Apr 16 Sunset Hike at Pilot Mountain

The Friends of Sauratown Mountains met for a covered dish supper near the summit of Pilot Mountain. After supper and fellowship, we heard some comments from President Jay Young. He mentioned our group may be close to receiving approval to operate Vade Mecum on an interim basis. He also mentioned we had received a $2500 grant (coupled with $1500 from FSM) from the Friends of State Parks to build a walkway in the Lake picnic area at Hanging Rock. 

Pilot Mountain superintendent, Matt Windsor then updated us on his park. He was happy to report a 70 acre addition to the park, referred to as Pilot Creek access. The kids' fishing derby will be moved to this property. It also will have a milkweed field for the benefit of Monarch butterflies. It appears another addition to the park will provide Ararat and Yadkin river frontage, making it possible to have another paddle access to the Yadkin. There are some projects planned by local colleges and universities. Surry Community College will conduct a dendrochronology study of trees to determine historically, how frequent fires were in the park. Wake Forest will put 20 motion detecting cameras throughout the park for a year to document all the wildlife passing by. They also will fly a drone overhead with infrared detection to count the deer population after the rut.

Finally, the long wait for a Pilot Mountain Visitors Center may be coming to an end. The project is a priority among all the State Park projects listed in the recent bond referendum. The design is supposed to be completed this year and bid out next year. Matt commented, that would be a land speed record but we could endure a bit more. Of course that is exciting news. Matt added, although the Visitors Center is needed, of equal importance is a transportation system. If I could interject my greenmon observation here: A Visitors Center will increase traffic as will the new interstate adjacent to the park. Pilot Mountain's visitation is growing without those factors and looks to continue to ramp up in the future.  The current traffic situation is a result of the popularity of the summit area and its limited parking. On many weekends, park staff is relegated to traffic control all day. In my opinion, that is a terrible waste of resources. Pilot Mountain Park Rangers are highly trained and knowledgeable in so many areas. Having them direct traffic keeps them from enhancing the visitor experience. Visitors must endure a long wait or park outside the park and walk up, making the road a walkway, something it was not designed for. I am dismayed when I visit the park and see this situation. It can be improved.

Getting back to Matt's comments. He feels this is the best and maybe only, time to get a shuttle system funded and operational. If it is not done along with the construction of the Visitors Center, it may possibly be years more of traffic duty. Matt has investigated other shuttle systems, like the one at Kennesaw Mountain. These systems work well. The short ride to the top of Pilot Mountain on a shuttle with either canned or live commentary, would orient the visitor to the park better. Everyone would have an opportunity to get to the top, something not happening now. Matt feels very strongly this system needs to be in place to serve the public on their visits to Pilot Mountain for the next half century. I fully support this.

Another project at the park involves propagating Bear Oak and transplanting them in the park. Right now only about 100 are in the park and about 500 are needed to make it a sustainable population. 

What a clear and gorgeous night it was for a sunset hike around the big pinnacle. The sun had just set as we set out. The clarity of the western mountains was as good as I have ever them it.

Grandfather Mountain in the evening sky

Matt explains how the rock was formed. It is metamorphic rock created by pressure when the area was 2000 feet undersea. Some spots have black layers which would have been black sand congregating together, heavier than other sand. He also mentioned some rock became superheated due to pressure. Those areas formed quartz. Often they would not be a horizontal layer of sediment but diagonal lines.

The lights of the surrounding countries were all on. Matt calls it the Mercury Vaper phenomenon.

I have done this sunset hike 3 times and always enjoy it. Matt can be so informative and incorporates his wonderful style of humor into the commentary.

Apr 6 Little River State Park

Little River State Park is located just outside Waterbury, Vermont. It is April and I thought it would be a nice time to hike in Vermont. I started out in 16 degree weather by the frozen Waterbury Reservoir. The early morning sun was glistening off the ice and warming it just enough to cause it to crack. To me it sounds as if the ice is crying or moaning. The cracks last a moment or 3 to 4 seconds as they travel through the ice.

My route follows the Stevenson Brook. It is frozen in many spots. I'm glad to see bridges because that water looks cold. The route I've chosen goes by a number of old homesites, a couple cemeteries, a sawmill and school. This area was first settled in the late 1700s. It was logged and farmed and Maple sap was collected for over a hundred years. At that point the land had been over worked and many of the farms began to fail. That coincided with end of subsistence farming as industrial jobs in other areas were luring the folks away.

At one time this was a thriving community. There were a couple very large dairy farms, a church, school and many homes.

Remnants of that era are seen everywhere. I have no idea what this was. Farm equipment?

This appears to be a steam boiler, possibly to operate the sawmill located here.

Glass from a former homesite sits on the stone foundation for a barn.

Here is the foundation for a very large barn. It looks like it had a sizable crawl space under the first floor.

Apr 2 Smallpox Cemetery Guilford Connecticut

The smallpox cemetery located off Tanner Marsh Road in Guilford had its origin in 1760. It was in March of that year, the General Assembly of the Connecticut Colony raised troops to fight in what is now referred to as the French and Indian Wars. The Connecticut troops from Guilford were led by Captain Ichabod Scranton. He began with 79 men. The Connecticut boys were used as logistical support for the professional British army. Although they saw little fighting, Capt Scranton returned with only 57. They were discharged in Albany on Nov 22, 1760. It was there, they were exposed to smallpox. The men marched toward home but upon arrival, they were ordered to stay in a quarantined area of Guilford. In May of that year, the town had purchased 9 acres of land remote enough to serve as a quarantine area. Several years later a house was built but Capt Scranton and his men (29 of them were from Guilford and subject to the quarantine), camping in the open was what they had to endure.  

Family could only see them or leave food and supplies from a great distance. In December, 3 of the men died and were buried in the "pock lot". Presumably, the others survived. Often the survivors would have terrible pocks on their bodies.

In 1765 a house was built on the lot to house people with smallpox until they either died or survived. It is thought that just a few died and were buried on the lot. Perhaps as many as 9 were buried there.

The cemetery was not defined back in the 1700's. That was done in the 1920's when some folks decided it just didn't look like a decent cemetery. They had a stone wall enclosure built. Worse, they took what few original gravestones and put them in the enclosure along with a number of other flat fieldstones, turned up like grave sites. 

Here, Capt Scranton gives us a history lesson on the war. After he spoke, historian, Joel Helander gave a talk on smallpox and the history of the cemetery.

The original pest house still exists with a few additions. It was dragged up from the pock lot by some oxen to the point at which it now stands. Later this year a tree ring dendrochonology study will be done on some of the original timbers.

March 29 Skunk Cabbage

I grew up with skunk cabbage. It was always nearby in a boggy area. Connecticut has many boggy areas. We'd have fun ripping it up and smelling it. However, I never paid attention to its bloom. In early spring, it has a blossom, often when snow is on the ground.

The blossom looks like a rattle inside a shell. The shell is a spathe like a jack in the pulpit has. This is a mottled purple spathe and an equally colorful blossom inside. 

The plant generates heat which puts it in a category of plants with thermogenesis capability. Often, snow around the plant has melted due to the heat it generates. Carrion feeding insects are attracted to the blossom and the heated spathe which must be entered to get to the blossom.

Mar 18 Walnut Creek Greenway

If you wish to test your urban navigational skills, this is the trail for you. Walnut Creek Greenway, part of the Raleigh greenway system, follows Walnut Creek from the Neuse River to and around Lake Johnson, southeast of downtown Raleigh. The previous night, I reviewed the course and maps. There were brief descriptions of the four sections. I didn't pay much attention because everything looked pretty simple. I found the trailhead on Lake Johnson right where it should be. Where was the trail. There was a trail going by the parking area but with no signage. Thinking it must be at the bottom of the hill (its a creek!), that is where I went. OK, there is a trail, no signage. I go about a half mile and there is a detour sign pointing left. I went left but there was never another sign. I kept going and finally saw what looked like a trail. OK, back on the creek. Then I entered the Centennial Campus of NCSU. Very nice trail through here. At about the 3 mile mark, I finally see a sign indicating that someone has adopted this section of the Walnut Creek Trail. That is the first sign I saw naming the trail.

At about the 4 mile mark, the trail ended at a road. There was a spray painted arrow on the road pavement. I turned, came to a stop sign. There was no indication which way to go. I turned left, saw a trail and followed it. About a mile further, I noticed, the creek was running the wrong way. Or, I was going the wrong way is a more appropriate statement. I backtracked and saw another trail, came to a road intersection and saw a sign "Walnut Creek Trail" pointing left. I started along the road and soon realized I was headed toward downtown Raleigh. I turned back and went the opposite way of the sign. Then I saw trail again. Surely, I'm going to be fine now. Passing by some warehouses and junkyards, I was back alongside Walnut Creek. I pass some nice wetlands and ride over some boardwalks. Then I come to another road. No indication which way to go. I follow what I think is the most logical route through a neighborhood. I try to find a way back to the creek and end up riding in a huge loop ending at a neighborhood park. Thinking that I am lost and this is my turnaround spot, I decide to eat lunch, fire up my phone and figure out where I am. It turns out, I am just a hundred yards from the trail. 

Now I'm back in business. Riding trail through a nice area including the Walnut Creek sports and entertainment area. There appears to be a collegiate softball tournament of historically black universities going on. I could tell that by the buses parked in the lot. From here, the trail takes on a different look. It looks more professional. There are mile markers with trail names on them. I do have to pass through a huge construction area before entering some wetlands where there are 3 boardwalks totaling 1/2 mile in length. From here it is just a couple miles to the Neuse River. 

Armed with all the knowledge the trail route, I am confident I can return to Lake Johnson without getting lost. I manage all the way past NCSU campus and then come to a road with no signs and I have forgotten how I came through here. It takes me about 3 minutes to figure out where I am and how I should proceed, using google maps. Once I had it figured out I did fine back to the car. From the car to the Neuse is about 14 miles and there is the 3 miles I route being lost, so a big day on the bike for me.

Mar 16 Big Creek Gold Mines

The Big Creek area of the Uwharrie National Forest is not visited much except by gold panners. Its common to see a car or two parked here but there aren't many hikers or other sightseers. The parking area is quite sketchy. The creek crossings aren't easy and the forest service has fenced or gated off many of the spots that just look too enticing for thrill seekers to venture into.

This was an area of serious hard rock mining. So serious in fact, a huge stone structure was built here. I don't know the specific purpose but guess it had something to do with gold mining.

A couple of the hard rock shafts have bars over them preventing entry. Steep rocky terrain where mining took place is also treacherous. An entire mining area of pits and shafts is barricaded off with welded metal railing. 

Massive lower and upper walls are visible

The stone structure is massive and the most impressive structure I've seen in the Uwharrie national Forest.

Bloodroot in bloom

It is not what you think

Mar 8 Virginia Creeper Trail

It is early March and warm. A great time to head out to the Creeper trail for a bicycle ride. The added bonus is, it is midweek and I don't expect many riders to be barreling down the trail at me as I slowly go up.

It is chilly, in the 40s, so I stop for a leisurely breakfast at Mojo's Trailside Cafe. Now I am set for the climb. It is still chilly but I warm up quickly riding uphill.  

One of the concerns I had, is what the trail will look like. Other trails don't get much use if any, in the winter and often there is debris and mud. This trail looked decent. There were some spots where small branches had come down but they could easily be ridden over. I did stop to move to fallen rocks in one area.

I saw a couple hikers on the way up but no bicyclists until Green Cove, 15 miles up. It had taken me almost 3 hours to reach here so I decided it was far enough. The next 3 miles are the steepest.

O Winston Link took this daytime photo of a mule bowing to the Virginia Creeper back in the 1950s. The railroad still used steam at that time which was the attraction for Mr Link. This is one of his most famous photos and possibly his most famous daytime photo. He is better known for his use of lights for night shots.

Here some beavers have created an infinity pool with a great view of fields in the foreground and mountains in the background. How do they build these things and not have then leak?