South West Virginia

[buckeyefarmer]

Hey, keep it down... you don't want to let everyone know...

Next thing you know... people with California license plates will start showing up...

Or Maryland.

 

[Sigarms]

2007 and 2011. Can’t believe it’s been that long ago

You made the hike

 

[buckeyefarmer]

You made the hike

Twice also. 2nd time I found out there’s a road and houses in the back side, could have drove up.

 

[Sigarms]

We keep old school Garmins for the high country. Phone GPS works indefinitely if you have a destination programmed in. God help you if you don't.

I've still have my Delorme Atlas and Gazetter books. Even if they're older, they generally have enough information to get you by. It's also been a cows age since I used a topo map with compass to triangulate my position.

As I've gotten older, I tend to forget that I use to live by the "it's not about the destination, but about the journey" mentality. When we dated, my wife was amazed that I was never afraid of getting lost and admitting that I'm lost, and even asking someone for directions if I have to (now if you're out west, better make certain you have extra gas along with enough rations if you get lost, because there may be no one to ask LOL). Fact is, with work, the family and other obligations, I really don't have time to get lost

 

[RickB]

Kind of related. My grandfather was an advocate of never returning by the same route he took to get somewhere.

 

[Sigarms]

Twice also. 2nd time I found out there’s a road and houses in the back side, could have drove up.

If you never made the trip, Stone Mountain state park is worth the trip IMO.

Stone Mountain State Park: Home | NC State Parks

www.ncparks.gov

 

[Sigarms]

Or Maryland.

Western Maryland gets a very bad rap due to Eastern Maryland

I still think Western Maryland should get annexed by WV and in turn, WV gives up Eastern WV to Maryland or DC.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

If you never made the trip, Stone Mountain state park is worth the trip IMO.

Stone Mountain State Park: Home | NC State Parks

www.ncparks.gov

Thanks, have not been there.
But did camp near Boone once, in a small tent, when the remnants of a hurricane came thru.
Got a little wet.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Western Maryland gets a very bad rap due to Eastern Maryland

I still think Western Maryland should get annexed by WV and in turn, WV gives up Eastern WV to Maryland or DC.

That gets discussed at times, at least the 2 western MD counties getting absorbed into WV. Eastern WV doesn’t want to join MD

In either case, my county wouldn’t, and I don’t see it actually happening. But a nice dream.

 

[Sigarms]

That gets discussed at times, at least the 2 western MD counties getting absorbed into WV. Eastern WV doesn’t want to join MD

I use to live on the Maryland border when I lived in WV, but that town in Maryland I was close to was Friendsville LOL I had a co worker live in Cumberland MD, and I couldn't get over the mentality difference between Western and Eastern Maryland (eastern being east of Hagerstown). Honestly, just seemed like western Marylanders were more like West Virginians in their line of thinking.

The guy who did my stumps last year told me his daughter married and moved to Charles Town WV. He (guy grinding my stumps) didn't think highly of the area and I think I can understand why.

 

[Milo]

At around 5 miles north of Bruceton Mills I'm not far from where you lived then Sigarms.

 

[Sigarms]

At around 5 miles north of Bruceton Mills I'm not far from where you lived then Sigarms.

If they still have that ONE trailer in Bruceton Mills next to the horse pasture, that's were I used to live

Favorite place to live really. Some the East Coast's best whitewater right out the back door.

 

[Milo]

Hmm I'm not sure where the horse pasture is in Bruceton?

You sure got in some nice paddling that day.

We paddle down from Clifton to Bruceton a few times a year, I enjoy just paddling also around the pond on Summer evenings.

This image is from my drone two Summers back.

I get down to your nice neck of the woods a few times a year when I camp where 58 crosses the BRP.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

At around 5 miles north of Bruceton Mills I'm not far from where you lived then Sigarms.

I stop there on occasion. Have eaten at the Mill Place.

Was driving thru friendsville when the big derecho came thru a few years ago that knocked out power all over the east coast.
I got off and parked under the interstate bridge for awhile.

Around 2013 dropped my youngest at scout camp just over the PA line from there, camp heritage. Only summer camp I did not attend with my boys.

 

[Sigarms]

You sure got in some nice paddling that day.

One of the reasons why I moved there.

Many meals at little sandy's.

The irony is after I moved to NC, I spent all of my time in Fayetteville WV.

 

[deezler]

I had to laugh... I texted my buddy from WV who is now living in NC, and told him you couldn't tell the difference if you were driving in WV or rural Vermont....

Thats funny, it does look like vermont (aside from what would be a real lack of snow in mid janurary).

 

[Milo]

I stop there on occasion. Have eaten at the Mill Place......

I'm not sure if the Mill Place is still in operation or not? Directly across is now our own country Walmart (Dollar General). And nearby Haines Meats which is Haines Farms retail outlet. Other than this not much has changed.

 

[Sigarms]

Thats funny, it does look like vermont (aside from what would be a real lack of snow in mid janurary).

Drive on a very rural road in Maine, Vermont, NY, Pa, WV, MD, NC, SC (western SC LOL), TN or Georgia, and I'd wager that if you didn't know what state you're in, you'd have a hard time guessing where you're at, and if you've driven in any of those states on rural roads, you could actually think you were in the state you're familiar with, when in fact you aren't.

When we went up to Vermont as a family and my wife had to work "on site" (she's a local Vermonter), when I got lost on a rural gravel road, I could of swore we could have been in NC and even commented that to the boys.

What I've found is that no matter where you are at, as long as you treat people with respect and kindness, in general, you will get the same in return, even with strangers in a strange place. You can be in some pretty scary places (very long story in WV LOL), but at long as you can admit you were an idiot and ask for forgiveness, you'd be surprised what kind of friends you can make.

Two seasons I've never really experienced down south however are mud season and black fly season