Signs of Spring

Despite the best the winter has thrown at us here in northwest PA, spring is blooming or at least my Crocuses think so.  This is the second year in a row where I've come home one day to these eager purple flowers plowing their way up through the snow.

I've written about the way nature reclaims what is hers (The beautiful thing about Nature) and with the spring thaw we can see how the cycle perpetuates itself.  Plants that have died back, and left almost no trace of themselves by September, reemerge and start their lifecycle all over again. 

And that's what draws me to the outdoors.  All of these temporary markers of our modern human life will go away.  Nature has been, and will be, endless.

The animals are at it too.  White-tailed deer breed in the late fall, so that they drop fawns in the spring when food sources are emerging, giving the fawn the best possible chance of success.  Birds, like wild turkeys breed and hatch in the spring, giving their poults access to a fresh supply of emerging grubs and tender greens.  Every species of animal have evolved so that the young have the maximum chance of surviving through the next winter season.

If you think about it humans are the really the same way too, just on a much longer scale.  We tend to reach our peak of breeding, and child rearing in our 20's and 30's when we are young enough to have the energy to complete the task.  Then correspondingly our offspring will reach their breeding peak while we are in our 40's to 50's.  For ancient humans, who had much shorter lifespans, this meant the older generation was dying off while the new generation replenished the tribe.  For modern humans, with double the life expectancy, we reach our earning potential and maximize various savings vehicles so that we don't have to work forever.

We're all animals, and we all adapt our behaviours to the cycle of nature.

In the next several weeks and months we will be able to shake off the cabin fever, get outside and explore the natural world.  Spring really is one of the best times to get outdoors.  You're motivated by the long weeks indoors, plus there is so much life re-emerging, there's always something to see.

It doesn't really matter what path you choose, just choose one, lace up your boots, and rediscover your place in nature.

Happy Exploring
Scott M

Planning your summer wilderness adventures, with some local stops

With the sky-rocketing price of gasoline, more and more people are looking to decrease there fuel bill every month.  At the same time we are all planning our summer get-a-ways.  By staying closer to home we can lower our fuel bill, and take advantage of the local wilderness opportunities that are less than 30 minutes from our front door.  Not only will these local adventures help your personal economy, they will also help to decrease your carbon footprint.

Increased environmental awareness has been all over the news recently, with more and more companies going "green."  Not only has this effected the business world, but it has also begun to reach into our vacation time as well.  Ecotourism is a growing movement, where people are utilizing their personal time to have a positive impact on the environment. 

According to The International Ecotourism Society, an ecotourist aims for responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people.  While that may sound like a lofty goal, it can be as simple as driving less during your vacation.  Two local hiking trips, are less than 20 minutes away from anywhere in the city, and are great day trips to experience local wild places.

The first, and shortest of the two would a day trip hiking the Wintergreen Gorge.  The portion of Four Mile Creek upstream from Cooper Rd in Harborcreek is commonly known as the Wintergreen Gorge, and it offers some of the most beautiful scenery, and easy hiking trails, that the Erie area has to offer.  The picture above was taken after Super Storm Sandy deluged the area with rain.  The trail itself dries out quickly, but the creek is amazing to watch for hours, sometimes days after the rain.

To get there take east 38th St past the Bayfront Connector, and Bird Dr.  This is where east 38th St becomes Cooper Rd.  Continue on Cooper Rd and just past the intersection with Shannon Rd there is a bridge over Four Mile Creek .  On the eastside of the bridge is a convenient parking area

For a nice starter hike I would suggest starting from the parking area and follow the primary trail up through the woods.  This main trail follows along the base of the hill for about a quarter of a mile and stays between twenty and fifty yards from the creek itself.  In this portion of the trail there are several areas to cut over to the creek and enjoy the natural beauty of the running water. 

After about a quarter of a mile the trail does divide, with the main branch continuing up hill for another quarter of a mile, heading away from the creek and arriving at one of the back parking lots of Behrend College.  The trail does continue on from the parking lot, and at this point is about the size of a good mountain biking trail.  Approximately 200 yards up the trail from the college's parking lot is an overlook that has been well used over the years, but remains unimproved.  The overlook offers a wooded view up the rest of the Wintergreen Gorge, that is stunning any time of year.  However, when the leaves change in the fall the view is breathtaking.

If I am in the mood for a more rustic hike, I follow the main trail for about a quarter of a mile, until it divides and I will take the trail to the right.  This trail is smaller, and continues to follow the stream as it winds its way up through the Wintergreen Gorge.

As the crow flies, the gorge would be about one and a quarter miles, but since the creek winds back and forth, I would estimate the total hike of the stream bed to be about one and a half miles.   

The second, and most diverse, would be the series of trails that make up Asbury Woods Nature Center.  This 200 acre tract contains wetlands, trails, forests, streams, fields and historic properties.

There is a small network of trails around the Asbury Woods Nature Center on the east side of Asbury Rd just south of W 38th St.  These trails highlight the local ecology, and offer great learning opportunities for school age kids. 

On the west side of Asbury Rd, just across from the main entrance to the Nature Center, begins a large network of trails.  The primary trail system covers well over two and a half miles winding through diverse habitat, crossing Walnut Creek, and eventually working all the way around to Brown's Farm on Sterrettania Rd.  There are several unimproved trails that give access to remote fishing holes and beautiful cliffs along Walnut Creek.

Exploring the entire complex of trails can be done during the course of a day, by utilizing a map that is printable from asburywoods.org.  Of course all of the main trails are well marked, some even contain boardwalk areas in order to view wetland habitat.

As part of being an ecotourist, I want to leave the land better than I found it, so I always carry an extra plastic bag in my daypack.  This way should I encounter any trash along the trail, I can easily collect the trash, and dispose of it properly after my hike.   By committing to driving less while on vacation, and taking advantage of local wilderness adventures, we can all have a positive impact on our environment.

Over the next several months I plan to highlight even more local areas like these.

Happy Exploring!

Scott M

Erie RV Show

Officially now called the Erie RV, Camping and Powersports Spectacular opens today at the Erie Bayfront Convention Center and will run through Sunday.

This is my favorite show of the convention season.  All the area dealers are there to represent whatever the RV industry has in store for the 2013 season.  And let me tell you the tastes vary widely.  This show will have models open to walk through of every kind of camper you can imagine.  From traditional pop-ups to the newest micro tow behinds, all the way to the massive six figure motor coaches, and even park models.

It's the accessibility that makes this show my favorite.  All the models are open for you to walk through, sit on the chairs, look in the closets, or open the cabinets.  This convention is a one stop shop to find out what the camper industry has to offer, and where your tastes lie.  The show is also useful if you're trying to learn the pricing for the RV market.  Perhaps you were thinking used, but could in fact afford a new model.

The other part of the show that makes it so worthwhile is the station after station of campgrounds that are represented.  Each one has a handy brochure so you can learn about their campsite, and each station is staffed by either the owners of or people who work at the campsite, so no question goes unanswered.  This is a tremendous way for you to discover new places to visit. 

In addition to the campsites represented there will be other organizations there to promote their own cause.  “PA Route 6” is one such organization that I didn’t know existed until I visited their booth 2 years ago.  Their goal is to promote tourism across historic US Rt 6, which crosses the northern tier of PA.  Their brochure is filled with towns to visits, with interesting restaurants and interesting historic spots to visit.

New for this year, and of particular personal interest, is the motorcycle pavilion.  This is a fantastic addition to the convention.  While Erie has a tremendous motorcycling population, we still do not have a show where new models can be showcased under one roof.  While motorcycles could have easily been added to the auto show, I think they fit perfectly at the RV show, because many motorcycle dealers also sell 4 wheelers, and snowmobiles, so they have been coming to the RV show for years.

Weather is a toss-up, but after all this is February in Erie.

Happy Exploring

Scott M

Patience

I'd love to sit here this morning and tell you how amazing my kids are, and that I never get frustrated, and that the frustration doesn't get the best of me sometimes, but I'm not going to lie to you.  I'm not perfect.  I lose my cool.  I snap. 

I'm not embarrassed to tell you that because I know it just means I'm human.  I also understand that the frustration stems from the desire to have things run smoothly, and to give my boys the best life they can possibly have.

I recently read a blog post from Backcountry Geezer about Kids in the backcountry: Getting them ready, which really helped to remind me of the one thing I truly need more of in my life: Patience.

When we venture off into the woods Aiden, my youngest, is actually the easiest of the bunch.  Once he sees the red pack he knows we're going for a hike.  Even if he doesn't want to get in the pack initially, a hundred yards down the trail, and he'll be ready.  Yes it's an extra 30lbs on my back, but that is better than a cranky toddler that you're basically dragging because he doesn't want to walk anymore.  Robert on the other hand is too big to be carried, so we've got to make some concessions on his behalf.

First, our hikes are limited to less than 5 miles.  I've got years and years of woods hiking experience, so 5 miles is hardly a warm up.  Yet, for little legs, and a 7 year old's attention span, 5 miles is just shy of an eternity.

Second, the hike has to have something interesting.  As adults my wife and I know where to look and how to pay attention to see animals, new plants, or a great view.  Robert's daily life is filled with video games, and cartoons.  Even as a second grader he has been introduced to computer based learning.  So at first glance the woods aren't as captivating as some of the things he sees day-to-day. While on hikes we make sure we are constantly communicating.  Look at this plant, doesn't it look like a ___. Look over there at the ___ walking through the woods.  That way he's learning to watch for interesting things. 

Third, educational challenges.  So many of my friends have a simply atrocious sense of direction.  Even with GPS, and readily accessible online maps, they can't stand where they are and point to where they came from or where they want to go.  When in the woods with Robert, I'll ask him how to get back to the car.  Typically we haven't ventured off the trail, but if the trail loops I'd like him to be able to point directly to the vehicle based on the mental map he has created while walking.  Can a 7 year old do this? Hardly.  Is this a skill that will layer on year after year? Absolutely.

Finally, for us, we make every effort to remain patient.  If we're getting frustrated, it's time to find a log and sit for a minute.  On one very memorable hike we were about two thirds complete, when Robert was showing signs of frustration, and Jen was getting a little winded.  In fairness, Jen was about 6 mos pregnant and I had slightly undersold the actual distance we were hiking.  Be that as it may, Jen sat down to rest, and I found a young tree and taught Robert a lesson my grandfather had taught me about how to make a easy little walking stick.  Three years later, Robert still has that walking stick set aside at my uncle's cabin, for when we visit.

As a family, Jen and I make every effort to give our boys the best upbringing we can.  That doesn't mean that latest and greatest toys.  That does mean time well spent, and experiences that they will carry forever.

Happy Exploring,

Scott M.

The beautiful thing about Nature

I'm going to go ahead and capitalize the first letter in Nature for the entirety of this post.  Why?  Because the way I've seen and experienced Nature, it is a real and active thing. 

Take this photo as an example:

At the very bottom of the photo your eye can probably make out parallel tracks moving away from where I was standing when I took this picture.

As your eyes follow the tracks forward, you'll notice they quickly fade away into the undergrowth of hay scented ferns.

By the middle of the photo the former trail is all but invisible except to those of us who have used this trail for years.

I grew up going to a cabin where I would hike this trail regularly.  In fact as little as 10 years ago anyone could have walked this track with just a verbal description of where the trail begins and ends.

15-20 years ago, an adventurous soul, could have navigated this trail with lifted Jeep or pick-up.

Yet, now here it stands, nearly invisible to all but the few of us who recognize this trail through the woods.

And that's what happens.  Land use changes. The people who beat down this trail moved on, or just stopped needing the trail for whatever its original purpose was. 

What we see here is Nature reclaiming what is hers. 

While I was in college a friend was working on a paper for some class and asked myself, and several others, what they loved about Nature.

I recall thinking about it for a day or two, then responding back that:

"No matter what humans do to the natural world around us, Nature will eventually reclaim what is rightfully hers.  It may take years to undo what we did, but Nature doesn't care about time, she will eventually reclaim what is hers."

On a very minor scale this photo illustrates what I mean.  In fact these woods have been logged out 2-3 times since colonial days, with the last time being during the 1960's, right before my family purchased the property were the cabin sits now.  If you get off the main trails, and you know what to look for you will find logging roads long forgotten.  Maybe it's a bizarre indent in the forest floor, or a bank showing the high side of an old bend in the road.  These features aren't easy to find, but the fact that they are there and nearly invisible shows that Nature does heal man's scars.

I would encourage you to be a "mindful observer" as you enter the woods.  Pick out the little things and visualize the forest as a whole, while appreciating what is immediately apparent.

Happy Exploring
Scott M

Motor Touring with our boys

Motor Touring.  It's an old fashioned phrase for what we all call a road trip these days, but no matter what you call it, it can be an amazing Saturday of exploring or a real struggle if you're taking your little ones along for the ride. 

Just this past weekend we were struck with a bit of cabin fever and no set plans.  So we loaded up the boys in my Cherokee and hit the road.  We had no destination in mind, but it was time to put the stuffy house in the rearview mirror.

Over the course of the last 2 1/2 years Jen and I have come across this situation on a regular enough basis to realize that there are just certain things that are must haves to keep everyone happy.

For her and I, our smartphones and a cold drink are typically all we need.  I've got a good enough sense of direction, and can form a mental map, so when I've taken left turn after right turn, I can typically get us back to a recognizable route and point us back home.  However, Google Maps is an invaluable asset to have on the road.  Google Maps are some of the most complete maps that are widely available.  They offer the capability to toggle between road views and satellite images, so if you're looking for something in particular you'll likely find it. 

For example:  While brainstorming our preferred route this weekend I opened up our new favorite scavenger hunt game, Munzee.  While looking for a spot to drive by I thought we could roll a few new Munzees into our map.  In fact I found an area that at first glance would yield 2 Munzees in one location, and 3 more just down the road.  However, once I toggled my map over to satellite view I realized the other 3 were likely down a trail.  Given the recent volume of snow we had I decided against trailing those Munzees with the little guys in tow.

Another great app for your smartphone is called Victory Rides.  Geared more towards the motorcycle rider, this is a very handy app for tracking your progress.  Once you're done for the day you can save the map and build up a collection of routes that you've driven over time.

Now the boys on the other hand are bit tougher to keep happy while touring around the country side. 

Robert is nearly 8 years old and very much into video games.  And while I'd much rather him be enjoying the scenery and watching out for animals, I understand that his Nintendo DSI is a true necessity for longer trips.  What's really important is to invest in a nice pack for the controller and the games, because while out on the road for several hours a single game will only keep him entertained for so long.  Even still when we see something cool, we make sure to point it out to Robert so that he realizes why we drive and explore.  To find new and interesting things of course.

Aiden is 2 1/2 and can have his moments, which justify the term "Terrible Two's."  However, just a little forethought and we can avoid most major meltdowns.  First is to take care of the belly.  When driving it's easy to lose track of time and find yourself at 3pm and hungry.  For an adult it's easy to suck it up and just have a bigger dinner in a couple more hours.  That logic doesn't make sense to a 2 year old, so if it's close to lunch, and it has been a couple hours since his last meal.  Chances are you'll be better off finding a place to have a small snack, then pushing it any further. 

Of course what goes in must come out, so even if it's a short trip, don't forget the diaper bag.  Since you're on the road a change of clothes will likely also be a necessity.  On one trip, we had pushed it a bit too far and Aiden's diaper didn't make it between changes.  His body is easy enough to clean up, but his clothes, not so much.  Thankfully his PJ's were in the bag from his last overnight at Grandma's. 

Finally the last bit of advice for the little ones.  They all seem to love to nap in their car seats, and a quiet car can be music to a parent's ears, but again pay attention to the clock.  Just because you're on the road at 5, and he's relaxed enough to sleep at 5, doesn't mean it's a good idea.  A late nap has caused many a night time heartache, which could have been avoided, by getting the little guy up and moving.  Stop the car, stretch, maybe jump into the woods for sec.

Happy Exploring
Scott M

Why Camping?

It's not always a direct question.  More often it's a look, but it always happens.  If I'm talking about a camping trip I just went on, or a camping trip that I'm currently planning, someone will give me the look. 

The "why camping?" Look.

As if it's fundamentally absurd to leave the comfort and amenities of your permanent residence, just to go to a non-permanent, even a movable residence, for a couple nights at a time.   A place where you have to work to just get along.  You have to gather wood, water, maintain a fire, safely handle and prepare food without refrigeration, or at least from a cooler, but again you have to manage that process as well. 

So why go through all that?  It's hard for me to explain without being a little rhetorical, but I go through all that in order to go through all that.  It's about surviving on simpler terms.  I don't need to worry myself with the ephemera of life.  I need to worry about keeping my food cold, my fire hot, and my head dry. End of list.

When camping there's always something to do, and those things have real implications.  If I'm at home and I leave food on the counter, fine, I've got more in the freezer.  If I'm camping and food spoils, well one meal is going to be a little thin.  The focus on survival, breaks you down to a very primitive self.  It wipes away the nonsense of the modern world.  I don't worry that I have 70 channels and nothing to watch because there's wood to be gathered, a fire to be tended, and a trail over there that I haven't walked down yet.

That unknown trail is the real other reason to go camping.  The ability to explore the unknown, and particularly the wild places of this Earth.  My family and I love to hop in the car and roadtrip to find a new park or diner, but just like being at home, if plans fail on the road, there's an easily accessible back up plan.

In the woods that is not always the case.  For me knowing that I'm a visitor in this wild place helps to ground me and make me more mindful of my surroundings and how I'm going to move through them.  I'm not going to blindly leap over that log or creek, because failure in the woods is often catastrophic.  Now, if I  re-read that last sentence it sounds overly dramatic and frankly a little pessimistic.  Injuries happen, and you do need to be mindful of your surroundings.  However, instead of allowing that anxiety to weigh you down, allow that mindfulness to lift your spirit, to focus your attention on the REAL. 

Mindfulness in the woods have lead to some of my greatest experiences.  A doe and two fawns within 20 feet. A flock of turkeys meticulously picking bugs while moving through the undergrowth 30 feet away. A fresh bear track within 50 feet of a fresh coyote track.

Now-a-days, I have the distinct pleasure of teaching two young boys these skills.  With time and patience I believe they too will appreciate wild places and the simplicity of life at a campsite.

Happy Camping

Scott M

Oil Creek State Park

A little less than an hour south of Erie lies a small region of Northwest PA that very few people outside of the region have even heard of, let alone visited.  Yet events that happened there over 150 years ago have shaped the very direction of human life on this planet.  There is not a single day that goes by where we don't come into contact with the technology founded in this region of PA.  Of course I'm talking about Oil Creek, and the corridor that connects Oil City, Titusville and Warren.  It was here along the banks of a little known creek where Col Edwin Drake developed technology to efficiently extract crude oil from the Earth.

For centuries native peoples knew of small pockets in the region where a black slimy substance bubbled up from the ground and spoiled the water nearby.  They found out if you separated that substance from the water it would burn.  It stunk and gave off black smoke, but if you dipped cloth in it, it would be easier for you to transport fire starting material.  This is a critical skill in any nomadic or even semi-nomadic people.

In the post Civil War years whales were slaughtered en mass for their fat.  This fat could be easily boiled down and transported, making for cheap and safe lamp oil.  Lamp oil that eventually became so popular that whale population began to pay a hefty price.  Necessity being the mother of invention, people began looking for cheaper sources of lamp oil. 

Crude oil, while cheap, was not efficient to hand dip out of a few swamps here and there.  So what Col Drake did was to develop the first efficient drilling and piping rig to be used to give the crude oil a controlled method of escape.  And thus was born the modern age. 

Without oil the auto industry doesn't leave the ground.  Internal combustion engines are inefficient dreams.  And the plastics that encompass our entire modern lives never exists.  All of those things are derived from crude oil that Col Drake's pipes released from the ground.

Presently the heavily wooded region surrounding Drake's well has been preserved as a State Park, saving both the natural beauty of the region. The actual historic site is preserved with a museum, and for a nominal fee you can explore the grounds and view some amazing old equipment.  The park has over 50 miles of hiking and biking trails, plus a historic train ride available seasonally.  Tent camping is available in several areas, and some simple lean-to shelters you can stay in while hiking. 

This past weekend I took my youngest son down to the museum.  It was just a short trip on Sunday, and we spent our time hiking along a couple of the shorter trails, and just enjoying the pleasant January weather.  We did drive several of the roads around the park, but be warned, many have no winter maintenance.  We were lucky that the recent thaw had cleared the way, but I could see several areas that would have been quite sketchy during a normal January.

Happy Exploring
Scott M

Munzee - 21st Century Scavenger Hunt

A few months back a friend of mine casually mentioned something about "Munzee hunting" in a Facebook post.  Since I'm interested in every kind of hunting, I just had to ask what Munzee hunting was all about.  My friend let me know that it was a scavenger hunt game, similar to geocaching, played through an app on your smart phone.  Instead of hiding a "cache" for the next hunter to find you hide a game piece with a QR code printed on it.

Once that game piece has been deployed it will show up on the game map for all the other players to view.  As a player the pieces that I haven't captured show up as Green balloons, and the pieces that I have captured show up as Red balloons.

As you can see from the screen shot of my cell phone there are plenty of pieces around, and a lot of places to visit.  Some of them are kind of silly.  Just yesterday I followed the map to a game piece on the back of a Handicapped Parking sign in a random parking lot of some shop in an industrial park.  Okay, so I didn't know the industrial park was quite that big, but I also didn't find anything geographically new or interesting. 

However, most of the pieces are typically placed in a location that is maybe a bit out of the way, or takes you to part of a park you hadn't visited before.  For example: Yesterday I was out for a drive with my youngest son, Aiden.  We ended up at Drake's Well Museum, partly because I hadn't been to Oil Creek State Park in years, and partly because I found two game pieces on the map.  I parked near the the first game piece and told Aiden, "We find stickers!"  He got excited and nearly leapt out of the Explorer.  We followed a bicycle trail and quickly found the first game piece on the back side of a guard rail near an old steel bridge.  Looking at the map there was a second piece within a reasonable walk, so we continued down the driveway.  Unfortunately the second piece couldn't be located.  And this happens.  We are talking about laminated pieces of paper stuck to metal, outdoors, so as weather is apt to do, pieces get worn away.  The great part about this game being driven by an app on your smart phone is I can add a "Journal Entry" that the piece may be missing.  The original player that deployed the piece will receive an e-mail, and that person can investigate it further. 

Since it is a game, their are points.  Points for putting pieces out.  Points for finding pieces.  Points for when people find your pieces.  As you earn points you increase in level, but more importantly you gain a great satisfaction to see your map turn from green to red!!

Reading along the website, there's even a business reward aspect that can be involved.  While I haven't seen this locally, a business can place a Munzee game piece on their door, and reward customers for every 3rd, 5th, etc... visit to their store.  Since I love exploring and finding new places I think this is a tremendously interesting way to drive customers to your business and reward their loyalty.  Like a Foursquare check in, with a real reason!

Looking at the map the trend seems to be more toward urban areas, and some rural areas slightly off the beaten path.  As the game grows I really hope to find more and more pieces popping up in secluded and more wooded areas.  Seeing a piece on part of the map that you don't immediately recognize would be tremendously exciting.  Who knows, perhaps that place will be your new favorite picnic area.

If you have a smart phone, and like getting out and finding new places, I would highly recommend downloading the app and locating a couple game pieces.  It's endlessly addicting!!

Happy Exploring
Scott M

The weather...

Recovering from one of the worst sinus/ear infections I've ever had, I'm sitting here watching the snow melt in my backyard.  Checking the calendar, and yep it's still January.  My infection induced coma didn't result in me sleeping through to spring.  Watching this mid winter heat wave destroy our snow pack I can't help but think of how dependent outdoorsmen are on the weather.

To hot:  nothing moves
To cold:  nothing moves
Precipitation falling:  nothing moves

Catch the weather just right...  Wow! You will see action like you won't believe. 

January on the Great Lakes is ice fishing season.  Streams are mostly clear, but at these water temps getting steelhead to take your bait is about as difficult as keeping my 2 year old from demolishing his toys.  Technically archery season remains open, but this far north only the hardiest of souls venture to their treestands.  Small game is in, and this is actually the best time of year if you're looking for a large bushytail for a trophy mount, but again mid January weather leaves a lot to be desired. 

So what's an outdoorsman to do?  Ice fishing season will be heating up, if you'll pardon the pun.  I personally had a hard time understanding the attraction that hard water fisherman have to the sport.  After all in order for the sport to be productive you need the weather to really turn to a proper cold spell.  However, a few years back my best friend and I scrounged up some equipment, dumped it into a bucket, and headed out onto the now frozen waters of Presque Isle Bay.  "Scrounged up"  In all honesty I bought my Schooley's Spring Bobber on my way to the bay.  That plus a couple 1/2 ounce jigheads in fuchsia and chartreuse, and a dozen minnows.  Our very first trip we didn't even have an auger.  The game plan was to find holes that others had abandoned early that day or last night, then chip them back open with an assortment of flathead screwdrivers we had brought.  What a sight we must have been!

Several hours later we actually had each hooked into 2 dozen sun fish, and a handful of perch.  The sun fish weren't big enough to bother with, so back down the hole they went, but the perch made for a couple of fine sandwiches.

Since that trip we have gone out a couple times, and each upgraded our gear several times as well. 

The bay never froze last year, and up until the last several day, it looked like it would freeze up this year.  In fact a few brave souls have already ventured out.  For my taste I prefer 5 inches of ice or better.  I'm not starving to death without that fish, so no reason to get crazy about rushing onto thin ice.

With some simple gear any outdoorsman can find hours of entertainment and sport during any time of year.  Even in the depth of winter

Happy Fishing
Scott M

A good hike

There's a saying about golf that "golf is a good walk ruined."

I can identify with this, because as much as I love to hunt, I love to hike too.  So I'm sure more than one of my hunts has been ruined by my wanderlust pulling me out of a treestand.

That's okay really because I really do just love to explore a new area.  How else would I stumble upon bear and coyote tracks within 100 yards of each other:

It's a rare sight for me to see a black bear in the areas I hunt, and I've never seen a coyote in the wild, so to find both these tracks reminded me that I'm not the only hunter in the woods today. 

So I think it's only natural for me to plan our family vacations around hiking destinations.

Yes I'm aware it's January, but really is there a better time to plan vacations?  Most of us in the northern tier are stuck indoors most of the day, and I don't think there's a better time to browse maps and websites for places to camp.  Plus, if you find yourself totally enamored with an area, you can reserve your spot before the seasonal rush, and guarantee your plans.

With that in mind I've been studying a couple spots in the Allegheny National Forest.  My mother's family has owned a cabin near the outskirts of the ANF for almost 50 years.  For the last 2 years this camp has served as a basecamp for my family to explore the ANF.  Our youngest will turn 3 this summer, and our oldest 8, so we finally feel like we are able to effectively wrangle them, in order to do some tent or camper camping.

Since we have already done some regular exploring at Heart's Content Scenic Area we are going to try out the campsite just a few hundred yards down the road.  Heart's Content is one of the largest tracks of virgin timber east of the Mississippi.  It has never been cut, and therefore the forest exists in its pure natural state.  White pines grow to enormous proportions, until they are toppled in a wind storm.  The ground consumes the fallen timber and the opening in the canopy releases long dormant seeds from the ground.  It's an amazing place.

The campsite butts up against the Hickory Creek Wilderness Area.  The Hickory Creek area was one of the first area protected under the Wilderness Act of 1964.  Howard Zahniser, the author and champion of the Wilderness Act wrote: 

“A wilderness, in contrast with those areas where man and his own works dominate the landscape, is hereby recognized as an area where the earth and community of life are untrammeled by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remain.”

Heart's Content campground can access the Hickory Creek trail, which links through the woods to the Wheeler trail, which will arrive at Heart's Content interpretive trail.  The next length of the Wheeler trail wraps below the campground and with a little off trail brush busting we should be able to arrive at our campsite.

Later in the summer we'll travel to the northern arm of the Kinzua Reservoir.  Last summer we rented a cabin for one night at Willowbay Campground, which is the only Federally controlled campground with cabins to rent.  All other campgrounds with cabins are privately owned.  This was a really nice stay where shortly after unpacking we were visited by a flock of turkey including young of the year.  And the view was just phenomenal looking out over the reservoir.

While finding our way to Willowbay we came across another ANF campground called Tracy's Ridge.  Since there were no cabins there, we didn't stay, but the brochure showed us the extensive trail system.  There's the Land of Many Uses interpretive trail, which links to both the Tracy ridge trail and the Johnnycake trail.  Both of those trails link up to a length of the North Country Scenic trail.

The North Country Scenic trail will someday be the longest footpath in North America stretching 4600 miles from upper New York to North Dakota.  Of that proposed route, 2100 miles have been certified, with some of the most well developed portions of the path being in Pennsylvania.  We explored a couple trailheads last year, and I'd be lying to say I'm not just a little bit obsessed with this trail.  Judging from the map I believe a through hike of the PA portion would be possible in under 4 days, but for a distance of that size I wouldn't want to push too tight of a schedule. 

So much land to explore, makes surfing the internet in January so exciting.

Happy Exploring
Scott M

Falling Snow

Have you ever just sat back and watched it snow?

Ever been lucky enough to be sitting in the woods when a snow storm blows in?

While driving in snow and ice can be scary for many of us, there is still a great deal of beauty in falling snow.

Several years ago I had picked up a Migratory Bird license so that I could hunt ducks and geese.  Well I didn't have idea 1 about doing that, but I ventured out none-the-less.  During a late season hunt I found myself tucked back into some pines.  I had given up on seeing a goose at least an hour ago, and I was content to sit back and enjoy watching the world turn.  Without noticing the once grey sky had darkened, and the view gentle snow flakes had turned into a full on Lake Effect event.  If you didn't grow up on the Great Lakes, you've never had the pleasure of witnessing a Lake Effect snow event.  When cold air sweeps out of Canada and hits unfrozen lake water the cold air sucks up moisture like a vacuum.  Once the air hits the colder land and begins to lift to get out of the Great Lakes basin, the air has to lose that moisture.  This interaction of land, air, and water leads to amazing snow falls.  12-18 inches in 24 hours, and locally even more than that. 

So here I was tucked back in the pines and the snow had created a sheet of white.  Visibility was down to under 50 feet.  The trail I had followed in was long gone, and my foot prints had vanished.  I could barely make out the shore of the pond I had been watching, and hoping for some kindly Canadian Geese to take up residence on, in order to save my season.

Having grown up on the shores of Lake Erie, I realized there was simply no reason to panic.  It was January and this was bound to happen.  However, I also realized that these events, don't end quickly.  So I tucked back in, checked my bag for a snack, and looked at my water bottle. 

There was no rush to leave, but there was no hope in this blowing over.  I buckled down my bag, and my gun.  I made sure my gear was tucked in and accounted for. I stepped out into the whiteout and made my way from landmark to landmark.  Quickly I became acutely aware that I was the only living creature moving at this time.  Every other animal had already dug in to weather the storm.  It took me the better part of an hour to make it back, but I made it to my truck.  I shook the snow off, and climbed in, to catch my breath. 

The beauty in that day had stuck with me for more than 10 years.  For a brief time I was in the woods for that storm, and reminded that I'm just another animal making my way in the wilderness.

Happy Exploring
Scott M 

The Winter Solstice

Talking to a friend yesterday I realized I was different than most because I enjoy this time of year.  Mid winter makes some people rather blue.  I on the other hand find it exciting.  This is my New Year! Not really mine, but truly every agrarian/Pre-Christian society around the planet. 

The solstice is the point when the Earth's axis reaches its ultimate lean and in December the North Pole is pointing as far away from the sun as it will for the year.  Leading to short days and long nights.  In fact the further north you travel you eventually reach a point where the landscape has days and days of night.  A pure hell to some, but I'd lie to say I'm not excited to adventure their some day.

The great part about reaching the solstice is just like reaching the peak, or the ultimate point in anything.  Its the finale; The big show; The point we were all waiting for.

Why the perverse obsession with reaching the depth of winter?

Because the daylight gets longer the very next day.

Immediately we're on the upswing, with days getting longer, and nights shorter.  Native peoples around the world would celebrate this time as New Year, because in reality the sun is re-born.  The new sun is staying out longer and longer.  This change brings life back to the earth.  Sacred earth, which yielded all the natives needed to survive.  Grains to grow, and make bread. Animals feeding on new growth, making them fat and delicious to the natives.

So much to celebrate it's no wonder that native cultures made the winter solstice their key celebration of the year.  In fact it's no wonder that all the modern religions have chosen mid winter for some of their largest celebrations.  Wikipedia, lists 27 different religious celebrations occurring in the month of December.  Many are Christian, but Jewish and Muslim faiths are represented as well.

A fascinating time of year, which should be filled with hope and joy for the new year to come.

Happy Exploring
Scott M

Family

 

 

I post about my boys very often. Fact is I love being a father and a husband. I love sharing my knowledge with my boys. So I'm torn and sad today. In a small town in Connecticut, a town most of us have never heard of, a tragedy happened yesterday. 27 people, children and adults both.  Went to school. They should have been safe there. Hundreds of thousands of people did the same thing. Yet these 27 didn't go home last night. In that small town in Connecticut 27 beds went unfilled last night. Hundreds of hearts lost one of their pieces.

 

My Facebook and Twitter feeds were full of people praying, people crying, and people looking for something to point a finger at.

 

The sad fact is there is no one and nothing that will make sense of this act. Its a tragedy in the purest form of the word.

 

So instead of looking for a reason, look to your loved ones, especially the littlest ones around us. Find beauty in their wonder and innocence. Hold them close and listen to their stories. Grieve for the ones we lost, and love the ones we have.

 

Yours
Scott M

2012 Summer Family Camp

I changed phones last night.  A surprisingly painless process because of how I had my previous phone organized.  There is, however, the inevitable searching through files and photos, just to be sure everything made it over.  It all made it, but while I was viewing the photos I came across several photos from last summer's family campouts. 

After spending a weekend in both May and June at my uncle's cabin in Warren Co, near Pittsfield, we made the bold decision to spend 5 nights at the cabin, plus a 6th night at a rental cabin on the Kinzua Reservoir.  Now I say bold decision because we have a 7 year old and a 2 year old.  The 7 year old is relatively self-sufficient, aside from not wanting to hike long distances and being to old to carry.  The 2 year old is, well, a 2 year old and all that entails.  We went for it anyway, and even though I remember some relatively stress-filled points, the good memories are amazing.

There it is.  The iconic symbol of camping. A fire.  Nothing sets my mind at ease like the tasks of collecting wood, and building a proper fire.  I've done it thousands of times, yet I never get tired of it.  We had a fire nearly every night, and for my time and effort, there is nothing more relaxing.

One of the great aspects of my uncles camp is that it serves as a tremendous home base to explore the Allegheny National Forest.  The edge of the forest is a solid 20-30 min drive, and most of the sights are deeper than that, but to sleep in a cabin, for free, I'll put in some windshield time and spend money on other parts of the trip.

Hearts Content Scenic Area Interpretive Trail, is not a long trail.  30 minutes at an easy pace, while answering the 7 year olds continuous questions and carrying the 2 year old on my back.  The joy of Hearts Content is the majestic old pines.  People throw that word around, but this place lives up to the true meaning of majestic.  Hearts Content is 200+ acres of virgin ground.  This land has never had trees harvested.  Enormous white pines reach to the sky, with bases so large that my wife, son, and I could barely hold hands around.  The woods are in a beautiful mature state, meaning that the trees reach enormous size, but also that trees have broken and fallen down, simply dying as a natural part of their life cycle.

The Kinzua Railroad bridge, at one time was the highest and longest railroad bridge in the world in it's hayday.  As you can see in the above photo several of the supporting structures were toppled by a tornado back in 2003.  The cost to reconstruct such a masterpiece would be astronomical, so the decision was made to allow the steel structure to remain in the valley as a display of Mother Nature's awesome power.  While my childhood memories of walking the bridge rails from end to end will never be revisited by my children, I have to admit I love the re-purposing.  The remaining structure has been reinforced and a observation deck has been added at the end with a section of glass floor. 

The first picture doesn't quite do justice to the scale of the remaining bridge section, but in the above picture look at the rails run off into the horizon next to Robert.  The bridge is breathtaking, and truly a must see.

Looking forward into 2013 we have decided to head back to the Allegheny National Forest for more camping with the family.  This time we plan on exploring the lower half and get down  into Elk Country.  PA has done a remarkable job growing the Elk herd, and in towns like Bennezette, there are several spots to explore and see these massive animals.

Happy Exploring
Scott M

Into the woods.

There's just something about being in the woods.  At least for me.  I can't think of any other place or situation where time can be so still, and so vibrant, simultaneously.  Trees are such silent sentries.  Standing watch.  Witnessing reality. 

Whenever I get distracted by the daily drudgery of work, tasks, sleep,  I turn to images like the one above.  This is a sunrise taken during the recent deer season in PA.  It was taken with my cell phone, so please excuse the quality.  I haven't really created a habit of carrying my new camera each time I head out.

There's nothing special really happening in the photo.  No deer or turkey feeding through the shot.  No squirrel leaping from tree to tree.  Yet the photo captures a very real moment.  This is sunrise.  This is reality.  The work we do to earn a living is important, because it provides a living.  Yet it is fleeting.  Whether we build something, or sell something, or take care of someone, it is all temporary.  The woods, a sunrise, they are real.  They have born witness to a hundred centuries, and they will bear witness to a hundred more.  Despite our quixotic attempts to reign in mother nature, to sculpt her to our ideas, she will reclaim all.  There is literally nothing we can do, that mother nature will not undo.  Perhaps the damage seems so severe that to our minuscule perception, the damage lasts forever, but we can't conceptualize forever.  Mother nature can, and she will reclaim all.

Again, another cell phone shot.  This was the slope I sat on for the rifle opener.  What you can't see in this picture is the homestead that existed to the left of the frame.  Walking up to it, there is plainly a hole in the ground surrounded by sandstone blocks that at one time made up a basement.  The driveway up to the house exists, but primarily because a logging operation has used it recently.  Without the large blocks and the trail through the woods, you would never know that was a home. 

I love to picture the area when the house was there.  This was someone's home. Someone LOVED living there.  They built it for themselves and they made it a home.  They had memories of births, and deaths, and holidays.  To this day, their is probably a story passed down through multiple generations about Grandma's house on the hill, near French Creek.  And now mother nature has reclaimed the area. 

I never look at this with any morbid fascination.  More just a reminder of what is real in our lives and what is fleeting.  A way to stimulate my mind to remember and appreciate small things.

Directly behind my position on opeing day of deer season a red fox came in to investigate.

Very difficult to see, but there's a reddish orange figure about halfway up the right side of the picture.  Here's a cropped shot zoomed in to highlight the coloring.

Just a fellow hunter, sharing the woods with me for a brief moment in time.  That's the magic of the woods.  That's when I remember that the woods are alive and full of activity.  That our time is fleeting and it's vital to our existence that we witness the small things.

Happy Exploring
Scott M

Holiday Gift Ideas

December 7th. 

Mathematically 18 days until Christmas.  Plenty of time. Right?  What's your calendar look like for the remainder of the month?  Work Christmas party.  Spouse's Work Christmas party.  Family coming into town early. Your leaving to be out of town for Christmas.  Now what do those 18 days look like? 

They probably look mighty thin, especially if there's an outdoorsman (or woman) on your list.  As outdoors-people go we rank among the hardest to shop for when Christmas roles around.  Why?  Not everyone is into the outdoors, so they don't have any idea of what we use or need out there in the field.  Even if they have an idea, outdoorsman are notorious for just buying what we need when we need it. 

So here's a trick:  Don't try to buy something he doesn't have.  Replace something he already uses.

Let's talk optics.

What most of us know about optics, binoculars specifically, could fit in the palm of our hand.  Hunters included in this discussion.  So let's go with a basic primer on optics and look at some options that won't break your Christmas budge and the outdoorsman in your life won't be scared to lose in the woods.

Unless you're heading out west for a Elk or Antelope hunt you really don't need a big over-powered set of binoculars.

All binoculars have two statistics that you should worry about:  Weight and Objective lens size.

Weight is easy.  Lighter is better.  If it's hanging around my neck, or weighing down my pocket, the lighter the binoculars are the more likely I am to carry them.  Save the full size binoculars for bird watching when you are heading afield with a book and a good pair of binoculars.  Look at the compact models for packing in with the rest of your hunting gear.  The typical hunter is probably carrying between 10-15lbs of gear including the layers of clothes, and whatever lands in their pockets and packs.

Objective lens size.  Okay this is honestly a tougher choice, but in my opinion, boils right down to usability.  When you see a binocular and it's called a "10x25" or "8x42" the second measurement is called the "objective lens."  The objective lens is not the lens near your eye, it's the lens that let's in light.  Therefore the bigger the objective lens the more light that enters the binoculars.  More light, more detail.  However that objective lens can contribute a lot to the overall weight of the binoculars. 

The reality for most hunters east of the Mississippi is we hunt small thick woodlots.  So in this case if you hunt in areas common to Northwest PA you simply don't need a bigger objective lens.  It's not going to help you to see through the thick brush, so unless you really like being able to pick out individual thorns on the brier bushes 50yds away, save the weight and go with a 10x25.

So before you head off to the local sporting goods store, write down these two things:
Compact binoculars, 10x25

I'll let you decide between black and camo!

For more gift ideas check out my gear article in this Sunday's Erie Times-News www.goerie.com on the NWPA Outdoors page.

Happy Hunting
Scott M

Light and Color

Is there really anything else more important when capturing an image with a camera?

Sure you can snap off picture after picture, but will your finished product be something that someone wants to see? 

I grew up around cameras.  My father and two of my uncles all had nice cameras and they have always enjoyed snapping pictures whenever possible.  So naturally when I started writing about the outdoors, I was very aware of the need to invest in a nice camera to capture the places I was talking about.  After messing around with some lower end point and shoot models I recently made the commitment and upgraded to the Olypus E-pm1.  This model falls outside of the DSLR category, and into the newer category of Micro Four Thirds cameras.  Despite the unwieldy name, the camera has been so much fun to shoot with.  I won't pretend to know the ins and outs of the technology, but the goal of the system is to offer both the usability of a camera with interchangeable lenses and the quick handling of a digital point in shoot.  This is accomplished in a more compact body by taking advantage of increases in digital technology.  While playing around the day after I bought the camera I captured this image of a Brown-Eyed Susan in my garden:

Nice color and sharp focus with minimal experience handling the camera. Being digital, it has auto focus features, which can be set to conform to certain styles of shooting. However, the auto features can be shut off allowing the user to play with the image themselves.

A couple weeks after that photo, I capture this one in a corn field near my favorite hunting spot:

Here I really tried to focus on the composition of the photo.  It was setting sun light, so I was able to almost eliminate any shadow on the front and our left of the ear of corn.  The green leaves and stalks created nice contrast, helping the yellow kernels really come to the front of the picture.

Take time to enjoy the details,
Scott M

2nd Week of Deer Camp

It is the 2nd week of Deer Camp. 
Or at least the 2nd week of Pennsylvania's firearm deer season is here, and as the song goes: 

"It's the 2nd week of Deer Camp.  And all the guys are here." 

These days there's probably more fiction in that line than ever before.  As little as 10 years ago I can remember opening day being an event that everyone actually participated in, but this year was a bust.  At least in my little corner of Northwest PA.  While it may sound odd to be nostalgic for the days when you would hear 50+ gun shots before lunch, realize this:  all that activity is why people came out to hunt, and why deer are taken.  Without hunters out there pushing the deer around, the deer can hunker down and simply watch Pennsylvania's orange army stumble around the woods for a day. 

Don't misunderstand me.  I've never been one of the guys that despised the PGC's recent deer management practices.  I've been to the areas in Warren and Forest Counties where hay scented ferns are the last remaining undergrowth for as far as the eye can see.  I've witnessed the return of berry bushes and young oaks and cherries deep in the woods, and I think it's fantastic.  What I've also seen is the deer management practices decimate hunter numbers across the state. 

Where I hunt, along the banks of French Creek, I would estimate half to a third of the hunters that used to hunt that area 15 years ago are hunting that area today. Perhaps their life has taken them down a different road, and hunting no longer holds a place in their hearts.  Or perhaps the perception of over harvest of Does has led to a preponderance of yellow Posted signs.  I'd never advocate purposefully trespassing, but I have on occasion wandered behind those signs.  Even on the opener, and the first Saturday, I didn't bump into  hunters.  If you're not going to hunt the land, why close it to others that would like to hunt the land?

The demographics of the rural landowners has changed.  Perception of hunters has begun to lean to the more negative side.  And a feeling that deer have been over harvested, therefore I must post my land, to protect "my deer," pervades modern thought. 

How is a modern day hunter supposed to adapt to this?

With any luck the modern hunter will also eventually be a landowner.  Maybe not on your own.  Maybe we will hearken back to a more communal ownership models of camps and wooded land.  Where generations of a family, or a collection of friends, pool resources and own their own property for hunting. If this isn't in the cards for you I'd suggest the tried and true method of driving a country road and knocking on doors.  You don't know what you'll find until you ask.  Don't do it the week before the season.  Don't do it dressed in camo, with a gun on your shoulder.  Put in your time in June and July.  Make an introduction.  You may not have success behind each door, but you will build relationships and you will find places where you are welcome to hunt.

Happy Hunting
Scott M

Welcome!

Hello, and Welcome.
My name is Scott Messenger, and I'm a Outdoor Enthusiast, Freelance Writer, and Photographer (among many other things) living in Northwest Pennsylvania.  My family and I, hunt, fish, hike and camp as often as possible exploring the splendor of the great outdoors.  I also write and photograph our adventures, sometimes selling articles to our local newspaper The Erie Times-News (www.goerie.com).  My intention with this blog is to share information about the great outdoors, and to broaden my audience outside of Northwest PA.  I will be uploading photos and links to my articles.  High quality copies of my photos will be available for sale, please e-mail me for pricing.  As a freelance writer, my skills are also for hire.  I've written about hunting, fishing, hiking, camping, and outdoor adventure travel, just to name a few of my most popular topics.  In my 9-5 life I'm a technical writer for GGS Information Services.  So my writing and editing skills are wide and varied.  Please don't hesitate to contact me for a quote on any writing you may need completed.
Thanks and Happy Hunting!
Scott M