The Squad and Old Misery

          This week's adventure took us to the Catoctin Mountains in Frederick County, Maryland.  The autumn colors were near peak in their beauty as we wound up Rt 77 from Smithsburg to our destination.  Things got interesting real fast as we were greeted by numerous rescue squads and fire trucks along the road as we entered the park.  When we finally got the the parking area, there were more emergency vehicles clogging the place up.  We never found out what happened, but after reaching the Cunningham Falls, we concluded that one or more of the hundreds of people climbing the rocks must have fallen.  The presence of the emergency vehicles did not seem to deter the climbers in the least.

          We finally found a place to park and when we got to the trail, we were faced with a choice.  The short, easier, flatter trail to the right or the more difficult, steeper, longer trail to the left.  A kid smoking in front of us went right so, of course, we went left, straight up the rocky path.  The tougher path was much less traveled but when we got to the falls, we found the crowd.  Minus all the people, it was a beautiful sight, the fall colors, the bright blue sky and the cascading waterfall.  We hung around for a few minutes, snapping some pictures then headed off to find a less crowded part of the park.  We took the easier, quicker path back to the parking lot and headed to the other side to try out Old Misery Trail and make the climb to Cat Rock.

It was listed as strenuous in the brochure but that didn't scare us off, and again, we headed straight up the incline.  The first 1/2 mile was the harderst, steepest, rockiest part of the hike and once we got on top, it was smooth sailing.  There were numerous spots with scenic views and places to sit for a spell and rest my weary knees and hips, and of course, snap a couple pics!  Old Misery Trail lived up to it's name on this day, especially for this 53 year old man.

          When we finally reached the end of our journey, we were greeted with the amazing rock formation known as Cat Rock.  We climbed up Cat Rock and the vistas were fantastic.  The perfectly sunny day was giving way to the incoming clouds and the cool wind was biting on the ears, but the view from Cat Rocks was worth it.  Again, we spent about 15 minutes resting, enjoying the peacefulness and snapping pictures before we started our descent.  About 45 minutes later, we were back on level ground, then in our vehicle and headed off to find a good place to eat.  It was a great afternoon in the Catoctin Mountains and after having endured the rescue squads and Old Misery Trail, we headed on home. 

 

 

The Climb to Weverton Cilff

A new day, a new adverture.  Our climb up the Appalachain Trail to the Weverton Cliff.

From The Weverton Cliff

The Appalachain Trail

          We were on the way home from a show in DC and decided to take a little side trip to Harper's Ferry, WV.  It was a cool, mostly cloudy day, perfect for a short hike on the Appalachian Trail before going to the old, historic town.  We found the entrance to the trail a couple miles east of town and headed up.  From the looks of the map, I knew it would be a challenging little climb and it did not disapoint.  I knew nothing about the Weverton Cliff before we started, but I assumed that a steep climb like this should offer some incredible views.

Which way do we go???

          We wound our way up the trail, climbing over 700' in elevation, and when we reached to top, we were given the choice to continue on the trail or head to the cliff.  Anyone who knows me can easily guess which path we took.  It wasn't more than 100 yards to the Weverton Cliff which gave us an amazing panoramic view of the valley where the Shenandoah and the Potomac Rivers become one.

Up river toward Harpers Ferry





The vista down the Potomac





          In one direction, the mighty Shenandoah flows past the historic town while in the other direction, you can see for many miles as the Potomac heads toward our nations capital.  Despite the cloudiness, the vistas that day were nearly perfect.  I am all about snapping pictures, but on this day, the camera was with me and the memory card was with my daughter in Pittsburgh.  Of course, my IPhone did an adequate job, if I don't say so myself.



          There were more people than I expected to be out hiking on a Tuesday afternoon.  On the way up, we past a kid who was running the trail.  Given the incline and the ruggedness, it was an impressive sight.  At the cliff, we were joined by several other groups enjoying the afternoon.  The trip down went by pretty fast and was much easier on my body.

          Once again, we turned a boring trip into a hiking adventure as we continued xploring my world with our climb to up the Appalachial Trail to the Weverton Cliff.

     

A Blackwater Sunset

      On Saturday evening, we took a short drive into Tucker County, WV to visit Blackwater Falls State Park.  We have been to the falls many times (they are awesome) so this time we went looking for something different.  There is a cliff overlooking the canyon that you can see from the Pendelton Point overlook, so we set out to find it.

      We thought it was near the third set of cabins so we stopped there, but there was no paths leading anywhere so we headed down the road.  We parked at Pendelton Point to get a better idea where the cliff was.  From there, it looked like it was around those cabins, so we headed back.

      It was an interesting little hike through the Rhododendron and Laurel thicket, under Hemlock branches, up and over and back down some boulders, but we finally found it.  It was well worth the trip.  There is no path and you have to blaze your own trail, but once you get there, the views and peacefulness are amazing.

      It was a cool, crisp evening, but the sun had warmed up the rock so we sat down and watched as the sun sank toward the horizon.  There was no doubt we were in for a spectacular sunset, so we lounged on the cliff and waited.  You can not see the falls from this cliff, but you can hear them some 800 feet below.  Peaceful is an understatement.

      It cooled off quickly as the sunset view heated up.  The combination of blue sky, a few clouds, jet streams and the setting sun created an epic panoramic display.  Next time you are at Blackwater Falls, make a point of blazing your own trail to the cliffs overlooking the canyon and enjoy your own Blackwater Sunset.

Dolly Sods Wilderness Adventure

      It was another cool Saturday in the mountains which meant one thing, a road trip away from Deep Creek Lake to check out what Mother Nature has to offer.  On this 62 degree day, we headed an hour south into West Virginia, to check out the Dolly Sods Wilderness Area.  It was definatly worth the drive.

      The back country, gravel West Virginia roads leading to Dolly Sods were not the greatest, but once we climbed the mountain to over 4000 feet, we were greeted with much better roads, amazing vistas and incredible natural beauty.  All along the road to the top were thousands of black-eyed susans and other wild flowering plants adding to the area's attraction.

      Not long after reaching the plateau, there was a scenic overlook which offered some amazing photo opportunitites.   Of course, this was right up my alley, so we pulled in and started snapping pics.  The place was more crowded than I anicipated and we were lucky enough to have "Mr. Know-it-all" at our very first stop who was explaining to every one within 100 yards exactly how these mountains were made and when it happened.  Thanks for the info, sir!



      We hopped back in the vehicle and headed down the road to an area called "Bear Rocks".  This was an impressive arrangement of massive boulders, dangling on the edge of the mountain.  It was quite a hike up and over the huge rocks and through native laurel but the views from the top were nothing short of breathtaking.  We spent about an hour on "Bear Rocks" snapping pictures and resting our legs for the hike back to the truck.  Finally, we enjoyed some food and some drinks in the bed of the truck before we started our trip home.

     Our adventure to the Dolly Sods Wilderness Area was a great afternoon trip and we were home before dark.

Savage River Day Trip

Savage River Reservoir

      It was 65 and a little breezy on Saturday so we decided it was a bit too cool to spend the afternoon on Deep Creek.  So, instead of freezing on the lake, we took a short trip down New Germany Road, through Big Run State Park, to the Savage River Reservoir then down along the Savage River itself.  It turned out to be the perfect trip for the day's weather conditions.

      Our first stop was at the Dry Run Boat Launch site.  The road in was pretty crappy, but down by the lake, it was quiet and peaceful.  There were a couple kayakers across the lake, but other than that it was just the birds, the fish and us.  We chilled for awhile and as we were leaving, we found a high-priced knife that someone had left behind.  Sorry about your luck fisherman-buddy......

Sunbathing Rock

      A couple miles closer to the dam was another boat launching site.  This entrance road was even worse, but again, once we were down by the lake, it was perfect.  A middle-aged couple was preparing to launch their kayaks.  While they worked on that seemingly difficult task, we found this cool, flat rock which was perfect for a little sunbathing.  Launching kayaks must be way more difficult than I thought because it took these people a good 30 minutes to get in the water.

Hey, it's an eagle!

      It was a posted "no swimming" area, but it sure looked like a great place for a dip.  If it had been warmer, I just might have broken that rule.  The water was clear and deep off the end of the rock and would have been great for cannonballs!  We spent another 30 minutes soaking up the sun and scanning the tree line across the lake for wildlife.  We saw some birds flying high in the trees.  I couldn't tell what kind of bird, but for the purpose of this story, I will say they were eagles soaring high above the lake.   Maybe, maybe not, who knows....  Finally, we decided it was time to move on past the dam and down the river.

The Savage River

      If at all possible, the Savage River was even more peaceful and more beautiful than the reservior had been.  There was decent flow in the river and the moss-covered rocks combined with the surrounding lush, green foliage provided an amazing display.  The Savage River has been host to numerous white-water kayaking competitons through the years (even the world championships) and as we made our way down-river, we found areas and structures that had been built to host these events.

The Garrett Bridge

Looking for the BIG one

      "The Garrett Bridge" was the first thing we found, crossing the river near what appeared to be the finish line for the races.  It was a old wooden suspension bridge with thick steel cables  crossing the river just above the biggest waterfall that we found.  A little further down-stream we found another, similar bridge called  "The Allegahy Bridge".

      At various locations along the river, we came across people who were trout fishing.  The area just below "The Allegany Bridge" must have been a great spot.  There were guys all over the place casting their lines, looking for the big catch.  It was a perfect day to be on the river, and if I were a fisherman, this would have been my spot.

      It was a perfect afternoon for our day trip down the Savage.  Garrett County, Maryland is home to some amazing natural beauty and the Savage River area is no exception.  And the fact that it is just 30 minutes from my house makes the trip home a breeze.  

Dinner on DCL

A great evening for "Dinner on DCL"

         It's almost the end of July, and last night was our first trip on Deep Creek Lake this summer.  Our worlds get busy and time passes but sometimes you just have to stop and enjoy what this place has to offer. 

        My dad has a boat, but it spends most of the summer sitting alone, covered, hanging out at the dock all by itself.  The poor thing might get used a half a dozen times a summer, and last night was one of those occasions.  The weather was nearly perfect, with temps around 80, a calm breeze and a clear blue sky.  We fired it up and headed out in the early evening for our three-hour cruise.



Looking for bad guys?



        Our first stop was at Silver Tree Marine to fill up with gas.  Of course, fuel costs about twice as much on the water as it does on land, but being on the lake is worth every penny.  We had noticed helicopters and planes flying over the lake and the rumor at the gas dock was they were searching for someone who robbed someone else in the area.  I really didn't believe it "cuz that kind of stuff really doesn't happen in good old Garrett County," does it??

Leaving Holy Cross

        Next up, take-out food from UNO's for our "Dinner on DCL".  Does it really ever get any better than this?  The only down-side at all is walking through the goose crap on the dock at the Honi as we carried our food back to the boat.  It's a small price to pay and we continued our journey to our ultimate dining location, a quiet cove near Holy Cross.  We dropped anchor and dug into our supper.  It was very peaceful, and I can't even describe how enjoyable this experience was.  There was a noticable lack of action around us, but soon we were treated to the sight of a boat, filled with at least 15 Amish (dressed as you would expect) cruising past.  Sorry, no picture....  After a quick swim, it was time to move on in search of the perfect sunset picture. 



Paradise Point

        Getting the perfect sunset picture takes work.  The sun was dropping fast and I had to maneuver the boat into the perfect location.  Speed up, slow down, turn left, turn right, we were all over the place.  The first shot was taken as the sun dropped behind some trees at a place called "Paradise Point".  Is this a perfectly named spot or what???  Finally, we made our way to the main part of the lake to get the final shot of the night.  The sun was dropping and the enjoyable evening was coming to an end.  I was amazed that on this perfect evening, in the middle of summer, we were virtually alone.

Into the sunset

        As the sun fell behind Marsh Mountain, we headed into the sunset and back to the dock for a peaceful end to our "Dinner on DCL" excursion.

"Let's Roll" - Flight 93 Memorial

      Yesterday afternoon, we visited the Flight 93 Memorial near Shanksville, PA.  It was a cool, overcast afternoon, very different from the bright, sunny day that led to the construction of this memorial.  September 11, 2001 started out very sunny, but soon a huge cloud hung over our country.

      As we entered the memorial, we encountered several signs, capturing the events of the day.  We then came upon a young ranger, telling the story to the crowd with great emotion.  The memories of that day came flooding back. Where I was, who I was with, what I was doing and what I was feeling. There were very powerful emotions.  The young ranger was probably in grade school in 2001, but he told the story as if he was on the plane that terrible day.  The ranger described how the flight began routinely but soon everything changed.  He spoke of terror, phone calls, messages to loved ones and of course, he spoke of the heroic efforts of the passengers. 

      Who doesn't get chills when thinking about passengers like Todd Beamer and Jeremy Glick (and others) who took it upon themselves to do everything in their power to stop the hijackers and save the lives of hundreds if not thousands of people in Washington DC.  "Let's Roll" was the phrased use by these heros as the stormed the cockpit, and it is a phrase I still use today with these people in mind.

      We made our way to the actual memorial site, with the impact zone on our left.  It was a quiet, reflective stroll, the memories of that day fresh in our minds.  The actual momument was very moving, with the names of the passengers engraved in the stones.  One stone, bearing the name of a woman, had "with unborn child" engraved in small letters below.  Wow, what a terrible day that was.  It was quite powerful, but the part that touched me the most was looking throught the wooden gate, across the impact zone, to the symbolic boulder where only family members (and I am told, our President) are permitted enter.  Lives lots, the world forever changed.

All those lives lost, but so many more saved by the heroic actions of regular Americans who refused to sit quietly by and accept their fate.  They came together, developed a plan and dove headfirst into action with the command "Let's Roll".