72 Sky lift Adventure
Sky lift Adventure
On May 21, 2021, in route to a ManKind Project elder retreat near Natural Bridge State Park in eastern Kentucky, Mike Fallahay and I decided to take a detour to visit this arch. Arriving at the parking area, we saw a sky lift taking people up to the Natural Bridge rock formation. I thought we were going to ride up to the top, but Mike expressed an interest in hiking the Low Gap Trail instead. I noticed that the sign said a mile and a fourth and I egoistically decided that I could manage such an effort. It did not occur to me that Mike is in good physical shape as he normally walks about 4 miles a day and exercises regularly. I probably manage that amount in one week but accepted the challenge anyway.
Map produced Alex Thor (DOP). KENTUCKY STATE PARKS 9/02/2020; Notations by Rick Bein 2021
The trail was somewhat steep but doable, and I managed to keep up with Mike, who did slow down to accommodate my lack of preparation. This trail was unimproved dirt with occasional stone steps irregularly placed, tree roots haphazardly located, trapping soil upon which to place our feet. We started up and it was not long before it became steeper. Mike pulled me up some of the more difficult places, while I had to crawl on hands and knees to negotiate the more slippery sections. Many interesting rock formations bordered our path.
Image from Natural Bridge State Park 2019.
After an hour, I was exhausted! We rested and then found that we were only halfway there. I did not know how I was going to make it up the rest of the way, but I was determined. From somewhere within me I found a second wind and charged on after Mike. We finally reached the top and walked exhaustedly across the top of the span overlooking the expansive Red River Gorge.
My exhausted appearance on top of the arch after completing the hike up the ridge forming the natural bridge. Photo by Mike Fallahay 2021
I was too tired at the top to appreciate the natural beauty of the place, and I told Mike that I had no intention of returning down that trail, which I perceived to be too dangerous! We headed over to the top of the sky lift to pay our money and return the easy way. When we arrived there, we saw the lift was functioning, but no one was managing it. It was roped off with a sign stating it was closed and would not reopen until the next morning. It was 6:05 PM; we had just missed the closing!
Top landing of the sky lift. Photo by Natural Bridge State Resort Park. 2019.
Well, I was not going to climb down that hill and since the seats were still moving, we decided to jump into one of them. I did sense that the system might shut down but hoped it might keep running well into the evening or at least until we arrived at the bottom!
I felt some relief as the lift proceeded carrying us down. It was descending smoothly, and we could see the landing at the bottom. Then the lift dipped into a small valley where the landing was hidden. It was there that everything sto