Mammoth Cave Nat'l Park in January

“Planning in hiking to Sal Hollow Back Country Camp Site. each person can decide how much hiking they want to do. Sal Hollow can be reach a couple of different ways, so hiking can be as little as ~4 miles or as many as ~8 miles. (More if you want to)

There is also one or two caves along the trail that some might enjoy checking out. Bring some rope and a headlight”

“Questions:

For Friday night camping, you are talking about camping at the Headquarters campground, right? If so, I think this closes or may already be closed. This is somewhat a guess though so if you have called, you may have better info than I.

Also, I don't doubt we can hike the backcountry trails this time of the year, we will need to take the long way around though because I think the Green River ferry is closed now.

Also, are we starting at Good Springs Church trailhead?
last edited: 11/28/07 9:49:45 AM”

“some notes from the nps.gov/maca website:

"Due to drought conditions, the park's ferries are currently open to light traffic only. Vehicles with trailers cannot be transported until river levels increase.

Green River Ferry operates year-round, 6:00am-9:55pm.

Houchins Ferry operates March-November, 10:15am-6:00pm."

Also:
"Mammoth Cave Campground is first-come, first-serve from March 1 - May 15 and from September 16 - November 30."

which tends to support the thought that the campground is closed as of Dec 1

unfortunately they did not come right out and say that anywhere I could find - all I found was that the showers would be closed after Nov 30
last edited: 11/28/07 10:05:15 AM”

“You are correct on the campground. I will need to see what I can find out about that. Do you know if the Maples Springs Group Campground is open year round? Do you know of any other opttions for that time of year?

The websites says that the Green River Ferry operates year-round, 6:00am-9:55pm.

Yes, we would be starting at Good Springs Church trailhead.
Hope to see ya there!”

“Hey Windy, can you call me or can I call you ?

I just spoke with park headquarters.”

“you've got mail”

“whew! my ear is hot from keeping the phone!

Okay, at the request of windy, I can advise the following:

The Headquarters campground is now open year round. The park is experminting this year by keeping one loop open to see how much interest they get. The campsites will be given as a first come, first serve basis. The Green River ferry does operate unless conditions cause it to close.

As it stands now, I will probably pick Windy up on my way past Indy on Friday afternoon. We will roll in sometime after dark most likely.

Did I mention everything?”

“Looks like you got everything! Thanks for checking all of that out! I have put in the request for that Friday off. I will see if I get it!”

“I'm in barring silly weather.”

“Hopefully temps during the day get warm enough to wear a kilt”

“January = Shrinkage”

“I am to sexy for shrinkage”

“You have total-body shrinkage......lol”

“I received an e-mail regarding actually going on a tour through Mammoth Cave. If anyone is interested, we could see about doing that sometime. I'm thinking, either early on Saturday Morning or after hiking on Sunday.
Anyone interested?”

“NO fair! I can't be there to witness the kilt. :(”

“Look at it this way, you won't have to witness the shrinkage either.”

“I don't see you as a maybe....come on....you know you wanna!
tax season or no tax season.
last edited: 11/28/07 5:18:00 PM”

“It would be nice to actually see the cave. I've backpacked there twice now and haven't seen it. If it is on Sunday that will make for a LONG day. Hike out, eat, cave, and drive home. It's tough to fit in.”

“Wish I could but I was in a car wreck and injured my sternum. Can't do anything like that for a while, I'm afraid.
last edited: 11/28/07 6:57:21 PM”

“Chin - what would you think about seeing if they have an early tour and do it Saturday Morning before hiking?”

“If Sat morning we might plan on hiking after dark. It will get dark by 5ish.”

“Yeah, it's difficult to get it. They don't even have a schedule posted as of yet for that time of year. It's probably going to be one of those things we will just have to wait and see. I've been in the cave a couple of times and it is pretty cool. If not this trip, there will be others.”

“If you get there by noon on Friday, you should be able to go on a tour in the afternoon.

I may try to make it up on Saturday morning and meet yall on Saturday afternoon/evening. If I can find the campsite, that is. We walked right by it last time.”

“Hey Windy...I may be able to go on this trip. My wife and I just had our third baby so I have been out of commission this fall. If everything is settled as far as all that goes I'm in. I'll probably know something after the holidays. Thanks for the invite. I've been wanting to hike the Mammoth Cave area for awhile now and haven't been able to get down there. Sounds like fun. I have a couple of buddies that may want to go if they are welcome. Let me know.”

“Congrats on the new little one!
Hope you can join us on this trip!”

“Windi,
Thank you for the invite. I will have to wait and see. I'll post something later if I can go.
See ya later.
Randall”

“The tour times posted for the rest of the year will be close to what is offered the weekend we are there. Some times may change, but these changes are not known as of yet.

I did the frozen niagra tour like 11 years ago. If you have never been on a tour of the cave, this was a basic tour and gave you the gist of what the cave is all above.

I don't have a problem taking a tour Saturday morning, however Dave is right. By the time we get on the trail, it will close to noon. This leaves only 4 hours to get to a campsite and get wood for a fire that evening.”

“I noticed on map of the backcountry sites, and new site was added, or at least I think. Ferguson is up in the northern boundry just to the east of the First Creek trail head. Crap, wish this was here 2 years ago. Laura and I could have stayed here instead of driving back over the the campground.”

“I wanna go!!! I have dayhiked much of this area and have been wanting to go backpacking there for a long time now..not too far from me either. :)”

“i definitely recommend a cave tour...my wife and i did one on last years trip...very nice...there are several to choose from but i would imagine the choices are somewhat limited that time of year
last edited: 11/29/07 12:03:11 PM”

“How you been Tim?”

“pretty good...works been kickin me arse, our 1.5 year old son is all over the place and the wife's pregnant with number two due in march...it's a girl...maybe one of these days i can squeeze in another bpacking trip”

“Barbie is due in March as well, scary. What day?

I hear ya on the work and kid thing”

“holy crap...i don't think i knew that or at least if i did i forgot...haven't been on here in a while...congrats...due march 09...you know what you're having?”

“March 21 although she went 2 weeks early with Grace. Don't know the sex although I feel it will be another girl.

Got names picked out?”

“cool, that's my birthday and you can't go wrong with the first day of spring

Ana and Elliot are the leading contenders right now...people keep telling my wife that elliot's a boys name which i think is just driving her more towards using it”

“So far for us

Boy, either Henry or Charles
Girl, either Ameilia or Lucy”

“Boy, either Henry or Charles
Girl, either Ameilia or Lucy”

OK, I get the Charles (Charlie) and Lucy connection. How about Henry and Ameilia???”

“Charles was my grandfather's name.

All the rest we came up with. We want a name that isn't like all the others nowadays.

Barbie likes Lucy because she wants to be able to say, "Lucy, I am home."”

“Well, It is a definate possibility. I have been trying to figure out where I'm going in Jan. Thanks for the invite Windi.”

“Meangreen, I hope you can make it!!!

Gforce - I see you are a maybe. Hope you can make it as well!!!”

“It's a consideration. Mariposa and I were toying with the idea of big south fork in Jan.”

“I will try to make this trip also. I went on a short cave tour on my return from visiting my son in Louisville last month. It was really cool and I got some great pics too. Maybe I can talk my son into going with us, he needs a break from school.”

“I am a weak maybe. Linville is the following week so I just need to get closer to trip time before I can commit.”

“Cool! I'm glad to see people interested.”

“I be a weak maybe. BUT lets hpoe! yo bear!”

“Sorry, but I have to cancel. Took the Jeep in for "slipage" in the transmission. Mechanic just called back and said new seals need to be put in. This requires the whole thing to be pulled out, taken apart and put back together. He is only charging me $750, but I will need to get it done the weekend of this trip.

One of these day I will get to do this walking in the woods thing again.”

“Sorry to hear it. Would you have any time Dec 29th or Dec 30th to do a day trip and help me find the back country campsite?”

“I actually have to work on the 29 and Sunday is already booked up.

The site is pretty easy to find. Just off trail, I believe you walk around the hill the campsite is perched on. The site will be on the west side of the hill, facing the creek.”

“WK - I hear ya. What's walking in the woods again?”