Another stellar day -- Saturday, 6/4/16

Well, go figure.  Today's forecast was for afternoon thunderstorms.  Yet, this morning, we awoke to raindrops on the roof!  So much for hiking early.  We busied ourselves with breakfast and what-not, and around mid-morning, the rain quit.  We knew where we wanted to go.  On went our "rain-proof" hiking shoes and merrily we were on our way.  With so many miles of trails in such a gorgeous park, we would be happy to see a smidgen of it. We weren't worried about the predicted thunderstorms, since the forecasters screwed it up from the get-go.

On our way to Cedar Falls, we passed this distinctive bridge over the Queer River (honest!). A part of the trail continues on the other side of the river.   In the early 1800's, a grist mill was built at the top of the falls, and from this bridge, we could see metal plates that once anchored the building to the south bank.

This is Cedar Falls, so (mis)named because early settlers mistook the stately hemlock trees in the area for cedar trees.  (There are no cedar trees near the falls.)  In terms of water amounts, Cedar Falls is the most abundant waterfall in the entire park, though it doesn't look like much right now.  I think it's a very unusual, striking waterfall. 

Reading a plaque near this bridge over the river (near the falls) told us that in January 1998 a 100-year flood of massive proportions ripped its way through the gorge, taking out almost all the man-made structures, while it continued its never-ending work of carving the sandstone.  When this bridge was rebuilt, the decision was made to reuse the "main" bent steel girders as a reminder of what happened and what might come again.  How cool is that?

After leaving Cedar Falls, we made our way to Grandma Gatewood's favorite Buckeye Trail, a six-mile path that winds its way from the Visitor Center to Ash Cave.  Yesterday we did part of it and today we'll add another five-plus R/T miles.  This section of the trail was not as heavily traveled as the Old Man Cave section.  Much of the time we traveled alone, and quiet, which suits us fine.  The cicada din was overwhelming at times; at others, it simmered down to a dull roar, and I could hear the lilting song of a hermit thrush.  

Found on the trail -- a Great Spangled Fritillary.

Found alongside the trail -- a red monkey in a tree!

Truly, Ash Cave is the most spectacular feature in the entire park. It's also the largest, most impressive recess cave in the state. We approached the cave through a narrow gorge lined with those beautiful hemlocks and some mighty big beech trees.

The narrow gorge is approximately a quarter mile mile in length and with astonishing suddenness gives way to the tremendous overhanging ledge and cave shelter.  We could hardly believe our eyes. 

"The horseshoe-shaped cave is massive; measuring 700 feet from end to end, 100 feet deep from the rear cave wall to its front edge with the rim rising 90 feet high. A small tributary of the East Fork of Queer Creek cascades over the rim into a small plunge pool below. The cave was formed like the others in this region; the middle layer of the Blackhand sandstone has been weathered or eroded while the more resistant upper and lower zones have remained intact."

The water falling into this pool from the overhang continues to shape the park.  From the top, people below in the cave recess looked like ants.  We gawked and dawdled for quite a spell, before hiking back up to the overlook trail and a return to Smartie.  

Of all things to see in the recesses, pigeons were nesting in the crevices.

One is perched on a ledge above Jimmy.

On our way to Ash Cave, we passed this 80-foot fire tower that was built in 1924. Jimmy thought about climbing to the top but changed his mind. As we passed it again on our return, he handed me his pack and hot-footed it to the top! Piece of cake for this guy (who had knee replacement surgery a year ago). It was way too warm and humid for me to attempt a climb like this. Besides somebody had to stay on the ground to get a pic or two. That's him at the top beneath the little house.

One of the "finds" in Hocking Hills is a Pink Lady's Slipper Orchid.  Well, looky-here, I found one, though it looks more like a tongue sticking out than a flower.  I think it was on its way out.

So, we ended our hikes in Hocking Hills State Park and really enjoyed ourselves. This park was a real find. After dinner, sitting in our usual places at the dinette, a crack of thunder echoed overhead. Rain commenced. OK, so the predicted thunderstorm arrived (late), but we got our hike in between the rains. Tomorrow we move east.

Old Man's Cave -- Friday, 6/3/16

A couple of months ago, a Road Scholar friend, Mary, knowing I like to hike, sent me a note via Facebook about a book I might like to read. I bought a copy. Called Grandma Gatewood's Walk by Ben Montgomery, it tells the tale of a woman who endured a life of hardship, yet triumphs in the end over it all. Emma Gatewood loved to hike in her home state of Ohio, and especially in the Hocking Hills area. At the age of 67, she set out to hike the Appalachian Trail. And in September 1955, having survived a rattlesnake strike, two hurricanes, and a run-in with gangsters from Harlem, she stood atop Maine’s Mount Katahdin. There she sang the first verse of “America, the Beautiful” and proclaimed, “I said I’ll do it, and I’ve done it.” While the book contains a good deal of statistics, it is, nonetheless, a moving account of one woman's success.

It's because of her and the book that I marked Hocking Hills as a place I'd like to see.  It sounded like a wonderful place, right up our alley with towering cliffs, waterfalls, deep hemlock-shaded gorges, and miles of hiking trails.  Since we were heading east and Ohio was on the way, we diverted a few miles south from I-70 to spend a couple of nights at Hocking Hills State Park. 

The first thing we noticed when we arrived on Friday was an unrecognizable noise, as if we'd parked under high tension lines or the camper in the next site had an industrial generator fired up; a sustained humming undercurrent, like an ocean of sound.  It was everywhere.  When we finally asked, we were told that it's the 17-year periodical cicadas ... and this is the 17th year!  They'd emerged, and all at the same time.  Sometimes we'd hike beneath a tree with the persistent loud buzzing I used to hear in late summer in Niagara Falls, that usually heralded the end of summer.  But mostly, it was just noisy.

Here's one -- about an inch-and-a-half long.

They don't bite and aren't harmful to humans.

The campground was nearly full. After we set up camp, we donned our hiking shoes and took off to see "Old Man's Cave." The trail map was not easy to decipher, but we had lots of company on the trail. Families, old and young alike, seemed eager to get to the cave. We had no real idea what to expect and were delighted with what we saw. Water carved these gorges and it's ongoing. While we were at Hocking Hills, the streams didn't seem to amount to much, but you know big water has to rage through sometimes. Look at the water-sculpted pattern above, almost like a bathtub drain ring.

 

A timeless, ethereal quality prevailed here.  

Jimmy crawled into the "spider" hole, but not me.

As we wandered through the gorge, we came across these stair-steps.  I'm not sure how to describe them, they're a modern, Frank Lloyd Wright-look and quite attractive. Notice the bridge above Jimmy's head.

Such a dramatic overhang.  Old Man's Cave actually derives its name from a hermit named Richard Rowe who lived in this large recess cave. His family moved to the Ohio River Valley around 1796 from the Cumberland Mountains of Tennessee to establish a trading post. He and his two dogs traveled through Ohio along the Scioto River in search of game. On one side trip up Salt Creek, he found the Hocking Region. Rowe and his hounds lived out the rest their lives here in the cave.  So sayeth a plaque. 

The trail was anything but level or straight.  We hiked up and down steps and grades more times than I could count, as we made our way to Upper Falls, Upper Gorge, Middle Falls, Lower Falls and Lower Gorge.  It was worth every step!

At Lower Falls, kids were jumping off the rock into a water hole.  A young girl is jumping feet first, background-center, in this photo.  I didn't test the water temp, 'cause I had no plans to go for a dip or a jump.  The falls itself was beautiful.

Tomorrow, an afternoon thundershower is forecast -- it's warm and humid enough, so we plan on an early hike to Cedar Falls (nope, not Iowa!) and Ash Cave.

One more USAF post -- Thursday, 6/2/16

Jimmy and I have been to the rugged Himalayas (Oct 2015).  We have a new appreciation of the airmen who flew in this theater.

A wind tunnel work of art!

Look how large this beautiful quilt is!

Scary-looking!

I really liked the "nose art" on the planes.  To me, it was more personal than the airplane itself, and told something about the men who flew the machines.

Here's a little info on nose art.

A change of pace -- Thursday, 6/2/16

Leaving Indiana for Buck Creek State Park a few miles east of Dayton, Ohio, we discovered something else we wanted to do, especially Jimmy.  Jimmy served four years in the Air Force back in the 60's, and Dayton is the home of the USAF National Museum.  After setting up in the campground, we made straight for an afternoon at the museum.

The Air Force museum is a giant complex of four huge hanger-like structures, filled with airplanes from the early years of plane development through WW I and right up to the present.  Planes and jets -- big, little, fast, slow, shiny, and camouflaged, filled the museum, floor to ceiling.  Approximately 200 aircraft fill the hangers.  Lots of exhibits point out events, adding information to what we saw, more exhibits than we could ever take in.  Engines of all types are featured.  "What a place!" Jimmy said.

What I'm posting is a very tiny example of the collections we saw.  Represented in the museum are the best (and I think, most interesting) planes of each era. 

We visited Wilbur Wright's birthplace yesterday in Indiana.  Here in the museum, the Wright Brothers significant contribution begins our tour:  The Early Years.   The Wright Bros took a military man for a short ride in an early biplane, which they immediately purchased, then assigned one of their lieutenants to learn how to fly. 

An early model airplane -- Caproni Ca 36.  It looks like a boxcar!  How can this fly? 

The Peashooter ... this P-26A is a reproduction painted to represent a commander's aircraft stationed at Wheeler Field, Hawaii, in 1938.

Dogfight over Kaneone -- after Pearl Harbor was attacked, one of the few pilots who managed to engage enemy aircraft was 2nd Lt Philip Rasmussen.  He had just arisen when the attack began.  Still wearing his pajamas, Rasmussen sped toward the flight line.

 Looks fierce, not something you'd want to tangle with!

WASP flight crew of a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress.

Providing personalized training for a Tuskegee student pilot.

Above and below:  As Jimmy and I were walking through the WW II gallery, an elderly gentleman approached.  His name is Okla Edgell.  He related that he was with the 146 Bomb Group ... the tail gunner on the above plane during WW II.  He volunteers at the museum, and he's mighty proud to do so!

And directly above Jimmy and Okla is where the tail gunner sits.

Where Okla sat, many years ago. 

B-52 "Big Belly" Bomber.  This great big plane nearly filled the entire hanger.  I could not believe the size.  Jimmy served at Columbus Air Force Base (MS) in the service, where a squadron of B-52's was based, each with it's own KC-135 tanker to refuel in midair.  The B-52's required a two-mile runway to lift off (I can see why!).  

We did spend all afternoon here.  If only -- IF ONLY -- we'd waited one more week to visit, we would have seen the newest addition, the fourth building: the Presidential and R&D Galleries, as well as the Space Shuttle Exhibit, which opens on June 8, 2016.  Maybe we'll have to return?

Hit the Road! Aug 2007

Our First Retirement Trip of a Lifetime!  (photo in Lunenburg, NS, Canada)

Begin:  Week One: Aug. 24th - A day's drive from Daphne to Memphis (HOT, HOT, HOT) to spend a few days with my Aunt Bea and hubby, Frank (both in their 90's).  From there it was on to Land Between the Lakes KY and the bison/elk loop drive, to Mammoth Caves KY. We hiked some, and took two cave tours (Historic and New entrances) and I can sum up the caves in one word:  Unbelievable!  This stop was our first real camping experience ... we did all right.

From Kentucky, we had as a long drive, inc. Louisville, Cincinnati, Columbus, and Akron OH, to Cuyahoga Valley Nat’l Pk, specifically so we could ride the Erie and Ohio Canal Towpath Bike Trail.  We rode one way (roughly 30 miles),  and then we took a $2.00 Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad trip back to our RV! That included the bikes.  We lucked up, it was a special deal on Wednesdays. What a great ride we had, both bike and train.

We moved on thru the Allegheny Mtns of PA and decided at the last minute to drive north to see the Corning Museum of Glass in Corning NY, and we're glad we did, because it was well worth it. While there, we saw a brochure advertising a scenic train ride on the Delaware and Ulster Railroad, from Arkville to Roxbury NY in the Catskill Mtn region, made the decision, and that was next. It was just delightful.  Of course the Catskill area is beautiful with soft mountains and lots of wildflowers.

Then we hopped on the freeway for Boston. This week was a chance to visit family we hadn’t seen in a long time, as well as a break-in period for us in the RV…with no major mishaps: A good week!