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October 1, 2006
a view from my tent
On Friday me and my buddy Steve left for the Dolly Sods Wilderness area of the Monongahela National Forest in West Virginia. Weather reports were mixed, and we got our share of rain, but luckily most of it was in the evening. Here is a view from our tent Saturday morning:
Here's me upon arrival on Friday. If I had gotten my ass going a bit earlier that day we wouldn't have arrived at the campside in the dark:
Steve's tent was nice and cozy despite all the precipitation:
On a hike along Red Creek, I was surprised to see a northern watersnake (Nerodia sipedon - thanks Sea!)
in such cool weather, but it was not crazed nor did it attack me a la Snakes on a Plane. I don't know what kind it was.
There was also a pretty purple flower (Closed Gentian or Bottle Gentian - thanks BearLeer!) we couldn't identify, that seemed to be waiting for a break in the clouds to bloom:
The tentsite we were at was remarkably free of campers, despite the threat of a Cub Scout party we spotted earlier in the day. Here's the stream right by our campsite:
When we got back to the parking lot, we discovered that there was a mist-netting project on a trail that I had ignored for years. Apparently the project has been going on for decades, I had walked past it all the times I had been there:
Mist netting helps ornithologists take a survey of migrating birds. They tend to place them at mountain overpasses where migrating birds are likely to travel. Proof of how high we were in the Allegheny front.
My back is a mess as the hard ground and cold weather did a number on it. It seems my old Ridgerest just isn't going to do the trick anymore, so I have to put out the dough for a Super-Deluxe Princess Edition Therm-a-Rest some day soon.
Posted by jimbo at October 1, 2006 6:36 PM
Comments
The unidentified flower is called Closed Gentian (or Bottle Gentian) it never opens more than that. It's nice to see that they are still found in the wild, it is not as common as it once was.
Posted by: bearleer at October 1, 2006 9:00 PM
looks like a blast!
Posted by: jeremy at October 1, 2006 11:00 PM
BearLeer gets extra points at leering at the flora.
I, on the other hand, was leering at the fauna.
You and Steve are handsome outdoorsmen.
Even if you need the princess pallet.(eg)
Camping becomes you.
Posted by: Smart at October 1, 2006 11:35 PM
Pics of snakes and flowers and mist netting are all well and good, but how about a few more of Steve?
I'm betting the snake could barely move, let alone be aggressive if it was a cool there as it was here.
Posted by: boo augustus at October 1, 2006 11:51 PM
I want to go camping now.
Posted by: homer at October 2, 2006 10:58 AM
Thx for the vicarious camping trip. Y'know, I can do that scrunchy thing with my eyes/brows too (looks cute on you), but it's my right that goes down, and my left that shoots up. Are you a southpaw (I'm not)?
Posted by: Chris at October 2, 2006 11:19 AM
My sister got married somewhere up near there and i was surprised how pretty it was. Fun camping i'm sure.
Posted by: tim at October 2, 2006 2:47 PM
Nice snake.
Where did you go the bathroom?
Posted by: durban bud at October 2, 2006 3:38 PM
I pooped in the privacy of a rocky overhang on Saturday. Later that day I pooped in a fern-filled vale. I never pooped again until I got home.
Posted by: jimbo at October 2, 2006 6:15 PM
Looks like you had a great (relaxing) time. Sorry we couldn't make it. Hopefully, next time we can!
Posted by: Bubala at October 3, 2006 11:42 AM
Beautiful pix. And the scenic ones are fantastic as well. You guys just know how to have fun. Thanks for sharing.
Posted by: Bufftuff ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jimbo.info/weblog/nav-commenters.gif)
at October 6, 2006 10:55 AM