Landscape: Short Point, Merimbula Australia

Water’s Edge at Short Point
Blue skies, red rocks, and sapphire waters: just another beautiful day on the Far South Coast of New South Wales, Australia.

I am very fortunate: I live in a beautiful little corner of the planet.

I am also a bit lazy, and aside from regular morning walks on my boardwalk (See: A Little Slice of Paradise), I tend to not explore my neighbourhood as much as I should. So, I’m always glad when someone else organises something, nudging me out of my inertia.

My local branch of the National Parks Association of NSW had to cancel their January bush walk because all our parks were closed due to fire danger. Luckily for us, the date of the March meeting fell in that very small window of opportunity between the catastrophic bush fires and damaging storms that followed, and the recent coronavirus lock-down. It was a brief interval during which we could still get together (although already without any hugs, cheek kisses, or any other physical contact) as a group of nature-enthusiasts, and go for a hike.

Our walk co-ordinator chose a short and easy stroll to give participants – most of whom are older, and some of whom are unwell – an opportunity to relax and socialise after what has been an exceptionally difficult summer. Clearly, it was a good choice: we participants spent as much time chatting, debriefing about individual fire experiences, and commiserating over derailed future travel plans, as we did admiring the flora, fauna, and vistas. It was a perfect Autumn day: warm, sunny, and clear.

Join our little group on the short but lovely Mundooi Walk along the Short Point Beach section of the Sapphire Coast:

Walkers reading the signs, entry to Mundooi Walk, Tura Beach Australia

Entry to Mundooi Walk
Initiated by the local Lions Club, this lovely two-kilometre track is enriched by the interpretive signage funded by the Bega Valley Shire Council through project funding to the Tura-Mirador Landcare and Far South Coast Landcare Association.

People on the viewing platform over Short Beach, NSW Australia

View over the Sapphire Coast
From the viewing platform, we can look east over Short Point Beach and the Pacific Ocean, north to Tura Head, …

View over Short Beach, NSW Australia

View over Short Beach
… and south to the coastal communities of Mirador and Merimbula.

Gull on an empty expanse of Short Point Beach, NSW Australia

Gull on Short Point Beach
You could believe yourself to be all alone! However, the path follows the narrow strip of land between the beach and private housing.

Walkers on a path through Myrtle Melaleuca armillaris, Short Point Beach, NSW Australia

Walkers in the Coastal Bushland
We follow the track into the thickly packed stands of bracelet honey myrtle (Melaleuca armillaris). The flowers are finished, but the bush still smells beautifully fresh.

Yellow-tailed black cockatoo in myrtle, NSW Australia

Yellow-Tailed Black Cockatoo
We hear the yellow-tailed black cockatoos (Calyptorhynchus funereus) before we see them cracking seeds high in the myrtle branches overhead.

Yellow-tailed black cockatoo, NSW Australia

Yellow-Tailed Black Cockatoo
Blue skies allow a clearer view of another “cockie” nearby.

Ancient dune, Short Point Beach, NSW Australia

Ancient Dune
The dune on the foreshore here is said to have been formed over 8000 years ago when the sea level was lower. Still standing between 6-8 metres, it is held together by sea-grasses and long-established vegetation.

Back Lake, Short Point Beach, NSW Australia

Back Lake
Back Lake is classed as an ICOLL – an “Intermittently Closed and Open Lake or Lagoon”. The mouth of the lagoon closes over when there is insufficient rainfall to flush the sand out.

Fisherman standing Back Lake, NSW Australia

Fishing in Back Lake
Back Lake is one of the many ICOLLs in this region, providing recreational opportunities for the community, but also raising environmental water-management issues for our local council.

Family on Short Point Beach, NSW Australia

Family on Short Point Beach

Short Point Recreation Reserve overlooking Short Point NSW Australia

Short Point
The grassy lands of Short Point Recreation Reserve overlook the beach …

Rocks on Short Point NSW Australia

Rocks on Short Point
… and the tumbled rocks on the foreshore.

Walkers on the cliffs under Short Point Recreation Reserve, NSW Australia

Walkers on the Cliffs
After lunch on the grass at the Short Point Recreation Reserve, some of us head down the rocky ledge below.

Waves washing over Short Point rocks, NSW Australia

Short Point to Middle Beach
The rocks here are in ancient layers; the waters wash over them. … 

Water on the rocks at Short Point, NSW Australia

Waters on Short Point
… or collect in pools.

Waves washing over Short Point rocks, NSW Australia

Waters on Short Point

Close up: Pocked rock with salt in the crevices, Short Point, NSW Australia

Rough and Rocky Textures
Salt is encrusted in the dried-out pockets in the rocks.

Sooty Oystercatcher on the rocky foreshore, Short Beach NSW Australia

Sooty Oystercatcher
A sooty oystercatcher (Haematopus fuliginosus) prowls the rocky foreshore.

Sooty oystercatchers on the rocky foreshore, Short Beach NSW Australia

Sooty Oystercatchers
There are others on the foamy tide-line, looking for food.

Man rock fishing on Short Point, NSW Australia

Rock Fishing on Short Point
Across the sapphire waters, you can see Middle Beach, and the marks of aeons layered into the colourful rock-face beyond it.

Red Rocks on Short Point, NSW Australia

Red Rocks on Short Point
Rocks along this coastline date back to the Devonian period. They are rust-coloured from iron oxide sediment caused by the rise in oxygen levels created by the world’s first forests.

Walkers on the rocky ledge, Short Point, NSW Australia

Walkers on Short Point
We work our way back along the shelf, …

Rocks on Short Point, NSW Australia

Nature’s Building Blocks
… past giant tumbled boulders, …

Man rock fishing on Short Point, NSW Australia

Lone Fisherman
… and leave the solo fisherman in the sea spray on his rocky promontory.

Whether it was the walk itself, the wonderful weather and beautiful scenery, or the chance to debrief with like-minded people, I returned to my car lighter in spirit.

Text: Stay Well - UrsulaTruly, it was a much-needed breath of fresh air!

Wishing you well as we all batten down.

Pictures: 15March2020

Brekkefossen, Flåm, Norway

Brekkefossen
Just outside the hamlet of Flåm in the fjords of southwestern Norway, the Ljosdøla-Brekkeelvi River drops about 100 metres over the Brekkefossen, or Brekke Falls.

Is there anything more uplifting than a walk in the woods with the sounds of falling water?

The short walk from my accommodation outside the little village of Flåm in southwestern Norway, along the Flåmselvi (Moldåni) River, past bucolic fields and wooden farm houses, into a birch forest and up a mountainside to views over the Brekkefossen Waterfall, was a delightful antidote for what had been a rather stressful arrival into this breathtakingly beautiful area.

For the Flåmsdalen (Flåm Valley) in Norway’s Vestland is stunning. Called a “typical West Norwegian fjord valley”, the actions of sequential glaciers over millions of years have cut their way through the surrounding mountains, creating steep slopes covered in trees that rise to snow-capped peaks and drop to fast-moving waters. The hamlet of Flåm, whose name comes from an Old Norse word meaning “a little place between steep mountains”, sits at the innermost arm of the Aurlandsfjord, a 29-kilometre long fjord that is part of the branching UNESCO-listed Sognefjord system.

Travelling solo and carrying roller-bags that had traversed three continents, I had arrived the the day before into a town better suited to back-packers. The nature of the exclusions on my travel-insurance meant that I was riding the rails across Norway without my husband, who had been called back to Australia prematurely… That’s a long story for some other time, but suffice it to say, in spite of my going to great pains to call ahead from Bergen the day before, the keys to my accommodation were not at the reception office, and the reception office was as far from the train station – and from my pre-paid rooms – as it was possible to be in this tiny town.

But, I was determined to make the best of my day in this incredible environment: I booked an afternoon boat trip into the Nærøyfjord (see: In Aurlandsfjord) and took myself for a morning walk into the woods, following the well-marked maps from the local information centre.

I know that the reference to “Norwegian Wood” in the Beatles song of the same name was a comment on the cheap pine wall-panelling popular in London in the 1960s, and nothing to do with Norway, but I found myself humming all the lines I could remember as I walked up the mountainside and into the beautiful birch forest …

Do join me for a walk in the Norwegian woods!

Brekkefossen, Flåm Railway, Norway

View from the Train
My first sighting of Brekkefossen was from the Flåmsbana, the steep railway down the mountainside from Myrdal to Flam.

Flåm Housing, Norway

Flåm Housing
Flåm is a small village of about 450 people, but gets very busy in summer with tourists. Luckily, at the end of April, the weather was still cool, and the guest- and farm-houses were quiet.

Birch tree trunk in front of a green field, Flåm, Norway

Birch Tree
The fields are green with spring growth, and the trees – fell birch (Betula pubescens ssp. tortuosa), I believe – are beautiful.

Along the Flåmselvi, Flåm, Norway

Along the Flåmselvi
It is a pleasant walk on asphalt up along the Flåm River, which starts as runoff from the Omnsbreen Glacier, and travels 40 kilometres (25 miles) before emptying into the Aurlandsfjord on the other side of town.

Sheep in a Field, Flåm, Norway

Sheep in the Fields
Tidy fields line the other side of the road.

Brekke Gard Hostel GuestHouses, Flåm, Norway

Brekke Gard Hostel
The route takes me back past where I’d had to retrieve my keys the evening before, …

Farmhouse, Flåm, Norway

Flåm Farmhouse
… and past more farms with mossy roof tiles and fresh paint.

Farmhouses, Flåm, Norway

Flåm Farm Buildings
I get my first glimpse of the waterfall over the local farms …

Brekkefossen Waterfall Track, Flåm, Norway

Brekkefossen Track
… before I leave the road and head up a stony track.

Birch trees on mossy ground, Brekkefossen Waterfall Track, Flåm, Norway

Norwegian Woods
The path rises steeply up through the birch trees, and I start to hum:
“I once had a girl – Or should I say she once had me –
She showed me her room – Isn’t it good Norwegian wood?”

Signpost, Brekkefossen Waterfall Track, Flåm, Norway

Signpost
Fences ensure that walkers don’t stray into protected lands.

Flåm Village though the trees, Norway

Flåm Village
Looking back at the village through the trees, I get a real sense of how surrounded by steep mountains it actually is.

Water falling over mossy rocks, Brekkefossen Waterfall Track, Flåm, Norway

Water Falling
The river runs down over mossy rocks at our feet …

Mountains rising, Brekkefossen Waterfall Track, Flåm, Norway

Mountains Rising
… and the mountains rise up through the still winter-bare trees around us.

Taking Photos over the Valley, Brekkefossen Waterfall Track, Flåm, Norway

Taking Photos over the Valley
After about 30 minutes uphill hiking, the trail opens up on a grassy ledge. The views over Flåm and the fjord makes the short, but steep climb, well worth it!

Brekkefossen, Flåm, Norway

Brekkefossen
As the falls come closer, the sound is deafening …

The Bottom of Brekkefossen, Flåm, Norway

The Bottom of Brekkefossen
… and a very faint rainbow is visible in the pool at the bottom.

Flåm Village from the Brekkefossen Waterfall Track, Norway

Flåm Village
It is a stunning spot, and of course, the 2.5 kilometres back to the centre of town are much quicker than the hike up the hill!

Brekkefossen, Flåm Railway, Norway

Brekkefossen from the Train
I got to appreciate the Brekkefossen’s power again from the Flåmsbana the next day as I headed back up the mountain to the main rail line at Myrdal.

What a magical place! And, how restorative is a walk in woods near water…

As we “Socially-Distance” ourselves, I revel in my woods and water. I hope you, too, have a patch of nature within your sphere.

Text: Stay Well - Ursula“And when I awoke I was alone
This bird had flown
So I lit a fire
Isn’t it good Norwegian wood?”

Pictures: 29-30April2018 and 1May2018

Crowded ghats on the Ganges, 2010 Kumbh Mela in Haridwar, India.

On the Ghats
The steps down to the Ganges River are crowded with Hindu faithful who want to access the sacred waters during the auspicious Kumbh Mela in Haridwar, India (13April2010).

Much of the world is currently in lock-down, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic and the inadvisability of being in small spaces with large numbers of people. I currently have two lots of travel insurance – and travel plans – that are functionally worthless as countries spiral into panic and wonder how their already-stretched health systems will cope.

So, as Australia locks its borders and limits gatherings to less than ten people, I can’t help but think back to a time when I was part of one of the largest masses of human movement on the planet: a Kumbh Mela in India.

The Kumbh Mela (or Kumbha Mela) is a Hindu religious festival that is celebrated four times every 12 years. The tradition is attributed to the 8th-century Indian philosopher Shankara who wanted religious ascetics and holy men to meet for periodic discussion and debate. The location rotates around four pilgrimage places on four sacred rivers: Haridwar on the Ganges River, Ujjain on the Shipra, Nashik on the Godavari, and Prayag (Allahabad) at the confluence of the Ganges, the Yamuna (Jamuna), and the mythical Sarasvati

The sacredness of these four locations is rooted in ancient Hindu texts, particularly the samudra manthana (Sanskrit: समुद्रमन्थन, churning of the ocean). Long before our time, gods and demons fought continuously over the pot (kumbha) of amrita, the elixir of immortality that is produced by their joint churning up of the milky ocean of creation. In the course of their struggle, drops of the elixir fell on those four earthly sites. When the Sun, the Moon, and Jupiter line up over the respective sites, the associated rivers turn back into that primordial nectar, giving pilgrims the chance to bathe in the essence of purity, auspiciousness, and immortality.

So, the pilgrims come – they come from all over, carrying kumbhs (water pots) or other containers to carry water from the sacred rivers home with them. They come on foot. They come by tuk tuk or bicycle or car. They come by train – as we did when I attended the 2010 Kumbh Mela in Haridwar with photographers Gavin Gough and Matt Brandon. (Being piled into an over-night second-class rail carriage across India gave me plenty of stories to tell, but is not an experience I would repeat or recommend.) For days, they keep coming.

The dates of the mela are determined by the Holy men, who measure the astrological positions for the site whose mela it will be: the holiest time is the exact moment when the Sun, the Moon, and Jupiter, are fully aligned. On April 14th 2010 – the day after these particular pictures were taken – approximately 10 million people bathed in the Ganga Mata (Mother Ganges) in Haridwar.

This is not the first time I’ve returned to this old set of photo-files (see: Faces in the Crowd), but digging through the archives and dusting off some of the pictures I made of the exuberantly smiling faces during this mass-gathering seemed like a good way of making lemonade out the lemons the world is currently throwing at us.

Enjoy!

Bicycle on the move against blurry walking people, Haridwar India

Bicycle on the Move
Being on a main artery into the Haridwar city centre gave me and my old camera a chance to practice panning. (Canon 7D, ISO100, 34mm, f/3.2, 1/40 sec.)

Motorcycle on the move against blurry walking people, Haridwar India

Motorcycle on the Move
This is such a common sight – people without helmets squashed onto small motorcycles, with female passengers riding pillion on the back. (Canon 7D, ISO100, 25mm, f/4.0, 1/40 sec.)

Over-full tuk tuk on the road, Haridwar India

Tuk-Tuk on the Road
Most vehicles are filled to over-capacity. (Canon 7D, ISO100, 24mm, f/4.5, 1/40 sec.)

Over-full cycle rickshaw on the road, Haridwar India

Cycle Rickshaw
I can’t help but feel sorry for the poor rickshaw operators … (Canon 7D, ISO100, 32mm, f/3.5, 1/40 sec.)

Over-full cycle rickshaw on the road, Haridwar India

Rickshaw on the Road
… with their heavy loads of passengers. (Canon 7D, ISO100, 24mm, f/8.0, 1/40 sec.)

Women in saris squatting at a shopfront, Haridwar India

Colours of India
The roadside shops are busy, as pilgrims – in their white shirts and colourful saris – stop for a break and a masala chai.

Portrait: Hindu couple on the road, Haridwar India

Couple
Most people on the road were happy to stop and chat …

Portrait of a woman in a maroon ghoonghat, Haridwar India

Woman in a Ghoonghat
… and many insisted on having their pictures taken.

Two men on a fruit stand, Haridwar India

Fruit Sellers
Colour and texture is all around, in the walls …

Portrait of a woman in a orange ghoonghat, Haridwar India

Woman in a Ghoonghat
… and in the faces and clothing.

Portrait of a smiling girl in pink, Haridwar India

Girl in Pink
Smiles are everywhere.

Portrait: smiling pilgrim in a lacy ghoonghat, Haridwar India

Pilgrim in Lace

Crowd in the street walking into Haridwar, India

Walking into Haridwar
And the crowd keeps moving, …

Men in the street walking into Haridwar, India

Men on the Move
… walking towards the sacred river.

Portrait: Sadu in orange, Haridwar India

Sadu Pilgrim in Orange
You can stop for blessings along the road. Notice the copper kumbh sitting on the mat – this sadhu has already collected some sacred water.

Men in the street walking into Haridwar, India

Men on the Road

Portrait of a young girl, Haridwar India

Young Girl
Pilgrims come in all ages.

Buildings on the Ganges, Haridwar India

Buildings on the Ganges

Hindu men preparing offerings for the Mother Ganga, Haridwar India

Preparing Offerings
At the ghats on the river …

Hindu man preparing offerings for the Mother Ganges, Haridwar India

Man with Offerings
… people are preparing ritual offerings …

Hindu men preparing offerings for the Mother Ganges, Haridwar India

Ganga Mata
… with which to worship the Mother Ganges.

People on the ghats under a bridge over the Ganges, Haridwar India

Bridge over the Ganges
Whole stretches of river are packed with worshipers …

People in the Ganges, Haridwar India

In the Ganges
… who come to bathe in the fast running waters of the river. The chain-link fence keeps people from being swept away.

Giant Shiva statue overlooking crowds of worshippers, Haridwar India

Shiva Watching
A 30.5 m (100 ft) statue of Lord Shiva watches over the worshipers on Har ki Pauri ghats.

People crossing a bridge over the Ganges, Haridwar India

Crossing a Bridge over the Ganges
The flood of humanity continues across the river …

Giant Shiva statue overlooking crowds on a bridge, Haridwar India

Shiva on the Ganges
… under Shiva’s watch. Haridwar is a holy town, as its name illustrates: Hari (meaning God) and Dwar (Gate).

Such a crush of humanity!

And, for the most part, a happy and positive crowd. There was an episode the following day where five people were killed in a stampede; while that is – of course – tragic, given the millions of people present, the odds were still good.

Sign-Off-NamasteBetter than the odds that we seem to be confronting at the moment as we face down an invisible viral foe in social isolation.

I wish you well however you are riding out the next months.

Namaste!

Photos: 13April2010

Propylaeum of the Sanctuary of Zeus, Jerash, Jordan

Columns Rising
Built during the second century CE, the Propylaeum (temple entrance) of the Sanctuary of Zeus in Jerash, Jordan, still rises up in graceful beauty – in defiance of over 2000 years of looting, erosion, and earthquakes.

“What did the Romans ever do for us?”

I love that line from Monty Python’s Life of Brian and have thought it appropriate in many circumstances. Naturally, it came to mind when I was wandering through the magnificent Roman ruins of JerashAncient Gerasa or Garshu – in northern Jordan. These extensive ruins, so far away from the epicentre of the Roman City-State, are an imposing illustration of one of the greatest empires the world has seen.

I’m not a great student of history, and most of what I know about the Roman Empire comes from the Colleen McCullough Masters of Rome historical novels. But, wandering across archaeological sites as far-flung as South Wales (i.e.: Caerleonwatch this space!) and the south of France (see: Ancient History: Nîmes) and Spain (see: Layers: Cartagena and Málaga) brings history to life, and makes me marvel at the magnitude of Roman rule.

Of course, the ancient Romans impacted more than just landscape: they influenced our modern military, political, legal, and social institutions, as well as leaving their mark on Western language, literature, art, infrastructure, and city-planning. But, it is in the remains of roads, aqueducts, and buildings constructed around two thousand years ago, that their reach is made visible.

Jerash has been called“Pompeii of the East” because it is so well-preserved, thanks to the dry regional climate: it is considered to be one of the best preserved sites of Roman architecture outside Italy. A marble plaque at the entrance tells the visitor: Jerash was founded during the fourth century B.C. under the Alexander of Macedon, even though there is evidence of the site having been continuously settled from the Neolithic Period (10,000–4,500 BCE).

The Roman Emperor Trajan (98-117 CE) incorporated the city of Jerash into the newly established Roman province of Arabia in 106 CE. Under Roman rule, the city entered a golden age of development and prosperity, and when Emperor Hadrian (117-138 CE) visited in CE 130, the city had grown to a population of 20,000. Many of the ruins we see today were built in preparation for that visit. The local architect Diororas is credited with the revolutionary construction techniques used to erect the vaulted domes of the South Theatre and the entrance to the Temple of Zeus.

The site itself is huge – and predominantly without shade or good signposting. I only visited about half of the ruins: I wish I’d had a paper map! I had to be back at an appointed time, and I had no sense of how far some of the temples I didn’t visit were.

Even so, I marvelled at everything I did see and explore. There is something awe-inspiring about walking through structures that were part of people’s lives so many year ago.

The Arch of Hadrian, Jerash Jordan

The Arch of Hadrian
Entry to the extensive ruins of ancient Gerasa are through the 11-metre high triple-arched gateway. Built to honour the visit of Roman Emperor Hadrian to the city in the winter of AD 129–130, it was originally twice the height and probably had three wooden doors.

Roof Detail : Arch of Hadrian
Major reconstruction was conducted on the arch in 2005: the repaired detailing is quite beautiful.

Fallen Cornice, inside Jerash Jordan

Fallen Cornice
Immediately inside the ancient outpost, examples of beautifully carved stone lie around waiting for the next restoration project.

Ancient Mosaic Tiles: Church of Marianos , Jerash Jordan

Ancient Mosaic Tiles
The beautifully restored mosaic floor of the Church of Marianos (AD 570 -749) is a lovely example of the decor in the Byzantine churches of the time.

Outside the walls of the Hippodrome, Jerash Jordan

Outside the Hippodrome
Although not as big as the one in Rome, the Hippodrome in Jerash is the best preserved example in the world.

Horse and Handler, Hippodrome, Jerash Jordan

Horse and Handler
Inside the hippodrome, there are a few dainty horses with their young handlers.

Greenery over arched window, Jerash Jordan

Nooks and Crannies
The greenery is a welcome break: the site is is very hot, with the sun bouncing off the stones and bricks and tiles all around us.

Temple of Zeus on a hill, Jerash Jordan

Temple of Zeus
Temple ruins dominate the horizon around us.

South Gate, Jerash Jordan

South Gate
Originally, there were four gates through the city wall into the city proper; this gate at the south was probably built in AD 130.

Arch entry beyond the South Gate, Jerash Jordan

Arch Entry
The 3.5km-long boundary walls surround a square kilometre of the ancient city.

Rocks and Columns, South Theatre, Jerash Jordan

Rocks and Columns

Tourists in the plaza in front of the South Theatre, Jerash Jordan

Rubble and Ruins
The renovation work is ongoing around the South Theatre.

Inside the South Theatre, Jerash Jordan

South Theatre
Inside the South Theatre, which held over 3,000 spectators, …

Portrait: Jordanian Bagpiper, the South Theatre, Jerash Jordan

Piper in the Theatre
… we get a sense of the wonderful acoustics when the Jordanian Bagpipe Band starts playing. I thought the pipes were originally Turkish, but there are those who claim they are a Roman invention.

Latin inscriptions in stone, South Theatre, Jerash Jordan

Inscriptions – South Theatre
The theatre was supported by the rich, and inscriptions in Latin denote who has sponsored any given section of seating.

Woman seated in the Oval Plaza, South Theatre, Jerash Jordan

On the Phone
Surrounded by 56 columns – each made from four blocks of stone – the oval-shaped plaza outside the South Theatre makes a good resting spot for visitors.

Columns on the hill, Jerash Jordan

Columns on the Hill
More columns lead into the Temple of Zeus.

Columns ruins and cornice pieces, Temple of Zeus, Jerash Jordan

Columns and Cornice
Up on the Temple of Zeus, the fallen ornaments are as interesting as those still on the columns.

Carved Cornice, Temple of Zeus, Jerash Jordan

Carved Cornice
The details of the fallen cornice pieces are beautiful …

View over the Oval Plaza and modern Jerash from the Temple of Zeus, Jerash Jordan

Oval Plaza and Modern Jerash
… and the views over the colonnaded Oval Plaza and towards the new city are wonderful.

Carved Stone, Jerash Jordan

Lines and Curves

People on the Cardo Maximus, Jerash Jordan

Cardo Maximus
There is something about walking on a Roman road: knowing you are on diagonal paving slabs that were laid two millennia ago! It is a tribute to Roman engineering that these streets are still intact.

Columns and Walls, Jerash Jordan

Columns and Walls

Carved Wall Detail, Jerash Jordan

Wall Detail
Every where you look, there are beautifully carved details on columns, or in the niches in the walls.

With more time, I would have explored the rest of the site, but what I did visit was amazing.

Text: Happy Travels

It is hard to believe that the people of the Roman Empire walked those same roads…

Until next time,

Wishing you Happy Travels!

Pictures: 19October2019

Bridge over the Upper Falls, Hocking Hills State Park Ohio USA

Upper Falls
The waterfalls that dot the Hocking Hills State Park are easily accessible via a network of walking trails. The bridge over the Upper Falls is a charming extension of the beautiful cliffs of Black Hand Sandstone either side.

Hocking Hills State Park, in the American state of Ohio, comprises 2,356 acres (9.53 km2) of caves, waterfalls, trees, and hiking trails. The park is known for the dramatic geologic features that, over the aeons, have carved themselves into the surrounding Black Hand Sandstone.

Black Hand Sandstone is the name given to an early Mississippian (about 355 million years old) coarse, sometimes conglomeratic, quartz sandstone. Endemic to Ohio, this massive sandstone rock was named for a location (Black Hand Gorge on the Licking River) rather than for its colour – which ranges from tan to orange. (If you are into geology, the Time Scavengers blog on Black Hand Sandstone includes a wealth of detail and illustrative photos.)

Hocking Hills State Park has over 40 kilometres (25 miles) of hiking trails that criss-cross through six distinctly different natural areas, each featuring magnificent natural sandstone rock formations. The Park itself sits within a larger network of nine State Parks and Nature Preserves, three State Forests, and a National Forest, meaning that visitors are spoiled for choice.

Fortunately, we had the advantage of local knowledge!

My husband and I were visiting relatives living about an hour and a half away from the entrance to the Park. On a lovely summer Sunday afternoon, we strolled around the most popular walk: the 10 kilometre (6 mile) Old Man’s Cave Hiking Trail loop. This is a lovely trail, which includes a lot of steps, but meanders through beautiful hemlock and beech trees, taking in a magnificent landscape of cliffs, caves, and waterfalls. We included a section of the Grandma Gatewood Trail to Cedar Falls, and so were on a portion of the much longer Buckeye Trail, which is in turn, part of two national systems: the North Country Scenic Trail and America’s Discovery Trail.

Join me for a lovely afternoon walk:

Old Man

Old Man’s Cave Trail
From the carpark, our trail winds down through tall trees into a dark gorge …

Stone bridge, Old Man

Stone Bridge over Old Man’s Creek
… that was carved deep through the sandstone by Old Man’s Creek over the millennia.

Lower Falls, Old Man

Lower Falls and Old Man’s Cave
Black Hand Sandstone is made up of almost pure quartz sand and pebbles that is resistant to erosion. The softer middle portions of the rock have weathered more, resulting in recesses and rock-shelter caves all through this area. Brothers Nathaniel and Pat Rayon, came to the region in 1795 and lived in this cave briefly, but the cave was named for the hermit Richard Rowe who lived and died here in the early 1800s.

Lower Falls, Old Man

Lower Falls
It is a beautiful and dramatic landscape of gorges and overhangs; waterfalls are common where the Black Hand Sandstone is exposed.

Moss covered rocks, Old Man

Mossy Rocks

Stone bridge, Old Man

Another Stone Bridge
These old weathered stone bridges help to illustrate how long the park has been popular.

Cedar Falls, Hocking Hills State Park, Ohio

Cedar Falls
Queer Creek tumbles 15 metres (50 feet) into a pond below. Cedar Falls is the largest waterfall by volume in the Hocking Hills region. Towering eastern hemlocks (not cedars, as the early settlers misidentified them) stretch up all around us.

Tree Roots, Old Man

Roots and Reflections

Stone Bridge on the Buckeye Trail, Hocking Hills State Park, Ohio

Stone Bridge on the Buckeye Trail

People climbing a stairway, Hocking Hills State Park, Ohio

Stairs and Pathways
All of the stairways are winding; many are steep.

Caves in the Overhangs, Hocking Hills State Park, Ohio

Caves in the Cliffs
If you look at the two tiny walkers on the path here, you can get a sense of how massive the cliffs and overhands are, and the height of the stately trees.

People on a stairway, Hocking Hills State Park, Ohio

More Stairs

Young girl taking a selfie, Hocking Hills State Park, Ohio

Young Girl and her Selfie
Visitors of all ages take advantage of the beautiful surrounds to take pictures.

Water on a rocky creek bed, Hocking Hills State Park, Ohio

Patterns in the Rocks
For years, water has worked it’s way into cracks and crevices

Moss and ferns on sandstone rock, Hocking Hills State Park, Ohio

Moss and Ferns
Moisture and low light along the creek bed promotes the growth of moss and ferns.

Silhouette of a man walking our of a dark tunnel, Hocking Hills State Park, Ohio

Out of the Tunnel

A-Frame and Step Bridge, Hocking Hills State Park, Ohio

A-Frame and Step Bridges

Concrete Step Bridge, Hocking Hills State Park, Ohio

Step Bridge
The stepped bridge on the Old Man’s Cave – Cedar Falls Loop Hike is made of independent concrete pillars with cantilevered platforms attached.

Bridge with green railings, Hocking Hills State Park, Ohio

Another Bridge
Every bridge we cross is unique and different!

Man and child in front of holes in Black Hand Sandstone, Hocking Hills State Park, Ohio

Holes in the Rocks
All around us, crevices and caves have been carved into the rocks.

Devil

Devil’s Bathtub
The Devil’s Bathtub is one of the more dramatic features along the Old Man’s Cave Trail: more than one log has been sucked into this vortex over the years!

Two young women in the water under the Upper Falls, Hocking Hills State Park, Ohio

Under the Upper Falls
Technically, paddling and swimming are not allowed in State Parks, but plenty of people enjoy cooling off at the waterways.

Upper Falls, Old Man

Upper Falls
The Upper Falls are not huge, but they are magically pretty.

An American beech tree with Initials and hearts carved into it, Hocking Hills State Park, Ohio

Initials on an American Beech Tree
Wherever you go in the world, people feel the need to leave their mark!

"Do Not Enter" tape on a conifer trunk, Hocking Hills State Park, Ohio

“Do Not Enter”
Some trails are off-limits.

Orange fungus on a conifer trunk, Hocking Hills State Park, Ohio

Fungus on a Tree Trunk

Water Flume, Hocking Hills State Park, Ohio

Water Flume
For the sake of our youngest walker, we stopped at the Hocking Hills Gem Mine.

Family sluicing a pan in the water flume, Hocking Hills State Park, Ohio

Panning for Treasures
At the ‘Gem Mine’, rough that has been purchased at the shop can be sluiced using pans that are supplied, …

Child

Arrowhead and Gems
… and flint arrowheads and precious gems can be recovered.

Text: Happy Walking!

We drove home with good memories, lots of photos, a few precious gems, and an ancient flint arrowhead.

Not bad for an afternoon walk in an exceptionally pretty place!

Until next time,

Happy Walking!

Photos: 16June2013

  • cindy stein - August 11, 2020 - 12:50 am

    Love it thereReplyCancel

    • Ursula - August 18, 2020 - 4:05 am

      Thanks for your visit, Cindy. It’s a great place, isn’t it. 😀ReplyCancel