HIKING

INDIAN STAIRCASE

GROWING UP IN Batesville, all of our family vacations were camping and rock climbing. My parents would take us to Red River Gorge at least once a year. From the Sheltowee Trace Trail, there’s an unmarked path that veers into the woods, and then you run into a cliff with little holes in the rock, which are ancient footholds and handholds that the Native Americans left. You climb up to get to the top of the ridge. There aren’t trees or branches to hold. You’re literally on your hands and knees on these rocks. If you fall off, you’ll fall into the canyon. It has a higher probability of injury than any heights I’ve climbed in Indiana. It takes balance, overall strength, and confidence. But it’s exhilarating—you kind of ascend above the forest, and there’s an amazing view at the top—plus other trails to take you back down. You don’t have to descend backward. —Chelsea Cook, 32, brand manager at Eli