Climb the Lion's Mane

UPDATE: My great friend, Jen O., has been working tirelessly for years to educate people about the harm that mountaintop removal coal mining causes for people's health s well as the health of the one environment that we are all linked to.
The main goal is to end this harmful practice. Jen has been using the powerful medium of music to get her message out to the world; a wonderful musician and singer indeed! Check out her non-profit organixation and the whole scene here: http://www.auroralights.org/journey/. Keep it up, rebel rocker!


Rad Ad tearin' up the Lion's Mane


My younger brother, Adam, and his g-friend, Kate, are visiting the east before sailing the skies west to Boulder. On Monday we went on a stellar hike out to Lion's Head, an iconic destination in the Dolly Sods Wilderness. Tony B., Adam, Kate, and I did a bit of bouldering and one sweet top-rope climb right up the Lion's mane...a sweet climb at an even sweeter locale.


The hike out to Lion's Head is ~four (~4) miles, a hefty hike for a climb...Adam and Kate joked that the climbers in CO would never hike that far for a climb....it wasn't just about the climb though...of course. The hike is phreakin' astounding with giant marshy expanses that sit high atop the Dolly Sods Wilderness (bring good boots!), and the old railroad grade makes for a good trail. Astounding to think of a train trudging through those tall(er) trees, taking each big stick down and out to feed the boom that was happening...


Sir Tony awaits the rapel...gotta trust the gear!



Ferns: a favorite plant; the aroma = divine!

The next day (Tues.) we went on a short stroll out to Pendelton Falls, a radical and steep canyon waterfall....we found one sandal and a long-sleeved shirt....I sniffed for a body but found only moss.

Pendelton Falls, perfect for a skinny dip!

This past weekend the 24 Hours of Big Bear transpired...Jo Mo worked it (mainly ripping around on a motorbike and, as usual, grinning) and the Waite Boys raced it. I picked up Addy and Kate and we caught the end of the race...



Established racer, NickcantWaite, enjoying quality race fuel with Mommadukes. If his brother trains like he does the duo will be unstoppable! Go Waite Brothers!

The CO couple are leaving today, boo...which means that I will need to plan a trip to see them, climb, and hear supadope music....can we say "Red Rocks?"

A vein of [neutron] stars calling out my name....

Tickle my brain:

Space is heavy. Neutron star crust modeled at being a billion times stronger than steel....gotta get me summa dat stuff!

Phorid flies make ants into baby-feeding zombies. Glad nothing is going to eat my brain and hatch outta my head...that would be tough to handle....

While walking down 6th street, (across the street from the Must/Condon/Heathcock/Rank towerhouse) one of many weird streets in Morgantown, I passed some stairs that led past some pines to an old ladies' house which I had visited a few years ago. My neighbors knew this lady, who lived alone, and the time spent in her home was just plain awesome (I'll never forget the almost holographic picture of Jesus standing on the earth, specifically North America, and staring with arms outstretched.) If my memory works well her name was Edna, and she was in her nineties (90's) or late eighties (80's)? She captivated us with humorous stories and keen wit, likely enjoying our company even more than we enjoyed hers. Ah, nice memories***FFwd to a few weeks ago****I looked up to find that her house was gone....for how long, I don't know, but the stairs ended in dirt, where a house once stood, revealing the distant tan vinyl siding of a fairly new apartment complex...likely the fate of the property that Edna had lived on. Bet those trees don't live much longer.

Goodbye Edna, and goodbye to Morgantown; thanks for the plethora of experiences and lessons.

A final mini van loaded to the brim left Motown bound for less leafy trees and a cool basement to put a few years worth of houseware and "junk" down for a little nap.

Mo was quick and handy with turning kitchen contents into boxes, what a wizard, that boy! House plants and all made it home safe today.

Take a gander at an aprtment lived in and then.....

C Bizzy likes it here better without the clutter: "It's like Grandma's house, minus the perfectly hung pictures." And the candy bowl...

(A devil got into the kitchen shot quite by accident)

One of the last sunsets seen from the 2868 stairwell!

Nature-filler to keep you from contracting urbanitis....

~~~*~~~

In other news, The White Room has been fleshing itself a bit more each micro-millenia, and if you are in Thomas, WV, then you ought to stop in and check out the local artistry and pin-mania. For real people, these kids (well, a few?) feed themselves on pin profits! Feed more artists! Reminds me of an event there soon:

SATURDAY MAY 23rd, 5-8PM at The White Room.....Wine and Cheese party with music..."Excessively fancy dress...."

Oh, how much for that whitebike in the window!

We're talking books, pottery, paintings, handmade jewerly, pinspinspins, knit pouches and hats, etc....

Snapped Max "Dubstyley" Dubansky shredding up Marilla Park after the Motown Farmers' Market, which he supplies some of the best much needed local produce at.

Be well now.

Smoke Hole Bliss

Update: Remember famed paleoanthropologist Meave Leakey from a previous post? My biological anthropology class had a nice opportunity for some personal chatter, and some of that was caught on tape...its been YouTubed...yikes! Where's Waldo? The hair gives it away...

A bit for the Morgantowners, past present and future, the still-going-PRT (Personal 'Rapid' Transit) got a little *spice* for a few eco-cars that were quickly removed do to some copyright issue with teh WVU logo....theay are said to ahve been fixed for less than $200....and back on track! Here the guideways are being built over three (3) decades ago.

The wonderful annual Smoke Hole boat/camp trip was laced with great wheather and lots of morel mushrooms! Like geology? Check this out...

By far we paddled the oldest canoe on the river: Rusty! Thanks to Eddie Spaghetti for the fine watercraft! Check out his artwork! The natural feel of his work is like good medicine....feel it.

Thanks to the Bell boys for the shuttle! A perfect mix of sun and clouds, rapids and straights...simply nurturing to be in such a natural and powerful setting. Solace=Refresh.



Lots of prep; dry gear upon arrival preferred. The kids are all right....



...some of the many pleasant stops. Its all about fun breaks!

Base camp was at the end of this field above, many a morel met its maker, leaving behind its home under the apple and paw-paw trees. A small graveyard was found on the hillside nearby...4th of July, ~1862 was one of the birthdays...seems a few families all got to be buried together there.

Do this more often and I bet you flip your boat less... sword fighting bandit boys over chilly water, arrrrrgh the heat of battle!


Ricky K. had this simple little fold-up campfire reflector oven, the "Sproul Baker"....He baked some corn bread in about 15 minutes, all from setting this half-open metal box next to the fire...gotta get one!

The new moon and the lack of rain allowed for hammock-style stargazing and no need for a tarp. So peaceful, them stars....at least from this distance.


This little guy (girl?) sums up the weekend: Hangin' out to soak up the hot sun.

Go outside more often! The air indoors has been found to be more polluted than the freely circulating air outside (second paragraph of the EPA website on that link)! One more reason....