Roan Mountain TTA

Joan planned a weekend of camping and hiking at Roan Mountain. I met Sara in Crossville to ride with her. We arrived at Roan Mountain State Park and explored the campground looking for the group camp. We found a Ranger that gave good directions along with a reminder of the 5 MPH speed limit in the park. We found the other campers all set up, and a few ready to hike. I hung my hammock by the river. We hung out and waited for the hikers to return so we could have dinner. Dick had appetizers ready, drinks and all, along with Jean's Blue Moon. We had quite a spread for dinner with chicken, baked beans, broccoli salad, slaw, quinoa, and Sara's brownies and cookies for dessert. The Park had musical entertainment at the amphitheater which was conveniently located close by our camp. We clapped and laughed with the Roan Mountain Moonshiners. Great entertainment. And then a nice campfire with our group. Joan and her sister Jean along with MaryEtta and Jane had a cabin in the Park rented for the weekend.

Saturday morning we drove to Carvers Gap to start our hike on the AT to the Rhododendron Garden and the Cloudland Trail to Roan High Knob. The fog on the mountain top limited some of our views, and after we read the info at the Cloudland Hotel site, our leader took us back to the AT and we started descending. I remembered when Craig and I were here, the Garden was on TOP of the mountain. I voiced my doubt about going down the mountain so we voted to climb back to the hotel site and get our bearings in the fog. We heard cars so I checked out the parking lot and got directions to the Gardens. We explored the trails and found the overlook, with a cloud sitting on top of the mountain, there were no views here.  A lot of the blooms had passed their prime and the storms had knocked off a lot of the blooms. But we still saw some really pretty ones. The Cloudland Trail led us to High Knob. We were in high winds at the overlook at Roan High Knob so we found a less windy spot for lunch, then retraced out steps to the parking lot at Carvers Gap. The number of cars had multiplied and maneuvering out of the lot was challenging. Back at camp we snacked and started a fire. The cabin crew came back ready to cook hot dogs and chili, and all the leftovers from last night. Jane's strawberry cake was delicious! Campground music again tonight, Southern gospel trio from Piney Flats.  I knew most of their songs.

Sunday morning thunder woke us up and we hit the ground running to pull down our tents and hammock before the rain started. I just barely got my stuff in the car before the storm broke. We sat in our cars in the downpour, then cooked breakfast under the canopy. It had stopped raining when Jane showed up to show us how to take it down. Loaded up, said goodbye to Marietta, Jane, Dick and Jennifer. The rest of us headed back to Carvers Gap hoping to get above the fog.

We hiked North on the AT climbing the balds. The clouds were moving fast. We found the Gray's Lily on Jane's Bald, then found more, and then more. I was a happy hiker! First time seeing these beauties. Found bluets, and some other flowers that I can't name or find in my wildflower book. We took the Grassy Ridge trail to the rocky top where a plaque is set into the rock as a memorial to a man that loved the Roan. Along the way we heard coyotes howling on the ridge. We had a windy lunch the returned to the AT watching the sun break thru giving us a few views. Then the clouds returned, with the howling wind gusts blowing us around on the trail. It didn't stop MaryEtta from singing "The hills are alive." We got back to the car just as the rain started. We parted ways with Jean and Joan who were heading out to the Blue Ridge Parkway. The rest of us got back to the campground, and started a convoy to Sycamore Shoals State Park. None of us had ever been there. Fort Watauga is there, they do reenactments of the siege of the fort and the mustering of the Overmountain Men. The town is the home of the oldest standing frame house. The ladies got their State Park books stamped.

This was my third trip to Roan Mountain. Once to see waterfalls and blooms staying at the Mountain Harbor Inn, once backpacking in the rain, and this camping trip to see the blooms.  The next trip will be.....





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Chester Frost State Park

Lora was off hiking with the TTA, so I took Dad, Mom, Melissa, Samantha, and Kaylin out for a camping trip at Chester Frost State Park. We got there before the 2pm check in time, so we ate lunch and hung out at the beach until time to set up. When we did start setting up a storm came in with a high powered wind which tore off awnings and threw chairs all over the place. Luckily we hadn't got that set up yet. The storm blew over, we got set up, and off to the beach.

Samantha got a campfire going and the girls cooked Smores for us to eat. They also helped out with the cooking of hamburgers for dinner and pancakes for breakfast. Good eats.

We had two great days of swimming and visiting. We watched as numerous storms went down the mountain, but none effected us. We did get into some storms on the way home Sunday, but everyone made it home safely.

Balsam Mt. Meetup

I finally got to hike with the Great Smokies Hiking & Adventure Group. Dale organized the camping trip to Balsam Mountain campground located in a relatively remote part of the Great Smoky Mountain NP, at 5310 ft elevation. It never got above 73 degrees, and was in the 50's at night. I set up camp while the others were hiking Flat Creek Trail. I met some of the group as they came back to camp. Liz was camped next to me. I walked the pretty nature trail from the campground to the  Flat Creek trail and walked out to the overlook for the sunset. It was beautiful, turning the sky red. Made me think of the words to How Great Thou Art.
Back at camp Robert had a campfire going so I joined him and Liz till I started yawning. 

Saturday morning Mr Owl woke me bright and early, but we needed an early start for the Balsam Mountain Loop. Dale gave instructions for all left turns and the hikers started at a fast pace, NASCAR style.The trail was overgrown in a lot of places, especially along the fence line up Balsam Mountain. We rested for a few minutes and Dale gave instructions for slowing the pace from the 2.8 mph they had kept until then. We started downhill at a quick pace and stopped at campsite 41 for lunch. As we were packing up someone noticed an elk by the hitching posts, she had a newborn calf with her. We cautiously took pics and sidestepped around them, trying not to startle them. We started up Caldwell Fork and stopped to see the Big Poplar, took 5 of us to reach around it. Not the biggest one in the Smokies but huge! We climbed a tough section of Rough Fork taking time to see flowers. Found a lady as crazy about wildflowers as me, maybe more so. She spotted some that I would have missed. Finally the trail got easier, the last two miles were not too bad. We finished the trail at 2:30. Everyone seemed pleased at the record setting time...
Got back to camp and rested my sore knee. Kicked back then the boom of thunder and the sky opened up. Rain washed everything clean. The sunset was beautiful turning the sky red. Brought the words of How Great Thou Art to my head and heart again. At the campfire we had a few more people sharing hiking and travel stories as Robert made the fire blue and green with some cool packs of Funky Colored Flames, You will have to check that out if you want to impress your campfire friends. An elk was wondering around the bathroom area just a little ways from our campsites.

Sunday morning we were up early packing up and I was excited about a new trail, and a new road to drive. The Heintooga Round Bottom road is gravel and it's one way and 28 miles to Cherokee. Spruce Mountain trailhead is along this road along with a few others. We climbed Spruce Mt to campsite 42 which looks like it doesn't get a lot of use. Remote.The bear cables look rusty, but there are 5 of them. Lots of flowers and mushrooms to see. The next stop was Beech Gap 1 to Balsam Mt. That's a climb, but very pretty, more flowers and mushrooms and ferns, and beetles. I was lagging behind and taking time to look at everything. Dale had given everyone instructions how to drive out to Cherokee at the beginning of this trail, so I assumed when folks got off the trail they would go on. I wasn't expecting anyone to wait. I had a note on my car saying "they waited until one other came out and told them 3 of us were a little behind and still taking pictures, and have a safe trip." I sure didn't mean to be a problem child.

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Chester Frost Park

Lora and I headed down to Chester Frost Park to do some canoeing. There were a lot of cars there and they had a fishing tournament going on, but we didn't have any problem putting in or taking out at the boat ramp.

We paddled about 3 miles clockwise around the lake. We saw 2 abandoned boats, one may have been Gilligan's. The other was a canoe left in the water now filled with water :(

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Boston

Lora and I headed out to spend time in Massachusetts with our nephew Nick and his fiance Amy. This was our first long trip with our new camper.

We made it to West Virginia the first night and stayed at a campground that Lora picked out. Nahkeeta Campsite. We met Moses at the front of the campground by the Airstream office. With long gray hair and beard, Moses couldn't talk. He pointed to the Airstream and I went in looking for someone to help me. There was nobody inside. I came back out and Moses was pointing to the trailer window which had a list of rules on the window. You must have reservations to camp here. Luckily we had called ahead. When I told him this he pointed to the camping loop. We had site B so we went looking. Unfortunately they started with 1 and went up from there. After driving around the loop Moses was at the end in a golf cart calling me with his finger. He drove me to the office and then down a gravel road with three sites on it. A,B, and C. Home for the night.

The next day Lora counted down the states that she had been in. We got a little off track and took a side trip thru Bethleham. We saw places that we want to go back to in the future. We arrived in Springfield in time for dinner. We parked in Nick's driveway, ate dinner, and then set out to tour the town. Without any luck getting information from the information office, we returned to the house and hiked up to and explored Forest Park.

Early the next morning, early because it gets lighter earlier in the East, we headed to Boston. We were to meet Nick and Amy at 10 so we had a few hours to check things out. We walked to the Capital building and the Boston Common. From there we walked to Trinity Church and Public Library. We went by the Church of Science, reflection pool, and then headed back to meet Nick and Amy at the Boston Public Market.

After getting together, we had to get a snack before our tour. There were food vendors in the Commons and we found the Cookie Monstah, chocolate chunk with cookie dough ice cream. YUMM! Then we did a historic Freedom Trail walking tour covering Boston Common, Massachusetts State House, Park Street Church, Granary Burying Ground, King's Chapel, Old South Meeting House, Old Corner Bookstore, Old State House, Boston Massacre Site, and Faneuil Hall. We had the best guide, a tavern wench that knew her stuff. She must have overheard many a conversation in that tavern. After the tour we had some really good clam chowder, cannoli from Mikes Pastry and Moderns Pastry, and pizza at Rina's after we toured the Old North Church. We also toured Old Iron Side.

We drove back to Nick's and visited for the night, celebrating Amy's birthday. The next morning Lora and I headed back to tour Boston harbor, Bunker Hill, Paul Revere's house, St. Leonard's Church, Massachusetts State House, and a couple of other churches. We also took in the Best Burger in Boston at Cobblestone.

Monday we toured S. Prestley Blake Law Center and the campus of Western New England University where Nick goes to school. Then we headed towards home.

We stopped at Twin Bridge Campground that Craig picked, outside of Chambersburg PA. Wasn't really sure when we pulled up as the campers were all around a barn, but found out that they have a beautiful campground on the other side of the road from the office. We had the lower campsites all to ourselves, right beside a creek, and a huge tree that would be cool to climb. We tried our awning for the first time in the rain, grilling chicken on the picnic table. When the rain stopped we saw a beautiful rainbow.

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