Big Trip Soon!

I get my two months off this summer, yeah! My last work day is May 15, I return mid-July. Voluntary leave without pay.

My plans are to go to the Shawnee National Forest in southern Illinois. I want to arrive there early the week before the holiday weekend, so I can get a site. I've always liked the idea of checking out this area, because there are tons of trails for Emo and me to explore. Not far to the south is Land Between the Lakes in Kentucky, and the Mark Twain National Forest in Missouri is to the west. But I think we may have our 6 weeks worth in the Shawnee National Forest.

One addition to the gadgets is a Blackberry 8830 with Verizon internet access and the ability to tether the Mac G4 notebook to the Blackberry via Bluetooth, so I can have internet access on the laptop at decent speeds wherever I have an EVDO connection on the Blackberry. Verizon has the best coverage area, and I think I will be in fat city in most of southern Illinois. 

High speed internet, satellite TV with the MLB Extra Innings package, 200W Ham radio with a good antenna, full kitchen, DVD player with HDTV, and an iPod to play over the stereo speakers in the RV. That'll work!

Look for pictures late May. 

Motorcycle!

Time for a couple updates.

At the age of 51, I have taken up motorcycling! Last September I bought a 2008 Kawasaki Versys and went to the MSF Safety Course. The bike is a 650cc, a bit large for a beginner bike, but it is working out great for me. Even though I couldn't ride about 2 months solid this winter, and lots of days when it was too cold or raining, I still have almost 3000 miles on it. I love it!

The down side is, my dog can't go. But we still have had some hiking, locally. But not a lot has happened this winter, other than the bike.

Here it is last Sunday at Lake White state park, the picnic overlook:

My long term plans are to get maybe a smaller bike, and take it along with the RV and a small pickup truck, but that won't happen for a while.

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.