Old man vs. Stony Man

Last weekend I decided to take a drive out to Shenandoah National Park to do some hiking.  My goal was to hike to the summit of Stony Man mountain, then continue hiking along the Appalachian Trail ("AT").  I saw a beautiful photo taken from Stony Man in Backpacker magazine and was hoping to get a picture or two using my iPhone.

The signs are right "Watch for Deer"

I won't bore you with stories of DC-area traffic...coming and going, but will say that you have to love getting out to the country to suffer the traffic.  I guess you take the bad with the good.

It was a relatively cloudy day, so I knew my visibility would be limited.  What I did not know or could not recall knowing was how high some of the mountains are in the Park.  Stony Man is just over 4,000 feet, only about 300 feet shorter than Mt. Mansfield in Vermont.  The summits of each mountain are very different.  There is no tree line on Stony Man like the one on Mt. Mansfield.  It was about 10 degrees cooler on the summit of Stony Man than in the valley.  I'll take cooler, even if it is only 10 degrees!

A sneaker-friendly trail

The other big difference between the peaks of Shenandoah National Park and Vermont is that Virginia has Skyline Drive which runs along the peaks and is parallel to the AT through the Park.  I recall reading that FDR's Administration had a similar proposal regarding building a Skyline Drive in Vermont that would run along the backbone of the Green Mountains, but that Vermont - then being very independent and wary of too much government intrusion - rejected the idea.  Virginia's mountains are more accessible than Vermont's, but something is lost when you can just drive right up to a high peak.

I know something is lost because that's how I began my hike, driving to a parking lot just south of Stony Man's summit.  Fortunately, there were many other trails, because the hike to the summit was not too long or too challenging.  It was, however, a great place to eat lunch.

Hiker looking down on the clouds

There was a front moving in while I sat at the summit and ate my ham and cheese sandwich.  Luckily, the clouds below did offer some nice views.  It wasn't as breathtaking as the photo I had seen in Backpacker magazine, but still pretty impressive.

I'd love to plan a nice long hike along the AT, but I'd need a free weekend to do it.  I'd have to stay down close to the Park to insure I could get an early start.  Perhaps later this summer.

Another first for me happened on my hike.  As soon as I got back to the car, it started to rain.  It really rained...and I was done and sitting in a dry car.  It was a nice almost end to the day.  I still had the traffic to fight as I got closer to DC.

another view from the summit

another another view

A Quick Spring, Family Fishing, Hiking, and Bullwinkle (the moose) Permits

(as published in the Mountain Gazette, June 6, 2013)

I saw spring come to Jericho all in a couple of minutes. While my statement is true, it was with the help of my Bushnell Game Camera. This past Monday I retrieved the memory card from my game camera. There were only about 500 photos on the card, but I was able to see the trees leaf out and the ferns come up right before my eyes. It was pretty neat to see how quickly everything happened over the span of a few days.

                                                           

The first week in June I’ll be joining my dad and brothers for a fishing trip on the West Branch of the Ausable River in New York.  While we try to get together every year, it seldom works out that way. This is our second year on Ausable, and we hope to have the full complement this year.

We tried, several years ago, to fish a couple of different rivers in Vermont, but the trout seemed to be too intelligent to be caught in any number. Being the opportunists that we are, we figured we’d have better luck out of state where the fish weren’t so educated. This year my younger brother was thinking of bringing his son Jack.  Jack is almost 11. It would be wonderful to have Jack participate in our fish-trip tradition. That and we can tell him stories, some real about his dad. Unfortunately, Jack has never fly fished and where we are going you can only fish with a single hook, artificial fly – no bait. So…now Jack isn’t going because my brother thinks he’ll be too bored – which is probably right (and Jack’s friend is having a birthday party, which is more attractive than fishing with old guys). How do you get kids interested in family outdoor traditions and keep them from going crazy with boredom?

It seems to me that you first need to get your junior outdoor partner interested in the activity or event. This begins by building up anticipation for what will happen. Talk up past trips and stories. This gets them excited about participating. Involve them in the planning. Ask them what they want to do, within parameters of the trip. If the trip involves certain skills, make sure the child has mastered the basics before you leave. Once they have reached some level of proficiency, consider treating them to a new or upgraded piece of equipment – some new tackle, reel, fishing vest, or fishing boat. OK, start small. No boat.

Encouraging kids to get involved in outdoor activities can take some time and patience, but it can be rewarding for years to come. It is also important to recognize that hunting and fishing isn’t for everyone. You don’t have to hunt or fish to enjoy the outdoors or to participate in some way in family traditions. Be content if you can get your child to accompany you fishing, even if she wants to sit on a rock and watch the birds eat the hatch, rather than match the hatch.

So let’s get your kids outside.  Why not start with participating in National Trails Day^®? American Hiking Society's National Trails Day^® is the country's largest celebration of trails. Mark your 2013 calendar for June 1^st to make sure you don't miss out on the thousands of National Trails Day^® activities happening all over the country. Events include hikes, biking and horseback rides, paddling trips, birdwatching, geocaching, gear demonstrations, stewardship projects and more.  There are 11 events planned in Vermont this year, with four just a short drive away.  For more information, please see  http://www.americanhiking.org/national-trails-day/

Time to sign up for your moose permit. Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department has proposed 355 moose hunting permits for the regular October 19-24 moose season and 50 permits for an archery moose season October 1-7. More information and an application can be found at http://www.vtfishandwildlife.com/hunttrap_mooselottery.cfm.

Happy days afield. Please visit www.sportingafield.blogspot.com for more news, musings, and interviews or to leave questions or comments.

Fly Tying at a Bar. Can it get better?

Greetings from Babylon on the Potomac.  I've promised myself to blog more frequently when I get a table to sit at.  For now, I'll be an infrequent breakfast-bar-sitting-on-an-uncomfortable-chair blogger.

I took time in my busy schedule the other day to walk into the local Orvis store.  The good news is, it is only about two blocks away.  The bad news is, it is only about two blocks away.  When I walked in they had several tables set up in the middle of the store.  I asked about the set up and found out that they offer several introductory fly fishing courses (free).  They also offer advanced lessons for a fee.


I asked if they offered any fly tying classes.  That is when I found out about the "Beer Tie."  The Tidal Potomac Fly Rodders meet most second Mondays of the month to tie flies at a local bar!  Proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.

Whitlow's

The club meets at Whitlow's on Wilson Boulevard in Arlington from 7:00PM to 9:00PM to tie flies, watch fly fishing films, and consume food and drink. You are supposed to bring a vise and materials and they will also have a table set up to teach beginners how to tie.  (Whitlow's is on the same block as Orvis.)

While I'll be in the middle of an arbitration on June 10th, I'm hoping to join the group at Whitlow's.  I guy still has to eat.  I doubt I will have had a chance to ship my vise and materials by then, but it should still be worth stopping by to meet the group.

New flatwear and the trillium hike with a few friends on the Appalachian Trail

Gathering at the trail head

I've been working in DC for over a month now and have made significant progress in integrating myself into a new firm, finding and renting an apartment, and buying essentials to furnish the apartment.  Yes, a 42 inch TV is essential - especially as one ages, the eyes fail....  While it is true that setting up a new place is absolutely thrilling, sometimes picking out new flatware in 18/10 stainless on Amazon.com just isn't enough.  So on the advice of a friend, I signed up on meetup.com.

Contrary to suspicions of my oldest daughter, meetup.com isn't an adult dating site.  It is a way to meet people in your local area who share your interests.  What the heck.  I searched on hiking and saw that the Capital Hiking Club was hosting the Trillium Hike.  Trillium?  Sounded like a flower, so I called my

Vermont Trillium

wife and asked her what a trillium was.  Shortly after asking my question, Karen sent me a picture of a trillium she took not too far from our house.  Who knew!

Virginia Trillium

I confess that I was far less interested in seeing the trillium than the hike.  The Capital Hiking Club has its own late model commercial bus for its outings.  I caught the bus in a Northern Virginia Metro parking lot for the ride out to the G. Richard Thompson Wildlife Management Area.  Two hiking routes were offered, a 6 and a 12 mile hike.  I was going to do the 12 mile hike, but I didn't want to get too far ahead of my "fitbit" competition.  So far that hasn't been an issue.

When I arrived at the Metro lot, I saw several people, who were clearly dressed to go hiking, standing next to a car.  I went over to introduce myself.  Unfortunately, they were another hiking group.  It turns out that three separate groups were meeting at the same lot that day.  Clearly a lot of hiking demand around the Nation's Capital.

It was quite a diverse group that showed up for the hike.  There were some younger couples, but I'd guess the median age was mid-to-late 40s.  I wasn't close to being the oldest (or in the worst shape).  It was a very nice group of folks.

view from the trail

The weather was pleasant, sunny and mild.  While all the leaves were out in the suburbs of Washington, the mountains were still greening up.
Interestingly, I was surprised at how few people could recognize poison ivy...even when hiking right through it.  It bordered both sides of the trail in one section.  Despite the amount of time I've spent in the woods, I have yet to have a reaction to poison ivy.  No complaints from me.  I hope I remain so fortunate.

The only problem with taking a bus to a hike is that you can't leave when you are done.  The good news is that someone brought several coolers of beer and sodas for purchase while you waited.  It was nice to talk with the other hikers and hear about some of their other hikes.  One woman had recently returned from hiking Mount Kilimanjaro and was preparing to hike to the Everest base camp.  That is a woman with clearly more disposable income than me.  It was certainly an interesting and diverse group.

No matter where you are, it seems like you can always find people who enjoy the outdoors.  It may not be hunting or fishing, but being outside is still invigorating.  I'm sure I'll be going on several more hikes with the Capital Hiking Club in the future.

Can you ever see enough trillium?

As you will read in my next post, sometimes it is hunting or fishing, or at least fishing.  If there's water (and an Orvis store) you will find fishermen and women.  And I have an Orvis store just down the street from my Virginia apartment.  For the record, I did not select my apartment because of the Orvis store; really, Karen, I didn't.

Daughters, Dogs, and Fishing

(as published in the Mountain Gazette, April 18, 2013)

Once again I’m writing from the road – an all too often occurrence. It’s a bit more of a challenge writing about the outdoors when you are in the city and you don’t have the great outdoors staring you in the face like you do back in Vermont.

So here I sit, surrounded by my outdoor reading material, lugged all the way from Vermont for writing inspiration – a Ruffed Grouse Society magazine; Fly Fisherman magazine with a “cannibal trout” on the cover; a spring edition of Northern Woodlands, featuring an article on “how young animals disperse” – clearly aimed at graduating seniors from college; and two issues of Northwoods Sporting Journal, featuring articles on “big trout tactics,” “ice out brook trout,” and “a boy’s first gun.”

My daughter Katie called and suggested that I write about the difficulty of training a bird dog in suburbia, which is where we got our first bird dog. Now I can’t get the thought of dogs we’ve had over the years out of my head. I trained my first bird dog about a mile away from where I’m now writing. (OK, for those keeping score, he was about the only really trained dog I’ve had.)

It wasn’t really that hard training a bird dog in the suburbs of Washington. It was most difficult training a bird dog with two little girls around who tried to undo any obedience I tried to instill. I remember coming home one night after a long day and was greeted by my two little darlings giggling hysterically. I asked them what was so funny and they said in unison, “Look at Daddy’s bird dog!” Then old Tupper comes running to the door wagging his tail. I think he was wagging his tail, but it was tough to see since he was wearing Little Mermaid panties. My little girls couldn’t have been more proud of themselves. Never has a good bird dog been more disgraced.

It was in training Tupper (a Brittany) that I first got published in Gun Dog magazine. I had sent in a training tip and a picture of Tupper. I still have the page from the magazine framed and hanging in the house. I even sent Tupper away for a few weeks to be worked on birds. When I went to pick him up the trainer was telling me all that he could do, all obedience training stuff. I think the trainer was hoping I’d be impressed. I wasn’t. “He could do all that when I dropped him off,” I said. Truth is you don’t have to live in the country to train a bird dog well on basic obedience commands you will use in the field.  Obedience training can be done anywhere…except maybe around a house with two little girls and a dog-indulgent wife.

Maddie helping to pick out our first gun dog

Tupper was a great dog. He had a good nose, was biddable, loved to hunt, and he could play “dress-up” with the best of them. He has been gone for over five years, but you never forget a really good dog…or a really bad one. My dad still hasn’t forgotten or forgiven Bentley, our first pound-rescued dog, for drinking his martini. Stories of Bentley could fill a book. He was a miscreant from the beginning – chewing everything, soiling the carpet, the refrigerator door, cabinets…don’t ask. His most redeeming characteristic, and it may have been his only one, was that he was great with children – especially ours. Whenever we returned from a walk the first thing he’d do was find the girls, then plop himself down and watch over his flock. He was a Bearded Collie after all.

The memory of each dog we’ve had recalls a stage in the life of our family. Thinking of Bentley, after suppressing memories of cleaning up after him, brings up memories of being newly married and starting a family. Tupper and Dixie (an Australian Shepherd) saw our transition from Virginia to Vermont. Calvin Coolidge, aka “smiling” Cal (a Brittany) and Cabot (an English Setter) are our “native” Vermont dogs and kept the nest from becoming too empty.

“Dogs,” thanks for the idea, Katie. You can train a dog anywhere, just like you can start and raise a family. But when it comes to “finishing” a bird dog or a child, is there any place better than Vermont?

OK, what about fish? As if I had forgotten. Fish are good to eat, but more fun to catch. Bass catch & release season opens April 13^th. Regular Bass season opens June 8^th and runs through November 30^th. Trout and Landlocked Salmon season opens on April 13^th and runs through October 31^st (no closed season on the big lake). Finally, Walleye season opens May 4^th and runs through March 15^th (2014) for all waters except the Connecticut River and Chittenden Reservoir.

Happy days afield. Please visit www.sportingafield.blogspot.com for more news, musings, and interviews or to leave questions or comments.

House Broken in Harpers Ferry

View from St. Joseph's Church

Saturday I decided to take a drive up to Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. It has probably been 15 years since I've been up that way. Saturday was forecast to be a nice spring day, high around 70 and lots of sun.

Harpers Ferry sits on a point of land at the confluence of the Potomac and the Shenandoah Rivers. It is a place steeped in history. It was visited by George Washington, when he was a young man surveying the area. Thomas Jefferson visited there on his way to Philadelphia. The town is also where Robert E. Lee and Jeb Stuart captured John Brown, after Brown's failed attempt to break into the armory and use the weapons to launch a slave revolt. Stonewall Jackson captured over 12,000 Union troops there during the Civil War.

I love the history. Walking around town is great exercise. I could also visit the Appalachian Trial (AT) headquarters and hike some on the Appalachian Trail.  In the immortal words of Grampa Boushie, "Beautiful."

When I got to town I immediately started hiking up to St. Peter's  Catholic Church, which overlooks the town. St. Peter's is right off of a walkway that goes past the church up to a cemetery that is the highest point over the town. Hiking up to St. Peter's is where I made my first discovery - the AT goes right by the church. I was already on the AT and didn't know it.  Beautiful.

St. Joseph's Church

From St. Peter's, I headed up to the cemetery. It was on my way up to the stone steps to the cemetery that I noticed a wooden post with a white blaze on it. The white blaze signifies the AT.

Note white blaze on post (sign of the AT)

It is a very steep, but short climb from town up the hill to the cemetery.  Many of old stones in the cemetery told sad stories of children lost young.  While it may have been common during the period, I'm sure it was no less painful.  What a beautiful spot to be laid to rest.

From the cemetery I walked over to the old Cliff House Hotel.  Sadly, the old hotel was fenced off awaiting some unknown fate.  The side yard of the hotel still provided a pretty good view looking down the Potomac towards where the Shenandoah enters it.

View from the Cliff House

From the hotel I headed up the street to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy headquarters to stop in and pick up a Virginia trail map.  It was here that I met "House Broken."  House Broken is what is referred to as a trail name.  Many of the "through hikers" take on or are given trail names.  A through hiker is someone hiking the entire AT from Georgia to Maine, just over a 2,000 mile walk in the woods.

I met House Broken, a through hiker, when I was looking though pictures of this year's current crop of AT through hikers, all documented at AT headquarters.  I inquired whether he had a trail name, to which he replied House Broken.  Interesting name, I thought.  "So, how'd you come by the name 'House Broken'?"  Turns out it should have been "not" house broken and it followed an evening of heavy drinking on the trail.  You can figure out the rest.

After visiting the AT center, I hiked down into town and across the Potomac River on a railroad trestle.  I then hiked up the river some before it was time to turn around and head back to the traffic of Northern Virginia.

Visiting Harpers Ferry was a great side trip.  It got me out of the city.  It was wonderful exercise and it was a great way to pass the day.  My only regret was that I didn't bring a fishing pole...they are all back in Vermont.  Both the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers hold a ton of Small Mouth Bass and Sunfish.  I'll bring a  rod and reel next time.  You have to enjoy your days afield where you can find them and I could have done a lot worse than Harpers Ferry.

Man’s business, God’s business, dogs and Other musings

(as published in the Mountain Gazette, April 4, 2013)

A couple weeks ago I was traveling down to Washington, DC for business. Like all Vermonters, I’m often stopped on the street when traveling out-of-state and asked about our well-managed state government…sorry, I forgot this is a non-fiction column. I can truthfully say that I am often asked about Vermont and the quality of life we enjoy, but too often take for granted. I know I certainly miss the mountain views, being outdoors, and watching the wildlife when I’m away. However, even when you are in the city you often meet people with a passion for the outdoors that seems contradicted by the urban environment.

 Like many Catholics and non-Catholics alike, I was following news of the papal conclave and the election of the new pope with interest. After hearing news of white smoke coming from the chimney on the roof over the Sistine Chapel, the traditional sign that a new pope has been elected, I turned to Twitter for current news as to who had been elected. One of the first Twitter posts to report news of the white smoke was Matt Crawford, a public relations specialist for the outdoor world (@MattCrawford). Matt’s next “tweet” is what caught my eye, “Looks like there’s a few sugar houses in the #VT hillsides electing popes today, today.” Proving, once again, that news from the Vermont outdoors world is always timely.

You’ve heard it said that “eyes are windows to the soul.” While this may be true, I think dogs can tell a lot about a person as well. My most recent foray into the land of regulation and seemingly unlimited fiscal waste brought me to a restaurant breaking break with four corporate attorneys, three of whom I was meeting for the first time. We exchanged background pleasantries about families and pets and the conversation turned to dogs. Two of the attorneys’ interest perked up when they heard that I had two dogs. They became even more animated when I told them that I had a Brittany and an English Setter. “Do you hunt them?” They asked. I said that I had hunted them, but they were in no way finished dogs. They then asked, “are you a good shot?” I said fair. I then learned that one of the attorneys bred and hunted champion Vizslas. The other attorney’s family had a large quail plantation down South. This attorney was a “good shot,” hunting quail with a 410! The conversation then drifted back to work and a new matter on which they wanted to retain me. This is the only time I can remember that having two hunting dogs may have helped me land a work project.

At the beginning of the year I published a list of New Year resolutions. One of those resolutions was to “take up a new and complimentary “hobby”; something to get you out in the woods during the off season.” This winter I’ve snowshoed quite a few times, including several trips up Mount Mansfield, either with my wife or by myself. After some recent snow, I decided to get out again this past Saturday. I figured this might be my last time out this year.

I got up early and was the first snowshoer on the trail. Near the end of Nebraska Notch trail, I was passed by another snowshoer. I was grateful to be passed and to let him break trail for a bit. Upon hitting the Long Trail, the other snowshoer turned north while I turned south to Taylor Lodge. Once again, the snowshoer overtook me – thinking he had taken a wrong turn looking for the summit. I told him he had been correct the first time and he was now heading away from the summit. We met again at Taylor Lodge, where we shared some food and exchanged stories. His name is Sergio and he is visiting from Spain and is studying Buddhism. We had much in common. I have heard of Spain and have been said to have a Buddha-like physique. I offered to take Sergio’s picture and e-mail it to him. I handed Sergio the hiking register for him to leave his mark and we parted ways. Even in our small corner of heaven you never know what pleasant souls you’ll meet seeking the peace and beauty found in Vermont’s mountains.

Happy days afield.