Big Trip, Day 2: Buzzardroost Rock and Eulett Wilderness Preserve

On June 6, after breakfast at the Murphin Ridge Inn, Joan and I had two hikes on our agenda: Buzzardroost Rock and the Eulett Wilderness Preserve.

Buzzardroost Rock

Buzzardroot Rock is a spectacular viewpoint above Ohio Brush Creek, part of the Edge of Appalachia Preserve.

Both Buzzardroost and the nearby E. Lucy Braun Lynx Prairie are, in addition, Natural Landmarks.

There's also a prairie on today's route. The combination of the roost and a prairie has been so popular that the trail has been split to reduce damage to the prairie, by diverting some of the traffic. Joan and I went out via the prairie, and returned via the ridge. (Click on any image to enlarge.)

Early on we spotted this fascinating goatsbeard (Aruncus dioicus).

An open patch in the woods revealed this tall meadow-rue (species thalictrum dasycarpum) with male flowers.

After gentle climbing we reached the split.

Into the prairie we went. Just a few minutes later we spotted this impressive antelope horns milkweed.

Looking up the prairie.

Oh look, a butterfly!

Continuing on, we rejoined the ridge trail, hearing scarlet tanager calls but catching only glimpses. As we approached the ridge's end we arrived at the new, safer boardwalk approach to the roost. In particular, this sturdy structure bridges a deep crack in the promontory before reaching the observation deck.

This image of the roost is a screenshot of an introductory clip you can view here.

My panoramic photo from the roost.

The placard at the roost.

This shot looks back the way we came.

On our return we kept to the ridge rather than retracing through the prairie. Near the split the sky began to sprinkle, so Joan and I donned our rain jackets as a preventive measure. This cut down on my picture taking, but here is a young wood toad I couldn't pass up.

Alongside the ridge trail there are a few precipices,

but this one has an old safety wire:

The sprinkling stopped before we reached the intersection with the prairie trail. Then Joan and I halted abruptly when we spotted a black snake stretched across the path. I tapped it gently with my hiking stick. It gave a tiny twitch but refused to move. It was playing dead. We could hear a group coming our way and worried that someone with an unreasoning fear of snakes, no matter how harmless, would try to kill it. As they approached we pointed out the snake and stood near. Some were taken aback but they eventually all made their way past the snake. Then, to our surprise, as the vibrations of their footfalls faded, the snake deemed the threat gone and began to move. It wriggled to the far side and disappeared. I wish I had a photo for you.

The rest of the return was less eventful, and it was a very short drive to the Eulett Wilderness Preserve.

Eulett Wilderness Preserve

The preserve and its loop trail are at the end of a narrow gravel farm road.

This sign describes the involvement of the Eulett family, the Cincinnati Nature Museum, and the Nature Conservancy in creating and managing the preserve.

Joan and I grabbed a sheet indicating numbered spots along the trail and set off. The trail is not as intensely traveled or maintained as Buzzardroost.

After several minutes Joan and I realized that we had set out in the wrong direction with respect to the numbers -- counter-clockwise rather than clockwise.

We did not wish to backtrack. There are no posted numbers on the trail itself; one must rely on the descriptions. This meant I had to reverse all the directional phrases on the trail sheet: climbing became descending, left became right, entering became leaving. I managed although sometimes I erred and read the description of a section only as we were passing out of it.

 

A small prairie appeared not long after the above blockage, and hosted many flowers, including this paintbrush.

We climbed and descending through gorges, past a section where, earlier, lady slippers had bloomed, and through a denser blockage than the first. Then Joan spotted this creature lurking in a decomposing log.

Seeing only its head, it might be a broad-headed skink or a five-lined skink; the male of both species sport a red head during breeding season.

 

This contoured land was shaped by water acting on sandstone. The most impressive bluffs were obscured by foliage, but this lesser section will give you a taste.

The damp environment encourages fungi of all kinds, including these fingers.

As we ascended on our return to the parking lot the ground became drier. At the top, we noticed this plaque for the first time.

The Eulett Wilderness Preserve was an interesting and uncrowded place to visit. Just be prepared for possible detouring around or clambering over an occasional obstacle.