Close Calls With Tractor's & Drone's

I was in Scott County, VA, at the Cabin this week, but I wasn't there to mow but to move the tractor so it could be taken to get repaired. 

The old tractor in the barn has been down well over a year. That Bald-Faced Hornet nest above where we worked on the tractor this time last year. So, the plan was for a guy to come in with a rollback truck and haul it out. Well, the road to the Cabin is a rough one mile, but the barn is even harder to get to even with a 4x4. When the guy got his truck up there, he said he couldn't reach the barn. Getting stuck just before the Cabin might have colored his opinion. So, we would need to get the tractor down from the barn to the truck. We pulled it out with the backhoe enough so gravity could take over and the tractor coasted down to the truck. The tractor needed a pilot, and there was only one person for the job...no literally I was the only person. I wasn't a pilot, I was hoping not to crash it. We did finally get it to the truck, and best of all, no one was harmed.

That was just the first of some close calls as I had one with the drone. I had it up to watch the sunset, but clouds, so I decided to take it over the ridge, which I had done before. However, this time, a warning of a weak signal, and then the screen went to black-and-white. That means I lost contact with the drone...which I thought meant disaster. I will admit I did panic, but it was that which might have saved my drone. While I tried to bring it back, I hit the up button instead. Because of this, the line of sight improved, the screen popped back on, and the drone went into auto-return mode. I was able to reestablish control and landed it safely. 

Buddy Sighting On Mowing Trip To The Cabin

 

Early this week I had to travel to the Cabin in Scott County, Va to do some mowing and I got a surprise...a visit from Buddy the Bear.

This was overnight that had a quick turnaround. I got over just after lunch on Monday and left Tuesday morning. With the new mower, I got that done with no problem. I had to cook dinner and got some drone time. 

Early the next morning I was loading the jeep and I looked down the road and spotted something black it didn't take but a few seconds to realize it was our resident bear, Buddy. I thought I might have caught a glimpse of him while mowing, but this was him right there in the road. I decided to run in and get my camera (you never have it ready when needed), but I thought he probably would head into the woods and I would miss him. But low and behold he was just sauntering down the road. Yelled, "Hey bear" and he stopped and look back. I did it a second time and again the same result. However, on the third he just ignored me and he disappeared down the road. What a way to start the day! 

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It's June & That Means A Trip To The Roans

What has become an annual event in June, I head up to the Roan Highlands to take in the beautiful blooms of the Catawba Rhododendrons.

Head up to Roan Mountain.

It's always a crap shoot of when the blooms will be at peak. I talked more about it here, but the Rhododendrons aren't the only reason to head up to the Gardens and the old Cloudland Hotel site. I last was up here in the white of winter, and either time of the year, it's just a beautiful place. I will just add how much different it is, and it is more than just the lower number of people. It's just so quiet in winter. Oh, and another thing, it was so much hazier (wildfires aren't helping) in summer. Just like back in January, I sent the drone up with a bird's eye view of the Roans. I even flew it over the Highest Shelter on the Appalachian Trail (AT), Roan High Knob. 

(T) Winter & (B) Summer

Winter & Summer at the Roan Rhododendron Gardens.

One more look at the differences between January & this trip.

Looking back at the Cloudland Hotel Site.

Roan Highlands vista & notice the rust-colored roof...Roan High Knob Shelter.

Unlike this past winter, I did head up to the Balds from Carvers Gap. Some new additions on the mountain included first some boot cleaners to help with spreading invasive species. The second was on the summit of Round Bald. Puncheons had been installed on both sides for when it gets sloppy and cut down on wear. At the end of each were information signs with points of interest in Tennessee and North Carolina. 

Carvers Gap

Rhododendrons, AT & the new boot cleaning station.

The trail to Round Bald &...

...new Puncheons & information boards.

Headed through Engine Gap.

On this trip, I went only as far as Jane Bald. At some point, I did a few more "assisted" photographs.

Jane Bald Big Rock Vista

I have a quest at my campsite.

Roan Highlands

Looking into NC.

Jane & Grassy Ridge Balds.

Looking into Tennessee.

Round Bald & Roan High Knob.

Back to Carvers Gap.

To the chagrin of Pete, I decided to camp at the campground at Roan Mountain State Park (RMSP). I have wanted to for some time, and I'm glad I did. It's a really great campground with nice bathrooms and water at my site. I will be staying here again, that you can beat on. 

Campsite #26...

...& the nighttime glow.

It was a pancake mornng.

I wanted to hike on Friday, but it was not too hard. So, it was decided on the Peg Leg Loop Trail. As Pete said, it was a different configuration from when I thought of doing it a few years ago. They had merged the Peg Leg with the Cloudland Trail, so it tripled in size. Still, it was a nice hike and a great way to end two days in the Roans.

(T) The Owls & Snakes of RMSP, (B) Peg Leg Mine Loop hike.

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Two Cabin Trips Rolled Into One

This blog will cover not one but my two most recent trips to the Cabin. The reason is I'm behind on blogs and two to celebrate the end of my mowing migraine. These trips were just under a month apart with the first in mid-May and the other just a little earlier in June. In April I barely got the lawnmower to run, but finished the yard as the belt broke. When May came around we still hadn't gotten a new mower for the Cabin, but the problem with that was the Spring explosion had happened, so we had to piece together that Crappy Craftsman Mower. It mowed most of the yard but finally gave up the fight, this time it was done. So, on the return in June, a wonderful thing happened...we finally got a new mower. Yes, it took some time, but we unloaded the new Husqvarna. I won't get into too much detail, but let's just say it was such a relief to just mow and not have to spend a day working on a mower. Also, I was able to mow the road two the second fence because it really needed it. I also decided to get some miles out of the Worx's batteries I bought I took the overmatched weed eater to the Cabin to always have one here.

Out with the old in with the new.

Of course, I did get a chance to run the drone. I will say it is over at the Cabin that I test new stuff I learn or just try out stuff I might want to work out before doing it somewhere it might be harder to recover the drone if something went wrong. One more thing there were plenty of wildflowers.

(Clockwise) Deptford Pink, Common Milkweed, Butterfly Milkweed, Long-Stalk Crane's-Bill

Young Red-Tailed Hawk

Above the Cabin...

...May...

...(A) June. (BT) May Sunset & (BB) June Sunset.

Weed Eating Is Just One Task (Raking Privy) As Summer Comes To The AT

It's June and that means the thru-hiker bubble has passed, but that doesn't mean an AT (Appalachian Trail) Maintener's job is done. So, over a fortnight ago I headed up to my section of the AT to do some post-thru-hikers, summer maintenance. 

I didn't do an overnight because one of the tasks involved weeding and I had to carry a tool for the job two miles just to reach the start of my section. Well, it turns out that the weedeater I took wasn't close to doing the job. Plus I had three miles to do and that was a little much for just me, so I asked Paul at the Carolina Mountain Club (CMC) for help, so another trip is coming soon. 

Heading to the AT

The difference in the trail...

...in just over a month is amazing!

That did mean I didn't get anything done. I was able to get weed-eating done around Jerry Cabin Shelter and around the water plus the privy. Speaking of the privy I had another job to complete in regards to it and that is raking the privy. Yes, it is how it sounds, you take off the cover closest to the drop zone and then use a long rake to pull the waste into the uncovered section. Yes, it is as disgusting as it sounds. It was like a fudge that smelled terrible and the flies, I have never seen this many and they were all big ones. Once finished then cover with leaves and put the lid back on. I should have raked it in April it's a mistake I won't make again. 

Just some of the work at Jerry Cabin

Because of all the work I did around the shelter I didn't have the time or energy to go the other two miles of the three-mile section. I also had a full bag of trash to haul out. However, on the way back I did get to weed-eat some, mostly just cutting back stinging nettle and poison ivy. While the maintenance work ended when I reached the Round Knob Road Connector, I still had some additional trash duty along the way.  Once back at Round Knob, I sent the drone up for a few shots. It gave me a good look at the smoke from the Canadian Wildfires as it had obscured Greeneville 10 miles away.

Like I said I did get some weed eating done on the way back.

Leaving the AT & heading back I picked up trash on the way back & at Round Knob

(T) The view from February & June... (B) The view of where I was...

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