After
our expedition into the cave, we went in search of an above-ground adventure in Mammoth Cave National Park that would give us a taste of the region, and found this in Cedar Sink Trail. A
short walk leads to the lip of a giant depression, at the very bottom of which
is a glimpse of an underground river as it briefly emerges into the sunlight. From
the Highway 422 trailhead it was 0.6 miles on the spur trail to the
intersection with the loop that descends down into the sink. Several short spur
trails in the sink allowed hikers to view various natural features before the
loop takes you back up the other side and circles around on the rim of the sink.
I believe the total mileage to be somewhere around 1.6 miles, including the
several flights of stairs.
|
yellow trout lily |
The
small body of water visible in the sink is a section of the Hawkins-Logsdon
underground river system, which stretches dozens of miles before surfacing,
then disappearing again into the bluff to continue its journey to the Green
River (which it meets at Turnhole Bend). Sinks are essential to the cave
ecosystem, as organic matter is washed into the cave providing nutrients to the
underground ecosystem.
Our
visit to the sink corresponded to the rebirth of the forest floor after the
cold winter. The sink was carpeted in wildflowers, dozens of different species
in a plethora of colors painting a gorgeous canvas on our morning hike. On our
way out we noticed smaller sinks, deer trails, animal tracks and more beautiful
flora.
|
Catesby's trillium |
|
celandine poppy |
|
common blue violet |
|
cutleaf toothwort |
|
immature ferns |
|
fire pink |
|
Halberd-leaf yellow violet |
|
mayapple |
|
ragwort |
|
rattlesnake plantain |
|
red trillium |
|
rue anemone |
|
wild blue phlox |
|
this one is so familiar, but I couldn't place it... |
|
star chickweed |
|
spring beauty |
|
saxifrage |
It was
easy to get lost in the beautiful spring landscape on this short, but
educational hike. Other than a ranger, a few people taking photographs of the
trout lilies and a couple of families out for a hike, the woods were quiet and
still – I imagine most of the crowds stick to the underground tours and Green
River hikes. However, this relative ‘wildness’ gives a false sense of security –
not far away the National Park boundary marks the beginning of private lands,
and although the underground rivers don’t recognize these boundaries,
pollutants do. Contamination from agriculture, transportation corridors and
residential developments pose serious threats to the fragile underground
habitat of the cave rivers.
Upon
our return to the trailhead we settled down for a picnic lunch before
continuing our exploration of the above-ground portion of Mammoth Cave National
Park. Next was a stop at Turnhole Bend, to see where the river that runs
through the Cedar Sink joins the Green River.
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