Backpacking in West Virginia: Day 1

We all woke up a little early. I was up and working on a morning fire by 5:30 a.m.. We had coffee and oatmeal by 7. After relaxing by the fire and waking up, dad and I nursed our coffee while checking out the map. We decided to go to a different part of the forest called Seneca Creek. Much safer sounding than Bear Heaven! On our way to West Virginia, Stephanie and I read an article in Backpacker magazine that featured Seneca Creek and a 17 mile loop trail that follows the creek. As soon as I mentioned the part about abundant trout in the creek, dad was sold. However, he did take a fee minutes before “suggesting” we try out that area. We divided up our gear, packed our bags, and set out for Seneca Creek.

An hour and a half later, and quite a breathtaking drive by the way, we arrived at the trail head.

We headed in and the scene was picturesque! Evergreen forest, open meadows, a crisp blue sky. It was about 65 degrees, which was perfect for this sunny hike. About 12:30 we came upon a campsite that was straight out of Lord of the Rings. There was a 6′ fire ring in the middle surrounded by stone seats for 12. If I wasn’t so excited, it would have been creepy.After lunch, Dad and I setup our tents while Stephanie DIDN’T take a nap. After the setup, dad went fly fishing and I snapped a few photos before journaling a bit. Then, Steph and I jumped in the creek and had to warm up in the sun. By the way, the creek was about -12 degrees.

After returning to camp with dinner on my mind, we saw a group of 15 college students move in as our neighbors. We could tell by the way they paused and sized us up that they were aiming for our spot. After all, it is a sweet spot. Stephanie made Anniversary Stir Fry for dinner. It was great! After dinner, Stephanie and I got a private lesson in how to make several different knots. There’s the Taught Line Hitch, Clove Hitch, Bow Line, Fisherman’s Knot, and the Double Fisherman’s Knot. Then we sat around the fire pit until we were all dozing off.

Backpacking in West Virginia: Day 0

We left Louisville right after church to head toward the Monongahela National Forest to meet Stephanie’s Dad for some backpacking.  Of course I had a few responsibilities to take care of before hitting the backcountry. It was pretty awesome to be able to do a bunch of work on my laptop while Stephanie started the trip and then stop at a Panera to upload what I had done (Website post, sermon to publish, emails to new visitors, etc). Then, I was able to edit the rest from my iPhone while on the road. Mainly, I was able to make sure the website post I submitted was showing properly and didn’t have any typos. For this reason, I love technology. It lets me get out in the woods more often.

Seven hours later we arrived at Bear Heaven Campground in Elkins, WV. Yeah, I love the name too. Dad had already secured a campsite for us and built up a nice fire. Lucy went crazy not only to see him, but to be out of the car after 7 hours of sitting still. We were really excited to be here and ready for our great backpacking adventure.

Tonight’s agenda: talk trails, final trip decisions, catchup over the campfire, bask in each other’s company.

Because of the wonders of technology (and the GPS capabilities of certain toys), I’ve been able to capture our trip via GPS. Here’s a link.

GPS coordinates: 38.930213, -79.68037

Scratch & Sniff

We put petunias in the hanging baskets on our front porch. They not only look nice and their leggy nature works well in a hanging basket, but they smell wonderful!

Because of the miracle of modern technology, I’ve been able to include this scratch ‘n sniff picture of one of the petunias.

 

Scratch 'N Sniff

 

 

If it doesn’t work, refresh the page and try again.

A Whole New Lawn

I’ve been struggling with my lawncare. I have enjoyed gardening with Stephanie, but for some reason, I’ve been drawn to the turf. We have a lawn service that cuts the lawns of our entire subdivision. I’ve very thankful that they cut all of my neighbor’s yards, because I don’t think the majority of them would care that much. 

Over the 4 years we’ve lived here, I’ve reseeded 2 times and over-seeded at the end of every season. I’ve also taken special precautionary measures to make sure I’m watering the lawn the right way. 

This year, I’ve taken the next step. I invested in a good lawn mower. The lawn service comes and cuts the lawn at regular intervals. They don’t, however, come all that often. Sometimes the lawn is overgrown and in need of some serious maintenance. We love having parties outside, so I really want more control over my own lawn. And because we have a thin, soft turf, I can cut it with a reel mower, which is much easier to maintain, use, and all-around better for the environment.

Two weeks ago, I was able to cut my own lawn for the first time. It was a proud moment. So proud, in fact, that I took a picture. 

Then, to top that off, my friend had an extra weed wacker that he gave to me. So, I am able to take complete control of my yard and really make it look good. 

For those of you who are interested, I’ve got a mix of Tall Fescue, Kentucky 31, and Kentucky Blue Grass. If I were to do it all over again (which I won’t because it was a lot of work and I have a great lawn now), I would only use Scott’s Premium Turf, which is a Kentucky Bluegrass and Tall Fescue mix. Kentucky 31 is a broader blade that is more course. I really prefer the softer turf… it fills in better and is really nice to walk on with bare feet. Here’s a picture of the Premium turf:

 

It also does a great job of repairing spots. Here’s a place in our front that has always been bare and rocky. A few weeks ago I dug out the rocks and filled it in with my own patch kit of Scott’s Premium Turf, Scott’s Starter Fertilizer, and our own rich compost instead of potting soil. Here’s a good before and after for you:

 

Before

 

After

 

 

 So there you have it. My whole new lawn… and lawn maintenance. 

As a side note, in the first 4 days I owned the mower, I used it on 3 different occasions. I really enjoy mowing the lawn! 

The Garden

We finished off our garden today. It was pretty exciting. We put in a bunch of plants and finished off a few little things we were waiting to do, like repaint the fence.

I’ve taken pictures of all of the plants and named them. Hopefully, I’ll take pictures later on in the season so you can see how much these plants have grown. It’ll be exciting like that.

 

Catnip

Lettuce

Cilantro

Spearmint

Kentucky Colonel Mint

Basil

Oregano

Garlic

Thyme

Peas

Cucumber

Sweet Banana Peppers

Brandywine Tomatoes

Jalapeno Peppers

Green Zebra Tomatoes

Almost done.

The Finished Product

Derby means…

It’s Derby weekend. That means it’s safe to start putting plants in the ground and we can finish off our garden! I’m excited!

Going Green

We read about rain barrels in the past and thought it would be a great idea for our garden. It’s essentially a large barrel that you attach to your gutters and will hold the rainwater that would otherwise flood your yard and seep into the ground while it is over-saturated. Then, you can use the water in the barrel to water your garden or yard on days when it does not rain. 

However, a quick search online left us disillusioned about getting a barrel. They’re pretty expensive for a decent barrel.

Then, after looking at our water bills from last summer, we decided to commit. We drove to a local nursery and asked if they carried these barrels. They did not. But, they did let us in on a well-kept secret. Metropolitan Sewer District (MSD), our local waste and storm water government division, is selling rain barrelsfrom their Nature Center for really cheap!

I was excited, called, and picked one up the following Monday. It rained all Monday thru Wednesday, and I didn’t have any time to get outside and install the rain barrel. But, come Thursday, I used my evening to install this barrel. Here are some before and after pictures for you:

Before

After

Lucy was really excited to be able to help out in the process. 

Next, we’re going to add some flowers to the south (left) of the barrel and our house to add some landscaping, make it easier to mow around, and to hide the barrel. Stephanie has some ideas with some flowering plans, so we’ll have to keep you updated before it all happens. 

And as you can probably tell from the before (3/9/09) and after (4/16/09) pictures, the blackberry bushes are coming in nicely. I hope the barrel’s shade doesn’t mess with that one bush. Oh well, the free water is going to be worth it. 

Oh, and for those of you that are wondering how much water we’ll be able to keep in our barrel… the barrel holds 58 gallons. With the back half of our roof (I’m estimating 300 square feet), and 1″ of rainfall, the barrel will receive 260 gallons of water. Luckily, there is an overflow valve that points away from the house. So, we could get a few more and daisy chain them. I have a feeling that would be overkill.

Hey Florida family: you should consider doing this. It rains every day down there and it seems like every spring and summer there is some sort of “water shortage.” Imagine if you could harness the runoff from the little bits of rain you do get to keep your flowers and vegetables fresh! I know most Floridians don’t have gutters, but if you did… it would work well!

Clifty Falls

Two weeks ago we went hiking in Clifty Falls with our friends Jeremy & Lauren. It was a blast. We started on one of the trails that goes from the bottom of the park all the way up the river bed to the main falls: Clifty Falls.

The weather could not have been better. It was cool and sunny. Our hike brought us along the river bed, needing to cross the river several times. There were no bridges, so we had to get all Oregon Trail and decide how we were going to cross. Luckily, no one got dysentery.

Here are a few pictures from our hike.

After hiking, we stopped in Madison, Indiana for dinner. We ate at a sandwich shop called the Downtowner that was pretty awesome. After dinner, we walked around the quaint downtown strip of Madison and picked up some ice cream. I felt like I was in an old movie.

Spring

Update: I still love spring.

Spring

This just in: I love spring!

The Snow Beast

If you haven’t heard, I purchased a Jeep Wranger in September. I was, and still am, a HUGE fan of this jeep. It’s been a childhood dream of mine to own a jeep. Last year I purchased an ’84 Jeep CJ-7 to fix up.  Here’s a picture.

Maybe I was overly-ambitious. I’ll let you decide.

After trying to work on that jeep and coming to the painful realization that I neither have the time, nor tools, nor knowledge to restore this jeep, I decided to sell it.

Enter the TJ. In 1997 they switched the suspension in Jeep Wranglers to coil springs, giving you a smoother ride. Here’s a picture of my TJ.

Yeah, it’s pretty awesome.

Recently, we have had a series of snow and ice storms that have left most of Louisville without any way to get around town… not me. The big All-Terrain tires and 4×4 capabilities of my jeep have let me motor around town with a big smile on my face. It’s my Snow Beast!

You know you’re jealous!

I would offer you a ride, but it’s temporairly out of commission. I think I had a little too much fun in it.

(I would like to take this opportunity to attiribute all of my “skillful” snow driving to my friend Alex Acevedo, who taught me how to go “wheelin” in my CJ. Alex, we will ride again!)

Picking Pumpkins at Huber’s Family Farm

We went to Huber’s Family Farm in Starlight, IN today with a bunch of friends from our community group. It was great. We picked a pumpkin for our fall decorations as well as picked 2 more for baking. We could not have asked for better weather either. It was amazing.

I’ve included a couple of pictures for you to enjoy. Our friend Emil was the designated cameraman. He not only took some cool shots of people but some awesome shots along the way. You can see the whole collection in our Picasa Web Album.

BEAR!

While in the Smokies, we saw a bear. It was the end of the first day and I loved it. Our hearts instantly raced as soon as we noticed the bear but it was over too quickly to react in any way. It was really cool to be able to see a bear out there without any real danger. It was also nice to know that the bear was afraid of me… probably because I am an intimidating person. It’s true.

We didn’t get a picture of the bear. However, I did find this video on YouTube that looks quite similiar to what happened in the woods.

Backpacking with Field Notes

This past weekend we went backpacking in Cades Cove, TN for our anniversary. It was awesome.

I brought one of my Field Notes notebooks along with me to act as a journal. It was fun to be able to sit down at the beginning and end of the day and write a little bit about what happened that day.

Due to popular request (by all 2 of you that read this blog), I have added those journal entries to the blog. I posted them with the proper dates. Enjoy the 3 previous entries. Pictures coming soon.

Backpacking in Cades Cove, Tennessee – Day 3

From Backpacking in the Smokies – Day 3

It’s the perfect time of year to hear acorns falling every 8 seconds. Strange how these large acorns falling against the leaves can sound like bear footprints when you are in a tent and it is pitch black. This morning we cooked on a great campfire. We’re very thankful for the dry weather that has afforded us so much firewood. Getting water was a real challenge as i had to clean off the filter TWICE while trying to fill our 4 bottles.

We learned that we camped between the twin peaks of Double Mountain. The peaks were 100′ on either side of our tent. We also learned that we are very close to several bee hives. Ever since we woke up we have heard the sound of bees buzzing. Glad we can’t see them. We can only see 1 hive and it’s a safe distance away. Can you see it?

From Backpacking in the Smokies – Day 3

Our hike was mostly downhill today. A pleasant change from yesterday. Almost 1 hour on the trial, which did not yield the jaw-dropping views the book said it would. Then, we hiked down Rich Mountain Road, a one-way access “road” that leaves the park and heads toward the city. It was a very poor excuse for a road. More like a wide trail covered in slate gravel. After what seemed like 12 hours (and turned out to only be 2), we reached Cades Cove Loop. Now that was a jaw-dropping scene. It was gorgeous! We felt like we were almost done. Sadly, we still had 1 hour’s walk on the loop. Steph’s blood sugar was low and she was NOT happy about the walk. (Stephanie’s note: In my defense, Dan told me we were going to subway when we left and so we didn’t eat any lunch. All those hours of walking and breakfast long gone! It’d make anyone a little crabby.)

Here’s a view of Cades Cove from above, on Rich Mtn. road:

From Backpacking in the Smokies – Day 3

And here’s Cades Cove from the bottom:

From Backpacking in the Smokies – Day 3

After all that walking, we drove on Rich Mountain “Road” for 10 minutes and got back to where we started. 10 minutes in a car, 2 hours on foot. Amazing.

On the trail today I completed memorizing Romans 3:27-31. We talked a lot and walked slowly as our legs were stiff and rebelling against our will to continue. No major blisters. No major injuries. No deaths. It was a good trip.

Now, on to Subway for the post-hike tradition: A foot-long sub!

Today’s Stats:

• 4 hours on the trail.
• 7 Miles hiked
• Indian Grave Gap Trail -> Rich Mountain Road -> Cades Cove Loop -> The Vibe…

Backpacking in Cades Cove, Tennessee – Day 2

Slept very well, minus the frequent waking up. Our tent and sleeping bags kept us very warm in the mid 40s last night. Our stove didn’t work this morning. That sure didn’t stop Steph. She used our morning fire to make oatmeal, coffee for me and tea for her. It was delightful.

I burned my thumb while fixing the stove. I don’t think I’ll die from it. Steph could be a pioneer woman. I think today I’ll see how she does with some snakes and we may pan for gold.

From Backpacking in the Smokies – Day 2

I worked on the stove all morning. At last, it worked properly. Problem solved.

We hiked for 6 hours and 45 minutes. The day started with a sharp ascent of 300 feet in 3/4 of a mile. But, we kept a 20 min/mile pace. The last 2 miles of the day were almost straight up. This entire day of a little over 9 miles was all up hill. I wanted to stop so badly but Steph kept us going in spite of her tiredness.

From Backpacking in the Smokies – Day 2

As far as wildlife goes, I was stung by a wasp in my left heel. Steph stepped on a 3′ snake. No deaths so far. We saw the only squirrel today too. You’d think you would see more of them with all of the nuts and acorns on the trail. Tonight’s campsite is known for bears but we haven’t seen any today. In the 1980s it was closed due to too much bear activity. The ranger gave us a heads up that they had been active recently too. We’ll see about that.

Dinner was amazing, as you would expect. Pretty much anything would taste good after this much climbing up hill. But we feasted on rice with stir-fried red & yellow bell peppers, red & green banana peppers, garlic, shiitake mushrooms and roasted cashews. Yeah… try to compete with that freeze-dried meals. Boy am I glad I didn’t sell out and get those meals.

From Backpacking in the Smokies – Day 2

From Backpacking in the Smokies – Day 2

Campsite #5 is great. There is an actual fire pit with a cooking grill which came in very handy because apparently I didn’t fix the stove.

From Backpacking in the Smokies – Day 2

There is even a sign to lead us to a good spot for the toilet and the nearest water source, a 300′ downhill hike to a dry creek bed where I used a super small puddle 1/2″ deep to fill our 4 nalgenes. A lot of prayer and a good water filter helped out.

From Backpacking in the Smokies – Day 2

On the trail today I memorized Romans 3:21-27. We talked about Jesus’ substitutionary sacrifice and it took on a whole new meaning from those verses. Very thankful for that.

Time to enjoy the fire, dry out our socks, then hit the sack (at 8:30 again).

Today’s Stats:

• 6:45 hours on the trail.
• Beard Cane Mountain -> Ace Gap Trail -> 100′ on Rich Mountain “Road”-> Rich Mountain Trail.
• Campsite #5

Backpacking in Cades Cove, Tennessee – Day 1

We left home at 5:30 AM and drove to Cades Cove. Our first trail was Abram’s Falls. We made the 3.x mile to the falls in 45 minutes. On the way we passed 7 other groups who were day hiking to the falls. It felt a bit silly to be the only ones with packs and hiking clothes. The falls haven’t changed much since I was here 5 years ago with Chris, minus the large tree that fell over the falls back then. I much prefer today’s visit, no offense to Chris. Stephanie’s theme song seems to be “Get Your Hike On… doo doo doo doo.”

From Backpacking in the Smokies – Day 1

We finished the other 7.x miles by 5 PM. It got really secluded once we left the falls. There was only 1 other group and they were on horseback. Our feet got really tired and the last 2.3 miles seemed to take forever. We could not ask for better weather. It was like we were hiking in the air conditioning. Awesome. It was probably 72 at the hottest part of the day. Shorts & t-shirt weather.

We saw our first bear! Around 5 PM, 100 yards from our campsite. It was an adult Black Bear. We called him Baba. (As in “Ba Ba black bear, have you any wool?”) As soon as he saw me he took off. Probably because I look so intimidating in hiking shorts with tall wool socks. Then, when we started to setup our tent, a pole broke. Some surgical tape and prayers fixed the problem.

Our new Trekker Chairs are just what the doctor ordered. Soft, padded places to our bottoms and back support. How did we survive without them when we went backpacking before? It’s a backpacker’s La-z-boy. They’re definitely worth the weight (ONLY 10 OZ!). Here I am, writing in my Field Notes and kicking back to enjoy the evening.

From Backpacking in the Smokies – Day 1

Dinner was great. Instead of having one of those freeze-dried dinners in a pouch, we had sauteed butternut squash and garlic with toasted pecans in a balsamic vinegar reduction over brown rice . Now that’s better than any other outdoors meal I’ve heard of. It was all fresh ingredients that Steph prepared yesterday.

From Backpacking in the Smokies – Day 1

Time to dry out our socks at the fire and then head to bed (at 8:30).

From Backpacking in the Smokies – Day 1

Today’s Stats:

• 6 hours on the trail.
• 10+ miles traveled.
• Trails: Abram’s Falls -> Hatcher Mountain -> Beard Cane Mountain
• Campsite #3

Trekker Chair

After our Crazy Creek purchase, we realized that they are a lot to pack. So, we looked into another option. Maybe we pulled the trigger too quickly.

Yep. We did.

We returned the Crazy Creeks and picked up ThermaRest Trekker Chairs. These fit over our bedrolls and make nice, comfy chairs. This way, we are only adding 10 oz to our packs and these Trekker Chairs fold up nice and small. One added benefit that we didn’t anticipate is that the Trekker Chair, since it is using our bedroll, actually comes out a lot comfier than the Crazy Creek. It’s the difference in sitting in a chair and sitting in a La-z-boy.

Awesome.

Crazy Creek

Today Stephanie and I both got Crazy Creek chairs. We’re really excited about them. They make sitting on the ground fun again.

We first saw a Crazy Creek when my friend Josh, who works at the local outdoors store, brought one over for a party outside. It was awesome. We’ve been thinking about them ever since.

We’re going backpacking next weekend in Tennessee, so I’ll have to let you know how well they worked.

Summer Evenings.

The rain stopped mid afternoon just in time to dry up a little and the clouds blow away for a brief afternoon for fun before the sun set. The other great part about being so far north (to a Florida boy, this is north) is the late summer sunsets.

What a change of events. I’m the one playing and Stephanie is the one working.

Ok, so she’s not really working. She’s updating pictures on Facebook. But still, she’s the one on the computer while I’m playing with Lucy.

It was a fierce game of Fetch. We ended up tieing. I had 50 throws and she had 50 returns. She’s gotten really good.