.
Exploring one of the rock outcroppings (selfie)
Fall color splash (selfie)
Stats: 13mi, 2500ft elevation gain, 8hrs
