Red River Gorge (Kentucky) Backpacking - February 2020
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 25 มี.ค. 2020
- Prior to 2020 I had never hiked, or had any interest in hiking, a winter backpacking trip. But this video documents my third hike of the 2020 season and my third-ever winter backpacking trip. Unlike my first two 2020 hikes, and winter hikes, this one featured some ‘real’ winter weather.
For this trip I teamed up with All Things Outdoors (@All Things Out Doors), Backpacking with Jason (@Backpacking With Jason), The World According to Goat (@The World According to Goat), Jeremiah Stringer Hikes (@Jeremiah Stringer Hikes), and Matt to do another hike in the Red River Gorge Geological Area southeast of Lexington, Kentucky.
The trip was planned to be a 3-day, 2-night trip in two parts. The plan for the first day was start with a packless day hike to Copperas Falls followed by a full-pack hike up to the Eagles Nest buttress for the first night of camping. The second day plan was a hike back to the cars and then driving over to the Bison Way trailhead, followed by a hike up the Indian Staircase bypass to the 2nd night’s campsite.
Unfortunately, my old trooper dog Jaden, a veteran of many of these youtube videos over the last ten years, didn’t fare well on this hike. He survived the difficult first day ok, but it was clear by the time we headed to the tent at the end of day #1 that all was not well. By the morning of day #2 he clearly wasn’t feeling well and it was starting to become obvious that this trip would be shortened. When we arrived back at the cars I did decide to bail out. Upon returning home I was fortunately able to get Jaden into the vet immediately and it was found that he had a badly abscessed tooth. The vet extracted it immediately and Jaden is now back to 100% (or at least as close to 100% as a 15-year-old Lab can get!).
Even with a shortened trip it was still a great hike. We experienced the spectacular Clifty Falls Wilderness area of the Red River Gorge, featuring Copperas Falls and the Eagles Nest, and that night around the fire with a great group of fellow TH-camrs with the snow coming down was one I will remember forever.
For those who have watched my other videos this one is done in the same style - about 40 minutes in length, intended to bring the audience along for the 'ride', and with a still picture slide show with music at the end. If you just have a few minutes skip to the end and enjoy the pictures.
Equipment / Gear List:
Still and Video Camera: Nikon Z6 amzn.to/3dHJvni
Lens: Nikkor 24mm f1.8 Z-mount lens amzn.to/2QZqNOo
Tripod: Sirui T-025X carbon fiber tripod amzn.to/3bH3Rvg
Camera shoulder clip: Peak Designs Capture clip system amzn.to/2wRdusp
Video Editing Software: Vegas Pro 16 amzn.to/2X5dKyu
Pack: REI Flash 55
Tent: Nemo Meta2P
Sleeping Bag: Zpacks 20degF Sleeping Bag
Sleeping Pad: Therm-A-Rest NeoAir X-Therm amzn.to/2yjrUlj
Sleeping Pad: Therm-A-Rest NeoAir XLite amzn.to/39zju6v
Pillow: Exped Air Pillow UL amzn.to/2WYE5hZ
Stove: JetBoil Flash amzn.to/3azKRi7
Stove: MSR PocketRocket 2 amzn.to/3dPtOL5
Pot: MSR Titan titanium 0.9L kettle amzn.to/3bF1RDB
Headlamp: Black Diamond Spot amzn.to/2R0JvoW
Buff: Merino wool Buff amzn.to/3dCYHSC
Recharging Battery: Anker 3500mAH ‘lipstick’ charger amzn.to/2URI7G3
Camp Chair: Helonix Chair Zero amzn.to/2xzbwgh
Camp Shoes: Xero Shoes Z-Trek amzn.to/3bA3X7I
Wet Wipes: Survivorware Wet Wipes amzn.to/2JwbQ2e
TH-cam channel links:
All Things Out Doors: / jlrodef
Backpacking with Jason: / @backpackingwithjason
Jeremiah Stringer Hikes: / wkujman
The World According To Goat: th-cam.com/channels/Tn_.html...
I very much enjoyed your snow camping adventure! Jaden and Bailey are delightful! Thank you so much!
Man seeing that waterfall brings back some fond memories of my teenage years, used to go up there every weekend with some friends, and chill out in the pool during the summer, then i moved out of stanton. Seeing the falls brought back some really good memories. Love the video.
It was an absolute pleasure to share the trail with you David. The work that you put into taking care of those pups on the trail is truly remarkable. Those were some absolutely fantastic times by a campfire. Great video and still shots as always!
Thank you, Jeremy, and thank you as well for inviting me to join you guys. What a great group of hiking partners. I agree that that night around the fire with the snow coming down, feasting on one type of 'real food' after another, was one for the memory banks. It's nights like that which are starting to convert me over to the 'joys' of winter backpacking! Can't wait for our next hike.
Such an amazing time! Glad we all got to hang together and get some quality time in the woods. Can’t wait to get out again with you and the crew 🙌
It was great to hike with you, Jeremiah - well... sit around the fire and eat your fruity pebble rice crispy treats! (yum) - since you got in a little late that first night. Still can't believe you found us in the dark - amazing. Looking forward to our next hike.
Thanks for taking us along. Much love from Kentucky! Stay safe and healthy, everyone!
I had a blast backpacking with you David and getting to show you some of the Red River Gorge. You and the pups did a great job hiking some off the rough terrain. Can’t wait to go backpacking with you again. Maybe next time Linville Gorge. 👍👍
Remember some of the best trails are off trail 😁😁
I had a great time with you guys, and thank you very much for being the 'tour director' and sharing your wealth of knowledge about the Gorge and Clifty Wilderness. Linville Gorge for sure - can't wait.
@@davidgrayin Being from NC that is a great choice.. Beautiful and rugged part of NC. Do a little fishing as you will be camping by the steam. Real easy to catch some trout!
@@davidgrayin It's always been my wish for my favorite videographer to film my favorite hiking area. I can't wait for you to come to the gorge. Just remember, gorge miles are different than regular miles!
Great footage as you showed us more beauty of the Gorge. Watched your vids for years and they never disappoint. Thanks for sharing the trip, always love your outstanding stills at the end. Hope Jaden has recovered!
Always an enjoyable trip following you, love watching your vids and the dogs. The guys you were with all fantastic fellow hikers, gotta love it. And of course, can't wait until the next one!
What a good group to hike with! The gorge is an amazing place
Glad to know you’re out there. Love that place !
The waterfall angles. WOW. : )
The Eagles Nest, HOLY ####
Well done David!
Excitement started early on with the black ice 😬 Great video, David. Snowy night in camp, beautiful waterfall and route finding all thrown in for a fun outing. Love seeing the pups and how you always take care if them on trail and in camp. Thanks for sharing.
Back in the 90's our group was out there several times a year. We would "car camp", spending the whole day and good chunk of the night, hiking. It was really great to get back to the car and setup camp (no campfires). So much easier. Pity its not allowed anymore (technically never was but tolerated). All the good spots to car camp are now blocked off anyway. It allowed all day hiking due to not carrying camping gear. We would use large fold up maps and compass only. over a period of 7 years we covered a good chunk of the main RR gorge area. Off trail in the more remote areas was challenging in the valley areas due to huge patches of Rhododendron, that in some spots had to be crawled through. On unfamiliar ridge tops was the constant dead ends. Summer time on the ridges meant a constant lookout for snakes. Still would love to hike a ridge top trail again over grown by Blueberry bushes, swarming with Bees. ;)
Thanks for taking us with you on YOUR trip.
This was a GREAT backpacking/camp out video. Too many TH-camrs fail to film how much fun it is to hang out around a nice warm fire with friends after a day of hiking. You nailed it with this video!
Always makes my day to see a David Gray video! Looked like a very challenging but beautiful trip!
Glad to see someone using a silky saw
Joseph Flowers I always carry my silky saw 👍
Looks like an awesome trip! Thanks for sharing your experience with us
Looks like you had a great trip with some great people! Makes me hungry to get back outdoors! I'm glad to hear Jaden is OK. He truly loves hiking with you! Take care my friend!
Really enjoyed watching this video. I hope Jaden is doing better and feeling better. hopefully we will see him on more videos. Always love when your videos pop up. Keep them coming.
Nice to see you back out there. Hope the pup is feeling better.
Beautiful area and another nice video of you're trip. I really like you're hiking companions, the Labs that is...the other guys, they're okay too.
Nice job David. Looked like a beautiful & strenuous hike! Hope Jaiden is ok. Great photos at the end.
Great video. Hope Jaden is well. Thanks for yet another great video. Best Wishes.
Nice job as always!!!!
Great video! Wonderful evening and great company. Greetings from GREECE
Great Video. We can't wait to visit Red River Gorge. Let us know when you want to come to Georgia and the Trail Guyz will be glad to take you to see some of the peach state's finest trails. See you down the trail!
Great video David, just what I needed for an escape from what is going on in the country now. Phenomenal video around 22:45, with the snow in front of the fire. I have never seen anything like that!
Yeah, I know! That snowy stuff around the fire was just awesome. We were all warm (including doggies), sipping a little adult beverage, eating 'real food' like I've never eaten on a backpacking trip, and just sharing one great story after another. That night may just have convinced me that winter backpacking isn't all that bad!
Amazing video ! :) Thank you very much. All your videos so interesting.
Hey Thanks I appreciate the blisters on this one
Very beautiful, Next simmer my gold is to visit there
Really nice to see this! Great hike! Go pups! Hoping Jaden is doing well - the trail looked rough for him at times! Good for the stress level these days! Thank you!
Hi Elizabeth. Jaden is once again doing great. It turned out he had a badly infected tooth that had likely been causing him some issues for weeks/months. I was able to get him into the vet as soon as we got home, they pulled the tooth, got him on antibiotics, and he is back to 100%. He is ready for our next hike, whenever that might be with all this virus chaos (hopefully soon!).
Beautiful area. My wife and Iwere planning on being there this weekend . Plans changed and we will be staying home in SE Ohio. We really enjoy your videos.
Great camping trip as always..I hope Jaden is feeling better.
Great video ...thanks for sharing and glad Jaden recovered! Looks like an area I'll have to visit before 2021 winter ends. So far this winter I've done overnighters at Smokey Mountains and Charles Deam winter camping and looking to do a multi night hike and camp.
Hey David, I’m anxious for your next video. Hopefully you’re going on some cool trips this year. Hope all is well.
I truly enjoy your videos, your photography is relly good.
Thanks for sharing. I felt bad for Jaden,hpe he has a few more years of hiking with you.
What a trooper Jaden was on the hike back down, carrying on even with a bad tooth! Such a wonderful dog! (Yes, Bailey is also lovely too!). Really enjoyed the video, David. Hopefully it won't be too long before the three of you can get out on the trails again!
Thank you for that. Both dogs are again doing fine and banging out the miles on our daily 'training' hikes. I was actually supposed to be in the Lions Head campsite at Dolly Sods (WV) - with the dogs- as I type this tonight, but sadly, like so many things in all our lives nowadays, we had to cancel. Bummer, but certainly understandable. We'll get back out on the trails as soon as we can all get this COVID thing behind us.
Looked like a nice camping trip! sureit was fun with those guys. I would be freezing if I camped in the snow. Tat was cool to see it snowing. New friend here, thank you for sharing
This place is truly breathtaking from the top of natural bridge
Every time I see a Red River Gorge video it reminds me of the Sipsey Wilderness in Alabama. Beautiful.
17:35 nope nope nope nope
Yep Yep Yep Yep...everything before 17:35
I'm completely with you on that. Even watching that spot on the video gave me the heebies. I can't imagine someone going to that spot and saying 'you know, I'm just going to climb on down there!'. I was actually holding the camera as far out at arms length as I could to get that shot because I didn't want to get anywhere near it.
@@GoneFeralWithSquidly Your right but 17:35 actually looks like another spot in Alabama, Little River Canyon National Reserve.
John Eagerton you are correct in both comments. Little River Canyon is beautiful.
Awesome video David
I did not expect goat to be there
Now I have to go in and watch everyone else's 😂🤣
Darn it
You should check out the other videos. Everybody has a different 'spin' on how they captured the trip, and I loved watching them all. Sort of like the Mohican TH-cam Meetup!
Man there were a couple of times when the dogs got close to the edge, that I drew up a bit. Great video, and I hope to make it to RRG sometime this year.
Yeah, me too! I trust that both doggies are smart enough to not take the plunge, but I'll admit that every hike in the RRG (and Big South Fork... and Savage Gulf...) gives me a few of those moments that makes my heart stop for a beat or two. We've gotten pretty good about putting them on leashes anywhere that it's really 'high risk' but still... that place certainly has it's dangers.
Oh wow you guys are hard core ! I would have put up tarp shelter to hide from the snow. What an amazing group of hikers.
Had your work cut out for you and the dogs on this one! Amazing views though, and you surely made the right call for your pup. I may have to give this one a try once all this CV19 stuff blows over. Thanks man!
Jason is a wealth of information on the Red River Gorge. Lol
Yes he is, and I enjoyed every moment of his shared knowledge, experience, stories, and great Kentucky accent... but NEVER, ever trust his assessment of trail miles and difficulty! :-)
Excellent Video David it looks like my brother and I missed out on a great time on Friday night! However we had an awesome night on top on Indian staircase on Saturday night What a great group of guys to hang with
Hey Joe. I'm sorry you and Jim couldn't join us for that crazy snowy night around the fire (with more great 'real' food than I've ever experienced while backpacking) but I am glad I got to meet up with you guys and hike a bit that second morning. I've watched all the videos of your 2nd night Indian Staircase 'adventure' and it sure looks like you guys just kept it going on night #2! (Though as I watched it I wondered how we would have done some of that sketchy stuff with the doggies). Can't wait to hike with you again soon.
Hi David, Bob Allison here from East Texas. I follow all of your videos, thanks for all the trouble and work to put them out. I'm 68, just getting my legs back under me after having both hips replaced over the past three years. I'm really connecting with you to see how Jaden is doing after your February outing in the Red River Gorge? Hope all is well! Thanks again.
Thank you for watching, and thank you for asking about Jaden. He is back to 100% and ready to hit the trails again when things get a little less 'weird'. It turned out his issue on this trip were caused by a badly abscessed tooth, something he had probably been dealing with for a while based on how badly it was infected. When I got home I was able to get him into the vet immediately (thank you Carter Veterinary in Carmel, IN!), they pulled the tooth, got him on antibiotics, and he was basically 'good as new' (well, as 'good as new' as a 15-year-old Lab can be!) within a couple days. He's been hitting the trail with me for our daily 3-mile walks and he's ready for our next trip.
Hey David, nice video and I always enjoy being along for your backpacking trips. What music did you use at the end?
"I'm sitting on my *butt*." Hilarious edit! As always, great stuff David!
Yep! Just trying to maintain my 'G' rating with the families and keep my 'Mr. Rogers' persona intact. :-)
You should hike the Ozark trail in Arkansas. It starts in Crawford County AR. Hike it in spring or fall because our summers can be hell.
Nice to see you getting out. I’ve been wondering about you lately. My company acquired your company and I know when that happens people don’t always keep their jobs. I hope you’re safe and working from home.
Howdy David. Cool vid. What model headlamp were you using during this trip ? That thing was throwing tons of light.
Gosh we love that sweet old dog. ❤️
Hey Kevin! Yeah, me too... Jaden is the best dog ever, and a partner on so many trails with me. It kills me when he's not feeling well, especially when he's at that age in 'dog years' where he's basically about 90 years old or so. But he can still knock out the miles like the youngsters, and he lives to be out on the trails with me - somehow manages to act half his age. I've consulted with our vet and his advice is the same I use - as long as he can keep doing it... keep taking him out!
David, I've watched and enjoyed lots of your videos. I have wondered what is the item you wear on your chest attached to your right shoulder strap?
That is a Peak Design Capture clip. It's awesome - someone here in these TH-cam comments pointed it out to me. It allows me to clip the camera securely to that mounting plate on my shoulder strap. Prior to finding the P.D. Capture clip I used to store my video camera in a fanny pack mounted backwards so the pack rested on my belly. It worked OK but there wasn't a really secure way to put the camera in without zipping the pack completely closed, and the only way I could do that was by removing the external microphone, so what I typically did was insert the camera into the bag with the zipper still open. This gave me easier/quicker access but also allowed the camera to occasionally fall out! The Capture clip solved all that - holds the camera perfectly securely, allows almost instant access, and it's so convenient and comfortable that you almost forget the camera is attached. I like it so much that I've wanted to do a 'gear review' video on it to get the word out. (And I'm not affiliated with Peak Design at all, and paid full price for mine - it's just a great piece of 'gear' for my needs).
@@davidgrayin Very cool!
I thought you were retiring that tent because it was leaking on your last trip? I’ve had that breakfast skillet. Not very good plain, but very good in a tortilla wrap with sriracha or tabasco sauce.
Yes, that was the plan. And I actually bought a replacement Copper Spur UL3 tent on a great discount as a replacement, but when it came in I realized it was too big... too heavy... and simply not something I would ever use. So, for this trip I reused the 'used up' Nemo and decided on buying the Zpacks Duplex which is what I really wanted. In the end I actually purchased the Zpacks Triplex for my 'dog tent' given the extra room and minimal amount of extra weight. I was planning for the 'maiden voyage' of the Triplex to actually be this weekend in the Dolly Sods (WV) but, sadly, with all that is going on in the world we had to cancel the trip and the new Triplex is still sitting unused in the box! But I have no doubt that you will see it on many future trips with the doggies.
Love your backpacking adventures with the dogs.
David, you need to take up hammock camping. You never have to worry about a level campsite. All you need is a couple of trees to hang between. Love the videos.
I would love to try hammock camping, and actually have a couple hammocks that have largely sat unused (other than setting them up in the yard, etc.). A while back I even purchased a Warbonnet Blackbird, but I've since given that to my son, Christian (he loves it, and has used in in a couple of my western videos the last couple years). One problem is that when I hike with the dogs it just wouldn't work well - my dogs like to 'snuggle' with me in the test - but for solo trips I'm sure I'll give it a try. More and more of the new people I'm hiking with are using hammocks and they love them.
@@davidgrayin I was a Boy Scout and slept on the ground. I was a Scout Leader when my son was a Boy Scout and we slept on the ground. He is now 38 and we still hike and camp together. (We did Maroon Bells, Labor Day weekend, 2018. You inspired me.) He discovered hammocks about 5 years ago and we have been using them ever since. It always seemed like no matter how great the pad, wherever I camped, that "rock" was right there on my shoulder blade all night. No more! I sleep like I have never slept and in February we were in the upper 'teens for temps at my grandson's scout campout. (It is a family, guy thing now.) The best part is I have the most outrageous dreams. It's like going to the movies! Haha!
@@davidgrayin P.S. He and I are planning a trek on the Superior Hiking Trail this fall as our bi-yearly, BIG Hike.
I agree let's get him in a hammock for the next trip!!! :-)
Poor Jaden drinking that ice water. That must have hurt that tooth so bad.
How long did it take you to get from your house to the trailhead? Not familiar with the East at all and distances there.
From the north side of Indianapolis to the various trailheads in the Red River Gorge near Slade, KY it typically takes me about 3 hours 45 minutes, which includes the obligatory stop at the Citgo station in Slade to pick up the 3-day parking pass. On this trip it was closer to 4 hours because of the icy roads I ran in to.
Thanks. It was cool seeing you use that pocket bellows btw.!
Looks like a good trip with some good dudes. I love that you take your dogs with you!
Looked like a great time by the fire. Your dogs are awesome. What a trooper your older one is. Your name came up while I was on Bob Moskal's patio during spring Break. I told him about your videos, hoping he finds them. Love back backing through you!
Hey Pat! It's been a long time. Thanks for watching the videos. I saw Bob last fall during our AHS class reunion. It was GREAT to get caught up with all those guys. I don't envision Bob M. as getting much enjoyment out of a backpacking, but he, Hawk and I sure had some wild camping trips back in 'the day' :-).
Every time I see that notification that David Gray puts up a new video its a great day. I am lucky (or unlucky) enough to still be working as a beer merchandiser out here in Denver, and can't think of a better way to spend happy hour. With David gray, his dogs, and the great outdoors. Cheers David; maybe one day if you head out West when this is all over we could rock a trip together. If have some extra time, check out some of my videos. I have plenty of awesome Utah Desert backpacking, along with Colorado trips and my recent video Backpacking Glacier National Park. Safe Trails!
AND you're a bourbon lover!? Buffalo Trace is yums!
🇧🇷❤
Mr. GRAY
How is Your dog doing?
I’m sitting here thinking about him.
Jaden is now doing just fine, and ready to hit the trails again. It turned out he had a badly abscessed tooth. When I got home the vet was able to get me in right away, he pulled the tooth and got him started on antibiotics, and he was back to 'normal' (for a really old dog anyway!) by the next day. He is doing great for a 15-year-old lab.
David Gray
Very good Sir;
Am glad he’s doing good.
Am looking forward to Your next video.
Thank You
Snow.....
Here WE go!
How is your dog?
Jaden is back to 100%. It turned out he had an abscessed tooth. Thankfully I was able to get him into the vet as soon as we got home and they pulled the tooth right away. They got him on some antibiotics and he's good to hit the trails again.
Not going to lie, this video was probably the most difficult one for me to watch. Every time I saw the ledges and heard the dogs I just.. yeah.. This one stressed me out. Still enjoyed it, but man I worried through the entire video that something bad was going to happen. Hope the doggies are ok
Yeah, I know. Red River Gorge isn't for the 'faint of heart' especially when you have dogs along, but both dogs weathered the 'storm' just fine. It turned out that Jaden had an abscessed tooth but I was able to get him into the vet immediately when I got home. They pulled the tooth and he's back to 100%. What is hard to imagine is that both of those dogs are 'living their dream' when they're out on trail with me/us - it is what they live for.
@@davidgrayin I'm glad Jaden is better. I'm glad they enjoy it, but man some of those ledges looked scary. Not worried for the people, lol, just the doggies. I'm going through and watching the videos from the others who were there now. Looked like an amazing time. I will re-watch, but I almost feel like I need to catch my breath.
This is great perfect timing, now that we were put on stay at home orders. However, I will be venturing out to exercise solo in the woods. Spare me the I'm spreading the virus BS, by hiking alone in the woods, when the Colorado Governor allowed liquor and pot stores to stay open.
I love you
So, how is Jayden doing?
Jaden is 100% fine again. I found out when we got back that he had an abscessed tooth. The vet got him right away, pulled the tooth, and he is now back to trail-ready form.
Seeet
Please don't forget the updates on the puppies
2 Pretty darn exhausted 😴 furry Friends
Hey CG! The dogs are doing just fine after that last hike. Jaden ended up having a badly abscessed tooth but when I got back home the vet was able to see him right away. They pulled the tooth and he's now back to 100%.
I watched for 12 mins but was so worried for the dogs I couldn’t finish 😬
Why do people think animals are so helpless and fragile? ignorant
Here WE go!
Here WE go!