Still here

I haven't updated the blog for some time, but I have some things to relate. Emo and I went to Shawnee State Forest for fall colors, and I have taken up motorcycling. Pictures soon. Winter in Ohio, now.

Anawalt

Back to describing the June/July 7 week outing.

We took a day and drove the Subaru from Marlinton to the little town of Anawalt, WV. My departed stepmother, and my sister Felicia, are from there. My sister told me a little about the place before I left on the trip. It is in south WV, west of Bluefield, in what was big coal country. The coal days have declined, and the region is very poor now. 

Sign welcoming us to Anawalt

I was not prepared for what I saw here, the is Appalachian rural poverty at it's peak. The town is full of boarded up businesses, and the houses with people living there are in very poor condition.

Near the middle of Anawalt.

I did not want to take too many pictures, or embarrass the folks here. This is where they choose to live, it is Almost Heaven as far as the country goes, there is absolute freedom, but no jobs. No industry, and very little coal now. Nothing to do, my sister asked if I saw all the children there, she said now you know what people do! I did see some nice gardens, and there is a little fishing lake outside town that is nice. Coming back from the lake, I had to stop to let some goats cross the road:

Yes, goats!

For a few days, I debated if I should tell my sister I went there, but I can't keep a secret (even though I used to hold a Top Secret Special Intellegence clearance). I also went down the road to Jenkinjones, a similar town, and then we drove around some coal roads until we got good and lost. We explored around the area a little, looked at a couple Wildlife Management Areas I thought about camping at earlier, and I'm glad I didn't. I was distressed to see the McDowell County Career Center grown over with what looked like several years' worth of weeds.

A few days later, we went to the Greenbriar Hotel where the super rich from the east coast come to play golf or whatever they do. I saw money dripping off the trees, and left without taking pictures or taking any kind of tour. I had wanted to see where the Cold War government shelter was, but I just had to get away from all the stuffiness.

So, we saw the poorest and the richest in the space of a few days. But I also saw a few very old men, who would be proud to call themselves hillbillies, who had a modest home, nice garden, maybe a little farm, an older car, and very contented attitudes. They had everything they really wanted, and had enjoyed long lives in the place they choose to call "Almost Heaven". And I thought about how I had to go back to Dayton to chase the dollar for four more years (or chase health care), and how the folks at the Greenbriar mostly worry about protecting what they have or getting more, money, things, and power. 

I am coming closer to understanding what I read recently, that the richest ones are those who have the fewest wants. And I think my plan to retire at 55 and travel in the motorhome looks better and better. I've not been a very materialistic person, I think I value freedom and adventure more than things. As long as my needs are met, and I have the wherewithal to travel with the RV, I think I will come close to what I saw inside those old country gentlemen.

Emo, Ellen, and I did hike my favorite local park today, Possum Creek Metropark. I forgot my camera, but I'll get some pictures soon. The wildflowers were in bloom in the prarie, and we bumped into some other recovering alcoholics and addicts who were having a cookout. Then we took our friend Kathleen to lunch to celebrate her 32nd year sobriety anniversary. Yea, I'm rich in many ways.

Enough philosophy, next time I promise pictures from the beautiful West Virginia outdoors.

Goodbye, Old Friend

This is a sad day. My cat Rasputin was euthanized today. He was very old, had kidney, arthritis, and eye problems, and had gone very far downhill. It was sad to see someone who was once so healthy and happy, struggle through his days. It was time to let the old guy have an end to his pain. He was with me for 11 years. He will be remembered and missed by all who met him. Raz was a very friendly cat, happiest when he was sitting in someone's lap. He would play and play with my little Terrier Pepper Dog until Pepper Dog got too old to play. He played with Emo for a while, but then Raz got too old and frail to play.

He was my first, and probably last, cat. He had a good life, we were good to each other, and that's what counts.

Gauley Mountain

Back to describing the trip in June and July, from the base camp in Marlinton we drove a short way to the Gauley Mountain Trailhead on the Highland Scenic Highway. The idea was to drive the car up the mountain, then hike as much ridgetop as we could in a day. We took the Gauley Mountain Trail to the Red Run Trail, which goes about a mile or two and intersects with the Right Fork of Tea Creek Trail. This leads back to a short connector that took us back close to the trailhead. Total distance was about 8 miles, with almost all the hike above 4000 ft. and little climbing.

With the tendency of Emo Dog to chase things, I thought this was a good idea:

Emo coming back from 28 feet on a 27 foot extensible leash.

This was a wonderful hike. It was ridgetop a lot of the way, my favorite kind of hiking. The forest at this elevation is different. There was less ground clutter, letting me see well into the surroundings. The hike was mostly shaded, and a bit cool. When we did briefly hit a sunny patch, I spent a little time watching a small snake sunning in the middle of the trail.

Once in a while, you just have to let Emo off the leash, and let a dog be a dog.

Taking a dip in the creek

I was glad I carried a map and compass, there was a bit of a confusing intersection at one point, and I found later that the bears sometimes destroy the signs. I had forgotten my little day pack with two small water bottles, and was using a $20 hydration pack from K-Mart. It worked OK, but didn't hold much more than the water and maybe a piece of fruit. 

Beauty of the forest at 4000 feet elevation

The bugs were not bad, the scenery was beautiful, this was a wonderful hike. It did feel good after the 8 miles to see this:

Back to the trailhead, Subaru on the left.

This was a typical day for us. I hike slow, even slower than Ellen, I go about 2 miles per hour. So, with a leisurely morning and breakfast, drive to the trailhead, check on gear, etc. and a nice little side trip in the Subaru after, it makes for a nice day in the forest.

Gauley Mountain was one of our main points to explore. This trailhead is off the Highland Scenic Highway, a wonderful thing in itself. Look soon for descriptions of the Cranberry Glades, Falls of Hills Creek, Laurel Creek Trail, Watoga and Beartown State Parks, the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia, the AEP RecLands in Ohio, and more bears. I hope you enjoy it, we sure did.

Hargus Lake

Yes, a post the same day as the hike! Today, Ellen, Emo, and I went to Marion State Park near Circleville, OH and hiked 5 miles around Hargus Lake. The lake is the central feature of the park, there are boat rentals, (electric motors only) a small concessions stand, picnicing, and a campground. Here are some pictures taken by Ellen:

Hargus Lake Dam, and the start of the trail. The dog beach is at the far end of the dam.

A view of the lake from the picnic grounds.

There is a small island in the lake. Nice picnic spot to boat to.

From Dayton, it is a nice drive down US35 to US22 outside Washington Court House. 22 is farm country. Just before the park is the small town of Circleville, a typical Ohio farm town. The downtown has some shops, including the Hippie Hut. We stopped at a large yard sale in town. 

This was a great day for hiking, temperature in the low 80's with just enough breeze to keep the bugs away. There are a few 100 foot or so climbs as the trail goes around the lake, and a 5 mile hike with some climbs was a good workout for Ellen, but she did just fine. Emo and I had been climbing the WV mountains, so we were fine. Emo really enjoyed the dog beach here, so much for the $25 bathing and grooming job he got last week. There were lots of dragonflies and wildflowers, a sprinkling of other hikers, human and canine, and some people fishing from boats. We took a little over two hours to go the 5 miles, a good, steady pace.

I hike this trail at least once a year, and recommend it in dry weather. The trail can get sloppy when wet. I've not used the campground, but I may some day.

Later this week, I'll post some more about the West Virginia trip. But tomorrow, it is back to work. It looks like they have booked up a lot of work for me. I've also booked up trips with my friend Bruce to the huge Darke County, OH fair August 16th, and to a big engine and tractor show in Indiana on August 23, and I hope to get to my favorite local park, Possum Creek Metropark, and take some pictures. Stay tuned.

First day in the Forest

Sorry, no pictures this post. The first day, we went up the gravel road Forest Service Road 24, that runs along the ridgetop of Gauley Mountain. It was a great drive. Things are different at over 4000 feet. This is a little disturbed area. The road is several miles long, with a couple other shorter roads to explore. We got out to walk a few times.

On the way back down a very healthy looking adult black bear ran across the road about 150 feet in front of us. I got to see a bear the first day! 

We were scoping out potential trails to hike, and basically in awe of the vast expanse before us. We had never had a full month to explore a large forest before. I soon realized we had enough in just 2-1/2 Ranger Districts to keep us busy for a month. We next stopped by the ranger station in Marlinton, and bought a new version of the 1987 trail guide I had bought on-line. We went to the Pocahontas Campground, which serves as a trailhead for about a 3 mile loop we hiked. Next, we went down the road to a trailhead for the Allegheny Trail, and I thought we could hike it up the mountain to connect with a ridge trail overlooking a lake. I learned what a mountain is. We crossed two glades where I wished I had worn long pants, then went up, up, and up. I kept climbing, stopping for frequent breaks. Then, we went up some more. Well, I finally realized I needed to do a little better planning, and we turned around. I estimated we gained about 700 feet elevation. 

Back to the RV for some dinner, baseball on the TV (I have the Extra Innings package), and a long, hard study of the trail guide and forest maps. Despite failing to get to the top of the mountain, we had a wonderful first day.

I hope to do a day hike with my friend Ellen tomorrow, so I will hopefully post like a real blog, instead of a history. But there is a lot more forest to tell about.

Marlinton

We left the Chief Cornstalk Wildlife Management Area and headed for a little RV park I had spotted in the Subaru. It is the "Riverside RV park" just north of Marlinton, WV on Rte. 219. This used to be a mobile home park, but a big flood a few years ago washed away all the mobile homes. Now, it is simply a short asphalt lane with 16 full hook-up sites. At the end, is the Greenbriar River. At the Rte. 219 end, there is a men's outdoors clothing store where you contact folks about the RV sites, a car wash, and right next door, a decent grocery store. I could get a good view of the satellite for TV. I was quoted rates of $25/day, $140/wk, and $300/month. FHU and a clear sat. signal right next to the forest! I took a month. The campground filled for the Pioneer Days week long festival, but other than that, I had maybe 2 or 3 neighbors, sometimes none at all.

Here are two pictures, taken from the same spot. You can see, I had access to the river right out my front door.

Marlington camp, us at near left, site 16

River access about 200 feet from my door

Marlinton is small, but there is a coffee shop (Dirtbean Hale) with WiFi, two small groceries, a hardware store, banks, a great laundry ($12 and they do the work), and a couple restaurants. I recommend north on 219 for a few miles to Dorie's for breakfast. I met with other recovering alcoholics 3 times a week here. The big event for Pocahontas County is Pioneer Days in Marlinton, and I got to attend. I walked the little two block midway, went to the old car show (good stuff here), and watched the parade. Saturday, I went to the truck and tractor pull. I had a good time in the little town. No Verizon cell, but others with different service were making calls. No over-the-air TV. I think I got two AM radio broadcasts.

I learned Marlinton is on the decline, there used to be a lot of industry here, but it all went away. Most folks who live in and around Marlinton work at the Snowshoe resort north of there. There is a historical museum just south of town, a lot of the history of Pocahontas County has been preserved. 

This made a great base camp for exploring the Marlinton, White Sulfur Springs, and Gauley Ranger Districts of the Monogahela National Forest. Folks here are very unpretentious and open. I swam the river with Emo a few times. 3 meetings a week, a coffee shop with WiFi, groceries next door, and beauty all around. I even enjoyed the rainy days.

More about our hiking and driving in the forest next time, now that I've established base camp.

Cornstalkin'

The first place Emo and I camped at was the Chief Cornstalk Wildlife Management Area. This is found shortly after entering West Virginia on US35. It is a bit difficult to find, there is a sign for traffic going towards Ohio. It is a few miles back on a country road, and the type of place that makes me glad I got a Class C motorhome. I selected it because it was the first public ground in WV, and looked like a fun place to explore. I also wanted to try out my solar panels and ham radio, before I went deep into the mountains.

I fed the iron ranger $10/day to dry camp, and actually extended my stay to 6 nights. I was the only camper there. There are very nice campsites for my purposes, as you can see in the picture.

There is a small pond past the turn-around, and tent camping sites on the other side of the small creek behind my motorhome. Each day, a few folks would come and fish, and I'd hear someone using the firing range. Friday night a little before dark a bunch of people showed up in the tent camping area and had a party. A couple dogs came over and invited Emo to the party, but I didn't let him go. I heard a woman scream, but then everyone laughed, so I guess all went well.

There are some gravel roads, a cemetery, a shooting range, and not much else here. A fellow came by and mowed, got the trash, and refreshed the iron ranger with envelopes. We saw some birds I think were grouse, lots of small rabbits, and Emo chased one of the many deer I saw. Well, leash from then on. We did hike some on the old logging road in a place that had been harvested on one side. I enjoyed the hike, we went about a couple miles, until the road ran out. In general, I saw little problems with mining and harvesting co-existing with recreation and wildlife habitat. I've also never had a bit of a problem with hunters, and appreciate how a veggie hiker like me can explore the rugged public areas hunter money (and equine folks money) help make available most of the year. There is room for all of us. 

I learned that the DeLorme Atlas was not always easy to use on the WVa gravel backroads, and it takes time to get anywhere. The compass and second gear became my closest friends.  Also, if you want something, you better bring it with you, or travel quite a distance on twisty country roads to find it. But this is one of the two things Emo and I like best - exploring backwoods in the Subaru. I used my wildlife photography skills to capture this difficult specimen far deep in his natural enviornment:

Turtle sunning on the side of a gravel road

Despite finding several ticks each day, we enjoyed our time at Chief Cornstalk. I call it "Cornstalkin'" because it is back in the woods, and in West Virginia folks really seem to let you do whatever you want.  I got the ham radio working, drove around some of the surrounding area, and reconnoitered the Monogahela National Forest. This is my current modus operandi - find a decent place for a few days, then scope out the next move with the Subaru. I'm glad I did, because I found a real peach of a campground near the Monongahela. And the drive on the Highland Scenic Highway whetted our appetite for real forest and mountains.

Chief Cornstalk is a great place to just cool out for a few days, and in a good location for me. I might return some day.

About the motorhome

I read travel blogs and wonder what equipment the folks are in. I'll continue to post about the trip, but I want to let folks know about the details of my motorhome. Comment here if you would like detailed information on any of this, or want me to share some of my research and links.

Mine is an Itasca, which is made by Winnebago. Model is Cambria, similar to the Winnebago Aspect. I have a 2008 model 26a, on the older (14050 lbs. GVWR) chassis. I bought it after my summer vacation in 2007, after I had done about two years of research. It specs as 26'7" long, and is just under 8 feet wide going down the road. Easy to drive, and I can go places most Class A owners would not go. It has almost all options, except the leather package and outside entertainment center, which I wouldn't want. I had the dealer install levelers, and towing gear for the Subaru. I have the microwave/convection oven. My tanks are 37 fresh + 6 gal. water heater, 37 grey, and 29 black. I replaced the two Group 24 batteries with two Group 27 batteries, put in a 60A smart converter, and added hf ham radio equipment, and a DirecTV reciever. I also installed the AM Solar package with two 100W solar panels. Yeah, I'm an electronics tech and a ham.

This motorhome has an entertainment center over the cab, so technically it is a Class B+, but at almost 27 feet and with a slide, it is basically a Class C. The slide has a big U dinette (not like the tight ones in truck campers), which works out great, as I can kick back and watch DirecTV, take naps, etc. Times I've taken my friend Ellen, she says the bed the dinette makes is very comfortable. Ellen likes the hoop based chair, I don't. It will be replaced with storage when I full-time, for now it holds Ellen or dog items. The big U dinette allows for a big, round table (with a leaf) that I love, I can have computer, ham radio, maps, and snacks all cluttered up on it. There is actually a lot of room once I put the slide out. The unit is also functional, but cramped, with the slide in.

There is a corner bed 54" x 75", perfect for me. The other rear corner has the toilet and the shower, and it is adequate. I've found there is plenty storage for me, and I think I can full-time in this beast. Here's a link that may go stale after a few months:



I think I made a good, informed decision about the motorhome. I looked at lots of things, and I would love to have an Airstream, Bigfoot, or Arctic Fox trailer, but I want to run around the forests in a Subaru, not a heavy duty pickup. Lazy Daze was attractive, but the Winnie has a great dealer a mile from me, nation wide service, and a slide. Lazy Daze owners diss slides because of the loss of cargo carrying capacity, but my unit still rates over 2000 lbs. CCC, that's with full tanks and 3 or 4 people aboard. I think I can keep my stuff under a ton. 5ers and Class A motorhomes are too tall to go where I like to go, and the diesel Winnies (Navion, View) are just not big enough, $20k more, and can only tow 3500 lbs., like the Lazy Daze.

I had surgery December 2007 (fine now) and spent January in Alabama in the motorhome. Plus, the 6 weeks we just did. So, I've had some time in the unit, and I like it a lot. Friends have demanded I host movie night in the motorhome instead of my house, and I've seated 5 for a few hours. I have a glitch with the DirecTV losing the sat signal, I think I have it down to the DTV unit demanding very steady power. I am still debating about where to put the laundry hamper. My ham radio was turning on and off the dome light with every dit and dah I sent, so I pulled the bulb, I need to trouble shoot that. I had two warranty issues, a bunched up slide seal, and squeaky running boards, no big deal. Boondocking, I run out of fresh water after about 10 days, so I need to learn to stretch if I want to go the 14 day limit at most sites. The solar panels do OK most days, but if I want 5 hours of TV at night and the overhead fan most of the day, I need to run the genset about a half hour every other day. That's OK. There are several little things I don't like about the Ford part, and the Jensen entertainment system, but it is all functional and I can shake off the little irritations.

A picture is worth a thousand words?

Emo and me.

Looking forward

Looking back

Gotta run, more about the big trip later.

Back from the 7 week summer outing

Got back yesterday from the big trip, Emo and I were out for 6 weeks. We had gone to Punderson State Park near Cleveland with our friend Ellen for 4 days before that. So much to tell about! In NE Ohio, Ellen, Emo, and I stumbled upon a bunch of Amish garage sales out in the country. Ellen had tickets to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and I got tickets to an Indians game.  Here's a picture of the rig at Punderson.

Starting a travel blog

Some equipment - Mountainsmith backpacks for me and my Border Collie Emo, a Subaru Forester XT, and an Itasca Cambria 26A motorhome. We will be backpacking in Shawnee State Forest in southern Ohio later in May, and spending several weeks in West Virginia in June and July. I hope to get some pictures up soon.