FOOTSTEPS OF DANIEL BOONE! HIKE WITH FRIENDS OF BOONE TRACE!
Have you ever quietly wondered what someone famous and important from history saw with their eyes? Have you ever wondered if they were in a certain area that you were standing? Have you wondered what the area looked like in their time, and how it compares to what it looks like today? Well, on this particular spot on Boone Trace, you can literally walk in the footsteps of Daniel Boone and the earliest pioneers into the west. The area has been protected, remained out of mainstream settlement, and unchanged by our modern world. You can know without a shadow of a doubt, you are walking in Boone’s steps and seeing the land as he saw it.
A couple of years ago we were fortunate to produce videos documenting the entirety of Boone Trace. Then October 15, 2022 we teamed up with them again and documented the fall hike put on by the Friends of Boone Trace.
So, what is Boone Trace? It is the first road or trail that enters into the land that was to become Kentucky, used by Daniel Boone, and his trailblazers in April, 1775. After it was open, hundreds of thousands of settlers passed though Cumberland Gap, and began the westward movement. The segment of the trace that we visited is located in Rockcastle County, Kentucky, a bit east of Livingston, which is nicknamed, “Trail Town”. We were given a couple brief presentations about the trace, including an introduction from Dr. John Fox who is the President of the Friends of Boone Trace. We split off on two separate journeys, one of which was an easier, more level hike, and the other which was longer, steeper, more challenging, and included a cave!
We were joined by historical reenactors and some of the traces most knowledgeable people, which made it an amazing and informative day. There were folks from Kentucky, Tennessee, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Pennsylvania, and I’m sure that I left someone out. When we returned from the hike we were rewarded with our t-shirt and an All-American cookout. In this video, we will show you what we saw, take you on the hikes, and the adventures that we had. The video that we made from this adventure is a bit different than most of our videos, because it will mostly be without narration. This will let you see what we did, and you can picture yourself on this adventure. Dr. Fox is known for saying that if you just be quiet and still for a few moments, your mind can wander back to another time, and you can almost hear the sounds, and see the ghosts, trekking along the trace.
Did you know this was even a possibility to hike in the steps of the Boones and your ancestors? Let us know in the comments below. This event was the third one held and it is scheduled in the spring and fall of each year. To learn more about future hikes and any other information, check out The Friends of Boone Trace website at: www.boonetrace1775.com and check out their Facebook page to stay abreast of all that they have going on. If you love history, and more specifically pioneer history, this event is a must for you! We look forward to strapping on the boots with you on the next one! Be sure to see our video below from this adventure.
-Col. Russ Carson, Jr., Founder, Family Tree Nuts