Down Day and Rock Cave

Monday May 9, 2011

Petit Jean State Park

Site #109

Near Hot Springs, Arkansas

Since the temperature was predicted to top out at 89 today,

I wanted to get up and running

before it got too far into the 70’s.  

I started out running all the campground loops

to see the other sites and how many folks were here.

When I got to the end of the loops,

I ran into the Hike/Bike Trail to Mather Lodge and restaurant. 

It was a wide trail good for running and

mountain biking.  Some of the rock sizes might

be a challenge for a hybrid and

couldn't be done by a street bike.

But it was a good run.

Petit Jean was the first Arkansas State Park

and many of its buildings were built by the CCC

as was the case at  Cumberland Mountain State Park.  

Mather lodge is one of those CCC Buildings 

but sadly they have closed it

and the restaurant

for this entire season for renovation. 

That’s too bad since we had hoped

maybe we could have another great buffet.

 Here's the only corner we could give a picture of.

The trail was 1.75 miles one way

and I’d already run nearly two miles before I got to the trail head.

So I knew I probably wouldn’t go all the way to the lodge

or I’d be further from home than I wanted

by the time I’d run 5 miles.

  

I ran until the UP  hill and DOWN hill

repeat began to get
seriously unattractive.

At that point, I turned around and started back.

I met David on my way back. 

He’d started out about 20 minutes after I did

and turned around so we could go the rest of the way back together.

After we returned, David fixed another fabulous

omelet breakfast which we ate out on the picnic table. 

And then for the rest of the day

we worked on our “Down Day Lists”.  

Things we set aside to be done on days

we aren’t traveling or hiking

or kayaking

or sight seeing.

J

Things like catch up with the blog postings, 

call Aunt Gertrude,  
deal with financial affairs,

fix the day/night shade cord.

 

We didn’t get a lot accomplished

but we relaxed and enjoyed time out on the patio.  

Sooner than I could imagine, it was dinner time.

We eat an early dinner, around 5:00,

so it was possible to go out

for a relatively short after dinner hike. 

We went to the Rock Cave Trailhead.

The trail markers are also made out of rocks.

Here’s one

and the trail it marks.

You may have to look closely to see

the two rock markers on top of the rocks.
Or click on the picture to enlarge it.

There isn't a path without those markers.
You have to climb down from the top of these rocks to the cave.

 

The trail went over the rock tops

which showed clear evidence

of having been an under sea floor at one time. 

Isn't it amazing???

Like waves or patterns in the sand - but solid ROCK.

and on all sides were “Turtle Rocks”

The information sign told us that

“for millions of years, ground water has been

percolating through the crevices and cracks of

the rock causing oxidation of iron and other heavy

minerals in the sandstone.”

They really do look like the plates on

a turtle’s shell.

 

We walked on down to the cave and
all around it.
This avenue was just my size.

We found the cave opening

and wow!!

And here's what it looked like from
the inside out.

What makes this cave EVEN MORE fascinating is

that it has pictographs on the back walls.

These have been dated as being 2000 years old.

They are not petroglyphs

which are images pecked into the stone.

These were drawn on the rock and were

made from mineral pigments mixed

with animal fat or eggs.

Here is the sign provided by the park.

Take a look at the symbols.

We were able to find several of them.

Hope you can see them in these pictures.

If not, click the pictures to make them larger.

As you would expect, after all this time

they are faint and hard to see.

The cave walls themselves are simply gorgeous.

The geology of this park is very interesting.

One final picture of the cave looking out.

Leaving the cave, we walked down some
great steps put in by the CCC Company

who built nearly everything in the park from
1933 to 1941 when they were disbanded
for WW II.
I wish President Obama had
instituted a similar Conservation Corps
to help our parks
and the people who lost their jobs
during this recession.
Many people could have used the work,
have learned excellent skills and helped
the much strssed park system.

The steps took us down to the CCC Falls Overlook

of Cedar Falls.

We hope to do the hike to the falls tomorrow.

They looked great from here.

David’s zoom is amazing. 

I don’t know how he got this picture

from where we were.

We walked back to the car and up these

CCC steps.

Those men did amazing stone work.
Look at the top two steps carved into the rock

Click on the picture to make it larger if you can’t see them.

On our way back to the campsite
from the trail head,

we drove  around Red Bluff Drive
and stopped at

several overlooks.

But the evening was overcast

and the views hazy so

we called it a day.

Cedar Falls hike tomorrow!!