In the Chinese culture each year is given an animal affilliation. I decree this year to be the Year of the Pig. I love, looooove, good barbecue. In fact, as I've stated and overstated I am a barbecue snob. I'm on a never-ending quest for good smoked meat. I am usually disappointed. End of disclaimer. This year, I've discovered several very good barbecue joints in our area. Two days ago an old friend ,David Cox (who has drastically different standards for barbecue) called me and told me he had just eaten at a restaurant that has "your kind of barbecue" (meaning MY kind of barbecue). His words. Last night Josiah and I visited the Pompous Pig on Clemson Blvd in Anderson. I ordered a chopped pork (I prefer pulled)/ smoked chicken combo. Jo had a sandwich. Jo enjoyed his sandwich. I moaned in what could almost be referred to as ecstasy...but I digress. We were met, upon entering, by an extemely friendly teenage girl who welcomed us enthusiastically and informed us in a perfect southern drawl that we were "Gonna have a real good time." Once we decided to order we approached the register where we were greeted by yet another teenage girl who was intelligent, lucid and friendly. Upon being seated at our table we were approached and checked on faithfully and attentively by no less than two servers. My pork was graciously prepared per my request with "outer meat." (This ups the smoke taste exponentially and makes me happy.) Not only was it smoky, but moist and delicious. The smoked chicken breast was the best I've ever had. They had somehow managed to achieve a strong smoke, a delicate seasoning and a moist tenderness that rivaled crabmeat. Most people I know in this area won't appreciate the quality of this barbecue. It's kind of sad, actually. Nonetheless, I am impressed and enamored. Now, I normally wouldn't waste anyone's time on side-dishes. They're such a non-issue to me they're not usually worth mentioning. I make an exception here. Jo's fries were less than spectacular. (The Pompous Pig could take a lesson from Henry's on Wade Hampton.) My side was fantastic. I had the "mashed potato bake" (think Cracker Barrel's hashbrown casserole in mash potato form...layered with crispy-chewy cheese skank) and cornbread which was moist like pudding and was made with what tasted like fresh corn...oh yeah, and it came with home-made honey butter. Dang. As if this wasn't enough the owner brought us a complimentary sample plate which was made up of mexican-restaurant-style tortilla chips, "Texas Caviar" (think salsa made from black-eyed peas, corn, onions, peppers and tomatoes) which was really good, smoked chicken salad and broccoli salad with almond slivers. To sum it up, I've a new favorite restaurant and the Pig has plenty reason to be pompous. Check it out...unless of course, you think 3 Little Pigs has good barbecue. Something about casting pearls before swine comes to mind.
Just in case you're reading this Dave...thanks for the recommendation. You've redeemed yourself for the harsh words you had for Henry's.
Friday, December 19, 2008
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Gear Field Test
Field Test
This would work so much better if I could imbed the pics with the text. Well, it is what it is. Most of you (all 3 of you who actually read this!) realize that I've been kind of obsessed with this idea of hiking the AT when Josiah graduates. I've actually read extensively on the subject from journals to "How To" books to equipment guides etc. Some of the best advice I've gotten from veteran hikers is "Get out there. Hike." So we've done that, mostly day hikes. Most day hikes can be accomplished with minimal investment. A few months back Jo and I did our first overnighter on Rim of the Gap in the Mountain Bridge Wilderness area. We quickly discovered that we were ill equipped for overnight trips. When we went to Nanty-fest, our intention was to buy equipment for re-sale. It seems I'm a little too tentative for that and will need to work on that area. However, we did find some great deals on some stuff for ourselves. Between that and shopping local outfitters we found ourselves reasonably equipped for an overnight hike. We chose to do a section of the Foothills Trail for the length, the intensity, and it's proximity to the Chatooga River. So aside from the pleasure of hiking itself, this trip was a field test, for our equipment as well as our own endurance. Is this something I actually enjoy enough to do everyday for 3-5 months? Well, we learned a lot about hiking, camping, ourselves and equipment. This'll deal primarily with the equipment. Hope it helps!
1. Backpack. I'm a big boy. Big boys need big packs, apparently. So 98% of the packs I tried on at Nanty-fest were too small. One of the sellers showed me how to measure my torso and select an appropriate size pack. Short version is: I found one pack that was large enough and it just so happens that it was an external frame Jansport. I got it for $20! (Here's an example of my buyers timidity: I could've bought 2 of the same pack for $35 total and re-sold number 2 but...) Anyhow, after several trial runs with the pack I learned how to load it with my gear and long story short is...we made friends. It's very low on frills, and high on potential. I like the separate compartment located on the bottom which allows me to access my stuff without having to dig my tent out. The external frame made my external packing more stable; I was able to strap my sleeping bag to the bottom and my sleeping pad to the top. There are extremely helpful side pockets as well as two daisy-chains on the back. Once I learned how to adjust the pack where my hips carried the bulk of the weight I was surprise at how well I was able to carry my load. I had intended to keep it under 35 lbs but ended up lightening some the other hiker's loads which quickly sent me over 40 lbs. I felt it. You should feasibly be able to carry approximately one third of your own body weight. Not sure who came up with that butit wasn't someone built like me! 65 lbs would've run me into the ground in a just a couple of hours. The only negative I saw with this pack was it's tendency to hang on limbs. Because it was an external frame, I found myself snagged on a branch more than once over the weekend. My limited experience with packs makes me far from an expert but on a scale of 1 to 10 (until I come up with a hip, clever rating scale I'll just use numbers!) I give it a 9.
2. Tent. I love (well, loved) our tent. It's a 4 man/ 3 season Coleman we bought used for $20 at Nantyfest. This tent would not be a good choice for the AT due to it's size and weight which is still considerably small and light for a tent it's size. It had to be divided up between Dana, Jo and myself even for our short excursion. I got the tent, Jo got the poles and Dana got the fly. (Teehee) It took 2 people to set up due to it's "old school A-frame design but was crazy fast to set-up. Only one problem: Apparently the previous owner had put it up wet. There was a dis-colored streak about 3' from the bottom that ran the length of the tent on both sides. We discovered this shortly after I accused the boys of tearing the tent on their way out. Apparently the discoloration was due to mildew or some like-minded evil. Needless to say our tent didn't survive the trip. Lesson learned? When buying used, set it up and inspect it no matter how friendly and helpful the hungry college kids are who are trying to sell it. Rating: It'd been a 10 if not for the mildew. As it is? Doesn't even register. Tents with holes just aren't worth much.
3. Camp stove. Oh my gosh! This is one of my favorite purchases. Considering the fact that I bought it for $25 from the same guys that sold us the tent...well, it kinda makes up for the tent. This stove operates on a really small can of iso-butane/propane gas whichyou can pick up for around $5. It folds up into a case about 1 1/4" x 3" x 3". It ways mere ounces. I can unpack it, set it up, and light it in under a minute and have a substantial mess kit pot of water boiling in less than 5 minutes. No kidding. I actually brought an 8"diameter by 10" high enameled cook pot because I was cooking for 4. 6 minutes to boiling. I cooked almost all of our meals on a half-full container and still brought home fuel. You can buy this same campstove new for about $50. It's worth every penny. This one get 5 stars! Did I just change the rating system? I think I did.
4. Sleeping bag. Yeah. Not my wisest purchase. Unfortunately when I mess up, I mess up big. I bought 3 of these Ledge 20 degree oversized bags at once, paying almost as much for shipping as I did for the bags. First, the good: Love the size of the bags. As I mentioned earlier, I'm a big boy. I sleep on my side with my knees to my chest. I decided to buy a bag I could move around in. Plenty of room. For a 20 degree bag, it also packs up reasonably small. Now, the bad: a. When the bags arrived, I unpacked one, crawled in it, and cinched up the mummy bag style opening (great feature) around my head. It tore. Yup, right out of the box, it tore where the drawstring comes out of the bag. b. 20 degree my big white booty! I had on thermals, was sleeping in a 3 season tent and I still froze. I guess this explains how they were able to pack it up sosmall. This also explains why serious hikers invest in a good goose down bag. Definitely worth the money. In spite of the issues I'm going to keep the bags primarily due to how much it'd cost me to return them. I'll add a fleece liner and make due until we can afford some good ones. Sticking with the cosmologicaltheme, I give the bag 1 star and it's falling...
5. Self-inflating sleeping pad. I almost never sleep when camping due primarily to extreme discomfort. I've tried sleeping pads in the past that are bulky, hard to inflate and even harder todeflate and roll-up. Everyone I talked to suggested Therma-rest. I bought the thickest one (2") Half-moon carried (display model was only $65!) haunted by the fact that it would weigh entirely too much to ever carry on the AT but thinking, "Can't go 5 months without sleep." Here's what I found: Very simple to inflate as well as deflate and roll. Held it's air all night long. Was much more comfortable than any self-inflating pad I'd used before."What's the problem?" you ask. I still was uncomfortable. My hip wasn't as much of a problem but my shoulder kept me tossing and turning all night. Pad gets 5 stars, my aging body gets 2.
6. Water Filter. Out of everything we bought, this is my absolute favorite. I paid full price for this Katadyn 3 micron water filter at Half-moon and I'd do it again. After dozens of confusing conversations with hikers, salespeople and salespeople who were obviously bs'ing me, I settled on this model for several reasons: It doesn't have a ceramic filter which makes it better suited to cold weather. Ceramic apparently will freeze and break. Dependability. I talked to several people who have used the same filter for years with no problems and no giardia. Simplicity. So freaking easy. Mine even comes with it's own pouch and internal zip-loc bag so you can keep your intake hose from contaminating your output hose. The filtered water is not only safer but delicious. I'd have a really hard time switching to tablets. The Katadyn is a necessity and gets 5 stars, only because I can't give it six...or can I?
7. Stuff sacks. Went to buy stuff sacks at an outfitter and was shocked at how mucha little bag can cost, so I went to Wally-world. 3 pack was like $10! Yeah! Got home, opened the package and the first one I pulled out had a slice in it. I figured it was still a bargain so I loaded 'em up and threw 'em in my pack. Day 1, the 2nd sack tore. Sack3 is still hanging in there but I don't give it much hope. Some things you can buy at Wal-mart. Apparently stuff sacks aren't one of them. Here's a tip: There's a army surplus/ outfitter store on Wade Hampton Blvd. in Taylors that is going out of business. Everything in the store is 50% off... and yes, they have stuff sacks...ultra-light stuff sacks. Better hurry, though. Their last day is December 31.
8. Zipper Tag Thermometer. Another thing you apparently don't buy at Wal-mart. This little thermometer/ compass made by Coleman held great promise for me. I was sorely disappointed. In the middle of the night as I was burrowed deeply in my 20 degree bag freezing my kahunas off, it read 100 degrees. I won't even qualify this one with a rating.
9. Shoes. I bought a pair of Salomon XA PRO 3D Ultras at Mast General Store for just over $100.00. They're trail running shoes. They're not a boot and not designed for rigorous long-distance hiking. Having said that, they performed extremely well. The toe-box was a little small for my tastes but certainly not claustrophobic. They are a light weight shoe and I never even noticed any drag on my feet due to weight. My feet remained cool the entire hike and the tread hardly ever slipped in the slimiest conditions. 5 big ones.
10. Knife. One day I'll buy a Leatherman or something comparable. I'll keep it in my pocket. Regardless of what's in my pocket I'll carry the 9" Gerber survival knife on my hip. Not because it's sharp (though it is) or even useful (it certainly is so) but because of an interesting phenomenon. When we came out of the woods after the hike and entered the Jack in the Box for some much appreciated junk food, I noticed I was getting some grave appraisals from people we encountered. It was something I'm not used to...something akin to respect. Yeah, there's just something about a 9" knife on your hip that makes people look at you different. Funny thing is, I didn't realize until later on that it was the knife. Maybe I thought it was that rugged outdoors glow from being on the trail for several days or just my imposing masculine physique. When we went to check into the hotel Jo asked, "Dad, you've still got the knife on your belt." "Yes, yes I do , son, Yes I do."
This would work so much better if I could imbed the pics with the text. Well, it is what it is. Most of you (all 3 of you who actually read this!) realize that I've been kind of obsessed with this idea of hiking the AT when Josiah graduates. I've actually read extensively on the subject from journals to "How To" books to equipment guides etc. Some of the best advice I've gotten from veteran hikers is "Get out there. Hike." So we've done that, mostly day hikes. Most day hikes can be accomplished with minimal investment. A few months back Jo and I did our first overnighter on Rim of the Gap in the Mountain Bridge Wilderness area. We quickly discovered that we were ill equipped for overnight trips. When we went to Nanty-fest, our intention was to buy equipment for re-sale. It seems I'm a little too tentative for that and will need to work on that area. However, we did find some great deals on some stuff for ourselves. Between that and shopping local outfitters we found ourselves reasonably equipped for an overnight hike. We chose to do a section of the Foothills Trail for the length, the intensity, and it's proximity to the Chatooga River. So aside from the pleasure of hiking itself, this trip was a field test, for our equipment as well as our own endurance. Is this something I actually enjoy enough to do everyday for 3-5 months? Well, we learned a lot about hiking, camping, ourselves and equipment. This'll deal primarily with the equipment. Hope it helps!
1. Backpack. I'm a big boy. Big boys need big packs, apparently. So 98% of the packs I tried on at Nanty-fest were too small. One of the sellers showed me how to measure my torso and select an appropriate size pack. Short version is: I found one pack that was large enough and it just so happens that it was an external frame Jansport. I got it for $20! (Here's an example of my buyers timidity: I could've bought 2 of the same pack for $35 total and re-sold number 2 but...) Anyhow, after several trial runs with the pack I learned how to load it with my gear and long story short is...we made friends. It's very low on frills, and high on potential. I like the separate compartment located on the bottom which allows me to access my stuff without having to dig my tent out. The external frame made my external packing more stable; I was able to strap my sleeping bag to the bottom and my sleeping pad to the top. There are extremely helpful side pockets as well as two daisy-chains on the back. Once I learned how to adjust the pack where my hips carried the bulk of the weight I was surprise at how well I was able to carry my load. I had intended to keep it under 35 lbs but ended up lightening some the other hiker's loads which quickly sent me over 40 lbs. I felt it. You should feasibly be able to carry approximately one third of your own body weight. Not sure who came up with that butit wasn't someone built like me! 65 lbs would've run me into the ground in a just a couple of hours. The only negative I saw with this pack was it's tendency to hang on limbs. Because it was an external frame, I found myself snagged on a branch more than once over the weekend. My limited experience with packs makes me far from an expert but on a scale of 1 to 10 (until I come up with a hip, clever rating scale I'll just use numbers!) I give it a 9.
2. Tent. I love (well, loved) our tent. It's a 4 man/ 3 season Coleman we bought used for $20 at Nantyfest. This tent would not be a good choice for the AT due to it's size and weight which is still considerably small and light for a tent it's size. It had to be divided up between Dana, Jo and myself even for our short excursion. I got the tent, Jo got the poles and Dana got the fly. (Teehee) It took 2 people to set up due to it's "old school A-frame design but was crazy fast to set-up. Only one problem: Apparently the previous owner had put it up wet. There was a dis-colored streak about 3' from the bottom that ran the length of the tent on both sides. We discovered this shortly after I accused the boys of tearing the tent on their way out. Apparently the discoloration was due to mildew or some like-minded evil. Needless to say our tent didn't survive the trip. Lesson learned? When buying used, set it up and inspect it no matter how friendly and helpful the hungry college kids are who are trying to sell it. Rating: It'd been a 10 if not for the mildew. As it is? Doesn't even register. Tents with holes just aren't worth much.
3. Camp stove. Oh my gosh! This is one of my favorite purchases. Considering the fact that I bought it for $25 from the same guys that sold us the tent...well, it kinda makes up for the tent. This stove operates on a really small can of iso-butane/propane gas whichyou can pick up for around $5. It folds up into a case about 1 1/4" x 3" x 3". It ways mere ounces. I can unpack it, set it up, and light it in under a minute and have a substantial mess kit pot of water boiling in less than 5 minutes. No kidding. I actually brought an 8"diameter by 10" high enameled cook pot because I was cooking for 4. 6 minutes to boiling. I cooked almost all of our meals on a half-full container and still brought home fuel. You can buy this same campstove new for about $50. It's worth every penny. This one get 5 stars! Did I just change the rating system? I think I did.
4. Sleeping bag. Yeah. Not my wisest purchase. Unfortunately when I mess up, I mess up big. I bought 3 of these Ledge 20 degree oversized bags at once, paying almost as much for shipping as I did for the bags. First, the good: Love the size of the bags. As I mentioned earlier, I'm a big boy. I sleep on my side with my knees to my chest. I decided to buy a bag I could move around in. Plenty of room. For a 20 degree bag, it also packs up reasonably small. Now, the bad: a. When the bags arrived, I unpacked one, crawled in it, and cinched up the mummy bag style opening (great feature) around my head. It tore. Yup, right out of the box, it tore where the drawstring comes out of the bag. b. 20 degree my big white booty! I had on thermals, was sleeping in a 3 season tent and I still froze. I guess this explains how they were able to pack it up sosmall. This also explains why serious hikers invest in a good goose down bag. Definitely worth the money. In spite of the issues I'm going to keep the bags primarily due to how much it'd cost me to return them. I'll add a fleece liner and make due until we can afford some good ones. Sticking with the cosmologicaltheme, I give the bag 1 star and it's falling...
5. Self-inflating sleeping pad. I almost never sleep when camping due primarily to extreme discomfort. I've tried sleeping pads in the past that are bulky, hard to inflate and even harder todeflate and roll-up. Everyone I talked to suggested Therma-rest. I bought the thickest one (2") Half-moon carried (display model was only $65!) haunted by the fact that it would weigh entirely too much to ever carry on the AT but thinking, "Can't go 5 months without sleep." Here's what I found: Very simple to inflate as well as deflate and roll. Held it's air all night long. Was much more comfortable than any self-inflating pad I'd used before."What's the problem?" you ask. I still was uncomfortable. My hip wasn't as much of a problem but my shoulder kept me tossing and turning all night. Pad gets 5 stars, my aging body gets 2.
6. Water Filter. Out of everything we bought, this is my absolute favorite. I paid full price for this Katadyn 3 micron water filter at Half-moon and I'd do it again. After dozens of confusing conversations with hikers, salespeople and salespeople who were obviously bs'ing me, I settled on this model for several reasons: It doesn't have a ceramic filter which makes it better suited to cold weather. Ceramic apparently will freeze and break. Dependability. I talked to several people who have used the same filter for years with no problems and no giardia. Simplicity. So freaking easy. Mine even comes with it's own pouch and internal zip-loc bag so you can keep your intake hose from contaminating your output hose. The filtered water is not only safer but delicious. I'd have a really hard time switching to tablets. The Katadyn is a necessity and gets 5 stars, only because I can't give it six...or can I?
7. Stuff sacks. Went to buy stuff sacks at an outfitter and was shocked at how mucha little bag can cost, so I went to Wally-world. 3 pack was like $10! Yeah! Got home, opened the package and the first one I pulled out had a slice in it. I figured it was still a bargain so I loaded 'em up and threw 'em in my pack. Day 1, the 2nd sack tore. Sack3 is still hanging in there but I don't give it much hope. Some things you can buy at Wal-mart. Apparently stuff sacks aren't one of them. Here's a tip: There's a army surplus/ outfitter store on Wade Hampton Blvd. in Taylors that is going out of business. Everything in the store is 50% off... and yes, they have stuff sacks...ultra-light stuff sacks. Better hurry, though. Their last day is December 31.
8. Zipper Tag Thermometer. Another thing you apparently don't buy at Wal-mart. This little thermometer/ compass made by Coleman held great promise for me. I was sorely disappointed. In the middle of the night as I was burrowed deeply in my 20 degree bag freezing my kahunas off, it read 100 degrees. I won't even qualify this one with a rating.
9. Shoes. I bought a pair of Salomon XA PRO 3D Ultras at Mast General Store for just over $100.00. They're trail running shoes. They're not a boot and not designed for rigorous long-distance hiking. Having said that, they performed extremely well. The toe-box was a little small for my tastes but certainly not claustrophobic. They are a light weight shoe and I never even noticed any drag on my feet due to weight. My feet remained cool the entire hike and the tread hardly ever slipped in the slimiest conditions. 5 big ones.
10. Knife. One day I'll buy a Leatherman or something comparable. I'll keep it in my pocket. Regardless of what's in my pocket I'll carry the 9" Gerber survival knife on my hip. Not because it's sharp (though it is) or even useful (it certainly is so) but because of an interesting phenomenon. When we came out of the woods after the hike and entered the Jack in the Box for some much appreciated junk food, I noticed I was getting some grave appraisals from people we encountered. It was something I'm not used to...something akin to respect. Yeah, there's just something about a 9" knife on your hip that makes people look at you different. Funny thing is, I didn't realize until later on that it was the knife. Maybe I thought it was that rugged outdoors glow from being on the trail for several days or just my imposing masculine physique. When we went to check into the hotel Jo asked, "Dad, you've still got the knife on your belt." "Yes, yes I do , son, Yes I do."
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Falls Creek Falls
In case I haven't mentioned this, I work for what may just be the best company ever. Like at most places, things are slow at MMI right now. Most days I come in and try to find something productive to put my hand to but some days...
This past Tuesday was one of those days. I was finally able to hook up with a great old friend from my Garfield days, Henry Mitchell. We've talked for months about hitting the trail together but until now hadn't made it happen. If you'll look in my pics under Falls Creek Falls you can see Henry in one of the photos. I've always thought he resembles a gnome but on the trail this day it was if I were walking with Myrddin Emrys...the wise Merlin. I told him as much. He doesn't actually discourage the comparison, either.
At 6am we met at Stax (Original) for some delicious bacon, grits and eggs and about a gallon of Dr. Pepper. (That was me. Henry had a greek omelet and hot tea.) I threw my pack into Henry's truck and me made off for the short jaunt to Jones Gap, where he regaled me with tales of crazy aunts and bad cooking. We were on the trail shortly after daybreak. (On the way, Henry pulled off to call his boss and inform him that he''d be doing some "geologic surveying" which apparently is code for "I'm on a hike, again." Guess we're both kinda lucky, huh?) I quickly discovered that Henry and I make good hiking partners. He slows my pace enough so that I can actually appreciate my surroundings. Somedays I enjoy hiking in silence. Today I was blessed with the conversation of an old friend. It seemed that wherever our talk meandered, the conversation had a way of coming back around to the subject of our mutual Friend and third hiking partner. Being in the woods will do that...as will being with either of us, I guess. As we approached the falls we stopped for a silent visual draught of the view overlooking the valley. It was beautiful, of course. Henry spoke in hushed tones of his daughter Kate (I think he's kind of proud of her) and one of their hikes together. As they took in a similar view from another trail, she said that the ancient Celts believed that the purest worship music was found in the solitude of the wilderness, as the rivers, the wind and the trees lifted their song to the Creator. If you've ever spent much time in the woods, I think you'll agree.
After laughing our way back down the mountain (Not quickly enough, if you ask me. For some reason I opted for the Spinx bathroom over the one God provided and my bladder was at critical mass) we made our way to Hardees where we lingered over a cup of coffee, neither of us wanting to end our journey. We talked of ecology, and politics, old times and yes, the Great Interrupter.
Looking forward to another morning walk, soon, Henry. Tell Jane Ella hi, for me.
This past Tuesday was one of those days. I was finally able to hook up with a great old friend from my Garfield days, Henry Mitchell. We've talked for months about hitting the trail together but until now hadn't made it happen. If you'll look in my pics under Falls Creek Falls you can see Henry in one of the photos. I've always thought he resembles a gnome but on the trail this day it was if I were walking with Myrddin Emrys...the wise Merlin. I told him as much. He doesn't actually discourage the comparison, either.
At 6am we met at Stax (Original) for some delicious bacon, grits and eggs and about a gallon of Dr. Pepper. (That was me. Henry had a greek omelet and hot tea.) I threw my pack into Henry's truck and me made off for the short jaunt to Jones Gap, where he regaled me with tales of crazy aunts and bad cooking. We were on the trail shortly after daybreak. (On the way, Henry pulled off to call his boss and inform him that he''d be doing some "geologic surveying" which apparently is code for "I'm on a hike, again." Guess we're both kinda lucky, huh?) I quickly discovered that Henry and I make good hiking partners. He slows my pace enough so that I can actually appreciate my surroundings. Somedays I enjoy hiking in silence. Today I was blessed with the conversation of an old friend. It seemed that wherever our talk meandered, the conversation had a way of coming back around to the subject of our mutual Friend and third hiking partner. Being in the woods will do that...as will being with either of us, I guess. As we approached the falls we stopped for a silent visual draught of the view overlooking the valley. It was beautiful, of course. Henry spoke in hushed tones of his daughter Kate (I think he's kind of proud of her) and one of their hikes together. As they took in a similar view from another trail, she said that the ancient Celts believed that the purest worship music was found in the solitude of the wilderness, as the rivers, the wind and the trees lifted their song to the Creator. If you've ever spent much time in the woods, I think you'll agree.
After laughing our way back down the mountain (Not quickly enough, if you ask me. For some reason I opted for the Spinx bathroom over the one God provided and my bladder was at critical mass) we made our way to Hardees where we lingered over a cup of coffee, neither of us wanting to end our journey. We talked of ecology, and politics, old times and yes, the Great Interrupter.
Looking forward to another morning walk, soon, Henry. Tell Jane Ella hi, for me.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
8 Miles
Uh yeah...not whatcha think. Musically powerful tune but that ain't it.
This weekend Dana suggested we hike to Raven Cliff Falls. Considering her level of endurance and my recent back issues that seemed an easy, reasonable hike. 2 miles, hour and a half up, hour and a half back. Dana caught a nasty flu virus and was out of commission but Jo, Brandon and I hit the trail early Sunday morning. Weather was amazing as it has been all week. Only moments after setting foot to the trail I was in my element. Even with the boys, there was ample peace and virtual solitude. It still amazes me that when the noise is eliminated how conscious I become of God's presence. It was a powerful time interrupted only sporadically by, "Look at that view" or "Check out that boulder." Segue. A great old tree stuck it's branch out over the path about seven feet in the air. Yep, time for a stop. After exploring a side trail Jo was in the tree in a flash. That's my boy. Once back on the trail Brandon somehow ended up in the lead position again which gave us a spectacularly entertaining view. He couldn't seem to walk more than a few paces with out an "SAT" (slip and trip). We kept track. By day's end I had accrued 6, Jo 8, I think and Brandon 18. No kidding. Just over an hour in we reached the viewing platform for Raven Cliff Falls. We were so far away that you couldn't really grasp the height and power of this 410' waterfall. Dismal Trail which passes through The Dismal ("a mature hardwood forest" as my trail book describes it) was just around the corner so we decided to take it to its end, turn around and come back. The boys were all for it so we were off. We ran, slipped and slid down the steep incline for a half hour or so. Once at the bottom we decided the path with more adventure and certainly no more exertion would be to complete what we had started of the Raven Cliff Falls Loop. So upon the advice of a fellow hiker we took off. We encountered several more views of the falls and even heard it nearby but never really got a better view. We did encounter a man-made cable crossing over a shallow stream which was a lot of fun. One cable was low for walking on and the other slightly above it to hold on to. About an hour later we crossed a suspension bridge over a gorge which was cool but not near as much fun as what we had just crossed. Next came the strenuous part of the trail. It went on forever. We had only brought enough water and snacks for the short trail and on this section we annihilated most of what we brought. As we started approaching the end of the loop we encountered a lot of other people on the trail, most with dogs, headed toward the falls. (Love the dogs. I gotta get Scooby out there soon.) Well, once back at Caesars Head we ran into the guy who had given Jo and I a shuttle after our Rim of the Gap hike. We spent a few minutes catching up and he told us to check out the overlook for the hawk migration. 340 had been spotted the day before but we saw nary a bird. We hopped back in the car and headed down the mountain with voracious appetites, eyes desperately searching for my barbecue guy. We weren't disappointed. He was there. This roadside vendor (right on 276) of Turkish-spanish descent (Tim Lara, I think) has some of the best smoked pork I've ever had...ever, and as you well know I'm a barbecue snob. Today wasn't quite what it usually is due to the fact that his wood supplier brought him pecan rather than hickory so it had a much milder flavor, but it was still really good. (He assured me next time I came through he'd be back up to par.) What a great ending to our longest hike to date...8.3 miles. Put it into perspective, though: Average hiker on the AT does anywhere from 12 - 22 miles...every day. Jennifer Pharr Davis averaged 38 miles per day doing 63 miles on her next to last day which was in the mountains of Georgia! Crazy. Don't think I'll be hitting 63 miles a day anytime soon (Not even sure I want to!) but hopefully we'll build our endurance do some longer hikes. Can't wait! Look out AT, we're coming!
Monday, September 15, 2008
Alive Update
Here's the latest: Mike is working feverishly on the new temporary website in his spare time which is truly spare. (He works 7 days a week at his day job.)
Here's what he says:
Layout complete with table,Logo at top with pic,I'm about 45% done with the navigation,and no content on it as of yet... as in words and pics of products.
Yeah, I understood about half of that...anyhow, thanks Mike!
Rejected by another outdoor gear wholesale house. Yep, you guessed it...no brick and mortar. Our requests for dealerships are always met with, "We'd love to help you out. Call us when you have a building." Instead of getting frustrated, we're trying to look at this as a course re-direction. With our primary emphasis being our custom shirts, maybe our secondary should be used gear. This appeals to me for several reasons: One, it's our only available option at this point. Two there don't seem to be an awful lot of people that deal in used gear especially in our area, and three, we're always personally looking for used gear. We're trying to get equipped for back-packing and man is new gear expensive! So, week after next we plan to hit the NOC in Bryson City which is hosting one of the biggest gear swaps in the southeast called NantyFest. (Yeah, hold your comments on the name, huh?) Anyhow, we'll be scoping out gear for ourself as well as potential inventory for ALIVE.
On a personal level...I'm going flippin' nuts. Fall is almost upon us. The trails and rivers beckon and I've got an annoying back injury that's just taking the fun out of life. Dana bought me a Mountain Bridge Trail Guide and it's like backpacker's porn. I gotta get over this and get out there!
Hope you're all doing great. Join us on the journey!
boJ
david l.
Here's what he says:
Layout complete with table,Logo at top with pic,I'm about 45% done with the navigation,and no content on it as of yet... as in words and pics of products.
Yeah, I understood about half of that...anyhow, thanks Mike!
Rejected by another outdoor gear wholesale house. Yep, you guessed it...no brick and mortar. Our requests for dealerships are always met with, "We'd love to help you out. Call us when you have a building." Instead of getting frustrated, we're trying to look at this as a course re-direction. With our primary emphasis being our custom shirts, maybe our secondary should be used gear. This appeals to me for several reasons: One, it's our only available option at this point. Two there don't seem to be an awful lot of people that deal in used gear especially in our area, and three, we're always personally looking for used gear. We're trying to get equipped for back-packing and man is new gear expensive! So, week after next we plan to hit the NOC in Bryson City which is hosting one of the biggest gear swaps in the southeast called NantyFest. (Yeah, hold your comments on the name, huh?) Anyhow, we'll be scoping out gear for ourself as well as potential inventory for ALIVE.
On a personal level...I'm going flippin' nuts. Fall is almost upon us. The trails and rivers beckon and I've got an annoying back injury that's just taking the fun out of life. Dana bought me a Mountain Bridge Trail Guide and it's like backpacker's porn. I gotta get over this and get out there!
Hope you're all doing great. Join us on the journey!
boJ
david l.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Aaaaaaaaaaaah
What an unbelievably beautiful fall-like morning. As I was sitting in my truck this morning, sipping a mug of Cerrado Gold, enjoying my morning selah with Jesu, the Lover of my Soul...I was overwhelmed with such a feeling of contentment, well being, blessedness...shalom as the hebrews say. If only for the moment, fall is upon us. Before me is a copy of Blue Ridge Outdoors which has gracing its cover a beautiful photo of a hiker on a summit overlooking a valley of foliage aflame with autumn colors. A longing grips my soul. A longing to hike, to get on a river, to be outside somewhere drinking in the breathtaking beauty of God's creation, which even in its fallen state causes mortal man's knees to go weak and heart to soar. (I'm blessed to work for a company that understands this and gives me freedom to sneak away occasionally but alas my back pain tells me today is not the day...but I digress...) What about this longing, for beauty, for adventure? Is it only about temporal things? Ted Dekker, for one, believes that it is evidence of a deeper longing, a foretaste of heaven. John Eldredge would concur. We were created for Eden and every so often we are afforded a glimpse...and God, how it moves me. I want to be baptized in it. I don't want a glimpse, I don't want a sprinkling. I want full-immersion in the beauty and adventure that is God. For now, I settle for the foretaste...which, if you ask me, is not too bad.What about us? Are we also "more than we have become" as Mufasa so succinctly stated? That ancient living book that reveals God to us says that "All creation groans in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed." Sounds like maybe there's something to that. What is it that holds you back from becoming who God intended you to become? St. Irenaeus said,"The glory of God is man fully alive." What makes you come alive? Why don't you ask Him? Get outside, in His creation, alone, maybe on a trail, where the noise of life falls away and ask Him. While you're at it ask Him for the courage to pursue His dream for you...then hold on for the journey of your life.
Monday, August 25, 2008
Uh-binchur!
16 years (and to be specific, 9 months) ago this coming Sunday began one of the greatest adventures of my life...my boy, Josiah.I can still hear him say, blue eyes gleaming, "Daddy, let's go on an uh-binchur." Who could say no? Well, buddy, this Sunday you'll be 16 years old and your Mom and I are so proud of who you are that I can't quite put it into words. We are honored to be a part of your life, much less to be your Mom and Dad. Your radical pursuit of God puts you at the top of my heroes list. I am humbled by the opportunity Papa has given me to watch as someone of your caliber becomes the man God created him to be. We love you more than you can possibly know and have loved every minute of this uh-binchur you've taken us on. Yeah, buddy, let's go on an uh-binchur.
Happy birthday,
I love you...
daddy
Happy birthday,
I love you...
daddy
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Rim of the Gap Part 1
Rim of the Gap Part 1
Saturday evening Jo returned home sunburned from spending the day at the lake with some friends. While he was finishing up a bath I asked him how tired he was. He said, "It depends on what you wanna do." I said, "Cut grass." "I'm exhausted," he replied. "How 'bout an overnight hike on Rim of the Gap?" (Rim of the Gap is a very strenuous 4.3 mile trail at Jones Gap.) "Let's go!" We've primitive camped for 20 years but this would be the first time that we carried everything we'd need on our backs and hiked 2 hours up a steep ascent to do so. So we threw a few items in our packs, intentionally leaving out the 8 man tent for obvious reasons. We decided to spend the night in our recently purchased "travel hammocks" and sleeping bags. By the way... our sleeping bags? Way too big for backpacking. After a quick stop for trail bars, nuts and water we arrived in the Jones Gap parking lot at 7:10 pm. As we were walking toward the registration box I had a nauseating revelation. I had suddenly remembered some very important information. You're supposed to pre-register for camping. I ran to the office and unbelievably it was open. I walked in, hands in the air, bemoaning my blunder. Elliot, one of the guys working there, said "Let me see what I can find." After running through our options he found an available site 2 hours up the trail on Pinnacle Pass, the very place I'd hoped we could camp. A man makes his plans...thank God, He determines our steps. So with a newly purchased map and an admonition from a very accommodating Elliot to hurry to the site, we busted it up the trail which ascends about 1,000 feet in about a mile. It wasn't very long and we found ourselves hiking under the cover of night with only my headlamp lighting the way. It was beautiful and, Jo thought, a little creepy. Suffice it to say that blaze colors look striking similar and reasonably rare at nightfall. We struggled to find our way at several junctures. But after stumbling past our trail several times we tied our hammocks up and prepared to sleep like babies. Unfortunately due in large part to out hammocks there was precious little sleeping to be had. First, they were too small, un-bearably uncomfortable and extremely prone to flip. Then factor in the bugs. There were the flying bugs: mosquitoes, gnats, "no-see-ums" and who knows what else. Then there were the ants who discovered they could leap off the tree and slide down the sloping ends of the hammock to make landfall on either feet or head respectively. I smashed well over a dozen ants and one spider directly on my forehead. Jo sustained over 32 bites of some sort just on his left arm. Did you know that the crickets (I guess that's what they were) never stop their noisemaking as long as it's dark? And they were really loud. Eventually we unzipped our sleeping bags (which were too hot anyway) and hid beneath them giving us at least some protection. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that while we were setting up our hammocks something nearby howled...then warbled on the end...then did it again...and again. It was almost otherwordly. After spending the night waiting for dawn, I finally got out of my hammock (for the 19th time) snapped a few pics of Jo and started packing up. We were on the trail heading back to Rim of the Gap by 6:30 or so.
For some reason Jo likes to be in front so I usually let him lead. This morning, for some reason, he's behind me and 10 minutes into our hike (We're on the John Sloan Connector) he stops and whispers, "Bear, bear, BEAR!" By the time I figure out where he's pointing all I see are rustling bushes. Jo was given an amazing gift; he saw two bear cubs playing. Amazing. I know what you're thinking, "How cute." Yes, cute...but...we've read a bit about bears. Our black bear is very non-aggressive toward humans unless...yeah, you get between mother and her cubs. She's not concerned with your intentions and no amount of explaining or apologizing will do. You're a threat to her family and quite possibly a tasty meal. So we froze...for like 10 minutes. We heard what sounded like a large bear like critter moving through the foliage...so we waited, (Jo had his camera out of course.) and waited and waited some more. Obviously we survived so Bear tip 1? No sudden moooooovements! 2 hours later I hear laughter bubble up unexplainably from Jo's chest. when I asked "What?" He replied, with a big ol' smile plastered on his face, "I saw two bear cubs." The Gifting Giver is so good.
Saturday evening Jo returned home sunburned from spending the day at the lake with some friends. While he was finishing up a bath I asked him how tired he was. He said, "It depends on what you wanna do." I said, "Cut grass." "I'm exhausted," he replied. "How 'bout an overnight hike on Rim of the Gap?" (Rim of the Gap is a very strenuous 4.3 mile trail at Jones Gap.) "Let's go!" We've primitive camped for 20 years but this would be the first time that we carried everything we'd need on our backs and hiked 2 hours up a steep ascent to do so. So we threw a few items in our packs, intentionally leaving out the 8 man tent for obvious reasons. We decided to spend the night in our recently purchased "travel hammocks" and sleeping bags. By the way... our sleeping bags? Way too big for backpacking. After a quick stop for trail bars, nuts and water we arrived in the Jones Gap parking lot at 7:10 pm. As we were walking toward the registration box I had a nauseating revelation. I had suddenly remembered some very important information. You're supposed to pre-register for camping. I ran to the office and unbelievably it was open. I walked in, hands in the air, bemoaning my blunder. Elliot, one of the guys working there, said "Let me see what I can find." After running through our options he found an available site 2 hours up the trail on Pinnacle Pass, the very place I'd hoped we could camp. A man makes his plans...thank God, He determines our steps. So with a newly purchased map and an admonition from a very accommodating Elliot to hurry to the site, we busted it up the trail which ascends about 1,000 feet in about a mile. It wasn't very long and we found ourselves hiking under the cover of night with only my headlamp lighting the way. It was beautiful and, Jo thought, a little creepy. Suffice it to say that blaze colors look striking similar and reasonably rare at nightfall. We struggled to find our way at several junctures. But after stumbling past our trail several times we tied our hammocks up and prepared to sleep like babies. Unfortunately due in large part to out hammocks there was precious little sleeping to be had. First, they were too small, un-bearably uncomfortable and extremely prone to flip. Then factor in the bugs. There were the flying bugs: mosquitoes, gnats, "no-see-ums" and who knows what else. Then there were the ants who discovered they could leap off the tree and slide down the sloping ends of the hammock to make landfall on either feet or head respectively. I smashed well over a dozen ants and one spider directly on my forehead. Jo sustained over 32 bites of some sort just on his left arm. Did you know that the crickets (I guess that's what they were) never stop their noisemaking as long as it's dark? And they were really loud. Eventually we unzipped our sleeping bags (which were too hot anyway) and hid beneath them giving us at least some protection. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that while we were setting up our hammocks something nearby howled...then warbled on the end...then did it again...and again. It was almost otherwordly. After spending the night waiting for dawn, I finally got out of my hammock (for the 19th time) snapped a few pics of Jo and started packing up. We were on the trail heading back to Rim of the Gap by 6:30 or so.
For some reason Jo likes to be in front so I usually let him lead. This morning, for some reason, he's behind me and 10 minutes into our hike (We're on the John Sloan Connector) he stops and whispers, "Bear, bear, BEAR!" By the time I figure out where he's pointing all I see are rustling bushes. Jo was given an amazing gift; he saw two bear cubs playing. Amazing. I know what you're thinking, "How cute." Yes, cute...but...we've read a bit about bears. Our black bear is very non-aggressive toward humans unless...yeah, you get between mother and her cubs. She's not concerned with your intentions and no amount of explaining or apologizing will do. You're a threat to her family and quite possibly a tasty meal. So we froze...for like 10 minutes. We heard what sounded like a large bear like critter moving through the foliage...so we waited, (Jo had his camera out of course.) and waited and waited some more. Obviously we survived so Bear tip 1? No sudden moooooovements! 2 hours later I hear laughter bubble up unexplainably from Jo's chest. when I asked "What?" He replied, with a big ol' smile plastered on his face, "I saw two bear cubs." The Gifting Giver is so good.
Rim of the Gap Part 2
The morning heated up unusually fast and our water supply dwindled even faster. We'd filled our bottles and brought 3 bottled waters apiece but were still running out. If we keep this up a water filter/ pump is going to become a necessity. You just can't carry enough water for even a 5 mile hike. According to our map the trail ahead would descend for 200 feet in about a mile then ascend 400 feet in the remaining mile. It looked nothing like the map. We were constantly climbing up steep trails, only to carefully pick our way down root covered hills, only to begin yet another climb, sometimes up rustic ladders or via cables. It was a lot of fun. Exhausting but fun. Every now and then we'd get a peek out across the valley and the views were almost dizzying. In places there were breaks in the trees and you could look out over sheer drops of what must've been several hundred feet which led to other even greater drops. We were at least 2,400 feet above sea level and it felt like it. In several places the spongy trail gave way and scared the poop out of me. At one point I stepped on a really big rock that, seemingly defied the laws of physics and rocked up into the air, throwing me off balance about 4' from a 100' drop. That was a trip. Oh, I almost forgot, the trail leads right through a boulder where we had to take off our packs and slide through an opening. Check out the pics.
The effects of the drought are pretty apparent because we encountered several places that looked like they were once waterfalls of some degree but were now dry. We did cross in one place where I could dip my hat in a pool. That was de-licious.
By this time I'd decided that doing a flip-flop (A flip-flop is when you reach the end of the trail and then turn around to hike back to it's start) was out of the question. Whether it was due to sleep deprivation or just the fact that we're wimps, we were toast. The map showed a connector trail called Frank Coggins that led from the end of Rim of the Gap to Caesars Head Visitor's Center. It was 1 mile and was rated as "easy." Easy I could do. It was the most anti-climatic end to a hike we'd done to date. It left us at the intersection of 3 trails with no fanfare or hoopla of any sort. On that note we set to our mile walk up Frank Coggins. When we arrived at the Visitor's Center we were greeted by two friendly faces. One belonged to a girl who was working with Elliot the night before and she recognized us. (While I was whining about biting off more than we could chew she informed us she just completed a 22 mile hike. Yeah, thanks.) The second belonged to Adam, with whom I inquired about a shuttle back to Jones Gap. After discussing it with some mystery person in a back room, Adam came out and happily said, "I'll take you." He declined my grateful offer to "kiss him full on the mouth," (I'm not sure why) led us to his chariot (a white station wagon) and gave us a most appreciated ride back down the mountain. It was here that I realized just how aromatic we'd become. I apologized repeatedly. Having done a half-thru hike of the AT,Adam was well aware of the effects hiking could have on body scent. He re-assured us we were fine. I think he probably torched the wagon when he got back. Adam, whose trail name was "Thieving Bear," (Ask him when you see him) was a great guy and we really enjoyed hearing some of his story. We discovered a common passion for hiking and trout-fishing and I think there was a lot more to Adam than a 1/2 hour shuttle gave us time to explore. I hope to run into him again soon.
Jo and I threw our packs into the truck and made our way down the mountain. We stopped at a gas station and once again the hiking monster took over my appetite, destroyed my will-power and drove me to the deli-counter where I was compelled to order fried chicken, macaroni and cheese and fried okra. It's a bit of a blur. In the midst of my feeding frenzy I have vague memories of giant ostriches, ducks and a wobbling death-metal goat but it might've just been the food induced stupor I was in. You'll have to ask Jo.
We arrived blissfully home thanking our God for making our way, an awesome hike, a shuttle ride, great new friends, fried chicken, okra and mac and cheese and sleep. Dana walked in the door hours later, back from her trip with our old friend Lisa to see Journey, Heart and Cheap Trick. That's her story to tell.
The effects of the drought are pretty apparent because we encountered several places that looked like they were once waterfalls of some degree but were now dry. We did cross in one place where I could dip my hat in a pool. That was de-licious.
By this time I'd decided that doing a flip-flop (A flip-flop is when you reach the end of the trail and then turn around to hike back to it's start) was out of the question. Whether it was due to sleep deprivation or just the fact that we're wimps, we were toast. The map showed a connector trail called Frank Coggins that led from the end of Rim of the Gap to Caesars Head Visitor's Center. It was 1 mile and was rated as "easy." Easy I could do. It was the most anti-climatic end to a hike we'd done to date. It left us at the intersection of 3 trails with no fanfare or hoopla of any sort. On that note we set to our mile walk up Frank Coggins. When we arrived at the Visitor's Center we were greeted by two friendly faces. One belonged to a girl who was working with Elliot the night before and she recognized us. (While I was whining about biting off more than we could chew she informed us she just completed a 22 mile hike. Yeah, thanks.) The second belonged to Adam, with whom I inquired about a shuttle back to Jones Gap. After discussing it with some mystery person in a back room, Adam came out and happily said, "I'll take you." He declined my grateful offer to "kiss him full on the mouth," (I'm not sure why) led us to his chariot (a white station wagon) and gave us a most appreciated ride back down the mountain. It was here that I realized just how aromatic we'd become. I apologized repeatedly. Having done a half-thru hike of the AT,Adam was well aware of the effects hiking could have on body scent. He re-assured us we were fine. I think he probably torched the wagon when he got back. Adam, whose trail name was "Thieving Bear," (Ask him when you see him) was a great guy and we really enjoyed hearing some of his story. We discovered a common passion for hiking and trout-fishing and I think there was a lot more to Adam than a 1/2 hour shuttle gave us time to explore. I hope to run into him again soon.
Jo and I threw our packs into the truck and made our way down the mountain. We stopped at a gas station and once again the hiking monster took over my appetite, destroyed my will-power and drove me to the deli-counter where I was compelled to order fried chicken, macaroni and cheese and fried okra. It's a bit of a blur. In the midst of my feeding frenzy I have vague memories of giant ostriches, ducks and a wobbling death-metal goat but it might've just been the food induced stupor I was in. You'll have to ask Jo.
We arrived blissfully home thanking our God for making our way, an awesome hike, a shuttle ride, great new friends, fried chicken, okra and mac and cheese and sleep. Dana walked in the door hours later, back from her trip with our old friend Lisa to see Journey, Heart and Cheap Trick. That's her story to tell.
Friday, July 18, 2008
Alive Update...can you help?
Last night, a friend inquired as to the progress being made on the website. Here's the answer. We're looking for a photo that will provide the background for the homepage. Maybe you can help. What I'm looking for is a high res photo from the inside of a wooden barn. The view would include the double doors open wide in the center of the photo with a window to the right. The walls on either side will be in view as well as a few of the rafters above the door. I've even looked for an old barn I could photograph myself and have yet to find one appropriate. I've scoured the web for hours on end and found stuff close but not really what I'm looking for. I'd appreciate any help.
thanks
thanks
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Alive Update
I left a house full of sleeping teenage boys and one sleeping beauty to go to the day job. They're all heading to the Chatooga this morning for a day of trout-fishing, hiking and mountain boarding. They're bringing along some of our friends from homegroup, Deneen, Kirstie and Lydia. (That's gonna be one packed out Sport's Utility Van!) I've got a deadline hanging over my head so I'll have to try to find some adventure in the midst of this chaos. Usually it finds me.
With the little time I've had to spare, at breaks and lunch, I've been having some conversations with a couple of guys interested in helping us out with the website. I've discovered that my level of creativity may just be beyond practicality. I'm learning to accept that little word, "compromise."
We got rejected by another company for dealership, again due to the fact that as of yet we have no brick and mortar. This policy which seems common to almost all is designed to protect the Mom and Pop shops. I'm a big fan of the non-conglomerate, non-corporate, little guys. (For Pete's sake, we are one!) I appreciate their efforts to take care of these guys but we need a break, here. We're so grateful for the Ground guys who're willing to grant us a dealership and put up with our junk. (Thanks Matt and Matt! You guys ROCK!) So now I'm obsessed with finding a loop-hole...maybe an existing business in our area that could rent us a back room or a broom closet or something really cheap. I'm also wondering if instead of pursuing these dealerships we should be investing out time and resources into our t's which was kind of the point to begin with. Hmmmmmmmm. A man makes his plans......
Anyhow, this project won't complete itself. Hope you guys have an amazing Fourth. It was for freedom He set us free!
With the little time I've had to spare, at breaks and lunch, I've been having some conversations with a couple of guys interested in helping us out with the website. I've discovered that my level of creativity may just be beyond practicality. I'm learning to accept that little word, "compromise."
We got rejected by another company for dealership, again due to the fact that as of yet we have no brick and mortar. This policy which seems common to almost all is designed to protect the Mom and Pop shops. I'm a big fan of the non-conglomerate, non-corporate, little guys. (For Pete's sake, we are one!) I appreciate their efforts to take care of these guys but we need a break, here. We're so grateful for the Ground guys who're willing to grant us a dealership and put up with our junk. (Thanks Matt and Matt! You guys ROCK!) So now I'm obsessed with finding a loop-hole...maybe an existing business in our area that could rent us a back room or a broom closet or something really cheap. I'm also wondering if instead of pursuing these dealerships we should be investing out time and resources into our t's which was kind of the point to begin with. Hmmmmmmmm. A man makes his plans......
Anyhow, this project won't complete itself. Hope you guys have an amazing Fourth. It was for freedom He set us free!
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Blue Ridge Journal Day 8
Sorry, I'm late with this post.
Day 8 Saturday
Trying desperately to stay positive but seeing the week come to a close, with the added chore of packing up and cleaning up while still living under the pink fog…not my best moment. I feel particularly unpleasant and angry with Scoob. By no real fault of his own, he's been a pain in the butt at times. I just wanted to be done, on our way and shoveling some grub in my pie-hole. When everything was finally complete we ended up having to wait on the dishwasher so we could re-stock all of the plates, bowls and silverware. We bided our time by watching a slide show of the pics from the week. Cool stuff..but we weren't leaving yet. Finally, we head down the dusty gravel road for the last time and stop at a restaurant in Blue Ridge recommended by many of those who signed the guest book at the cabin. It's called the Iron Skillet and to be honest I never had any inclination to eat there before. (Check out the sign and you'll see what I mean; see pic.) At the risk of going all "nutty buddy" (story for another time) on you I cannot tell you what a surprise the Iron Skillet was. Absolutely the best breakfast I've ever had, the best service I've ever experienced and, hands-down, the best restaurant in the Blue Ridge area. Dana, Michelle and myself all ordered the Cajun skillet which was potatoes, fluffy, delicious scrambled eggs, green onions, myriad crawfish tails, andouille sausage, a rich hollandaise sauce, all topped with cheddar cheese and served up steaming in a little cast iron skillet. As if that wasn't enough it came with a side of grits and a pancake of your choice. Michelle had the banana nut which was loaded with seared banana slices and walnuts. Dana had the peanut butter chip and I…well, I had the bacon pancake. Yes, that's right my friends crispy bacon cooked right into a fluffy pancake. It's not just a fantasy. Of course I was so hungry that I added a side of the skankiest most delicious corned beef hash ever served up ala carte in a greasy spoon. Keith raved about his omelet, Josiah seemed pleased with his decision and Luke, ever the oddball, ordered a turkey sub...which he claimed was wonderful. Right. Just another word about the Iron Skillet: The server was of such a caliber you would've thought him a maitre' d in an upscale 5 star restaurant. His charm and expansive knowledge of the menu gave me the distinct impression that he must be the owner. He wasn't. But he and his wife (the cook…nay, the chef) took such ownership in the place that without them I'm sure it would be devoid of the very qualities that make it such a great restaurant. Thank you Iron Skillet. You tamed the savage, angry, hungry beast and ended our amazing week on a substantial high. Can't wait for our next trip to Blue Ridge.
Day 8 Saturday
Trying desperately to stay positive but seeing the week come to a close, with the added chore of packing up and cleaning up while still living under the pink fog…not my best moment. I feel particularly unpleasant and angry with Scoob. By no real fault of his own, he's been a pain in the butt at times. I just wanted to be done, on our way and shoveling some grub in my pie-hole. When everything was finally complete we ended up having to wait on the dishwasher so we could re-stock all of the plates, bowls and silverware. We bided our time by watching a slide show of the pics from the week. Cool stuff..but we weren't leaving yet. Finally, we head down the dusty gravel road for the last time and stop at a restaurant in Blue Ridge recommended by many of those who signed the guest book at the cabin. It's called the Iron Skillet and to be honest I never had any inclination to eat there before. (Check out the sign and you'll see what I mean; see pic.) At the risk of going all "nutty buddy" (story for another time) on you I cannot tell you what a surprise the Iron Skillet was. Absolutely the best breakfast I've ever had, the best service I've ever experienced and, hands-down, the best restaurant in the Blue Ridge area. Dana, Michelle and myself all ordered the Cajun skillet which was potatoes, fluffy, delicious scrambled eggs, green onions, myriad crawfish tails, andouille sausage, a rich hollandaise sauce, all topped with cheddar cheese and served up steaming in a little cast iron skillet. As if that wasn't enough it came with a side of grits and a pancake of your choice. Michelle had the banana nut which was loaded with seared banana slices and walnuts. Dana had the peanut butter chip and I…well, I had the bacon pancake. Yes, that's right my friends crispy bacon cooked right into a fluffy pancake. It's not just a fantasy. Of course I was so hungry that I added a side of the skankiest most delicious corned beef hash ever served up ala carte in a greasy spoon. Keith raved about his omelet, Josiah seemed pleased with his decision and Luke, ever the oddball, ordered a turkey sub...which he claimed was wonderful. Right. Just another word about the Iron Skillet: The server was of such a caliber you would've thought him a maitre' d in an upscale 5 star restaurant. His charm and expansive knowledge of the menu gave me the distinct impression that he must be the owner. He wasn't. But he and his wife (the cook…nay, the chef) took such ownership in the place that without them I'm sure it would be devoid of the very qualities that make it such a great restaurant. Thank you Iron Skillet. You tamed the savage, angry, hungry beast and ended our amazing week on a substantial high. Can't wait for our next trip to Blue Ridge.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Blue Ridge Journal Day 5
Started reading "Authentic Relationships" by Wayne Jacobsen and his brother Clay. Great stuff. Causing me to reflect on how many incredible friends God has placed in our life. Tom Conlon's song, "Arms of Jesus" is playing through my head. Thinking this might be a good direction to go with the small group. Hopefully learned our lesson with the TVA. Called the night before and the message said the dam would release at 1pm. We loaded the canoes and prepared to leave at 12:15. Just prior to departure I called again...thank goodness. The release time had changed to 3pm. We squeezed in some more fishing and hang time, called at 2pm to confirm and left by 2:15. We were gently drifting down the river when the dam released. Not nearly as spectacular as I had hoped for. I assumed it was due to the fact they were only running one generator. We watched as the river began to slowly rise and we had a much easier paddle back to the cabin. Just as we arrived at the cabin the girls informed us that they had once again postponed the release time by and hour. As we pulled the boats out of the river we watched the river rise quickly to what looked like flood stage and the current increase dramatically. Dang, we had missed it again! We cleaned up and headed into Blue Ridge for some tasty but seriously over-priced pizza. We drove through town trying to find info on how to get on the AT but everyone was closed. Looks like I should've planned better. We'll have to move the hike to Friday morning.
Blue Ridge Journal Day 6
Day 6
Thursday
Highlight of the day: The Olympic Whitewater Center. We arrived at the Welcome Center and explored the near dry Ocoee River bed where the 1996 Summer Olympics were held. Had we visited on the weekend we could've watched kayakers tackling the hybrid course (it's partially man-made) in all of its glory. We settled instead for the lower section of the Ocoee where we watched rafters and kayakers alike tossed about on what looked like a thrill ride. Dana and I have done our share of guided whitewater rafting but nothing we'd experienced compared with the river before us. At one point we met Sally and Steve who were canoeing and kayaking, respectively, down the Ocoee and had pulled out for a moment due to Sally having a foot cramp. We talked for nearly half an hour as they offered pointers for we novice paddlers. They told us about a great spot to pull off and watch kayakers "rodeo" named "The Hell Hole." They weren't kidding. What a blast. We found a spot under the bridge where we could've reached out and touched the boats. We got some great pics and video. We weren't there very long before our newfound friends made their way through the rapid...at least Sally went through. Her hubby decided to take a gentler path...around the rapid. We waved and cheered as they went by. We literally had to pull ourselves away because of our growling bellies. After a delicious meal of cedar-grilled trout, most of which Dana caught, we chilled for the night.
Thursday
Highlight of the day: The Olympic Whitewater Center. We arrived at the Welcome Center and explored the near dry Ocoee River bed where the 1996 Summer Olympics were held. Had we visited on the weekend we could've watched kayakers tackling the hybrid course (it's partially man-made) in all of its glory. We settled instead for the lower section of the Ocoee where we watched rafters and kayakers alike tossed about on what looked like a thrill ride. Dana and I have done our share of guided whitewater rafting but nothing we'd experienced compared with the river before us. At one point we met Sally and Steve who were canoeing and kayaking, respectively, down the Ocoee and had pulled out for a moment due to Sally having a foot cramp. We talked for nearly half an hour as they offered pointers for we novice paddlers. They told us about a great spot to pull off and watch kayakers "rodeo" named "The Hell Hole." They weren't kidding. What a blast. We found a spot under the bridge where we could've reached out and touched the boats. We got some great pics and video. We weren't there very long before our newfound friends made their way through the rapid...at least Sally went through. Her hubby decided to take a gentler path...around the rapid. We waved and cheered as they went by. We literally had to pull ourselves away because of our growling bellies. After a delicious meal of cedar-grilled trout, most of which Dana caught, we chilled for the night.
Blue Ridge Journal Day 7
Day 7
Friday
Didn't sleep much the night before...an hour, maybe two. Got up at 4:45 am, woke up Josiah and we backed quietly out of the drive and pointed the Sports Utility Van toward Springer Mountain (the start of the Appalachian Trail)...or so we thought. After logging over 2 hours of driving, most of which was dusty gravel back roads, we came to the end of our directions and realized we were nowhere near where we wanted to be. Jo rummaged around in the dash and found some similar directions that stated we were supposed to head in the complete opposite direction at a particular juncture. No one, I repeat, no one is conscious in Georgia at this time of the morning so I couldn't even break the male-stereotype and ask for help. After back-tracking 10 or 12 miles we were once again on course and finally found the parking lot on Springer, which was empty except for one lone black Jeep. Jo and I donned our packs; I slipped into my Father's Day present (Dana bought me a pair of waterproof Northface hiking boots at a really cool gear shop in Blue Ridge) and after making a quick "wilderness deposit" we sprang toward the white blazes with vigor and excitement. We chose as our destination the first shelter on the trail, Black Gap. We were finally here. Though we were only doing a half-day hike we were stoked to be doing it on the AT. Josiah remarked that though he had been excited at the possibility of one day doing a thru-hike, after having actually set foot on the trail it seemed like something we were supposed to do. It's what I've felt for a while and it was great hearing him say it. The AT was clearly marked and, at least on this section, easy hiking but due to our excursion yesterday I was having some pain in my big toe on my right foot. I'm not sure what it is but it flares up anytime I hike on uneven terrain. About an hour in we arrived at a small footbridge that crossed a little creek. I needed a break so I sat down, pulled off my new boots (which had worn a blister on my pinky toe...same foot) and changed into my trail running shoes. I scrounged around in my pack, found a Zip-lock bag of Advil and munched a handful. It was at the precise moment I swallowed that I thought, "Advil aren't pink." Oh crap. No, Advil aren't pink...Benadryl are. I freaked. Jo said, "Let's turn around and go back." Sage advice. Sage advice I'd have to ignore. We'd waited too long and traveled too far to turn back this close to our goal. I examined my options, which were few. The only sensible thing seemed to be getting the pills back up. So while Jo turned away in pity I jammed my ample fingers down my throat. Now, it's probably important to note here that I absolutely hate throwing up. I can't stand it and will avoid it at all costs. Just the sensation of feeling my own wet, throat flesh closing around my fingers should've been enough to trigger the desired effect...but it wasn't. After struggling unsuccessfully for several minutes I verbally kicked myself and hopped back on the trail. Crazy enough, within minutes we saw a sign for the shelter. We made it to our goal. After snapping some pics, reading some of the entries in the guestbook and making an entry of our own we started back for the parking lot as the effects of the little pink pills settled in. I honestly don't remember a whole lot of our trip back up the mountain or our van ride back down the mountain for that matter. I do remember waking up 5 hours later in my bed at the cabin feeling groggy but rested. I was greeted by my beautiful wife who said, "Hey, the dam released. You up for a paddle?" Sure, why not. After a peaceful trip (our 4th this week) down the Toccoa we returned to the cabin where Keith built a campfire of such blazing magnitude it was near impossible to approach with a skewered marshmallow. As if the Smores weren't enough we followed our bonfire feast up with a visit to a local Dairy Queen the Bigos' had scouted out earlier in the week. Adventure comes in many forms. Sometimes it's a pecan cluster Blizzard with extra pecans.
Friday
Didn't sleep much the night before...an hour, maybe two. Got up at 4:45 am, woke up Josiah and we backed quietly out of the drive and pointed the Sports Utility Van toward Springer Mountain (the start of the Appalachian Trail)...or so we thought. After logging over 2 hours of driving, most of which was dusty gravel back roads, we came to the end of our directions and realized we were nowhere near where we wanted to be. Jo rummaged around in the dash and found some similar directions that stated we were supposed to head in the complete opposite direction at a particular juncture. No one, I repeat, no one is conscious in Georgia at this time of the morning so I couldn't even break the male-stereotype and ask for help. After back-tracking 10 or 12 miles we were once again on course and finally found the parking lot on Springer, which was empty except for one lone black Jeep. Jo and I donned our packs; I slipped into my Father's Day present (Dana bought me a pair of waterproof Northface hiking boots at a really cool gear shop in Blue Ridge) and after making a quick "wilderness deposit" we sprang toward the white blazes with vigor and excitement. We chose as our destination the first shelter on the trail, Black Gap. We were finally here. Though we were only doing a half-day hike we were stoked to be doing it on the AT. Josiah remarked that though he had been excited at the possibility of one day doing a thru-hike, after having actually set foot on the trail it seemed like something we were supposed to do. It's what I've felt for a while and it was great hearing him say it. The AT was clearly marked and, at least on this section, easy hiking but due to our excursion yesterday I was having some pain in my big toe on my right foot. I'm not sure what it is but it flares up anytime I hike on uneven terrain. About an hour in we arrived at a small footbridge that crossed a little creek. I needed a break so I sat down, pulled off my new boots (which had worn a blister on my pinky toe...same foot) and changed into my trail running shoes. I scrounged around in my pack, found a Zip-lock bag of Advil and munched a handful. It was at the precise moment I swallowed that I thought, "Advil aren't pink." Oh crap. No, Advil aren't pink...Benadryl are. I freaked. Jo said, "Let's turn around and go back." Sage advice. Sage advice I'd have to ignore. We'd waited too long and traveled too far to turn back this close to our goal. I examined my options, which were few. The only sensible thing seemed to be getting the pills back up. So while Jo turned away in pity I jammed my ample fingers down my throat. Now, it's probably important to note here that I absolutely hate throwing up. I can't stand it and will avoid it at all costs. Just the sensation of feeling my own wet, throat flesh closing around my fingers should've been enough to trigger the desired effect...but it wasn't. After struggling unsuccessfully for several minutes I verbally kicked myself and hopped back on the trail. Crazy enough, within minutes we saw a sign for the shelter. We made it to our goal. After snapping some pics, reading some of the entries in the guestbook and making an entry of our own we started back for the parking lot as the effects of the little pink pills settled in. I honestly don't remember a whole lot of our trip back up the mountain or our van ride back down the mountain for that matter. I do remember waking up 5 hours later in my bed at the cabin feeling groggy but rested. I was greeted by my beautiful wife who said, "Hey, the dam released. You up for a paddle?" Sure, why not. After a peaceful trip (our 4th this week) down the Toccoa we returned to the cabin where Keith built a campfire of such blazing magnitude it was near impossible to approach with a skewered marshmallow. As if the Smores weren't enough we followed our bonfire feast up with a visit to a local Dairy Queen the Bigos' had scouted out earlier in the week. Adventure comes in many forms. Sometimes it's a pecan cluster Blizzard with extra pecans.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Blue Ridge Journal Day 3
Day 3
Monday
Woke up to another beautiful day. Dana wasted no time, of course, finding a sweet spot on the river where she spent the morning enticing the trout and landing more than a few. One of these was really, really big. Not as big as mine, of course (tee hee) but big nonetheless. We called the TVA last night to find out when the dam would be released. Of course the pre-recorded message was preceded by the disclaimer that "schedules are subject to change without notice. I ignored the disclaimer. The dam was scheduled to release at 10 am. Perfect. We hoped for an exhilarating trip down the river with a delicious barbecue feast afterward. We showed up early to ensure we didn't miss the release. We were probably a 30 minute paddle down the river when we realized the disclaimer had come into effect. The previous day's adventure was about to be repeated. We had 3 options: We could try to paddle back up river, against the current. We could repeat the drudgery of dragging our canoes through the remainder of the trip or we could try option 3. Josiah found a spot that seemed to have road access. We thought we might be able to make our way back to the truck, drive back down, load the canoes and still make it back in time for barbecue. We went for it. After walking about 100 yards we dead ended. We turned back around to break the news to everyone. After minimal discussion we decided to make the paddle downriver. Since we prepared ourselves for the misery ahead it wasn't nearly so disheartening. We actually made it back to the cabin in about 2 hours, showered, changed clothes and still made it to the restaurant by 2pm for a mouthwatering spread of slow-smoked baby-backs, pulled-pork, chicken and beef. We were so famished that we actually followed up our Romanesque binge with a hot-fudge sundae. Sleep came quickly.
Monday
Woke up to another beautiful day. Dana wasted no time, of course, finding a sweet spot on the river where she spent the morning enticing the trout and landing more than a few. One of these was really, really big. Not as big as mine, of course (tee hee) but big nonetheless. We called the TVA last night to find out when the dam would be released. Of course the pre-recorded message was preceded by the disclaimer that "schedules are subject to change without notice. I ignored the disclaimer. The dam was scheduled to release at 10 am. Perfect. We hoped for an exhilarating trip down the river with a delicious barbecue feast afterward. We showed up early to ensure we didn't miss the release. We were probably a 30 minute paddle down the river when we realized the disclaimer had come into effect. The previous day's adventure was about to be repeated. We had 3 options: We could try to paddle back up river, against the current. We could repeat the drudgery of dragging our canoes through the remainder of the trip or we could try option 3. Josiah found a spot that seemed to have road access. We thought we might be able to make our way back to the truck, drive back down, load the canoes and still make it back in time for barbecue. We went for it. After walking about 100 yards we dead ended. We turned back around to break the news to everyone. After minimal discussion we decided to make the paddle downriver. Since we prepared ourselves for the misery ahead it wasn't nearly so disheartening. We actually made it back to the cabin in about 2 hours, showered, changed clothes and still made it to the restaurant by 2pm for a mouthwatering spread of slow-smoked baby-backs, pulled-pork, chicken and beef. We were so famished that we actually followed up our Romanesque binge with a hot-fudge sundae. Sleep came quickly.
Blue Ridge Journal Day 4
Day 4
Tuesday
Today was Scooby's day. Dam was scheduled to release at 10am, then 1pm, then 3pm. (Dam you, TVA! Tee hee. Just a sampling of all the dam jokes cracked and yet to be cracked this week). All week Scooby has made it clearly known that he doesn't like being drugged (We gave him doggy Dramamine), hauled 3 hours away, and then left behind as we paddled down the river, so today…is his day. Jo came along for the ride. Keith and Luke came too...in their canoe. Buddy did not. Buddy is their dog and he's round like a barrel. He's more obese than any lab should ever be and he looks like a surgeon we know named Dr. Rowitz (although Dr. Rowitz isn't fat at all). Michelle says Buddy's not fat. He's fat. (Is it just me or do I sound like Junie B. Jones?) As my friend Mark Lowe's grandma said (of Mark, not Buddy), "I know fat when I see fat and he's fat, fat, fat." So Buddy stayed at the cabin. The dam released (or so we thought) at 3pm. We began to slowly paddle and drift as we waited for the river to rise and the current to pick up. It took Scoob a while to get his sea legs and until that time we had some pretty close calls. He saw some cows and a donkey then some ducks. Each time he stood alert and prepared to leave the boat but we talked him down. Basically he did pretty well and seemed to enjoy himself. We arrived back at the cabin about an hour later, just in time to see the dam actually release. As we pulled the boats out of the water we watched the river surge above the rocks. Dana and Michelle had called after we left and found out that they postponed the release until 4pm. Go figure, huh? So we threw caution to the wind and drove to Blue Ridge for some reasonably good and way over-priced pizza, wings and garlic rolls...and greek salad. . When we arrived back at the cabin the river was rushing past and some fellow paddlers told us it was pretty rough. Jo and I excitedly leapt into the canoe and headed for McCaysville. Now is probably a good time to mention that I had several sensible options for take-out that would ensure a safe, quick trip. Of course I chose the one option that made the least amount of sense…McCaysville. Dana would pick us up at Toccoa River Adventures in McCaysville and shuttle us back. Where was I? Oh yeah, we shoved off in the canoe. Again, Scooby was unhappy with being left behind. So he dove in and swam toward the boat. We shouted him back to the bank. He ran along the bank with Buddy in tow. We laughed. Then he jumped in again, and tried, unsuccessfully, to swim upriver. We stopped laughing. We turned and tried to paddle upriver against a substantial current. It wasn't easy but we were faring better than Scooby. He was fighting against the current and was losing the battle. Jo got him to the bank, dragged him back to the yard and delivered him to Dana who tied him up. This took about 20 minutes. Just in time for the Dam to stop generating. Yeah, almost no current, but we were going to McCaysville, by gosh, come hell or high water. I was hoping for the latter but we ended up with just a touch of the former. As the sun began to dip below the horizon, and thunder rumbled in the distance we paddled and paddled and then paddled some more. The exact implications of my bonehead decision weren't completely clear but were becoming clearer by the minute. We were enjoying the scenery, much of which could have come directly from the "Deliverance" set. The river shacks were cool to look at but better judgement forbade us saying hi to the neighbors (Two of which looked like they walked right out of a bedroom scene in Lil' Abner. Yes, I'm aware Lil' Abner had no bedroom scenes. I'm trying to be delicate here.)
More paddling, awkward smiles and more paddling. What happened to that dam current? Sorry. As darkness began to settle quickly over our surroundings and the lightning began it's dance, I started to consider our options…which were few…okay two. We could keep paddling and hope that the plastic canoe would act as an insulator or find a place to pull out here in the boonies and hope for a friendly neighbor with a modern communication device like say a telegraph, 2 dixie cups and a length of string or maybe…a phone. Just as these thoughts were working through my mind lightning struck a little closer and Jo asked nervously, "Hey Dad, think maybe we oughta get off the river?" I'm just looking for a spot. Directly around the bend are some of those yard lights. Looked friendly enough, so we banked the canoe and started making our way toward some ladies in a neighboring yard. I walked quickly with my hands waving in what I hoped looked like a benign request for help. It worked. After explaining our situation to our new friend, she offered to just drive us to McCaysville to meet Dana. When we arrived at TRA Dana wasn't there. Now, my main concern most of this time had been Dana's sanity. It had been a while and I was afraid she was beyond worried. My goal was to put her mind to ease. When she wasn't there I started to freak. (I found out later that my concerns were valid. She had been struggling with whether or not to call the "authorities" and gather a search party). We found her just up from our agreed upon spot. She had moved and cut on the headlights to better provide a "target" for us. Long story short? We found her, made our way back to the canoe, shoved it into the back of the van because I forgot the straps (yeah) just as it started to rain. Just before we left, our heroine told us we "just had" to visit the Olympic Whitewater Center on the Ocoee. We assured her we would and made our way back down the dusty gravel roads, grateful to be warm, sheltered and basically dry.
Tuesday
Today was Scooby's day. Dam was scheduled to release at 10am, then 1pm, then 3pm. (Dam you, TVA! Tee hee. Just a sampling of all the dam jokes cracked and yet to be cracked this week). All week Scooby has made it clearly known that he doesn't like being drugged (We gave him doggy Dramamine), hauled 3 hours away, and then left behind as we paddled down the river, so today…is his day. Jo came along for the ride. Keith and Luke came too...in their canoe. Buddy did not. Buddy is their dog and he's round like a barrel. He's more obese than any lab should ever be and he looks like a surgeon we know named Dr. Rowitz (although Dr. Rowitz isn't fat at all). Michelle says Buddy's not fat. He's fat. (Is it just me or do I sound like Junie B. Jones?) As my friend Mark Lowe's grandma said (of Mark, not Buddy), "I know fat when I see fat and he's fat, fat, fat." So Buddy stayed at the cabin. The dam released (or so we thought) at 3pm. We began to slowly paddle and drift as we waited for the river to rise and the current to pick up. It took Scoob a while to get his sea legs and until that time we had some pretty close calls. He saw some cows and a donkey then some ducks. Each time he stood alert and prepared to leave the boat but we talked him down. Basically he did pretty well and seemed to enjoy himself. We arrived back at the cabin about an hour later, just in time to see the dam actually release. As we pulled the boats out of the water we watched the river surge above the rocks. Dana and Michelle had called after we left and found out that they postponed the release until 4pm. Go figure, huh? So we threw caution to the wind and drove to Blue Ridge for some reasonably good and way over-priced pizza, wings and garlic rolls...and greek salad. . When we arrived back at the cabin the river was rushing past and some fellow paddlers told us it was pretty rough. Jo and I excitedly leapt into the canoe and headed for McCaysville. Now is probably a good time to mention that I had several sensible options for take-out that would ensure a safe, quick trip. Of course I chose the one option that made the least amount of sense…McCaysville. Dana would pick us up at Toccoa River Adventures in McCaysville and shuttle us back. Where was I? Oh yeah, we shoved off in the canoe. Again, Scooby was unhappy with being left behind. So he dove in and swam toward the boat. We shouted him back to the bank. He ran along the bank with Buddy in tow. We laughed. Then he jumped in again, and tried, unsuccessfully, to swim upriver. We stopped laughing. We turned and tried to paddle upriver against a substantial current. It wasn't easy but we were faring better than Scooby. He was fighting against the current and was losing the battle. Jo got him to the bank, dragged him back to the yard and delivered him to Dana who tied him up. This took about 20 minutes. Just in time for the Dam to stop generating. Yeah, almost no current, but we were going to McCaysville, by gosh, come hell or high water. I was hoping for the latter but we ended up with just a touch of the former. As the sun began to dip below the horizon, and thunder rumbled in the distance we paddled and paddled and then paddled some more. The exact implications of my bonehead decision weren't completely clear but were becoming clearer by the minute. We were enjoying the scenery, much of which could have come directly from the "Deliverance" set. The river shacks were cool to look at but better judgement forbade us saying hi to the neighbors (Two of which looked like they walked right out of a bedroom scene in Lil' Abner. Yes, I'm aware Lil' Abner had no bedroom scenes. I'm trying to be delicate here.)
More paddling, awkward smiles and more paddling. What happened to that dam current? Sorry. As darkness began to settle quickly over our surroundings and the lightning began it's dance, I started to consider our options…which were few…okay two. We could keep paddling and hope that the plastic canoe would act as an insulator or find a place to pull out here in the boonies and hope for a friendly neighbor with a modern communication device like say a telegraph, 2 dixie cups and a length of string or maybe…a phone. Just as these thoughts were working through my mind lightning struck a little closer and Jo asked nervously, "Hey Dad, think maybe we oughta get off the river?" I'm just looking for a spot. Directly around the bend are some of those yard lights. Looked friendly enough, so we banked the canoe and started making our way toward some ladies in a neighboring yard. I walked quickly with my hands waving in what I hoped looked like a benign request for help. It worked. After explaining our situation to our new friend, she offered to just drive us to McCaysville to meet Dana. When we arrived at TRA Dana wasn't there. Now, my main concern most of this time had been Dana's sanity. It had been a while and I was afraid she was beyond worried. My goal was to put her mind to ease. When she wasn't there I started to freak. (I found out later that my concerns were valid. She had been struggling with whether or not to call the "authorities" and gather a search party). We found her just up from our agreed upon spot. She had moved and cut on the headlights to better provide a "target" for us. Long story short? We found her, made our way back to the canoe, shoved it into the back of the van because I forgot the straps (yeah) just as it started to rain. Just before we left, our heroine told us we "just had" to visit the Olympic Whitewater Center on the Ocoee. We assured her we would and made our way back down the dusty gravel roads, grateful to be warm, sheltered and basically dry.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Blue Ridge Journal Day 2
Day 2
Sunday
Started my day out reading a couple of chapters in Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne. Still blown away by how God is using this book to remind me of who I am. By mid afternoon we found ourselves in our canoes at the TVA Blue Ridge Dam. Pre-lease, the river is pretty "dry sledding" but we've found that at these times the fishing can be spectacular. Today proved to be the exception. None of us were having much success at getting more than a nibble from the myriad trout that could be clearly seen from the canoe, some of which were really big, until…We tied off near a shallow pool where the trout seemed to be gathering for a some sort of a convention. Still nothing seemed to reap any results with these fish. I had tried everything in my box except… Here's where some explanation is necessary: Aeons ago a fellow fisherman told me his secret to landing the the big boys...a Rapala jig. So, of course, I went right out and bought one, put it in my box and tried it unsuccessfully for the past 15 years. Eventually I lost it. A couple of years ago, a new friend, Roy, said the same. Honestly, if you know Roy, he's bound to say just about anything so I took it, along with my personal experience, with a grain of salt. The next day he gave me his Rapala Jig, which was much smaller than mine, and by the way was brand new, in the box. Again, I tried this thing repeatedly, only to be ignored. Today, all of that changed. As a desperate, last ditch attempt I tied on the lure. I cast it and the moment it struck the water my rod was nearly jerked out of my hands. For what seemed like an hour but must've been only minutes I battled a beast of a trout. True to Hollywood form he leapt out of the water and tried to shake the lure from his mouth. He swam beneath and around the canoe. While Jo and I watched in breathless amazement Dana screamed like a banshee. Eventually I brought him next to the boat and began to stroke his belly to calm him down. He was huge…HUGE! Our best guess is 22- 26", maybe 3 ½ - 4 pounds and easily 4 or 5 inches from his belly to his back. Mammoth fish. I was using 4 lb test and we had no net so as I reached for this gorgeous fish…you guessed it, he became the one that got away. Sick to my stomach that he was gone, with my lure stuck in his mouth but I sat and contemplated what had just happened. It was an amazing battle and he won but it was worth it just to have been on the other end of that line. After bemoaning my loss, I dug around in my box and found a little Panther martin jig. I tied it on and tossed it in. On the third cast…it happened again! Another trout, almost as big as the last, nailed that jig. I brought it to the side of the boat and again, due to no net, lost it. Yeah, I'll be buying a net tomorrow.At this point we're not sure how far we are from the cabin but nightfall is quickly approaching as a thick mist begins to settle on the Toccoa. Both canoes are struggling to get through the many shallow sections of the river. At one point Keith, Michelle and Luke capsize their boat right at the bank which brought on laughter, cursing and some pretty hilarious river calisthenics. We eventually made it back to the cabin where Scooby greeted us by jumping into the river and almost drowning trying to get back out. Jo leapt from the canoe and rescued his sorry St. Labrador butt. Keith decides to try out one of his Rapalas at the cabin and reeled in a monster-brown. Must've been at least 24 inches and 4 lbs. It was such an amazing fish that he decided to release it. Fortunately Jo got pictures of this one. What a monster! After the boys and I drove all over Blue Ridge for an hour and a half looking for a net and new lures we came back to the cabin, some of Michelle's delicious homemade bruschetta and a hot tub. Now that's adventure!
Sunday
Started my day out reading a couple of chapters in Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne. Still blown away by how God is using this book to remind me of who I am. By mid afternoon we found ourselves in our canoes at the TVA Blue Ridge Dam. Pre-lease, the river is pretty "dry sledding" but we've found that at these times the fishing can be spectacular. Today proved to be the exception. None of us were having much success at getting more than a nibble from the myriad trout that could be clearly seen from the canoe, some of which were really big, until…We tied off near a shallow pool where the trout seemed to be gathering for a some sort of a convention. Still nothing seemed to reap any results with these fish. I had tried everything in my box except… Here's where some explanation is necessary: Aeons ago a fellow fisherman told me his secret to landing the the big boys...a Rapala jig. So, of course, I went right out and bought one, put it in my box and tried it unsuccessfully for the past 15 years. Eventually I lost it. A couple of years ago, a new friend, Roy, said the same. Honestly, if you know Roy, he's bound to say just about anything so I took it, along with my personal experience, with a grain of salt. The next day he gave me his Rapala Jig, which was much smaller than mine, and by the way was brand new, in the box. Again, I tried this thing repeatedly, only to be ignored. Today, all of that changed. As a desperate, last ditch attempt I tied on the lure. I cast it and the moment it struck the water my rod was nearly jerked out of my hands. For what seemed like an hour but must've been only minutes I battled a beast of a trout. True to Hollywood form he leapt out of the water and tried to shake the lure from his mouth. He swam beneath and around the canoe. While Jo and I watched in breathless amazement Dana screamed like a banshee. Eventually I brought him next to the boat and began to stroke his belly to calm him down. He was huge…HUGE! Our best guess is 22- 26", maybe 3 ½ - 4 pounds and easily 4 or 5 inches from his belly to his back. Mammoth fish. I was using 4 lb test and we had no net so as I reached for this gorgeous fish…you guessed it, he became the one that got away. Sick to my stomach that he was gone, with my lure stuck in his mouth but I sat and contemplated what had just happened. It was an amazing battle and he won but it was worth it just to have been on the other end of that line. After bemoaning my loss, I dug around in my box and found a little Panther martin jig. I tied it on and tossed it in. On the third cast…it happened again! Another trout, almost as big as the last, nailed that jig. I brought it to the side of the boat and again, due to no net, lost it. Yeah, I'll be buying a net tomorrow.At this point we're not sure how far we are from the cabin but nightfall is quickly approaching as a thick mist begins to settle on the Toccoa. Both canoes are struggling to get through the many shallow sections of the river. At one point Keith, Michelle and Luke capsize their boat right at the bank which brought on laughter, cursing and some pretty hilarious river calisthenics. We eventually made it back to the cabin where Scooby greeted us by jumping into the river and almost drowning trying to get back out. Jo leapt from the canoe and rescued his sorry St. Labrador butt. Keith decides to try out one of his Rapalas at the cabin and reeled in a monster-brown. Must've been at least 24 inches and 4 lbs. It was such an amazing fish that he decided to release it. Fortunately Jo got pictures of this one. What a monster! After the boys and I drove all over Blue Ridge for an hour and a half looking for a net and new lures we came back to the cabin, some of Michelle's delicious homemade bruschetta and a hot tub. Now that's adventure!
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Blue Ridge Journal Day 1
Day 1
Saturday
Went to Fred's house the night before for C-mans 4th b-day party and ended up getting in so late that we didn't load the van till this morning (Saturday). After piling a weeks worth of clothes, mountain-board, canoe, fishing gear and a freshly laundered Scooby Doo we headed out...sort of. We stopped at Bob Poock's Hardees for a new creation; I had them combine the the breakfast bowl with the low-carb breakfast bowl for something that probably had about 18,000 fat grams…energy for the road, right?On the way we stopped at one of our favorite stores on the planet, Mountain Crossings at Walasi-yi. It's a popular stop on the Appalachian Trail which if you haven't noticed, has become an obsession with me. We didn't encounter any thru-hikers but greeted several section hikers, most of whom had just completed 30 miles or so. While Jo and I were lusting over the gear and amazing t-shirts Dana took Scooby and beat me to the trail. And when she saw us again, believe me, she took no small pleasure in letting us know! So Jo and I took the leash (with the dog) and set-out. Within the course of a matter of minutes we found our first white blaze! We were stoked. (Blazes are just strokes of paint on trees used to identify the trail you're on. The AT, which stretches from Springer Mountain, GA to Mount Katahdin, Maine..approximately 2175 miles…this year, is identified with white blazes.) Before we found the blaze I told Jo that we'd just walk until we found one. I kept saying, "just a little further." He said, "Let's just go. Let's keep walking." I was tempted. Later he chuckled and said, "It would make a great book: Woman's husband, son and dog set out for short walk and don't come back…for 5 months!" I mused, "Hey babe, we're in Maine. Come get us, would you?" The appeal of the trail has now become almost mystical for me. Near the white blaze was a tree that Jo, of course, had to climb. As he was monkeying to the top my gaze was drawn back to the path. The allure of the beautiful trail stretched out before me seduced me once more. I reminded myself soon…soon.Once we arrived and got unloaded we looked up the number for the Swan Drive-In. One of the more significant losses I've seen in my lifetime is the extinction of the Drive-In movie. When we discovered that one of the rare survivors of the VCR/DVD revolution was just down the road from where we were staying we determined to make a visit. Dana and I as well as Keith and Michelle all have fond memories of the inimitable Drive-In. It's something we've longed for years for Jo to experience. As we were digging up the number we talked about what movie we'd like to see. All of us agreed that either Kung Fu Panda or the new Indian Jones would be fantastic. Dana said, "Wouldn't it be great if they were showing a double feature?" A feeling of wonderment came over me. Double-feature. A term that from the advent of digital recording technology, had been deleted from our lexicon. While we waited in the stifling heat of a local restaurant for our food to arrive (Apparently the AC was down) Dana made the call to see what was showing. She erupted in a blood curdling scream. I honestly thought we'd won the lottery…even though we'd never played. She informed us that tonight the Swan Drive-In would be showing a double-feature. Yep, you guessed it. Kung Fu Panda and Indiana Jones. We were all pretty worn out but couldn't pass up a chance like this so we loaded up and headed for the Swan. One of the things I miss the most about the demise of the Drive-In is the pre-film activity. At the Swan, like our own beloved Augusta Rd. Drive In, families gathered in the patch of grass before the giant screen for Frisbee, football, tag, hide and seek and various and sundry other activities. We had a blast. Keith brought a Frisbee and before long kids were gathering from everywhere. The infamous flying disc made it's long and seemingly random circuit repeatedly, interrupted on occasion by the tag football game which would barrel right through the crowd. It was chaotic, it was crazy and it was beautiful. As nightfall approached we made our way to our camp chairs, opened the back of the sports utility van and cranked up the radio to 101.5 fm. I'm sure the giant soft drinks, corn dogs, nachos and funnel cakes were partially to blame but we all found ourselves nodding out during what were probably two pretty good films. It was never really about the movies anyway. Good times.
Saturday
Went to Fred's house the night before for C-mans 4th b-day party and ended up getting in so late that we didn't load the van till this morning (Saturday). After piling a weeks worth of clothes, mountain-board, canoe, fishing gear and a freshly laundered Scooby Doo we headed out...sort of. We stopped at Bob Poock's Hardees for a new creation; I had them combine the the breakfast bowl with the low-carb breakfast bowl for something that probably had about 18,000 fat grams…energy for the road, right?On the way we stopped at one of our favorite stores on the planet, Mountain Crossings at Walasi-yi. It's a popular stop on the Appalachian Trail which if you haven't noticed, has become an obsession with me. We didn't encounter any thru-hikers but greeted several section hikers, most of whom had just completed 30 miles or so. While Jo and I were lusting over the gear and amazing t-shirts Dana took Scooby and beat me to the trail. And when she saw us again, believe me, she took no small pleasure in letting us know! So Jo and I took the leash (with the dog) and set-out. Within the course of a matter of minutes we found our first white blaze! We were stoked. (Blazes are just strokes of paint on trees used to identify the trail you're on. The AT, which stretches from Springer Mountain, GA to Mount Katahdin, Maine..approximately 2175 miles…this year, is identified with white blazes.) Before we found the blaze I told Jo that we'd just walk until we found one. I kept saying, "just a little further." He said, "Let's just go. Let's keep walking." I was tempted. Later he chuckled and said, "It would make a great book: Woman's husband, son and dog set out for short walk and don't come back…for 5 months!" I mused, "Hey babe, we're in Maine. Come get us, would you?" The appeal of the trail has now become almost mystical for me. Near the white blaze was a tree that Jo, of course, had to climb. As he was monkeying to the top my gaze was drawn back to the path. The allure of the beautiful trail stretched out before me seduced me once more. I reminded myself soon…soon.Once we arrived and got unloaded we looked up the number for the Swan Drive-In. One of the more significant losses I've seen in my lifetime is the extinction of the Drive-In movie. When we discovered that one of the rare survivors of the VCR/DVD revolution was just down the road from where we were staying we determined to make a visit. Dana and I as well as Keith and Michelle all have fond memories of the inimitable Drive-In. It's something we've longed for years for Jo to experience. As we were digging up the number we talked about what movie we'd like to see. All of us agreed that either Kung Fu Panda or the new Indian Jones would be fantastic. Dana said, "Wouldn't it be great if they were showing a double feature?" A feeling of wonderment came over me. Double-feature. A term that from the advent of digital recording technology, had been deleted from our lexicon. While we waited in the stifling heat of a local restaurant for our food to arrive (Apparently the AC was down) Dana made the call to see what was showing. She erupted in a blood curdling scream. I honestly thought we'd won the lottery…even though we'd never played. She informed us that tonight the Swan Drive-In would be showing a double-feature. Yep, you guessed it. Kung Fu Panda and Indiana Jones. We were all pretty worn out but couldn't pass up a chance like this so we loaded up and headed for the Swan. One of the things I miss the most about the demise of the Drive-In is the pre-film activity. At the Swan, like our own beloved Augusta Rd. Drive In, families gathered in the patch of grass before the giant screen for Frisbee, football, tag, hide and seek and various and sundry other activities. We had a blast. Keith brought a Frisbee and before long kids were gathering from everywhere. The infamous flying disc made it's long and seemingly random circuit repeatedly, interrupted on occasion by the tag football game which would barrel right through the crowd. It was chaotic, it was crazy and it was beautiful. As nightfall approached we made our way to our camp chairs, opened the back of the sports utility van and cranked up the radio to 101.5 fm. I'm sure the giant soft drinks, corn dogs, nachos and funnel cakes were partially to blame but we all found ourselves nodding out during what were probably two pretty good films. It was never really about the movies anyway. Good times.
Monday, June 16, 2008
We're Back!
Wow, we're back. It's Monday morning and we hit the ground running. What was supposed to be an easy week is panning out to be more insanity for the day job. This past week was a blast and more so than ever we need a vacation from our vacation. We're wasted and back in the grind. Here's where my life philosophy gets tested...during the monotony and drudgery of daily life. Can I live truly alive in the midst of this? God willing.
While we were in Blue Ridge I kept a journal which, of course, could be aptly described as the ramblings of a madman. I think it'll be interesting reading for those of you who are curious. I'll begin posting the entries from that journal daily (10 days late) starting tomorrow along with some killer pics from the week.
Last night I got a phone call from my dad who told me that Mark McD, a friend of the family, had called. He had visited the site and said we need some pics of the product up with pricing. I agree. I so agree. Problem is, right now, the budget only allows for that crappy homemade page that's up there right now. Takes money to make money goes the old adage. Anyhow, I still appreciate the input and all the encouragement. We'll continue to pursue getting that dream site done but in the meantime, be patient and join the journey as we keep you updated on our myspace and virb accounts.
thanks again!
david l.
While we were in Blue Ridge I kept a journal which, of course, could be aptly described as the ramblings of a madman. I think it'll be interesting reading for those of you who are curious. I'll begin posting the entries from that journal daily (10 days late) starting tomorrow along with some killer pics from the week.
Last night I got a phone call from my dad who told me that Mark McD, a friend of the family, had called. He had visited the site and said we need some pics of the product up with pricing. I agree. I so agree. Problem is, right now, the budget only allows for that crappy homemade page that's up there right now. Takes money to make money goes the old adage. Anyhow, I still appreciate the input and all the encouragement. We'll continue to pursue getting that dream site done but in the meantime, be patient and join the journey as we keep you updated on our myspace and virb accounts.
thanks again!
david l.
Friday, June 6, 2008
Irresistible Revolution
This is one of the most important books I've ever read. Period.
Years of full-time ministry depleted me of the essence of who God created me to be. The last 5 or 6 years have been a slow process of introspection, healing (not always fun) and and restoration. This book was the final puzzle piece in this process. (Or at least it seems so) God used Shane to remind me of things that I am now shocked I'd ever forgotten. Read it, and join the journey.
Currently reading:
The Irresistible Revolution: Living as an Ordinary Radical
By Shane Claiborne
Years of full-time ministry depleted me of the essence of who God created me to be. The last 5 or 6 years have been a slow process of introspection, healing (not always fun) and and restoration. This book was the final puzzle piece in this process. (Or at least it seems so) God used Shane to remind me of things that I am now shocked I'd ever forgotten. Read it, and join the journey.
Currently reading:
The Irresistible Revolution: Living as an Ordinary Radical
By Shane Claiborne
Friday, May 30, 2008
Mountain Sports Festival . The Day Before
It's 1:53 pm on Friday and I've been up since 3am. I'm going nutz! Picked up banner from Signs-Plus (Great job, Glenn!), t-shirts from Brady's (Way to step up, Ricky!), product from Ground Industries (who'll be at the Mountain Sport's Festival this weekend doing demos and also selling boards), and thank you Yeshua (and Maverick Label) the bumperstickers arrived and look pretty doggone good. Thank you Amber for taking my crazy designs and turning them into something these aforementioned guys can use. I spent way longer than I should've trying to create a "under construction page" for the website so there'd be something to look at when people, hopefully, visit it. Guess what? After two hours of trying it wouldn't upload. Yeah. So I bought a site-builder from Go daddy and fought it for an hour or so. Arrrrggggggh. Don't like the site builder at all! Sorry it's so lame but if I can find someone to build what's in my head, you're gonna love what's coming! Well, I've gotta go dump our old refrigerator. We got a new one! Woohoo! You've no idea what a good thing that is. If you're reading this hope to see you...or meet you tomorrow.
7 more days and we'll be on the Toccoa River for 7 blissful days of canoeing, trout-fishing, hiking, exploring and soaking in a hot-tub. Awwwwwwoooooooo, yeah!
7 more days and we'll be on the Toccoa River for 7 blissful days of canoeing, trout-fishing, hiking, exploring and soaking in a hot-tub. Awwwwwwoooooooo, yeah!
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