You may not find this terribly rewarding unless you're included here, so this is a good time for casual and random browsers to turn back before they get too caught up in the sweep and majesty of the proceedings and can't let go.
Mid- and late November 2024, two of our favorite local venues
First, we're pleased to discover that the cats don't seem to resent us for our month away -- Kim must have briefed them well, and now that we're home, they can resume watching the wildlife shows on the telly.
We have to wonder what Melvin is thinking right now. (There's no use ever wondering what Choupette is thinking.)
First outing: The 'Cliff Trail' at Sherando Lake, 16 November 2024
Most of the greenery has passed away by now, but it's not cold at all and skies are blue. There is some sort of a work team doing something or other at other places up amongst the campgrounds, with five or six official trucks from Iowa in the parking lot and some chaps with hard hats on wandering about, or sitting on one of the picnic tables as over there. But we didn't see anyone again until we'd plodded back down to the Visitor Centre and carpark.
We're going backwards today, up the higher lakeside loop trail on the western side of the lake, descending to the dam at the northern end. The season's well over now, so we don't need to pay in our onerous $4 dollar day fee.
It's a spacious picnic area, more then 150m long -- we've never been here mid-season and have no idea how quickly this might fill up with picnickers, their kids, their pets, their boom boxes.
The little fishing pier, and we scramble up onto the path above.
About two thirds along on this side, we're passing an intersection with another trail that leads up the hill to a viewpoint. We've never tried it out -- someday maybe.
Passing over the dam, with a handful of patient fisherfolks waiting for their bobbers to bob.
We're falling back a bit; Kristin must be in a hurry.
A big obstacle. If Kristin can hop over that thing, maybe we can, too.
Crossing the North Fork Back Creek, and heading for the late afternoon sunlight on the other side.
We've got up to the dam and opted to follow, rather than the lakeside loop trail, instead the far more interesting 'cliff trail', so-called.
Fortunately for us, and for everyone else probably, the 'cliff trail' does not require actually climbing up a cliff -- we just have to zig zag amongst a number of looming cliff bits leading perhaps 150 or 200 vertical meters up the hill.
A few little steps to be got over
Uphill walking is always hotter work than coasting downhill.
We've thought to bring along our Leki poles today -- helpful.
Coming off a zag, now comes another zig.
Along the top zig (or is it the zag) we're passing the high point, sometimes described as a lookout point, and in the present season, it sort of is, though not a very impressive one. In summer, folks who toil up here for the view get to see a solid curtain of greenness. No lake.
Like this (6 October 2024) |
And now there's just a long trudge for about a mile's worth of easy walking, to . . .
. . . the ground-level entrance to the 'Cliff Trail' near the . . .
. . . beautiful Visitor Centre, built back in the day by the wonderful Civilian Conservation Corps (the 351st CCC Company based in Sherando).
The Williams Branch of the North Fork Back Creek. A pleasant bit of scenic exercise, just one hour and four minutes worth. Time to go home.
The area around Sherando village, stretched along Mt Torrey Road, seems pleasant enough but shows some signs of a difficult past.
A more recent sad story
But these folks appear to be keeping the old spirit alive.
The wrong old spirit, unfortunately.
The wonderful cats, after four months in Wisconsin, are having trouble absorbing the concept that they can't just line up at the door and scuttle outside anymore. Until next June.
A second outing: The Montgomery Hall Park jungle, 24 November 2024
There are three main 'jungle paths' in the MHP: the short Yulee trail (this one), the very long, convoluted Expressway, and the similarly convoluted Scout trail round the western perimeter.
Over time we've found ways to mix-and-match bits of each, both for variety and to suit our time available.
The whole jungle looks wildly different with each season, but also at the same time fundamentally similar.
We've now been down the first part of the Yulee trail about 10-12 minutes, in order to . . .
. . . transfer over to the much more complicated Expressway. By so doing, we cut off probably half an hour of that part of the Expressway from where we started today to this place.
Because where we really want to go to these days is the 'Fern Gulley', and this central part of the Expressway will lead us there.
The way the trails are laid out, so ingeniously, sometimes we're walking north, then flipping about and walking south, then turning west and doubling back east.
In summer, smothered in hanging greenery everywhere, you're seldom aware of how these configurations fit together, but at this time of the year you'll frequently notice that you're walking parallel to a path you'd been enjoying five minutes earlier.
The Fern Gulley must be coming up soon.
Right round this corner, maybe
Down the more-or-less newly added Fern Gulley, with the Expressway continuing northward here on the right. Interestingly (for us), just uphill from this entrance to the gulley, the overgrown gulley continues upward and there's a come-along attached to a tree there evidently part of work to continue it soon.
Bottoming out of the gulley onto the Scout trail, and turning left
Back to the south, at the moment (with some of the adjoining pastures just visible outside the park)
At about this place, we saw a small group of walkers about 40 meters to the left, who were probably (if they stayed on this path) about 15 minutes behind us.
-- We haven't got all day, yeah?
The tepee landmark, newly . . .
. . . improved whilst we've been away, with a kid's lawn chair and bottle of water, a sweep-up round the premises, and . . .
. . . a rudimentary split-rail fence.
Everyone needs a hobby.
Pastures outside the park, and . . .
. . . more jungle inside the park
Summitting on Black Dog Mountain, nearly back down now to our carpark
Flirting with the wire fence along the perimeter
The final stretch
The mess of fallen trees at this entrance to the Scout path . . .
. . . has been kindly dealt with in our absence. What an exhilirating bit of healthful exercise, precisely 59 minutes and 44 seconds worth.
Next up: Dispatches are awaited
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All rights reserved, all wrongs avenged. Posted 26 November 2024.
