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| The eastside sinkhole in Cedar Sink. The person at the bottom of the photo shows you how large this one sinkhole is. |
Cedar Sink is a large depression in the earth
caused by the collapse of the top surface of a cave, creating an
extremely large sinkhole ("sink"). This trail takes you to the
sink, where you can climb down into it and observe an unusual
ecosystem, with its ferns, lichens, mushrooms, and birds
and you'll also see a small segment of an underground river
that is exposed because of erosion.
Click here for Information about Mammoth Cave Park
Map of Mammoth Cave Park
Drive to the south end of Mammoth Cave Park (see map)
and park at this lot to begin your hike.
The Trailhead for the Cedar Sink Trail.
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| This was on the right side of the trail...a neat looking waxy-cap mushroom living in the moss. |
Late winter;
Hidden in the moss
A yellow mushroom.
That yellow mushroom is a great example of a
beautiful mushroom thriving in the cold of winter.
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| The first bridge on the trail. |
When hiking you should stop often and just look around you...
don't walk fast on these kind of forays. Walk slowly and observe
what's around you. Look, listen, smell and feel! I don't advise
tasting, unless you are an expert ecologist!
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| More winter mushrooms...lots of fungi, today. Fungi Photo Gallery from First Nature |
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| The leaves of a wild orchid, Downy Rattlesnake Plantain (Goodyera pubescens) Kentucky is home to many wild orchids, the majority of which grow on the ground and not in trees. This will produce a beautiful raceme of white flowers in the summer. A summer wild orchid!! The green leaves thrive in winter, storing energy-compounds, which will be used to produce the flowers. Click here for Information |
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| A dry stream where water flows after a rain. |
Some trees are easy to identify in the winter,
such as this Beech tree. It's one of the few trees that
hang on to its dead leaves throughout the winter.
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| Notice the tan leaves hanging onto the Beech. Notice also the smooth bark and the spear-like leaf buds, unique to this species (photo below). |
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| Spear-like leaf bud of a Beech tree |
They cling to the trees
Throughout the winter;
The tan beech leaves.
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| What a beautiful landscape! Great lighting at this time of day and year. |
In early January the path of the sun across the day sky
remains low, because the earth is tilted away from the sun.
With each day the sun's path will get higher and higher
providing more sunlight and warmth with each day!
I, and others, call the solstice New Year's Day, because it is
the beginning of a new solar cycle.
The sun's path across the day sky will continue to get higher
and higher with each day, for six months, until the summer solstice, which is when its path stops moving northward and begins
to move southward, again. That will be the longest day of the year!
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| A stick with Lichens and Jelly Fungi growing on it, lying in a bed of Moss. |
Who would think that a jelly fungus would be growing
in late winter!
The moss is, also, a hardy species, but it is a plant and not a fungus. Both species can survive the harshest of winters!
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| These steps lead down toward Cedar Sink. |
The sun reaches perihelion at this time of the year! This is the earth's
closest approach to the sun. Since the earth's orbit is ellipical (non-
circular) there is a point when we are closest to the sun, and that is now. So, if that's true, then why don't we experience hotter days?
(the answer can be found below)
Heard and saw a couple of Tufted Titmice in the trees.
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| Photo taken from the Cornell website, below. Information on the Titmouse |
We, in the northern hemisphere, don't experience hotter days, now, at perihelion, because we are tilted away from the sun...it's our winter. Remember, though, the southern hemisphere is tilted toward the sun, so its summers are extra hot, at this time of year!
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| Moss and bi-colored Mushrooms on a fallen tree. |
Mosses and mushrooms
All along the shaded trail;
A winter hike.
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| When you get here you have reached the Loop Trail (1/2 mile). You can go either clockwise or counter-clockwise...your choice. I went left, toward the West Side Staircase. (see the map of Cedar Sink at the top of this post) |
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| You can see the edge of the gigantic sinkhole in the background. |
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| The staircase on the West Side of Cedar Sink. |
It's as if you're descending into another world!
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| The view from the staircase, looking east. |
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| At the bottom of the staircase is this Overlook. This is the small portion of an underground river that's exposed for us to see. It returns underground to the right of this overlook. |
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| Oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus) maybe. |
Aren't you amazed at all the different kinds of fungi
that grow in winter?!
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| This is the northside sinkhole within
the larger Cedar Sink. You're looking northward
at the bluffs in the background.
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| Looking southward within Cedar Sink. |
Saw a Brown Creeper moving up
the trunk of a Tulip Tree.
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| Photo taken from the Cornell website, below. Information on Brown Creepers |
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| At the base of a tree was this population of Walking Ferns (Asplenium rhizophyllus) growing with the Mosses. The backlit fronds reveal the sori (sporecases). Information on Walking Ferns |
Triangular ferns
Thriving in the sunlight;
Hardy winter plants.
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| The view from the north side of the sink, looking southward. |
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| The leaves of Hepatica acutiloba, which will produce some beautiful flowers in the Spring. |
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| Notice the hairs on the bottom of the leaves. (click any photo to enlarge it) |
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| A species of Moss with red spore cases and calyptra. |
Mosses are some of the hardiest plants on earth!
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| Leaves of Crossvine (Bignonia capreolata) This will produce some neat looking trumpet-shaped flowers in early Summer. Information on Crossvine |
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| On the left is a Puttyroot Orchid leaf (Aplectrum hyemale) and on the right are the fronds of a fern called Ebony Spleenwort (Asplenium platyneuron). (This fern may be a hybrid between two species.) Puttyroot produces flowers in the spring, but the fern does not produce flowers at all. All ferns are flowerless and seedless... they reproduce using spores, sperm, and eggs. |
This Wisconsin couple (photo below) kindly agreed to let me take
their photo in order to show the great size of this sinkhole.
(Thanks! Hope you two had a great hike!)
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| This is the sinkhole on the east side. When you compare the size of the people to the sinkhole you get an idea of how large this sink is! This sinkhole is within the even larger Cedar Sink! |
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| The bluffs on the southeast side. |
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| Another sinkhole, this time on the SE side. |
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| Probably the most common kind of fern around... Yule Fern (Polystichum acrostichoides)...aka christmas fern. Click here for Information |
There are quite a few species of ferns that are
evergreen, and survive the harsh winters of Kentucky.
Poisonous mushrooms!
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| More Mushrooms! This species is called Deadly Galerina (G. marginata). Do not eat wild mushrooms unless you are an expert in fungi identification! |
Honey mushrooms (edible) verses Deadly Garlerina (poisonous)
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| The bluffs on the south side. |
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| If you click this photo you can enlarge it and see the South Side Overlook at the top of the photo. |
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| Looking east from the bottom of the south side staircase. |
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| Here's a fungus you don't see too often, an Earth Star (Astraues hygrometricus). Similar to puffballs, except this species has its outer layer pulled back. When raindrops or animals touch this, its spores explode out, blowing in the wind. |
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| When you get to the top of the South Side Staircase turn around and take a look at the gigantic sinkhole one more time. |
January;
Cold, dark days waning...
Longer days waxing!
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| As you come out of the sink follow the trail to the Overlook we saw, earlier. You can see it in the background. |
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| The view from the South Side Overlook. You can see the bluffs on the left (west side) and the exposed river below. Remember, this is an subterranean river with a tiny portion of it exposed from erosion. |
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| The leaves of Spotted Wintergreen (Chimaphila maculata). This will produce tiny, nodding, white flowers in June/July. Information on Spotted Wintergreen |
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| We're back at the beginning of the Loop Trail. Turn left to head back to the parking lot. |
This is one place that everyone should see sometime in their life...
a cave with its ceiling/roof removed. It's a fairly easy hike, but
some of you may have difficulty with the staircases.
This is one of the best places for Spring Wildflowers,
so make plans to come here in April and May!
Hope you get a chance to get out
