Beartown State Park

On our way home on Wednesday, we made a stop at Beartown State Park, just off US 219 in West Virginia. As state parks go, it's quite small (107 acres).

We were intrigued -- the park features a boardwalk loop trail on top of a mountain. Usually boardwalk trails go through wetlands. But here the terrain is so full of holes and crevices, that the boardwalk makes for a solid footing.

The park preserves some unique sandstone formations.

Colorful sandstone bluff.

The boardwalk planners had quite a job to lay out a path through the rocks.

The walk was much like a totally natural version of the Nek Chand Rock Garden in Chandigarh. (Although it lacked the whimsical statues!)

Watoga State Park

On our bike ride, we camped for two nights at Watoga State Park.

While we didn't cook over the campfire, you gotta have one!

Tuesday, after bicycling for 26 miles, we took a short 1-mile (1.6 km) hike up to the Ann Bailey Lookout Tower. The trail may have been short, but it was strenuous -- an 800 ft (250 m) climb.

The view was worth the work! The Greenbrier River is at the bottom of the canyon at left.

Coming back from the bathhouse, we startled by large glowing circles. Turns out that out bicycles have reflective tires!

Mounted on the back of our truck.

Greenbrier River Trail - Part 4 - mile 39.5 to mile 69.5

Over 2 1/2 days we covered the trail north of our previous sections. We camped at Watoga State Park near the Seebert trail access point.

Monday evening, we had planned to cover the 7 mile segment between Seebert and mile post 39. Our plans hit a snag -- literally.

About a half mile before our intended turn-around point, the trail was completely blocked by the crown of a very large tree that had fallen over.

Tuesday we rode from our campground to Seebert and rode the trail up to Marlinton. After having lunch, we rode back to camp.

Watoga Bridge -- one of three river crossings on the Greenbrier River Trail. My touring bike finally arrived -- it's much better for non-paved trails, but still good for paved surfaces.

Flame azalea (Rhododendron calendulaceum) makes a dramatic statement in the landscape.

On Wednesday, we decamped and packed our gear in Lon's panniers to check out riding in full gear. We drove to Marlinton to start up the last stretch of the trail that ends at Cass. This is a 24-mile segment that we're breaking into two parts.

Just before leaving Marlinton (and a paved trail) sits the only remaining water tank (for the steam locomotives) on the trail. Lon noted that the spacing of the compression bands shows how the water pressure at the bottom of the tank is substantially higher than it is at the top.

The southern entrance to Sharp's Tunnel.

Inside the tunnel looking at the north entrance.

Small waterfall and pool on Big Run.

Lon showing off his fully-loaded bike on Sharp's Bridge.

This is a little-used section of the trail, as it is the most remote -- there are few access points and limited services. So it was absolutely astounding that the only other group we met the whole day turned out to be friends of Lon's mom from Childersburg, Alabama. What a small world!

As this is the most remote section of the trail -- mostly going through state and federal forest lands, we saw quite a bit of wildlife. Three bears crossed the trail in front of us. (Actually, two of the sightings were probably the same bear -- once on the way up and once on the way back.) We also saw deer, woodchucks, geese, and herons. I caught sight of a huge bird flying along the river -- had to have been an eagle. (Since it was all dark, no white head or tail, it was probably a juvenile bald eagle.)

Wildlife Encounters

Recent encounters with wildlife in a variety of situations.

A Canada Goose family interrupts rush hour traffic in Boston.

A raccoon on a walking trail in Watertown, NY. The fact that this nocturnal creature was out in the daytime and behaving very strangely led us to believe it could have rabies. We turned around and ended our hike early.

We organized our camping gear this afternoon. While cleaning out boxes, we came across one that held a mouse nest. There were four babies hiding there. (We need mouse control in our outdoor shed!) Judging from previously encountered mice, these are probably white-footed deermice.

Mama mouse was no where to be seen. We hid the babies in vegetation outside the shed. While I don't want more mice, I sorta hope that mama will find her babies and save them.

West Suburban (Chicago) Miscellany

Just didn't fit in any place else …

Springbrook Prairie

This week we biked/hiked Springbrook Prairie Forest Preserve in Naperville three times.

Trees are just beginning to leaf out.

It seemed that birds disappeared as soon as I aimed my camera at them.
Right to left: Eastern Towhee, American Robin, Black-capped Chickadee

Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve

This park surrounds Argonne National Laboratory in Lemont. While it has a small waterfall (constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps during the Depression), it is actually named after Bud Waterfall, an early president of the DuPage County Forest Preserve District Board of Commissioners. The preserve has a 10-mile long hiking/biking path that is "hilly" by Chicago standards (that means an elevation difference of about 100 ft -- 30 m).

The waterfall is hidden by the emerging leaves. Redbud was in full bloom.

While hilly, there are still a number of ponds and wetlands.

Yellow Water Buttercup (Ranunculus flabellaris)

Whatever

These very tall nets were quite visible from I-88.

Turns out it's a tri-level driving range.

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

While in Chicago, we had a chance to go to a Cubs game in the "friendly confines" of Wrigley Field. It was a cold day for baseball: 55°F (13°C) with a 25 mph wind from the north straight into our faces. More like a football day. It was also not a home run day since home plate is in the southwest corner of the field.

While Wrigley Field has been updated a number of times, it is still the only remaining US ball park with grandstands on two sides and only bleachers in the outfield. Two Jumbotrons are recent additions.

The scoreboard is a classic  -- lights are used for very few numbers. The scoreboard dates back to daytime-only games, when lights were not always visible in intense sunshine. Instead, the numbers are on large panels that are manually updated throughout the game. When I was growing up, six games per league was sufficient to show all the games!

Bundled up against the cold wind.

Because Wrigley Field has no outfield grandstands, and because it is in a residential neighborhood, apartment buildings have built bleachers on their roofs, and charge admission to view the game. It's more of a novelty than a great way to go to the ball game.

A street-level view of the rooftop bleachers behind left field.

After the game.

A Ride Through Suburban Chicago

Last week we visited with my sister, her family, and my mother in far-west suburban Chicago.

The Midwest has many abandoned rail lines -- a good number of which have been turned into "rail trails". Combined with other recreational trails, there are a lot of trails to explore in "Chicagoland". We took a loop route on the Illinois Prairie Path (the very first "rails-to-trails" trail) and the Fox River Trail.

Even though we were traveling through suburban subdivisions and industrial areas, the trees on either side of the trail made it see quite rural.

Along the Fox River Trail, three bridges cross the river at Stearns Road. In the foreground is the railroad bridge, followed by a highway bridge, and finally the new pedestrian/cyclist bridge.

Looking across the Stearns Road pedestrian bridge. The highway bridge is to the immediate left, while the railroad bridge is the left background.

Another trail bridge over the Fox River.

Lon on the bridge.

Sue on the bridge.

I hadn't realized the dangers of going under a highway bridge!

A huge shelf fungus on a tree along the trail.

The last segment of our ride started near Good Templar Park. Nothing special, except that my childhood church in Chicago (the long-gone Kloeckner Memorial UCC) held our annual church picnic here every year. I hadn't been here in nearly 50 years!

Wildflowers & Wildlife

Now that spring has arrived, lots of flowers are blooming, attracting lots of pollinators.

Pink azalea (Rhododendron periclymenoides) with a black swallowtail butterfly in the background.

Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis) is blooming ...

… and attracting bumblebees.

We almost stepped on this medium-sized black rat snake.

A nice view of its forked tongue.