wednesday
I've been so busy for a few days I didn't have time to look at any of the photos I've taken till this morning.
For our anniversary outing we went to Ridgway, PA on Saturday and then stayed the night in Warren. When we got to Ridgway (kind of a smallish town to the east of us) first we had lunch in Fox's Pizza Den. As we were leaving Dave went over and talked to an old-timer type guy that we had met earlier in the parking lot and asked if he knew of someone who lived in Ridgway named Jim K. Old guy didn't but the waitress was passing by right then and overheard the name. She said Jim is sitting right over there and pointed at a guy in a ball cap. We had been sitting in view of him the whole time. Dave walked over, still not sure it was him because people do change in 30 years. He didn't recognize Dave at first either. Jim was sitting at a big table with about 12 people, his wife beside him. His wife asked me what brings you folks over this way. I said we like to do something special for our anniversary most years and thought we'd hike to see Umbrella Rock this year. She asked when was our anniversary and I said yesterday, June 21, 1986. No kidding! That was their anniversary too (same day and same year) - they were there at the restaurant to celebrate with their family. Seemed like quite a coincidence. Then as we were leaving we passed the waitress on our way out and we told her about it and she asked the date of our anniversary - she says she also was married on that day in that same year! 3 people with the same anniversary accidently discovering each other 38 years later. And none of us would have been aware of it if the waitress hadn't overheard Dave asking the old guy in the first place if he knew a guy named Jim K who lived in that town. It seemed like a good sign of something.
Next we went on our hike to Umbrella Rock. It was around 1 pm and brutally hot that day when we started. Probably not that smart of a time to do our hike but we took lots of water with us. 2 1/2 miles to our destination - a 5 mile walk in all. Most of the walk was on a wide woods road with spots of shade along the way. When a shade spot would come I'd usually stand there for a moment and recover a bit. Dave did a lot better in the heat - he's used to working outside in the summer in his garden. Umbrella Rock was pretty amazing. I took pictures and then reclined on a smooth pile of rocks to recover while Dave explored the area a bit. On the way back to the truck I kept imagining how good a rootbeer float would taste. That's the first thing we went looking for after we got out of the woods. Afterwards we drove up the Warren and got a motel room - took showers and relaxed in our room the rest of the evening.
Sunday we got up early and drove up to Jakes Rocks Overlook. That was cool too. Lots of big rocks with tree roots draped over them and a good view of the Allegheny Reservoir far below. We drove back down the hill/mountain the long way (saw lots of people camping on National Forest land) and got back to Warren before noon. We walked around Betts city park by the river till it started to sprinkle rain and then headed home. We went home by way of the Allegheny River and Tidioute and Tionesta. Driving along we saw a sign saying Tidioute Overlook 1.3 miles to the left and that sounded cool to see. We got to the overlook and it started sprinkling again. There are two overlooks there and we thought maybe we could see the second one before it really started to rain. Not a good plan. We got totally soaked by the time we got back to the truck. In Tionesta we found a place to eat, still in soaking wet clothes. But it was a hot day so it really wasn't bad. And those are the highlights of the anniversary trip...
Monday I hiked with Candy on a trail on the Kennerdell Tract of Clear Creek Forest. We had gone on this particular trail before but in the last couple years since we've been there they have changed the names of certain trails and given up on taking care of a few of the old favorite trails that I was hoping to go on that day (Bear Wallow trail and the Strip Mine trail). We walked on the newly named Fisherman's Cove trail. It was confusing for a while. That trail used to be called something else. Anyway - it was a steep walk from the top down to the river and then back up but the weather had cooled off from the rain the day before and it was a beautiful day to walk in the woods.
Yesterday Jan and I hiked at McKeever. Also a cooler day and super nice to be in the woods with a breeze blowing.
Here's a bunch of pictures from the last 4 days:
Here you can see the back of Umbrella Rock - it's on the far right of the rock formation.
Me posing. Dave didn't want to stand under it. I thought if it killed me at least it would have made a good story.
From some angles it looks like it is connected to the big rock beside it but it really is free standing. Umbrella Rock on the left.
Dave with some other huge rocks in the area.
Looking up at it from the back and below.
This pic is from the Jakes Rocks Overlook near Warren.
Allegheny Reservoir below.
A nice pic of Dave.
These rounded rocks seemed sensuous - playfully grotesque.
This is a pic I took in Betts Park in Warren down by the Allegheny River.
This is approaching the Tidioute Overlook.
Very misty, hazy - you can see the Allegheny River below.
The view from the second Tidioute Overlook looking down on the town. We soon found that that mistiness was rain falling. Right after I took this pic we started to be deluged.
Just a picture of a tree I saw that had been dined on by a sapsucker. I thought it was interesting that sapsucker holes are in such a regular pattern.
Home sweet home again. A picture of our back yard down by the creek. Since the weather had turned cooler on Sunday night I was down there bushwacking on the trails.
At first I thought this was a flower but it's some kind of insect gall. Neat.
From Candy's and my walk on Monday at the Kennerdell Tract. I liked the way the ferns looked here.
A pond on what they are now calling The Stripmine Trail at Kennerdell Tract.
Our destination that day - the Allegheny River and a view of Whitherup Island.
A good place to stop, rest, and head back up the hill from.
This is at McKeever - the first bridge you come to near the parking lot.
I thought this was interesting how both sides of the cut tree were kind of like a matching jelly roll inside.
Today Dave and I plan to go to Meadville and see the movie Thelma. Sounds like it might be good and it'll will be a nice way to spend the afternoon. It's supposed to rain all afternoon.
For our anniversary outing we went to Ridgway, PA on Saturday and then stayed the night in Warren. When we got to Ridgway (kind of a smallish town to the east of us) first we had lunch in Fox's Pizza Den. As we were leaving Dave went over and talked to an old-timer type guy that we had met earlier in the parking lot and asked if he knew of someone who lived in Ridgway named Jim K. Old guy didn't but the waitress was passing by right then and overheard the name. She said Jim is sitting right over there and pointed at a guy in a ball cap. We had been sitting in view of him the whole time. Dave walked over, still not sure it was him because people do change in 30 years. He didn't recognize Dave at first either. Jim was sitting at a big table with about 12 people, his wife beside him. His wife asked me what brings you folks over this way. I said we like to do something special for our anniversary most years and thought we'd hike to see Umbrella Rock this year. She asked when was our anniversary and I said yesterday, June 21, 1986. No kidding! That was their anniversary too (same day and same year) - they were there at the restaurant to celebrate with their family. Seemed like quite a coincidence. Then as we were leaving we passed the waitress on our way out and we told her about it and she asked the date of our anniversary - she says she also was married on that day in that same year! 3 people with the same anniversary accidently discovering each other 38 years later. And none of us would have been aware of it if the waitress hadn't overheard Dave asking the old guy in the first place if he knew a guy named Jim K who lived in that town. It seemed like a good sign of something.
Next we went on our hike to Umbrella Rock. It was around 1 pm and brutally hot that day when we started. Probably not that smart of a time to do our hike but we took lots of water with us. 2 1/2 miles to our destination - a 5 mile walk in all. Most of the walk was on a wide woods road with spots of shade along the way. When a shade spot would come I'd usually stand there for a moment and recover a bit. Dave did a lot better in the heat - he's used to working outside in the summer in his garden. Umbrella Rock was pretty amazing. I took pictures and then reclined on a smooth pile of rocks to recover while Dave explored the area a bit. On the way back to the truck I kept imagining how good a rootbeer float would taste. That's the first thing we went looking for after we got out of the woods. Afterwards we drove up the Warren and got a motel room - took showers and relaxed in our room the rest of the evening.
Sunday we got up early and drove up to Jakes Rocks Overlook. That was cool too. Lots of big rocks with tree roots draped over them and a good view of the Allegheny Reservoir far below. We drove back down the hill/mountain the long way (saw lots of people camping on National Forest land) and got back to Warren before noon. We walked around Betts city park by the river till it started to sprinkle rain and then headed home. We went home by way of the Allegheny River and Tidioute and Tionesta. Driving along we saw a sign saying Tidioute Overlook 1.3 miles to the left and that sounded cool to see. We got to the overlook and it started sprinkling again. There are two overlooks there and we thought maybe we could see the second one before it really started to rain. Not a good plan. We got totally soaked by the time we got back to the truck. In Tionesta we found a place to eat, still in soaking wet clothes. But it was a hot day so it really wasn't bad. And those are the highlights of the anniversary trip...
Monday I hiked with Candy on a trail on the Kennerdell Tract of Clear Creek Forest. We had gone on this particular trail before but in the last couple years since we've been there they have changed the names of certain trails and given up on taking care of a few of the old favorite trails that I was hoping to go on that day (Bear Wallow trail and the Strip Mine trail). We walked on the newly named Fisherman's Cove trail. It was confusing for a while. That trail used to be called something else. Anyway - it was a steep walk from the top down to the river and then back up but the weather had cooled off from the rain the day before and it was a beautiful day to walk in the woods.
Yesterday Jan and I hiked at McKeever. Also a cooler day and super nice to be in the woods with a breeze blowing.
Here's a bunch of pictures from the last 4 days:
Here you can see the back of Umbrella Rock - it's on the far right of the rock formation.
Me posing. Dave didn't want to stand under it. I thought if it killed me at least it would have made a good story.
From some angles it looks like it is connected to the big rock beside it but it really is free standing. Umbrella Rock on the left.
Dave with some other huge rocks in the area.
Looking up at it from the back and below.
This pic is from the Jakes Rocks Overlook near Warren.
Allegheny Reservoir below.
A nice pic of Dave.
These rounded rocks seemed sensuous - playfully grotesque.
This is a pic I took in Betts Park in Warren down by the Allegheny River.
This is approaching the Tidioute Overlook.
Very misty, hazy - you can see the Allegheny River below.
The view from the second Tidioute Overlook looking down on the town. We soon found that that mistiness was rain falling. Right after I took this pic we started to be deluged.
Just a picture of a tree I saw that had been dined on by a sapsucker. I thought it was interesting that sapsucker holes are in such a regular pattern.
Home sweet home again. A picture of our back yard down by the creek. Since the weather had turned cooler on Sunday night I was down there bushwacking on the trails.
At first I thought this was a flower but it's some kind of insect gall. Neat.
From Candy's and my walk on Monday at the Kennerdell Tract. I liked the way the ferns looked here.
A pond on what they are now calling The Stripmine Trail at Kennerdell Tract.
Our destination that day - the Allegheny River and a view of Whitherup Island.
A good place to stop, rest, and head back up the hill from.
This is at McKeever - the first bridge you come to near the parking lot.
I thought this was interesting how both sides of the cut tree were kind of like a matching jelly roll inside.
Today Dave and I plan to go to Meadville and see the movie Thelma. Sounds like it might be good and it'll will be a nice way to spend the afternoon. It's supposed to rain all afternoon.