Happy Holidays from the Kingdom of Fife

Must have been a good kid this year . . . 

Out and About

Today, Dudeboy and I joined the majority of his uncles on a hike on private property in Edmonson County.  We had a lead on an arch on the property.  We didn't find that arch, but we did find this waterspout.  The pictures don't do it justice.

We also found this legitimate arch, along with a few smaller openings.  We were soaked and tired, but it was a thoroughly enjoyable day.

Malvolio

Dudeboy as Malvolio in a homeschool class production of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night.  

In performance . . . "some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon 'em."

Stateline Arches . . .

A couple of weeks ago, Dudeboy and I joined Uncle Vic and a few friends on a trip to see some natural arches along the border in the western sections of Kentucky and Tennessee.  It took us about a year to gain permission to visit these features . . . none of which were spectacular, but taken as a whole, they are pretty interesting geologically.
 

 Under a boulder wedge . . .

 There were many, many small passages to crawl through.

This arch, and the openings in the above photos, are all part of the same complex.  Much of it is basically a collapsed cave system.

 It might be a bit hard to decipher in the above photo, but Dudeboy is standing on an arch.

Here is the same arch, but from below looking up at Dudeboy.

The last, and most significant arch we visited.

Chickamauga Living History

This past weekend Dudeboy and I traveled to Chickamauga to participate in a living history event at the park.  Because Dudeboy is not old enough to hold a gun (and he won't be for several years) there is not a lot for him to do at encampments.  So, I had him take photographs.  Dudeboy took all of the photos in this entry . . . I think he did a bang-up job.
  

All of the photos are from Sunday.  I didn't think to have him do it Saturday, when we had a few more men in line.

 We had a couple of "new" guys join us this weekend.  And one of them dressed as a soldier from the Army of the Potomac.  I believe he is being pointed out in this photo.

We did a comparison between the clean-cut and polished look of the Army of the Potomac (right) and the Army of the Cumberland (left).

I enjoy the living history encampments the best as you get to interact with the public more.  I had several people thank us adamantly for what we do.  Of course, Dudeboy favors the reenactments as he has more opportunities for participation.

We had perfect weather for the weekend.  If it had been any colder at night I might alter that statement, but a good time was shared by all of us who sat around the campfire.

To top it all off, Dudeboy got to hangout with General George H. Thomas . . . The Rock of Chickamauga all weekend.

2012 A.S.S.E.S. Big South Fork

This past weekend Dudeboy, Uncle Vic and I joined the rest of the A.S.S.E.S (the Arch Seekers of the SouthEastern States) for our biannual arch weekend.  This year we (with the help of the amazing Keith G.) led the group on several hikes in the BSF area.  The photos that follow are but just a few of the arches we visited.  We had perfect weather, and Keith kept us stuffed.  Above is Cat Pen Arch . . . private property, Tennessee.

 Cat Pen Arch . . . private property, Tennessee.

Rockcastle Arch . . . Tennessee.  We first learned about this arch years ago by looking the the W.P.A. Guide to Tennessee.

 Copperhead Arch . . . Tennessee

 Rock Creek Arch . . . Tennessee

 Rock Creek Arch . . . Tennessee

 Negro Creek Arch . . . Kentucky

 Triplet Tunnels . . . Kentucky

Triplet Tunnels . . . Kentucky.  Dudeboy crawling through one of the many openings in this complex.  This one leads to the ledge seen in the picture below.

The A.S.S.E.S. minus a few who had to leave early during the weekend.

Eastern Kentucky Trip . . . Day 3

Well, this will be a quick overview of the last day of our trip to eastern Kentucky, as we are now leaving to go on a trip to the Big South Fork.  I can't keep the blog updated fast enough to keep up with our trips!  Anyway, the next several photos are of Cascade Cave in Carter Caves State Park.

This was the first time (that I can remember) that I have visited Cascade Cave.  The view above is of a pool of water at an entrance.  It was kind of an odd view with the reflections.

There were a few nice formations . . . mainly in this one room.

We also viewed an underground waterfall, but the photos did not do it justice.  It reminded me of a smaller Ruby Falls.

We then joined our friend Angela, who took us to a few other sites in Carter County, one of which was Big Sinking Creek.  The stream flows at this point underground for about 500'.

This is the other entrance.  We met one man who took a canoe through it.  He could not get all the way through (as the ceiling was too low at one point), so he entered from both sides.  Apparently, at one point, it opens up enough to stand up.

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Angela then led us to an arch located on the property she grew up on.  There will surely be many more arches to be found in Carter County. 

The two photos above show Dudeboy at each entrance of the arch.

All in all, it was a very successful trip.  We made some new friends, and we documented several new arches.  I daresay, we will be making a return trip soon.

Halloween 2012 . . . Private Dudeboy

Eastern Kentucky Trip . . . Day 2

On the second day of the trip, we headed to Carter County . . . which would be our destination for the rest of the trip.  The first three photos are of the only "on trail," or marked natural arch we visited.  It is the Carter Caves Natural Bridge.

 The skylight in the ceiling of Carter Caves Natural Bridge.

Technically, I guess Carter Caves Natural Bridge is more of a tunnel than an arch.  Some persnickety archers state that if the length is greater than the width, then it is a tunnel.  Still, it is a true natural bridge as it was formed over a body of water and a road is atop the formation.

 The rest of the photos are of off-trail arches, some of which are located on private property.  Above is the first arch we visited in the area.

 Arch #2 . . . back entrance.  Note Dudeboy's silhouette on the right side.

 Arch #2 . . . front entrance.  Note Uncle Vic and Dudeboy for scale. 

 Arch #3 . . . 

 Arch #4 . . .

 Arch #5 . . . 

Arch #6 . . . view of the front of a large complex.  Look for three figures.  Dudeboy stands on the far left side, in the entrance of a large arch/tunnel.  You access it by the dark area behind Larry in the foreground, and then by climbing through the passageway Uncle Vic is seen lying in (just left of the middle).  This is a "new" arch for us.  We came across it while looking for another nearby formation.

 Arch #6 . . . front entrance (where Dudeboy was standing in the above photo).

 Arch #6 . . . the rear entrance.

Uncle Vic back at the campsite . . .