2008 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

Ever since I was a little kid, I always wanted to go to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. To be there in the crowd, see all those big balloons and the floats go by, hear the marching bands and see all the celebrities. This year as Thanksgiving neared I thought again about the parade, then I thought about my kids. My daughter is 11. She's maturing quickly and at the age where she thinks she's an adult and wants independence. This may be the last year for a while that she would enjoy the parade; the parade would be too "baby-ish" for her next year. My son is 7, old enough to remember the parade when he is an adult. I made the decision that we would attend the parade this year.

We left Baltimore at about 2am Thanksgiving morning and headed north. We arrived in New York City around 4:45 and were parked and putting on warm clothes in the van at 5:15. By 5:30 we were walking down Central Park West, looking for a good spot to watch the parade from. We found a spot at CPW and 63rd and camped out in the 37 degree morning.


Early Morning Crowd at Central Park West and 63rd

The parade officially started at 9am, and it was about 9:20 when the first color guard of the parade made it to us.


Start of the 2008 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade


Kermit the Frog!


A big Smurf


U.S. Twirling All-Stars


Miley Cyrus


Georgia Tech Marching Band


Snoopy!


Miss USA, Crystle Stewart


Mark Twain


Spongebob Squarepants


Shrek


Miranda Cosgrove (iCarly, Drake and Josh, School of Rock)


Hello Kitty


A litterbug


Andy Williams


The Energizer Bunny


WE GOT RICKROLLED!!!


The Real Santa Claus!


Looking down 63rd Street After the Parade


The Parade Aftermath

Georgia congressman warns of Obama dictatorship

Georgia congressman warns of Obama dictatorship

By BEN EVANS – 1 hour ago

WASHINGTON (AP) — A Republican congressman from Georgia said Monday he fears that President-elect Obama will establish a Gestapo-like security force to impose a Marxist or fascist dictatorship.

"It may sound a bit crazy and off base, but the thing is, he's the one who proposed this national security force," Rep. Paul Broun said of Obama in an interview Monday with The Associated Press. "I'm just trying to bring attention to the fact that we may — may not, I hope not — but we may have a problem with that type of philosophy of radical socialism or Marxism."

Broun cited a July speech by Obama that has circulated on the Internet in which the then-Democratic presidential candidate called for a civilian force to take some of the national security burden off the military.

"That's exactly what Hitler did in Nazi Germany and it's exactly what the Soviet Union did," Broun said. "When he's proposing to have a national security force that's answering to him, that is as strong as the U.S. military, he's showing me signs of being Marxist."

Obama's comments about a national security force came during a speech in Colorado about building a new civil service corps. Among other things, he called for expanding the nation's foreign service and doubling the size of the Peace Corps "to renew our diplomacy."

"We cannot continue to rely only on our military in order to achieve the national security objectives that we've set," Obama said in July. "We've got to have a civilian national security force that's just as powerful, just as strong, just as well-funded."

Broun said he also believes Obama likely will move to ban gun ownership if he does build a national police force.

Obama has said he respects the Second Amendment right to bear arms and favors "common sense" gun laws. Gun rights advocates interpret that as meaning he'll at least enact curbs on ownership of assault weapons and concealed weapons. As an Illinois state lawmaker, Obama supported a ban on semiautomatic weapons and tighter restrictions on firearms generally.

"We can't be lulled into complacency," Broun said. "You have to remember that Adolf Hitler was elected in a democratic Germany. I'm not comparing him to Adolf Hitler. What I'm saying is there is the potential."

Obama's transition office did not respond immediately to Broun's remarks.

Original Article

P.O.D. - Picture of the Day

What A View!

My son checks out the Shenandoah Valley from the summit of Stony Man Mountain (4010') in Shenandoah National Park. We visited the park during peak autumn color.

What does the world think about Obama?

The BBC website has an interesting section today where people around the world are commenting on the election of Obama to the position of President of the United States of America. Here are some of the comments I found interesting, in no particular order:



I heartily welcome the fact that with this election America will cease to be a nightmare to the world and will hopefully once again be able to live up to its potential for good.

Bernhard, Dublin


Test of Obama abilities, intellect and vision starts now, he won a historic election. He has to work a load to make it real history.

Asif Chaudhary, Lahore, Pakistan

Martin Luther King wanted people not to be judged by the colour of their skin. Yet this is exactly what has happened in America with Obama being supported by virtually all blacks purely because of the colour of his skin, whilst whites voted according to their politics.
What does that tell us about America? And what would Martin Luther King really think, or does equality only work one way?
I suspect when the infantile euphoria dies down from blacks & liberals, America will face internal strife.

Ken Cunningham, Newcastle, United Kingdom

With the popular vote split at 52% to 47% it shows what a divided country the USA really is. What this election really needed was a third choice to avoid this polarisation. And if the BBC's reporting last night is correct and McCain picked up a mere 3% of the black votes then racism still lives on, but not just with the whites.

dave h, camberley, United Kingdom

Now blacks will at last be helped from poverty and have the same rewards as whites. Black America will stand proud in partnership with Africa and Asia.
wasim khan, London, United Kingdom

Or... Maybe they could help themselves from poverty and reap the same rewards that have always been there whether you are white, black, green or purple.

[Coprolite], Vancouver, Canada


Whatever else this day has been about it will always be seen as the first major step towards healing the discrimination of the world

helen smith, Inhambane, Mozambique


A sad day for America. Not at all because an African-American won candidate won (the best candidate on the ballet was African-American but it wasn't Obama; it was Alan Keyes). It marks a significant step for people turning to the government to solve all of our problems rather than rolling up their sleeves and doing it themselves. It might even mark the beginning of the end of the great experiment of what made America unique.

Peter, Monterey Park

This election stands to be yet another example of how bipartisan politics in the U.S. will continue backed by misinformed and often oblivious voters. The election of Mr. Obama suggests that people are more moved by a simple campaign slogan and a few nice words than past judgment. Corporations will continue to rule policy within the new, strongly democratic leadership of the country. I dare anyone to find more than one in five voters who somewhat checked a single candidate's voting record.

Kyle B, Wilmington

America is the greatest democratic Country in the World and this election proves it to rest of the world. We made our mistakes before but now we are determine to fix it. We will gain our respect from the world; we will be friend to the world not enemy. As a same time we won't tolerant any bad doing by other nations. As John McCain said, “Nothing is in Inhabitable here, Americans never quit, we never surrender, we never hide from history we make history”

I am glad that Obama won the election

Dewan, Bronx


America is not ready for a socialist government. When taxes go up jobs go down. Why would anyone want to work when his earnings will go to support the drug habits of people who do not want to work because they figure it is easier to get a handout from the government.

James Flaggert, Boerne


Obama may be a very good man and yes, it is a difference that he is non-white. However, one day in the future we might look back and realise that to repeatedly emphasise his skin colour is merely to repeat colour prejudice. How else can you describe a whole cadre of people voting for him precisely because of his skin colour, other than prejudice? For now it's seen as a positive thing in the US, but it's selection (or discrimination) on the basis of skin colour all the same...

Ben Green, Poynton

Present.

Marty

Worst day for America as a whole, I could never imagine America would elect a novice Chicago politician over a veteran American hero, I would have rejoiced the election as a minority if this candidate had the stature in the likes of Collen Powell or Condoleezza Rice

Vin Raj, New York

It is a sad state when this country elects a euro-socialist promising empty platitudes of "change, hope". American exceptionalism is what makes this country the finest, most properous in the world. It has taken America a little over a quarter of a millennium to far surpass the socials country's of Europe while providing our citizen and out standing quality of life. Rehashing the failed redistributionist views that are decades old is going to be a huge setback for the worlds lone superpower.

Tyler, Columbia, Columbia

I see this result in a very positive light. Obama has inherited a dreadful legacy from Dubya and will require all the resources at his command to rectify the errors of the last eight years. Also - as one word of caution: remember the national mood when Blair won the UK General Election in 1997. He will go down in history as one of the worst prime ministers this country ever had. Please don't get carried away by the euphoria. There are tough challenges ahead for the USA and the rest of the world.

Peter, Pirot, Serbia

To a world that seeks peace and respect of human rights,
That oversees race and political boundaries,
That reaches out to those in need,
That strives for the good of every human soul,
To you, I give Barack Obama, the 44th President elect of the USA.
Congratulations to you son of the African soil.
Adhere to the values you were raised with till the end.

Keletso Setlhabi, Gaborone, Botswana

Imagine if a President was voted in because he was white, there would be uproar. Obama was voted in by hundreds of thousands of previously unregistered black voters who elected him solely because he was black, no other reason. This combined with a celebrity led liberal movement desperate to jump on the "I'm not racist you must be if you voted McCain" bandwagon.

Jock, Edinburgh

Am I happy for the result? I am happy that America has broken the glass ceiling of race-oriented leadership. The election might prove to be the beginnings of one-party rule in the U.S. for quite some time. Hard work, self-determination, and leadership by example have been placed on the endangered species list. Like it or not, Obama is a political creature of a very large machine, not unlike the one which drove Bush to the presidency. We'll soon find out the price of their support.

David, Arlington

During this campaign, Obama showed what the democrates are good at - SPENDING!!!

Plus he promised us more taxes.

Reagan was right ... tax and spend democrates

Terry Sides, Irving

To the Americans on this site - you did it. You drank the kool aid and voted for a person with no experience. You voted for higher taxes, bigger government, and a weaker military. After the honeymoon is over I suspect buyers remorse will set in fairly quickly.

To the non-Americans on this site - I wonder how long it will take before you begin your anti-American rants again. I have to be honest, I hope it's soon, because I kinda get a kick out of it :-)

Ron Wilson, Milwaukee


This is the worst thing that could possibly happen to America and the World. Say goodbye to Israel, Obama won't support it; and as Israel goes, so goes the West. So say goodbye to the free-loving Europe we all know, Sharia law is coming to town! Say goodbye to Canada and the US, because again, Sharia law is coming to town. Obama will be so complacent in securing our borders that radical terrorists will be able to hop on over. So, say goodnight now, soon it will be time for evening prayers.

[DanielS82], Chicago, United States

I evaluate Mr. Obama's election as celebrity over substance. There was a sense of entitlement among his voters -- a debt due by electing Mr. Obama. In addition, Mr. Obama promised entitlements to many, which will be at the expense of others. Mr. Obama's economic/social plans will penalize those who work and who are sccessful, and reward those who do not and are not. I advocate a level field, but do not subscribe to digging a hole so we are all at the same depth. God help the USA

D Mark Robertson


You know, having read the comments on here, it's obvious that this 'race' thing is still a big issue. What does it matter what coulour skin he has? Whether he's black, white, mixed race or whatever, or whether he came from planet Zog (well, he wouldn't have been able to run for the presidency then would he?) All I'm saying is, if he gets the job done that's all that matters. And who said that raceism is dead?? Just listen to yourselves. Shame on you!

lucieanne, Boston


People say things will be different; that he's different ... actually, he's American. How different can things ACTUALLY get? There pretty much isn't a single American that doesn't worship the Dollar. He, like every other American, knows which side his bread is buttered. He ain't no Ghandhi.

sud, Enfield


America will come of age only when black candidates are prepared to choose a white candidate over a black one as readily as whites are to choose a black candidate over a white one.
It seems racism is still overt in USA but only in black circles.
I wish Obama all the best but I see big trouble ahead. the man has no experience and cannot fulfill his rash "motherhood" promises.
The penny will drop when reality dawns !

Ken Cunningham, Newcastle, United Kingdom

Maryland Election Rule Changes for 2008

Here are some changes to Maryland Voting laws and policies from the last election. These are from a friend of mine who is an election judge in Frederick County, MD.

1) Maryland (like everywhere else) is expecting very high voter turnout and has a lot of new voters. This probably means that there will be long lines. I know Frederick County has greatly increased the number of voting machines (The number is almost doubled) but especially at popular times there will be lines

2) There has been a court ordered change in 'Provisional Voting'. In the Primary and in the 2006 election voters were allowed to cast a Provisional ballot if they showed up at a voting location outside their home precinct. This is no longer allowed. So if you were planning on going to a polling place near work instead of home and using a provisional ballot it will not be allowed

3) Although the deadline for requesting an Absentee ballot be mailed to you has passed you can fill out a 'Late Absentee Ballot Application' and TAKE IT IN PERSON to the Board of Elections and get an Absentee Ballot. You can the fill it out and turn it in or take it home and mail it in (Make sure it is postmarked by November 4)

http://www.elections.state.md.us/pdf/2008_Late_Absentee_Ballot_Application.pdf

4) If you are voting absentee the absentee ballot must be postmarked on or before November 4 or turned in at the Board of Elections by 8 PM on November 4. You can not turn it in at a polling place (I had someone try and do that last election) because the folks at the Polling place will not have it back to the central Board by 8 PM (when the polls close)

Please take the time to vote on Tuesday.

My Review of REI Monarch IV GTX Hiking Boots - Men's

Originally submitted at REI

Amazing performance, fit and durability for wet weather. These waterproof hikers handle mucky trails with ease and are a true value.

REI Monarch IV GTX Hiking Boots - Men's

I Can't Understand These Boots...

By CrazySanMan from Baltimore, MD on 9/8/2008

 

3out of 5

Pros: Waterproof, Comfortable, Breatheable

Cons: Poor Traction

Best Uses: Hiking

Describe Yourself: Avid Adventurer

These boots are very comfortable. They fit true to size and width. I once wore them on an 18 mile, single day hike on a rocky section of the AT along the VA/WV border and didn't have a single problem. My feet stayed comfortable in them during several overnight trips in Shenandoah National Park in 90+ temps this summer. I would estimate that I put 150 miles on them this summer.

What I don't understand is that while the waterproofing is excellent, the wet traction of the soles is abysmal. I was on the AT in a HEAVY downpour on the 4th of July and the boots repelled the rain and mud but my feet slipped almost every time I placed them on a rock or tree trunk. I was the only person slipping on the trail, and one other person was wearing a pair of trail running shoes without slipping.

Dry traction is what you'd expect from Vibram soles - close to approach-shoe level. But when there is even the slightest coating of water I might as well be walking on ice.

I have slipped and fell every time I have worn these boots when it is wet. I've slipped on dew and condensation, in rain, during stream crossings, in the splash area of waterfalls, you name it.

These boots are like a double-edged sword because they keep my feet bone dry when it is wet but they are so slick I cannot wear them when it's wet.

(legalese)

P.O.D. - Picture of the Day

Black Rat Snake

Here is something to hold you over until I finish my entry about my most recent hiking trip. I have to leave for work at midnight all this week so I'm not getting a lot of free time. This black rat snake was on the side of the trail leading to the Cave Falls waterfall that I saw on my hike. I was trying to get the snake to strike to get a more dramatic photo, but it wouldn't. Black rat snakes are very docile and almost never strike. Unfortunately most people don't understand this and kill them on sight.

P.O.D. - Picture of the Day

Bear Country

They sure aren't kidding!

This was taken at the Big Meadows picnic area in Shenandoah National Park. I went backpacking there this weekend and I'll have a blog entry about it in a day or two. I had 11 separate bear encounters on my trip.

P.O.D. - Picture of the Day

A Self Portrait at the National Vietnam War Memorial

The other day I went into work very early and I got out early. I took the Metro from Greenbelt to the Archives so I could look up some of my ancestors on the U.S. Federal Census of 1830 and 1820. After that I walked around the National Mall for several hours. As usual, I took a bunch of pictures.

Appalachain Trail (Keys Gap) - Loudoun Heights Loop Hike

I'm finally starting to get over my pleurisy and I have been dying to "get out there" so yesterday morning I did a little research on line and found the AT-Loudoun Heights Loop hike in WV-VA-MD. This 12.1 mile hike starts at the Appalachian Trail at the Keys Gap trailhead, goes north and loops around Harpers Ferry, WV, then joins the AT again and retraces south back to the Keys Gap trailhead.

"Perfect day hike" I thought. It was a little long for my first exercise in over a month but I would walk slowly, take breaks, and enjoy being out. I planned on the hike taking 6 hours - 2 miles per hour.

I brought a daypack with an internal frame that also holds a big Nalgene reservoir. I had a lot of snacks and some jerky for protein. I brought my Columbia sandals with me as well. These sandals have a super-grippy Vibram sole and they are great for hiking. They give good traction. You don't get blisters of hot spots because your feet get plenty of air. You can cross creeks and rivers by just walking through them.

I started out on the trail along an old wire fence.

On the AT at Keys Gap WV 7-5-08

and then the trail left the fence and headed deeper into some forest. The trail was very rocky and at some points the trail looked like someone came by and dumped large 1-2 foot wide rocks all over the trail. I believe that for the first four miles I stepped on rock more than I stepped on dirt.

At one point the trail entered a meadow that was a clearing for large high-tension power lines. I've never been under power lines like this before and I could hear the electricity humming and crackling very loudly. It was kind of eerie. I passed the power lines again when I was returning to Keys Gap. Here is a shot of the power lines each time:


A long Day


After four miles the AT joins the Loudoun Heights Loop Trail.

Which Way?


I turned left and continued to follow the AT on a series of switchbacks down a very steep hill. I crossed a road and continued the steep descent. Here and there stone steps were placed on the trail to aid the descent.

Rock Stairs Compliments of PATC


The trail finally came to the bridge on Route 340 that crosses the Shenandoah River. I walked on the side of the bridge and made an immediate right toward Harpers Ferry. As soon as I made the right there was a small trail entry blazed white that went up a steep embankment and climbed to the bluffs above Harpers Ferry. At the top of the bluff I took a blue-blazed side trail that led me through the Storer University campus to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy headquarters. This is the organization that owns all of the Appalachian Trail land and maintains the trail.


ATC HQ

Here I got a drink, talked to some SOBO backpackers, and read a little about the history of the Appalachian Trail. Then I followed the blue blazes back to the AT and promptly came to Jefferson Rock.


Jefferson Rock

Jefferson Rock sits high above Harpers Ferry and from here you have an excellent view of the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers. Thomas Jefferson was so impressed with the view from this rock that he wrote "this scene is worth a voyage across the Atlantic". See http://www.nps.gov/archive/hafe/jeffrock.htm for more of Thomas Jefferson's dramatic description of this view.

The View From Jefferson Rock

This is the Potomac river as seen from Jefferson Rock.

The trail then goes down into historic Harpers Ferry. There are actually white AT blazes along the street. I've never noticed them before. Once through the town you walk along an old iron railroad bridge to cross the Potomac. On the other side of the bridge is Maryland and the C&O Canal towpath. The AT follows the towpath for about a mile to MD 340. Here you leave the towpath and climb up to 340. The 340 bridge has a very narrow walkway and you use this to cross the Potomac again, into Virginia. The trail has you follow 340 against traffic on the left hand side for about a quarter mile. Then there is a small path with a sign that says "Loudoun Heights Trail".

The Loudon Heights trail is blazed blue and it begins climbing immediately. Through a series of steep switchbacks it climbs 300 feet to a rock outcropping across the rivers from Harpers Ferry and 600 feet above sea-level.


The MD 340 Bridge Across the Potomac



Harpers Ferry seen from Loudoun Heights

After leaving the bluff, the trail continues climbing up to 1200 feet and follows this ridge line back to the Appalachian Trail where I initially turned left. When I got to this point I was completely exhausted. I felt like I couldn't walk anymore. I checked my GPS and the trip computer said I had gone 13.7 miles. It sure felt like it, but the whole loop was only supposed to be 12.1 miles and I had 4 to go.

I took the last four miles very slowly, walking easily. The sun was getting low in the sky and the trail was starting to darken. I passed four tents set up on this leg of the Appalachian Trail- through hikers who were stopping for the night after another hard but rewarding day on the trail.

When I made it back to the car I checked the trip computer on my GPS again. 17.8 miles. I was hoping, (or not actually) that my GPS was inaccurate and measuring mileage shorter than it really was, but the GPS, the sign that said 4 miles, and the guidebook were all right about this distance. It sure felt like I had walked nearly 18 miles. The trip took me 7 and a half hours and the GPS said I averaged 3.1 mph when I was moving. I went farther and faster than I set out to do, and I have been very sick for the past month.

I want to do this loop again sometime soon, but hit the Loudon Heights early in the morning. As it was I was shooting into harsh sunlight and a lot of haze and my pictures toward Harpers Ferry were very bad. In the morning the sun would be to my back shining onto Harpers Ferry instead of above it shining into my lens. I really want to see the view from there at peak color in the fall...

P.O.D. - Picture of the Day

Sunset at Loch Raven Reservoir

I finally remembered to shoot RAW. This was three shots in RAW format that were converted to TIFF, ran through Photoshop's HDR algorithm, and then converted to a low compression JPEG. There is such a difference between the photo quality of RAW vs JPEG. I don't know if I'll ever shoot JPEG again.

P.O.D. - Picture of the Day

Car fire on MD 295 / BW Parkway near I-32

This was my excitement driving to work this week. I could see a narrow column of dark black smoke rising from around a turn and I knew it had to be a carbeque so I managed to get out my camera and snap two shots of it as I drove by. High tech rubbernecking. I used a digital Rebel XTi with a 75-300mm zoom lens shooting "from the hip"; I held up the camera and shot without looking through the viewfinder. I did pretty good considering the big lens, the moving car, and not using the viewfinder. This image is straight from the camera - no processing at all.

I've Got Pleurisey, No Backpacking for Me

On June 9th I had 6 separate attacks/spells/episodes that seemed like heart attacks, but I didn't have some of the classic heart attack symptoms and my heart is in great shape so I decided to wait and see what happened next.

With each attack I got very dizzy, lost my hearing and saw large black spots, had a terrible pain over my heart that got worse when I breathed, and I had a very sharp, very severe pain in my lower back that came and went with each heartbeat. These attacks lasted about a minute each. The first four occurred when I was sitting at my desk in the air conditioning so I knew they weren't heat related.

I decided to wait and see what happened that night and call my doctor in the morning for an appointment. Everyone was telling me to go to the emergency room but I didn't want to spend my birthday in a waiting room. So, the following morning I called my doctor. When I described what had happened she told me to hang up and call 911. So much for avoiding the emergency room...

I was in the ER for about 3 hours. I was given an IV and hooked to an EKG. I was given Toradol through my IV. After beeing on the EKG for a while I was taken for a series of chest x-rays. The doctors determined I have pleurisey, which is an inflamation of the lining of the chest cavity. I had a sinus infection a few weeks ago that returned after a course of antibiotics and apparently it infected my chest cavity. There is fluid built up around my heart and it causes pain because my heart cannot fully expand when it beats.

I have been given bed rest for the rest of the week and oxaprozin, a non-sterol anti-inflamatory drug, for the pain in my heart and to reduce the fluid build up in my chest cavity. I begin to get dizzy after I take a few deep breaths and I get fatigued after simply walking up the stairs so I will not be able to go on my planned backpacking trip this weekend. That sucks.

Just last week I was in the gym four times training my legs, back, and shoulders for the trip and now I couldn't even walk from the parking lot into the gym without getting tired and dizzy. Being a single parent I don't get to get into the woods very often and I hate missing this opportunity to get away for four days. I had thought about driving Skyline Drive through Shenandoah on my way home but that would just be torture to me since I wouldn't be able to get out and hike any of the short circuits to the scenic viewpoints and waterfalls. I'll just have to keep my eyes open for my next opportunity to hit the trails and get healthy between now and then.

Another Backpacking Trip in the Works

I'm planning my second backpacking trip of the year. This one is going to be in the Shenandoah National Park from June 14-17. I'm going to access the park from I-64 so I'll stay in the South end of the park, mainly around Loft Mountain.

I'm thinking I'll park around mile 84 at the Jones Run Trail parking lot and hike the Jones Run Trail past the three waterfalls. I'll take the Appalachian Trail at the PATC Doyle River Cabin and follow it North.

I'm hoping to find a campsite for that first night somewhere on the approach to the Loft Mountain Campground or about halfway between the campground and the Frazier Discovery Trail. Both areas look relatively flat on my topographical map, the flattest land around. Sure, it's only about 5 miles from the Jones Run trailhead, but the first day I'll be driving to the park from Virginia Beach and I want to give myself time to photograph and enjoy the waterfalls.

I'm not real sure where to go from here. I would like to do around 10 miles Sunday and Monday and then do about 5 back to the trailhead and the car on Tuesday. I may head up the Rocky Mount/Gap Run Trail loop but that whole area looks very steep with no camping sites. I may head south on the AT and do the Wildcat Ridge/Riprap loop.

I would love to start further north and include a summit of Hawksbill or Stony Man as part of the trip but I'm a little pressed for time and don't want to drive that much farther North on Saturday and Tuesday. I would love to get some photos of a bear and they are a lot more plentiful in the Southern end of the park, and the three waterfalls are also very tempting photo subjects. I can make a trip later on to Hawksbill and Stony Man when I'm starting out from here in Baltimore because that section of the park is much closer to Baltimore. Since I'm coming in from Virginia Beach this time I should stay near I-64.

If you are familiar with Shenandoah National Park and have some suggestions for a 25 mile loop or circuit from the area around the Loft Mountain campground ending at the Jones Run trailhead around mile 83 of Skyline Drive, please let me know.

P.O.D. - Picture of the Day

It's that time of year again. There are rabbits everywhere. I'm afraid to walk in my own backyard because I just know the rabbits will bum rush me and sting me.

P.O.D. - Picture of the Day

Happy Memorial Day 2008!



"Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, in order to assure the survival and the success of liberty."

-John F. Kennedy, Inaugural Address, Friday, January 20, 1961

P.O.D. - Picture of the Day

Cunningham Falls

Cunningham Falls, at 78 feet tall, is the tallest waterfall in Maryland. This cascading waterfall is located in the Cunningham Falls State Park on Catoctim Mountain near Thurmont Maryland. There is a large lake with a beach in this park where visitors can swim. There are three hiking trails to get to the falls. The first is a 1/4 mile long boardwalk for handicapped people. The second is a gravel paved double track trail called the lower falls trail. Finally, the yellow blazed Upper Falls Trail follows the ridge line for 8/10ths of a mile over very steep, rugged, rocky terrain. The U.S. Presidential retreat Camp David is also located on Catoctin Mountain, as is the Catoctin Mountain Park, which is run by the U.S. National Park Service.

P.O.D. - Picture of the Day

Campfire and Kids

This weekend the kids and I went camping at Elk Neck State Park in Cecil County, Maryland. It was raining as we drove to the campsite but the rain stopped just before we reached the park. Saturday was a beautiful day and we hiked to the Turkey Point Lighthouse.

Elk Neck State Park was a nice park with well-kept facilities. The tent pad was a little on the small side - we had a 15' x 17' tent that had to go diagonally to fit on the pad.

We roasted marshmallows and baked bananas with chocolate and peanut butter chips over the campfire.

More Geocaches found!

Today my friend Jessica called me and asked if I was going to be doing anything outside with the kids since it was a nice day. We decided to go geocaching. Jess lives in Cockeysville so I went to geocaching.com and searched for caches in her zip code. Since it was Jessica's first time geocaching and she was going to have her 15 month old boy with her I located two that were easily accessible and transferred the waypoints to my GPS.

The first cache we attempted was called Old Padonia Post. It was described as a park and grab and sure enough the GPS waypoint had us in a parking lot. We spent quite some time searching, maybe 20 minutes, when I found the cache. I won't give any spoilers but I'll say it wasn't at all where or what I expected. It was a very well-hidden cache. There were some muggles around here so I had to wait until it was clear to retrieve the cache. The cache itself is a mini Altoids tin so it only has a piece of paper inside for a log. We all signed it and set our sites on cache number 2.

The second cache of the evening was called Western Run washout. This is a multi cache in an industrial park near the Hunt Valley Towncenter. We were led to a small picnic area behind an office building for the first cache. After several minutes of hunting for this cache I found it. The cache's color gave it away. Inside the caceh was a scrap of paper with a new set of coordinates written on it. I created a waypoint for the new coordinates and was relieved to find that the second cache was only 440 feet away. The last thing I wanted to do was spent the evening driving in traffic on York Road.

My seven year old son found the second cache. Again the color gave it away. This cache had anoth piece of paper with more coordinates on it. I entered these into my Vista HCx and off we went. This cache led us off a path into the woods alongside the Western Run. We searched for about 25 minutes but none of us could find the cache. It was getting late so we decided to call it a night and come back another time to continue our search.

We ended the night with a find for Padonia Post and we found 2/x of the Western Run Washout cache. Not a bad evening.

Geocaching!

Today I had an hour and a half to kill before I had to take my daughter to Girl Scouts so her and I went geocaching. A zip code search on http://www.geocaching.com/ revealed several geocaches that were close to my house. A few mouse clicks later I had downloaded the .LOC files for these caches into my Garmin eTrex Vista HCx and we were off.

What is geocaching? According to geocaching.com, Geocaching is:

"Geocaching is an entertaining adventure game for gps users. Participating in a cache hunt is a good way to take advantage of the wonderful features and capability of a gps unit. The basic idea is to have individuals and organizations set up caches all over the world and share the locations of these caches on the internet. GPS users can then use the location coordinates to find the caches. Once found, a cache may provide the visitor with a wide variety of rewards. All the visitor is asked to do is if they get something they should try to leave something for the cache."

Basically, people get small, waterproof containers and hide them somewhere. Anywhere at all. They use a portable GPS unit to note the coordinates of the container when it is hidden and then go to a website like geocaching.com and post the coordinates of the cache and give some clues or describe the goal of the cache. Most caches are filled with small trinkets and most people will take a "gift" from the box and then leave something of their own. The box also contains some type of log book, normally a tiny spiral note pad, that geocachers sign when they find the cache.

Some caches contain a special "travel bug" or a "geocoin". a travel bug (or TB) is a metal pendant like a dog tag. It has a picture of a bug on it, a serial number stamped in it, and instructions to log onto geocaching.com and enter the serial number to log the bug. The TB's are meant to be passed from cache to cache and the locations of them are tracked on geocaching.com. Geocoins are similar to TBs but are specially designed commemorative coins.

The cache that my daughter and I first set out to find is called "Okay, maybe in a million years". This is a very difficult cache to find. We ended up walking through a small stream, following the GPS unit. We were right on top of the location and couldn't find the cache. The creator/owner of the cache, Legendpilot, said the cache is hidden right out in the open. He said even though it is in plain sight the cache is difficult to find and you may have stepped on it. My daughter and I spent several minutes looking around and then decided to try the second cache in this area since we had a limited amount of time before the Girl Scouts meeting.

The second cache, "Definitely in less than five minutes" by VerySmartGirl, promised to be easy to find. It took me about five minutes to find this one. I was right on top of it again, still not really sure what I was looking for, when I noticed something that didn't look natural. Sure enough, there was the box. Our first geocache find! The box was small, a little bigger than a pack of cigarettes. It was made of clear plastic and had latches that snapped into place on each of the four sides of the lid. There was a label on the lid that read "Official Geocache" and had lines for the name of the cache, the name of the cache's owner, and point of contact information for the cache. We both signed the log book. I didn't have anything to place inside the box so we looked at the trinkets inside but didn't take any. There was an eraser shaped like a flower, some plastic army men, a guitar pick, a pin, a keychain, and a few other little items.

When I got home tonight after the Girl Scouts meeting i jumped on geocaching.com and posted my results. I was the 50th person to attempt "Definitely in less than five minutes" and the 49th successful finder. "Okay, maybe in a million years" had 34 finds and 26 did not finds.

Geocaching follows the same "Leave no trace" principals that I have been teaching my son's Cub Scout pack. There is a large "Cache in, trash out" movement where people carry trashbags with them when they are leaving or hunting caches and they carry out any trash they find along the way.

I think I'm going to enjoy geocaching. It's a great way to enjoy hiking, explore new places, meet new people, and practice navigating with a portable GPS unit.

My Backpacking Trip - Day 5

I was hoping I would get a chance to sleep in this morning since I was staying put for the remainder of my trip but a group of wild turkeys had other plans. I was (rudely) awakened by about a dozen turkeys clucking and gobbling and making this weird popping noise about 50 yards from my tent. I wanted to try to get some pictures of them but by the time I could get dressed in my tiny tent and then crawl outside they were gone.


Bluffs Backcountry Campsite Mammoth Cave National Park



I cooked breakfast and decided I would hike back to the car to unplug the cell phone charger so I would be able to drive home when my trip was over. I packed up some things I decided I no longer needed and hiked to the car. It was a little over three miles from the Bluffs campsite to the trailhead where I parked, so I had a nice six mile hike ahead of me. At the trailhead I sat at a picnic table, ate beef jerky for lunch, and called my kids. The cell phone signal was very weak at the trailhead and I couldn't get reception in the woods.


Some of the many hiking trails in the Mammoth Cave National Park


I hiked back to the campsite after my lunch, and since it was a warm day I decided to shower in the waterfall at my campsite. The water was absolutely freezing cold, like ice. I couldn't stand under the water for long because it was so cold, but it felt great to get clean. I cleaned my dirty laundry under the waterfall as well, spreading dirty clothes over the rocks that the water was beating onto where it fell.


My Own Private Waterfall


I spent the rest of the afternoon scouting around the campsite and dragging back any wood I could find for my campfire. After about an hour it was starting to get dark and I had an impressive pile of wood so I lit the fire. I sat roasting marshmallows and listening to music until after dark. Just after the sun went down the coyotes in the park became active.


Roasting Marshmallows



Being alone in the dark and hearing coyotes howling all around you is quite an experience for a city boy like me. I researched coyotes before I left for the trip and so I knew they were no threat to me; they eat mice and other small rodents, but it was still a little unnerving to hear so many coyotes all around me. Some were very close, at the top of the bluff above me and on the bluff next to mine, down the hill in front of me and up the next hill. Others were far off so they could barely be heard. At times I could hear a bunch of them snarling and growling and barking together, with the noises starting off quitely and working into a frenzy. I think they were hunting as a pack and would make lots of noise when they were making a kill. It could have been that the males were competing for females since it was early spring. At any rate, I had a good time sitting and listening to all the howling and snarling and being a little scared but knowing I had nothing to worry ab!
out.

The coyotes continued making noise long into the night, longer than I stayed awake. I retreated to my tent around 10pm and fell asleep to the sounds of growling, barking, snarling coyotes all around me.

P.O.D. - Picture of the Day

Sunrise in the Woods - Click to enlarge


This photo isn't from my backpacking trip, it was taken on a camping trip Sunday morning, April 20, in the Calvert Cliffs State Park youth camping area. I woke up early as usual and was at the car getting my backpacking stove out so I could make a cup of coffee when the clouds broke enough for the morning sun to pour through. I grabbed my camera and got this photo. I'm upset the camera chose ISO 200 because there is some noise that you can see in the large version. I should have shot manual mode at ISO 50 and used a slower shutter speed to keep the exposure the same.

My Backpacking Trip - Day 4

I woke up early on day 4, my internal alarm clock waking me up well before dawn. I had slept peacefully all night for the first time and I woke up feeling refreshed. I was outside for the first bit of morning light and the sunrise was a beautiful show to watch that morning.


Sunrise on the Big South Fork


Morning Mist on the Big South Fork River

I had packed most of my stuff last night so I broke camp quickly and headed toward the Yamacraw trailhead and my car. The walk back was fairly uneventful. I ran into two older men, late 50's or even early 60's, who had packs and walking sticks. They said they were coming from farther south and it got too cold for them so they had a friend pick them up and drop them off again at Yamacraw and they lost two days of their trip. They said the weather was going to be much warmer and they wanted to make the Catawba overlook today, which was a good 8-10 miles behind me.

I made it back to my car (it wasn't broken into!) and got everything loaded in it and headed for the Big South Fork visitor center in Stearns. When I got there the same ranger was on duty who gave me my backcountry camping permit when I left. I let her know I was back from my trip and I asked her about the clawed tree I had seen and asked her if it could have been a raccoon looking for grubs in the dead wood. She took one look at the picture I had taken on my camera's LCD screen and said "Nope, you found yourself a male black bear" with her Kentucky twang. We talked another 10 minutes or so about wildlife in the area and then I left and headed to Mammoth Cave National Park.

I took a detour and swung by the Cumberland Falls state park, which is called the "Niagra Falls of the South". Cumberland Falls is a massive, wide waterfall that casts a "moonbow" during a full moon. The area around the park looked nice. There is no backcountry camping at Cumberland Falls even though a part of the Sheltowee Trace runs through the park.

The drive to Mammoth Cave National Park was much longer than I thought and I arrived to the visitor center there about 20 minutes before it closed. The ranger here spoke slowly but intelligently and had a good but dry sense of humor. He very much reminded me of Steven Wright. He surprised me when he was talking about packing in fresh water and he said "Now I know you drove all the way from the Harford Road exit of the Beltway to get here and that water weighs 8.34 pounds per gallon and that it is much easier to boil water than it is to pack it in, but as you can see there are a lot of farm fields around here and a lot of the water is agricultural runoff and boiling will not remove chemicals and fertilizers and manure and if you want to make it back to the Baltimore Beltway so you can take that Harford Road exit and go back home to Parkville I highly recommend that you pack in water." He saw my driver's license, but this ranger had a thick Kentucky accent. How did he know which exit from the beltway I would take to get to my house? Later on in his ramblings the Ranger said something to the effect of "and I know I am just a park ranger with a cousin who lives on Bel Air Avenue in Overlea but...". So that was it, he has a cousin who lives close to me.

At Mammoth Cave National Park, backcountry camping is allowed at twelve designated back country campsites. The campsites are reserved on a first come, first serve basis. I was fortunate that I was able to reserve the Bluffs, which seems to be the most popular site and the one that is most recommended on all the internet sites I read about Mammoth Cave National Park.

I left the Visitor Center and stopped in the camp store. I bought a bag of marshmallows and two cans of Beanie Weenies. I would be staying put at this campsite, no more backpacking once I got there, so I decided I would relax and enjoy it.

I had to take a small ferry across the Greene river to get to the Good Spring Trailhead. The ferry was interesting. It held three cars and was guided by steel cables strung across the river. Once on the other side it was about a ten minute drive to the Trailhead parking lot.

I got out of the car, threw on my pack, and took off. I had a 3 mile hike in front of me and the sun was very low in the sky. I was worried that I would be stuck on the trail in the dark. I knew the trail to the Bluffs was steep and treacherous and I wanted no part of it in the dark with 70 pounds on my back. I hurried on, walking at a very fast pace, sweating profusely. The trails here were double tracks, nothing at all like the Sheltowee Trace, and that made the going easier.


The Buffalo Trail at Mammoth Cave National Park


The Buffalo Trail at Mammoth Cave National Park

I made it to the Bluffs trail with about 30 minutes of sunlight remaining. The trail was very steep and rocky and I slid several times but luckily my walking sticks caught my fall each time. The trail leveled out and there were several rock houses, two of them with waterfalls. About a quarter mile past the waterfalls I made it to the campsite.

The campsite had a lantern post, a steel fire ring, and a tent pad. The tent pad was not level, and it was filled with very course sand and lots of gravel. I got the tent set up and found a fairly level rock to set up my stove on. I cooked the cans of Beanie Weenies for dinner and then crawled into my tent and went to sleep. It was dark and I was very tired after my double time march to the camp site. The tent pad was sloped so the my feet were lower than my head and I kept suddenly sliding feet forward during the night. I didn't sleep well.


My tent at teh Bluffs campsite in Mammoth Cave National Park


As I was dozing off I realized I left my cell phone charger plugged into the cigarette lighter of my car. There was a red light that lit when it was plugged in. I knew the light hardly drained any power but I was going to be here for three nights. Would the light drain my battery in 3 days? I would have to go back and unplug it tomorrow...