Conkle's Hollow- Hocking

Spring has arrived at Conkle's Hollow in south-eastern Ohio.  The upper rim trail is a short course in beauty and fear.  The 2.5 mile trail winds along unprotected precipices, offering dizzying views of the Hocking Hills.

  My daughter, Michelle Goodman basks in the sunshine and spectacular views from the top.

This high-rise portion of the trip is not for everybody.  It is not for those with a fear of heights, and please, leave the children on the lower trail.   In this day of liability, it is surprisingly free of handrails or barriers.  Drink in the scenery, but sip slowly, and watch your step.  

The lower trail is an outstanding, one mile, handicapped accessible trail.  One of Ohio's most breathtaking walks, it is easily compared to the River Trail at Zion National Park in Utah.  Take a mini-trip to the caverns,  where a stream meanders beneath the  Black Hand sandstone walls festooned with hanging gardens.  Ferns and sedges carpet the edge of the trail. While March is early for the spring ephemerals, wildflowers are a key tourist attraction in the hollow.

The Plantainleaf Sedge, Carex plantaginea lines the lower trail.  This handsome sedge is distinctive enough to be propagated for the nursery trade.  I have seen it marketed under the name "Seersucker Sedge".  In fact, I have a few in my yard.





Look for these attractive purplish-red culms to help you identify this sedge. The leafless stalks will bear fruiting bodies in record time with the 70-plus degree days in March this year. 



Is there any doubt it portends that which is to come?