West Virginia Car Camping Trip July 14-1 7th 2005

“we were thinking Ithaca”

“Linus wants to go to Ithaca before the summer is over........

I could dig that!!”

“And to think, I thought WhackO had no talent!”

“CRAP! Sorry to hear about the turn out. That bites the big donkey!

Check will be in the mail today Geo.”

“According to my son, CS needs another class in tarp rigging.”

“Dang, it was a sight to behold for sure, but it held up.

Maybe at our next gathering I need to hold a tarp rigging class.”

“so when are we going to have a trip report and pics!!!!


damn slackers!”

“According to my son, the engineering was....well, unorthodox.

I am beholden to you folks though. My son walks in the door, says "Dad, have you got through reading Clinton's book? I really want to read it."

A chip off the old block.”

“We didn't review Clinton's book, but we did play "Bush Speaks" and I whizzed in the White House drinking water while silently humming "Hail to the Chief."”

“Good job. He came back with a whole new look on politics.

I think MarkO is his new hero.”

“I don't understand that. MarkO spoke so highly of Bubya ... only compared him to Hitler while leaving out Mussolini, Stalin, Sad Sack Insane, and Idi Amin. I thought that was quite charitable.”

“The trip was great!!!! I enjoyed meeting all new TTer's. I look forward to next years trip. I'm in!! For the peeps that didnt show up " YOU SUCK " !!!!
Thanks Geo, we had a wonderful time.


The swimming hole were great!”

“I take it that was cottonsocks speaking there? I know I suck, but I got to get re-aquainted with my daughter this weekend.

It all depends on when in July next year's trip will be. We will be on vacation for a few days somewhere in there.”

“Yes, that was Cottonsocks. If you listened very carefully, you could hear her humming "Rockytop" while she typed.”

“"...new hero..." ???

Uh oh!!

chilidewd, your kids were the greatest.
And the one who actually looks like you(hee hee!!) stole my heart!
She's a sweet little girl and very engaging.

Linus and the kids had a game of frisbee going while I sat in the shade recycling beer.”

“That tarp was an architectural masterpiece and it took all that Ma Nature had to offer. I wouldn't be surprised if Cottonsocks got offers from other campers to buy it!

Geo, you starting a new thread for the TRs or what?”

“Left the Bluetick Tower at 7:25 a.m. on Thursday and was to meet Paul and family at the Peter Camiel service plaza on the Pa. Turnpike at 8. I wondered whether anybody would show up after all the cancellations.

Paul got there about 8:35, and by the time everybody got something for breakfast, hit the rest rooms, and tanked up we were 45 minutes behind.

We stopped at Wally World in Keyser, WV, to get food and last minute things. I went ahead while Paul shopped for the food.

Got to Jess Judy, and the gate was closed, so drove to the campground to meet the managers, who got me oriented. We chatted awhile, then I opened the gate and started setting up. Paul arrived shortly after.

While we were setting up, a guy in a van pulled in inquiring about the campground. I offered to sell him one of the three campsites for $114, the cost. He churned up gravel driving out of there and was not seen again.

NonConformist showed up with son Scott. They set up and everybody got dinner. We sat around and talked awhile, then turned in.

In the morning, Cottonsocks arrived with Morgan, Brittany, and the daughter whose name I've forgotten (I am good at forgetting). They set up and CS planned to hang out at the campground that day because she was tired from driving.

As I was walking to the outhouse, I noticed some white on a dead tree across the river. I thought it might be an eagle, but it did not move, so I figured it was a white snag.

I came out of the outhouse and looked again, and the white snag moved. I got binoculars and camera. It was indeed a magnificent bald eagle. We looked awhile, then I ventured closer to the river to get a better photo. The eagle took off, and I was able to get a shot of it in flight.

Paul, Elyce, Jake and I set out for Cass Scenic Railroad while NonConformist and Scott set out for Seneca Rocks.

We rode the train up to Whitaker, where a lumber camp display is set up. Cass uses old logging Shays, which are geared engines driven by pistons coming out the side and driving a cam that turns gears attached to the wheelsets. The trip up was smoky as the engine labored against grades up to 9 percent. Side rod engines would spin out on that steep a grade, which is why logging companies used geared locomotives.

At the end of the trip we grabbed a light lunch, shopped the gift shop, and headed back to camp.

That night it cleared off a bit, so I set up my spotting scope and we all looked at Jupiter and its moons, and then at our moon, at half moon stage.

MarkO and Linus arrived Friday night. On Saturday morning, we set the time for the cookoff judging at 5 p.m. because NonConformist had to leave that evening. I set out for Petersburg to scout out a prize for the winner, and Paul headed to Franklin to pick up some things.

Cottonsocks and family headed to the swimming hole, and MarkO and Linus found their own hole.

The afternoon was hot, reaching 101 under the Tarp Mahal. To quote MarkO, it was indeed hotter than pi$$! The cooks went to work, and I helped to alleviate the beer glut. MarkO sat around talking to us. I figured he knew when the judging would take place and must have brought pre-cooked stuff.

At 4:45 I announced there were just 15 minutes left, and MarkO disqualified himself because he couldn't get it done in time.

That left Cottonsocks and Paul as the only contestants. Cottonsocks had barbecued duck and a mushroom dip, while Paul made potato salad.

As mentioned earlier, Paul got a narrow victory, winning the hand made Smoke Hole, WV, pot that I had picked up. We partied into the night, stopping to see NonConformist and Scott off. MarkO went to bed early (I think that is an omen that the world will end soon). I finished off my scotch, then finished the last shot of so of his Irish whiskey he had been trying to get me to sample (part of the No Alcohol Left Behind policy).

Next day we broke camp, said our goodbyes, and headed homeward. We enountered traffic stopped cold on the Turnpike, sitting for 20 minutes before we tried to drive off the on ramp, got onto the bridge, and then saw traffic moving again. It took another five minutes to make a eubie and get back to where we had been sitting.

At home I unloaded some of the stuff, leaving a lot of gear for tonight and tomorrow night. I heard a tree limb crash in the rain storm, and went out to find the Geomobile had been hit. It put two dents in the hood and bent the antenna. My neighbor's car is still sitting under a limb I was unable to move. They will return to Florida tomorrow to find that!

So, despite the cancellations, those of us who showed up had a great time. Cottonsocks is a hoot (Chili, you've got a winner there!), and the kids were great. NonConformist is what he says, but a great guy. Scott is a perfect gentleman, and he's got great hands. I headed a soccer ball, knocking my glasses off. Scott caught them.

MarkO and Linus livened the discussions. Speaking of nonconformity ...

Besides the eagles, and I made three more sightings, the valley is the home to a flock of indigo buntings. Little flecks of blue would fly by and alight on the tops of plants.

Rain clouds floated among the hills, making some fine photographs.

And that makeshift tarp that Cottonsocks put up held under 10-12 mile per hour gusts that rattled the Tarp Mahal.

My spirit is still back there in Smoke Hole Canyon. I think I'll leave it there awhile longer.

Pix to follow when I get them processed and posted.”

“Great TR Geo. We saw the buntings too! They were up and down the river wherever we stopped.

My TR will be up soon.”

“"My spirit is still back there in Smoke Hole Canyon. I think I'll leave it there awhile longer."

Hey mister, in West Virginia they call them hollers.”

“Not the West Virginia geologists. From their website:

"In order to display the broad scope and variety of the Mountain State's geology, from time to time the West Virginia Geological and Economic Survey (WVGES) showcases articles from professional geologists not directly affiliated with the WVGES.


The Smoke Hole Region
of
West Virginia
by
Roy S. Sites
(Biographical Sketch)

The Smoke Hole region (locally known as the Smoke Holes) represents approximately 40-square miles of the Spruce Knob-Seneca Rocks National Recreational Area within the Monongahela National Forest. This area is a somewhat isolated, inaccessible, rugged mountainous-canyon region in Grant and Pendleton counties. Cave Mountain is the topographic and structural backbone of the Smoke Holes. The Smoke Holes are dissected by the pirated South Branch of the Potomac River, which flows north-northeastward through a narrow gorge for the entire length of the region, thus the term Smoke Hole Canyon or Smoke Hole Gorge. North Fork Mountain and Middle Mountain are the two prominent topographic features that form, respectively, the western and eastern boundaries of the Smoke Holes."

I rest my case!”

“Curses.......foiled again!!!!

It was a hell of a gorge, anyway.

I wish I could sit in that river right now.”

““so when are we going to have a trip report and pics!!!!


damn slackers!”
mapleleaf

Right, the person who didn't come on the trip calling the ones who did slackers. Now that is a classic case of a tree peeing on a dog, or in the case of TT, Violin complaining about trolls!”

“:(”

“I wish I could sit in that river right now.”
MarkO

After I whizzed in it?”

“that hurt geo”

“Mapes ...
Dip Dip Dip Dip Dip Dip Dip Dip
Dip Dip Dip Dip Dip Dip Dip Dip
Get a job.”

“I'm laying the guilt trip on ya Mapes.”

“We left Michigan on Wednesday night in order to get a few miles behind us and shorten up Thursdays drive. Great plan, unfortunately I was headed into unfamiliar territory and despite being pretty close mileage wise, neither Mapquest nor myself had any concept of how much time is spent going up and down mountain after mountain so the driving time Thursday was MUCH longer than expected. (Because of that, we had to do the same thing on the return trip and leave Saturday night which allowed for a shorter drive on Sunday. I take it we missed some post-cookoff antics?) Great directions from Geobeet made finding the correct roads and all the other sights and attractions in the Smoke Hole/Seneca Rocks area a breeze. (Thanks Geo!)

We met Geobeet and his family....son Paul helped me set up our tent while Geo made a water run. We stayed up and talked a while, going over some possible plans for the upcoming days (it was clear that the steamy weather would play a role each day) and had some snacks and beverages before turning in for the night. The Geobeet clan seems to have their car-camping system down to a science and they not only seem to enjoy what they do, but each others company as well. They were all set up in site A while my son and I were in site B which we had labeled the non-snoring site.

Early the next morning, Friday, Cottonsocks and her family pulled into site B exhausted after an all night drive. SonBurn (my ten year old; see the Nordhouse Dunes July 4th TR for the origin of that trail name.) and I helped them get set up and then Cottonsocks and I put up the greatest tarp ever in the history of car camping---don't let anyone tell you differently! We got along great right off the bat and had some laughs despite the constant heckling from the juvenile peanut gallery while we worked. Once their site seemed pretty well established, my son and I took off for Seneca Rocks.

We couldn't have timed it any better. We got to the Rocks just as the sun broke out, allowing us time to have some lunch and get some great, albeit hazy, photos of the rocks. We made the climb, had some water and a rest and got a few pics from the platform. Just as we started down, the thunder started and the first few drops hit us as we got back to the car. What a great place! I have seen similar formations in Ontario and this was every bit as impressive. They also have a very nice visitor center with plenty of information and souvenirs. My son made it to the observation platform at Seneca Rocks with minimal complaints. Once he saw the view and realized he'd climbed a mountain he was quite proud of himself. (Someone is going to have his TV and Playstation time severely shortened. Shhhh.) It was a fun climb up a well maintained trail and I hope that next time I get to do a little rock scrambling beyond the platform which both Geobeet and MarkO says is possible.

Yes---MarkO! Mark and his son Linus got in late Friday night and I met them when my son and I returned from a short hike on Saturday morning. There's two guys who seem more like brothers (in looks and mannerisms) than father and son. It was good to match another face to another TTer.

We had passed a few signs for a fish hatchery and I knew SonBurn had never been to one, so Saturday we decided to check it out. It was a hatchery that, besides rainbow, brook, and brown trout, also raised Golden Rainbow trout. We learned that this is not the Golden trout that is found out west, this is actually a color phase of the rainbow trout that WV fisheries biologists have been breeding and planting since 1963. We laughed because a tank full of these trout looked surprisingly like a vat full of carrots. According to the person with whom we spoke, the Golden Rainbow makes up one tenth on the annual trout plantings in the state.

Saturday was again hot and humid again so we did a little air-conditioned four wheel hiking to check out more of the views. I really enjoyed this area and hope to get back to see more of it and hopefully do some hiking besides Seneca Rocks. We got back to our campsite and SonBurn changed into his swimming gear. We joined Cottonsocks and her kids at the swimming hole and the kids swam while she and I talked and enjoyed a cold one. Back at the campsite we enjoyed torturing poor Jake into accidentally revealing the "secret" ingredients to his dads potato salad. ("A-ha! There are potatoes in the potato salad! Somebody write that down!") He finally ran back to his campsite after thinking he gave up potatoes and eggs as two of the secret ingredients, LOL.

As for the cookoff.....it's more difficult to be a judge than a contestant, trust me. Just the pain and torture of having to try all sorts of great food nearly did me in---that and the mental anguish. (there's always mental anguish.) I may need legal representation in the event I need monetary compensation for all that pain and suffering. Three of us judged a warm mushroom dip (CS), a potato salad (Paul), and a barbecued duck appetizer (CS). We were also able to periodically peak at a simmering tomato sauce that may just about be finishing up today. After the three judges picked three different first place finishers, a first/second/third system pointed towards Pauls potato salad as the narrow winner. To give you an idea of where my sons heart is, after a weekend of mountains, valleys, eagles, fish, deer, and both cows and kittens standing in the road in front of our car, when I asked him what his favorite part of the trip was, he said "judging the cookoff", LOL.

MarkO, I wish we could have spent more time with you and your son. I know I'll be able to hook up with you (and hopefully others) on some future trips. I have to believe that hiking with you and your son would be a hoot. My son was asking me on the ride home, "Dad, who was that guy with the pony tail who kept asking me my name?"

GeoBeet, thanks so much for everything---it was great to meet both you and your family. Your knowledge of the area helped us tremendously and you all made us feel very welcome. Needless to say, you have thoroughly impressed my son (especially with the views of Jupiter and the moon through the telescope) as well as myself, and he tells me you remind him of his grandpa because you know about a lot different things. Tell Paul we'll be looking for that potato salad recipe and please pass along the following message: "Old-you-tay you would in-way. Anks-thay for the ear-gay and eep-kay it oming-cay. Ext-nay ime-tay, let's ust-jay ick-stay to ash-cay."

Cottonsocks, we enjoyed you and your family immensely. You kept us listening and laughing (and eating!!) throughout the weekend. Don't let anyone tell us we can't put up any stinking tarps! We kept four little nay-saying critics dry during a few brief showers....next time we'll show them a few other uses for tape and rope. I had a great time with you and am glad you and the kids came. Both my son and I slept soundly every night despite the fact that just after we met you, you asked for my help in disposing of a cooler full of blood. (Oddly enough, there were no reports of missing hitchhikers in the WV the whole weekend. You're good!) I'll be looking for a few recipes from you too!

The country was magnificent. Michigan is a beautiful place with the Great Lakes and clear rivers and huge tracts of forest, but the mountain and valley views offered up by WV were more than enough to impress us northern forest dwellers. I will definitely be back again. Thanks to all for making us part of the TT family.”

“Well, this sank like a rock. Oh, that's right. Not many people came.”

“It's a Trip Report Geo. Of course it sank like a rock.”

“Great to read all your TR's. Yes, I read every one. Thanks for having a great time without the rest of us mopes.”

“Mr. big city newspaper editor making poor single women pay him money for his own fool mistake.

Plan another one. Lots of people will come drink with tightwad Geobeet.”

“whacko go f^cko offo ok?




whacko is buying next year!!
last edited: 7/19/05 6:46:04 AM”

“Sorry geo, I wish I could have made it. As it turned out, I am having to float a lot of checks inorder to see the doc and get the tests done that I need :( the doc was 80 bucks, who refered me to another doc that was anotehr 50....the tests are 20 and 50 depending on the tests, plus all the medications. I just cant pay right now. When all this is over and the check book recoveres I will send you $$ :(”

“no insurance?

that it was the perfect job?


*grin*”

“mapes I have insurance but the specialist doctor my doc sent me to was outside of the plan...then there are co-pays for certain tests and of course co-pay for meds. The insurance in IN really sucks but its a hell of a lot better then being without.”

“WhackOff can't stand it that some people actually get along with their families.”

“who is whacko?

geo your family?”

“No, somebody else's. It's JO, aka JOff.”

“OMG ^rolling eyes^

he is like a zit on the @ss of human kind

will not go away. so what did you do to tick him off?”

“He was born ticked off.”

“To George Beetham of Glenside PA...aka Geobeet

I decided some time ago to stay away from commenting on TT, getting involved in the constant neurotic bickering and high school-like behavior. I've checked in occasionally to read trip reports, get advice and enjoy the backpacking/nature threads.

Tonight I see that you are attributing the comments of someone else (Whacko) who hurt your feelings, to me. Shame on you.

Maryland has over 5 million people George. You goofed ... that wasn't me. I guess your whiny gossipy pompous crap rubbed someone else the wrong way. I really don't care about the attendance problem you had in WV....I had and will have no comment. I just wanted to read the TR.

Furthermore, I see that you've commented on my family....gone where you have no business. You have no idea what you're talking about. Please stop your gossip and personal attacks. I gave up that nonsense a long time ago and you should too.

This is no way for a director-at-large of the West Virginia Highlands Conservancy to behave. Shall I post your address and phone number too?. It's right here in the WVHC newsletter. That way the real Whacko can get in touch with you.”

“To Jim Owens, aka JO, aka WhackO

My address is already posted under my preferences. Plus, a troll has already posted a map to my house on this board.

Take your abusive crap somewhere else. Everybody here has had a bellyfull of it.”

“yes that was a good thing that the troll posted a map to your house, it made stalking you much easier!!


awwww the good ole days of trolls.”

“Speaking of stalkers, we have an anonymous coward who sends letters threatening to kill a developer and me because he does not like the developer's plans. What is truly interesting about this is that I wrote editorials strenuously objecting to these plans because they are in the floodway of the Schuylkill River. The last one cites the fact that this jerk has to sit in traffic.”

“OMG OHIO HIKER IS BACKKKKKKK


well geo face it, your just EVIL!”

“I think you're looking for rationality in the wrong place, if you get my drift...”

“Evil? No....you're just a cowardly, lonely, blowhard, afraid to admit a mistake, playing on the computer with his "friends" while supposedly working. Blech!! Ya got the wrong guy and you can't admit it. Bellyfull eh? Well, I'd agree that you've got a bellyfull but that's not my fault. Please leave me and my name out of your childish time wasting on TT.

Ya know....this Whacko person is probably someone who went on the trip with you and is too much a coward to tell you to your face. I know of just such a person. Obviously some of your "friends" think your a whiny tightwad.”

“LOL JO your to funny

so what is your point to being on trail talk? bored? no home life?
what?


can you please take your crap off of this thread!
start your own thread and stop stalking people!
oh and that includes whacko (hate to say it JO but you blew your cover by defending yourself and ranting just like whacko does) notvery bright!”

“No No Mapes. WhackOff is ...






























... the Easter Bunny!”