Maple Syrup Cooking Part One....Fail!

Monday, I decided to try and make my first patch of Maple Syrup. Let's just say that it wasn't the most successful...it was actually a fail. Because of the rain on today, I decided to use our NuWave Cooktop. I had used it in the past to finish batches of syrup because I can control the temperature but I had never tried to use it to cook from the start. I had used a wood fire for most of the cooking in the past two years (here & here). Well, that is what I am going back to as the NuWave on high just didn't get hot enough to boil the syrup down fast enough. So, that means Friday I will make a second attempt...with a wood fire.

A Person Can't Live By Meeting Alone At Natural Tunnel

A week ago this past Saturday I attended The Clinch Coalition Board Retreat at Natural Tunnel State Park. Well, the day wasn't just about fighting the good fight it also included hiking. First was a short group hike with TCC members. It was basically the same hike we did last year up to Cove Ridge on the Virginia Birding and Wildlife Trail. It was a good hike and we even still had some snow.

After we finished I still had some hiking because you can't come to Natural Tunnel and not get a look at what was once dubbed "the Eighth Wonder of the World." I went down to the bottom to get an up-close look and then up to Lover's Leap for a bird's eye perspective...truly amazing.

I ended the day with my first visit to the Wilderness Road Blockhouse. The replica blockhouse (built in 2003) was erected at Natural Tunnel to show the building which greeted travelers on the Wilderness Road headed west toward Cumberland Gap. The original one, stood at the East Carter's Valley Section of Scott County, and was built by John Anderson in the late 1770's. The structure is part fort and part rest stop for travelers. The site at Natural Tunnel features, not just the Blockhouse, but also a visitor center (it was closed) and other buildings. The visit to the Blockhouse concluded an excellent day at Natural Tunnel State Park.

How To Make Margarette Falls Better...Snow!

How do you make one of East Tennessee's most beautiful waterfalls even more beautiful? Hike it in the snow and that is what I recently did to Margarette Falls.
Those not new to the blog know that this wasn't my first trip here. I have hiked here on a number of occasions once in summer, but mostly in autumn (it is my annual Halloween Hike). However, this was my first winter hike here and it had the added bonus of snow. Plus, I was the first person on the trail because the only tracks I saw on my trek in were my own...nice! It was a beautiful day at an even more beautiful place.