Life Balance

Posts dedicated to achieving a life balance or just trying out new ideas to make life more of an adventure

OLD “WINDY” RAG

Hike of the Week, Life Balance, Outdoor Adventure

Shenandoah National Park

Virginia, USA / Sperrysville, VA

7:35 PM / 25ºF

Cloudy / Windy (approx. 25 MPH)

Moon: Waxing Crescent

 

Cait and I did not plan to hike Old Rag Mountain today, but we did anyway. Old Rag is no joke – it offers intense rock scrambles, some of the most difficult climbing we have ever done. The next level would be to actually strap on climbing gear. A weather system rolled in as we scrambled closer to the summit; at least 50 mph winds made the climb even more dramatic. You had to hold your ground to make sure you wouldn’t be knocked over.

The rocks at the top of Old Rag are over a billion years old. (basement rocks) These rocks make up the Grenville Mountains (the ancestral mountain chain before the Appalachian Mountains formed). After battling the wind and surviving the summit, we made our way down the trail to the Old Rag Shelter where we ate our PB&J. Someone left a few logs still smoldering and we were able to warm our hands and butts. Many of the trees have started to flower and others were leafing out. (dogwoods, striped maple, elm, eastern red buds) We also found a gorgeous large flowering Trillium (trillium grandiflorum) on the way down.

Coming down from the adrenaline rush of such a challenging hike, we made our way back to the car sure to snap a few pictures and get some video on the drive out as the sunlight perfectly danced along the newly bloomed redbuds and the open green meadows.

Bloodroot Blooming
Virginia Blue Bells
Partridge Berry
Eastern Redbud
Old Rag Hike
Old Rag Hike
PB&J stop
hmmm….
freedom!
Trillium
Some Violets for ya!

 

Busy Day at Norvin Green

Hike of the Week, Life Balance, New Jersey, Outdoor Adventure

waterfall

This weekend, we decided to venture out into Norvin Green State Forest, located in Ringwood, NJ near the Wanaque Reservoir. It was our first time hiking this area; it is funny to think that we’ve never been here having lived in northern NJ all these years. A symphony of chirping Spring Peepers (Pseudacris crucifer) erupted as we jumped out of the Jeep to pull on our hiking boots. It was a gray day and it felt chilly, yet humid, with a gentle breeze. As we walked toward the trailhead, the place had a sort of eerie vibe to it – maybe it was due to the random stuff strewn about the grounds or old buildings, like the one marked “Nature House” that was guarded off by caution tape. “Surely, there must be a squatter or two in there”, I thought.

The eerie silence was soon shattered – acoustics ensued just a few yards up the trail as a group of young individuals paraded around with music whining from one of their smartphones. A bit further away, people in other groups shouted over one another in languages we did not understand. We did not spend much time at the overlook areas for these reasons, but it is nice to see people excited for early spring and get outside. We were surprised that no one else was around when we reached Chikahoki Falls (South Norvin Green State Forest) – this called for a special activity – it was time to chomp down on a big Crispin apple! We sat across from the falls, enjoying the apple and some tasty pumpkin bread that my momma whipped up the night before – now that’s livin’.

Finally, a quick plant report: Pitch pine in higher elevation areas and various hardwoods like American Beech and Oak in other areas. Many more to unveil later once flowers and leaves emerge. Mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia) is quite abundant in the shrub layer in this section of the NJ highlands. May is typically when K. latifolia blooms, but we have yet to time it right. Another thing to look forward to and be thankful for!

 

The Duke

Life Balance, New Jersey, Outdoor Adventure

We are on a roll with parks, lately. If we were down in South Jersey we’d be on a Park-roll egg n cheese? Terrible, I know, but I just couldn’t resist.

Duke Island Park (located in Bridgewater, NJ) is another park that is near and dear to our hearts. The Duke is the perfect getaway when a lunch-time stroll through the lovely office-building parking lot just isn’t enough. It is quite urban; more urban than Natirar, with a different cast of characters. For instance, Natirar’s parking lots are filled with Mercedes and BMWs, while Duke’s lots are adorned with pickup trucks and various vehicles made in the 1990s with missing hubcaps. At Natirar, it is difficult to get a word out of folks, unless you pet their dog. In contrast, the other day at the Duke; a man wearing a Superman T-shirt approached me, wild-eyed, and warned that there is a buck in heat around the corner. A couple hundred yards away, a woman in a heavy sweatshirt rode her bike and rang her bike bell repeatedly, but there was no one near her. I love this park!

But, even in this urban setting, nature abounds! The Raritan River flows through the Duke as it does through Natirar Park. The river section of the park attracts waterfowl, raptors, song birds, and it is a great stop-over joint for other migrants. I remember doing a Citizen Scientist Bird Count for NJ Audubon; truly a great learning experience, despite the one time I almost didn’t make it to the bathroom. An urban setting does have its disadvantages: bathrooms are specific indoor locations. If I were to drop-trou while doing the bird count I may have ended up in Somerset County Jail.

We are lucky to have this place to enjoy and it is great to see people make use of it. Wanderings to the Duke have never let me down – a heck of a place to clear the mind, get a good laugh, hear birds sing, and surprisingly – watch for wildflowers. Spring is just around the corner and I am excited to see early bloomers like the Spring Beauty (Claytonia virginica) pop up here as it has in other years.

Strange Weather in January

Art, Life Balance, Outdoor Adventure

Weather is strange in the mid-Atlantic region these days. December felt like a very warm October and today little Mine Brook filled into a raging river thanks to a long period of rain. Being outdoors in the rain can be fun too, but I decided to make progress on a new watercolor landscape instead (teaser shown above). The painting is a reminder that seasonably cold days are ahead!

A few hours later, I felt the urge to get outside – a.s.a.p.! It drizzled on steadily, but rays of sunlight were beginning to peak through the heavy gray blue purple clouds. I needed to run so that I may drink delicious craft beer later. When I hit the road the sun started to overpower the clouds, but the rain kept falling in the now luminous afternoon.

The sun was now behind me as I ran up the hill. I was at the perfect place at the perfect time – in the presence of a meteorological phenomenon. The Hokus Pokus know as reflection, refraction, and dispersion gave birth to an amazing double-rainbow! It was the most vivid rainbow I had ever seen and I ran around grinning up at the sky, of course.

The rain had finally stopped. The air smelled of great sweetness with a hint of clean cotton, grassy freshness, wet earth, and smoke from wood, burning somewhere not far away. It was heaven on earth, but the sun was now sinking below the trees in the distance. It would soon be over and I started to run toward home.

A dozen Black Vultures (Coragyps atratus) circled up above, searching the landscape. A half a dozen more of them were all perched in one tree. Edward Abbey wrote that vultures are philosophical birds, though he was referring to the Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura). Abbey’s vulture thinks: “where there is life, there is death”. I think: what a day to be alive!

Wednesdays are Hard

Life Balance, Outdoor Adventure

 

It is not easy to look forward to a Wednesday morning, but on this Wednesday I would not spend another chaotic day darting from one meeting to the next and staring helplessly at the computer screen as 50 more emails pop up. On this particular Wednesday morning, Caitlin and I would hit the road to embark on another adventure.

We set out for the White Mountains of New Hampshire to do some hiking and camping, but first we stopped at a town called Hancock (NH) and spent the night there at Hancock Inn B&B. People have stayed in this historic building since 1789 (George Washington’s first year in office). The town itself is located in the Monadnock Region and maintains its original character. Part of me wonders what it would be like to move to a town like this, away from all the madness.

The following day we arrived at Crawford Notch Campground in the White Mountains; an immense campground near the Saco River. We immediately headed for the trail and managed to squeeze in a short hike before darkness covered the mountains. We startled some people (and their dog) as they tried to peacefully smoke Marijuana, on the way to the waterfall, which was the big scenic point of this hike. The first night in the White Mountains was cool and crisp – the kind of mountain air that you remember breathing for months after the trip.

Next morning, we hiked Mt. Washington – the tallest peak (6,289 feet) in the Whites, which likely makes it the most popular hike. Still, it wasn’t too crowded until we made it to the summit. Most people apparently drive up to the summit or take the old railway. I doubt that we will be doing this hike again, but it is a beautiful hike and worth doing at least once. There are just far too many other trails to explore in this enormous landscape. Back at the campsite, we had a gourmet dinner of Ramen Noodles and found our beds in the tent in minutes, exhausted after the 11-mile walk.

As we dozed off listening to the owls in the distance, pleasant memories of the local flora and fauna floated around in my mind. Cornus canadensis (Bunchberries) – what looked like little mini flowering dogwoods carpeted the cool, moist ground. Perisoreus Canadensis (Gray or Canada Jay) came around to investigate as we hiked through the dimmed forest toward the end of the day/hike – they flew over our heads and landed just 2 feet away. They reminded me of Blue Jays, but bigger, black, gray, and white; not as loud, and their heads not triangular, but round. Finally, up near the summit, Arenaria montana (Mountain Sandwort) made for a spectacular display of white and yellow sprinkled over the rocks and gravel. I hope it won’t be too long until we return to this mountain wilderness for another adventure.

Canada Jay
Mountain Sandwort