Alum Cave And Arch Rock Hike

Sunday, 7/26 Michele and I revved up for what we thought would be a moderate level hike through the woods. According to super reliable sources I.e. The Internet, it was supposed to be easy to traverse with little change in altitude, but promised scenic views and a pleasant day in the woods. Upon entering the trailhead we quickly realized that was not the case. The 2.5 mile trail consisted of steep, long inclines that ran along a mountain creek. It was a beautiful trail, but we were unable to really soak it all in because we were preoccupied with not dieing. At times I (Lindsay) felt like I needed to crawl in my hands and knees bc my legs were burning. We kept passing other hikers along the way who would cheer us on with words of encouragement like "you're almost there", turns out our definition of ALMOST is vastly different. The halfway point was Arch Rock a natural archway carved out by running mountain water. After a short rest we continued on to Alum Cave that was not in fact a cave but more like a natural bluff set high in the mountains. Drips of ground water from the cliff above welcomed us as we traversed the steep dusty earth. We decided this was the best place to have our burrito lunch which was interrupted by a boy careening down the steep embankment that formed the northern edge of the bluffs. He and his brother raced down, with his brother being the unltimate champian, because the younger one tripped and feel face first into the sand and Lindsay's back.