Wilderness Trail Through Cumberland Gap

Old Highway 25E

Anyone who has ever driven through Cumberland Gap on Highway 25E prior to 1996 knows intimately just how treacherous this stretch of road was. The yearly traffic fatality rate was so high, it earned the nickname “Massacre Mountain.” The opening of the Cumberland Gap tunnel in ’96 eliminated the dangerous pass from from 25E, by routing traffic through Cumberland Mountain on the south side of the gap. And it paved the way for the return of the historic pass to the state in which it existed in the late 1700s into the nineteeth century.

Restoration of the Gap

For a number of years following the opening of the tunnel, old 25E through Cumberland Gap remained — closed to traffic, but in a rapid state of decay. In the winter of 2002, the restoration of the gap began with the bulldozing of the highway road bed. 13,000 tons of asphalt from the old highway were removed and the mountainsides were re-sculpted using much of the earth that was excavated during construction of the tunnel, along with extensive replanting of trees. Old photographs from the Civil War era were utilized in the process to ensure the the mountainside appeared as it had before the construction of the highway. The result was 1.2 miles of trail that allows hikers to the park to experience the gap as the pioneers who made the long and dangerous trek through this natural mountain pass into Kentucky must have experienced it — or as close as we can get in the 21st century, anyway.

The old 25E road bed, now re-sculped and returned to its original state

Gap Cave

Dr. Thomas Walker discovered a small cavern at Cumberland Gap during his 1750 exploration of the region, naming it “Gap Cave.” A small spring flowed from the cave, down the mountainside. This spring would later power the old Cumberland Iron Furnace, the remains of which can be viewed in the old town of Cumberland Gap.

During the Civil War, both Union and Confederate troops used the cave as a military hospital and for storage. Saltpeter was also mined. The lower part of the cavern became known as “King Solomon’s Cave;” an adjacent section “Soldiers Cave”.

In he 1890s, the beginning of tours through the cavern began, and continued until 1992. The cave was renamed “Cudjo’s Caverns” later in the 20th century. Tickets could be purchased at a small log shack along 25E just adjacent to the cave entrance. Visitors had to cross the busy highway, where they waited for a guide to take them inside.

As much graffiti and vandalism had taken place inside over the years, the cavern was cleaned up in conjunction with the Cumberland Gap restoration project. It it now know as “Gap Cave,” once again, and lantern tours are conducted through the age old attraction.

Entrance to Gap Cave

Cumberland Gap National Historic Park

Opened in 1955, Cumberland Gap National Historic Park commemorate the historic Cumberland Gap and the important role it played in he westward expansion of America. The park covers 20,508 acres of land in the beautiful Cumberland Mountains, and affords the visitor many miles of moderate to rugged hiking trails. There are access points to the Wilderness Trail on both sides of the gap.

A trip to Pinnacle Peak in a must see for anyone who ventures into the park. The four mile road to the to the parking area consists of multiple hairpin curves. Once you’ve reached the top, it’s a short walk to Pinnacle overlook, elevation 2,440 feet, where a view of three states (Kentucky, Tennessee, and Virginia) can be enjoyed.
From the Wilderness Trail, one can access the trail which leads to Tri-State Peak, where the states of Kentucky, Tennessee,and Virginia converge.

More information about the park can be obtained at nps.gov/cuga/index.htm

I’ve had the extreme pleasure to experience the city of Basel Switzerland in a way that few tourists ever will. Fasnacht is a traditional festival that occurs in late February or early March. Actually, the date depends on the date of Easter. Fasnacht is the Swiss-German word for carnival. My girlfriend is a native Baseler, who belongs to a clique that participates every year. I joined them in 2006 and 2007.

The carnival kicks off with Morgestraich at 4:00 AM on Monday. Thousands of people are packed into the narrow streets and squares of the town center. Participants are dressed in colorful costumes and masks. Church bells chime, and on the last stroke, all the streetlights go dark. It’s quite a spectacular moment — and somewhat eerie to the uninitiated. There is utter silence for just a brief moment; then the sounds of piccolos and drums as the cliques begin their march. Huge painted lanterns now weave through the streets, as well as smaller ones on poles. You will also see thousand of head lanterns that the musicians — and the vanguards who lead them out — affix to the top of their masks. I have to admit, it was somewhat of an intimidating experience marching down these narrow streets; weaving through the thousands of spectators. Vision is quite hampered as you peer through the eye holes of paper mache masks. I don’t know any other way to describe it other than a sort of “organized chaos”. As a person who is not usually too relaxed in huge crowds, it was a bit of a strain on me. But I slowly got caught up in the whole energy and camaraderie of the experience, and the anxiety I initially felt lessened.

Morgestraich ends around 7:30 AM, at which time people pack into the many fine dining establishments you will find in Basel, and enjoy a little breakfast. During this opening session of Fasnacht, you hear only fifes and drums. When the festivities kick off again that afternoon, the brass bands begin to play. I was amazed at how well mannered the crowds were, despite the steady flow of alcohol. There were numerous occasions, however, when it was necessary to firmly push back those that attempted to cross the street directly in the middle of our procession. As a part of our clique’s vanguard, it was my job to keep these people back to the best of my ability. The musicians in the rear have an even tougher time finding their way, what with having to play and deal with the tunnel vision the Fasnacht masks create. Unfortunately, there were a couple of times when people got downright testy when I pushed them back. But overall, the people were generally easy going.

For four days, we marched, took extended breaks to enjoy a drink or two, then marched again. We would break for dinner in the early evening, then march into the early hours of the morning. The evening meals were a splendid opportunity for me to enjoy some unique Swiss cuisine, and sample the local Basel brew. The festival comes to an end at 4:00 AM on Thursday morning, after which the cleaning crews go to work scouring the streets clean of all the trash, and most notably, the tons of confetti that get distributed throughout the four days. It’s amazing that this task gets accomplished in just three hours. But by 7:00 AM, you’d never know a celebration had taken place.

I can’t say enough about the warmth & goodwill I received from the people of Basel, as I wandered down the narrow cobble streets and took in the charm and beauty of centuries old buildings. I highly recommend a visit to this city if you’re planning a trip to Switzerland.

For cyclists, inline skaters, walkers, and runner, the Rhine Trail in Switzerland affords some quite magnificent scenery of the Alps, the Rhine Valley, and many small villages of the region. Beginning in the headwaters of the River Rhine in the Swiss Alps, the trail winds its way along the borders of Austria and Liechtenstein, the shores of Lake Constance, and down to Basel. The entire length of the trail, in fact, is over 1,300 km and includes four countries before ending in the Netherlands.

The photograph above was taken on a mild day in June near Sennwald; a smattering of snow still in evidence on the Alpine peaks.

Augusta Raurica was once a Roman Rhineside provincial capital. The ruins of this once thriving community of around 20,000 constitute the largest collection of Roman ruins in Switzerland. Founded in 44 BC, Augusta prospered until around 260 AD, when an invasion by the Alemanni tribes pretty much wiped out the city.

The ruins of Augusta Raurica are well worth the trip to this region of Switzerland. Located near the modern day village of Kaiseraugst about 20km east of Basel, you’ll find the signpost as you travel along the Autobahn. A full map of the entire site can be obtained at the ticket office, where you can also purchase a pass to walk through the Römermuseum. You definitely won’t want to miss the reconstruction of a Roman house

Perhaps the most impressive attraction of the Augusta Raurica ruins is the 10,000 seat Roman theater which is directly across the road from the museum. This structure was reopened to the public in 2007 after 16 years of restoration. The picture above was taken in early 2006 before the completion of this process.

Futher information on Augusta Raurica can be found at AugustaRaurica.ch.