Wayne National Forest Between Chauncey And Millfield
Map screenshot by Jorma Kaukonen
We are so fortunate for many reasons to live where we do. Our proximity to the Wayne National Forest is one of the many, Out Rt. 13 towards Millfield and Buchtel is the entrance to what is going to be one of the most extensive mountain bike trails this side of the Rockies.
You have to know where to look...
Foto by Jorma Kaukonen
When you take a look at some of these photos taken in what look like overgrown meadows, what you see is reclaimed strip mines. Up here on Rt. 13 and Rt. 278 there are countless abandoned deep pit mines as well as reclaimed strips. The hills, of course, are ancient… the remnants of some of the oldest mountains in the world. Now they are the Appalachian Foothills.
Our pal Guy, Vanessa and our collective daughters.
Foto by Jorma Kaukonen
You will notice how the teenage girls are doing their best to put as much distance between them and their parents as possible. I’m not a mountain biker… I prefer my Greg LeMond Zurich on our nicely maintained Adena-Hockhocking rails to trails bike path. That said, if I didn’t mind falling off occasionally I think I could navigate this part of the trail. As a hiking trail (It’s not open for bikes yet) it’s awesome!
Come back girls!
Foto by Jorma Kaukonen
Since it’s still so early in the year the multifloral rose is still nascent and nothing else has greened out yet. We’re way into the woods and the only sound we hear is the running water of Bailey’s Run. The wildlife quieted down when we entered the woods, but now as it gets used to us, the forest springs to life again.
In this time of babbling politicians I'd rather listen to Baileys Run.
Foto by Jorma Kaukonen
This would be a glorious moment for me at any time but in this moment COVID-19 seems far away. I’ll take the win!
Sure beats waiting in line at the filling station!
Foto by Jorma Kaukonen
The world hasn’t stopped or gone away, but in this moment and in this place, it’s on hold!
That's my girl!
Foto by Jorma Kaukonen
Nice to see Nessa smile like this! She is indeed… my girl.
A culvert from another time
Foto by jorma Kaukonen
Stuff lays around for a long time out her in the country. It’s been a while since they made culverts out of ceramics.
This little pod of outdoor lovers had an awesome three and a half mile hike.
Back to where we started
Foto by Jorma Kaukonen
Thank goodness Tess’ Dad, Guy, is an experienced woodsman. When we came back to the road, I would have bet the farm on going a different direction… and I would have been wrong. Good thing someone knew what they were doing!
Our mighty Jeep awaits paitently
Foto by Jorma Kaukonen
The Jeep was right where we left it… although in a different direction than I would have thought.
What a great interlude!
You know, growing up in Texas, I and my cohorts were taught a year of Texas history in 7th grade. We were taught about our revolutionary heroes, Sam Houston, Stephen F. Austin, Mirabeau B. Lamar (considered our “father of education”, Davy Crockett, and others. We are the only state that relinquished national sovereignty to join the Union. Heady stuff. Texan pride. Today, standardized testing has determined not only Texas history, but all history is relegated to the back bench in favor of more technical disciplines. It is no accident that we now have a governor who yesterday mandated abortion clinics to close because of the pandemic and a Lieutenant Governor who idiotically suggested sick people aren’t as bad as a sick economy. Fuck me. I see the stellar performance of other governors in this crisis and I am saddened that Texas Pride has been relegated to no more than an advertising catch phrase that has no real meaning. Thank you for allowing to vent. If I say it out loud any more, my wife will slap me. And I reckon I’d be deserving. I’ll cry no more, promise.
Yep, I had an old cassette of Yellow Fever on yesterday whilst working on putting a new fish finder on my boat. Some good jams in there. My social distancing time has been spent the last week taking off the old electronics and putting on the new. Almost done!
I read somewhere that Steve Miller owns like 900 guitars. I’m guessing the Kaukonen Kollection isn’t nearly as robust. sometime if you have a chance I think we’d appreciate a virtual tour of some of your favorite instruments. I saw am interview with Billy Gibbons the other day and he described guitar playing as ‘spankin’ the plank’; I had to chuckle. thanks, m
Awesome trip in the woods – I love history so I checked out that park:
https://www.fs.usda.gov/detailfull/wayne/landmanagement/?cid=fsm9_006126
Salt and Coal:
“By the time of the Civil War, Ohio was a leading state in salt production. One of the most successful salt plants was in Pomeroy, Meigs County, which continued to produce salt until the 1970s.” And:
“The worst mine disaster in Ohio occurred just east of Millfield in Athens County November 5, 1930 when an explosion in the mine killed 82 men, including the company president, vice president, chief engineer, mine superintendent and visitors who were inspecting newly installed safety devices. One hundred and nine miners were saved.” Wow –
My brother got out of NYC. Staying w me self quarantining. Plugged my simple Yamaha w a Seymour Duncan pickup into a Roland PA. Played and sang a poignant Death Don’t Have No Mercy. Jorma, taught me a few quintessential licks for that tune, especially the descending bass line bit down to the A-minor and the chromatic peel off on the A and D string E-minor.
I also had to do Genesis. The time has come for us to pause….and think of living as it was. – – -almost all the verses of Genesis can apply what we are going thru.
Great licks Jorma. Your work has helped pass on the Rev’s message, tunes, and melodies well into the 21st century.
Looking forward to Fur Peace opening up again soon. Great times. A very good spirit/spirits there.
There is a strange dark underbelly to this world event. There are machinations in motion for the good and the bad.
Be Not Afraid.
God wins.
My guitar teacher makes his performance coin playing classical guitar, so I hear those nylon strings every week. They ain’t made to produce the kinds of sounds heard in the music I like, but they do make sounds perfectly suited to the music he likes. Keys and notes don’t know the difference between nylon and steel far as teaching is concerned, so it works out.
On Sunday, before frisbee playing time, I wanted something hard & loud to rock out to for inspiration. I looked in my CD box, and grabbed Hoppkorv.
It’s been some time since my last listen. Man that record rocks hard.
That’s power!
Some beautiful woods Jorma. I have a question that may have been asked before but I haven’t seen it here and I don’t recall the book saying anything. Have you always played with steel strings etc. or have you played nylon etc. like on very old acoustic guitars? I find I like the sound of some songs when played with something other than metal strings.
Hey Charles
The classical (nylon string) guitar is a different beast… apples and oranges so to speak. For me the physical dynamic is totally different as well as the artistic options it gives you. When my dad passed in 1997 he left me his nylon string guitar… a Swedish Levin. I occasionally take it out of the case in honor of dad, and then I put it back. The strings on it are probably thirty years old. I love the sound of nylon strings in the right context but I’m not the one to be making the music at this point in my life. Still and all… who knows? Thanks for asking.
Great writing and thoughts. Best wishes for continued good health to you and your family!
It’s good to be living in a small town right now. Nature always reminds us that it is bigger than any of us. Stay safe. See you in August.
Good reads to put this perspective ,Tom ,as a George Harrison fan ,All things must past .
I’ve never seen it performed more beautifully in The concert for George, great tribute .
Good reads ,Barbara Tuchman “A Distant mirror”, it motivated me to read most of her work ,brilliant stuff
Then read ,Wake of the plague “ , by Norman Cantor ,brief ,concise accompanied by some good graphics of the time.Woodcuts from Germany & Brussels .
Brilliant tapestry from Normandy ,Brussels &Aquataine .The tapestry were beautiful ,convention in 1348 suggested that if you hung an object (tapestry ), that you could keep out the bad humors.The weaving trades went wild,and the sheep industry burgeoned as the demand for wool sored.
Opportunity in adversity.
If you’ve been to Sienna ,it’s stuck in1248,never recovered .Florence benefited from Siennas catastrophe after a -100 year city state war.
The Medici ,were given papal dispensation to lend money ,in Florence ,and the wealth catalyzed and commissioned all the great art of the renaissance.
Medichis ,basically bankrolled the Renaissance ,right after the pestilence.
We will survive ,suns imminent.
@Tom NY
As the first hard labour pains begin to contract, already, an awakening has begun and souls are beginning to think again about the purpose of life and their ultimate destination. Already, the Voice of the Good Shepherd, calling to His lost sheep, can be heard in the whirlwind…
Come to Me all you who are weary, and I will give you rest. (cf. Matt 11:28)
Interesting how the noun used can contextually change the meaning of the adjective. Example: babbling brook; babbling politician. Which babble sounds better? I ain’t seen that terra cotta sewer pipe in ages. No point of reference, but it looks like the 4” that was used to connect the house to the main. Can’t hardly beat woods walking. The winter time colors and sounds are muted, but do not detract from the beauty and peace found there. Onward.
@Brian Doyle
What do we say to the folks who say its going to be a landslide and that the Orangeman’s peeps want to protect life in the womb? Let’s protect all environments. Just sayin’…
We need the Sweet Hawaiian Sunshine to blast this virus away.
They are working on the numbers of how many flights and people were prevented from coming in from China from the day, Jan 31, when the planes were stopped…Orange-man took heat for stopping the planes,,,, If he didn’t stop the planes they would be yelling for his Orange head.. Oh mercy.
God bless the President and please wash your hands and Blunt the Peak.
PS Glad you have your toilette paper..I have mine too. You seem to be resourceful, you could probably jerry-rig a bidet if we are approaching tougher times
Let it rain
Let it pour
You ain’t coming in
That door
‘Cause I’ve got those
Social distancing blues
River is deep
River is wide
Gal I love lives on the other side
And I’ve got those
Social distancing blues
I just scored 8 military grade biological filters that are virus-rated for my home improvement respirator mask…The mask went out of production in 2009 so the only reason I found this surplus stock is because no one was buying the filters for an 11 year-outdated mask…I should have breathing peace of mind when I shop for food now (that is if I didn’t already expose myself last Thursday at Costco)…I’m in a good spot having just bulk-ordered a gallon of hand sanitizer from a manufacturer, I’m stocked on toilet paper, and now it looks like I’ll be able to breath easy when I go out looking for food and necessities…
Having volunteered for the Appalachian Trail that communion with nature is what the woods are about…Plus they preserve the last remaining green spaces for species…We live amongst a species that operates at the level of opioid addicts with a president who is decommissioning wild lands in order to turn them over to corporate extraction plunder…When looking at the Google Satellite images of National Forests out west I saw a strange blemish across the vast acreage of our wild lands…I focused in and what the strange rash across the face of wild America was were fracking drilling pads that scared the landscape for its entirety…The strange rash looked just like blemishes from the worst diseases in humans…It is generally the Republicans that are calling for an attack on environmentalism in the US under a goof of a president…These people are doing so right in the face of a biblical-like rise in sea levels…The Appalachian Trail is under the control of government lunatics who see no problem or conflict in developing it and supporting it at the same time…As if the nation’s best historical intellects, who caused those lands to be preserved, were holding them and waiting for an orange-headed clown to develop them…
Thanks for posting! Really! Look forward to it every day. The news media is so busy hyping the situation that any other distraction is such a relief. Getting out for a walk is wonderful! Nature reminds us that everything passes.
Sorry to be back so soon, but I just saw an article reported in the Jerusalem News quoting a doctor in northern Italy saying a decision has been made. Respirators will no longer be made available to people over 60 years old. The first cold equation I’ve seen reported.
@Greg martelli
Do you quantify limited? Or are you using it in a general sense, as versus unlimited? Damned adjectives!
Interesting how the noun used can contextually change the meaning of the adjective. Example: babbling brook; babbling politician. Which babble is better? I ain’t seen terra cotta sewerage pipe in a long time. No point of reference, but it looks like that 4 inch stuff that ran from the house to the main back in the day. Can’t hardly beat woods walking. Wintertime colors and sounds are muted, but it subtracts not one whit from the beauty or peace found there. Onward.
Light of this world
When we spoke at the Lewisburg Va Hilton before Lock-in Wendy and I were riding road bikes to Poplar Forrest Jefferson’s retreat ,it was 16 miles away ,Jormas comment was nice rides ,techy?
I ride 21 miles a day ,you can live a vital life and smoke cannabis in limited amounts .
Live a centered life ,sail close to the wind & choose your poison
It’s fun hanging with this group
So wonderful, tonight, to find your tranquil images, Jorma. Love, good luck and health to you and your loved ones.
Hi I know you are out of work at the moment,and that feelin sucks but look at all you are getting done at home.by the way your mrs. is stunning. nuff said back to my cheap acoustic.
A LeMond Zurich! Nice! Didn’t know you were a human powered vehicle enthusiast as well as gas.
Lucky man
Went to do it in Westchester yesterday and the road was like Woodstock 69. “On way out trooper had blocked the entrance and was telling people stay home and walk around your house!”
Sunshine is waiting for me a little further down da road
Peace Love All Ways