Daniel Boone National Forest: Twin Knobs

After leaving Cedar Creek Winery, I set my google maps to avoid highways, beginning a meandering route along state highways, county roads, and town roads. I didn’t make good time, but the scenery and people-watching were well worth the longer journey.

Headed into the heart of coal country, yard signs told me that “coal keeps the lights on.” As I drove, I listened to Amy Goodman on Democracy Now make the case that continuing down the path of fossil fuels will lead to climate collapse.
I saw a lot of America on that drive: rural poverty, small churches asking support for the troops, big houses behind walls and gates, large mega churches, and dozens of signs proclaiming allegiance to local high school school football teams.

By mid afternoon, I arrived at my destination: Twin Knobs campground in the Daniel Boone National Forest. I didn’t have reservations, but I was able to secure a spot with electric for two nights. Choices were limited. All of the sites are back-in. My site had a slight incline.

Those gouge marks in the driveway aren’t from me but testifies to the challenges of the site. Once I set up camp, everything came up roses.

It was a beautiful clear night with falling temperatures. Twin Knobs is a huge campground. Callie and I got 14;000 steps in just walking the campground loops once.

We ate a light dinner of a small strip steak, sautéed spinach, and a toasted hamburger bun, followed by glasses of porter and an internet radio broadcast of the Packers Bears game.  Public consumption of alcohol is illegal in Kentucky, so we stayed close to the Brew Hut, our current abode.

On the next morning, we slept late (7 am), and then prepared bacon, eggs, potatoes, and coffee. I’m currently drinking a home roasted Ethiopian, taken to just before second crack. Rather than roast coffee on the road this trip, I have two weeks supply and froze enough for the remainder of the journey. If I run out, I’ll look for a good commercial roaster and ask what they roasted that day.

Freshness is more important than origin or degree of roast–almost every time.
After breakfast Callie and I hiked up Twin Knobs. When I thru hiked the Appalachian Trail in my younger days, I was always the first to leave the shelter and be on the trail. As I broke through countless spider webs on the way up Twin Knobs, I was reminded of that disadvantage in being the first on the trail.

When I reached the top of the “observation area”, I was also reminded of the eastern forest’s stinginess in rewarding climbs with views. Trust me, there is a beautiful lake behind the trees.

After the hike, Calle and I sought a less obstructed view.