New River and the World Beyond

Yup – the Toad has been on an involuntary hiatus. Where tide and time wait for no toad, power and cell service have conspired to keep this poor toad silent. Perhaps that was for the better….

Anyway it’s been a fun several weeks. Our next stop was a visit to New River State Park, in northern North Carolina, where we took a trek to Mount Jefferson to wander the trails there. What a beautiful park! Expecting that rain and wind were likely to visit us, we opted for the ridge trail, where we were treated to some particularly scenic overlooks.

This is an forest where chestnut trees once reigned supreme. A few remain, and there are hopes that they may provide some possibilities for reintroducing blight resistant trees…. Keep your fingers crossed, as the Toad fears that most of these attempts have met with limited success. Now the forest is dominated by red oak and hickory, along with evergreens to keep color interesting in the fall and winter.

From here we traveled north the Shenandoah River State Park. In case you don’t remember, this is a lovely park that extends a little over 5 miles along its namesake – with plenty of hiking and biking trails. With river, forest, field, your pick of even or rugged terrain – you can imagine that this is a popular park. And oddly enough, most of times we have visited, the campgrounds have been quiet, the campers well behaved!

Off then to Promised Land State Park. Have you ever observed a chicken fat mushroom?

Now you have! At least, if the identification app that Minkie has is correct, you have. I find the name rather fitting – don’t you?

Yes, Promised Land – named apparently by the Shakers who came in thinking they’d found a place where a grand living might be made, farming and maybe logging trees that grew here. But it’s rocky, really rocky and farming wasn’t to be. Along with other early settlers they stripped the trees, erosion set in, and not much of a life was to be made. Taking their leave, they sarcastically referred to the area as “promised land”. Truth or fiction? Not for the Toad to say….

At any rate, the Park is vast, and trees once again dominate. Along with the rocks of course! It is a well run park, with multiple campgrounds available in the warmer the months. This time of year though, most are closed, and only a handful of sites remain open for those who don’t mind the cold.

It was about this time that our troubles began. After leaving PA we headed up the highway to our next stop – Woodford State Park in the mountains of Vermont. Carlos noticed that the battery indicator in the truck was funky, but there didn’t seem to be anything seriously off. Something to keep an eye on.

Now Woodford has no power to hook into, and your water tank on board must be filled. We have a refrigerator – it runs on gas or electricity – and a gas stove. And gas heater. You will rely on the onboard BATTERIES to run the pump for actually using any water, and a bit here and there for things like lights, and the bit needed to ignite the gas heater and so forth.

Yep – after we set up, Carlos checked our battery to make sure we had a full charge for the next 4 days. Nope. For whatever reason, the connection between the trailer and truck was such that the truck was pulling charge from the trailer, instead of giving it to the dang thing. HUH?! What?!! This inspire of our having done the check for proper trailer lights and breaks prior to leaving that morning.

We managed. It was cold. We had blankets. More importantly, it was an array of stunning color in the woods around us:

Sure doesn’t look cold..

We were careful, and other than the worry it caused, our battery situation didn’t keep us from getting out in the woods to enjoy the daytime. This time of year the colors are accentuated with a background of deep green from the fir and spruce that intermingle for just that purpose.

Color isn’t limited to the canopy of leaves – imagine a walk deep in the shadow of a dense stand of evergreens, a lush understory ferns, sorrels, and mosses below – and then surprise! Have a New England aster to light your way!

Or how about coming across this shaggy mane?

Oh yeh – the Toad likes this park and the fun things growing along the trails!

Next up (if power and cell service deign to visit us together!) – Vermont and beyond. PS – the battery issue was strictly and connection issue. It resolved once we had it hooked to shore power long enough to fully recharge – so no further worries.

Van Hook Glade – Highlands, NC

Now this is a tiny campground! 21 sites in all, most of them rather small, but well separated. You won’t find any 30+ footers in here! It’s all dry camping (no hookups for you tenderfoot TLs), but they do have rather new and well kept bathrooms/showers. The location though…. Now this is something to think about! The campground is right of the highway, just outside of Highlands. So yes, there’s plenty of TL traffic during daylight hours. Ah but the Highlands itself. A mountain rainforest this – getting around 90 inches of rain each year. It’s make for very interesting habitat – High altitude, cool/cold temps and wet. Very different from many of the places we’ve been.

We took a shortish walk/hike here, along what was billed as the “Cliffside Vista” trail. No cliff, no vista. And a fair amount of deadfall…of magnificent proportions. These were the trees ”of a certain age” that lost their battle with wind and rain. A challenging obstacle course for the TwoLeggs – The Toad, of course, hopped through without a second thought. On we went, confident of our mountaineering skills. That is, until we reached the downhill side, near the end of the loop, where the trail crosses a little mountain creek. Which a beaver had recently dammed, forming a small micro pond. Which covered the trail for the rest of the (admittedly limited) visible way forward.

But you know this crowd – we’re an improvising sort. We improvised – and turned ourselves around! With rain on the way, the TwoLeggs were decidedly against getting any wetter than the incoming rain promised. Having passed by a shorter return route, we opted for it this time. Naturally, it too, was blocked by an even greater barricade of deadfall. Making matters worse, it was obvious that no Forest Service or Volunteer Trail keepers had been along in quite some time. There was no discernible trail beyond the fallen trees. Oh my.

Yes, the Toad toad them: “Follow me, Two Leggs, I’ll get you out of here!” And back yet again we went. The Toad remembers all things, you see, including the third option to complete the loop. Once again, the intrepid TwoLeggs sallied forth! And almost made it back to camp before the downpour began. Almost. Good thing I have hearty TLs to travel with! We scrambled back to the Great Escape, dried off, and settled down for a scrumptious dinner, courtesy of Carlos, Chef Extraordinaire.

Next up: New River State Park! Stay tuned, and hope for good cell service so we can continue to post!

Out of Hibernation!

Long time, no write. Some sleep. Some travel. And that crazy TL Pandemic!

But here we are, Carlos, Minkie and me – traveling again exploring a few new places, revisiting familiars (some of which are definitely of the magical persuasion), and as always, finding new things to enjoy. Life is great when you’re a Toad…. the world is ever changing, ever entertaining!

Up first: HAMBURG (no ER) State Park, in sorta northwest central GA. It’s a smaller campground, much to our liking, with about 30 campsites, all nicely spaced, and almost all either on the lake, or with a lake view. There’s a grist mill here, trails to wander an a lake to explore, should you so choose. The rent canoes and kayaks for the TwoLeggs, but tadpoles, BEWARE! Alligators are resident here, and no swimming is allowed. Which is fine by me.

Minkie, Carlos and I took a wander and wonder in the woods (note that fine toad alliteration), admiring the local flora and fauna as Minkie stopped to identify plants with her intelligent phone. This has become a new hobby – learning what grows in the area, or flies, or crawls….

Here’s white snake root:

Yep, that’s the very plant that caused milk sickness when those early European settlers came here with their cattle. The cows ate the snake root, passed the toxin into the milk, settlers drank the milk, and, well, some got pretty sick. Some died. It’s what reportedly killed Nancy Todd Lincoln, though I’m not sure I can swear to that fact. The plant root was also used medicinally by the Indians (?), but if I were a TwoLegg, I’d avoid trying it out. It’s pretty though, isn’t it?

We also saw something we think maybe Low Smartweed. A dainty red thing, that was introduced from Asia, and is apparently just a weed here…. Though I gotta tell ya, The Toad tried it and doesn’t feel any smarter…

And that’s it for now, fellow Toadsters. More after we get to the next available spot for writing!

Watson Mill Bridge SP – Comer, GA

If ever there has been the embodiment of a “charming” state park, Watson Mill Bridge is it.

After all, how can a park with a covered bridge all its own, be anything but fun to explore? We only scratched the surface, but thoroughly enjoyed the trails that ran from the campground to the Bridge, where Minkie took this photo of Carlos as we checked out the building features.

And while there have certainly been a few modern reinforcements with the restoration, many of the original wooden pegs are still present and very impressive! It is the longest covered bridge in Georgia. Oh, and it was built in the mid-late 1880’s by W.W. King – the son of a freed slave, Horace King. Horace was famous covered bridge builder in his day – and his son obviously did him right proud with this one!

From the bridge we followed the outflowing creek, taking time to look back…

…..and then on to take a gander at the ruins of an old power plant that supplied the surrounding communities for more than 50 years during the first half of the 20th century. The raceway remains, as do these structures, hinting at what must have been an impressive plant in its day!

There are plenty options for walking, and we took the longer path, checking out some of the primitive campsites along the creek, and finally reaching the skeleton of an abandoned steel bridge.

Who knows what it once joined, or why it was abandoned? Certainly the changing economies of the 1900s had something to with it. Whatever the cause, it is here to remind us that these lands haven’t always been “natural”. Instead, they are working their way back to that state through the protection of the state and federal parks systems. Aren’t we all lucky to have such parks, forests and wildlands?

We are finally headed home, so this will be my last post for the Great Canadian Adventure. It has been so much fun, and I hope you have enjoyed the ride, as I and my Two-Leggs explored so much new territory. I’ll post again when we next take off, but for now – thanks, and I bid you a fond good evening!

Grindstone Campground – Troutdale, VA

We have come here several times before, and each time, whether the weather is with us, whether time is short or long, Grindstone is a favorite place for a Road Toad to settle in for a few days. Up the Mount Rogers Trail this time, taking a longer day to enjoy the sights, off we went. The trail leads steadily upwards, nothing too severe, just a nice steady incline. Into the Wilderness area, traveling along tracks for TL traffic only (no bikes, 4 wheelers, or horses), this is a root and rocky trek. A hardwood forest predominates until you get about 3-4 miles in, where fir trees begin to take over the landscape. Ever upward, reaching for the Highlands. It is a beautiful hike, with few travelers encountered. Perfect for a days sojourn.

On other days I took my TL companions on shorter excursions – it’s important to keep the eyes open, the Leggs working, the ears listening. You never know what you may encounter. For these outings, it was mostly forest – bird song, a little sunshine, a little more wind, clouds, and smell of wet leaf and decaying forest detritus.

All a part of the grand cycle of seasons – all to be relished for what it has to offer in the grander scheme of the passing years. Do I wax philosophical? Perhaps. And perhaps, you too, will experience the same when next you walk a forest path in the coming winter.

Grey? Surely. Cold? A little. Boring? Never!

Virginia, Virginia

Time moves quickly, and suddenly, the Toad found himself with his TL in-laws, enjoying the camaraderie of those who have known each other through many a decade. The Toad doesn’t quite understand the rules that govern family ties, but he does appreciate the special relationships that family and long time TL friends seem to share. In the Toad World, things are simpler, less complicated – and far less enjoyable. ‘Nuff said. Mmmm hmmm.

Plans were made some months back to spend a long weekend visiting with this branch of the TL tribe, gathering at Douthat State Park – one of Virginia’s earliest parks, and clearly, one of its prized treasures. In evidence everywhere you’ll find the love and pride of place and purpose. Campgrounds (three, I believe) are clean and well maintained. There is a restaurant, two lodges, cabins to rent, playgrounds, day use areas, boating, hiking, biking, fishing. We took in several hikes which offered one or two little views:

We only began to explore Douthat’s extensive trail system, finding each part of the network offering something just a little different than the last. Here a waterfall, there a lake:

Long views, short views:

Trails that wander through mixed hardwood and evergreen forests, with many a water crossing! Don’t miss the hiking shelter up along the best overlook in the park:

As I said, we barely scratched the surface – and if the Toad has anything to say about it, we will definitely be back. This is definitely a destination, not just a stop over! And with any luck, more TL family will come for the fun as well!

New England….

Ah me, the Toad has been silent for much longer than is characteristic for one so chatty. Forgive me! We have spent the last three-four weeks in New England and central Virginia, visiting with family and friends, to say nothing of friendly families! And alas, in each of these places we have been without cell phone service, and even here (southern VA) it’s slow and spotty. So…. the Toad has been unable to bid you all his fond hellos – and the next few posts will be short!

Formalities now dispensed, let’s get on with the Road Show! While in Maine, we again took a visit to the spectacular Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens – a place that every visit to southern Maine should include. Located on the Boothbay Peninsula, the Gardens are the realization of some 16 years of planning by a group of mid-coast residents (typical of that New England determination!).

Spread out over 295 acres – these magnificent gardens include those of both formal and informal persuasions, with themed areas both serious and whimsical. Plantings are punctuated with sculpture, but you’ll need to look both high and low to catch them all! Here you’ll find grasses, herbs, towering trees, water plants, vegetables – and everything in between – all laid out along meandering paths that beckon you to walk in their direction. Each changing season brings new discoveries, with staff creativity in evidence everywhere.

As we traveled on throughout New England we continued to marvel at the golds, oranges and yellows that seem to claim the roadways, trees rioting and reveling in the changing season:

In Vermont we had the great pleasure to visit with friends who reside in a mountain home designed to bring the outside in. Windows everywhere open to the woods, pulling the eye and mind outward. Not a large house, but the details include making creative use of every available nook and cranny. Rather than feeling closed in, these intricacies delight the senses and bring renewed appreciation for the builder who prizes individuality in each living space.

Take a ride through the Vermont countryside and pass through a covered bridge or two. Admire the many villages and farms that so characterize this state.

If you’re lucky, you know someone with genuine (and well deserved!) pride of place who can show you around….. and needless to say, my TLs are definitely lucky!

Schoodic Woods Campground – Winter Harbor, ME

We were welcomed back into the U.S. with a long wait at the border – it seems that the Customs folks (oops, ICE men) were having some computer problems. And of course, they also elected to do a (thankfully!) quick search of my Holler! I would have been insulted, but Minkie convinced me that: a) it would do no good and b) it provided an opportunity to show off my treasured abode. So I did. Satisfied after a brief look in the fridge, they cleared us for entry, and off we went on our now longer journey to Schoodic Woods Campground – part of the Acadia National Park.

If you have ever been to Acadia, and not made the journey to the Schoodic Peninsula, you have truly missed a treasure. It’s a good hours drive from the crowds of Bar Harbor, doesn’t have the crowds, and is every bit as scenic. No, it doesn’t have Cadillac Mountain, but this Toad much prefers the solitude you can experience here.

Our first day at the campground was spent largely inside taking care of necessary chores – due to cold and windy day of non-stop rain. No matter – the TLs have clean clothes and the beer has been temporarily restocked.

Because of the rain, the trails on the following two days were quite wet, but that just added to the challenge of traversing root and rock. First up: a three mile out and back (for a 6 mi total) jaunt up the Buck Cove Mountain Trail to Schoodic Head.

This is not an arduous trek, but again, it is a beauty. Through forest of spruce, fir, jack pine, birch, alder and maple – through meadow of blueberry and huckleberry – and across many a creek, this is a hike that (for the most part) travels gently upwards. Yes there are certainly a few sections to give you a bit of a workout, but most of the difficulty is the footing. And it is worth the views when you reach your destination.

Our second hike was a much shorter, three mile or so loop. And what a fun trail! Trailhead parking is along the one way road that follows the coast of the Schoodic Peninsula, where fall colors have begun to make themselves noticed.

More roots and rocks, but the way is considerably steeper, and includes a few little boulder scrambles.

Yes, the Park provides a few stairs here and there to protect against erosion, but don’t let the picture fool you. TLs will find themselves puffing before it’s all over!

And as always, when out in the woods, take the time to look down and admire the little things.

Here a pitcher….

They love to surprise you!

Note: for the next week or so, we’ll be staying with TL friends and family, so we’ll go dark for a short while, before taking up our journey further south!

Fundy

Ah, Fundy. Where tides can reach 55 feet. Where the Hopewell Rocks beckon visitors from all over the world. Where the salmon come to spawn. Where I brought my TLs for their last few Canadian nights (of this trip. Of course, there’ll be more!). And where we have seen the gradual onset of fall begin its slow explosion. Red maple, accented by gold beech and birch have begun to strut their color against the green of fir, spruce, hemlock and pine.

We arrived, mid afternoon with rain threatening. And the next day, rain it did. A fellow traveler from the states had warned us about road conditions going north out of here, so with hiking set aside for the day, we took the Hauler out to see how bad it might be. Lucky for us, it wasn’t. We’re not sure what the concern might have been, or perhaps we just misunderstood – in any case, when we depart, we won’t have to add a few more hours to the 4 and a half we have planned for.

It has been said that Fundy is a great park for hiking, in addition to the spectacular views of the Bay proper. Off we went, along the Coastal trail, in search of some of the vistas. While the hike was definitely beautiful, this was a trail through forest, along the cliffs of Fundy Bay, where clearings occasionally opened up to the Bay below.

Because of the rain, the trail was quite wet in spots, which of course, allowed for the Road Toad to smile at his TLs as they negotiated mud, root and rocks! They did well though, neither one landed in the drink.

 

 

 

 

 

For our next (and regrettably, last) outing we went for the Six Vault Falls. A very gentle trail for its first mile or two, followed by a steep descent into a gorge. Here the Canadians have thoughtfully provide stairs to assist the hikers and for protection of the trail itself. Along the way, one must cross a creek or two,

and for our travel, the water level wasn’t sufficiently high to cover good stepping stones to keep TL feet dry.  And the reward at the end, is of course, the falls!

Below the rocks shown at the bottom of the photo above, there is a lovely shaded swimming hole, which the TLs casually ignored on this cool fall day.  I myself took a quick dip when noone else was looking.  So hard for a Toad to ignore water!!

Back at the Holler we headed out for a dinner in Alma, where the Tides restaurant didn’t disappoint!  We started with a draft of a local red ale – one that both Minkie and Carlos both favored.  (I should mention here that the craft breweries in Canada have rarely disappoinged us!)  Seafood chowder (they were out of steamed mussels), fried clams, and sauteed sea scallops, all wonderfully prepared, and perfectly seasoned, followed by a delectable and surprisingly light white chocolate cheesecake left us fully sated – a perfect ending to a fantastic visit to Canada!

On now, to more adventures as we head back to the US!

Kejimkujic National Park – Nova Scotia

If there is one thing the TLs have learned on this trip – it is that the Maritime Provinces offer such beauty, it is about impossible to absorb. Deep blue oceans. Clear blue mountain lakes. Brooks and bogs. Farms and forests. Bike or hike. Or just walk.

Here in Keji (as it is affectionately called), all these things seem to come together. Walk the trails of the seaside adjunct (on the coast, about an hour and a half away from the main park inland) and hear the the thunder of waves crash on the shore. Watch eagles fly, or seals bask on the rocks. The trails take you through forest to bog, and on to the coast. These are not long, arduous trails – but they are beautiful. Meander, stop, look at all that lies around you. Field or meadow – how diverse the plant life!

Along the coast, each bend offers yet another view of water, sand, rock, seaweed, shore birds, gulls, herons or osprey. Stop, look, and listen.

And back at the main park, trails again take you through incredibly diverse forests. Visit the old growth hemlocks, some of them more than 400 years in age. Here, the forest floor is a carpet of lichen and moss, with a smattering of other shade tolerant, acid loving, low growing plants – all sheltered under the canopy of hemlock boughs that let so little light through! Some of these big fellas have had a struggle – starting out atop boulders, with barely any soil, they somehow find sufficient nourishment to send their woody lifelines ever downward to more inviting soils. Now the challenge is to hold on: the hemlock root is fragile – and those TL interlopers, who, thinking they were proving something, climbed those rocks. And now the old ones struggle.

Elsewhere, take a walk amid the majestic white pines. With trunks a good several feet in diameter, they are but a mere 70-80 years of age. The Keji forests are home to so many species – mushrooms, moss, fern, beech, maple and oak, fir, spruce, pine….. No, these are no difficult trails, but difficulty and beauty are not synonymous! And in walking so many, we have learned to appreciate yet again, the the subtle differences in appearances which often mark significant differences in ecology.

So. We highly recommend Keji to you. The campground sites are large, the shower and restroom facilities will be upgraded in two years, but in the meantime, they are not bad at all. There are trails for hiking, trails for biking. Lakes (the grand Keji, and numerous smaller ones) for exploration by canoe or kayak. There short treks, and multi-day back country trails for the overnight backpacker. Come and experience!