I Don't Really Like To Do These Blogs but LEAVE NO TRACE!!!!

It would be great if I didn't have too, but from time to time I have to vent and right a Leave No Trace (LNT) blog about people littering the trails I hike.

When I go hiking or backpacking picking up trash is not something I look forward too. However, I have learned to carry a trash bag because I always seem to pack some trash out. I am like a "Trash Whisper" I can spot stuff people have tossed aside. Well, on my hike at Margarette Falls I didn't have to use my trash spotting skills as some dopes just tossed a bunch aside at the trailhead (see cover photo). That doesn't mean I didn't find any on the trail I did, but what was left at the trailhead filled up a kitchen trash bag.

Campsite near jones meadow...

...there is the color I found & filled with trash.

The beauty of Bruce Creek Falls...

...& just a sample of what knuckleheads left behind!

It is not the first time I have filled a trash bag or a cooler. The two that come to mind the most, the first was nearby up on Camp Creek Bald at Jones Meadow. I blogged about that in a rant from 2017. The second I filled up a constructor garbage bags (one of the really big ones) at Bruce Creek Falls. Funny thing is I probably could have filled up three. Oh, and Thru-Hiking season on the Appalachian Trail (AT) is just getting started so LNT also applies to you too (AT hikers check out this blog). What is the moral of this story, if you are going to use a trail pack your trash out...humans!

Nothing Says Joy Like Beans All The Way...Welcome Back Bean Barn!

What is the perfect end to a day of hiking to Margarette Falls? A bowl of "Beans All the Way" from the Bean Barn.

I reported last week that the Bean Barn had reopened, so after my hike Wednesday I decided to stop by and pay, one of my favorite restaurants, a visit. As sad as I was to find out, in August, that it closed I was overjoyed when I heard that it had reopened under new ownership. A former customer, Gary Hoese, brought the Bean Barn back from a six-month hiatus in December. So, since I got done with my hike in time I knew I had to go by.

Open!

The outside looks the same, except for a new Bean Barn logo on the door. However, it was a bit different. It is brighter with a new paint job, ceiling and there are new memorabilia on the walls. There are new tables and booths along with some corrugated metal on some walls. Also, the old setting area behind and left of the counter was removed. However, the old menu board is still on the wall. While I loved the old look this is a tasteful updating that still looks like the Bean Barn. 

New logo on the door.

Before...

....now.

Before...

...now.

Before...

...now.

The old menu board is still there.

What hasn't changed is the food. A course on this day I got Bean All the Way that is the signature dish of the Bean Barn. For the uninitiated, that is Soup Beans mixed with Beef Stew, chopped onions and a side of Corn Bread. Yes, it was as good as ever it is love and joy in a bowl! The new owner has kept the menu the same down to keeping the old grill. Next time I am in it will be time for a Hobart (cheeseburger with a slice of country ham). 

Why I came...Beans All the Way.

Wonderful Winter Water At Margarette Falls

When I need a hike that isn't too long but is a lot of bang for the buck...a hike to Margarette Falls.
My latest hike here was on Wednesday. Coming in at three miles, round-trip, the hike itself isn't too long but has elevation and some real rocky spots that give it difficulty. However, the best part is that it ends (unless you go on to Baliey Falls) to this 60-foot beauty. I know I was just here at Thanksgiving, but that doesn't matter.

Today, besides all of the usual spots, like Mid-Point Falls and The Shute I got to hit some new spots. One was a double fall. One was a stepped cascade and the other was a plunge. I am going to call it Double Falls of Dry Creek. I also took pictures of Margarette Falls from a new angle. Oh, and the water flow was great today. So, here is plenty of water because it was a good day for it. Oh, look for the Waterfalls of the Blue Ridge blog on the cascades around the Margarette Falls Trail.

The Rain Relented & Winter Returned In Southwest Virginia

As Pete so eloquently pointed out we came over to the Cabin in Southwest Virginia this weekend. 

I did end up doing some hiking, not just Friday, but Saturday and Sunday. As reported in the blog, Friday was up to Pete's Knob.

Then Saturday it was up to Wood Booger Ridge then out to the other barn. It was a cold start as it was 19 degrees when we headed out. This means I found a lot of Hoar Frost, especially coming back from the other barn. It did start to warm up to around freezing when I finished.

Finally, on Sunday, I went on a short exploratory hike up Bear Hollow to an old road. I had seen it coming back down from Pete's Knob before. I think it will make a quicker (maybe easier) trip up to the Three Sisters.

It wasn't all fun, I had to empty the Maple sap buckets and I had close to five gallons worth. We also made sure the water was doing well and it was. Last, but not least all of the rain meant the road was washed out some. So, I did a little road work on Saturday and I piped a Spring a productive day...