tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-110173792024-03-08T16:01:09.054-05:00Playtime!I can't believe that we would lie in our graves dreaming of what might have been - Dave Matthews BandAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12735964100343471614noreply@blogger.comBlogger319125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11017379.post-28930365806346038132013-06-15T14:38:00.001-04:002013-06-15T14:38:34.340-04:00The T-Shirt Quilt<p>One of consequences of losing a significant amount of weight is that you get a whole new wardrobe!  This is fun and exciting, but also means that you have to part with favorite items of clothing.  This is especially hard for me because many of my t-shirts that no longer fit were also souvenirs from some of my favorite places.  Pinterest provided me with the solution to this dilemna – <a href="http://pinterest.com/search/pins/?q=t%20shirt%20quilt&rs=ac&len=4">The T-Shirt Quilt</a>! </p> <p>Back in March, over Spring Break, I decided to start this daunting project.  Prior to starting this I had a very limited knowledge of how to use my sewing machine.  I’d sewn a few things, but I still needed to look up directions for basic stuff like threading and winding the bobbin.  Advanced stuff like adjusting stitch length and tension or troubleshooting why it jammed every other second were totally out of my league.  In my head my quilt was perfect, but I was seriously doubting my ability to make it come out nice.  </p> <p>I started the planning process by locating some directions online that looked good: <a title="http://totallystitchin.net/articles/diy-simple-t-shirt-quilt-part-1" href="http://totallystitchin.net/articles/diy-simple-t-shirt-quilt-part-1">http://totallystitchin.net/articles/diy-simple-t-shirt-quilt-part-1</a>.  I also browsed pictures of other finished t-shirt quilts to get an idea of what I wanted mine to look like and in the process decided that I didn’t like the look of the t-shirts right next to each other and decided to add <a href="http://www.thefreedictionary.com/sashing">sashing</a>.  I then had to find directions on how to add sashing: <a title="http://www.synthcom.com/~val/Quilts/Tutorials/AddingSashing.html" href="http://www.synthcom.com/~val/Quilts/Tutorials/AddingSashing.html">http://www.synthcom.com/~val/Quilts/Tutorials/AddingSashing.html</a> This pictoral makes it SUPER easy to see how to do it! </p> <p>The next step was figuring out what fabric to use for the sashing.  This was harder than I expected because all the t-shirts were different colors and didn’t exactly go together.  No one buys t-shirts because they will look nice all together! </p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-z1aBV69NTIE/Uby0f7ll8dI/AAAAAAAAPnk/EVV2P4NdZGA/s1600-h/IMAGE_A1B50A85-9E5A-4256-98AC-142F2EBB1609%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="IMAGE_A1B50A85-9E5A-4256-98AC-142F2EBB1609" border="0" alt="IMAGE_A1B50A85-9E5A-4256-98AC-142F2EBB1609" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-WBFSEQqv8F0/Uby0gWQNj9I/AAAAAAAAPns/R1v4MggfhRg/IMAGE_A1B50A85-9E5A-4256-98AC-142F2EBB1609_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="159" height="211" /></a> </p> <p>I spent a whole day going to every fabric store in the area looking for the “just right” fabric and couldn’t find it.  I had some ideas but none really worked.  Finally I decided to use a solid color for the long strips and a print for the setting squares.  I decided on brown because it went with all the colors of the t-shirts and reminded me of a nursery rhyme quilt that my great-grandmother had made for me when I was a baby.  I’d found an old flat sheet that I was going to use for the quilt back and it was a lavender-ish color so that’s why I picked the purple for the middles.  That and purple is my favorite color and I didn’t have much purple otherwise.  </p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-HOQzMQR6xUY/Uby0hKpxnOI/AAAAAAAAPn0/pLFL1dA0tX4/s1600-h/IMAGE_9A130ADE-786C-46B1-94A9-35DB6428DC33%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="IMAGE_9A130ADE-786C-46B1-94A9-35DB6428DC33" border="0" alt="IMAGE_9A130ADE-786C-46B1-94A9-35DB6428DC33" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-44ZcOw5IO5E/Uby0h1I0vNI/AAAAAAAAPn8/EgarC7drRyo/IMAGE_9A130ADE-786C-46B1-94A9-35DB6428DC33_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="184" height="244" /></a> </p> <p>After the supplies were purchased and the t-shirts were washed, I began the cutting process.  I’d purchased some quilting templates – they are heavy clear plastic that you can cut, but it’s hard.  I decided I’d start with 16 inch squares.  I was unsure of how precise I’d be able to get my seams and it seemed like a lot of math to caluculate a 1/4 in seam vs a 1/2 in seam.  I decided to just go with “bigger is better”.   Using my handy rotary cutter I cut 16 x 16 in squares out of the backs of all the shirts and then cut the interfacing into 16 x 16 squares and ironed the interfacing on.  </p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-NzhLelwtDxo/Uby0iY2kDbI/AAAAAAAAPoE/Q_KH1ip0Cas/s1600-h/IMAGE_161036C4-99DA-4BC0-8771-2D0A30BA64FF%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="IMAGE_161036C4-99DA-4BC0-8771-2D0A30BA64FF" border="0" alt="IMAGE_161036C4-99DA-4BC0-8771-2D0A30BA64FF" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-tftjZYFKfCk/Uby0i3L1F6I/AAAAAAAAPoI/7iTonNrnhW4/IMAGE_161036C4-99DA-4BC0-8771-2D0A30BA64FF_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="184" height="244" /></a> </p> <p>It took me a few tries to get the procedure down for the interfacing.  At first I was ironing in the hall and was worried about setting off the smoke alarm with the steam so was keeping the iron low and ironing directly on the interfacing – this was a bad idea because a few times the interfacing melted!  I finally moved the ironing board so it wasn’t directly under the smoke alarm and used steam and the interfacing went on much easier.  I used a very lightweight interfacing and it worked great.  I’m so thankful the lady at <a href="http://www.joann.com/">Joann’s</a> Fabrics knew what I was doing better than I did! </p> <p>After the squares all had interfacing it was time to cut the sashing.  This went quickly thanks to the rotary cutter!  My measurement wasn’t quite as precise as it could have been, but it was good enough! </p> <p>Finally, it was time to sew!  The sewing actually went quickly and easily and soon I had a completed quilt top!  </p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-Ys6pDwsKNhg/Uby0jEncYYI/AAAAAAAAPoU/YCTm9l1c30w/s1600-h/IMAGE_43C60DF0-F636-4856-8BF2-A85AD3EE16B3%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="IMAGE_43C60DF0-F636-4856-8BF2-A85AD3EE16B3" border="0" alt="IMAGE_43C60DF0-F636-4856-8BF2-A85AD3EE16B3" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-EOokg6xf_Vo/Uby0jiD9f8I/AAAAAAAAPoY/fMJIbGOHUZQ/IMAGE_43C60DF0-F636-4856-8BF2-A85AD3EE16B3_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184" /></a></p> <p>As you can see, the quilt top is HUGE.  It barely fits in the open space in the basement. It’s laying on a king size flat sheet (just to protect it from the floor) and it barely fits.  I had to move the couch into the hall in order to have room to spread it out.  This was not good. </p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p>I thought about it for a little while and decided that it was just too big and I needed to fix it.  </p> <p>I decided that I could cut the squares down to 12x12 and make it 4 squares by 4 squares instead of 5x5.   This would mean removing 9 squares from the quilt.  I decided that 8 of those squares I would make into a giant floor pillow to use in the RV.  </p> <p>At this point it was very late so I went to bed and the next morning started in cutting the squares out and making them 12x12.  I made a new template and was able to quickly cut them down to a more manageable size.  I also needed to cut new sashing.  This meant that I had to go back to Joann’s to buy more fabric.  </p> <p>Cutting the sashing was much easier the 2nd time – I was better with the rotary cutter and the edges were cleaner and straighter the 2nd time around.  </p> <p>Once again sewing all the parts together went quickly (by now though I was a pro at threading the machine and winding bobbins and had spent a few hours trouble shooting why it was jamming and wouldn’t sew!) and soon I had a new and improved quilt top: </p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-891QAFBJUm8/Uby0kP-qdMI/AAAAAAAAPok/kT3mVqyfWrA/s1600-h/IMAGE_2EB44B11-9CF5-4209-876E-417FE02841D9%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="IMAGE_2EB44B11-9CF5-4209-876E-417FE02841D9" border="0" alt="IMAGE_2EB44B11-9CF5-4209-876E-417FE02841D9" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-ax4EbgBzccA/Uby0kg87idI/AAAAAAAAPoo/1_J8evzysBI/IMAGE_2EB44B11-9CF5-4209-876E-417FE02841D9_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184" /></a> </p> <p>You can see how much smaller it is! I was also able to take out the pastel squares and the squares that has smaller designs to use for the pillow.  </p> <p>The next step was to add the backing.  There are lots of ways to finish a quilt and I chose to use one that most people don’t use… I cut the batting and the back, then I made a sandwich – the quilt top, then the backing (right sides together) and put the batting on top and sewed around the edge then turned it all inside out – just like a pillowcase.  The advantage here was that all 3 layers were sewn together without binding it.  The disadvantage is that all 3 layers were sewn together on the edges, but not quilted or otherwise held together in the middle.  </p> <p>The quilting part looked easy so I started sewing around the edge.  It went well at first but soon the fabric started bunching up and wasn’t laying flat.  I forged ahead.  The more I forged ahead the more the fabric bunched and the tighter the stitches got.  Finally after stitching around the outside edge and then the inside edge of the sashing and attempting to go down the middle I realized that I’d really messed up.  It looked terrible and there was no way to fix it.  </p> <p>I was very frustrated at this point.  Almost a whole weeks worth of work ruined in a matter of minutes.  And, I didn’t know how to fix it or do it better.  So I started researching machine quilting and determined that I needed a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walking_foot">walking foot</a> for my sewing machine.  I ordered one and when it arrived I figure out to get it on my machine (remember back at the beginning I didn’t even know how to thread the machine! Now I’m changing the feet!)  and tried to finish off the quilting.  It still didn’t look right.  I decided that my problem was the quilting I’d already done.  It had to get ripped out.  </p> <p>This was enormously tedious and boring so it took me awhile to do it.   </p> <p>While I was procrastinating about pulling out the stitching in the quilt, I finished the pillow:</p> <p>Front: </p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-ZSyQxIcGpP8/Uby0k1VsqFI/AAAAAAAAPo0/WrYxY0eHKQY/s1600-h/IMAGE_3F0FB451-99DF-47F9-A234-B1E81B5DC74F%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="IMAGE_3F0FB451-99DF-47F9-A234-B1E81B5DC74F" border="0" alt="IMAGE_3F0FB451-99DF-47F9-A234-B1E81B5DC74F" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-2HoQkGlG-fg/Uby0ldSDkkI/AAAAAAAAPo8/gvf9lLPCDkM/IMAGE_3F0FB451-99DF-47F9-A234-B1E81B5DC74F_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="184" height="244" /></a> </p> <p>Back: </p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-MxMVDEkx_Ps/Uby0l90YLNI/AAAAAAAAPpE/R0XJAPF8Re4/s1600-h/IMAGE_ACDA4044-A270-4075-A041-8D0502F0D306%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="IMAGE_ACDA4044-A270-4075-A041-8D0502F0D306" border="0" alt="IMAGE_ACDA4044-A270-4075-A041-8D0502F0D306" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-JRxwYjkN8Oc/Uby0mEyXkKI/AAAAAAAAPpM/Yk5Jz387X6c/IMAGE_ACDA4044-A270-4075-A041-8D0502F0D306_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="184" height="244" /></a> </p> <p>It’s HUGE, but I love it!  It’s great in the RV!  It’s also very lumpy – a huge box of filling wasn’t quite enough!  And it’s not sewn very well, but it’s ok! </p> <p>Finally I got up the motivation to finish pulling out the stitching and re-quilt the blanket.  </p> <p>This continued to be an exercise in frustration as even with the old stitching pulled out, pinned like crazy, starting in the middle, using a walking foot, I still couldn’t get it to lay flat and quilt nicely!  In addition the sewing machine was acting up and I didn’t know why (I suspect that it was because I was using the wrong size needle…).  </p> <p>I eventually gave up and decided to just quilt around the setting squares and call it good.  </p> <p>After I finished the setting squares I realized that now the back was attached throughout the whole quilt and that sewing along the edges of the sashing would likely be easy, I just needed to do it in small chunks rather than trying to sew whole rows, so I decided to try it.  It mostly worked.  It seemed to work best when I wasn’t going directly down each row.  It seemed to take forever to get all the rows quilted around and I eventually gave up and didn’t quilt the outer edge of sashing.  </p> <p>Soooo….finally…after weeks and months of trying and trying again….the quilt is DONE: </p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-ZZx-sMHkGrc/Uby0mv5TWwI/AAAAAAAAPpU/oCvfOCf6FLc/s1600-h/IMAGE_3C73BC7F-291B-45C7-AE9F-2FA21872F591%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="IMAGE_3C73BC7F-291B-45C7-AE9F-2FA21872F591" border="0" alt="IMAGE_3C73BC7F-291B-45C7-AE9F-2FA21872F591" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-E3mxB7zmqOY/Uby0nI8ojBI/AAAAAAAAPpc/oaI9ZZF1gUM/IMAGE_3C73BC7F-291B-45C7-AE9F-2FA21872F591_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="184" height="244" /></a> </p> <p>From a distance it looks great!  Up close…not so much: </p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-Hg3QvE93FNQ/Uby0nunOoOI/AAAAAAAAPpk/5NiyUSnkTdo/s1600-h/IMAGE_0BA583B6-6BB8-4E69-80F0-4FF5C37A7E51%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="IMAGE_0BA583B6-6BB8-4E69-80F0-4FF5C37A7E51" border="0" alt="IMAGE_0BA583B6-6BB8-4E69-80F0-4FF5C37A7E51" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-f_S9yVvZQwk/Uby0oFZTp9I/AAAAAAAAPpo/xaRuOKs6Pzw/IMAGE_0BA583B6-6BB8-4E69-80F0-4FF5C37A7E51_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="184" height="244" /></a> </p> <p>In the picture above – the fabric started bunching up as a sewed down the row so I stopped sewing.  No idea why it was bunching up, but it wasn’t going to lay flat. </p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-lmB1pWvLnKQ/Uby0oRLjF2I/AAAAAAAAPp0/dEleLM4ngmM/s1600-h/IMAGE_9CF9311A-2F59-4F19-9E31-2C6AAB1E9B0B%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="IMAGE_9CF9311A-2F59-4F19-9E31-2C6AAB1E9B0B" border="0" alt="IMAGE_9CF9311A-2F59-4F19-9E31-2C6AAB1E9B0B" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-VCN_C1QfMl4/Uby0o2ZeqtI/AAAAAAAAPp4/BQa5SEn67nE/IMAGE_9CF9311A-2F59-4F19-9E31-2C6AAB1E9B0B_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="184" height="244" /></a> </p> <p>This joint actually looks good – the edges are smooth and not bunched up, but there are threads everywhere and the sewing isn’t straight. </p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-g-DRk9NqhN8/Uby0pPNd-gI/AAAAAAAAPqE/JNvDSCi16a0/s1600-h/IMAGE_CDA01171-80CE-42DA-A196-6B788876170F%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="IMAGE_CDA01171-80CE-42DA-A196-6B788876170F" border="0" alt="IMAGE_CDA01171-80CE-42DA-A196-6B788876170F" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-CXB8DYyd4Nc/Uby0ppsvUvI/AAAAAAAAPqM/3fE_kfNNgUE/IMAGE_CDA01171-80CE-42DA-A196-6B788876170F_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="184" height="244" /></a> </p> <p>Another spot where the fabric was all bunched up! </p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-G818Hh09HDY/Uby0p0BSMSI/AAAAAAAAPqU/uCQB4uMqMbE/s1600-h/IMAGE_C7C7E352-18C7-4460-BF18-70EC5A7D797D%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="IMAGE_C7C7E352-18C7-4460-BF18-70EC5A7D797D" border="0" alt="IMAGE_C7C7E352-18C7-4460-BF18-70EC5A7D797D" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-rNtM2Qq_pYY/Uby0qZWpeoI/AAAAAAAAPqc/KxAV2VZUZDE/IMAGE_C7C7E352-18C7-4460-BF18-70EC5A7D797D_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="184" height="244" /></a> </p> <p>But from a distance you can’t really see all that!  It may not be pretty, but it’s mine and I made it myself!  I’m ultimately ok with it – not entirely happy with it, but given the amount of frustration, work and learning, I believe that it came out great! :-) </p> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12735964100343471614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11017379.post-63781748009552069402013-03-27T15:18:00.001-04:002013-03-27T15:18:58.649-04:00Repurposed Rain Gear<p>I’ve recently lost a lot of weight and am in the process of purging clothes that no longer fit and replacing with stuff that does fit.  One of the many things that no longer fits is my North Face rain jacket.   I got a new rain jacket back in October and I’ve had the old one hanging out since then, not really sure what I was going to do with it.  Earlier this week I was preparing a Goodwill donation and I hesitatingly threw the jacket in.  But then I pulled it out – I just couldn’t part with it.   </p> <p>See, I got this jacket when we were in Alaska in 2007.   It was my 1st ever RV trip where I had my own RV.  We’d gone down the Kenai Peninsula to Seward and it rained the <a href="http://melissaamory.blogspot.com/2007/08/travel-homer-to-seward.html">day we drove from Homer to Seward</a>,  it rained the day we <a href="http://melissaamory.blogspot.com/2007/08/kenai-fjords-national-park-wildlife.html">went on a boat ride to see the fjords</a>, and it rained the day <a href="http://melissaamory.blogspot.com/2007/08/harding-ice-field-hike.html">Dad and I hiked to the Harding Ice Field</a>.  Our 3rd day Seward featured no rain and that was the day we found the Outfitter and Dad and I decided that we needed more appropriate rain gear.  We both purchased North Face “100% Waterproof” rain jackets.  The jackets were identical except that his was blue and mine was green.  These jackets were not cheap and they likely had a huge markup because we were buying them in a tourist town in Alaska.  After the last few days however, we knew that these jackets would be entirely worth every penny. Within about an hour of our purchase the clouds began to lift.  A few hours after our big purchase the sun was out in full force.  We were joking that we’d each purchased a $100 “rain insurance policy”.   After Seward we drove up to Denali where we experienced the driest and clearest week of the summer! We saw Denali (aka Mt. McKinley) 6 out of 7 days.  That is simply unheard of.  Usually it is shrouded in clouds all the time.  That “rain insurance” paid off! </p> <p>Since the day we hiked to the Harding Ice Field, I’ve carried my North Face rain jacket with me on nearly every hike and I haven’t had to hike in the rain on vacation since.  Seriously.  When I was in Maine in 2009 it did rain, but, only at night and on drive days, never on a hiking day.  And, it had rained every day for the 3 weeks prior to my visit. We spent 3 weeks in Washington State in 2010 and had 1 day with rain, and that day Dad and I went up in the mountains to hike and managed to get on the “dry” side of the mountain!  No rain!  A few snow showers, but no rain!  We spent 2 weeks in California with no rain, about a week in Maine with no rain, and a week in the Adirondacks where it did rain, but we were kayaking that day and didn’t care.  Soooo…I’m a bit superstitious about heading out without my “rain insurance”.  </p> <p>I couldn’t just toss the jacket onto the Goodwill pile, but I also wasn’t sure what I’d do with it.  Then it occurred to me…make something out of it!  I googled and looked on Pinterest for ideas and found none.  That’s right, none.  Couldn’t believe it!   So I studied the coat and discovered that the back was a fairly large piece of material, and it’s durable, waterproof material too.  I decided that a little stuff sack would be easy and useful – I could store my new rain gear in it when I go hiking! </p> <p>I’m not too good with the sewing machine (yet…my next project is a t-shirt quilt to so hopefully I’ll get better!), but a simple drawstring bag is something I can make!  I picked up some special “outdoors” thread – which was going to give me a chance to re-learn how to wind a bobbin and thread the bobbin and all that good stuff.  I also picked up a special heavy duty needle, but I couldn’t get the old needle loosened. </p> <p>After I reviewed how to use the machine (thank you <a href="http://www.singerco.com/">Singer.com</a> for posting the user manuals!) and got all my materials together, I was ready to begin…</p> <p>Front of the jacket before I started:</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-DrqPfQoXjKk/UVNGBIQUpPI/AAAAAAAAO04/tF5k0wUMSgY/s1600-h/IMAGE_D9F19454-9062-46F2-9BD8-62665753BC59%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="IMAGE_D9F19454-9062-46F2-9BD8-62665753BC59" border="0" alt="IMAGE_D9F19454-9062-46F2-9BD8-62665753BC59" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-gdtEwXHVYD8/UVNGBkokOtI/AAAAAAAAO1A/-KYkuF3bJ04/IMAGE_D9F19454-9062-46F2-9BD8-62665753BC59_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="184" height="244" /></a> </p> <p>Back of the jacket before I started:</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-al0yvy0ddPs/UVNGB_nAStI/AAAAAAAAO1I/4f9U1m5Y7pM/s1600-h/IMAGE_B85BF16D-34B9-48F3-B70A-A9A1BCFAD7D0%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="IMAGE_B85BF16D-34B9-48F3-B70A-A9A1BCFAD7D0" border="0" alt="IMAGE_B85BF16D-34B9-48F3-B70A-A9A1BCFAD7D0" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-mShiySwF4-E/UVNGCa8nj5I/AAAAAAAAO1Q/9W-9LEM2TYg/IMAGE_B85BF16D-34B9-48F3-B70A-A9A1BCFAD7D0_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="184" height="244" /></a> </p> <p>The back, after I cut: </p> <p></p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-vrFIuGSJpWg/UVNGCyHRpqI/AAAAAAAAO1Y/pHKUc5ZkZu0/s1600-h/IMAGE_B4F41326-C31E-4F63-825F-B4F60DB274EB%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="IMAGE_B4F41326-C31E-4F63-825F-B4F60DB274EB" border="0" alt="IMAGE_B4F41326-C31E-4F63-825F-B4F60DB274EB" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-5wBIQdCtNII/UVNGDCTvQCI/AAAAAAAAO1g/_TwBdhzD1Uk/IMAGE_B4F41326-C31E-4F63-825F-B4F60DB274EB_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="184" height="244" /></a></p> <p>I just cut along the seams, however the arm holes were curved and I didn’t really like that, I was trying to get the “North Face” Logo on the bag though because it would add some design.   The whole back was also an odd shape and it was going to make a longer bag than I wanted, so I decided to cut the North Face logo off and sew it to the bag like a patch. </p> <p>But, first I wanted to sew the sleeve for the drawstring.  I simply folded over the top edge and pinned it in place (the fabric is slippery and I didn’t want the pocket to get wider or narrower as I sewed!)</p> <p>Here I am sewing the sleeve: </p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-FXKi0ZCKeyY/UVNGDiiPvtI/AAAAAAAAO1o/tfg1t6hEjn8/s1600-h/IMAGE_BFC66A3E-B516-4D13-97C6-BAD2EECEDF4F%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="IMAGE_BFC66A3E-B516-4D13-97C6-BAD2EECEDF4F" border="0" alt="IMAGE_BFC66A3E-B516-4D13-97C6-BAD2EECEDF4F" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-ZKArecKV8R8/UVNGEKeRMnI/AAAAAAAAO1w/wxvpv18T55Q/IMAGE_BFC66A3E-B516-4D13-97C6-BAD2EECEDF4F_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="184" height="244" /></a> </p> <p>Here’s the finished sleeve: </p> <p></p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-ihETCC1IpjQ/UVNGErDuyeI/AAAAAAAAO14/Itzg5Ne4O4U/s1600-h/IMAGE_10EC48F2-1DBA-4F4D-B7A2-1D392D36CB5F%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="IMAGE_10EC48F2-1DBA-4F4D-B7A2-1D392D36CB5F" border="0" alt="IMAGE_10EC48F2-1DBA-4F4D-B7A2-1D392D36CB5F" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-lNpYsdtOkIQ/UVNGEz0iEII/AAAAAAAAO2A/JfJmhBRhRds/IMAGE_10EC48F2-1DBA-4F4D-B7A2-1D392D36CB5F_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="184" height="244" /></a></p> <p>After I did the sleeve, I picked a spot for the North Face Logo – it was random, I just cut it out and slapped it down.  I pinned the logo on and then sewed it. </p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-43wK-PlltJY/UVNGFfQbokI/AAAAAAAAO2I/dN7shoQmOLY/s1600-h/IMAGE_4989B6C0-0270-45C7-AA68-7494CD3DE4D1%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="IMAGE_4989B6C0-0270-45C7-AA68-7494CD3DE4D1" border="0" alt="IMAGE_4989B6C0-0270-45C7-AA68-7494CD3DE4D1" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-S2vkQXYJ4xQ/UVNGFrLTMxI/AAAAAAAAO2Q/fnzq-HpgEMQ/IMAGE_4989B6C0-0270-45C7-AA68-7494CD3DE4D1_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="184" height="244" /></a>  </p> <p>The next step was to fold the fabric in half, right sides together, and trim the edges so they were the same size and then I sewed around the edge.  After I sewed it, I turned the bag right side out and it was almost done! </p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-PaV85_2-Eus/UVNGGcSwUZI/AAAAAAAAO2Y/G1Bv7gHxNag/s1600-h/IMAGE_8D1F82CD-E42C-42CB-B1D1-25B842B6896C%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="IMAGE_8D1F82CD-E42C-42CB-B1D1-25B842B6896C" border="0" alt="IMAGE_8D1F82CD-E42C-42CB-B1D1-25B842B6896C" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-KSocbhTZzB4/UVNGG5T8qHI/AAAAAAAAO2g/N6njXvVi35w/IMAGE_8D1F82CD-E42C-42CB-B1D1-25B842B6896C_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="184" height="244" /></a> </p> <p>I attached the drawstring (a piece of nylon rope I got at <a href="http://www.hancockfabrics.com/index.htm">Hancock Fabric</a>) to a pipe cleaner to help me thread it through the sleeve and just worked it through.  When the string was in the sleeve I threaded my stopper on it (also purchased at Hancock) and trimmed the string.</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-17eFegDvBUM/UVNGHTiDlmI/AAAAAAAAO2o/MEhz3sjLnRQ/s1600-h/photo%25252860%252529%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="photo(60)" border="0" alt="photo(60)" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-aaCgYGRDCKQ/UVNGHj28kdI/AAAAAAAAO2w/OgESh6HwcVo/photo%25252860%252529_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="184" height="244" /></a> </p> <p>And then the bag was done! </p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-D3dQq-q9Q5w/UVNGICAVuII/AAAAAAAAO24/ZriRiB9iU1Y/s1600-h/IMAGE_711B341E-D96E-4A70-B2E3-62FFF6D8FF45%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="IMAGE_711B341E-D96E-4A70-B2E3-62FFF6D8FF45" border="0" alt="IMAGE_711B341E-D96E-4A70-B2E3-62FFF6D8FF45" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-q-Lgvsvlk2I/UVNGIUjFtII/AAAAAAAAO3A/quCriEpK-Nw/IMAGE_711B341E-D96E-4A70-B2E3-62FFF6D8FF45_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="184" height="244" /></a> </p> <p>All ready for my rain gear! :-) </p> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12735964100343471614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11017379.post-81251839991191913812013-03-10T11:49:00.001-04:002013-03-10T11:49:33.745-04:00Snowshoeing in Shenandoah!<p>Last week we got a sNOw storm.  It was a NO storm here at my house, although we scored a snow day and a 2 hour delay out of it! Out in Shenandoah National Park they got about 2 feet of snow! </p> <p>Even though there was a serious amount of snow in the high elevations, the warm temperatures (in the 50s on Sat and 60s on Sun!) were likely going to melt it away quickly so I wanted to get out and take advantage of it!  My snowshoes and I were out the door by 7 am yesterday morning – enjoying the last morning that the sun was up before 7 am too!</p> <p>Driving out to the park I kept expecting to see snow, but there wasn’t any.  In Warrenton there were HUGE “parking lot mountains” (prob 20+ feet high!) where they had plowed, but other than that there was no evidence of snow.  I figured I’d see more as I got closer.   As I drove out 211 I could see that the mountains were covered in snow, but there was very little snow along the road.   </p> <p>Even at the park boundary there was no snow…</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-xJKVpGu97EE/UTyrR_VGpKI/AAAAAAAAOoc/xv3fAWDXazo/s1600-h/P1130062%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="P1130062" border="0" alt="P1130062" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-3ydoLrpFnNA/UTyrSYQfwQI/AAAAAAAAOok/kEIYGEGzyug/P1130062_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="286" height="218" /></a> </p> <p>That’s the park sign in the distance – and you can see, it’s not exactly a snowshoers dream come true.  There is a trail head just inside the park along 211, there was no snow there either: </p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-SrhOtXyFojY/UTyrS62Cm6I/AAAAAAAAOos/0goPwVsSX0Q/s1600-h/P1130064%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="P1130064" border="0" alt="P1130064" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-Q7keGTHlJCE/UTyrTI7TXvI/AAAAAAAAOow/5IUWyQXNwfg/P1130064_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184" /></a> </p> <p>I’d seen pictures that the park posted on Facebook that showed some serious snow on Skyline Drive so I kept going up the mountain.  It’s about 4 miles and 1500 ft of elevation gain between the park boundary and Skyline Drive and the difference in snow cover was amazing! </p> <p>At Thornton Gap/Panorama the snow was at least 2 feet deep! </p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-QyaMqoirDbs/UTyrTv1JBiI/AAAAAAAAOo8/RmwX6NP1Uww/s1600-h/P1130060%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="P1130060" border="0" alt="P1130060" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-_0SNPDCvwzE/UTyrTzVCU3I/AAAAAAAAOpE/boHSei-IPv0/P1130060_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184" /></a> </p> <p>That’s the plowed part of Skyline Drive by Panorama (or what used to be Panorama – now it’s just a parking lot and an all season restroom).   I talked to a ranger later in the day and he said that there are drifts 4-5ft deep along Skyline Drive!  They have plowed it to Big Meadows, but they’ve only got 1 lane cleared!  What a big job! </p> <p>I parked in the lower parking lot that is accessible from 211.  I was surprised to find that it had been plowed! I was the only car in the lot when I arrived at 8:30 am! The steps from the lower parking lot to the upper one, where the restrooms were, were not shoveled so rather than traverse them twice, I changed into my boots gathered my stuff and slogged through the snow to the restroom building.  It was quite deep in the part of the parking lot that wasn’t plowed and walking was tough, I was glad I had my snowshoes!  I walked up the plowed part of Skyline Drive to where the AT crossed.  My plan was to snowshoe up the AT to the Pass Mt Hut.  My plans changed slightly when I saw this: </p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-hZF4kKDb3lo/UTyrUMYM_II/AAAAAAAAOpM/wya3e8KLRrA/s1600-h/P1130009%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="P1130009" border="0" alt="P1130009" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-QmnZuLvoECY/UTyrUo3YigI/AAAAAAAAOpU/-5W0zCwz7Zk/P1130009_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184" /></a> </p> <p>That’s Skyline Drive, closed to cars and totally unplowed!  No evidence of plowing either! Just wide open, mostly fresh snow!  There were a few sets of snowshoe tracks, but plenty of untouched snow.  I was a bit nervous about heading up the drive because I was worried I’d meet up with the plow, but decided to risk it and go up just a little.  It’s a rare day that you can snowshoe Skyline Drive! </p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-SdefY_0kpGg/UTyrV4mPRiI/AAAAAAAAOpc/_YPwpXydAj0/s1600-h/P1130010%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="P1130010" border="0" alt="P1130010" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-m7DtgoBXals/UTyrWICehvI/AAAAAAAAOpk/FGH-iIPAX2E/P1130010_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184" /></a> </p> <p>It was still early and the sun hadn’t warmed things up yet.  The snow had a nice icy crust on it that allowed me to walk right on top of it!  I was barely even leaving tracks! </p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-Jshh7MfsrP4/UTyrWdpgSdI/AAAAAAAAOps/VjN625J1t7E/s1600-h/P1130033%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="P1130033" border="0" alt="P1130033" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-Qthfa54ji-M/UTyrW55hkMI/AAAAAAAAOp0/ro4nX1as8Ks/P1130033_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184" /></a> </p> <p>In addition to the human snowshoer tracks I saw deer tracks and some very tiny little paw prints – I thought maybe fox, but the ranger suggested maybe bobcat!  I wish I’d tried to get a picture! </p> <p>I decided to continue up Skyline Drive to the Pass Mt Overlook – it was about a mile in, and I figured I was safe from plows.  <a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-QrNuF0kQF2I/UTyrXHJ1ghI/AAAAAAAAOp8/FljQd3OOpKw/s1600-h/P1130014%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="P1130014" border="0" alt="P1130014" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-gKYeQmL9BOA/UTyrXU-LOwI/AAAAAAAAOqA/Ltd-khp5gwE/P1130014_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184" /></a> </p> <p>Mile Marker 31, buried in snow! </p> <p>Finally, I made it to the overlook: </p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-ZcqaWtM1phg/UTyrX7Szk3I/AAAAAAAAOqM/MAwMp2wQlXE/s1600-h/P1130017%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="P1130017" border="0" alt="P1130017" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-t2Kw-BqMkSs/UTyrYL0kJ4I/AAAAAAAAOqQ/1WKdJV7q9zg/P1130017_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184" /></a> </p> <p>At the top the snow had been blown around a lot and it looked like little sand dunes! </p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-ygGoKUUON_w/UTyrYVRMFaI/AAAAAAAAOqc/BqNmFQrhs1Q/s1600-h/P1130020%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="P1130020" border="0" alt="P1130020" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-6Rmc44NYbcc/UTyrY6oazzI/AAAAAAAAOqk/1Bm8NPlxZu0/P1130020_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184" /></a> </p> <p>Also, there were spots with no snow at all! </p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/--eh_MSsGSrI/UTyrZUeznTI/AAAAAAAAOqs/tbnW9vbPGrU/s1600-h/P1130024%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="P1130024" border="0" alt="P1130024" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-zqI1hoBQa28/UTyrZ4fSSHI/AAAAAAAAOq0/6s2zky_2-LE/P1130024_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184" /></a> </p> <p>From the overlook I could see Neighbor Mt and the valley below: </p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-HRSVIXLFskU/UTyraeDlRVI/AAAAAAAAOq8/fnuJtI-I2js/s1600-h/P1130027%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="P1130027" border="0" alt="P1130027" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-EywbUxqT_s4/UTyra-DR4UI/AAAAAAAAOrE/oIQcVSzdpjI/P1130027_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184" /></a> <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-viaXF9RpRU4/UTyrbt8pl0I/AAAAAAAAOrM/h-O66XziLTo/s1600-h/P1130028%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="P1130028" border="0" alt="P1130028" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-TIF-SAS-eDI/UTyrcOToxzI/AAAAAAAAOrU/48_Yy6lc078/P1130028_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184" /></a> <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-R7lSvbLSgVg/UTyrckKtERI/AAAAAAAAOrc/GP3oJbH81-4/s1600-h/P1130029%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="P1130029" border="0" alt="P1130029" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-LB6yme6G7ww/UTyrc8DupuI/AAAAAAAAOrk/v7R7amW194w/P1130029_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184" /></a> <a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-sNuOMMGWAWo/UTyrdFCxstI/AAAAAAAAOrs/RQJVMzZd2Wg/s1600-h/P1130030%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="P1130030" border="0" alt="P1130030" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-buvfomZEJ7Y/UTyrdo6mDBI/AAAAAAAAOr0/oxQsCRquEnQ/P1130030_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184" /></a> </p> <p>The sun was making cool shadows with the trees and making the snow glisten like it was covered with glitter, or diamonds!  Unfortunately, the camera didn’t capture the glitter…but the shadows are cool! </p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-FP34vbFuc6A/UTyreDwXLCI/AAAAAAAAOr8/RclwGAgfcog/s1600-h/P1130036%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="P1130036" border="0" alt="P1130036" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-lwxJc0SldDA/UTyreXDb-rI/AAAAAAAAOsE/SIxvrNQ6-3Q/P1130036_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184" /></a>  </p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p>On the way down I had great views of Mary’s Rock!  </p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-_EyoG3S9y2c/UTyrepJAUfI/AAAAAAAAOsM/fYInueN8o9I/s1600-h/P1130043%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="P1130043" border="0" alt="P1130043" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-J5cO496taZE/UTyre0VkywI/AAAAAAAAOsU/e7vocaXZoso/P1130043_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="184" height="244" /></a> </p> <p></p> <p>In November 2000, on one of my 1st trips to the park, I took pictures from a similar spot of a huge forest fire quietly burning the side of Mary’s Rock!  That was the largest forest fire in the parks history!  </p> <p>When I got back to Thornton Gap I climbed up on the gate to sit and take a rest – snowshoeing is hard work!  Much harder than just walking! While I was sitting there a guy came along with his cross country skis, excited to get a chance to ski Skyline Drive.  I’d seen 2 other people skiing up as I was coming down.  </p> <p>After a rest and a snack I was ready to head down the AT, back on my planned route! </p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-RMWHvq_c6zU/UTyrfYvA-LI/AAAAAAAAOsc/6O_3S18Ypy8/s1600-h/P1130050%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="P1130050" border="0" alt="P1130050" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-mNNi5IRr27s/UTyrflvCvwI/AAAAAAAAOsk/ZLYfLkWvYXo/P1130050_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="184" height="244" /></a> </p> <p>By this time the sun was strong and the temps were climbing (I was wishing I’d worn a t-shirt!) and the snow was getting soft.  Not quite “slurpee”, but close.  It would great for building a snowman! I was glad there had been a snowshoer before me who broke the trail.  It was still slow going and lots of work.  </p> <p>The sky was so blue!  </p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-qdWQVlsCP-Y/UTyrfz4P61I/AAAAAAAAOss/LHbYH83LgbQ/s1600-h/P1130054%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="P1130054" border="0" alt="P1130054" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-iHEaTYw2VXY/UTyrgOtiqGI/AAAAAAAAOs0/rvoqNG4hvu4/P1130054_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184" /></a> </p> <p>It was about a mile to the Pass Mt Trail, which lead to the Pass Mountain Hut – a 3 sided shelter for AT and other distance hikers to spend the night.  I was planning to go to the hut and take a break.  I momentarily reconsidered when I saw that going to the hut meant breaking trail. </p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-DX1u_L1lOMI/UTyrgkcZmyI/AAAAAAAAOs8/ki6_YV13_Ig/s1600-h/P1130055%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="P1130055" border="0" alt="P1130055" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-z017tRpsAPY/UTyrg1OyXvI/AAAAAAAAOtE/aVwHI2Je_9k/P1130055_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184" /></a>  </p> <p>I knew it was going to be slow and lots of work, but I decided that I had all day and it was beautiful so I should go for it!  It was only .2 of a mile and it was downhill (of course it would be uphill on the way back, but I could walk in my tracks!) I was surprised when I got to the hut and saw that even the fire road that leads to it hadn’t been touched! </p> <p>It was fun, and surprising, being the 1st person to go down there after the big snow!  According the register book in the hut the last time a human was there was Mon! </p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-jxzrcW2s0kk/UTyrhYSz9qI/AAAAAAAAOtM/-0vzUVR863M/s1600-h/P1130058%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="P1130058" border="0" alt="P1130058" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-zm3j_XSlx14/UTyrhkmMF_I/AAAAAAAAOtU/zhGwYH6mF6U/P1130058_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184" /></a> </p> <p>Snow sliding off the roof of the privy: </p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-n2qi9DqzdGY/UTyriAxjp5I/AAAAAAAAOtc/lEoBAliwF_Q/s1600-h/P1130057%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="P1130057" border="0" alt="P1130057" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-kgRYIwKdob8/UTyriad9SDI/AAAAAAAAOtk/KzjRP8JjFyI/P1130057_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184" /></a> </p> <p>After reading the register and having a snack I was ready to head back up to the trail.  As soon as I was leaving the hut I encountered 2 snowshoers coming down!  They were also amazed that I’d been the 1st one there and blazed the trail down!  I was glad they came when they did because they further packed down the trail I’d started and made getting back to the AT easier! </p> <p>Like coming down Skyline Drive, the downhill park of the AT was much easier than the uphill!  Odd because when I’m hiking I usually hate the downhill!  I realized that the snow covers all the obstacles and provides padding if you trip so you can kind of run right down! </p> <p>(As a side note, this time I did not face plant into the snow at all! Last time when I snowshoeing in WV I did a few times!) </p> <p>I got almost back to Skyline Drive and really didn’t want to be done snowshoeing, but aside from turning around, there wasn’t really anywhere else to go.  I did remember that there was a fire road that was intertwined with the AT so at the next intersection I went down the fire road for something new.  It was more breaking trail, but it seemed easier this time!  I’m very surprised that even that close to Thornton Gap the fire road was fresh snow too…</p> <p>All this breaking trail had caused the snow to get into my boots and my socks were soaked so I grudgingly made my way back to the car, but not before taking a break on the bridge on Skyline Drive to get some pictures of Mary’s Rock, have another snack, and chat with a ranger who was driving around.   </p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-vLFBjty5e9g/UTyri_hpXFI/AAAAAAAAOts/Zci5y9aM5mY/s1600-h/P1130059%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="P1130059" border="0" alt="P1130059" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/--p36qU2unc4/UTyrjDGVCxI/AAAAAAAAOt0/D4LnSNzilLc/P1130059_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184" /></a> </p> <p>Now I have pictures of the entrance station from the top of Mary’s Rock and a picture of Mary’s Rock from the entrance station.  </p> <p>When I returned to the Panorama parking area I discovered that it was jam packed with cars!  There were cars parked at every possible spot and more cars circling looking for spots!  There were lots of people throwing snowballs and frolicking in the snow! One woman asked me where I’d gotten my snowshoes, thinking I’d gotten them at the restroom building and she could get her own set.  I probably could have made a few bucks and rented them to her!  Lots of folks were heading up the AT to Mary’s Rock –you could hear folks on the trail from the parking lot! I was taking my time getting my shoes changed and reading Facebook, and enjoying the sunshine, when a car pulled up beside me and the lady says, in a very irritated tone “Are you coming or going?????”.  I should have asked her to repeat her request in a nice tone, but didn’t, I simply informed her that I was leaving soon.  She said she’d wait for me and back up a few feet and turned her car off.  Right in the middle of the road – she was blocking all the traffic.  ugh.  I decided my pleasant time in the park was over and it was time to head down.  I did realize as I drove off that I hadn’t changed out of my hiking clothes like I’d planned – the parking area was too busy to just do it and I hadn’t walked back up to the bathroom.   Luckily there’s a pull off on 211 and I pulled over and changed my cloths, while seated in the driver’s seat!  </p> <p>Getting an early start was good – as much as I didn’t like leaving the park at 2:00, I was able to get to Wegmans and cook dinner and wash the sheets when I got home!  I’m also glad I got my walk in before all the crazy people got there! </p> <p></p> <p></p> <p>I think this was probably my last opportunity to snowshoe this winter, but I’m already looking forward to next winter! </p> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12735964100343471614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11017379.post-90221965943067189072012-11-03T21:46:00.001-04:002012-11-03T21:46:08.235-04:00Funniest Day!<p>Since Leah and I put the sheets in the dryer this morning, but failed to turned the dryer on, I’m waiting up for my sheets to dry before I can go to bed and I thought I’d blog some of the hysterical stuff that happened today! </p> <p>We went hiking at Manassas Battlefield and I’d been carrying her in the baby backpack.  We’d walked about a mile and I’d been asking her if she wanted to get out but she kept saying no.  Until she said “I have to go potty.”   Oh-no!  </p> <p>She was wearing a pull-up (she’s had a few accidents lately, but she still uses the potty when she has to even with a pull up on!) and I attempted to negotiate with her to just use the pull up and I’d change it when we got back to the car.  She refused.  Said “I need to use the bushes.”  Ok then.  </p> <p>I lowered her down, a little faster than I intended and she got scared, but as soon as she was on the ground she started cracking up! I then started trying to get her clothes off.  It was really cold outside so she was dressed in layers.  She was wearing 2 layers of coats, a shirt and 3 layers of pants.  The top layer of pants was overalls.  I got the overalls unhooked without taking off the coats and pulled everything down.  I then realized that at 3 she likely doesn’t have the finesse and aim that I do when I “use the bushes” and she probably couldn’t do it without getting her pants wet.  It was cold and I really didn’t want her to get her pants wet.  So I took them off.  Of course she wasn’t standing still – I managed to get her in the most awkward position – her head was under my arm and I had her mid-section on my lap as a wrestled 3 pairs of pants and a pull up off.  Of course I’d pulled them down already so I had to 1st locate the boots under all the clothes and get them off, then the rest of the pants.  </p> <p>Now we were ready to learn to pee in the woods.  I modeled and taught the proper stance, however she pulled her legs a little far apart and didn’t squat deeply enough and pee went down her leg!  </p> <p>She finally said she was done (after taking a few seconds to enjoy the breeze!).  At 1st I attempted to put the pull up and all 3 pairs of pants back on simultaneously.  This did not work.  The top pair of pants went on but the bottom pair got lost.  This is was starting to remind me of something that happened at Starbucks last summer (I can’t seem to find where Susan wrote about that…when I do, I’ll post it).  So I finally had to pull all the pants apart and put them on one at a time.  I got back to the overalls.  I didn’t want to take off the coats (the top coat has a tricky zipper that I didn’t want to fight with again) I managed to thread the left strap through the coats and got it snapped.  The right one was more of a challenge!  I had my hand on one side of the fleece layer and the strap on the other side!  I finally got them connected and got the overalls hooked!  </p> <p>I sat back and looked at Leah, proud of myself and her for managing a bathroom break!  Then I realized we weren’t done yet, she still didn’t have her boots on! Luckily those were easy! </p> <p>I told her she had to run to get warm again, but she didn’t seem like she was cold!?!?!  </p> <p>After our walk we went to Wegmans.  She was getting tired by this point and less cooperative.  I knew what I needed and I know the store like the back of my hand so I was counting on this being fast! I put her in the basket part of the cart so she’d had more room – I felt like she’d been “contained” all day between the car seat & the backpack.  She’d clearly never ridden there and was unsure at 1st, but I think she liked it (Sorry Susan….).  </p> <p>We made it through the produce section and zipped into the “Nature’s Markeplace” so I could pick up some coconut oil. As we zoomed down the aisle we went past a man who was looking at the shelf trying to decide what he needed.  As we went past Leah yelled “Watch out Little Man!”  I was simultaneously mortified and trying not to crack up.  I finally pulled myself together and said to Leah (so the man could hear me) “The proper term is ‘sir’, we should say ‘Excuse me, Sir’”.  He did smile at her as he past, I couldn’t even look at him. </p> <p>One of the things on my list was some Always.  When I tossed them in my cart she yelled out “ISSA, WHAT ARE THESE????”.   I explained that Mommy would tell her in about 7 years.  </p> <p>She proceeded to spend the rest of our time in the store playing with the pack of Always.  They were a pillow, a tray for the frozen peas, and most hysterically, a guitar.  The image of her sitting in the cart riding through the frozen food section playing on her maxi pad guitar, will always crack me up! (pun intended!)  She wasn’t singing though…that would have made it better! </p> <p>On the way home I couldn’t stop laughing about our Wegmans trip and every time I laughed she asked why I was laughing and I told her it was because she was so funny and then she started fake laughing really hard, which made me laugh harder! </p> <p>Before all this hilarity we had a few other moments…</p> <p>At one point in the car she was saying “Hello, Hello, Hello!”  I asked who she was talking to and she said “Hello”.  I said “Who are you saying “Hello to?”  She said “Hello”.   Finally it came out that she had an invisible friend named “Hello.” </p> <p>She asked about the sun roof, so I opened it and told her it was a window in the roof.  She thought that was hysterical and started talking about other stuff that could go in the roof…like a cow in the roof or a dog in the roof.  This thought process lead to her remembering the song “Turkey in the Straw”, which she knows 1 line of.  "”Turkey in the straw, turkey in the straw, turkey in the straw….” </p> <p>On our hike was some deer prints.  She concocted a story about the deer that involved the Vikings taking the deer away.   How does she know this stuff?  </p> <p>What a fun day! My sheets are dry now so I can post this and go to bed! I’m sure she’ll be up early….tonight’s the time change! </p> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12735964100343471614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11017379.post-60151762023405355542012-09-30T21:05:00.001-04:002012-09-30T21:05:24.801-04:00Biting off more than I can chew?<p>I usually spend Sundays cooking up yummy food for the week, it takes me most of the day, but it’s SOOOO worth it!  I’ve come to really love my time in the kitchen as well as the time and effort it takes to obtain quality ingredients.  Today, however, I was cooking up a Fabulous Feast of Fall Foods and it got a little out of hand…</p> <p>1st up….a batch of applesauce.  Apples from the CSA fruit share, cut, peeled and put in the crock pot! </p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-Qdtm07GDduM/UGjsGeY9rOI/AAAAAAAAN80/V05hjQWl8VE/s1600-h/IMAGE_41193355-42ED-4F32-8B3E-BFC93EB63DCD%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-right-width: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px" title="IMAGE_41193355-42ED-4F32-8B3E-BFC93EB63DCD" border="0" alt="IMAGE_41193355-42ED-4F32-8B3E-BFC93EB63DCD" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-UIBOB6Ruv8w/UGjsG1E3_PI/AAAAAAAAN88/iBb5gJ9Qpcg/IMAGE_41193355-42ED-4F32-8B3E-BFC93EB63DCD_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="183" height="244" /></a></p> <p>Next up were the beans for my <a href="http://www.snack-girl.com/snack/healthy-pumpkin-chili-recipe/">Pumpkin Chili</a> (I got a cooking pumpkin from the CSA this week and wanted to experiment).  Dry beans are cheaper and better than canned because <a href="http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine-archive/december-2009/food/bpa/overview/bisphenol-a-ov.htm">canned foods contain BPA</a>.  It’s quick and easy to soak/boil your own – just takes pre-planning.  </p> <p> <a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-OKwTXze2rGc/UGjsHFg1kZI/AAAAAAAAN9E/bjeqH4v0GlQ/s1600-h/IMAGE_02719F61-4279-418B-B08E-EB7E1A8569B8%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-right-width: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px" title="IMAGE_02719F61-4279-418B-B08E-EB7E1A8569B8" border="0" alt="IMAGE_02719F61-4279-418B-B08E-EB7E1A8569B8" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-dBSNdnXupBM/UGjsH8vre0I/AAAAAAAAN9M/rjFw-3sAIhM/IMAGE_02719F61-4279-418B-B08E-EB7E1A8569B8_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="183" height="244" /></a></p> <p>Finally it was time to tackle the pumpkin!  This pumpkin looked huge sitting on the counter waiting to be cooked! </p> <p> <a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-02PFEwr4_PI/UGjsIdYcigI/AAAAAAAAN9U/mJxQuYvp4YM/s1600-h/IMAGE_F5271EBA-CEBF-47EE-B625-78180EB22F56%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-right-width: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px" title="IMAGE_F5271EBA-CEBF-47EE-B625-78180EB22F56" border="0" alt="IMAGE_F5271EBA-CEBF-47EE-B625-78180EB22F56" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-ZiGbPkXwJso/UGjsIm2aloI/AAAAAAAAN9c/2y9l0HoJy7g/IMAGE_F5271EBA-CEBF-47EE-B625-78180EB22F56_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="183" height="244" /></a></p> <p>It’s much easier to cut when you aren’t trying to salvage it for a jack-o-lantern!  </p> <p> <a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-dM40Fl0gevk/UGjsJe4LtdI/AAAAAAAAN9k/pR-4_tETZQo/s1600-h/IMAGE_9144BA40-8495-46AC-A825-3861C2829C0E%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-right-width: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px" title="IMAGE_9144BA40-8495-46AC-A825-3861C2829C0E" border="0" alt="IMAGE_9144BA40-8495-46AC-A825-3861C2829C0E" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-SNclJcxgzQ0/UGjsJ2cQtuI/AAAAAAAAN9s/Ks6Z7nBdCnY/IMAGE_9144BA40-8495-46AC-A825-3861C2829C0E_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="183" height="244" /></a></p> <p>I was so excited that it all fit in the pot to steam!  I steamed it for about 20 minutes. </p> <p> <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-cseVESn_hOk/UGjsKXfCZXI/AAAAAAAAN90/QQCp8B8x02A/s1600-h/IMAGE_4128D441-54BC-4A34-BB3B-16D6C92FADBF%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-right-width: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px" title="IMAGE_4128D441-54BC-4A34-BB3B-16D6C92FADBF" border="0" alt="IMAGE_4128D441-54BC-4A34-BB3B-16D6C92FADBF" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-bWsvm27B7NU/UGjsK5BlxSI/AAAAAAAAN98/bZ9hRyIvsNk/IMAGE_4128D441-54BC-4A34-BB3B-16D6C92FADBF_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="183" height="244" /></a></p> <p>This next picture is after it was steamed, I know it looks the same as before!  The flesh was all cooked and it was super easy to cut the skin off! </p> <p> <a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-b3cbsj11QEo/UGjsLcxhcJI/AAAAAAAAN-E/b9-CM-OOatE/s1600-h/IMAGE_2BF8762C-B897-49FA-B13F-DDE8DD1A5702%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-right-width: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px" title="IMAGE_2BF8762C-B897-49FA-B13F-DDE8DD1A5702" border="0" alt="IMAGE_2BF8762C-B897-49FA-B13F-DDE8DD1A5702" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-dNX_Qph1DA4/UGjsLjS7LNI/AAAAAAAAN-M/GwQ5sUeQyUk/IMAGE_2BF8762C-B897-49FA-B13F-DDE8DD1A5702_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="183" height="244" /></a> </p> <p>While the pumpkin was steaming I whipped up some Egg Muffins for breakfast this week.  Usually I eat Steel Cut oats that I cook on Sunday and reheat but I have an insane amount of eggs from the farm so I made these.  I hope they are good!  I put mushrooms, broccoli, and green onions in each cup then poured in eggs, with a little milk (like scrambled eggs).</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-cWQ8s-PbYAc/UGjsMEst2RI/AAAAAAAAN-U/Ypbl-SgMc7E/s1600-h/IMAGE_82EC80F2-A1FB-4E51-B9F9-DA0FA4888402%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-right-width: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px" title="IMAGE_82EC80F2-A1FB-4E51-B9F9-DA0FA4888402" border="0" alt="IMAGE_82EC80F2-A1FB-4E51-B9F9-DA0FA4888402" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-gvjvx8hGSrE/UGjsMsUJ7cI/AAAAAAAAN-c/JB1V__pABLg/IMAGE_82EC80F2-A1FB-4E51-B9F9-DA0FA4888402_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="183" height="244" /></a></p> <p>While the eggs were baking I cut the skin off the pumpkin and pureed it in the blender, here’s the finished product!  It was WAY more pumpkin than I needed for my chili (and I used double what the recipe called for too), so I put the rest in a seal-a-meal and froze it, I think I’ll make pumpkin soup in a few weeks! </p> <p> <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-s-unlOtJiYA/UGjsNH3nyEI/AAAAAAAAN-k/TFBPII1KQIc/s1600-h/IMAGE_81013C89-F471-4AE3-9D67-B5F7B2BFDEB9%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-right-width: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px" title="IMAGE_81013C89-F471-4AE3-9D67-B5F7B2BFDEB9" border="0" alt="IMAGE_81013C89-F471-4AE3-9D67-B5F7B2BFDEB9" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-mSv4wJcadMI/UGjsNRpBHkI/AAAAAAAAN-s/zKDK-C5Oiz4/IMAGE_81013C89-F471-4AE3-9D67-B5F7B2BFDEB9_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="183" height="244" /></a></p> <p>Finally it was time for lunch!  I made this pasta last night, but it’s one of my favorite dishes these days!  It’s just left over veggies and pasta but it’s yummy! This time I sautéed some mushrooms, eggplant, onions, kale, and cherry tomatoes in about a tablespoon of olive oil.  I cooked the broccoli with the pasta and tossed it all together then put some parmesan cheese on it! </p> <p> <a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-Gtzf5LWJjkw/UGjsPRItdiI/AAAAAAAAN-0/ZHfxx-6Hj_I/s1600-h/IMAGE_4374A308-2CE5-490B-B8E3-4951E54F1E52%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-right-width: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px" title="IMAGE_4374A308-2CE5-490B-B8E3-4951E54F1E52" border="0" alt="IMAGE_4374A308-2CE5-490B-B8E3-4951E54F1E52" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-nbRyft_X2cg/UGjsPzH1_HI/AAAAAAAAN-8/plQdqvuv9hI/IMAGE_4374A308-2CE5-490B-B8E3-4951E54F1E52_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="183" height="244" /></a></p> <p>After spending a few hours cleaning out the closet and walking to Giant for more big trash bags, it was time to finish up the cooking!  </p> <p>1st up was getting the chili started.  I decided to use my <a href="http://www.polyfacefarms.com/">Polyface</a> Ground Beef – soooo yummy, it doesn’t taste like meat & it didn’t smell while I cooked it! </p> <p> <a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-Des1iZLOnPM/UGjsQnUgcfI/AAAAAAAAN_E/XFe2SsGS-xk/s1600-h/IMAGE_F7B6A5D5-6AB9-4066-AE16-BF0A91B74905%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-right-width: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px" title="IMAGE_F7B6A5D5-6AB9-4066-AE16-BF0A91B74905" border="0" alt="IMAGE_F7B6A5D5-6AB9-4066-AE16-BF0A91B74905" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-4yAk3ky4los/UGjsRHENQRI/AAAAAAAAN_M/qG30AfXB_mc/IMAGE_F7B6A5D5-6AB9-4066-AE16-BF0A91B74905_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="183" height="244" /></a></p> <p>While the meat was cooking the applesauce was cooling, I didn’t put any cinnamon in it, just apples in the crock-pot for about 5 hours. </p> <p> <a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-t3KqKvaX0_M/UGjsRmxXU0I/AAAAAAAAN_U/SaDk_h6DEYI/s1600-h/IMAGE_304CF267-66C0-478E-A56A-8B52DE61CFE8%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-right-width: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px" title="IMAGE_304CF267-66C0-478E-A56A-8B52DE61CFE8" border="0" alt="IMAGE_304CF267-66C0-478E-A56A-8B52DE61CFE8" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-B6ehIHKh1_0/UGjsSB7b_EI/AAAAAAAAN_c/2EPXMv2-msM/IMAGE_304CF267-66C0-478E-A56A-8B52DE61CFE8_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="183" height="244" /></a></p> <p>This is a crappy picture of he chili, I meant to take a picture of it in the bowl but I forgot!  The corn is farm fresh as well!  The chili is yummy – the spices and the pumpkin give it a different flavor that is quite yummy! </p> <p> <a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-COqnS05wqBo/UGjsSoUwshI/AAAAAAAAN_k/aGSyC8Ebu5M/s1600-h/IMAGE_C8DC14B0-E769-41F5-9C4E-D741F5198863%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-right-width: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px" title="IMAGE_C8DC14B0-E769-41F5-9C4E-D741F5198863" border="0" alt="IMAGE_C8DC14B0-E769-41F5-9C4E-D741F5198863" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-S7SjFMmrFWo/UGjsS6qbPDI/AAAAAAAAN_s/nDVrrhKeaQg/IMAGE_C8DC14B0-E769-41F5-9C4E-D741F5198863_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="183" height="244" /></a></p> <p>While the soup was cooling I put together my lunch for tomorrow (this is what I’ll be eating most of the week – I have 2 all day meetings this week which mean I’ll likely eat out those days, boo.  I much prefer eating the yummy stuff I cook than going out!)</p> <p>This is one of my favorite lunches – 1/2 a baked sweet potato with pecans & salt, salad – mix of 3 types of greens from the CSA (the red container has dressing – just olive oil & balsamic), fresh (still warm) applesauce with cinnamon on top & fat-free Greek Yogurt.  My snack this week will be Bosc Pears from the Farmer’s Market. </p> <p> <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-kk1M_5BwabY/UGjsTrB5_RI/AAAAAAAAN_0/p6fQFJOQMNQ/s1600-h/IMAGE_4BDF0ECC-2142-4FBD-BC74-20302F5DE6B5%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-right-width: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px" title="IMAGE_4BDF0ECC-2142-4FBD-BC74-20302F5DE6B5" border="0" alt="IMAGE_4BDF0ECC-2142-4FBD-BC74-20302F5DE6B5" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-eDHqMZ8AN-g/UGjsTwkUw9I/AAAAAAAAN_8/4L4Oxk0iBfY/IMAGE_4BDF0ECC-2142-4FBD-BC74-20302F5DE6B5_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="183" height="244" /></a></p> <p>Finally, the last thing to do was to roast the pumpkin seeds.  I’ve never liked roasted pumpkin seed but I decided I should try – I could always throw them out after I roasted them!  I must not have had roasted pumpkin seeds done right because the ones I made are AMAZING!  I tossed the seeds with a teaspoon of olive oil, a teaspoon of cayenne pepper, a teaspoon of garlic powder, and a teaspoon of salt.  It took forever to cook them, but it was worth it!!!!!  YUMMMY! </p> <p> <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-p7sl3hdvIbg/UGjsUm7tDzI/AAAAAAAAOAE/eWs_Uw0634M/s1600-h/IMAGE_5A97E7B5-5051-4166-83BF-DFC1E1958ED5%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-right-width: 0px; display: inline; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px" title="IMAGE_5A97E7B5-5051-4166-83BF-DFC1E1958ED5" border="0" alt="IMAGE_5A97E7B5-5051-4166-83BF-DFC1E1958ED5" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-N0MoKS6-caM/UGjsU5AtmCI/AAAAAAAAOAM/RmG8tQOdsbI/IMAGE_5A97E7B5-5051-4166-83BF-DFC1E1958ED5_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="183" height="244" /></a></p> <p>Usually I don’t attempt this many big projects, but I enjoyed the whole day and I’m so happy I have so many yummy, healthy, clean things to eat this week! :-) </p> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12735964100343471614noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11017379.post-10899468121597624212012-04-29T14:28:00.001-04:002012-04-29T14:34:02.223-04:00Trillium: Just Right!For many years now I’ve been trying to catch the trillium at the GR Thompson Wildlife Management Area at their peak. Some years I’m thwarted by high pollen counts, <a href="http://melissaamory.blogspot.com/2009/05/trillium-trillium-trillium.html">one year I was too late</a>, <a href="http://melissaamory.blogspot.com/2011/04/quest-for-trillium.html">one year I was too early</a>, but this year, I hit it just right! Finally! <br />
A few weeks ago my Dad and I were hiking in SNP and we saw a few trillium and that made me realize that the trillium are out and now would be a good time to get out to the WMA and check them out. <br />
I didn’t want to go on a weekend & I had weekend plans so I decided to just go out after school on Fri and take an evening hike. I’m at a new school this year and I’m way on the western side of Fairfax County which makes getting out to hike very easy. Not only that but my school has an early bell schedule and my contract hours end at 3:00! I left school at 3:03 and after a quick stop in Linden to get gas I was on the trail by 4:30! <br />
As I was driving up the road I could see the trillium covering the forest floor. There were millions. Every spot you looked was covered in trillium! WOW! <br />
I drove past 3 parking areas to get to where I wanted to park and didn’t see any other cars. None. I was going to have the place to myself. Amazing! <br />
I’d studied the map of the area and read the AT Guidebook but it didn’t seem to match up. I knew I was going to stay on the AT, but my plan was to hike south a little bit to get to a spot that they’d marked as having trillium and then hike north to Dicks Dome Shelter. I was excited about hiking to Dicks Dome since a few years ago I hiked to that shelter from Sky Meadows and I’d be completing another section of the AT. As I hiked south though it wasn’t looking like I thought it would from the map and the book. So I consulted the map and figured out that I wasn’t where I thought I was. I appeared that I was about 4 miles from Dicks Dome. I decided I was closer to the Manassas Gap shelter so I decided to hike there and then back. <br />
I made it to the shelter pretty quickly and found it empty, which kinda surprised me. After a quick snack and water break I was on my way back to where I’d started. As I hiked up the ridge the sun was hitting the trillium and making them even prettier! I took a lot of pictures! <br />
There were odd pockets where there weren’t any trillium and then a few feet later there were hundreds. It was very strange! <br />
Soon I was back at the old road that would lead me back to the car. It was still early so I decided to keep hiking. I decided I needed to head back to the car by 6:30 so I wouldn’t get caught out after dark so I set an alarm on my phone and continued hiking north. <br />
Soon the trail began to climb up the mountain. I was chugging along up the hill when I heard the distinctive click clack of trekking poles on rocks behind me. I turned around and there was a lone backpacker gaining on me. He looked like a thru-hiker, so I asked and sure enough he was! Usually thru-hikers don’t make it to Northern Virginia until June so he was very early! I chatted with him as he caught up and then we walked together for a few minutes before he pulled out in front of me. He was the only other person I saw the whole evening. <br />
Soon I came to a fork in the trail and upon consulting the map I decided that it would be a good stopping point because it would be really easy to find that spot and resume the hike another day. <br />
I quickly hiked back to the car and was quite sad to see my evening with the trillium end. <br />
I couldn’t just go home so I drove up to the other parking area to check it out and see where I’d go next time. Finally though I had to call it a night and drive home. <br />
This past Thursday night I was thinking about how much fun my trillium hike had been and realized that the trillium were probably still out and if I went back I could finish the AT through the WMA. This was very appealing! <br />
Since I didn’t have to get gas and I’d gotten some route tips from my friend Kathy who lives on a mountain in Linden I made it to the trail by 4:15. That’s right, my desk to the AT in just about an hour. Amazing. <br />
This weeks hike wasn’t a “WOW” filled since many of the trillium were fading, but the woods were still filled with them! The woods in this area aren’t all that interesting on their own so I’m really glad I completed this section of AT with the trillium. <br />
I’d consulted the map and guidebook and the guidebook was still confusing but I figured that it would be about 2.5 miles one way from the parking area to Dicks Dome so 5 miles round trip. I’d done 5 mile hikes in about 2 hours so I figured this was doable before dark. <br />
I took a few pictures of trillium but realized that I really didn’t need anymore pictures so actually put the camera away and just walked enjoying the trillium in the moment and enjoying the cool air! <br />
I passed one guy hiking, not sure if he was out for a day hike or backpacking, but he was the only person I saw! 2 hikes on the AT at the height of trillium season and I only saw 2 other people! WOW. <br />
The hike into Dicks Dome wasn’t that remarkable, downhill, lots of rocks, pleasant temps. I was quite surprised to find the shelter empty! Dicks Dome is a cool hexagon shaped shelter and it’s right next to a babbling brook. Very nice setting! <br />
On the way up from Dick’s Dome I saw one of the other wildflowers the area is known for – showy orchid! There were bunches of them on the side of the trail! No idea how I missed them on the way down. I took a bunch of pictures, but the light was fading by this time and many were out of focus so I ended up deleting them. <br />
I made it back to the car at 7:15 – so the 5 miles had taken me 3 hours, not as fast as I would have liked, but not bad. Since there was daylight left I decided to figure out where the AT crossed RT 55 in Linden. I’d driven RT 55 many times but had never seen where the trail comes down. Turns out I was looking too close to Linden and it’s further out than I thought. There’s a nice parking area on both sides of the road so continuing this section as a day hike or even a quickie Friday night hike is very doable! I looked at the map and figured that with 5 more hikes I could complete the section of AT from US RT 50/Ashby Gap all the way to US 33/Swift Run Gap in SNP!
Pictures from the 1st hike:
<table style="width:194px;"><tr><td align="center" style="height:194px;background:url(https://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/transparent_album_background.gif) no-repeat left"><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/104243328672102671892/GRThompsonWMATrillium42012?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-KWuNMGl6DfQ/T5IUx073p9E/AAAAAAAAMHQ/CCT5jvaGXrU/s160-c/GRThompsonWMATrillium42012.jpg" width="160" height="160" style="margin:1px 0 0 4px;"></a></td></tr><tr><td style="text-align:center;font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px"><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/104243328672102671892/GRThompsonWMATrillium42012?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite" style="color:#4D4D4D;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none;">GR Thompson WMA: Trillium! 4.20.12</a></td></tr></table>
Pictures from the 2nd hike:
<table style="width:194px;"><tr><td align="center" style="height:194px;background:url(https://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/transparent_album_background.gif) no-repeat left"><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/104243328672102671892/GRThompsonWMATrillium242712?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCMLo9qCD16-f2gE&feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-0UeCd-3B8-k/T519pnOmc8E/AAAAAAAAMNU/wHNR11MrJNM/s160-c/GRThompsonWMATrillium242712.jpg" width="160" height="160" style="margin:1px 0 0 4px;"></a></td></tr><tr><td style="text-align:center;font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px"><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/104243328672102671892/GRThompsonWMATrillium242712?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCMLo9qCD16-f2gE&feat=embedwebsite" style="color:#4D4D4D;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none;">GR Thompson WMA: Trillium2 4.27.12</a></td></tr></table>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12735964100343471614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11017379.post-54124972708007202912012-02-05T19:59:00.001-05:002012-02-05T19:59:46.871-05:00Jeremy’s Run Snowy Day Hike<p>Late last week I was having a hard time deciding what to do on Saturday. Should I go for a full day hike?  Maybe I should drive down 95 to check out 2 other RV brands, just for comparisons sake.  Then there’s always game day.  Hmmm…  Then I got an email from Leigh, “my farmer” – he was giving away eggs and having a little open house.  That settled it, even though I couldn’t get the eggs until 11 which would put me getting a later start than I’d like but that was ok! </p> <p>It was a cold, cloudy morning.  Colder and cloudier than I thought was forecast.  I was feeling optimistic that maybe the predicted winter weather was coming faster and more furiously than forecast (it was forecast to be a very minor event).   It was cold and damp and it seemed that the air was pregnant with snow ready to burst!  </p> <p>My stop at the farm was busy, but quick – I gathered some late growing lettuce (although upon closer examination it might be broccoli greens), sampled some other random lettuces (only on the farm do you pick a plant and taste it!),  some arugula from the greenhouse, made friends with Angora, one of 2 Great Pyrenees Dogs who keep watch over the crops, seen the inside of the hen house, learned about the beginnings of the season, and picked up a dozen eggs.  Soon I was headed west to Shenandoah. </p> <p>When I arrived the Ranger at the gate told me that they were closing Skyline Drive at 5:00 because of the forecasted snow and ice.   I quickly realized that this was going to cramp my style – it was already 12:30 and where I wanted to hike was about 20 miles down Skyline Drive! I figured I’d hike in a set amount of time and then turn around.   But first I needed to stop at the “comfort station” at the Dickey Ridge Visitor Center and put on my long underwear – I’m very glad that got left in the car last week! </p> <p>As I made my way from Dickey Ridge to the Elkwallow Picnic Area there wasn’t much in the way of views.  The entire Massanutten Range was obstructed by clouds!  I thought I saw a few drops of rain hit the windshield, but it was very light.   When I arrived at the Elkwallow picnic area there was a couple and their dogs just heading out and about 5 other cars there! Surprising since it wasn’t the nicest day in everyone’s opinion – I thought it was just about perfect! </p> <p>Jeremy’s Run is a lovely creek that had a trail alongside it.  The trail takes you deep in the Shenandoah Backcountry.  There's a very nice 13 mile loop that allows you to hike the whole length of the run, that was a little much for today! I hiked the whole loop a few years ago and have been wanting to go and explore just the run since then. It was 1:20 when I left the car, I decided I’d hike down the run until 2:20 and turn around which would put me back at the car before 4 (I was assuming that it would take longer to hike up than down) which would give me plenty of time to get back to the entrance station before 5.  </p> <p>As I started down the trail I saw a few snowflakes beginning to fall! They were light and few and far between, but still, it was snowing a little!   </p> <p>The great thing about this trail is you get the downhill part over with first! I hate hiking downhill!   </p> <p>Just about the time the trail joined up with the run the snow started falling in earnest!  It wasn’t sticking, but it was coming down!  It was also raining/sleeting – I could hear it lightly falling on the leaves!  Soon I came to the 1st stream crossing.  It was an easy crossing, although I was worried about getting my feet wet, it was not the day to be hiking with wet feet! </p> <p>After the stream crossing the snow was really picking up and it made me wonder if the NPS would close Skyline Drive before 5 since the snow was seeming to come early.   I then began to wonder what would happen if I got “locked” in.  I know that when they close the drive at night during deer hunting season you can call the ranger and they’ll let you out, but a weather closing seemed different.  I knew that during the October snowstorm there were people stuck in the campgrounds and lodges – the ranger told me they’d tried to evacuate everyone but some folks didn’t want to go.  Getting locked in on Skyline Drive in my car with no extra clothes and no extra food/water did not sound like fun.  It did make me think that if I had an RV, it would be fun.  It would almost be like finding a loophole for winter camping in Shenandoah!  If I  had an RV I’d prob drive it when I went hiking because it needs to be driven to keep it healthy.  If I parked it at a trailhead and then headed out to hike and made sure not to get back until after Skyline Drive had closed (by accident of course…got too far and couldn’t get back) what would they do to me?  I’d just have to make sure the trailhead I’d parked at is one that has good cell coverage so I could email and Facebook! :-)  </p> <p>Fantasy aside, it’s time to get back to reality! By the time I reached the 2nd stream crossing it was still snowing a lot and it was 2:00.  This spot didn’t look as easy to get across without getting  my feet wet so I decided to turn around 20 minutes early.   </p> <p>On the way back up it started raining and snowing! My clothes were getting really wet! I was really glad I’d worn my synthetic hiking clothes, I’d considered just wearing jeans! I should have stopped and put on my raincoat, but I knew it would make me hot and the climb up from the run was already doing that!  I was wet inside and out!  But it was a good feeling! </p> <p>I was about 1/2 way up when I ran into 2 folks hiking down!  They were also out for the day and enjoying the snow! </p> <p>I got back to the car by 2:45 – it seemed a lot later because it was so dark and cloudy and snowing!  In the picnic area the snow was starting to stick!   Since I was so wet I decided to change into my jeans (I’d brought them because I was going to Wegmans after and though I might want to wear something else then).  </p> <p>It was now decision time.  I was about 10 miles from the park exit at Thorton Gap, but that was going to mean a longer drive outside the park to get back to Gainsville.  It was 20 miles up Skyline Drive to the Front Royal Entrance.  I was getting even more concerned that they’d close Skyline Drive with me still inside.  </p> <p>I decided that getting to drive on Skyline Drive when it it snowing is a rare event (12 years I’ve been here – this is the 1st time I’d been out there when it was snowing!) and I should go for it and drive back to Front Royal!  </p> <p>The drive back was lovely! Snow falling and beginning to fill the woods! No views, at all, just thick low clouds.  Skyline Drive was mostly just wet, but there were a few spots that were snow covered.  There were a lot more cars than I’d expected!  </p> <p>At the Dickey Ridge Visitor Center it was snowing like crazy and sticking, but about a mile down the road it was snowing and not sticking at all.   By the time I got out of the park (they hadn’t closed the drive) and into Front Royal it was a mix of snow and rain, more rain than snow.  </p> <p>As I drove east on 66 the temp kept going up and slowly the snow and rain mix became only a gross, disgusting “so close, yet so far away” 37* rain.  Really wishing I had an RV and could have gotten “stuck” on the drive! </p> <p>Overall though a great day, even if it wasn’t a big hike (only ended up walking 2 miles) and I wasn’t there very long it was a day I’ll remember for awhile! :-) </p> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12735964100343471614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11017379.post-28514934655037152232011-10-23T16:45:00.001-04:002011-10-23T16:45:53.187-04:00“My” Farm<p>Back in May I watched <a href="http://www.foodincmovie.com/">Food Inc</a> and then started reading <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Fast-Food-Nation-Dark-All-American/dp/0060938455">Fast Food Nation</a>.  I was shocked at what I was learning about how our food is made.  Shocked.   Mistreatment of animals, mistreatment of humans, processing food so much that it has to be artificially flavored it with the flavors that it had to start with, and more…  I wanted to make some changes in what I ate and joining the CSA was the first step and it has brought on some other changes…</p> <p>I decided I wanted to know where my food was coming from.  I thought about hitting the farmers market but I always have a hard time deciding what to get and end up buying too many odd things.  Also, there’s not one near me that’s convenient to my schedule.  I started looking into CSA’s and I hit gold! </p> <p>My simple google search lead me to <a href="http://www.bullrunfarm.com/index.html">Bull Run Mountain Farm</a>! It looked great and they had a pick up at the Manassas Train Station on Friday evenings at 5:30.  This was perfect since the train station was on my way home and I usually cook over the weekend so I could get my CSA veggies and then plan meals!  I emailed them and the farmer got right back to me, inviting me to join for the remainder of the season!  I was even able to get a fruit share so I was getting a whole bunch of peaches at first and then a whole bunch of apples! </p> <p>I got CSA veggies for about 10 weeks and it was great!  I got new veggies that I’d never eaten before and started cooking a lot more!  Veggie Corn Chowder, Parmesan Potatoes, Butternut Squash Soup, Apple Cake, Chili, Zucchini Bread, applesauce, homemade hot pepper jelly and more!  Every Sun I was spending most of the day cooking up all the yumminess I’d gotten on Fri.  I only had a few failures and so far I haven’t drawn blood or burned myself either!  I can’t say I’ve used every bit of ever veggie I’ve gotten, but I have been able to use most and sometimes things I don’t use stay fresh enough to use the next week.  </p> <p>Of course, all good things must come to an end and last Fri was our last week of veggie pick up.  However, it wasn’t entirely the end of the CSA road – yesterday all the shareholders were invited out to the farm to glean the fields!  It was all you could pick!  I got some great stuff that I hadn’t gotten in previous weeks.  Not only that but I got to see “my” farm and where my food was coming from!  I’ve already signed up for next year and I’m anxiously awaiting June when we start getting vegetables again! </p> <p>The farm is located in The Plains, VA which is in Fauquier County out 66.  I double checked my google maps directions and matched them to the directions on the farm’s website – google maps had the farm in the same place as on the farm website so I decided I was good to go and didn’t read the directions on the farm website.  </p> <p>The gleaning was scheduled to begin at 10:30 and I wanted to be on time – didn’t want everyone else getting the good stuff! Leah and I set out about 9:30 and quickly made our way to the farm.  We turned off 66 onto a nice 2 lane road with a double yellow line, then we turned on to another 2 lane road, this one with no double yellow line – the roads were getting smaller as we got further and further out.  We quickly came to the road the farm was on.  It was a very narrow dirt road with a large sign indicating that it was a Private Road.  There was no sign about the farm or anything.   The farm’s address was on this road so I figured it was right so proceeded down the road. As we bounced along there was no indication at all that there was farm back up in there and not even any houses!  It was beautiful with the the fall colors and all, but it was feeling a bit “Deliverance-y”.  </p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-Aj18fd_77Og/TqR8egDRDeI/AAAAAAAAK0M/HFFWnVV6boY/s1600-h/P1110592%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="P1110592" border="0" alt="P1110592" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-QSAouaUCPtw/TqR8fLRbZ-I/AAAAAAAAK0U/9ZcLods9xDI/P1110592_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184" /></a> (I took this pic on the way back, but the whole road looked like this!)</p> <p>I did pass a driveway with 2 very large (8-10 feet high!) rock cairns on either side, but there was no address or sign so I kept going.  Soon I came to a driveway with an address – it was 44___ and we were looking for 43__ but I didn’t know if the numbers were going up or down.  Of course the phone had no service here.  We kept going down the road until the road ended in 2 driveways, neither of which were my farm.  There were signs on the trees that said “organic farm, do not spray” My farm is not “organic” because it’s a total pain to get qualified through the government, but they don’t use pesticides and stuff, so I figured these signs were a good indicator that I was getting close! I ended up turning around in someone’s yard which was tricky because there was very little room! On the way back I decided to explore the where the road marked by the rock cairns, that was right about where the “organic farm” signs started too, and sure enough it was the road to my farm! :-)   There’s something kinda cool about it being a secret place that only those in the know can find!  Turns out the exact directions, including turn at the rock cairns, was outlined in the written directions on the website.  Silly me for not reading! </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-IFSRYoGqsn0/TqR8fd3yA-I/AAAAAAAAK0c/Gd3e3tsPpXo/s1600-h/P1110560%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="P1110560" border="0" alt="P1110560" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-t_MK1hzRX6I/TqR8f50UqPI/AAAAAAAAK0k/IpoH9JliZoA/P1110560_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184" /></a>View of the farm as you drive in</p> <p>Our first stop, after putting on our boots since the fields were very muddy, was the large map they had written on a big piece of cardboard and had leaning against a tractor. </p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-OHI2trbuHiI/TqR8gK7rdxI/AAAAAAAAK0s/nUNH0kjHuo0/s1600-h/P1110559%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="P1110559" border="0" alt="P1110559" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-fCl3v8ELetc/TqR8gm87UhI/AAAAAAAAK00/qRmqKtbuOO0/P1110559_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184" /></a>It’s hard to made out the actual map!  I had to study the map a few times to fully get my bearings and know which veggies were where. Turns out Leah and I were among the first shareholders to make it out to the farm so there weren’t many people there yet! </p> <p>Our first stop was the string beans!  They are purple! When you cook them they turn green.  We’d gotten some a few weeks ago, but these were much bigger and  there were TONS.  Leah and I got a little overzealous picking them and I have a lot! Good thing I LOVE string beans (can’t really call ‘em green beans!) </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-9Rflam5PMlA/TqR8hEC3qMI/AAAAAAAAK08/prJqrHdTtbY/s1600-h/P1110550%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="P1110550" border="0" alt="P1110550" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-UzoIj_n6Q7M/TqR8hpfDwzI/AAAAAAAAK1E/rl8RwpaaVfc/P1110550_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184" /></a>Bean flower!  <a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-1X2LBRDyOZ4/TqR8iJgy8MI/AAAAAAAAK1M/jZqcGk4AjeY/s1600-h/P1110551%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="P1110551" border="0" alt="P1110551" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-8cYr_RiMZ78/TqR8iT55EwI/AAAAAAAAK1U/fx6eUtIscHg/P1110551_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184" /></a> </p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-qeZOkIV6-jc/TqR8i-oiJ6I/AAAAAAAAK1c/KCjs2jWzvhE/s1600-h/P1110554%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="P1110554" border="0" alt="P1110554" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-MtbubUxwKHE/TqR8jYRrX_I/AAAAAAAAK1k/vfBIyjO3VY8/P1110554_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184" /></a> <a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-aYk_BKpL_1c/TqR8kKkw0QI/AAAAAAAAK1s/vSuEQI9AmLk/s1600-h/P1110555%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="P1110555" border="0" alt="P1110555" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-bxzCV0xmWbo/TqR8kYvIw0I/AAAAAAAAK10/9N0Z_FzDVIE/P1110555_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184" /></a> <a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-x1noH01fDEk/TqR8k2onzCI/AAAAAAAAK18/vtSA9yXs0_U/s1600-h/P1110552%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="P1110552" border="0" alt="P1110552" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-p9Bz47NQJ0E/TqR8lJyZ_ZI/AAAAAAAAK2E/_sdazXXbfA0/P1110552_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184" /></a></p> <p>Next we moved on the lettuce!  We ended up with 3 different types of lettuce! They had mild mustard lettuce, strong mustard lettuce and “oak leaf” lettuce (basic lettuce). We’ve only gotten a little bit of lettuce so far so this was exciting as well!  </p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-3CXSz-I25cg/TqR8lpkOAsI/AAAAAAAAK2M/LnrS6xw_CTc/s1600-h/P1110556%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="P1110556" border="0" alt="P1110556" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-dO8UOZTkdUQ/TqR8l9IpLEI/AAAAAAAAK2U/j11Iwq7DNDI/P1110556_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184" /></a>  <a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-pZKFBydgzR0/TqR8mTNZjTI/AAAAAAAAK2c/1Cs4ABAWB3k/s1600-h/P1110558%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="P1110558" border="0" alt="P1110558" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-6coXeXhOVBY/TqR8m2gDTJI/AAAAAAAAK2k/G7CwN__CXdI/P1110558_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184" /></a> </p> <p>Next up we treked back down the road a bit to the hoop houses.  In the process we passed the chicken house!  They raise chickens for fertilizer and provide 6 eggs a week for shareholders who purchase an egg share.  Next year I’m getting an egg share, so these guys will be producing my eggs!  You can’t really see ‘em, but we could hear ‘em!</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-XQgrGh0zT9s/TqR8nUBO0fI/AAAAAAAAK2s/ZU_JntYWIdk/s1600-h/P1110561%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="P1110561" border="0" alt="P1110561" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-XLXb3mww0D4/TqR8n-6wWEI/AAAAAAAAK2w/q5mCMtKuVs0/P1110561_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184" /></a>In the hoop houses we picked peppers (which I thought were spicy so I didn’t get many – turns out they were bell peppers and very yummy!) and cucumbers!  Most of the tomatoes were either very green or squished. </p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-Uf9fvxHSMtA/TqR8oAOTJyI/AAAAAAAAK28/6JhLRTrc-Sw/s1600-h/P1110562%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="P1110562" border="0" alt="P1110562" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-Tn6jU_yHD9o/TqR8o7SmoEI/AAAAAAAAK3E/5Nx5Eenfnsg/P1110562_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184" /></a></p> <p align="center">Heading toward the hoop houses <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-TGAduhjktMY/TqR8pC3D1jI/AAAAAAAAK3M/z068vhLbspo/s1600-h/P1110563%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="P1110563" border="0" alt="P1110563" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-Nkc8X5mKZP8/TqR8pt1wjzI/AAAAAAAAK3U/Cl3TjXLQbRc/P1110563_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184" /></a></p> <p align="center">Peppers! </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-9P7BSpkLNlE/TqR8qFcZ1zI/AAAAAAAAK3c/V5CMGLAMd2c/s1600-h/P1110564%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="P1110564" border="0" alt="P1110564" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-7NgfBBy1o2s/TqR8qQL--RI/AAAAAAAAK3k/-QuAqovE8oE/P1110564_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184" /></a> </p> <p align="center">Cucumbers!</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-_fV8DDNnb2g/TqR8qx6sGDI/AAAAAAAAK3s/4HqWlkpvYwY/s1600-h/P1110565%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="P1110565" border="0" alt="P1110565" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-aK8auQcewMA/TqR8rLJiFcI/AAAAAAAAK30/kUKosPCcBwk/P1110565_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184" /></a> <a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-7ZjdF0_fUtY/TqR8rua-zWI/AAAAAAAAK38/5vRUFiv8hsg/s1600-h/P1110566%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="P1110566" border="0" alt="P1110566" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-Qr95PTOVNsE/TqR8sGxgH2I/AAAAAAAAK4E/Tit2iaoBoV8/P1110566_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184" /></a> <a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-HzcN2FgP8KQ/TqR8soK6K0I/AAAAAAAAK4M/Z_WERH2b9Y8/s1600-h/P1110567%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="P1110567" border="0" alt="P1110567" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-20wj4BEo0D8/TqR8s5OBJYI/AAAAAAAAK4U/YxVvUBj5MV4/P1110567_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184" /></a> <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-VVxnQPT5i5w/TqR8tT1G9JI/AAAAAAAAK4c/rV2zUCxCXL0/s1600-h/P1110568%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="P1110568" border="0" alt="P1110568" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-yJoK2FHMT-U/TqR8ti_wybI/AAAAAAAAK4k/PuwicckKcNo/P1110568_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184" /></a> <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-yIuJFfeHUIk/TqR8uLgHnqI/AAAAAAAAK4s/As4GTZ_Oq-s/s1600-h/P1110569%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px" title="P1110569" border="0" alt="P1110569" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-hkT0LW-6cu8/TqR8uteqE8I/AAAAAAAAK40/YLaVeaIBFw8/P1110569_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184" /></a>  </p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-4bwkYoq-Ioc/TqR8u3cvO6I/AAAAAAAAK48/KW4w5GV0Uqs/s1600-h/P1110573%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="P1110573" border="0" alt="P1110573" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-fDT0YjglTO4/TqR8vbI61cI/AAAAAAAAK5E/1Iu_Zevz8wY/P1110573_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184" /></a> <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-_I2j_pKTm_0/TqR8viDhYNI/AAAAAAAAK5M/1oqXQpWa_3o/s1600-h/P1110574%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="P1110574" border="0" alt="P1110574" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-CSw1hnqN-Oc/TqR8wJ_LCpI/AAAAAAAAK5U/9i_qOBOSTR4/P1110574_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184" /></a> <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-5OyRYBSOgDE/TqR8wti1LXI/AAAAAAAAK5c/cgO4AjwAmG0/s1600-h/P1110575%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="P1110575" border="0" alt="P1110575" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-fMINTgN7r80/TqR8xD3LoqI/AAAAAAAAK5k/e6QFW9TIATw/P1110575_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184" /></a> <a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-zIAFDPfbl1c/TqR8xX-0GVI/AAAAAAAAK5s/Zf4uDsdg690/s1600-h/P1110576%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="P1110576" border="0" alt="P1110576" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-XbdmLzzM1_o/TqR8xvFIqvI/AAAAAAAAK50/oU-4F7NgRt0/P1110576_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184" /></a> </p> <p></p> <p></p> <p></p> <p align="center">Had a hard time pulling Leah away from the tomatoes! </p> <p align="left">In the middle of the hoop house area there’s a graveyard! I have no idea who is buried there, I need to ask Leigh.   This might make some people saw “ewww” having my veggies growing right next to a cemetery, but I think it just adds to the experience!  It’s kinda cool I think! </p> <p align="left"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-47aHrmE93SI/TqR8yC8Qc6I/AAAAAAAAK58/XFNmuePTkMk/s1600-h/P1110570%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="P1110570" border="0" alt="P1110570" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-EOCM5z_byn8/TqR8ycoSwpI/AAAAAAAAK6E/_XCkFs2uoHE/P1110570_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184" /></a> <a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-oMPdIRjwNgs/TqR8zpaI_8I/AAAAAAAAK6M/LyFpvveGybg/s1600-h/P1110571%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="P1110571" border="0" alt="P1110571" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-mN8nZDoAmDU/TqR8z53g3VI/AAAAAAAAK6U/oWHz3YmqDiE/P1110571_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184" /></a>This whole farm reminds me of what the farms that were in Shenandoah National Park would have been like before the park was created.  There are remnants of the farms and cemeteries all over the park!  </p> <p align="left">Also by the hoop houses are the bee hives!  We all got about a pound of honey from these bees!  I’ve never eaten a lot of honey, but lately I’ve been putting it on everything!  It’s very yummy!</p> <p align="left"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-8wVpMnfI6Sw/TqR80TeFd6I/AAAAAAAAK6c/8gkdy3FNSLk/s1600-h/P1110577%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="P1110577" border="0" alt="P1110577" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-gucj3bE-W_I/TqR80zqy7OI/AAAAAAAAK6k/cKgAq8IvP5w/P1110577_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184" /></a>The hives have electric fencing around them to keep the bears out.  I’m not even kidding.  Just last week Leigh was woken up at 3am by the dogs (2 Great Pyrenees)  barking like crazy and when he investigated he found a large black bear enjoying the honey! </p> <p align="left">Our next stop was the pond by the eggplant field: <a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-SPeeYAdfwA8/TqR81Ad1FfI/AAAAAAAAK6s/txXd66PEw9A/s1600-h/P1110579%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="P1110579" border="0" alt="P1110579" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-1b2Dkcf-i3Y/TqR81_udapI/AAAAAAAAK68/Rlqui3jd1c4/P1110579_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184" /></a> Finally we moved on to the eggplant and hot pepper field.  Leah was very excited about picking eggplant and I have WAY more than I ever thought I needed, not even sure they are ripe!  We didn’t pick any pepper, I’m pretty sure these were the hot ones and I didn’t want Leah handling them – just touching them get the oils on your hands which make rubbing your eyes or your nose painful! </p> <p align="left"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-KX-jJoe1P3k/TqR82-RakiI/AAAAAAAAK7E/AIHYjWAVw1U/s1600-h/P1110580%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="P1110580" border="0" alt="P1110580" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-fepmTTslwOA/TqR83DGlM8I/AAAAAAAAK7M/qMV3BGtNN-k/P1110580_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184" /></a> <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-vMUcTazX2Eg/TqR83puFhyI/AAAAAAAAK7U/tAUagvAnB9M/s1600-h/P1110581%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="P1110581" border="0" alt="P1110581" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-SvmvUo6gaG0/TqR84FkRH-I/AAAAAAAAK7c/HDI51kXiSfc/P1110581_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184" /></a> <a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-XldO9p-Ye_c/TqR848tOSDI/AAAAAAAAK7k/UAWLG8UvCos/s1600-h/P1110582%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="P1110582" border="0" alt="P1110582" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-s2XMqhDnSN8/TqR85HT9imI/AAAAAAAAK7s/dlBs_ODov_A/P1110582_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184" /></a> <a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-9uUB_idJ_xY/TqR85hTezyI/AAAAAAAAK74/tpc9FLa6jKw/s1600-h/P1110583%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="P1110583" border="0" alt="P1110583" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-B6drNocUxGc/TqR86gieihI/AAAAAAAAK8A/61cUENq6duc/P1110583_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184" /></a> <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-P1g5G7vHzXk/TqR861vU_dI/AAAAAAAAK8I/Cf1WJxSKupg/s1600-h/P1110584%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="P1110584" border="0" alt="P1110584" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-veGs3NEHbOI/TqR87hHr__I/AAAAAAAAK8Q/Ohl9DkBZoo4/P1110584_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184" /></a><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-EKbFH60CGJI/TqR88fYjL1I/AAAAAAAAK8Y/EcdOqaVtnKQ/s1600-h/P1110585%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="P1110585" border="0" alt="P1110585" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-s8QU_IKdvzE/TqR88uVmjmI/AAAAAAAAK8g/Xt0CP6Czo34/P1110585_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184" /></a></p> <p align="left"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-k84RAkQnkYA/TqR887Og72I/AAAAAAAAK8o/WyVEtWPt_0M/s1600-h/P1110589%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="P1110589" border="0" alt="P1110589" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-fcgv1KgJwHA/TqR89bMMquI/AAAAAAAAK8w/mDcgYeZcWn4/P1110589_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184" /></a></p> <p align="left"> There were geese right by the eggplant fields!  Leah walked up and said “How you doing?” to the geese!</p> <p align="left"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-tHP2ikyZ46U/TqR89oiUsyI/AAAAAAAAK84/VZMeCToYkOY/s1600-h/P1110586%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="P1110586" border="0" alt="P1110586" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-ZIIWsOkGehY/TqR89_ESjdI/AAAAAAAAK9A/HyFsD3t_gY8/P1110586_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184" /></a> <a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-3MuWjmjbgCA/TqR8-d71PYI/AAAAAAAAK9I/dFEPzARuPJ0/s1600-h/P1110587%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="P1110587" border="0" alt="P1110587" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-B4O3lJvcx4g/TqR8-nGunPI/AAAAAAAAK9Q/U6jcTEnho4Y/P1110587_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184" /></a> <a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-Ec_170cYApM/TqR8-thv0QI/AAAAAAAAK9Y/LQF7RcebW3I/s1600-h/P1110588%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="P1110588" border="0" alt="P1110588" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-xLu_3RT0piA/TqR8_FBdb0I/AAAAAAAAK9g/83helyjE8Mk/P1110588_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184" /></a> </p> <p align="left">Our last stop was another lettuce field.  This one had a lot of weeds in it! It was easy to see the difference between the weeds and the lettuce, but I got a few weeds anyway.  I hope they are edible because I may have accidently eaten some along with my lettuce.  Leah decided it would be fun to jump over the rows of lettuce!  It was cute, but she was tramping on the lettuce so I knew it was time to go! </p> <p align="left"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-Pz2nA133zek/TqR8_eBhjNI/AAAAAAAAK9o/RPTdz7Qk0qo/s1600-h/P1110590%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="P1110590" border="0" alt="P1110590" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-o9E5ueQjO4A/TqR8_gJ2O4I/AAAAAAAAK9w/pUul7honXKg/P1110590_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184" /></a> <a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-6zNucwCx6WI/TqR8_9Vw-VI/AAAAAAAAK94/bJ770TlyTzQ/s1600-h/P1110591%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="P1110591" border="0" alt="P1110591" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-7xqUIjPev_Y/TqR9AFoBgaI/AAAAAAAAK-A/wQknP7yWLjM/P1110591_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184" /></a> I’m so glad I got go out and visit my farm!  Wondering what I’ll eat between now and June without my CSA veggies!  Good thing I’ve got Wegmans! </p> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12735964100343471614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11017379.post-7576704996772690042011-10-22T21:43:00.001-04:002011-10-22T21:43:23.033-04:00Leah’s First Hike: Sky Meadows State Park<p>First thing today, Leah and I went out to “my” farm – <a href="http://www.bullrunfarm.com/index.html">Bull Run Mountain Farm</a> – to help glean the fields.  After we were done I had plans to take Leah to Shenandoah National Park for her 1st hike!  I had the perfect hike all picked out…but it’s the peak weekend for the fall leaves and everyone and their uncle was flocking to Shenandoah to see them.  Front Royal was all backed up and after sitting in traffic for awhile we finally got in sight of the turn off to Skyline Drive and I saw that ALL the cars were attempting to head into the park.  Insane.  We turned around and headed to Sky Meadows. I think Sky Meadows ended up being a better choice! </p> <p>Sky Meadows was crowded, but it was manageable.  For some reason it’s not as popular as other places, so even on an extra super crowded day, it was manageable.   </p> <p>It was close to 2 when we got there!  After got our admission paid and the receipt on the dashboard, we gathered up everything we’d need for lunch and hike.   We found a nice picnic table in the sun (it was chilly!) and had a quick lunch/snack before heading to the trail. </p> <p>When hiking with a toddler one must remember that it’s not about the amount of ground covered or the speed with which we move, it’s all about the experience of being in the woods! </p> <p>At first Leah had a hard time understanding the concept of “forward motion” – she kept running back and then running back to me and running back where we’d already been.  I thought this was going to be more difficult than I’d expected.   </p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-SESg6eQTD3w/TqNw0oGyswI/AAAAAAAAKsQ/n8-v3Qs1Fvw/s1600-h/P1110601%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="P1110601" border="0" alt="P1110601" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-Ka6z1TLSdCE/TqNw0_2eHkI/AAAAAAAAKsY/Zv3zDeaSuNY/P1110601_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184" /></a> Finally I redirected her to run to the sign and that was the end of the doubling back (one good thing about toddlers is that they are pretty easy to redirect – most of the time!). </p> <p>Soon we needed to use some rock climbing skills: </p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-r5lsnSNBtaY/TqNw1YtaNBI/AAAAAAAAKsg/stVIgPkxpIs/s1600-h/P1110603%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="P1110603" border="0" alt="P1110603" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-MPAk8zUsodc/TqNw14VnRaI/AAAAAAAAKso/epl2sKF42ds/P1110603_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184" /></a>These steps kept pulling off her boots, but she was determined to climb them herself! </p> <p>Next we had to cross a bridge! I didn’t get a picture.  After that we crossed a wooden style  over a fence.  She went up by herself and wanted to go down by herself but there were two people waiting to climb over and I just picked her up!  Also didn’t get a picture! </p> <p>We were now walking the edge of a big field.  The trail is wide grassy and goes straight uphill.  Leah took off running! :-) There were a lot of butterflies and when Leah saw one she’d point it out to me and then say: “How you doing?”. SO. FREAKING. CUTE. </p> <p>We were having a lot of fun until we rounded a corner and saw this: </p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-_LIonDoChtU/TqNw2eQHjmI/AAAAAAAAKsw/86pXwvDQuTo/s1600-h/P1110604%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="P1110604" border="0" alt="P1110604" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-mdakX33bsgo/TqNw26yxzGI/AAAAAAAAKs4/oXZ2-lrb0kc/P1110604_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184" /></a> Those brown/black things in the middle are cows.  You can see them better here: </p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-4OEGUAGsiqM/TqNw3FTMeZI/AAAAAAAAKtA/71H59WEXTGQ/s1600-h/P1110605%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="P1110605" border="0" alt="P1110605" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-jd3PiAolZQA/TqNw3odXWMI/AAAAAAAAKtI/SY_DGkDOj_A/P1110605_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184" /></a> The cows were grazing in the field that we were hiking through.  This is why there is a fence that we had to climb over.  I’ve been to Sky Meadows several times and hiked this trail every time, but this is the 1st time I’ve see cows.  </p> <p>Leah was very excited!  She was talking to the cows saying “MOOOOO” as we approached.  She’s quite knowledgeable about cows – knows what they say and that they eat grass.  She does however think they are green.  Gotta keep working on that! </p> <p>When we got close I noticed several of the cows had stopped eating and were giving us the stink eye. </p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-3oNHHJn5uYE/TqNw4LSfV6I/AAAAAAAAKtQ/m0fkOgOrLyc/s1600-h/P1110606%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="P1110606" border="0" alt="P1110606" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-quHcAwxaQzQ/TqNw4qY3b7I/AAAAAAAAKtY/IPfW0QY6qsg/P1110606_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184" /></a> (Note that I DID NOT zoom in here…we were *that* close!) </p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-BQfkg5rYxek/TqNw402acoI/AAAAAAAAKtg/SskGgpxXAFs/s1600-h/P1110607%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="P1110607" border="0" alt="P1110607" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-_sobKlmnEGQ/TqNw5XGQcmI/AAAAAAAAKto/HrT5SdKA3zk/P1110607_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184" /></a> It was then that I realized just how big these cows were. (They were huge)  They were giving me the evil eye and I was wondering what exactly I’d do to protect myself and Leah if these cow decided to charge.   There were LOTS of people hiking up the mountain and the cows had pretty much ignored them all, so I pressed on.  Leah at this point decided we were a bit too close to the cows and demanded to be carried! </p> <p>We safely passed through the cows and continued upward.  I pulled out the trail map and started considering how to make our hike a loop so as to avoid going back through the cows! </p> <p>Quickly though the cows were forgotten because she found a stick and a small hole to dig in! </p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-RleQTVWdQtw/TqNw59fyZEI/AAAAAAAAKtw/lKEKHU4D2Ww/s1600-h/P1110609%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="P1110609" border="0" alt="P1110609" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-BDT-iM6cfrQ/TqNw6QGcrSI/AAAAAAAAKt4/XgI1dYYisyc/P1110609_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184" /></a> Eventually I got her to move on but soon, she decided we needed to stop and smell the (dead) flowers: </p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-MP-_kor7zIo/TqNw607yq5I/AAAAAAAAKuA/IVnskxI1uPI/s1600-h/P1110612%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="P1110612" border="0" alt="P1110612" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-8iy_dDVYm_I/TqNw7XjJvfI/AAAAAAAAKuI/2IJXvArGdMU/P1110612_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184" /></a> </p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-e_zqC5HyCVw/TqNw7wSoSZI/AAAAAAAAKuQ/a8qBgMeZ1xw/s1600-h/P1110613%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="P1110613" border="0" alt="P1110613" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-B4WGuRJVeWo/TqNw8CwzMNI/AAAAAAAAKuY/jYhhVGAL_R0/P1110613_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184" /></a> </p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-1y00LvDmm1I/TqNw8qUGhxI/AAAAAAAAKug/pZZEHZnSSN8/s1600-h/P1110614%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="P1110614" border="0" alt="P1110614" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-rDesatwX8jE/TqNw9PnqFNI/AAAAAAAAKuo/PLGS8t9WubY/P1110614_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184" /></a> When she finally declared that she was ready to proceed she did it drum major style, swinging her flower: </p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-fp-SA2DCTBs/TqNw9wYAtxI/AAAAAAAAKu0/GH_34evD78w/s1600-h/P1110615%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="P1110615" border="0" alt="P1110615" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-JgAoKDi7FSc/TqNw-idIZ6I/AAAAAAAAKu8/z7wuppzSE9c/P1110615_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184" /></a> </p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-5Ic_FgaiAas/TqNw_tr8QhI/AAAAAAAAKvE/2piimO5j0f4/s1600-h/P1110616%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="P1110616" border="0" alt="P1110616" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-hubb0KLtWQE/TqNxAK9hP1I/AAAAAAAAKvI/dUtx4RfYf5E/P1110616_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184" /></a> As we continued up the hill we encountered the inevitable: </p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-sHTYSb8RTiA/TqNxAhAqM5I/AAAAAAAAKvU/nxKtNw8lDP8/s1600-h/P1110619%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="P1110619" border="0" alt="P1110619" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-FtsAgbph5qo/TqNxBP3dCkI/AAAAAAAAKvc/gTaE5KRD9uc/P1110619_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184" /></a> A cow patty.  Leah demanded to know what it was – I simply explained that it was cow poop.  I don’t think “poop” was a known word until today!  I may get in trouble with Susan for expanding her vocabulary! </p> <p>Soon she spied another inviting stand of dead flowers and wanted to stay and play! She played with them for 15 minutes!  I’m not even kidding! I kept asking if she was ready to move on and she’d say “No thanks!” or “No Way!”  so what was I do except take pictures! </p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-Tfa-RBUllyE/TqNxBfoj3DI/AAAAAAAAKvk/g44TyhXHPbc/s1600-h/P1110621%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="P1110621" border="0" alt="P1110621" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-kky2BrqsFYI/TqNxB9JWBxI/AAAAAAAAKvs/AvPSCLTg0d4/P1110621_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184" /></a> </p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/--EG74uREFxI/TqNxCXo238I/AAAAAAAAKv0/yjj46BpDowo/s1600-h/P1110618%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="P1110618" border="0" alt="P1110618" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-o-A1hjx1n3I/TqNxCtt-u6I/AAAAAAAAKv8/1oBXeoeedCw/P1110618_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184" /></a> </p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/--vSTwGbqtko/TqNxDIEp21I/AAAAAAAAKwE/96RfRUngjWQ/s1600-h/P1110622%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="P1110622" border="0" alt="P1110622" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-2ITOSjGDSN0/TqNxDrFmwtI/AAAAAAAAKwM/wnwQM7F5ZnM/P1110622_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184" /></a> </p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-LzDzRrzJmic/TqNxEMKbkfI/AAAAAAAAKwU/bb5b98_uo3g/s1600-h/P1110626%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="P1110626" border="0" alt="P1110626" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-ULkEQ57byWY/TqNxEagd_II/AAAAAAAAKwc/wp0yX57M_TM/P1110626_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184" /></a> </p> <p>While Leah was playing with the flowers two cows made their way from one group of cows to the other and they walked past us.  Leah looked up and saw them and said “Oh man!”!  :-) </p> <p>I finally pulled her away from the flowers and we headed back down the hill. We safely navigated the cows again! They were still giving us the stink eye, but I picked Leah and hurried past! We didn’t make it to the view point, but we’d had a great time! </p> <p>Leah was a bit cranky on the way back – she was in dire of need of a diaper change (Auntie Issa failed to pack an extra diaper in her backpack…grrr…we could have stayed out longer if I’d put just one in!) and I’m sure she was tired and hungry – a little milk helped us forge ahead!</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-Hke6yihZAh0/TqNxE1WvifI/AAAAAAAAKwk/lzAT_fGQ5sk/s1600-h/P1110627%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="P1110627" border="0" alt="P1110627" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-1jX1DOXYdoM/TqNxFYK2-II/AAAAAAAAKws/gdiyksOTDo0/P1110627_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184" /></a> By the time we were back to the bridge she was quite the happy camper! </p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-kRC7DHBcdHU/TqNxFh9ypyI/AAAAAAAAKw0/xGPmGmb0qM8/s1600-h/P1110628%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="P1110628" border="0" alt="P1110628" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-QUvX1GBluys/TqNxGHEqHlI/AAAAAAAAKw8/WeCwmS81eoE/P1110628_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="184" height="244" /></a> At the end I decided I needed to document which trail she’d hiked on her 1st ever hike (we hiked the Piedmont Overlook Trail) </p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-UzvbKYI4mZg/TqNxGjM-OfI/AAAAAAAAKxE/IM5_rAs00P4/s1600-h/P1110629%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="P1110629" border="0" alt="P1110629" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-4WPjZYHS8ts/TqNxG0sw8iI/AAAAAAAAKxM/z-Pvogfkcsk/P1110629_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184" /></a> Then I asked her to go over and stand by the sign: </p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-AHflRikBirg/TqNxHY6mx8I/AAAAAAAAKxU/Aq3W16OxF6U/s1600-h/P1110630%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="P1110630" border="0" alt="P1110630" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-zvKst-HyL4E/TqNxH8ZQ0ZI/AAAAAAAAKxc/a_hRkexESKE/P1110630_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184" /></a> When we made it back to the parking lot I saw a cricket and pointed it out to Leah.  She watched it for a little while, then asked “How you doing?” She kept asking, I think she was annoyed by not getting an answer!  She studied the cricket enough to see how it was was hopping from place to place and she started following it, hopping along with it!  It was SOOOO cute!  I didn’t get it on video, you’ll just have to take my word for it! </p> <p>You can kinda see the cricket…it’s the tiny black thing in from of Leah’s left foot.  </p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-J9rzNQl660U/TqNxIC96tpI/AAAAAAAAKxk/_XtuSz3rlfk/s1600-h/P1110631%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="P1110631" border="0" alt="P1110631" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-w0gic5E4yQw/TqNxInWSRCI/AAAAAAAAKxs/jKqIkuNfgEs/P1110631_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184" /></a> </p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-h7iiAmAukKI/TqNxJMGU9mI/AAAAAAAAKx0/B70dJrRATj4/s1600-h/P1110633%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="P1110633" border="0" alt="P1110633" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-6M2Fs9Zz3q8/TqNxJ4hqsRI/AAAAAAAAKx8/ZuvWa1rGw6k/P1110633_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184" /></a></p> <p>By the time we got close to the car every step was producing tears so I picked her up and she put her head on my shoulder, totally exhausted.  She did perk up once I changed her diaper though! </p> <p>Overall I LOVED taking a walk in the woods with Leah!  Next time I attempt a hike with a toddler though I will bring a backpack to carry the kid in so we can hike further and I can get more exercise! I wouldn’t want her stuck in a backpack the whole time – it would just be nice to have options! I will also bring a diaper and a back up diaper! </p> <p>Here are a few other pictures I took: </p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-15rw-nu-Geg/TqNxKYSvTpI/AAAAAAAAKyE/5dgoLtPF6g0/s1600-h/P1110593%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="P1110593" border="0" alt="P1110593" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-o-O8o4eKhGY/TqNxLrKf5RI/AAAAAAAAKyY/TD1OqeHnQ0M/P1110593_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184" /></a> </p> <p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-JvWEra1a5Kc/TqNxMfZU67I/AAAAAAAAKyg/Rwhv8z_0_o4/s1600-h/P1110600%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="P1110600" border="0" alt="P1110600" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-oVT_TBzDT1s/TqNxMs8yDgI/AAAAAAAAKyo/DYBYAOa1Jvg/P1110600_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184" /></a> </p> <p><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-JvNjbXhqxUM/TqNxNEJKguI/AAAAAAAAKy0/8O1k94R_vqY/s1600-h/P1110599%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="P1110599" border="0" alt="P1110599" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-N05YPEA6I4k/TqNxNnjnUiI/AAAAAAAAKy8/PRMZ430SyGk/P1110599_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184" /></a> </p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-MacNyX1_7dk/TqNxOMVk0HI/AAAAAAAAKzE/bJGphJ7MN3E/s1600-h/P1110611%25255B2%25255D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="P1110611" border="0" alt="P1110611" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-Mj-cZiJWgEg/TqNxOlimIvI/AAAAAAAAKzM/TbI5RTfla74/P1110611_thumb.jpg?imgmax=800" width="244" height="184" /></a></p> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12735964100343471614noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11017379.post-82878383917184041702011-07-25T00:22:00.000-04:002011-07-26T01:17:39.285-04:00Last Day<p>It was a very chilly night!  I was almost all alone in my loop of the campground too so it was quiet and dark! I finally got totally uncomfortable in my “mummy bag” and unzipped it and used it as a blanket even though that let cold air in!  I was so comfortable and snuggly warm I slept in until 7:30! Latest I’ve slept in the whole trip! </p><p>When I finally drug myself out of bed I had a lot to do to pack up and get ready to turn in the RV.  But first I wanted another leisurely morning drinking my coffee and reading my Kindle in the chilly morning air!  While I was eating a flock of turkeys came through my campsite!  There were only 5 of them and they just walked through, not bothering me or anything!  </p><p>Despite the big mess I felt like I had to contend with I was all packed up and reasonably organized in just about an hour!  With all my stuff packed I was ready to dump and proceed to the rental place and then find something fun to do until my flight.  I headed over to my parents campsite to borrow Dad’s hose and let them know I was about ready to go.  </p><p>This is when the day kinda got “derailed”…</p><p>When I pulled up Dad was furiously trying to fix the hot water heater in their motorhome.  It’s already not working on propane and now it wouldn’t work on electricity either.  He was not happy.  In addition the electricity kept going out (they have a plug in at their site).  Eventually it was discovered that the circuit breaker was bad and the hot water heater worked just fine when he plugged into the 20 amp plug.  Aghhhh!!!!!  </p><p>While he was messing with that I got my RV dumped – the toilet and the grey tanks.  I also filled it up with fresh water.  I moved my luggage to the Jeep – I think I had less stuff for my whole two week vacation than we take for a day trip!  At least it looked like less stuff! </p><p>Since we weren’t going anywhere anytime soon I started doing some internet stuff although the connection was frustratingly slow  and neither Mom or I could get anything done!  Finally we’d decided we’d take the Mifi card with us and find a place with better service! </p><p>It was after noon before we decided to mosey over to the RV rental place.  We were about halfway there when Dad called to suggest that we stop for lunch first.  (luckily I saw the cop AFTER the conversation since talking on a cell phone while driving is illegal in CA!) So we went into Castro Valley to the ice cream place we went to Saturday night – their food looked good.  Apparently they had a trainee cook and only 2 waitresses because it took over an hour to get our food!  It was after 2 before we left! </p><p>Finally we were heading to the RV place, luckily I had till 4! A quick stop for gas and we were there!  I turned in the van with no issues.  They didn’t even charge me for generator use because I lodged my complaint about the battery!  </p><p>After the RV place it was off to the post office to return my defective Kindle .  The line was crazy long and I had to wait what felt like forever.  Mom and Dad were in the car with the mifi card! </p><p>(As you can see this is prob the most exciting vacation day yet huh?) </p><p>Now it was about 3:30 and I didn’t need to go to the airport until 8!  We ended up going to a park that’s on the same lake as the campground – there’s a boat rental and walking trail.  I half suggested that we rent kayaks but we weren’t sure we had time.  We walked around a bit then attempted to make our own hotspot at a picnic table but the mifi card was WAY too slow.  My phone was working, but what I wanted to do I couldn’t do on my phone!  Mom and I read our Kindles and Dad did stuff on his computer.  </p><p>Finally we decided it was time for dinner.  We found a neat place called Fresh Choice – it’s a lot like Souper Salad in Oklahoma – kinda like a Golden Corral but all veggies and salads and stuff.  It was pretty yummy! We need something like that in Woodbridge.  </p><p>After dinner we went right to the airport.  As we were pulling in I checked my flight status and discovered it was delayed an hour! Not leaving until midnight (3am EDT)!  ugh! I refused to go into the airport at 7 if the flight wasn’t leaving till midnight so we went to Costco that was close to the airport and then came back.  </p><p>It’s currently 9:15 am I’m through security, I had the full undivided attention of 7 TSA agents! Amazing difference from Dulles! Apparently there are only 2 or 3 flights leaving Oakland at this hour! Nice!  Anyway, I found a plug and they have free wifi here…and it’s fast (of course anything would seem fast after the .5 KB/s we were getting on the mifi card this afternoon!  I’m uploading pictures and and will soon have the blog all up to date!  Hopefully the plane leaves on time at midnight! </p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12735964100343471614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11017379.post-79078446407399223792011-07-24T23:53:00.000-04:002011-07-26T01:16:20.369-04:00John Muir Day<p>Spent the whole day learning about and honoring John Muir.  Well, almost! </p><p>When we arrived last night Mom realized that her cousin Tim lives in Castro Valley and our campground is also in Castro Valley so she called him and set up a breakfast date for this morning.  We met Tim, who I had met but only a few times, and his girlfriend and we had a very nice breakfast at a local breakfast hot spot JD’s.  After breakfast we brought them back to the campground so Tim could see Mom and Dad’s Motorhome – he has a Volkswagon camper van! </p><p>It was around noon when we set out for Martinez, CA where John Muir’s house is.  I’m not sure what I was expecting, but it was definitely very interesting! The house was very grand – it was actually the house of his father-in-law and John inherited it.  There was only one room that that was truly his and that’s only because part of the room was destroyed in an earthquake and he got to rebuild it! The house is entirely surrounded by “urban sprawl”, the view from John Muir’s bedroom now includes a Valero gas station and the back yard now contains a freeway (named after him, but a freeway nonetheless!).  </p><p>The house is surrounded by fruit trees reminiscent of the orchards he used to farm! Well, really the orchards that his father-in-law farmed and then he took over!  The plums were ripe and we were allowed to pick a few off the ground and enjoy them! Tasty!  </p><p>The inside of the house had all sorts of information about John Muir and his conservation efforts, the Sierra Club, and his studies of nature.  He was the first one to suggest that the Yosemite Valley was created by glaciers – all the geologists of the time disagreed with him until he found glacier dust in one of the creeks on Mt. Merced.   </p><p>The house was filled with art, mostly reproductions of original oil paintings that Muir owed – most of the paintings we were able to identify where they were because we’d been there! </p><p>By the time we were done with our self guiding tour it was 3:00 and Mom decided it was time for lunch, even though none of us were terribly hungry.  We drove around in circles for about 45 minutes looking for a good place, then attempting to follow the GPS leading us to a place that turned out to be closed and finally settling on Burger King.   We ate our “snack” quickly so we could get to Muir Woods on the other side of the bay. </p><p>Muir Woods is a large canyon that has a lovely grove of Coastal Redwoods in it!  It’s a true forest with lush moss, ferns, clover like things, and big huge redwood trees.  It’s usually totally overrun with people, but at 5:00 on a Sunday night it was much calmer – not empty, but the crowd was definitely diminished!  They have a large paved/boardwalk trail that circles the canyon and is mostly flat, we walked about 2 miles around the trees and took a few pictures – it was very low light so pictures were hard.  </p><p>On our way out we made an attempt at seeing the ocean and went around by way of Muir Beach but you had to drive down to Muir beach and Mom was getting anxious about getting back to the campground before they closed and locked the gate at 10:00.  </p><p>We decided to stop in Mill Valley at High Tech Burrito for a quick dinner.  I had been to High Tech Burrito once before when we came out here in 1992! My aunt used to work at an optical shop: Rims and Goggles that is right next door.  I remember going to High Tech Burrito but my memory had filed it away as being someplace else so when we were driving around the shopping center looking for it and then suddenly there’s Rims and Goggles I was pretty excited!  I wasn’t expecting to see it! I made Dad stop so I could snap a picture to email to Kim! </p><p>After dinner we drove back to the campground arriving here before 9:00! Plenty of time before the gates closed! It is very chilly tonight – Dad’s car said it was 56*! Wonder how cold it will get tonight?  It feels amazing.  I’m all snuggled into my 0* sleeping bag with the windows open.  I wish I could take these awesome temps home with me.  I’m not relishing going back to the inferno that seems to have engulfed the east coast in my absence! </p><p>Not sure what’s happening tomorrow – I need to pack up and return the RV so that means RV chores – dump, refill with water, and fill up with gas.  My flight isn’t until 10 pm (the redeye – ugh.) tomorrow night so I’m not sure what we’ll do with the rest of the day.   </p><br />
<table style="width:194px;"><tr><td align="center" style="height:194px;background:url(https://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/transparent_album_background.gif) no-repeat left"><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/purpleplaytapus/JohnMuirDay?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-owrERDkWUsk/Ti5I1RahahE/AAAAAAAAKAc/XhtTOeFr1x4/s160-c/JohnMuirDay.jpg" width="160" height="160" style="margin:1px 0 0 4px;"></a></td></tr><tr><td style="text-align:center;font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px"><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/purpleplaytapus/JohnMuirDay?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite" style="color:#4D4D4D;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none;">John Muir Day</a></td></tr></table>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12735964100343471614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11017379.post-76269476905312394172011-07-23T23:52:00.000-04:002011-07-26T01:16:50.056-04:00Drive Day<p>Today’s big event was driving back to Oakland! I had to pack up everything that was strewn about the RV – which looked like a lot given the small size of the van, but I was able to get it all cleaned up in just a few minutes! I also had to do “RV Chores” that' I’d managed to avoid for a whole week! Empty the toilet cartridge (much easier this time because I only used it at night!), fill the fresh water tank and put the bed up. </p><p>We left The Yosemite Ridge Resort a little before 10 am and headed west! The drive down was uneventful and it was a little before 11 when we arrived in Oakdale.  </p><p>I requested a potty stop and Dad pulled off in a vacant lot.  He saw a Starbucks and went to get coffee while I informed Mom that the Mifi card should work!  It was about an hour later when we decided that we should just grab lunch here and we walked over to Mr. Pickles, a local-ish sandwich shop franchise.  It was really good! :-) </p><p>We then continued the last 2 hours of the journey into the Oakland area and found our campground – Anthony Chabot Lake Campground – which is really in Castro Valley.  </p><p>The campground has a few sites with hook-ups but most are “dry camping”.   While I generally enjoy “dry camping” this is now bringing back to the surface many of the frustrations of this RV – the battery, or rather lack thereof, and the toilet.  Not being able to have electricity means that I really no longer have a fridge – I turned it off because keeping the battery charged enough to keep it cold takes too much effort, and I can’t use lights because they drag down the battery.  I really like the camper van, even though it’s small it’s just about perfect for me, but it’s this particular one that has issues I can’t fix because it’s not mine that irritate me! </p><p>The campground is up on hill about 10 miles outside of Oakland and the rest of the bay area, yet there is limited cell phone signal.  Seriously?  I was fine with not having a signal at Sequoia and even at Yosemite because I wasn’t expecting one, but here, I was fully expecting to have full wifi in my parents RV and full cell phone signal, but no, it’s weak and iffy at best!  This evening we were all three using the Mifi and it was working ok, but it was very slow and it would fade in and out.  Oh well, I’ll be home with my FiOs on Tuesday! </p><p>The other thing about this campground is that it’s in a huge grove of eucalyptus trees!  They have a very strong odor – woody yet fruity, not like the fake-y eucalyptus you get in the dried plant section at Michaels, but simiar in some ways.  Mom and Dad can’t smell it at all, but I find it overwhelming.  It hasn’t made my allergies go yet, but it’s probably a matter of time! </p><p>One good thing about this campground has been the wildlife!  Right after I parked the van and got out to inspect my park job there was a flock of at least 8, maybe 10, wild turkeys just walking through by the picnic table!  Then on our way to dinner we saw what we think was a fox, and we saw one (another one?  The same one?) on the way back in!  Later we saw a raccoon! </p><p>We went down into the Castro Valley for dinner at Round Table Pizza, it was pretty good! They had personal pizzas so we could all get what we wanted! Then we found a local ice cream joint with yummy banana nut ice cream (the cherry Mom got and the butter pecan Dad got were good too).  Last we stopped at Safeway to pick up a few things before returning to the campground. </p><p>When Dad drove me back to my site (I’m about a 1/4 mile from them and there’s a big hill between us!) he pointed out that I should have pulled in straight instead of backing in so the picnic table was on the correct side.  That would have been perfect considering that my windshield privacy screen broke last week and if I’d pulled straight in then my windshield would be facing the woods and I wouldn’t have to worry about flashing anyone! I guess I’ll turn it around tomorrow! </p><p>We are meeting my mom’s cousin for breakfast in the morning then heading over to John Muir’s house in Martinez and we’ll see what else we find to do later.  </p><p>The campsites around me are filled with people, yet it’s totally silent! Strange, but nice!  It’s getting cold – going down into the 50s tonight – so I need to brush my teeth and snuggle down into my sleeping bag!  I need to enjoy these chilly nights while they last – it’s ridiculously hot in DC and I’ll miss being cold in just a few days!  I might be willing to trade internet access for being cold… </p>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12735964100343471614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11017379.post-71295532685697494242011-07-22T18:03:00.000-04:002011-07-26T01:15:25.744-04:00Yosemite: Tuolumne Meadows Hikes<p>On Sunday Dad and I saw some hikes that we wanted to explore when we were in Tuolumne Meadows so we decided that we’d go back one day this week and we decided to push it to the end of the week so that the wildflowers in the meadows  had a little more time to pop!  When we were there on Sunday we couldn’t see any flowers, but the snow had pretty much just melted we figured the flowers would be a long soon and when they popped they’d go fast.  </p><p>We left the campground early and drove back into the park, this is the same road that we’ve driven almost every day this week so I was very glad I had my Kindle and could read almost the whole way up.  </p><p>We discovered that creek/river that flowed through the picnic area we’d stopped in on Sunday was Yosemite Creek and that the water flowing through it was destined for Yosemite Falls in the Valley! </p><p>We didn’t stop at any of the overlooks or anything, just went directly to the meadow to start our hike up Pothole Dome.  Pothole Dome is a lower dome that is close to the road.  There is no formal trail up to the top, you walk around until you find a spot that you like and then you climb up the rock.  We walked past the side trail where we could tell lots of people had gone up and started to climb.  It was very steep, but the rock was smooth and wide and it was pretty easy to walk up.  When we got to top we kept walking and discovered that the “other side” of the dome was more gentle so with the help of Dad’s GPS we navigated down the side back to the trail.  On the way we saw a marmot, but he went back under the rock but Dad whistled and he (she?) came back out! I got some great pictures of him!</p><p>After we got back from that hike, we drove further on to the meadow to another short trail across the meadow that lead to the Tuolumne River.  We stopped and ate lunch first before proceeding to the river.  The trail here was wide and flat and there were great views of all the mountains around the meadow.  This walk, and the other one, gave me a lot of opportunities to practice my new camera skills!  (Yes, you’ll again be subjected to my photographic practice if you go through the pictures.)</p><p>Just after lunch I was walking ahead of my Dad and I heard a phone ringing!  What??? Last I’d heard Tuolumne Meadows has no phone service – there was a rock slide that took out the phone line and it also knocked out the cell phone line. Who’s phone was ringing?  Hmmm…  I walked on.  Then I heard Dad saying “I’m hiking in the Sierra Mountains and I don’t really care about your offers.”   It was *his* phone!  Dad’s phone has rang at odd times causing us to jump every time! This time it was Cox calling about some offer that he didn’t care about! </p><p>When we got back to the car I decided to check my phone – sure enough I had service and had gotten close to 20 texts! Turns out there are some thunderstorms moving across the DC area – hope they break the heat, heard the heat index was 121 today!  Yikes!  I may not come home! </p><p>Our third and final stop for the day was a hike to Lukens Lake.  As we started down the trail there was a sign taped to the trail sign warning us that the trails in that area were still covered in snow and that many hikers had gotten lost and make sure you had map & compass skills or GPS.  Looking around I saw no evidence of snow, which actually amazed me given the amount of snow this area had seen just a few weeks ago, so I didn’t pay much attention to the sign. The NPS needs to date these things – was the sign put there last month or last week? </p><p>We headed down the trail, Dad had his GPS and we could just turn around if things got dicey.  Sure enough about halfway into the hike we were climbing over snow drifts!  One drift was up to Dad’s knee!  More snow than we’d gotten in DC all winter was still on the ground here!  The snow didn’t cover the trail but we were navigating around it for the rest of the hike!  We did notice that the snow had melted from around the trees! Any tree that had snow near it had a ring around it where the snow had already melted.  We were confused by this until we realized that water probably drips off the trees and would have melted the snow there first. </p><p>The lake was really nice – it had a meadow around it and the meadow was filled with pink flowers!  We couldn’t walk out into the meadow so it was hard to get the pink flowers in pictures, but we did it!  After enjoying the lake for a little while we headed back! </p><p>I think I like the Tioga Rd/Tuolumne Meadows area best – the Valley is nice and all, but the High Country is amazing! And there are fewer people!  Lots fewer people!  We only saw 3 other people on our hike to the lake! Even our time at in the Meadow – there were people, but they were few and far between!  When I come back I’ll plan to spend more time there and less time in the Valley! </p><p>Tomorrow we head out, back to Oakland! I’m going to have to get back to thinking about all the little “RV issues”.  Here I have had electricity so that resolves the battery/refrigerator issue!  Back on Saturday my fresh water tank ran out of water!  I have a water hook up here but because the electric box was on the wrong side of the campsite I pulled in forward rather than backing in and the water hose doesn’t reach to connect so I’ve been getting water in my water bottle from the hose to use for brushing my teeth and stuff.  Tomorrow I’ll need to turn the van around so I can fill up with water.  Also I’ll need to empty the stupid toilet thing.  I have only been using it in the middle of the night so it won’t be too full!  </p><p>We’ll spend Sunday and maybe even part of Monday visiting John Muir’s house in Martinez (near the Bay area), Point Reyes National Seashore and maybe even Muir Woods.  The trip is winding down – I return my RV on Monday and then fly home Monday night.  </p><br />
<table style="width:194px;"><tr><td align="center" style="height:194px;background:url(https://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/transparent_album_background.gif) no-repeat left"><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/purpleplaytapus/YosemiteTuolomneMeadowsHikes?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-9vTg3TOndvk/Ti5EcIc0B-E/AAAAAAAAJ7w/086BV2GvzbE/s160-c/YosemiteTuolomneMeadowsHikes.jpg" width="160" height="160" style="margin:1px 0 0 4px;"></a></td></tr><tr><td style="text-align:center;font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px"><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/purpleplaytapus/YosemiteTuolomneMeadowsHikes?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite" style="color:#4D4D4D;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none;">Yosemite: Tuolomne Meadows Hikes</a></td></tr></table>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12735964100343471614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11017379.post-35970135574907936932011-07-21T18:03:00.000-04:002011-07-26T01:14:25.542-04:00Yosemite: Biking & Photography<p>When we were in the valley on Tuesday we discovered that not only is biking the way to travel in the valley, but you can rent bikes! We were told that the bikes sometimes sell out by 10 am so it was another early day to get into the park.  </p><p>We easily found a parking space at Yosemite Lodge and got our rental bikes.  Mine was extra cool – it was pink with flowers! Although it was very beat up! We left Mom at the Lodge with her Kindle and an undiscovered gift shop and headed to both the Mist Trail and Mirror Lake.</p><p>Luckily riding a bike is just like riding a bike and you don’t forget how! It was so great to be speeding past all the people on foot and coasting down the gentle hills!  I only had to get off and walk once!  We rode about 2 miles out to the start of the Mist Trail.  The guy we rented the bikes from said you could walk to the bridge and see both Vernal and Nevada Falls.  He also said that the bridge was very close, no need to climb the trail! (The Mist Trail gains about a 1000 feet of elevation ever mile! It’s an intense up and downhill hike! To the top of Vernal Falls it’s 1 mile and 1000 feet and to the top of Nevada Falls it’s 2 miles and 2000 feet – and then you have to walk back down!) We couldn’t find where he was talking about so we started up the Mist Trail.  There was a bridge with a view of Vernal Falls about .8 mile up – we turned around there, but it was was still a good hike! The trail was straight up!  </p><p>Vernal Falls is where the 3 people were killed earlier this week.  To my knowledge, they still haven’t recovered the bodies.  So yes, the morbid/reads a lot side of me was looking in the river, although I’d rather not see that!  The river was raging! What I’m sure are usually small-ish cascades were raging rapids.  The whole river was white and frothy from crashing over the rocks.  Really makes me wonder what those people were thinking climbing over the barrier.  The Merced looks ready to swallow another victim at any time! </p><p>The hike back down wasn’t as bad as it could have been! The trail was paved and that made it easier to just walk quickly down hill! I was watching carefully for errant rocks and twigs, it was so steep that one wrong move would have been painful! </p><p>We made it the 1.6 round trip in just about an hour, considering the elevation change I thought was was pretty good!  Almost 2 miles and hour! </p><p>We weren’t going to have time for Mirror Lake though, we’d told Mom we’d be back for lunch at 12:00, so we hopped on our bike and headed back to the lodge.  Interestingly enough it was downhill most of the way! (How a basically flat valley can be downhill on both sides is beyond me!)</p><p>We had lunch in the food court and it was pretty good, then took a quick trip through the gift shop and it was time for Mom to meet her bus.  Since Dad and I were taking the photography class this afternoon we got Mom a ticket for the 4 hour Glacier Point Tour – that way she could see the view from Glacier Point and hear all the stuff that the tour guides told about.  She had a great time! </p><p>After we got Mom off, Dad and I headed off on our bikes to the Ansel Adams Gallery in Yosemite Village.  We were taking a class called “In the Footsteps of Ansel Adams”.  We learned a lot about how to use our cameras and how to take good pictures! I learned how to use a number of things on my camera, including how to shoot in manual mode!  Usually when I shoot it’s more about composition, but now I have some actually photography skills to add to the mix!  We also saw the spots where Ansel took a number of photographs and learned about his life and work.  </p><p>When we got done with the class we were at the Little Yosemite Falls trailhead, which is pretty much right where we’d parked the car! This would have been nice if we hadn’t ridden our bikes over to the class!  We ended up having to walk back to the post office in the Yosemite Village to get our bikes and then ride them back! </p><p>We’d planned to  have dinner in the park and stay for sunset on Half Dome.  Awhile back Mom had picked up some “backpacker” meals on sale at Target.  We decided if we bring my Dad’s “Ruby Burner” (a portable butane burner) and some water we could mix up these “MREs” for dinner.  It was a great plan until we forgot the silverware! Luckily I had a spoon in my backpack – I’d considered taking pudding for a snack, but then didn’t and my dad and I each have a “picnic knife” that has a fork and a knife.  We thought we were good to go until one of the “MREs” turned out to be Chili and not the pasta dish we thought it was! We shared the spoon and it all worked out!  The dehydrated dinners weren’t bad, although they were both more “side dish” rather than main course and we hadn’t brought anything else!  Oh well, we didn’t starve! </p><p>After dinner we drove back to one of the spots where we’d been during the class – a neat spot where we could see the Merced River (wide, flat and calm here…people float down it and swim in it!) and Half Dome – to watch the sunset again! This time Dad and I were armed with new knowledge of how to capture the sunset!  I haven’t looked through my pictures yet, but I think I got some good ones! </p><p>Tomorrow Dad and I are going back up Tioga Road to Tuolumne Meadows to do some hiking and see if the wildflowers have started to pop yet!  Tomorrow is our last day in the park – we are going back to Oakland on Saturday! </p><p>PS: Since I was learning about using my camera and stuff today I left all the “crappy” pictures in the album.  Please forgive the zillions of shots of the same view – each one is different in some way, not even sure if I know how, but the settings were different! </p><br />
<table style="width:194px;"><tr><td align="center" style="height:194px;background:url(https://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/transparent_album_background.gif) no-repeat left"><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/purpleplaytapus/YosemiteBikingPhotography?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-0RGqSQBnuLc/Ti5BTVZUvYE/AAAAAAAAJxg/FksKZPBP6eQ/s160-c/YosemiteBikingPhotography.jpg" width="160" height="160" style="margin:1px 0 0 4px;"></a></td></tr><tr><td style="text-align:center;font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px"><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/purpleplaytapus/YosemiteBikingPhotography?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite" style="color:#4D4D4D;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none;">Yosemite: Biking & Photography</a></td></tr></table>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12735964100343471614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11017379.post-9657512349820174532011-07-20T22:51:00.002-04:002011-07-26T01:13:30.410-04:00Yosemite: Hetch Hetchy<p>The first order of business today was to get my new Kindle all set to read.  We got a bit of a late start and it was about 10:00 before we headed over to the restaurant.  </p><p>The first thing that became apparent when I turned on the computer was that the news of the hikers going over Vernal Falls had hit the national news! I almost posted something last night just in case, but I didn’t.  I do appreciate all the people who’d heard the news and checked in just to be sure! </p><p>Getting my new Kindle ready to read proved more challenging than I’d expected.  I’d thought I could just plug it in with the USB cord and go into “Manage My Kindle” in Amazon and just click to move stuff over.  Not the case.  I had to download the book, then locate the file on the computer, which wasn’t easy, and then drag it over to my Kindle.  I’m wondering if this isn’t a case for backing up my whole library in Calibre, so next time it will be easier.  The whole Kindle is a little off – the time is off and I can’t reset it, it says “My Kindle” instead of “Melissa’s Kindle”…I don’t know, but it’s got enough books on it for me to read until I can get it on a wireless network.  </p><p>After lunch we drove out to Hetch Hetchy.  Hetch Hetchy is a valley that some claim was a twin to the Yosemite Valley, that is until they dammed up the Tuolomne River to form a reservoir that became the water supply for the city of San Francisco! This decision devastated John Muir as Hetch Hetchy was one of his favorite places! </p><p>Hetch Hetchy is similar to the Yosemite Valley in that it has huge sheer rock cliffs forming the sides of the valley and there are 2 big waterfalls that you can see.  It is not nearly as awe inspiring though.  It is very dry and arid over there and the sun is intense!  </p><p>There are a few hiking trails, but the only one that is doable as a day hike goes to a big waterfall and it’s a 5 mile round trip hike.  The trail was very exposed and hot!  It wasn’t appealing to walk out there!  Also, the water is running high and a few weeks ago two doctors were hiking out there a got swept away while they were crossing a footbridge.  They weren’t being stupid or anything, just walking! </p><p>We didn’t spend a long time at Hetch Hetchy – we walked across the dam, read the displays and headed out.  I’m not sure I’m totally against using it as a reservoir – seems like it’s good thing!  They are working to protect the headwaters and the whole watershed and using the water for both power and drinking water.  </p><p>We found a forest service road to drive back on with the possibility of  a riverside hike.  The road wasn’t very interesting and the hike was near the river, but the river was still 100 feet below and it was very hot and exposed!  </p><p>On our way back to the campground we stopped at Rainbow Pools which is the local swimming hole. We didn’t actually go swimming because we didn’t have extra clothes or a towel.  I almost jumped in anyway because I love a good natural swimming hole and I was very hot!  In the end I just got my feet wet!  There were a lot of people there, but it wasn’t overly crowded! There were a lot of kids jumping off the rock cliffs and it was fun to watch them! </p><p>The good news is that we escaped all the crowds! We saw very few other people all day! :-) Of course we didn’t see much good stuff either! </p><p>On our way out to Hetch Hetchy we discovered a neat little place called the Evergreen Inn.  They had a bunch of cottages and a nice restaurant!  They also did guided day trips all around the Yosemite Valley!  Seems like a really neat place to stay! Maybe next time! </p><p>Tomorrow’s plan is to go in the Valley early so we can get a parking spot! Then Dad and I are going to rent bikes and ride around the valley and meet up with Mom for lunch. In the afternoon Mom’s going on a 4 hour bus tour to Glacier Point and Dad and I are going to a photography class with the Ansel Adams gallery! </p><br />
<table style="width:194px;"><tr><td align="center" style="height:194px;background:url(https://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/transparent_album_background.gif) no-repeat left"><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/purpleplaytapus/YosemiteHetchHetchy?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-a7_NSpnGaVk/Ti5AvpaoPRE/AAAAAAAAJn0/BqHYh7OdYCU/s160-c/YosemiteHetchHetchy.jpg" width="160" height="160" style="margin:1px 0 0 4px;"></a></td></tr><tr><td style="text-align:center;font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px"><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/purpleplaytapus/YosemiteHetchHetchy?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite" style="color:#4D4D4D;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none;">Yosemite: Hetch Hetchy</a></td></tr></table>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12735964100343471614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11017379.post-73721755413604757482011-07-19T14:15:00.000-04:002011-07-26T01:12:42.349-04:00Yosemite: The Valley<p>Today we drove into the Valley to see and explore that area.  It was nice, but so incredibly crowded.  There were TONS of people everywhere, and it wasn’t even a “crowded” day in the park!  </p><p>When we arrived we pulled into the Bridalveil Falls parking area, mostly to use the bathrooms, but we realized that it was pretty empty so we should check out the falls while we were there.  Then we went back to Tunnel View so Mom could see it, and then finally headed down into the valley itself.  </p><p>The Valley is the main area in Yosemite, it’s where most of the campgrounds and restaurants are as well as all the “things to do” – bike rentals, raft rentals, hikes etc.  There’s one road and it makes a loop – it’s one way most of the way around, but there are cross over points.  Yosemite is huge in terms of land, but the area that’s accessible by road is very small so all the people get concentrated in one area.  </p><p>Things started out pretty good – we came to a view of a meadow and Upper Yosemite Falls and there was a place to park so we did and got out and walked a little bit.  </p><p>We’d been planning on having lunch at The Awanahee Hotel, which is the premier hotel in the park – AAA rated 5 stars!  It’s very upscale, which is odd considering that it’s in the middle of the wilderness! We figured that lunch at the Awanahee wasn’t an original idea so we wanted to be there early.  </p><p>We found a parking spot right by the door very quickly and when we went in we discovered that they didn’t start serving until 11:30, so we made a reservation for 11:45!  We were one of the 1st people to get in! There was a line out the door when we left!  The food was pretty good – I had a grilled veggie sandwich that was more portabella mushroom than anything else!  It was a long lunch and it was after 1 before we were done!  </p><p>After lunch we decided to walk over to Yosemite Village and go to the Visitor Center and the shops over there.  When we got to the car though we discovered that Dad’s camelback had leaked all over and everything in the back of the jeep was soaking wet! This is the 2nd time this has happened, the 1st time was when dad laid the backpack on the bed and all the water leaked out on Mom’s side of the bed! </p><p>After we visited the Visitor Center, the Ansel Adams Gallery and the Sports Shop we decided to catch the shuttle bus back to the car.  This meant traveling most of the way around the park by bus, but that sounded ok.  We could also stop at the bike & raft rental place in Curry Village and see if we wanted to rent bikes or raft tomorrow or Thursday.  </p><p>I’d used the busses exclusively in Acadia and thought they were just about the greatest thing ever so was anxious to experience it again – it’s nice to to have to drive and to be able to walk, then catch the bus back!  </p><p>As we were walking across the street a bus pulled up to the stop, we couldn’t make it, but we were pretty much 1st for the next bus.  There were about 8-10 other folks who didn’t fit on the bus so we all stood there an waited about 10 minutes for the next bus to come.  Right before the bus pulled up a HUGE crowd of people formed at the bus stop. The bus pulled up and stopped and all the people who’d just gotten to the bus stop started getting on through the back “exit only” doors!!!!!  They were filling up the bus and there wasn’t going to be room for those of us who were standing in line!!!!!   I start, loudly, explaining how that’s not OK, and that it’s not fair for them to just come up and get on when we’d been standing there.  Finally I just jumped on through the back door also, because otherwise we never would have made it.  The bus was jammed packed, barely even standing room.  </p><p>We got off at Curry Village and checked out the bike and raft rental, then got right back on and headed to the car.  </p><p>By now it was 4:00 and we were heading out of the park to be back at the campground for dinner.  That is until we got stuck in a HUGE line of traffic and weren’t moving.  We were right by the trailhead for Lower Yosemite Falls so we pulled in and Dad and I walked the .6 mile loop.  While we were gone Mom did some investigating and discovered that the Lodge had a food court, so we went back and got sandwiches for dinner.  </p><p>Almost every evening Half Dome turns colors as the setting sun hits it – this is called Alpenglow.  We’d wanted to stay and watch one night and since it was already late and there was a ton of traffic, we decided to stay and wait out the Alpenglow.  We found a spot where we could see Half Dome and we set up our chairs and ate dinner and then watched as the mountain changed color.  It was pretty cool! </p><p>After the sun was gone we headed out of the park and got back to our campground around 9:30. My replacement Kindle was due to arrive today, but the office closed at 8 so I was planning on getting it tomorrow morning, but when I walked back from the bathroom Dad had it! Someone from the office had walked it up to our site when we saw that we’d come back in! :-)  Of course I can’t do anything with it until I can hook it up to the internet, but tomorrow AM we’ll go to the restaurant! </p><p>This afternoon as I was walking from the hotel to Yosemite Village I heard a bunch of sirens and I saw a Ranger cutting to traffic – bleeping his siren as needed to get people to move out of the way.  I figured something was going down, but you never have any idea what! Later I was checking Facebook and saw that Yosemite NP had posted that the Mist Trail was temporarily closed because of an unconfirmed report that 1 or more persons had gone over Vernal Falls.  Mom and Dad later talked to someone who’d been there (and had to hike the long way out because they closed the trail and no one could come through!) and they said that 1st one person slipped and then the husband or wife (I’m not sure which) grabbed them and they slipped and then a friend tried to grab them and the friend slipped.  So it sounded like 3 people when over the falls this afternoon.  I haven’t seen these falls up close, but considering how impressive they were from a distance above I’m guessing that one doesn’t go over the falls and live to tell.  :-(   While we were watching Half Dome I saw a news truck leaving the park, and then we saw another news truck leaving when we were leaving, so I’m guessing the story made the evening news around here.  I have no idea if it has hit the National news yet or if it will, but we were no where near the falls when it happened!  Dad and I were considering a hike up there either tomorrow or Thursday, but I have a feeling we won’t be going now! </p><br />
<table style="width:194px;"><tr><td align="center" style="height:194px;background:url(https://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/transparent_album_background.gif) no-repeat left"><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/purpleplaytapus/YosemiteTheValley?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-WQ0fQt-R15w/Ti4-9hyWhhE/AAAAAAAAJmY/5K-62Ao6VMs/s160-c/YosemiteTheValley.jpg" width="160" height="160" style="margin:1px 0 0 4px;"></a></td></tr><tr><td style="text-align:center;font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px"><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/purpleplaytapus/YosemiteTheValley?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite" style="color:#4D4D4D;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none;">Yosemite: The Valley</a></td></tr></table>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12735964100343471614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11017379.post-47921573570564589042011-07-18T14:15:00.000-04:002011-07-26T01:11:27.313-04:00Yosemite: Glacier Point, Sentinel Dome, The Fissures<p>This morning Dad and I drove into the valley by ourselves to hike and explore.  We didn’t really have a plan when we headed out, just that we’d hike a few hikes from my “Best Easy Day Hike in Yosemite” book.  As we drove we decided that we’d go out to Glacier Point and check it out and hike up Sentinel Dome and then hike to The Fissues and Taft Point.  </p><p>It took us just about 2 hours to drive from our campground to Glacier Point.  There wasn’t a lot of traffic, it just takes that long.  We didn’t get into the Valley itself, just drove to the Glacier Point Rd intersection and turned right to go up the hill again to get to Glacier Point.  </p><p>Glacier Point is a spot high above the valley where you can see everything! The most prominent features are of course Half Dome and the waterfalls! You can see both Nevada Falls and Vernal Falls as well as both Upper and Lower Yosemite Falls.  Sweeping panoramic of granite, water and evergreens! I took a whole bunch of pictures, all of which look a lot alike.  </p><p>After Glacier Point we drove back a few miles to the Sentinel Dome/Taft Point trail parking area.  Sentinel Dome is similar to Half Dome in that you can climb up and look at the whole valley.  It’s different because it’s only a 2.2 mile hike and the climb up the rock is very gentle (Half Dome is a 16 mile hike with a 5000 ft elevation gain!!!!).   When I came around the corner and saw the dome going up and knew I had to climb it I decided that I’d never be able to do Half Dome! Even more so when I got to a point where I realized that one wrong step and you’ll slip and fall 2000 ft to the bottom of the valley.  Almost didn’t make it to the top, but I kept going and made it! </p><p>Sentinel Dome was pretty amazing – full 360 degree views! You could see pretty much everything in the whole park! I took at 360 panoramic picture with my phone, but I couldn’t upload it when I tried. (There is pretty good AT&T coverage in the park, but my dad’s Verizon phone didn’t have anything! I think so far this trip we have been in more situations where my phone worked, but his didn’t than vice versa.)</p><p>The sun was very intense! There was very little shade, not a cloud in the sky and we were surrounded by granite.  I applied sunscreen before I left home, but forgot my chest area – my shirt today was more low cut than normal.  Luckily Dad had some in his pack that I used – I applied it twice, but my chest and possibly my neck still got burned! </p><p>When we got back from Sentinel Dome we decided to continue on to Taft Point and The Fissues.  The Fissures are deep cuts in the rocks and you can walk right out on them!  There are no railings and the cliff is sheer! Definitely very “edge-o-phobia”!  Taft Point is a rock outcropping that also has a very steep edge to it, although there is a railing around one tiny section. </p><p>By the time we got here I was tired and the sun was really getting to me so I went to sit in the shade and have a snack while Dad explored the view.  The hike out was much better than the hike in – this was a “upside-down hike” – we went down 1st and the back up to the car.  </p><p>Finally we were back at the car and headed down.  It was 4:30 and we’d told Mom we’d be back at 5 – we weren’t going to make it!  We stopped at the Tunnel View again and got better pictures, then we got to see El Capitan from the valley – very impressive that way! When we saw it from the top it wasn’t that impressive! </p><p>It took about 2 hours to get back to the campground, but we finally made it! Now with dinner eaten, pictures uploaded and blog written, it’s time for bed!  </p><p>Tomorrow we are going to take Mom into the Valley and explore the Valley floor – probably check out the waterfalls and the Valley trail! </p><br />
<table style="width:194px;"><tr><td align="center" style="height:194px;background:url(https://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/transparent_album_background.gif) no-repeat left"><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/purpleplaytapus/YosemiteGlacierPointSentinelDomeTheFissures?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-axFhy0d5HN4/Ti48dhFlwdE/AAAAAAAAJik/rYH0AdhzGRg/s160-c/YosemiteGlacierPointSentinelDomeTheFissures.jpg" width="160" height="160" style="margin:1px 0 0 4px;"></a></td></tr><tr><td style="text-align:center;font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px"><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/purpleplaytapus/YosemiteGlacierPointSentinelDomeTheFissures?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite" style="color:#4D4D4D;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none;">Yosemite: Glacier Point, Sentinel Dome, The Fissures</a></td></tr></table>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12735964100343471614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11017379.post-72012227392611769882011-07-17T14:15:00.000-04:002011-07-26T01:10:27.058-04:00Yosemite: Tioga Rd and Sonora Pass<p>Yosemite is VERY crowded in the summer, especially on weekends.  With that in mind I’d suggested that we drive out Tioga Rd, CA 120, instead of going into “The Valley” today since I knew Sunday would be a busy day.  Monday might not be much better, but we’ll see.  I figured that most people who are in The Valley won’t venture up to the high country and it would be less crowded up there.  The lady at the campground confirmed my suspicions and we decided that it was a plan. </p><p>Suzy, the gal at the campground, said that to really beat the crowds you need to leave the campground by 7 am.  With that in mind I set my alarm for 5:15, only later realizing that I’d set it to go off at 5:15 on WED morning!  Oh well, I woke up on my own at 5:55.  I was ready to head out by 7 am, but Mom and Dad had overslept and weren’t ready to go until 8.  </p><p>We didn’t encounter any traffic as we entered the park and started up the road.  As soon as we got up over about 2000 ft the views started! We stopped at a few overlooks and a picnic area to check things out as we drove in.  </p><p>The best part of the drive up was when we got to Olmstead Point.  From there you can see into the valley and you have a great view of the backside of Half Dome! I wasn’t expecting to be able to see it from there so it was doubly exciting! We took pictures and Dad got out his spotting scope so we could see the hikers on the cables on Half Dome.  We realized we must be looking at the truly hardy souls (or those who made their Half Dome climb a two-day affair) since you have to walk 8 miles before you get to the cables and it was only 10 am.   We were letting anyone who wanted to take a peek in the scope and almost upstaged a Ranger’s program, but he was good sport, in fact he might have been happy to have someone else run the show for a few minutes! </p><p>The next stop was Tenaya Lake.  Tenaya Lake is a crystal clear lake presumably formed by glaciers.  It has wonderful views of what might be Polly Dome (not to be confused with Polychrome Pass in Denali) and another dome.  Dad and I walk a short way around it, we would have gone further but the trail was flooded over and there was no way around without getting wet! </p><p>A little more driving and checking out the domes and marveling at the climbers and we finally reached Tuolumne Meadows!  It was a beautiful flat spot with grass and the promise of wildflowers soon.  The snow only recently melted up there! </p><p>We found a picnic table for lunch and then it was decision time.  How to get back?  Go back the way we came?  Or take the extra scenic route over Sonora Pass.  Suzy at the campground had said that Senora Pass is just awesome and that you can do a loop of the Tioga Rd, then up 395 to CA 108, over the pass and back around.  It’s about 250 miles though.  Mom said she wanted to see something different and we were already going to be driving 100+ miles even if we just went directly back, so we decided to go for it. </p><p>Before we did we took a quick 2.2 mile hike into the backcountry near Tuolumne Lodge.  We hike down the John Muir Trail to a spot where 2 foot bridges cross the Lyell Fork of the Tuolumne River.  What a magnificent spot! Water, meadows, mountains, and the bluest sky you have ever seen!  WOW! </p><p>When we got back to the car we continued east to Tioga Pass, which is at 9,950 ft (or close to that) and headed down! The mountains on the other side were pretty amazing!  I was stunned that no one had told us about that! We continued down the mountain, mom and I both trying to take pictures as we went down! At the bottom was the town of Lee Vining and Moro Lake, which a friend of my parents had told us to go see.  </p><p>We stopped at the Whoa Nellie Deli and got ice cream and other snacks!  I got a big bottle of water because I’d drunk most of what I had and I had a horrible headache that I was positive was from the elevation (it was about 9,000 feet when I really felt it hurting) and  thought that drinking more water was the best cure.  Lee Vining was also exciting because I had full cell phone coverage! </p><p>We  blew right past Moro Lake – we didn’t have time to explore! The landscape had changed and now was more desert looking and I wasn’t that interested.  Soon we were cruising down the road toward Sonora Pass.  </p><p>I was looking forward to Sonora Pass, but not to the elevation gain, it was also over 9,000 feet, because my head hurt so bad!  I remembered the 1st day in Sequoia when my head hurt and I’d attacked it with water, Advil, and my inhaler and that made it better – I wasn’t sure what part of that equation worked though.  I was already trying the water, I’d drunk almost a whole liter since Lee Vining and it wasn’t helping so at the 1st overlook where Dad pulled over for pictures (and for me to use the “ladies room” because of all the water I’d drunk) I used my inhaler…and wouldn’t you know, it helped!!!!!! Within a few minutes my headache was almost gone! YAY!!!!! </p><p>Sonora Pass is simply AMAZING.  You climb higher and higher and there are mountains of all types – snow covered, tree covered, grey rock, brown rocks, alpine looking, desert looking.  There are also meadows and rivers and wildflowers!  I’m sure there are also bears and other wildlife – we saw a deer and a marmot.  The road was tight – 26% grade in places! and not for the faint of heart, but of boy was it worth it.  To make it even better….no people.  Well, very few, a few cars, most overlooks were empty.   (They are all in Yosemite Valley!) There were a ton of National Forest Service Campgrounds in there there and many of them were empty.  You can’t get a big RV into the campgrounds though, but still they were mostly empty.  </p><p>After enjoying the last little bit out of the daylight, and knowing we still had close to 100 miles to go to get “home”, we headed into the town of Sonora which was much bigger than I expected! I had some surprise cell phone service, 3G even….and it lasted most of the way up the mountain!  We grabbed dinner at Carl’s Jr. before heading back to our campground in Buck Meadows.  </p><p>Tomorrow Dad and I are heading into The Valley to do some hiking, hopefully it won’t be took crowded.  After a full day of driving today neither of us is willing to be ready to leave by 7 so we’ll sleep in bit and hope we aren’t too late to get a parking space! </p><br />
<table style="width:194px;"><tr><td align="center" style="height:194px;background:url(https://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/transparent_album_background.gif) no-repeat left"><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/purpleplaytapus/YosemiteTiogaRdSonoraPass?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-PnSj4Ke_64k/Ti45O25Oc7E/AAAAAAAAJc0/hRvsrzGlQx0/s160-c/YosemiteTiogaRdSonoraPass.jpg" width="160" height="160" style="margin:1px 0 0 4px;"></a></td></tr><tr><td style="text-align:center;font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px"><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/purpleplaytapus/YosemiteTiogaRdSonoraPass?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite" style="color:#4D4D4D;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none;">Yosemite: Tioga Rd & Sonora Pass</a></td></tr></table>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12735964100343471614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11017379.post-59604414045701831242011-07-16T23:33:00.002-04:002011-07-26T01:09:15.938-04:00Drive Day<p>Surprisingly I got a good nights sleep in the Super Wal-Mart parking lot!  It was a bit noisy around midnight, but then it got quiet and it even got cold just before dawn!  Last night before I went to sleep I ran the generator for about an hour to bring the battery up so the fridge would stay cold all night.  The generator is like a lawn mower engine and it’s right under my bed.   It was so loud it was like a sound machine on steroids, and it made the bed vibrate. That’s when I realized I was sitting on my bed, in the back of my van, in the Wal-Mart parking lot AND my bed was vibrating.  I bet there are people in West Virginia who would pay money for a Friday evening like that! </p><p>Since I didn’t have a picnic table to sit at or my Kindle to read I took my coffee and wandered through Wal-Mart!  At 8 am on a Saturday I had the place mostly to myself.  It was kinda nice!  I also picked up a few things I didn’t get yesterday.  </p><p>Dad fixed some pancakes and eggs for breakfast, then I went and got a Jamba Juice smoothie – a big treat since we don’t have one near me! After a lengthy discussion about which way to go and finally getting Dad’s GPS software on his computer to concede that we could go the way we wanted to, we were on our way.  </p><p>We started out going back to 99 and then getting off near Merced (elevation 127 feet) and winding around through the cow pastures to a big lake.  We found a pull off and had lunch right by the lake, then we continued up over the dry arid foothills and then finally into the mountains proper on the John Muir Historic Path. </p><p>We found our campground, The Yosemite Ridge Resort, easy enough! We have 2 nice sites here with electric, water and sewer hook ups! My 1st priority was getting the electricity plugged in so my fridge would run.  The next step was to empty the toilet cartridge.  It was much more difficult this time and let’s just say that my next RV, whether I own it or rent it, WILL have a black tank.  This system sucks. I’m also glad that there’s a nice bathhouse with public toilets and showers less than 50 feet from my site – going to try NOT to use the toilet in my RV so I don’t have to empty it! </p><p>Our campground is about 45 minutes from the Yosemite Valley and supposedly traffic is horrible, especially on weekends.  We don’t really have a plan for the rest of the week, but tomorrow we are planning to drive out the Tioga Road to Tuolomne Meadows since there will likely be fewer people out there.  This will be a car trip with maybe a short walk or two.  </p><p>We have wifi here at the campground, but it’s only at the restaurant  so I may not be on much – just an evening check in.  My phone doesn’t have service up here, but rumor has it there are cell towers in the valley – we’ll see! </p><br />
<table style="width:194px;"><tr><td align="center" style="height:194px;background:url(https://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/transparent_album_background.gif) no-repeat left"><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/purpleplaytapus/DriveToYosemite?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-BMDSpPGqOw8/Ti44vaUQ0uE/AAAAAAAAJSw/Qv6elqP307Q/s160-c/DriveToYosemite.jpg" width="160" height="160" style="margin:1px 0 0 4px;"></a></td></tr><tr><td style="text-align:center;font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px"><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/purpleplaytapus/DriveToYosemite?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite" style="color:#4D4D4D;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none;">Drive to Yosemite</a></td></tr></table>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12735964100343471614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11017379.post-52856426906551054252011-07-15T22:47:00.002-04:002011-07-15T22:48:10.430-04:00Sequoia NP: Muir Grove Hike<p>This morning brought more RV power issues.  I gave up on trying to keep the battery charged (I can’t run my generator in my loop in the campground and driving it uses too much fuel) and it died completely.  Not even the water pump would work this morning! This was going to put a major crimp in my plans since I’d planned to shower (no water pump means no water!) before we drove to Fresno so I could dump and so the bathroom would drain as we drove! I solved the problem by driving over to the loop where Mom and Dad are and there was an empty site over there so I could park there after Dad and I got back from our hike and take run the generator! </p><p>Since we were planning to drive to Fresno this afternoon Dad and I were up and out early to hike to Muir Grove.  It was only 4 miles, but sometimes we get to looking at stuff and taking pictures and 4 miles ends up taking a lot longer than it should! </p><p>The trail was located right in our campground, but it was in a far loop (this campground is HUGE - 200+ sites!) so we drove my RV over there, I was attempting to charge the battery by driving.  </p><p>We were hiking to a remote-ish sequoia grove that I guess John Muir frequented, it’s named after him (then again almost everything in the park is named after him!).   This grove is off the beaten path so most people don’t see it!  As we headed out at 8 am, there was no one else on the trail.  In fact we didn’t see anyone else until the way back! The trail was nice because it was more rolling as opposed to straight up and then straight down. The ups and downs were mixed up which is easier on the legs!  In just 2 short miles this trail had pretty much everything you could want in a hike: forest, meadow, rocks, wildflowers, views, streams, a cool destination, and wildlife.  We saw a deer in a clearing and then Dad saw the butt of a bear! We started making noise right after Dad saw it so the bear ran away and I never saw it! </p><p>About a mile in we came to a big rock outcropping with views of Big Baldy, again though it was obscured by smoke.  We could also see the tops of the sequoia trees we were hiking to! The sequoia grove was pretty cool! The trees were huge! We had a snack and took some pictures and then headed back. </p><p>Typically when I do “out and back” type hikes the way back goes much faster than the way out, but that’s still usually when the constant walking (especially if it’s all downhill) starts to get to me, so today I brought my iPod! This hike was short and interesting enough that I didn’t really need it, but I pulled it out anyway! It definitely helped me keep my mind off the fact that my left sock was bunched up by baby toe and hurting with each step! </p><p>We were back from our hike about 10:30 and I got started on my RV chores.  I got parked in the campsite and popped the generator on and got a shower (it was a very efficient shower since my grey tank was almost full!), then drove over to the dump station to dump the grey tank.  I’d also discovered that the toilet was out of water to flush with so I had to fill that up. This was more difficult because the toilet tank is on the wrong side of the RV to use the dump station water, so I had to use 2 containers my parents had to ferry water from the spicket to the toilet.  </p><p>Once my chores were done we had lunch and then headed down the mountain.  It had gotten cloudy and cold but I still drove with my window down (and the heat on) because it was so nice! We pretty coasted down the mountain, losing 6000+ feet of elevation as we descended into the valley! </p><p>We were looking for a Wal-Mart, hoping to stay for free since we’d already paid for our site in Sequoia that we gave up.  Luckily we found a very nice Super Wal-Mart in Sanger, CA that allows RVs to stay overnight.  I actually think this is pretty cool! Sleeping at Wal-Mart! We’ll talk in the morning about how much sleep I actually got!  It is cool because you can go shop at anytime!  No need to remember everything the 1st trip! </p><p>As soon as we got here and got clearance from the manager that we could stay overnight I went off to call Amazon about my Kindle. As soon as I explained what had happened they told me that they’d have to replace it.  The guy sounded like I should be upset by this, but actually I’m happy!  Not only are they replacing it, but they are mailing me a new one 1st then I’ll mail the defective one back in the box the new one arrives in. AND….not only that BUT…BUT…they are mailing my new Kindle to the campground we are staying at and it will be here Tuesday!!!!!  YAY!!!!!  I’ll have it for the plane ride home! :-)  GO AMAZON! </p><p>After my success with Amazon I made the rounds of Wal-Mart picking up all kinds of odd things I can’t find at home: chocolate marshmallows, Cremesicle Oreos and Cherry Nutri-Grain bars! I love those and can’t buy them anywhere so I got two boxes so I could take one home! </p><p>It’s quite hot here in the valley but it’s supposed to get cool as soon as the sun goes down which should be any minute now! Spending the evening uploading pictures, posting blogs and reconnecting with the outside world! Four days away was kinda nice! I didn’t miss the internet as much as I have in the past! </p><p>Tomorrow we are off to Yosemite!  Here’s hoping there aren’t too many people there! (Yeah, right!) </p><br />
<table style="width:194px;"><tr><td align="center" style="height:194px;background:url(https://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/transparent_album_background.gif) no-repeat left"><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/purpleplaytapus/SequoiaMuirGroveHike?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-cgxQVZWt5Sw/TiD2UagowDE/AAAAAAAAJPY/xrGZmEmOXQU/s160-c/SequoiaMuirGroveHike.jpg" width="160" height="160" style="margin:1px 0 0 4px;"></a></td></tr><tr><td style="text-align:center;font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px"><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/purpleplaytapus/SequoiaMuirGroveHike?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite" style="color:#4D4D4D;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none;">Sequoia: Muir Grove Hike</a></td></tr></table>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12735964100343471614noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11017379.post-43535488411854002272011-07-14T21:23:00.000-04:002011-07-15T22:03:52.210-04:00Kings Canyon National Park<p>The day started early when the folks in the campsite next to me started their car at 2:30 am.   The car was sitting there running, they were at the campfire.  I couldn’t figure out what the deal was. I knew it was a mom and dad and 2 kids so it seemed very unlikely that they were up partying! I listened to the car idling, trying to go back to sleep for about 30 minutes before I decided that I needed to let them know that it was disturbing others (I’m the only one nearby in a “camper” everyone else is in tents and I’m sure I’m not the only one who was bothered by a running car at 2:30 am. Not only that but the cars headlights were on – no shining in a tent directly, but any light seems brighter when it’s pitch dark.  </p><p>I crawled out of bed and got my shoes then crawled back over my bed to put them on so I could go out the back door.  I put the right one on, one of my purple sandals, and picked up the other shoe that I’d gotten and discovered I’d picked up one sandal and one trail runner.  Oh well, a 3 am neighborly confrontation does not require matching shoes!  Only problem was that the trail runner was also a right shoe.  Back over the bed to get the other sandal, then back over the bed to the door.  I couldn’t get the door unlocked from the inside so I grabbed the keys and used the remote to unlock the whole van.  When I did that, the headlights came on!  crap! Luckily my van isn’t shining in someone’s tent!  </p><p>The family at the site wasn’t at the campfire so I headed to the tent when I saw them all walking from the bathroom.  I asked if that was their car that was running, and yes it was. I asked if they could please turn it off, being as it was 3am and all.  They explained that they were charging the battery on their light because they’d seen a bear! A few minutes later the car was off, but it took me forever to get back to sleep! </p><p>This morning we were driving out to King’s Canyon National Park, about 40 miles away.  Both Sequoia and King’s Canyon are right here together, but they are totally different! </p><p>The way to Kings Canyon is to go back the way we came in, which meant we’d be right by the entrance station.  On Monday when I came through I discovered I had good signal there on my phone thanks to a well timed text! So plan was to go there 1st and see if I could download the Kindle book I’d been reading so I could at least read it on my phone. No luck.  Mom had read the stuff that came with her Kindle and discovered a way to reset it, but that didn’t work either.  Something has happened with the “e-ink” and the top 3/4 of the screen is all blank with lines.  After the reset you can read the bottom 1/4, but what good does that do ya?  I’m still SOOOOOO freakin’ pissed about this.  I’d considered calling Amazon, but the entrance station wasn’t a good place to call and the signal was iffy at best (got a bunch of texts, and Words with Friends moves, but it couldn’t get my emails or my book), not only that but we’ve decided to go into Fresno tomorrow afternoon rather than waiting till Sat AM so I’ll have full phone/internet/wifi by dinnertime tomorrow, I’ll deal with it then.  </p><p>As we headed into the canyon the views became expansive! There were mountains everywhere and the terrain was different.  Sequoia is very “foresty” and these mountains seemed drier – more desert-like.  They were mostly rocks and small trees.  In the middle of the way down there were tons of yucca plants.  As we drove down we stopped at lots of overlooks and took pictures, not really sure of what we were seeing.  </p><p>Finally we reached the bottom and saw the river that carved the canyon! WOW! What an impressive river! It was so rough there’s no way you could even raft it!  We were down in the bottom – river on one side and steep, high mountains all around!  </p><p>We stopped for lunch at a picnic area with a HUGE waterfall – Grizzly Falls.  Then we moved on down the road, finally entering King’s Canyon National Park.  The park is bordered on all sides by National Forests and Wilderness areas.  The National Forest areas are a lot more rugged and wild, as evidenced by the pit toilets – the ones in the National Forest aren’t fit for man or beast (in the 2 that we visited both had #2 in places it should never be) and the National Park Service pit toilets are lemony fresh (I’m not even kidding!).   The National Forests definitely feel more “naturey” while these 2 National Parks feel more “Disney World”.  (more on this tomorrow!)</p><p>Once in the park proper we drove toward “Roads End”.  We were almost there when we saw a pull of for a paved walk to Roaring River Falls so we made our way out there to see a very impressive waterfall! Soon we were at “Roads End” where we hiked out to Muir Rock – it was a whopping 300 feet from the car! This was the place where John Muir addressed the Sierra Club about making King’s Canyon a park.  It was a cool rock in a great setting, however there were about 50 people there – sunbathing, sitting in chairs on the beach, and the kids were running wild playing “Harry Potter” and waving sticks at each other (admittedly I’m glad to see kids using their summer vacations for such fun pursuits – playing by themselves, running around etc…) and it took away from the ambiance of the rock. </p><p>After Muir’s Rock Dad and I hiked the 1.5 miles around Zumwalt Meadow!  That was a nice, quick, walk! We climbed over boulder fields where we got great views of the meadow from above and the granite rock faces that were soaring above it!  </p><p>Our last stop in the park was the Cedar Grove area where they have a little store and a motel and a few other services.  We all got an ice cream treat and then we were on our way back out of the canyon. </p><p>On the way back up we revisited many of the overlooks we’d stopped at on the way down – the views now made a lot more sense since we could place them geographically! </p><p>We took a bit of a different route back to camp – there’s a road the cuts off the corner by the entrance station and it’s mostly on US Forest Service land so it was a bit more rugged and windy and adventuresome! </p><p>Once back at Dorst Creek we got dinner and made our plans for tomorrow!  After dinner Mom and I did the dishes so Dad could play “find the elusive water leak”.  He was not successful so I have a feeling we’ll get to play again another night. </p><p>Tomorrow morning very early (he’s picking me up at 7:30!) Dad and I will hike out to Muir Grove from the campground, it’s only 4 miles so we should be back by noon.  Then I’ll take a shower (yay!), and hope I don’t totally fill my grey tank!  Then I can dump the grey tank before we head back to Fresno! </p><br />
<table style="width:194px;"><tr><td align="center" style="height:194px;background:url(https://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/transparent_album_background.gif) no-repeat left"><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/purpleplaytapus/KingsCanyonNP?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-p8B1KAKovp0/TiDwh7rvd8E/AAAAAAAAJAw/oYYEukI-SOU/s160-c/KingsCanyonNP.jpg" width="160" height="160" style="margin:1px 0 0 4px;"></a></td></tr><tr><td style="text-align:center;font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px"><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/purpleplaytapus/KingsCanyonNP?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite" style="color:#4D4D4D;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none;">Kings Canyon NP</a></td></tr></table>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12735964100343471614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11017379.post-48416987517228128312011-07-13T21:23:00.000-04:002011-07-15T21:57:22.823-04:00Sequoia: Little Baldy Hike<p>I was up early and ready to go hiking!  Dad and I were going to hike to summit of Little Baldy and then back to the campground.  We had Mom drive us to the trail head and then we could walk back! Little Baldy is a large rock outcropping at the top of a mountain, similar to Moro Rock and the domes around Yosemite. </p><p>We set out about 9:30 AM and the trail was deserted! We saw no one! :-)  There were wild flowers everywhere and the sun was out! Took a ton of pictures going up!  We could see what we thought was Big Baldy – although it was very hazy with smoke from a nearby prescribed burn. </p><p>The trail continued up the mountain in long switchbacks so the view didn’t change much, but you could see more and more of the mountain and the mountains around it.  </p><p>When we were almost there the trail leveled off and meandered through a meadow – it was a little like the meadow at the top of Hogback Mountain in Shenandoah, grasses and flowers with trees! These trees weren’t the sequoia trees, but rather some other kind of evergreen.  The area had burned – there were a lot of charred trees and downed wood.  </p><p>The trail went along the ridge until the final uphill push which was very steep, but pretty short and finally we were there!  It was a huge slab of granite and we walked way out on it.  The views weren’t the greatest – there was a lot of haze/clouds/fog, but you could make out most of it! At the actual summit there was a US Geological Survey Benchmark! I don’t think I’ve ever seen one of those when I’m out hiking before so that was cool!  Right next to the benchmark someone had built a rock carin and then written “Little Baldy” on the top rock in what looked like Sharpie! </p><p>Almost as soon as we arrived at the summit the clouds started moving in and very quickly the entire mountain was ensconced in thick fog! No more views at all!  It was also windy and generally not very pleasant to we started back and found a rock in the meadow to eat lunch on.  </p><p>After lunch we headed back down! The fog was rolling in between the trees like it does on the coast and there were no more views of the mountains! The trip down is always my least favorite part – walking downhill hurts! Luckily this went fast and soon we were back at the road where we’d begun.  </p><p>We still had about 1.2 miles to walk.  There’s a trail that connects the Little Baldy trail to the campground and this morning we asked the ranger about it and he said “Oh, you don’t want to do that.  It’s REALLY long.”  When we told him we were just walking the connector trail back, he said that’d be ok, but was discouraging us from starting in the campground and hiking all the way.  As we walked this connector trail I saw why.  It wasn’t particularly interesting and it seemed to go one forever.  Part of that was because we were still walking downhill! My legs hurt so bad!  Dad had noted at the top that it was about 1000 feet of elevation change between the summit and the campground and that’s huge! ugh.  We should have hiked from the campground and had Mom pick us up at the Saddle.  I’d much rather gain 1000 ft than lose it!  Finally, after was was surely the longest mile ever, we made it back to the campground! </p><p>Now it’s time for our RVing lesson of the day.  All RVs have holding tanks for fresh and waste water.  There are two waste water tanks – a grey tank and a black tank.  The grey water (that goes in the grey tank!) is the water that runs down the sink drains (kitchen and bath) and the shower.  The black water (in the black tank) is the toilet. When the tanks get full you go to the dump station pull out your sewer hose, attach it to the opening, put the other end on the hole in the ground and open the valves.  I know it sounds icky and gross and difficult, but it’s actually really easy (and not messy!  I mean dump station mishaps do happen, but it’s preventable) </p><p>My RV does not have a black tank, it has a grey tank, that is emptied the same way as normal, but the toilet has it’s own special system.  The toilet empties into a small holding tank that you have to remove from the RV and drag around to the dump, then take the lid off and line up the nozzle thing on the tank and lift it up and dump.  It felt like a dump station mishap waiting to happen.  </p><p>Anyway….why is this important tonight?  Well, last night I the bathroom started smelling like a latrine (just like your toilet at home, an RV bathroom should never smell!!!) and when I looked down the hole it looked like the tank was full.  Which means, it hadn’t been emptied, no way I filled it up in just 2 days!  So I decided I’d empty it to see if that helped the smell.  </p><p>So after we got back from our hike I went off to the dump station to tackle the toilet! It was much easier than I expected and it seems to have reduced the latrine smell!  Still, when/if I buy and RV, it will have a black tank because that’s MUCH easier to deal with! </p><p>After the dump station I went to pick up Mom and Dad.  The plan was we were going to drive my RV, to charge the batteries, which we were now dead again, to keep the fridge going – this electric fridge thing is a total pain, and go first to Lodgepole so I could take advantage of the public showers (I have a shower in my RV, but I prefer to use regular showers for a lot of reasons – none major, just how I like to do things) and then go to a BBQ and living history show out at one of the picnic areas.  </p><p>We got to Lodgepole and I gathered my stuff, plus $3 – thinking I’d taken a lot extra! I changed my bills into quarters, found out that each shower costs $3, then waited for a shower to open up.  The bathroom was full of steam from hot showers and I was looking forward to enjoying every second of my $3 shower.   When I got my shower stall I got all ready before I put the money in, however when the last quarter went in the shower didn’t start.  I tried EVERYTHING to get it to start, nothing.  grrrrrr….  I put my clothes on, gathered my stuff and went to ask for help in the store.  The gal came out and fixed it (she opened up the money part and put one of the quarters back in) and the shower came right on!  I quickly got all ready, not wanting to waste a second of my $3 shower.  When I got in though, I discovered that it was cold.  Ice cold.  I turned both handles every way I could and it wouldn’t get warm.  I tried just dunking my head anyway – I did not want to get dressed again w/o having taken a shower, but it was too cold.  Finally I just shut it off, put my clothes on and stormed out.   I went back to my RV and showered there (yes, in the parking lot at Lodgepole Visitor Center) where I had plenty of hot water (even though I’d just turned on the hot water heater!)  I decided not to wait because the bathroom is also the shower stall and the drain is in one corner – my campsite isn’t level and if I shower here the water will collect in the opposite corner and not drain.  I needed to shower at Lodgepol so the water could slosh around as I drove back and drain out, which it did.   I’m thinking maybe tomorrow I’ll drive back over to the Lodgepole Visitor Center parking lot and offer hot showers for $3.50! ;-) </p><p>The BBQ and living history thing was nice! It was an all-you-can-eat buffet and a guy gave a talk about mule trains in the Sierra while we ate!  When I opened my utensil pack (this was a picnic BBQ!) the utensils were really nice….solid, not flimsy! I said “WOW, these are nice plastic spoons” and the guy said “They aren’t plastic, they are plants! It’s made from corn!”  Cool! Yes, I swiped the ones we’d used (double recycle!). </p><p>When we got back I took my Kindle over to Mom and Dad’s MH to discuss plans for tomorrow and Friday.  When I got there and opened my Kindle, the screen had lines through it and when I turned it on the lines didn’t go away and there were blank spots! You couldn’t read it! Everything else seemed to be working but the screen was totally busted.  I have NO idea what happened.  It had been sitting on the “couch”/seat in the RV all day – I’d picked it up to read it while I waited for Mom and Dad to pick me up before the hike, but it had been on the seat ever since.  I’ve only had it for 2 months so Amazon should stand by it (they better!), but I have no way of contacting them right now! I’m pretty pissed off about this, but it can be fixed, hopefully soon (and it’s a reminder that I need to look into a SquareTrade warranty for it!)  It is kinda funny that I’m pissed off because my book stopped working. Score 1 more for paper books – very rarely does your paper book spontaneously become unreadable without obvious cause.  And if the book does get damaged most times you can fix it.  Only something catastrophic can take out 40+ paper books in one swipe, but hardware failure on your Kindle can wipe out everything in seconds! </p><p>Tomorrow the plan is to drive into Kings Canyon and check that out.  We have to go back near the entrance station where I had cell phone service on Monday when I came in so hopefully tomorrow AM I’ll have service again and I can call Amazon see what they can do for me.  Worst case I guess is there’s a Best Buy in Fresno, I can just buy a new Kindle.  </p><br />
<table style="width:194px;"><tr><td align="center" style="height:194px;background:url(https://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/transparent_album_background.gif) no-repeat left"><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/purpleplaytapus/SequoiaNPLittleBaldyHike?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-KL53DB2plvY/TiDsf8jDbFE/AAAAAAAAI8M/w-26cgclAaI/s160-c/SequoiaNPLittleBaldyHike.jpg" width="160" height="160" style="margin:1px 0 0 4px;"></a></td></tr><tr><td style="text-align:center;font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px"><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/purpleplaytapus/SequoiaNPLittleBaldyHike?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite" style="color:#4D4D4D;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none;">Sequoia NP: Little Baldy Hike</a></td></tr></table>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12735964100343471614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11017379.post-62965562546517470232011-07-13T21:22:00.000-04:002011-07-15T21:30:22.566-04:00Sequoia: Scenic Driving<p>I got an early start today, waking up with the sun around 6 am.  I got more sleep in my little RV than I’d gotten in the hotel so that was good!  My day started with getting organized and unpacked, then I got ready for the day and finally enjoyed coffee and breakfast and my kindle at the picnic table, where it was so chilly I needed my fleece jacket! :-)  </p><p>Around 9 I walked over to meet Mom and Dad and we headed out to explore the park.  Our primary destinations today were most of the “must see tourist spots”.  </p><p>We started at the Lodgepole visitor center where we got our passports stamped!  Then we moved on to the General Sherman tree – the biggest living thing on earth – by volume or weight or something, they clearly made that statistics work for them.  It was a nice paved walk down to the tree – lots of people!  It was a pretty good climb though, but very “touristy”.  </p><p>After the tree we had lunch at a nearly deserted picnic area – I was amazed that it wasn’t overrun with people! </p><p>Next up was Moro Rock – another popular tourist stop.  It’s a 1/4 mile hike up 500 rock steps to the top of a granite rock where you can get a 360 degree view of the mountains, the valley, and the Great Western Divide.  It was a great view and a neat rock, even if it felt like something out of Disney World rather than a natural phenomenon! </p><p>The final thing on the agenda was to walk around Crescent and Log Meadows.  Supposedly Crescent Meadow was John Muir’s favorite, which I thought was odd because there are granite steps at Mt. Rainier engraved with a quote from John Muir that would lead you to believe that the Paradise Meadows were his favorite!  Not sure what’s going on with that but here are my speculations: </p><p>A) John Muir hadn’t seen Mt. Rainier yet when he said Crescent was the best. </p><p>B) Whatever meadow he was standing in at the time was his favorite. </p><p>C) Someone is twisting John Muir’s words to mean what they want it to! </p><p>The meadow was very nice, however at first sighting I wasn’t too impressed, mostly because I was standing on a paved trail.  The meadow had lost some of it’s wonder in the process of making it accessible to all.  The meadows were surrounded by giant sequoia forests and it was very nice, except for the pesky pavement and touristy feel to it.   </p><p>About 1/2 way into the walk we came to a “log cabin” – a cabin made by the guy who discovered the park and it was a hollowed out downed Sequoia tree! It was pretty cool.  After the cabin the trail became dirt and had more of a “wild” feel to it!  We walked through the giant sequoias and you could get some space between yourself and the other people, and there were fewer other people! </p><p>When I was almost back to the parking lot I spotted some cool tiger lilies in the meadow and I wanted to take a picture.  You can just trample into the meadow, you’ll kill the flowers that have a very short growing season to begin with, I quickly saw the solution to my problem – there was a dead tree that was close to the trail and went out into the meadow, so I climbed up and headed out.  Once I got out on the log I saw hundreds of flowers, many different types, that I hadn’t noticed before!  I took a bunch of pictures! By now it was late afternoon and the sun was starting to sink – the colors in the meadow changed several times over the 10 or so minutes I was on the log and I’m pretty sure *this* was the meadow that John Muir saw and fell in love with!  I wonder what he’d think if he knew that we’d paved a path around his favorite place so that every could visit?  Would he be happy?  Or would he be mad that we spoiled it?  </p><p>After the walk we headed back to the campground for dinner, and charging my RV! </p><p>Time for our “RVing Lesson of the Day”": </p><p>RV’s can plug into power if you are at a campground that has hook ups or operate on batteries if you are “dry camping”.  We are currently dry camping – no hook ups.  This means the battery is VERY important.  The battery runs things such as lights, the water pump, and the ignition for your propane stuff like the fridge or the hot water heater.  In most cases an RV fridge runs on both propane and electricity and it will switch itself back and forth depending on what’s available.  In my case however, the fridge runs on electricity only  - which means it’s powered by the battery when there’s no hookup.  </p><p>This morning I checked the battery and it was almost dead!  I couldn’t believe this because I’d driven ALL day yesterday and driving charges the battery, so it should have been good and full and should have been able to last me almost the whole time we were here.  </p><p>I do have a generator in my RV so it’s easy to just run the generator and charge the battery.  In theory.  My campsite is in the “no generators” loop of the campground, meaning it’s never OK for me to run it.  My parents are in the generator loop so we decided that I’d drive my RV over and find an empty campsite and squat  for an hour or so while I ran my generator.  This was a better plan than me going for a drive b/c it wouldn’t use up as much gas (there is gas in the park, but it’s ridiculously expensive $4+/gallon). </p><p>The site next to my parents was empty so we ran back and got my RV, but by the time I got it over there the owners of the site had moved in! There was another empty site right across from them so I backed in there and got the generator going.  Almost as soon as I did the owners of that site showed up!  They told me I could stay, so I stuck around about 30 minutes, hoping that would be good enough.  These people didn’t need to listen to my generator (sounds like a lawn mover) or breathe the exhaust!  Just in that short amount of time the battery was back up to 2/3 full so it should be good for the night.  </p><p>I don’t have much in the fridge that needs to be super cold so I turned it way down – it was set at it’s highest setting (no wonder the battery died!) and my carrots were frozen this morning! No need for that!  One thing I’ve learned is that if I ever own an RV, it will have a fridge that runs on propane! </p><p>It’s starting to get really chilly in here! We saw a weather report (that had been printed out on Sun so it was old) that said it was going down to 38* tonight!  Brrrrrr!  Glad I have my 0* backpacking sleeping bag, I’ll be toasty warm! </p><p>Tomorrow Dad and I are going to hike to Little Baldy which is very close to the campground, I’m pretty sure it will be a lot like Moro Rock minus the hordes of tourists!  </p><br />
<table style="width:194px;"><tr><td align="center" style="height:194px;background:url(https://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/transparent_album_background.gif) no-repeat left"><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/purpleplaytapus/SequoiaNPShermanTreeMoroRockCresentMeadow?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-TBC6osmYA30/TiDmAC3apwE/AAAAAAAAIsg/4wf2JgBXbI0/s160-c/SequoiaNPShermanTreeMoroRockCresentMeadow.jpg" width="160" height="160" style="margin:1px 0 0 4px;"></a></td></tr><tr><td style="text-align:center;font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px"><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/purpleplaytapus/SequoiaNPShermanTreeMoroRockCresentMeadow?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite" style="color:#4D4D4D;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none;">Sequoia NP - Sherman Tree, Moro Rock, Cresent Meadow</a></td></tr></table>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12735964100343471614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11017379.post-72723158538923986362011-07-11T21:22:00.000-04:002011-07-15T21:28:36.457-04:00Sequoia!<p>I’m nestled all snug in my little RV/van! Snug being the operative word there! This RV is great, but it’s not spacious! The small van was great to drive, easy to back up and maneuver in tight spaces, however it’s a bit lacking in storage and living space. </p><p>The majority of the day was spent driving from Oakland to Sequoia NP! I didn’t get much sleep last night so today was rough, but I made it! </p><p>After going over all the finer details of my home on wheels I took off!  Took me about 30 minutes of driving in circles around Oakland before I got on the correct highway (there are at  least 5,000 highways in the Bay Area all with “80” somewhere in them – 888, 580, 380) heading in the correct direction.  When I first found 580 – the highway I wanted, I headed east.  I was after all going to the mountains, the mountains are east.  I was quite confused by the fact that the sign said “580 East Oakland” but I have no sense of geography for the Bay Area so maybe I still hadn’t gotten to Oakland, even though I was pretty sure I was done with Oakland.  A few seconds later I had my dopeslap moment….I’m on the West Coast….the mountains are EAST, the OCEAN is west!!!!!!  AGGHHH!!!!!! So, I had to figure out where to get off and turn around! (Andy, I know you are laughing at me, stop it!) </p><p>I stopped in Modesto to have lunch at In and Out Burger.  Everyone talks about how great that place is and I’d never been.  I don’t see the appeal.  Five Guys is WAY better!  I didn’t even eat the fries – they had no flavor! After lunch I hit the Save Mart for supplies then continued down Highway 99. </p><p>Highway 99 is rather forgettable.  It goes through the dry, flat, unattractive valley and there are tons of trucks.  It was double hard because I was so sleepy, but finally I made it to Fresno!</p><p>To get to Sequoia from Oakland you go to Fresno and turn left on 180.   Once I turned on 180 I drove out of town very quickly.  I knew I’d wanted to get gas before I got to far into the mountains so I asked Google Maps where I could find some.  I found a small town about a mile or so off course with both a gas station and a Subway so I could bring my dinner in.  Only problem was the road into the town was closed! agh!  I found a detour and bounced my way down a few backroads through farms and followed the handwritten “gas and food open” signs to a veritable metropolis out there in the nothingingness.  I pulled into the 1st gas station – it was cash or debit only.  I used my debit card, which was rejected. I’d had an issue with Bank of America earlier with the credit card and trying to charge (they thought it was fraud because I was so far from home), but I thought I’d worked it out.  So I had to go to another gas station – they took my other Bank of America Visa without a problem…hmmmm.  After picking up my sandwich, I decided that I should probably call the bank and make sure things are straightened out.  After 30 minutes, most of it on hold, thank goodness AT&T lets me surf the internet while I talk, I have been assured that all is well and functioning.  Here’s hoping. </p><p>After my gas stop the real fun began! The mountains!  They start out as little hills rising gradually up from the valley and they are all brown with little pockets of green, but mostly brown.  It’s very dry and hot.  At about 4000 feet (the road had a marker every time we gained 1000 ft of elevation) the ridges were capped with trees, and by 5000 ft there were evergreen (Sequoia?) trees all around – some were HUGE!  After checking in at the entrance station and discovering that I had enough cell signal to check in on Foursquare, I made my way through the park to our campground.   The scenery was great, but I was so tired I just wanted to be there and it was taking a very long time.  </p><p>Finally I pulled in and was surprised to see a mama bear and her two cubs right along the road!  The ranger says they are here a lot!  Each campsite has a bear box to keep the food in – even the cars aren’t safe (although apparently motorhomes are – go figure – if I post this I did not get eaten by a bear! :-) </p><p>Mom and Dad got here mid-afternoon so I walked over to their site to eat my dinner and catch up with them.  </p><p>My site here is less than scenic – it’s basically a parking spot! There’s another car parked right next to me even! But it’s all good! I have a view of another families campfire and the air is crisp and chilly, what more do I want?  I can hardly keep my eyes open and it’s getting cold in here – I need to get in my sleeping bag and get some sleep!  Tomorrow we are off to explore the park! </p><br />
<table style="width:194px;"><tr><td align="center" style="height:194px;background:url(https://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/transparent_album_background.gif) no-repeat left"><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/purpleplaytapus/20110711?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-2oD1-b6FcI4/TiDlJHcB09E/AAAAAAAAIjg/7EkND_Y5Mg4/s160-c/20110711.jpg" width="160" height="160" style="margin:1px 0 0 4px;"></a></td></tr><tr><td style="text-align:center;font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px"><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/purpleplaytapus/20110711?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite" style="color:#4D4D4D;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none;">2011-07-11</a></td></tr></table>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12735964100343471614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11017379.post-37797061222983672472011-07-11T11:15:00.000-04:002011-07-11T11:20:46.077-04:00Good Morning From Oakland<p>Usually my summer trips involve early morning flights that mean leaving home at the pre butt crack of dawn and driving off into the early morning darkness. Not this year! My flight wasn’t scheduled to leave Dulles until 6:00 pm! And it was direct! What a luxury! </p> <p>I had a very nice morning: reading my Kindle, packing those last minute things, and tying up loose ends at home.  I left around 2:00 to run a few errands then head to the airport.  </p> <p>I arrived at the airport a little after 3, parked the car, got the shuttle, and walked right up to an open check-in kiosk at the Jet Blue Counter.  When I checked in though I was informed that the flight was delayed.  We now weren’t going to leave until 7:00.  Glad I already built extra time into the plan.  </p> <p>The line for security was massive.  I’m not sure why but I thought it would be better later in the day, wrong.  They were herding everyone into two big lines and then taking turns which line got to head downstairs to the main screening area – once down there the line wound around a bunch of times before you actually got to go through. </p> <p>Standing in line I pulled out my Kindle and discovered that reading on my Kindle is far superior to reading a book when it comes to reading in line!  I just had to hold the device – no worrying about turning pages or losing your page which always happens when you try to read one handed! And it was easy to see over so I could read and shuffle along (it was just like reading sitting in traffic! LOL!) Kindle: 1 Paper Books: 0</p> <p>When I got up to the security screening area there was a guy with a BIG guitar looking case.  It was about 4x the size of a guitar so I’m guessing it was a bass or something.  The case was solid, shiny, white, plastic and it had a black rubber looking bumper on the edge.  At first glance it looked like a <a href="http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Stormtrooper">Stormtrooper</a>.  Now, that would make flying better.  Replace all the TSA agents with Stormtroopers.  Of course they were the bad guys, but whatever, they are still cooler than your average TSA agent.  </p> <p>I did get to experience the “<a href="http://www.tsa.gov/approach/tech/ait/index.shtm">backscatter</a>” machine.  They had it set up where some people went though that and some went through the old metal detectors.  It wasn’t so bad – you just stood there – hands up on your head like you are being arrested and then the gal tells you to come out.  I did have one security “oops”.  Despite having read TSA’s website so I’d know what to do I didn’t see that my computer needed it’s own bin so I put it in a bin and put my shoes, purse and meds on top.  The gal had to take it back and run it all back through again.  She was very friendly until I asked if I could just take the stuff on top (thinking it had already been scanned) and her whole tone changed and she said “No, I cannot let you have access to the property at this time.”  Well, then.  </p> <p>I was kinda glad for the extra hour now because at this point it had taken 45 minutes to get through security and I still wanted to hike down to the A terminal to get a <a href="http://www.getcosi.com/">Cosi</a> sandwich!  Of course Cosi was alll the way at the end of the A terminal – a mile or so (at least! ;-) from where the train dropped me off! I then had to walk all the way back to almost the end of the B terminal! It was good to spend my extra hour walking! Not only that but Cosi has <a href="http://www.sanpellegrino.com/">San Pelligrino</a> in bottles! :-) Of course it was close to $3.00 for a 20 oz bottle (I pay about 60 cents for a liter of fizzy water at Wegmans!) so it was like drinking Platinum! </p> <p>The rest of the wait went quickly and soon the plane arrived and we boarded and were ready to go!  I settled in with my headphones, iPod and Kindle.  I was happily reading away when the flight attendant announced that we needed to turn off ALL electronic devices. uh-oh.  I thought I’d just play dumb until she clarified - “that’s anything with an “on/off” switch, including: Kindles, cell phones, CD players….etc….”  The fact that she specifically mentioned Kindles and mentioned it 1st made me just turn it off and wait till we we were airborne.  The folks who lugged paper books were still reading away.  Kindle: 0, Paper Book 1.  </p> <p>The flight  was uneventful and soon we were landing in Oakland.  As I stepped off the plan onto the Jetway the outside air felt WONDERFUL – it was crisp and chilly and not a speck of humidity! As I was waiting on the curb for the Holiday Inn van to pick me up I checked the weather – it was 59*!  Very nice, even if my teeth were a few degrees away from chattering! </p> <p>The Holiday Inn is very nice and I have been sufficiently pampered, even if I did sleep much!  The bed was plush and comfy with high threadcount sheets (even if id did set my allergies off…), the shower spacious (my whole RV is prob smaller!) with a premium showerhead, free wireless, and though expensive, tasty room service breakfast!  In a few minutes the front desk will summon me a taxi to wisk me off to San Leandro to get my RV! </p> <p>Next post will likely not be until Saturday….see ya’ll then! </p> Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12735964100343471614noreply@blogger.com0