eneloop - 22FEB12
In today's high tech world, we need energy to make our gadgets work. We agree that the gadgets might not be necessary; but they have become parts of our lives.
Taking the gadgets to the outdoors we need portable power. Our headlamps use AAA batteries. Our lantern uses AAs. The GPS uses AAs, as well as one of our cameras. The iPod, iPhone, other mobile phone, and cameras use proprietary batteries; but most can be recharged by using a small AA battery pack.
There are good non-rechargeable batteries on the market (especially the lithium-ion AAs for cold weather use); but it does not make sense to buy throw away batteries. The regular o' batteries are expensive and contribute to the landfill ... read more or Journal Home
Virgin Falls Map and Guide - 21FEB12
On cloudhiking.com, we have just finished the Virgin Falls Map and Adventure Guide.
Virgin Falls is located on the Cumberland Plateau southeast of Sparta, TN. The area was originally set aside as a Pocket Wilderness and was later designated as a State Natural Area.
The 1157 acre Natural Area is home to numerous waterfalls including the namesake, Virgin Falls. The stream for this unique waterfall comes from a cave, then it pours over a cliff and then disappears as it returns to the earth through a sinkhole. It is like watching a faucet turned open and the water just pouring down the drain. It is amazing.
Access to the Falls ... read more or Journal Home
Trail Sense - Importance of Food - 20FEB12
In the summer of '09 while we were in Colorado climbing the Fourteeners, we often times found ourselves hungry. The problem was we were burning more calories than we were consuming. The lack of food affected our performance in the mountains. There were a couple of food shortage days that really stood out ...
We had just finished with the eastern San Juans (San Luis, Redcloud and Sunshine, Handies, and Uncomparhge and Wetterhorn.) After another long drive, we stopped in Montrose and stayed the night in a motel. We needed to dry out and repack for a big trip to the Chicago Basin peaks.
The next morning we had yet another long drive to a trailhead. After a short wandering session trying to find the unmarked trailhead, we did not even start walking until the afternoon. Sixteen miles ... read more or Journal Home
The Photo Opportunity - 17FEB12
Last summer while staying in Rocky Mountain National Park, our friends, Jon and Laura, joined us for an adventure to a seldom climbed peak. Parking at the very busy Glacier Gorge Trailhead we started our hike. It was still early so the trail was not very crowded. We passed the ever so popular Alberta Falls and then pulled off the trail for a brief rest at an overlook.
We drank some water, adjusted our clothing layers, and took a few pictures. While we were stopped, an older gentleman stopped to rest in the same area. Seeing that we were taking pictures of the area, he kindly asked if we wanted him to take a group picture.
It was windy and I was ... read more or Journal Home
Edwin Warner Visit - 16FEB12
Sunday, Jake, the dog, and I went to visit Edwin Warner Park in Nashville. It was a cool February day and the Park was not overly crowded. We parked at the Nature Center and left the trailhead following the blue blazed, Harpeth Woods Trail.
We have visited the Park many times before, but this visit was not without a purpose. We needed to update our pictures on cloudhiking for the Harpeth Woods Trail (the posted pictures are the trail in the snow) and walk the Old Roadway to see the reconstructed walls and re-paving (repairs from the mighty flood).
Soon we caught up to a hiker who was carrying a weighted pack. I asked and he proudly responded that he was ... read more or Journal Home
R1 Patagonia Pullover - 15FEB12
All of our friends know that we wear Patagonia clothing. If not exclusively, we at least wear the brand regularly. We like the company and their products. So how unbiased can a review be of a company that we like so much? We review the gear that we buy and use. Since we are the ones buying the gear, we have favorites and Patagonia's clothes are near the top of that list.
For years we wore the old Patagonia expedition weight clothing as a heavyweight under layer. The zip-t was a thick tightly woven synthetic top. It was for seriously cold weather. The top morphed into the R1 design when Patagonia changed their fleece line up seven or eight years ago.
The old expedition top ... read more or Journal Home
State of the Parks - 14FEB12
Recently, I have visited three parks throughout the state. All three areas seemed very popular and well used. If anything, they were over used.
My observations from the parks:
Park A - The first three miles of trail led to a waterfall. The trail was unblazed. Users had walked everywhere. Instead of it being a single trail, it was more like an area with a labyrinth of trails. Shortcuts led to everywhere. In several sections it was hard to know if you were following the real trail or not.
Park B - The trail was blazed; but it crossed a wet section. The users instead of getting their boots muddy, they found dry places to walk. The path had grown from being three foot wide to a 12 foot wide mud zone.
Park C - The trail was in relatively good condition; but the camping areas were abused. A tree close ... read more or Journal Home
Trail Sense GPS Navigation - 13FEB12
So you have a GPS, you can now pinpoint where you are on the face of the earth to within a few meters. Gone are the days of having to triangulate your position with a map and compass, the GPS does it all for you. Well, sometimes, if you know how to use it.
I had a GPS for years before I became a real user. I could tell that the GPS was giving me information; but using the device was not easy to use and I felt it was inaccurate.
Part of the problem with my GPS use was because I used a Mac computer and hardly any of the GPS software was made for the Mac. I even went so ... read more or Journal Home
Jake, a Lofty Experience - 10FEB12
A few weeks back we visited our daughter, Rose in Knoxville. Rose lives in a loft on Market Square, which is a pedestrian mall in the center of Downtown Knoxville. Jake, the dog was going with us on the visit. During our weekend visit, we were also going on a hike in the Smokies; but Jake was going to have to stay with Rose in town.
Rose sleeps in the loft of the loft. The loft is an open platform raised above the kitchen, accessible by a spiral staircase. While we were visiting, she allowed us to sleep in her bed. "Us" means: Amy, myself, and naturally Jake, the dog. He always sleeps with us. The only problem was Jake had never been on a spiral staircase.
When bedtime came, Amy started up the stairs and called for Jake to join her. The steps were metal, the riser between the steps were open, the radius of the spiral was short, and Jake is a cautious dog. He knew Amy wanted him to climb the stairs; but was not sure of her judgment.
Slowly, he took ... read more or Journal Home
Virgin Falls - Part 2 - 09FEB12
Now for a few notes on Virgin Falls ...
The parking area at the trailhead is fairly large; but the area sees a lot of traffic.
There are no restrooms or water at the trailhead.
The elevation at the Parking Area is 1750 feet. The lowest point of the trail, just below Virgin Falls near Piney Creek, is 900 feet.
Hiking to Virgin Falls is quite easy; but the hike out is uphill. :-)
When we visited the area, the streams were full. The crossing were not too difficult; but they could be tough with an extra ... read more or Journal Home
100 Favorite North American Climbs - 08FEB12
Fred Beckey's name is synonymous with mountaineering. Born in 1923 he has climbed his entire life and is still climbing at the age of 89!
In the late seventies, Fifty Classic Climbs of North America was released by the Sierra Club as a large format paperback book. The book became known as the 50 Classics. The routes were chosen by two distinguished authors and the climbs carried the weight of being known as classics. The authors had not climbed all of the routes, they chose the routes because of their historical significance, popularity or notoriety. All the moderate climbs included in the book became insanely popular. Six of the classics were first climbed by Fred Beckey.
Beckey has now released his coffee table book, 100 ... read more or Journal Home
Warner Park Map - revised - 07FEB12
On cloudhiking we have improved our map making capabilities with the use of ESRI, Geographic Imager, and Map Publisher programs. All of our new maps are geo-referenced. We have also revised two of the original maps - Bells Bend and Warner Parks to meet our new standards. We are still learning and improving. We hope you enjoy them!
A few notes about the Warner Parks map ...
The old maps were divided into the Percy Warner map, the Edwin Warner map, and the Harpeth River Greenway. The new map includes all three maps.
We did not remove the old Warner Park maps from the site.
The new map
... read more or Journal Home
Virgin Falls - 06FEB12
Last week, I went to Virgin Falls with a couple of friends, Ray and Robin. They are State Park Rangers and Robin oversees the Virgin Falls Natural Area. It was a pleasure to walk with them.
Coming from different locations, we met in Sparta, TN and then drove together to the Natural Area. We had fun catching up with each other in the short ride.
Virgin Falls is located on the plateau of middle Tennessee. From Sparta, the trailhead is located eighteen miles to the southeast. The roads are in good condition and the area is accessible by passenger vehicles.
From the trailhead we began a ... read more or Journal Home
A Better Mousetrap - 03FEB12
During a cold snap this winter, we began seeing signs that we had an unwanted visitor at our house. A mouse had invaded the pantry.
After a few days of living with the mouse, we saw that he was not going to leave on his own. We needed to take some kind of action. Amy, my wife, bought a package of traditional mousetraps.
Setting the mouse traps with bait, we waited for a mouse to be tempted to grab the tasty morsels.
Over the next few days, we saw evidence that the mouse continued to vist the pantry. He had even eaten the treats on the traps and then left. He was a smart critter. As we re-baited the traps, we talked about possibly finding a better ... read more or Journal Home
Trillium Gap Trail - Part Two - 02FEB12
Now for a few notes on the Trillium Gap Trail ...
We started the Trillium Gap Trail from the lower Rainbow Falls Trailhead (Cherokee Orchard).
There were nice privies at the trailhead; but no water.
The parking area was overflowing by the time we returned in the afternoon.
The trailhead did not have a map or trail kiosk.
Leaving the trailhead the Rainbow Falls Trail is not well marked.
The Connector Trail followed close to the road(s) until reaching the Trillium ... read more or Journal Home
Nathan LED Safety Strobe Lights - 01FEB12
My wife, Amy, rides her bike to her school on most mornings. The only problem is that in the winter months the shorter daylight period means she rides to work in the dark and often times also returns home in the dark.
Amy carries panniers on her bike that have plenty of reflective tape; but she still needed good lights (and it is the law in Tennessee). We have tried a number of lights; but none were perfect. Finally, in her Christmas stocking she found a couple of Nathan LED Safety Strobe lights. Reading the reviews on the REI site, the only real complaint that Santa found was the clip on the light was inadequate. If she liked the light, we would fix the clip.
The light definitely lit up ... read more or Journal Home
Trillium Gap Trail - 31Jan12
Over the weekend Amy, Jake (the dog) and I visited our daughter, Rose, in Knoxville for the weekend. Naturally, no visit to Knoxville would be complete without a short drive to GSMNP. What? Great Smoky Mountain National Park, that is.
Over the last couple of years we have been slowly completing the trails of Mount LeConte. We had one left and wanted to fill in the blank section on the cloudhiking.com's map. Saturday morning we were up early to visit LeConte via the Trillium Gap Trail. It was the usual, crazy drive though Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg as we traveled to our destination. The commercialism of the area left us numb from tourist overload.
We drove to the Rainbow Falls, Cherokee Orchard, Trailhead to start our adventure. Our plan was to hike from the trailhead for 2.4 miles to the Trillium Trailhead, then take the Trillium Gap Trail up LeConte and down the Rainbow Falls ... read more or Journal Home
Stone Mountain, GA - Part Two - 30Jan12
Now for a few notes on Stone Mountain ...
The Stone Mountain Park is owned by the State of Georgia; but is operated by a Memorial Association and not the State Parks Department.
No tax money goes to operating the Park.
To fund the Park, the Park has become an entertainment destination. There are boat rides, train rides, and even a Summit Skyride. Other attraction include the laser show, museums, Snow Mountain, zip lines (not from the top), high ropes courses, interactive games, and more. There are also campgrounds, hotels, golf courses, restaurants, etc.
There is a ten dollar per vehicle entry fee ... read more or Journal Home
Stone Mountain, GA - Part One - 27Jan12
A couple of weeks ago we visited Stone Mountain, GA to record the trails for cloudhiking.com. Amy, my wife, had never been to the park; but I had grown up in Atlanta and visited the Park as a Boy Scout numerous times. Then, a few years back while Amy was attending a meeting in Atlanta, I went to the Park to hike. I had a great day and wanted to return.
Finally, we decided to make the short trip to Atlanta. Waking early, we left Nashville at 6 and drove to the Park. When we arrived, we paid our admission fee and inquired about the trails and parking. Soon we were at a trail access ... read more or Journal Home
Americans - 26Jan12
Tuesday night we watched the State of the Union Address on television. We normally do not watch the speeches; as we prefer to read about the content from news agencies instead. But, this year, we were working on our laptops and no one turned the television off. We watched by default.
Soon the President's entrance procession began. You know, this is where he enters the room and greets all those from his party who are lucky enough to sit close to the aisle. Obama, being a Democrat, received shakes and hugs from other Democrats. If it had been a Republican President, the story would have been the same, except the Republicans would have been lining the aisle.
One of the Democrats sitting ... read more or Journal Home
Merino Wool Lightweight Crew - 25Jan12
For years I had been a holdout. I had read and re-read the product descriptions of the advantages of merino wool and glowing personal recommendations; but other than with socks, I had never worn a merino wool garment. Wool is itchy.
Instead of wool, I have worn Patagonia's Silkweight shirts. I love the shirt. The silkweight is what I consider to be the perfect undergarment. It is lightweight, easy to layer over, the slick fabric moves with over-garments, and dries incredibly fast. So, why even try the wool garments? The Capilene shirts hold odor. Oh, they are treated with some kind of odor guard; but after a few days; you can never reach above ... read more or Journal Home
Halletts Peak - 24Jan12
A good friend of ours is celebrating a birthday today. We've known him for years and have shared many adventures with him. So a bit of a roast to our friend ...
Before the digital age, my friend and I climbed Halletts Peak in Rocky Mountain National Park by the old Northcutt-Carter route. Sorry, but I could not find pictures from the day.
Each day of the summer, hundreds (if not thousands) of hikers walk the 1.8 miles from Bear Lake Trailhead to Emerald Lake. The path is almost a walkway as it slowly gains elevation to the upper lake. From Emerald Lake the views of Halletts are ... read more or Journal Home
Trailsense - GPS Settings - 23Jan12
The wonderful world of the GPS is a modern day marvel. The small handheld device is capable of displaying the GPS's location from almost any place on the planet, earth (that is, any place where the GPS can receive the satellite signal). What a revolution to navigation! Gone are the days of plotting with a map and compass. Now, with a GPS, all you have to do is push the "mark" button and the GPS tells you your exact position.
When we first started using the GPS, we were overwhelmed by all the options. The GPS receives the time and position from the satellite and then processes that simple data to provide ... read more or Journal Home
The Case of the Missing Pole - 20Jan12
Last summer ('11) after staying in Rocky Mountain National Park for a few weeks, we set out to tour the Front Range area of Colorado. With our friends, Jon and Laura, we first went to Mount Evans, then to Grays and Torreys, and finally Pikes Peak before returning to the Park.
After our successful climbs on Grays and Torreys, we made the long drive to the Pikes Peak area and camped in a National Forest campground. We had planned to pack that evening; but a strong storm delayed our packing until the next morning. Rising early, we began drying out from the storm and packing for our two night trip.
Finally we were at the trailhead and preparing to start the hike. It was getting close to noon and the sun was blazing hot. The trailhead in Manitou Springs is at 6700 feet and the trail climbs a hot east facing slope. Wanting to start on the trail as soon as possible, we secured the vehicle and readied our packs. We were ready to start walking, when I noticed ... read more or Journal Home
IKEA - 19Jan12
Sunday, we planned a short trip to Atlanta. Waking early, we left the house before 6 and began the long day. Our primary goal was a visit to Stone Mountain on the outskirts of town. If we had time (and felt like it), we were also going downtown to visit Atlanta's IKEA megastore, before heading home. Stone Mountain was great and we actually finished our hikes in less time than anticipated. Soon, we left the Park and were heading to the household furnishing giant.
We had visited the Atlanta IKEA once before; but that was several years ago. Following Googles instructions, we made our way through Atlanta to the store without a single wrong turn, even though there were a few ... read more or Journal Home
Southbound, a Review - 18Jan12
As summer of 2011 approached I was looking for an entertaining book to read on our trip to Colorado. In the Campmor catalog, one of the few books they sold was "Southbound"- a story about two sisters walking the Appalachian Trail. I had never read a book on the AT or any other long distant hike. Long distance hiking is not a really glamorous topic; but from Campmor's glowing recommendation, I decided to give it a try.
The book captivated me immediately. Every day I would announce, 'well, I need to turn in and see ... read more or Journal Home
Best of cloudhiking - 2011 - 17Jan12
Continuing on the picks from the Metro to Mountain and cloudhiking sites for our favorites of the year 2011, we are trying to choose our favorite cloudhiking Adventure Guides for Mountains, Trails, and Metro paths. During the year we walked many trails, paths, and greenways. After completing an adventure we would decide if we wanted to work the data we collected into an Adventure Guide. There were a few trails that we chose not to develop into guides. There are many trails that we liked but just have not had time to finish the work. All of the areas that we publish as an Adventure Guide are winners ... read more or Journal Home
Scared - 13Jan12
Last summer ('11), we saved climbing Longs Peak until our last day of our Colorado visit. There had been a lingering snow pack that had delayed some of our plans. After a month in Rocky Mountain National Park, we left and climbed elsewhere in the State, including: a long route on Mount Evans, then a great little route on Torreys, and finally an ascent of Pikes Peak, before we returned to the Park. For our last few days we spent a night in the backcountry and then were going to climb Longs Peak. Returning from our backcountry overnight trip, Amy re-injured her foot. I was going to have to climb Longs without her.
Amy drove me to the trailhead at daybreak. I promised to hurry as I joined hundreds of hikers on the trail as we ... read more or Journal Home
Best of Gear, Green, and Diversions - 2011 - 12Jan12
Once again, it is time to pick our favorite Metro to Mountain and cloudhiking entries from last year. Today, we are choosing Journal entries from Gear, Green, and Diversion Categories (the Categories are the Metro to Mountain Journal Categories listed in the right sidebar). Choosing was not easy, as there was little difference between number 4 and number 3 of each category. Still someone has to be number 1, so we tried our best ... read more or Journal Home
Chuckit! Flying Squirrels - 11Jan12
Jake, our Golden Retriever, requires a lot of attention. When he gets bored he lets us know it is time to play. Since playing is an every day occurrence, Jake has a collection of inside toys and outside toys. His favorite outside toy is the Chuckit! Flying Squirrel.
We purchased our first Squirrel six or seven years ago. Jake liked it immediately. Of course he loves to run, chase, and catch anything, but the Squirrels had one additional attribute, he could ... read more or Journal Home
Any suggestions or comments are always welcome. Thanks for tuning in.
.