Zaleski's Hills

Went with 7 other folks to Zaleski State Park last weekend and spent two days hiking the hills in some unseasonably warm weather. The last few years I have gone out this time of year and was looking forward to some cold weather camping. Less people, less bugs, a little more difficult, and some nice cold nights. You know, the kind of backpacking that makes you feel like you should earn a medal for your courage and bravery. This year it was T-shirts almost the whole time, my dinner didn't get cold in 10 seconds, and I didn't have to throw a Nalgene full of hot water into my sleeping bag to keep my feet warm at night. Where's the work in that? The hills is where it is. I love Red River Gorge and think it has some tough trails but I think Zaleski's ups and downs were probably even tougher. And I only had about 20 lbs on my back! I would recommend these trails if you have done some initial backpacking somewhere else flatter, are looking for a good workout, and you don't have weak knees. The campsite where we stayed on the north side of the loop had nice clearings, a firepit, a pit toilet, and water from a spigot (nice). We hiked about 15 miles total and worked up a good appetite that lead us straight to the Bob Evans in Chillicothe where I coated my whole meal in gravy...mmmmm. Why does that food taste so good after you get off the trail? Good weather, good hiking, good people, good gravy = good times!