"Gardens are a form of autobiography" -S. Eddison

You know the best part of being a plant pathologist? I get to make house calls.

Every time I go to someone's house to look at a browning lawn or ailing tree, I also get to soak in the surrounding garden. And these gardens are fantastic. They are a gardener's soul and personality expressed in plants and I get to see it all.

I can tell as soon as I walk into a garden if you are meticulous or messy, laid-back or Type A, a dreamer or a doer. When I lived downtown, I watched a woman who lived on Broad Street pick fallen leaves out of the Mondo grass every day. Every leaf. Even though I've never met her, I know a lot about her from the way she gardened.

Even the flower colors you choose tell me something about you. Blues, whites, purples and greens signal a gardener who likes to sit under the shade of a large oak with a glass of iced tea. Reds, oranges and yellows tell me you like a little more action and that you may have a fiery temper.

If there's a point to this, I guess it is to thine own garden be true. Don't worry about the neighbors or the trends or the magazines. Take what you like from these inspirations and move on. If you like a garden that is overflowing with colors and textures, do it. And if you crave straight lines and repetition, do that.

When a garden bares the gardener's true personality, I can feel it. And even if the garden needs some weeding or isn't my style, I love it.

******************************************************
P.S. Not sure what to do with your old artificial Christmas tree? You can turn it into a bottle tree like the James Island gardener did in the picture above. Simply remove the branches and arrange pretty bottles on the metal stems.

Boston :: No Go

Well, this will come as no surprise to some of you and I'm sure that my Joslin cousins will be somewhat disappointed, but I didn't make it to Boston.

Time was running out when I left Maine to go visit my Aunt in Maryland. In Coastal Maine :: Part One I alluded to the fact that I might return to Massachusetts. However, when I left my Aunt's place in Silver Spring, Maryland on Thursday morning (October 15th) it was raining, not a heavy rain, but raining nevertheless. The 35 miles that took me 2 1/2 hours to navigate the previous Friday only took about 45 minutes this time! It didn't take long to get around Baltimore either and soon I was on US 40 heading towards Havre de Grace.

In 1969 I went to Boot Camp at Bainbridge Naval Station, just a few miles away and was also stationed there in 1971-1972. As I drove around the area, nothing looked familiar. Except the road that leads to the entrance to the base. The hills and curves of the road were the same. And the spot where I totaled my car when someone came up over a hill on my side of the road. It's funny the things you remember.

The gate leading into the base was open but “No Trespassing” signs were posted all over. And it was raining. And it looked so very desolate. I drove a short distance down the road but chickened out and turned around. It was just too creepy for me, being alone there.

The entrance road to Bainbridge Naval Station.

No Trespassing! Especially on Sunday...

It was early afternoon and I figured I'd better get going so I headed north. In the rain. The weather forecast wasn't promising. They were calling for rain for the next few days and snow in the higher elevations in Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and Massachusetts. My Aunt had suggested that I stay at her place for another day or so, but I was ready to hit the road. I was thinking perhaps I should have taken her up on her offer!

As I drove further North, the rain was taking it's toll on my nerves. Intermittently pouring, then drizzling. And the mist thrown up by the other vehicles, especially the semi-trucks, made it difficult to see clearly. I wondered if all those drivers passing me could somehow see any better than I. It was getting dark as I stopped for the night.

The weather, along with the fact that I still wasn't really prepared for research in Boston and still wasn't in the “research frame of mind” and the thought of driving all the way there (and then having to return) and just dealing with the heavy traffic in general and driving in Boston in particular - were all factors which lead to my decision to not go any further North.

Checking the weather forecast I saw that the rain was supposed to let up some by the end of the weekend, so I slowly headed south towards Maryland's Eastern Shore.

To my Joslin cousins, I apologize for not following through on the research as promised. But just think, we'll be able to find that proof together – when we go on our Joslin Heritage Tour!

Trail running, The Laurel Highlands

One of the red efts I find regularly on the LHHT - Route 31 shelters

My blogging has been slow since February of this year, actually nonexistent. Here's a little to fill in my gap... Ice season was pretty much a bust, but ski season was unbelievable. The Laurel Highlands got dumped on with an abundance of natural snow this past winter. Laura and I spent a great deal of time skiing at Seven Springs in their award winning, Terrain Parks. This type of skiing is well known for producing an abundance of injuries to its participants. Here's a couple of skiing pics...

Railslide - The Streets @ Seven Springs

Light pole bonk over the gap - The Streets @ Seven Springs

My injuries included (but weren't limited to) a broken thumb, Injured (most likely broken) ribs. A bruised hip (which prohibited any running until about 5 weeks ago) and a second injured shoulder that has severely restricted my climbing. Unlike last season, I'm slowly trying to rehab it back to health. For now, I can barely dead hang on it. On a positive note, my injured shoulder from last season can now support free hanging body weight. The path back to stronger climbing might be slow and long, but climbing less challenging routes will produce an abundance of fun in the meantime. Throughout the spring Laura and I spent a fair number of days at various local crags climbing, doing trail work, etc. Bouldering has seemed to be our most focused style this year.




With my hip feeling better, I've recently been working my legs back into running condition. For the first couple weeks, I'd been testing my hip and seeing if limitations existed. I started with short, slow, road runs not much longer than 4 miles. Usually a rest day or two between runs. I felt good, with a only a couple days where my hip showed any signs of discontent. After two weeks back, the hip pain seemed to disappear completely. I quickly started stacking on the miles and feeling positive that longer pain free miles in the woods lay ahead.

Trusty footwear, Altra Lone Peaks and Powersox get my thumbs up!

This past week I managed to log 83 miles of running. All of them on the Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail. For those unfamiliar with this trail it's a 70 mile hiking trail that starts in Ohiopyle State Park and follows the crest of Laurel Ridge north to Seward. It's a unique trail due to the fact that it has numbered, concrete markers at each mile along its entirety (a great feature for pacing and location). Built as a backpacking trail in the 70's it was designed to be covered over a week long period. Adirondack style camp shelters with additional tent camping areas are located approximately 10 miles apart along the trail. This distance makes for easy hikes between shelters. Note: (reservations must be made in advance to stay in the shelter areas overnight). While designed as a backpacking trail, the LHHT is an amazing trail for runners. The whole trail is completely runnable single track that flows over the mountains through amazing scenery. Hardwood forests, rock outcrops, streams, lakes, and wildlife are the normal backdrop along this trail. I feel quite lucky to live and have grown up a short distance from the Rt. 31 trailhead (middle) of the trail. Starting from home allows easy access to either end of the trail. I must admit that I do spend the majority of my time on the southern half of the trail enjoying the larger elevation changes. Along with the LHHT, there's plenty of other great trails in our neck of the woods. Roaring Run Natural Area, Ohiopyle State Park and The North Woods are some of my other favorite trails to run.

Typical mile marker along the LHHT

Yesterday I completed my first half trail run since last year. Laura dropped me off at 31 parking lot and I went south passing a record (for me) 106 trail users along the way. Outside of the Laurel Ultra race day, I've never seen that many trail users on those sections. I stopped to chat with some of them. Here's just a few that I recall... I got a "nice beard" shout-out from a group of resting backpackers while crossing county line road. I met three trail runners from the Virginia Happy Trails Running Club enjoying an out and back run from the route 31 trailhead to Grindle Ridge Shelters. They were up for "Stills in the Hills" whiskey and music event at Seven Springs and decided to run a bit before the festivities. I met a nice younger couple that had their chocolate lab with them near route 653. They were heading in to Grindle Ridge shelters for the night. He was an experienced packer, but this was her first trip. She was smiling as she explained of her new pack and gear required to make the trip. Her excitement was quite infectious as I recalled how much I enjoy new "toys" as well.

Seven Springs Mountain Resort, the highest point on the LHHT

I was met by Laura sporting the mobile aid station at Maple summit parking lot. She provided some love and a water fill before the last stretch into Ohiopyle. Our plan was for her to park in Ohiopyle and start hiking north until we met. That way we'd get to enjoy a little trail time together. Ohiopyle was packed due to the beer and gear festival being held Saturday night. Please note this was the second booze and bluegrass festival along the trail... All kinds of partying going on in the Laurel Highlands! Laura decided to park up at King Mountain trail head and avoid the congestion. Laura was sore from previous runs this week and decided to carry a large backpack to remove the temptation of running. While she hiked north, I managed to float the flatter miles from Maple Summit down to milepost 8 to begin the "hilly" section of the LHHT. As I ran by the 8 mile marker, missing paint on the number 8 had me do a double take out of confusion. This quick glance over my shoulder was enough for me to snag a toe and go airborne, I tried to recover, but my efforts were futile. Head first into the woods Ughhh, I landed with a thud! Quickly I sprung back up and moving again checking for any blood or pains. Slightly dazed, but unscathed. Yep, got my attention and milepost 8 was still 8, not an imaginary 9?!?!? I proceeded to bomb down "heart attack hill" more alert to my footing as a stumble like minutes earlier would surely produce a less funny story.

The view after ascending from Bidwell

I cruised along finally meeting my sweetie just before milepost 3 I was heading uphill and she was coming down. I slowed to a hike at this point and we enjoyed the last several miles hiking back to the car together. We stopped at the 2.5 mile overlook for a few minutes enjoying what we usually pass by at a brisk pace. The additional 1400' of elevation gain at the end hiking up to the trail head produced more heavy breathing and I officially stopped my watch at 6:26:55. Quite a bit slower than my personal best for this run, but still a respectable time given my "casual" approach. I'll wait a little while and do this run again and see how much I can improve on this time.



Upon reaching the car we unpacked the mobile aid station and set up our chairs. Laura had packed a primo after trail picnic for us. We proceeded to kick back, eat turkey sammies, and drink chocolate milk while listening to the sweet sound of live bluegrass music coming from the festival below. What a great end to another day on the LHHT.

Laura and the mobile aid station setup at the end of the day

Harry H. Wise and Family

The Harry Wise family, about 1916 or 1917
Wayne, Emma, William, Gladys, Harry, and Kenneth
Harry H. Wise, son of William P. Wise and Sophia Dunfee, was born on August 10, 1874 in Whitley County, Indiana. He died on November 29, 1938 in Lorain, Lorain County, Ohio at age 64, and was buried in Elmwood Cemetery in Lorain, Lorain County, Ohio.

Harry married Emma Klieman. She was born on August 6, 1881 in Mount Clemens, Macomb County, Michigan and died on October 17, 1952 in Mt. Vernon, Knox County, Ohio at age 71. She was buried next to her husband, Harry Wise, in Elmwood Cemetery in Lorain, Lorain County, Ohio.

His obituary was published in the Columbia City Post (Whitley County, Indiana) on November 29, 1938.

Harry H. Wise, 64, native of Thorncreek township, died today of heart trouble, at his home in Loraine, Ohio, after an illness of two weeks, according to a message received today by his two sisters, Mrs. Jos. Yontz, of this city, and Mrs. Harlo Burns, of Troy township.

Mr. Wise, a son of the late Mr. and Mrs. William Wise, of Whitley county, located in Ohio forty-four years ago. For forty years he had been district agent for the Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company, and during that time has maintained offices in Lorain.

He is survived by his widow, Mrs. Emma Wise, a native of Mount Clemons, Mich., and three sons, William, a druggist, Dr. Wayne Wise, a chiropodist, and Kenneth; and a daughter, Gladys, now married, a former teacher, all of Lorain. Besides the two sisters residing here, Mr. Wise is survived by a brother, Morris, residing in Sturgis, Mich.

Funeral services will be held Thursday afternoon at 2 0'clock in Lorain and committal services will be held there. Mrs. Yontz will be unable to attend the funeral rites of her brother because of illness which has confined her to her home in this city.

His obituary was also published in The Lorain Journal (Lorain County, Ohio) on 29 Nov 1938.

Harry H. Wise, 64, 901 7th-ct., prominent Lorain Insurance agent, died this morning at his home following a brief illness. Born in Indiana, Wise came to Lorain in 1895. He was appointed the first paid driver of the Lorain fire department in March, 1901, stationed at No. 1 station.

Leaving the fire department after nearly six years of service, he went into the real estate business for a short time and then into the insurance business, in which he had been engaged for the past 30 years. Wise was connected with the Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Co. at the time of his death. He was an active member of the Christian temple and Woodland lodge Knights of Pythian.

Survivors are his wife, Emma, to whom he was married Jan. 1, 1900; three sons, William, Amherst; Kenneth and Wayne, Elyria; one daughter, Mrs. Gladys Stegall, Mt. Vernon; one brother, Morris, Sturgis, Mich.; and two sisters, Mrs. Harl Burns, Etna, Ind., and Mrs. Joseph Yontz, Columbia City, Ind. Eight grandchildren also survive.

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday at the Sidney B. Royce funeral home with Rev. B. H. Linville, pastor of the Christian Temple, officiating. Burial will be in Elmwood cemetery. The body will be take to the home tomorrow.

Emma's obituary was published in The Lorain Journal (Lorain County, Ohio) on 18 Oct 1952.

Mrs. Emma Wise, widow of the late Henry [sic] Wise, a Lorain insurance agent for many years, died last night at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Fred Steagall, Mr. Vernon. She was 71. She had been ill for several months and had just recently moved into Mrs. Steagall's home.

Mrs. Wise was a member of the Christian Temple, and is survived by two sons, William, Lorain, and Wayne, Elyria, in addition to Mrs. Steagall.

The body is at the Thompson Funeral Home, where services will be held Sunday at 2 p.m. Rev. Wood B. Cundiff will officiate. Burial will be in Elmwood Cemetery.

The family of Harry Wise was located Lorain County, Ohio in the following census records:
1900 1717 Lexington Ave., Lorain, Black River Township page 30 E.D. 79
1910 408 Idaho Ave., Lorain, Black River Township page 175 E.D. 89
1920 Lorain, Ward 2 page 54/3A E.D. 8
1930 Lorain, Ward 2 page 16/2A E.D. 11

Harry H. Wise and Emma Klieman had four children:

1. William Harold Wise was born on August 3, 1900 in Lorain, Lorain County, Ohio. He died on September 18, 1969 in Wilkinsburg, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania at age 69, and was buried in Elmwood Cemetery in Lorain, Ohio. William married Anna Hazzard about 1921. Anna was born about 1901 in Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio. She died on January 22, 1960 in Lorain, Lorain County, Ohio 10 at age 59, and was buried in Elmwood Cemetery in Lorain, Ohio.

An unidentified article in "the scrapbook," presumably from a Lorain, Ohio newspaper, no date, provides a short description of the wedding of William Wise and Anna Hazard. The 1930 census indicates that they were married when they were both 21 years old, which puts the event at about 1921.

Charmingly attired in a suit of navy blue broadcloth with a picture hat of black velvet, and carrying a bouquet of white roses, Miss Anna Hazard, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Hazard, of West 27th street, was united in marriage to William Wise, son of Mr. and Mrs. Harry Wise of Washington avenue. The ceremony was performed at seven o'clock last evening in the parsonage of the Church of Christ by the Rev. L. O. Newcomer. Only the immediate families witnessed the wedding.

Miss Gladys Wise, sister of the groom, attended Miss Hazard. She also wore a navy blue suit with fall hat to match. Her flowers were pink roses. William Hazard, brother of the bride, attended the groom.

Mr. and Mrs. Wise left last evening for a short trip to Buffalo and Niagara Falls. Upon their return they will reside in Lorain. Mrs. Wise is one of Lorain's most popular young women. She is a graduate of Lorain High School and is employed as bookkeeper at the Allen Shoe Store.

Mr. Wise is also a well known local man. He is a graduate of Lorain High School and at present is attending Western Reserve University where he is studying pharmacy. He is a member of the Church of Christ.

William's obituary was published in The Lorain Journal (Lorain County, Ohio) on September 19, 1969.

William H. Wise, 69, 1423 D St., Lorain, a lifelong resident of Lorain, died yesterday at Columbia Hospital, Wilkinsburg, Pa. He had been visiting his son, William, in Monroesville, Pa. He was a pharmacist and had worked for Standard Drug and Revco Companies. He was a member of the Christian Temple Church.

Survivors besides his son, include a daughter, Mrs. Charles (Mary Ann) Lambdin, Port Arthur, Tex.; several grandchildren; a sister, Mrs. Gladys Steagall, Huron, and a brother, Wayne Wise, Elyria. Friends may call at the Schwartz, Spence and Boyer Home for Funerals tomorrow from 7 to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 2 to 4 p.m. and from 7 to 9 p.m. The Rev. James Hartley of the Christian Temple will officiate at services at the funeral home Monday at 1 p.m. Burial will be in Elmwood Cemetery.

Anna's obituary was published in The Chronicle Telegram (Elyria, Lorain County, Ohio) on January 22, 1960.

Lorain - Mrs. Anna M. Wise, 59, of 1423 D St., died in St. Joseph Hospital this morning after a short illness. She was the wife of William H. Wise. Besides her husband she leaves a son, William W., Hobart., Ind.; a daughter, Mrs. Charles Lambdin, Sheffield Lake; five grandchildren; her mother, Mrs. Mary Ann Hazzard, Lorain; two sisters, Mrs. William Bock, Salem and Mrs. Eugene Wood, Amherst; two brothers, Joseph Hazzard, Avon and William Luther, buffalo. The body is at the Schwartz-Spence Home for Funerals. Arrangements for services are incomplete.

2. Kenneth Klieman Wise was born on October 18, 1901 in Lorain, Lorain County, Ohio and died on July 10, 1948 in Elyria, Lorain County, Ohio at age 46.

The Ohio Death Records online at www.familysearchlabs.org provided his birth and death information. It also gives his wife's name as Vada Mae. The 1930 census for Lorain County (Elyria Ward 1 page 22) shows Kenneth as head of household, age 28 and wife Vada, age 27. They were married when he was 21 and she was 20 so year of marriage would be about 1923. Also listed was a son Jack and a daughter Betty.

3. Gladys Margaret Wise was born on March 10, 1903 in Lorain, Lorain County, Ohio. Gladys is not listed in the Social Security Death Index so it is possible that she may yet be living. She married Fred Steagall about 1927. He was born on January 24, 1903 in Ohio and died on March 27, 1984 in Fort Myers, Lee County, Florida at age 81.

In 1930, Gladys and Fred were living in Knox County, Ohio (Mt Vernon, Ward 3 page 45/2A E.D. 9). They were living in Mt. Vernon, Knox County, Ohio when her mother died in October 1952. Gladys lived in Huron, Ohio when her brother, William, died in September 1969 and resided in Ft. Meyers Beach, Florida on March 23, 1974 when her brother Wayne died. My grandmother's notes indicate that Gladys and Fred Steagall had two sons.

4. Wayne Clayton Wise was born on September 20, 1909 in Lorain, Lorain County, Ohio and died on March 19, 1974 in Fort Myers, Lee County, Florida at age 64.

An abstract of his obituary was on found online at the the Cleveland Necrology File (The Plain Dealer, Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio March 23, 1974) shows that his wife, Margaret, was still living as were two children.

Sources are available upon request. Harry Wise is my Great-Granduncle, a brother of my Great-Grandmother, Maude Wise Brubaker Yontz. If anyone reading this is related to any of these people, or knows anything about them, please contact me at kinexxions "at" gmail "dot" com!

UltraLite Alpini Shelter 200

Over the years I have used a lot of kit. Much of it home made. Not because I was cheap but because you simple couldn't always buy the gear you needed in the US. Back in the '70s I made my own bivy sacks (bothy bag) from coated nylon on my Bernina sewing machine.



A quick search under goggle images for "bothy bags" will turn up a pot full of them



But here in the US you would be hard pressed to come up with a proper bivy sack. I am not talking sleeping bag covers here, but real climbing bivy sacks. The kind that will make the difference between survival and death if caught out in really bad weather in the mountains.



Thankfully I know one place that can square that situation away, Brooks-Range.



http://brooks-range.com/home.php



Half the size of a Nalgene 1 liter bottle and 8 1/2 oz on my scale for the two man version.



http://brooks-range.com/UltraLite-Alpini-Shelter-200.html





Simple idea, coated nylon generally, keeps heat and moisture in. Works better than you would ever suspect keeping you warm. They were made from silk or canvas before nylon and used on most ofthe big north face in the Alps as standard survival gear from the '30s on.



Not bad in a pissing cold rain either.

One of the “Family Tree Magazine 40 Best”

This post is coming to you from “the lodge” at Chisos Basin in Big Bend National Park, courtesy of their free (Really. Really. Slow.) Wifi. The weather yesterday was absolutely gorgeous. Sunshine and blue skies and the temperature reached a high of 86 degrees, though it didn't feel that hot to me. Probably due to the nice breeze that was blowing all day long. Today, Mother Nature is not quite so kind. It is in the upper 20s and snowing! Fog rolled in during the night and the temperature plummeted. About 10:30 I made my way to the visitors center and joined about 25 other people milling about trying to decide what to do. The weather in the lower elevations isn't much better than it is here in the Chisos Basin.

I came to the lodge for a hot meal and found out that they have Wifi available! So I went back to the van and grabbed the netbook. But the battery is down to 15% with no outlet available so I don't have much time left... Upon checking my email I saw a note from Diane Haddad that mentioned that Family Tree Magazine had announced their selection of the 40 Best Genealogy Blogs. And Kinexxions made the list!!

It is indeed an honor to be among the other blogs included in the list. Thank you to Family Tree Magazine and especially to everyone who voted for kinexxions. In some respect I feel like an impostor. Blogging and Genealogy in particular, have taken a backseat to travel. Family History posts have recently been few and far between. That doesn't mean there aren't stories to be written or research yet to be done. Far from it. But at this point in time, they aren't a real high priority for me.

I am proud to be a member of the genealogy blogging “geneablogger” community. There are many, many blogs being written by some very creative and talented writers. This community is a group of people who are extremely generous with their research stories, tips, advice, and support for one another. And the community is growing – each new blogger adds something to the whole, making it better than it was before. I look forward to watching it grow.

Thank you and Congratulations to all of the other blogs that made the Family Tree Magazine Fab Forty!

Flag Day! (and some other stuff)

Most likely this picture, from my grandmother's files, was taken on the Fourth of July rather than Flag Day, but I thought it was appropriate for today.


My mother is the little girl on the left and she looks to be about 2 years old, so I'm guessing it was taken about 1930. Patty and Phyllis are Mom's sisters. Gene and Mary are their cousins. Grandma Bill was their grandmother.

Scanning Update: In the last 10 days I've scanned another 710 images for a total of 1680 over the past two months. I don't scan every day but when I do, I usually spend 3-4 hours at a time scanning. And it has been averaging about 25 scans per hour. Of course, that's not including the time spent in sorting and organizing them prior to scanning. LOL. Slow going and no light at the end of the tunnel yet.

Full Feed vs. Partial Feed? This topic comes up periodically in the blogosphere, this time it was brought up by genea-blogger Tim Agazio. When I first started blogging I set my blog for full feeds. Then it came to my attention that my content was being scraped so I switched to partial feeds. I'm not blogging to make money. I want people to read what I write (and hopefully they find it interesting) but I'd also like for them to visit my blog (to leave comments and check out some of the links to other blogs and websites). The thing with feeds is that they don't retain any formatting in the post and sometimes pictures throw off the continuity or "flow" of the post but I guess that is what they are supposed to do - present the posts in a simplified text format for easier reading. So, with that said, I've switched back to full feeds, at least for now.

Summer life in SWPA

Hello to all my climbing buddies out there. As most of you know I usually only post about thewinter climbing here in SWPA. Well I've decided to mix it up a bit (different meaning to my winter climbing buddies) and write a bit about this years summer climbing life. Don't get me wrong. I love the winter season... Its my favorite time of year for climbing. Give me waterfall ice, frozen turf or some slightly frozen rock any day. I'm in heaven. I haven't posted any summer climbing activity because summer climbing hasn't really existed for me the over the last few years. Why? Its been a voluntary choice. I've been taking the summers off to recover and train specifically for the upcoming winter season. During the summer I spend the majority of my time running countless miles though the woods and ridges of Pennsylvania's forests. I really enjoy trail running and have learned that long distance running is a great way to stay in top cardio shape for climbing regardless of season. I used to run races and did fairly well. This year I gave up racing, I just ran to run. I even held off from doing my favorite "good cause" 5k runs like The Mountain Laurel 5K at Laurel Hill State Park. Instead I just ran for fun. I even stopped more than usual along the way to check things out. I always enjoy the early morning birds and scenery. Don't get me wrong, I put in a lot of elevation and speed work. I've run a gazillion 800's at the track, etc... but the most enjoyable running I've done has been in the woods. Mostly on the Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail. I enjoy covering anywhere from 10 to 50 miles a day depending on mood and current physical condition. Some days I push, others not so much. All in all running has become a serious passion of mine and a great training tool for climbers. It also teaches you about the importance of nutrition and hydration while expending mass amounts of energy. Another great tool for striving climbers. So if you're a climber and you want to get better and stay lean and in shape, start running... The further and longer the better. Climbing lighter is climbing smarter!Since last ice season was a bust and we did very minimal climbing. I decided enough was enough and dusted off my rock shoes and started summer climbing to make sure I remembered how (in case we never get another winter). I started back slow and spent some time bumbling at the familiar, local spots. Having a great deal of fun each time I went out. Our days have been spent cragging and working at crags to clear and improve areas so that people can visit/revist and enjoy our local spots.

Doing work at Breakneck

BREAKNECK PROJECT

In August I spent a couple weeks rebolting Breakneck Crag just outside of Connellsville. The bolts were getting old and a bunch of generous climbers raised enough money to purchase new hardware. I pulled the old rusted 3/8" bolts and replacing them with new, BEEFY 1/2" stainless steel ones. All the climbs now have ring shuts to lower from (even the lower slab).




LOST CRAG EFFORTS

Laura and I spent a great deal of time doing work at the Lost Crag in Dunbar. We cleared and remarked the entire "Upper Easy" approach trail. Much effort was spent at the crag itself improving the area and opening up some choked in areas around the rocks. Along with working there, we also climbed a few days with my son Skyler and good friend Cal Swogar. Neither one were ever there and really enjoyed the climbs. On different days we climbed Drill Queen 5.4, Preacher Norm 5.10, Evil Edge 5.7, Psycho Driller 5.6, Lichenville 5.7, Lame Duck 5.11, Chimney Sweep 5.4 and others I'm sure. Some routes were a little dirty other required a little scrubbing to make them a little "friendlier". We installed a new rap anchor on top of the Short stack to make getting down a little easier. If someone has stolen said anchor, feel confident that we also cleared the shelf that makes getting onto rappel at the shuts of Reunion safer and easier. If you've never been there, get directions from mountainproject.com or rockclimbing.com or email me and I can hook you up with some proper ones. Its a fun place to visit and deserves to see more activity than it does. The routes tend to be shorter, but there are plenty of them. They range in difficulty from 5.4 to 5.12+ most folks seem to say they're a little stiff for the grade. Go enjoy!

Cal Swogar on Preacher Norm 5.10

Cal Swogar on Preacher Norm 5.10

Skyler Anderson on Evil Arete 5.7

Laura taking a break below Brutal Orangutan

Slopers in the rain face

River's End Crag, Ohiopyle State Park

River's End is one of the downstream crags at Ohiopyle State Park. It's located (although not labeled) on the Ohiopyle State Park Map. available at the old train station or the park office. Climbing areas are indicated by the climber symbol on the map. I've been asked by several folks the order of the crags going down the bike trail here they are for clarification: The first area listed on the Ohiopyle map is located 1 mile downstream on the bike trail (just after white mile post 73). Unnamed to my knowledge, its primarily used by the local rafting companies to take very new climbers, boy/girl scouts, etc. for a day of top roping. Its short and closest to town. Perfect crag for beginners. The second crag on the map is River's End Crag. It is located about 3.75 miles downstream from the train station it is locatable by finding the DH marked brown and yellow marker on the river side of the bike trail. This DH stands for Double Hydraulics which is the name of the corresponding rapid on the river. River's End Crag is located between the DH (Double Hydraulics) rapid marker and the RE (River's End) rapid marker. The crag is on the left between these two markers. It is very visible from the trail. The Third crag downstream on the map is Schoolhouse Crag. It is located 4.25 miles from the train station, just before the SH (school House) rapid marker or the 76 mile marker. The fourth crag downstream on the map is Maple Wall. It is slightly less than 1/2 mile past School house. It is easily located at the end of the long straight away on the bike path right after passing School House. There is a pull off and a bench directly across from the access trail up to the crag. The fifth crag downstream on the map is Bruner Run. It is easily located. As you head further downstream past Maple Wall you will come to a hardtop road crossing. As you cross the road the light blue blaze for the access trail to the crag is visible on your left. Follow the access trail up to the crag, which is about a 10min. hike up from the bike trail and Bruner Run Rd. access point. If in doubt walk up the road about 200 yards the crag is visible on your right. Currently those are all the downstream crags offered at Ohiopyle. There is plenty of serious bouldering to be found along the river and bike trail. Some really nice stuff is at mile post 1 on the Laurel Highlands Hiking trail heading out of town near Falls Pub for those interested in seeking it out. Here's a photo of one of my favorites not far from Bruner Run.

This is what you see from the trail

a little closer, pretty cool

The really sweet uphill side!

River's End Crag... Laura and I have been cycling in regularly and improving things there. We've created a bike parking area on the river side of the bike trail to keep climbers bikes from crowding the trail. We worked on improving the access trail up to the left side, (still needs a little work). Old routes have been cleaned and new routes have been equipped and should prove to be great additions to the climbing in Ohiopyle. Here's a few photos of the crag and climbs waiting for your ascent.

Me standing below the left side of Rivers End Crag

One of our new lines Snail Trail 5.6 trad, left side

The left side of Rivers End Crag.

The petrified log on the new line Petrified 5.11- Sport, left side

On the first ascent of Petrified 5.11- sport, 5 bolts, left side

Me tying in for the new climb

Carl's Bunnies 5.9 sport, 3 bolts, left side

An amazingly fun new line (Laura's favorite)

The Bee's Knees 5.10+ sport, 4 bolts, right side.

Follow up slightly overhanging flakes to the shuts.

My super partner after a hot and humid day!

Here's a couple of shots from a few years back highlighting the route B.O.P. 5.10c R at River's End Crag, Right side.

Carl Samples climbs B.O.P (Birds of Prey) 5.10+ sport

at River's End Crag in . The route Carl's Bunnies

on the left wall is a reference to him

Carl Samples at the shuts on B.O.P at River's End Crag

in .

The Knobs a.ka. Rob's Knob, Dunbar, PA
We've been up here a few times this season. We cleared the trail and restacked the carins on the way up the hill. Most of the climbs are in good shape as far as needing cleaned. We did quite a few of the 63 or so routes that exist here. So many have been recently brushed and are ready to go. Most of the bolts were replaced just a few years back, so everything is solid. This place deserves to see more traffic. I'm sure only a handful of people actually climb here each season. What a great crag to visit if you are comfortable placing a little trad gear. Some fully bolted climbs exits, but you'd be missing some of the best lines if you don't bring some trad gear for the mixed and pure gear lines. If you've never been there, this crag should be on your list to visit soon. We added a rap station on the Can I touch it block at the top of I think I soloed that 5.6 to help in getting down off of this block. Another rap station was added on top of Oriental Lickmaster block. It is between the corner climb Way Up 5.8, trad. and Gagging on the Shag 5.11c/d trad. since the tree normally used for rappel is now mostly rotten. Some pics of The Knobs or a.k.a. Rob's Knob.

Climbing Way Up 5.8 trad

Christian Mason on Take a Stab 5.8 trad

Gagging on the Shag 5.11c/d trad

Mungo Jelly 5.10c, mixed, 1 bolt

Laura belaying me on Can I touch it 5.11c sport 2 bolts

Laura and I relaxing at The Knobs photo Ray Burnsworth

Terror of Tiny Tim

Sunset over the Crazies

The Crazy Mountains (also called the Crazies) are an isolated “Island Range” sitting between Big Timber and Livingston in south-central Montana and are the dominate landmark in the area. The highest peak is Crazy Peak, which stands at 11,214 feet and rises over 7,000 feet above the Great Plains to the east.

These photos were taken on July 17, .. near the exit ramp of Interstate 90 a mile east of Big Timber. I couldn't decide which one I liked the most... the clouds kept changing, as did the colors, which were absolutely amazing. Mother Nature put on another fantastic display. Enjoy...

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9:09 pm