How We Got Started Hiking

Just a story on how we got started hiking, & pictures from our first hike at a state park.

My Hubby has always been an outdoorsman. He has hunted since he was 5 years old & probably came out of the womb with a fishing pole in his hand. I on the other hand grew up in the city, before moving to the country. (Which is where my other blog got started, about living in the country, after being born in the city). When I lived in the city, I would ride my bike or walk wherever I wanted to. I liked building forts in the woods, going to the park through the woods from my neighborhood or just exploring anything. It was especially exciting when I would happen upon a forgotten cemetery. I would clean up around the headstones & try my best to clean them. I always wanted to know when they were alive & when they died, to see how long they lived. I also was curious if their ancestors still lived in the area & if I knew any of them. I would make up what I thought they did for work, or liked to do for fun. When I got a little older, my mom & I would go walk around Richmond. I felt at home as I walked the sidewalks or the cobblestone roads. Finding the trails at Belle Isle along the river and also Hollywood Cemetery with my friends, got me hooked. I would take Jon to Belle Isle every chance I got. And I could (still) spend all day at Hollywood Cemetery. 

We started taking day trips around Virginia for our birthdays or anniversaries, and for our anniversary in 2013, we decided to go to Natural Bridge. Not knowing that it would rekindle my love for exploring the woods, or anywhere with a cool story or great history. I didn't realize that there was a trail there. 

We took pictures of The Natural Bridge, which is 215 ft tall, 40 ft thick, 100 ft wide, with a 90 foot span between the walls. The arch contains 450,000 cubic feet of rock, weighing 72,000,000 ponds (36,000 Tons). It is estimated to be at least 500 million years old. At its peak, the bridge is 1160 ft above sea level. We also took pics of us by it & of the water around it & saw people walking under it and keep on going. So we followed them. And found there was a trail that went beyond the Natural Bridge. I was eager to walk it and see what cool things we would find. 

Continuing under the bridge, we took the Ceder Creek Nature Trail. The first cool thing we came to was The Monacan Village, circa 1700. The Monacan Indians who lived in the village, lived here over 300 years ago & are a Siouan speaking people, who migrated to the region from the Northwest. 

After leaving the Indian Village, we made our way to Saltpetre Mine. (Which was blocked off). 

During the War of 1812 & the Civil War, earth from this cave was mined for the bird & bat droppings that it contained to make gunpowder. The earth was saturated with cold water & left in hoppers for a day or two. Once boiled in iron kettles, the mixture of earth & water, called "soak", was filtered through wood ashes, producing a clear solution named nitrate of potassium. Boiled for a second time, the liquid was converted into crystallized salts, or "saltpetre" & was used to make gunpowder. It took 18 bushels of soak & 10 bushels of elm ash to make 100 lbs of good saltpetre.

Following alongside the creek, we made it to the Lost River. In 1812, the workers from the Saltpetre Cave heard the waters of the Lost River, & blasted the opening to it that you see today. A water main was attached to transport water to the hoppers & kettles used to extract the nitrate from the cave. 

Legend has it that, in later years, several unsuccessful attempts were made to locate the underground channels of the Lost River. Colored dyes & floatation devices of all types have failed to determine the source & final destination of this mysterious subterranean river.

While walking down this trail, we met some cool people, saw a snake, an inscription in the rock by JRR Tolkien, some cool trees, a lizard, mushrooms & of course, rock formations. 

Moving forward, we made it to the end, & The Lace Warerfalls. We stood there just taking it all in. Took some pictures, & then had our picture taken in front of the waterfall. 

From high on the south end of the first ridge of the Alleghany Mountains, 180 miles away, originated the headwaters of Ceder Creek. Ceder Creek plunges 50 ft to the creekbed. As the seasons change, the waterfall transforms from delicate veils to rushing plumes of white water. After flowing under the Natural Bridge, it continues toward the southeast, & enters the James River about a mile away. 

After this trip, I was hooked in exploring & love walking in the woods, especially finding abandoned houses. We started kayaking, & then I found what is called Trail Quests, done through the Virginia State Parks. It is really cool, bc after so many parks, you get a pin for hiking them (you don't have to hike the entire park) & at the end you get a Master Hiker certificate, with a ceremony & your picture with a Park Ranger. So this is our goal. I guess you could say Natural Bridge started it all. Stay tuned for our next hike!

Love, 

Kelli & Jon 

🥾📷⛰️