After a week of record snowfall and sub-zero temps, I knew Red River Gorge would be primed for some winter hiking. This part of Kentucky got a thick layer of ice and snow from winter storm Fern.
Trees were encased in glistening sheets of ice that shattered in the wind and sun, sounding like tinkling bells. Pine trees were bowed over everywhere, weighed down by ice that wouldn’t be melting soon.
Koomer Ridge was open so I decided to visit Hansons Point and then come back through Pinch Em Tight Gap. This is one of my favorite hikes as it is close to the trailhead but has several miles of moderate hiking with stunning views.
I could tell by the tracks in the snow that not many people had been out in this weather. As the trail wore on, I realized only one other person had been out here before me today. The same set of boot prints were headed in and out. As it turned out though, there was a large group of hikers directly behind me that showed up at Hansons Point just after I arrived there myself.
Heading back and down through Pinch Em Tight Gap, I realized that there was a lot of ice under the snow in this valley. I was grateful to see that there had been a pair of hikers ahead of me that were just as determined as I was to get out of this valley no matter how slick the trail appeared to be.
At one point, they, and I in turn, had to cut trail and climb the hillside using coyote tracks in the snow as footholds. The crust of snow was thick with ice and even with my heavy boots, I could not crack it. Thankfully the coyote had climbed the steep hill before the ice had hardened the snow.
All in all, an exhilarating day on the trails with an unexpected workout at the end that left me breathless and bloodied. My knuckles will heal but I hope the memories of this winter day never fade.