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Did you know that the steep, rocky, wooded hills west of Lexington were once farmland — and, eons before that, those rocks were layers of sediment in a warm, shallow sea?
In an upcoming walking tour with the theme “Old Roads and Ancient Rocks,” geologist Chris Connors and archeologist Don Gaylord will explore the geology and historical land use of the Brushy Hills area. The walk will take place on Saturday, Feb 11, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and is open to the public. Participants will meet at the Brushy Hills Trailhead at 1010 Union Run.
Connors and Gaylord are both professors at Washington and Lee University. “We enjoy walking local terrain together,” remarked Gaylord. “We can draw on the affinities shared by geology and archaeology to reconstruct landscape history.”
On a recent preview of the walk, Connors pointed to some limestone of the Conococheague formation, the bedrock underlying much of the Brushy Hills. The stone’s particular weathering patterns, he said, indicated that it had been buried under deep soil until historical times. Gaylord responded with observations on the early settlement and land-use practices of the Scots-Irish in Lexington and its hinterlands, and how they have shaped the landscape.
The walk will consist of a loop totaling about two miles. The trail briefly follows the traces of an old road, now partly obscured by large trees, and later passes next to a series of large sinkholes.
Brushy Hills Preserve is owned by the City of Lexington. This event is sponsored by the Friends of Brushy Hills, a group of volunteers who maintain trails, produce educational materials, and support forest health; by agreement with the City, the Friends serve as Stewards of the Preserve.
For more information, visit friendsofbrushyhills.org.
