I Know Why the Angels Like It Here

There are a couple of really short hikes in Red River Gorge along the Scenic Byway that you can get done all in the same day which is what we did on our first day there.

The Angel Windows trail is only 0.3 mile out and was a fun little hike with lots of exposed rock to admire, and even a nice spot to sit for a photo opportunity.

The geology of this area is fascinating, and the constant climb up and down ridges and slopes challenging.  This short trail gives a great sampling of what the area has to offer without being tiring for those who don't hike obsessively like Sharon and I do.

Should we play hide and seek?

The windows are called Angel Windows because the sun supposedly makes a halo when it hits them right, not because you'll see actual angels here.  Just thought I should make that clear.

When you get to the windows you have to bend down to look through, but when you do there is a great view into a canyon behind them that just begs to be explored.

The cliff has a nice shelf to go walking along, so of course that is exactly what I did.  Sharon hung behind and waited for me to get the daredevil out of my system.  Occasionally she called out to make sure I hadn't fallen off the cliff.

The best part was the color staining the walls.  Mineral deposits and lichens combined to form a work of art.

A new arch beginning on the right?

A new window begins?

It didn't take me long to work my way around the rim and I loved every minute of it.  Looking down into the canyon even made me wonder what it would be like to climb down.  Maybe a new sport is in my future, Wayne would love it if I wanted to start climbing.

Sharon keeps an eye out for me

My kind of "trail"

The Red River Gorge was formed by sediment that washed out from the Appalachian Mountains in a great river and were deposited in this area.  Over millions of years the sediments turned to rock and the inland sea receded. Streams cut down through the relatively flat layers of sedimentary rock and since sandstone is a harder rock, it resisted erosion better than the shale and siltstone layers above and below it.

These nooks and crannies are too small for me to explore except with my eyes.  How many microscopic wonders exist in those cracks?  What will this area look like 300 million years from now?

I tore myself away eventually and then we were on to the next discovery.  Today I'm discovering how much dirt my family can make while I'm gone for a week and how much money Wayne's little shed project is ending up costing us.  Not discoveries I'm enjoying.  Give me rain and rocky trails any day.