Ki, Blackburn and Company

[-Ki-]

Boomer,
You mentioned there being an old camp being above the branch where Blackburns grave is, the carving you found SLGIVVV NN, very well could be pointing out the old camp... The camp was probally Indian, there is a Indian symbol /\/\/\ which means "camp". Could this be what your carving is referring to? The carving could very well be French, as the Indians where friends with the french and would have recognised this symbol. The carving could be telling someone the camp is near..... just a thought -Ki-

 

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[boomer]

Ki, i went back and took another look. on the east side there is a long ridge that runs north from the red river. it passes blackburn and camp branch. between the two branches this ridge as three points. pointing west, the first point is on the north side of blackburn br. the third point is on the south side of camp br. they are long and really stand out. i wonder if there is something between the points hmmm. /\./\./\ and of course it may be pointing at camp br.

 

[Rebel - KGC]

Hmmmmm... Looks like 3 mountain ridges with 2 valleys in between 'em, to me. DUNNO.

 

[-Ki-]

I was sitting here thinking and this thought just poped in my head, could it be that the /\/\/\ carvings turned up like this could mean = Ridge lines or mountains. And the carvings VVV turned down like this could mean = Rivers, creeks, or branches.......I remember boomer mentioning these carvings were done backwards. just a thought i am throwing out there... -Ki-

 

[swiftfan]

Ki,
That is a great picture! I would like to see it in neg. to see if the date could be brought out better...

 

[-Ki-]

Ki, i went back and took another look. on the east side there is a long ridge that runs north from the red river. it passes blackburn and camp branch. between the two branches this ridge as three points. pointing west, the first point is on the north side of blackburn br. the third point is on the south side of camp br. they are long and really stand out. i wonder if there is something between the points hmmm. /\./\./\ and of course it may be pointing at camp br.

boomer, that ridge does have three points, very well could be something in the branches between these points. It might be worth looking into.......I'll keep studying my map, I'll let you know what i come up with.....

 

[KY Hiker]

Tight Hollow, Wolfe Co --- 1937 Jim Rose son of Clint Rose found a huge lump of Gold assayed 85% gold 15% silver..... In the languge of the region here was "pyore" gold and silver worth, so it is said, $950,000 a ton back in them days.... But the find was real, there is gold and silver in the hills and mountains of Ky. -Ki-

By building the Mill Creek dam, and flooding the area would be a good way of the state hiding something important like a silver mine... Heck they was wanting to dam up the entire Red river gorge about 30 years ago....Im so very happy and blessed they didnt....

Tight Hollow is not flooded by the dam. https://www.topoquest.com/map.php?l...nad83&zoom=8&map=auto&coord=d&mode=pan&size=m

 

[Curtis]

Boomer, as usual you have hit on some interesting things, the rock I mentioned near Caney Creek boat ramp has the same ^.^.^ on it but in two rows with dash marks between them that goes into a hole. could this be a continuation of rock maps from your Blackburn area?

 

[KY Hiker]

You know, Tight Hollow is only a few miles North of the Lower Devil's Creek area with the initials carving and compass rocks.

https://www.topoquest.com/map.php?l...&zoom=16&map=auto&coord=d&mode=zoomout&size=m

 

[KY Hiker]

Blackburn Branch off of Spaas Creek is on the other side of Hatton Ridge from Indian Creek. Indian Creek is what they would have had to follow North to the Cave Run or Frenchburg areas (US 460) from the Red River. Could the area from Lower Devil's Creek up North towards Natural Bridge (Tight Hollow) be "the lower mines". And could the finds of tools and such up near Cave Run Lake area have been "the upper mines" location? I would venture to believe that they would have had to follow either Buffalo traces or Indian Traces.
Almost all the time, buffalo paths follow least resistance (no steep grades) and they connect grazing areas to licks and creeks. Once you drive up into the Indian creek area of the RRGorge and then look at it on a map, it becomes obvious that creek was a major North South pathway for Indians and animals in and out of the gorge. On an old map I have there is a ford area marked on the Red River very near the mouth of Indian creek. At the North end of the ridge that Double Arch is on (an extension of Tunnel Ridge) there is a large rock (about 6-8ft long) shaped as a snakes head looking up Indian creek. You can still see its shape under the moss that grows on it.

here is a map of the area
https://www.topoquest.com/map.php?l...nad83&zoom=8&map=auto&coord=d&mode=pan&size=m

 

[KY Hiker]

I believe the frog's head above Indian Stairway and the snakes head below Double Arch are ancient carvings. Unfortunately the frog's head has rope cuts in it from rappel ropes. Next time I hike up Indian Stairway I want to get a compass reading on the direction the frog is looking. I need a make sure the next time I go to Double Arch I bring the digital camera. I only have photos of it.

online picture of snake head
https://www.bing.com/images/search?...arch&simid=607993398611806385&selectedIndex=2
online pictures of frogs head
https://www.bing.com/images/search?...ead&qpvt=indian+stairway+frogs+head&FORM=IGRE

 

[boomer]

just passing though, rest and a lot of sleep. got on here to see what's been found. ky hiker the steps up to the frogs head, glad you put the link up. I new the Spanish mined in Kentucky, but that frogs head maybe a WOW is due. been in Texas and was at a vary old Spanish mine, had cliffs on one side steep slop on other. found out the Spanish were known for using the frog has a pointer to a mine or vein. they would set 2 or 3 markers close by pointing to the same place and the texas frogs or carved the vary same way has the photo in the link. the texas frogs are vary well carved and are about 3 feet high. back in june bye

 

[KY Hiker]

This frog head is about 2 ft at most. Its carved right on the cliff edge of a 150+ ft drop. People rappel from this spot so much that there are groves in it from the ropes a couple inches deep. I will try to get up there this Summer and get a compass heading off the monument and see where it points. It cannot point to the same place the snake head rock points as they are in two different parts of the RRGorge.

 

[KY Hiker]

Here is a picture of the snake head rock I took this weekend. It faces 165 degrees or almost due South. I left my pack in the picture for scale.

 

[KY Hiker]

Here is a topo map of the area with the snake head rock location and direction it faces. (arrow) (dot is location of Double Arch)

View attachment SnakeHeadDirection.bmp


Map of larger area South of Blackburn Branch

 

[KY Hiker]

The carving/marker for Blackburn is difficult to see anymore. Spaas creek has become a 4WD clubs destination the past few years. The road is best to walk unless it is summer and been very dry because of all the vehicles rutting and causing mud sinks. The general area is significant with the probable grave site of Blackburn, an ancient Indian camp (Camp branch) the carvings found along with the Crane Carving on the rock where Indian Creek empties into the Red River. Indian creek (East fork) leads North to 460 and Wynn Branch near Frenchburg where Boomer had additional information. A major Indian trace passed right up Indian creek, the gravel road there has wiped any 'trace' of the trace. Also, for those who care, a couple of major bigfoot encounters (screams, smells and banging of trees) have been logged on the Northern end of Indian creek 3-5 years ago. I don't know which fork the encounters happened.

link to map of area https://www.topoquest.com/map.php?l...nad83&zoom=8&map=auto&coord=d&mode=pan&size=m

The first creek is called Graveyard branch (Indian graveyard?) The 5th creek on right side of Spaas is Blackburn branch. Camp branch is the 6th on right side.

Just more evidence that the RRGorge is a hot spot for Swift hunting, both Spaas Creek (North) and Mill Creek (South by the State Park) are within the RRG area. Lots of history here, some documented but much still to be discovered.