I've Been to the Mountaintop

Not to disrespect Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous statement, but now I've been to the mountaintop too.

Brush Mountain, that is.

The Cumberland Gap National Park straddles Kentucky and Virginia. On our side, the mountains are steep and the valleys are low (Wasn't that a Motown song?). The path we and our horses took to the top was the same road that visitors take in National Park vans to get to Hensley settlement. Steep steep steep... but flanked left and right with gorgeous forest floors and ravines covered in boulders, and topped with the red, green and gold of autumn leaves.

For us riding flatlander horses from the Bluegrass area, climbing the mountain was a read sweat-inducing, huffing puffing exertion for the horses. At least it was for my somewhat overweight Morab gelding. He really wanted to sprint to the top to get it over with, but because I insisted on a walk, we stopped frequently to allow him to catch his breath. True to his Arabian and Morgan blood, he was anxious to keep going, and other than the sweat covering his chest and haunches, seemed none the worse for wear when we reached the top.

It was one of those unforgettable days of clear blue sies, sun and cool temperatures, a "10" on a scale from 1 to 10 for trail riding weather. Our friends from Harlan County, moving along on fit and seasoned Quarter Horses and gaited horses, told us trail stories, of the crazy horse that threw his rider and then threatened to run off a cliff, but changed direction at the last minute and charged down the trail directly into the side of another horse... of seeing bear scat but not the actual bear, and of training young horses using the "wet saddleblanket" approach.

At the top, we passed Hensley Settlement - which for me is a bit creepy as the ghosts of the settlement inhabitants still lurk there, kindly asking you to leave them alone. Continuing on to Martin's Fork campground, a cozy open spot tucked into the forest just below the ridgeline, grassy tent sites, an old cabin, corrals and tie-ups for horses, an outhouse, and a few picnic tables. A creek runs just below it which had just a trickle this day due to the drought all of Kentucky has experienced.

We broke out our lunch - snacks really - apples, peanut butter crackers, granola bars, and water. Horses were tied up to relax and we sat around the cabin appreciating a few minutes out of the saddle.

It doesn't get any better then this. Perfect weather, good friends, forest surroundings, healthy tired feeling, something to eat and drink. This is the mountaintop of human existence. If you haven't been there... you need to do it before your time is up.