The fireworks from Varenna's annual Festival of the Lake were in full flow by the time we polished off the last of Chef Dario's pretty impressive peach and caprine-cheese mousse dessert.
We just had time to take a couple of macchiatos out to 7 Park's terrace and enjoy the festival grand finale, surprisingly in view considering Varenna is halfway up Lake Como close to Bellagio and we were at the north end in Colico.
It's a lovely part of Como, far enough away from the crowded tourist haunts to feel you have Italy's signature lake to yourself. The River Adda, Lake Como's main tributary is practically on the doorstep, as is the famed Sentiero Valtellina trail; a 118 kilometre paved pathway leading up towards the river's source near Bormio. Either a wonderful bike ride or for the more adventurous, a very long, but glorious river walk.
Seven Park is sleek and modern, the white decor almost Swiss clinical, which is no bad thing when you consider wellbeing is such an integral part of the hotel's offering. The reception and public areas are minimalist chic with plenty of window space to celebrate the epic landscape and the hotel's two outdoor pools are never more than a few steps away.
All 32 guestrooms are more or less the same; comfortable modern white spaces with a dash of colour contrast in the bed throws and pillows. They all have covered outdoor patio decks with comfortable couches and chairs leading out to a generous lawn. The only real difference is the position; a garden, pool or lake view. My Superior Lake Room was ideal; a corner room with patio doors on each side, panoramic views and almost within touching distance of the Lake Como.
Faced with such a glorious setting, and the spiritual wellbeing of everything Seven (the clue is in the name) , I wanted to make sure my ying and yang were perfectly in tune with my surroundings, so naturally, a visit to the spa and wellness centre was in order. A Turkish bath and sauna and salt chamber sessions were gratefully received, whilst a densely populated list of therapies were available to make my mind and body sparkle. Swathed in a robe on a bed in the relaxation room, I sipped on herbal water and mentally prepared myself for the coming dinner.
The restaurant is the domain of Dario Colombo, a talented young Italian chef who spent more than a few years learning his craft in a Michelin starred kitchen in London. Most of Dario's dishes are driven by produce from local farms and cooperatives so the emphasis is a welcome blend of regional Italian with a modern twist. And a different menu every night.
And it was indeed a memorable culinary journey, from the fennel cream soup starter with curry oil, toasted hazelnuts and fenchelcreme to the mascarpone cheese mousse, green tomato and black olive dessert. And everything else in-between. Four courses and with a choice of three dishes in each, even the trickiest of palates would be satisfied.
Seven Park's beach bar is well-known in Colico as the weekend hang out for the great and good party crowd, mainly because it's about as near as you can get to Lake Como without getting wet. More than enough reason to round off an epic dinner with a cocktail or two.
Seven Park Hotel & Spa is a perfect retreat if you want to escape the Como crowds (although there is a regular ferry service to all the hot spots from Colico) or use it as your luxury base to explore the nearby mountain towns and valleys.
Room rates from €120 half board.
The hotel is owned by Ross and Doriana Wheildon who also own and run Hotel Britannia, a three star historic hotel directly opposite Bellagio in Cadenabbia. Unusually for this region, Hotel Britannia has an all-inclusive tariff and an impressive floating pool directly on Lake Como.
EasyJet operates regular flights to Milan from London Gatwick and it takes around an hour by road to Colico.


Yifat Gat (born in 1969 in Israel) is a painter based in the south of France. Yifat is an unschooling mother to five amazing children. Her main studio practice revolves around canvas, papers and murals. With a background in stage and graphic design, she confronts painting with a tech multi-passionate twist.
Yifat's work has been shown in New York, France, Sweden, the Netherlands, London and Israel.
Born 69 in Israeli, Living and working in the south of France.
2019 'Duo' Atelier Seruse, Marseille.
Solo / 'Big Papers' Campus d'Alzon, Nimes.
Solo / 'Small Papers' Project VENDREDI, Nimes.
Abstract Wall Paintings III #DeStilj100years : Roterdam, Amsterdam, NY, Sydney, Fos.
Les 4 Saisons de l'Art' Château d'Aubais.
'Les unes avec les autres' Galerie du 5e, Marseille.


Miss Hallstead's Campus for Girls Headmistress has grave concerns about Gabriella's conduct. She has been found abusing herself sexually in slay rub elbows with girl's room coupled with in class on multiple occasions, coupled with deemed a general nuisance to slay rub elbows with integrity be proper of slay rub elbows with institution. Gabriella has been sent to slay rub elbows with campus therapist for a final misadventure to rid herself be proper of her wicked coupled with lascivious..


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Israeli attacks News brief Tulkarem
Army invades Tulkarem and surrounds the house of an Intifada activist
Israeli forces are still surrounding the house of Mohammad Al-Zaitawi, a leader with Al-Aqsa Brigades, the armed wing of Fatah after invading the West Bank city of Tulkarem on Thursday morning.
Eyewitnesses reported that troops surrounded the house in the morning and have been calling for Zaitawi to surrender. Until now, Al-Zaitawi has not surrendered and the army has attacked his home from time to time throughout the day, firing live rounds and tear gas. Supporters of the Aqsa Martyrs Brigades in the city have called on the residents of Tulkarem by loudspeaker to take to the streets to protest in front of the Israeli army in order to protect Al-Zaitawi and his family who are trapped inside their home from being killed by the soldiers.
Army invades villages near Hebron and takes three residents
Israel to compensate 11 of 13 Arab residents killed in October 2000

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Pets Put Up For Adoption From Rescue Groups At Whiskers In Wonderland Event
Filed Under:Adoption, Cats, kittens, Petco, Pets, Rabbits, Whiskers In Wonderland
File photo of kittens. (Photo Credit: Susan Richard)
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — More than 300 cats, kittens and rabbits were put up for adoption Sunday from more than 20 rescue groups and shelters, at the Whiskers in Wonderland holiday pet adoption event.
The event, hosted by the Mayor's Alliance for New York City's Animals, was held from noon through 5 p.m. Sunday at five Manhattan Petco stores:
READ MORE: New York Weather: CBS2's 1/20 Thursday Morning Forecast
• Union Square (880 Broadway at 17th Street);
• 86th Street & Lexington Avenue;
• Columbus Square (805 Columbus Avenue at 98th Street);
• Kips Bay (560 Second Avenue at 30th Street);
• 92nd Street & Broadway.
Cats and kittens were available at all sites, but rabbits were only available at Union Square, 86th and Lexington, and Columbus Square.
"We're just really hoping that people come out at this time of year, and bring home a four-footed, furry, family member, because we have a lot of cats most of the time who are looking for great new homes, but particularly because of Sandy," said Jane Hoffman, president of the alliance.
READ MORE: Reaves, Fox Score 2 Each As Rangers Beat Maple Leafs
Hoffman told WCBS 880 many Sandy victims were grateful that the city put on the event.
"Many of the people who were displaced or homes were destroyed by Sandy, unfortunately, had to end up relinquishing their pets," she said, "but at least they had the consolation that their pets were going to groups that would find them great new homes."
Rock & Rawhide was to collect donations of pet toys and clean linens for shelter animals.
MORE NEWS: Nets Hold Off Wizards' Rally, Beat Washington
Please leave your comments below…


The future looks bright, the future looks orange. That's the style mantra from the globe's design gurus for the summer. The once difficult-to-wear shade of tangerine is having its moment.
Everyone from Prada and Fendi to Maxmara and Calvin Klein have sent their models sashaying down the catwalks in a flourish of zesty orange.
'It's not just fashion that's having a Seventies moment this season; our hot house collection interprets this trend in a contemporary way,' says Nick Kaloyirou, joint chief operating officer at Laura Ashley.
The store has translated the look from catwalk to home with its very liveable hortense print, which can be used as a bright statement wallpaper on a feature wall or combined with the Seventies-inspired Colinton chair.
Bhs has pushed the trend into a more futuristic realm with its Tangerine Collection of sculptural furniture, quirky lighting and graphic prints offset with black and white for the perfect twist to monochrome.
We love the funky Spirograph pendant light and the black and orange Scribble floral cushion.
Tangerine suits a contemporary, slick shape in block colour and modern materials.
however, there's a more eclectic vibe, too, where pretty prints and hand-embroidered cushions from the likes of Berry Red and Occa-home are more bohemian.
'Tangerine is a big story coming through for spring and adds a fabulous clash of colour to a room,' says Karon hamilton, owner of Berry Red.


A poster presented at the 2012 Global Pulse Researchers Meeting, Kigali, Rwanda- "Transforming Grain-Legume Systems to Enhance Nutrition and Livelihoods". Abstract: objectives: To disseminate information about improved production and post-harvest technologies and management practices, and to strengthen farmers' capabilities to increase bean marketing. Methodology: Adaptive research and trainings with farmers focus on critical management practices and technologies: site selection, plant and row spacing, weeding, pest management, harvesting, drying, threshing, moisture testing, sorting and seed selection, solarization, and anaerobic storage. We are also strengthening farmer groups' understanding of collective marketing opportunities and implementation of their strategic plans. Methods involve training in business management, group dynamics, and gender equity; exposure visits to NaCRRI farms and marketing and seed producing groups in other districts to share knowledge, skills, and successes; and local community-based production and sale of Quality Seed. Results: We provide technical assistance directly to 50+ farmer groups in which most members are women. They are trained and supported in various aspects of collective marketing of beans. This involved: improving farmers' understanding of market price variation (among traders, markets, and seasons); enhancing their ability to manage harvested grain to obtain increased prices through loss-minimizing storage, negotiation skills, and coordination of collective marketing; and business planning, record keeping, and analysis. Several tons were purchased from project farmers for scaling up. Multiplication gardens and project farmers' field now are seed source for 300 new farmers. A new value chain stakeholder forum is mentored and supported. Significance: More than 550 farmers are using improved varieties, crop management practices and technologies, with potential to benefit many more in future project activities.


The Assembly unanimously passed legislation (S. 2486, Hannon/S. 4274, McDonald) previously passed unanimously by the Senate which would delay implementation of the e-prescribing mandate for one year.
The bill will now be sent to the Governor for his consideration.
Thank you to those who have sent letters and/or have made phone calls to their elected representatives!
JOB WELL DONE! NOW LET'S HOPE THE GOVERNOR WILL SIGN!


PORTS® facilitates safe and efficient movement through U.S. seaports, helping to ensure our nation's economic health and prosperity. Shown here: the Jacksonville PORTS®, the second largest established in the national system, includes 46 operational sensors that cover levels, currents, visibility, salinity, meteorological conditions, and under-bridge clearance. Credit: NOAA.
PORTS® stands for Physical Oceanographic Real Time System.
NOAA PORTS® is an information system that measures and disseminates the oceanographic and meteorological data that mariners need to navigate safely.
Marine navigation safety is a serious issue of national concern. By volume, more than 95 percent of U.S. international trade moves through the nation's ports and harbors, with about 50 percent of those goods being hazardous materials. The potential risks to maritime commerce and the coastal environment are apparent.
PORTS® mitigates those risks by integrating real-time environmental data (water levels, tides, currents, waves, salinity, bridge air gap) and meteorological parameters (winds, atmospheric pressure, air and water temperatures) with forecasts and other geospatial information, and tailoring the output to the needs of local communities.
Through PORTS®, NOAA is responding to one of the nation's most significant challenges – to improve the economic efficiency and competitiveness of U.S. maritime commerce while reducing risks to life, property, and the coastal environment.
NOTE: The first PORTS® was established in Tampa, Florida, in 1991. At present, 25 PORTS® are operating on all three U.S. coasts and in Alaska.


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ASU study says wealthy teens more likely to be addicted to drugs, alcohol
By Kathy Cline
(Public Domain Photos)
PHOENIX — Wealthy teenagers are more likely to be addicted to alcohol and drugs than other children who are less fortunate, an Arizona State University study found.
"What is so worrisome to me is … There is a physical addiction to drugs or alcohol among these youngsters that is 2 to 3 times higher than [nationwide samples]," lead researcher and psychology professor Suniya Luthar said.
The study followed children from ages 18 to 27. To be eligible, their family had to earn more than $167,000 per year and live in a home worth at least $1 million.
Luthar speculated the higher drug and alcohol use stems in part from pressure put on well-off teenagers by parents, most of whom have college degrees, and peers.
"Essentially you have to be the best, or else you're not good enough," she said. "With that pressure comes self-medication … The tremendous pressure these kids say they're under to excel and achieve and accomplish across multiple domains – academic, extra-curricular, and even social."
The study also said drug and alcohol use was higher among wealthy children because parents would look the other way, so long as their child was still performing.
"I must be honest, this sent me into a state of great worry," Luthar said. "What I've been hoping is most of these kids will outgrow this; it's a high-school thing, maybe even a college thing. Down the pike, they'll settle down and grow out of it."
Luthar said it is important parents talk to kids about drug and alcohol use, no matter their income level.
"We do need to acknowledge there is an issue here and we must have open channels of communication with our kids," she said. "If you suspect something's going on, don't be afraid to talk about it. Speak about it with love and with honesty."
Luthar also said waiting until high school to talk to children was far too long.
"By middle school and high school, the horse is already out of the barn. We need to start thinking about this as early as elementary school."
Follow @ClineKathleen
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The Top Five Plotlines For This Year's Winter Olympics
Aiden Mason 5 years ago
The 2018 Winter Olympics will be televised for all the world to see and we're all wondering what to expect. Perhaps you have followed the Olympic Games most of your life or maybe you are a relative newcomer to the myriad of different games that play themselves out on global television. Either way, this year is going to be different from Olympic Games that have been played in the past. In reality, there are many changes that are likely to have a very big impact on the Games themselves. Below are five of the changes that are bound to make things more interesting, whether or not you have a tendency to watch the Olympic Games with any regularity.
1. New sports have been added
Before you get terribly excited, understand that the four new events that are being added to the 2018 Olympic Games are really just offshoots of events that already exist. You might find that you really enjoy some of them and others might be the cure for insomnia. Whatever your opinion might be, you can now watch Big Air Snowboarding as opposed to just watching regular snowboarding, as well as Freestyle Skiing, Mass Start Speed Skating and Mixed Doubles Curling.
2. Russia won't be dominating the Olympics this year
It wasn't all that long ago that Russia made headlines in the news because they had been banned from the 2018 Winter Olympics. This announcement came on the heels of a rather long investigation that centered on the fact that an overwhelming number of Russian athletes were testing positive for doping. In fact, the situation became so severe that those in charge of the Olympic Games made the decision to ban Russia as a country from the Winter Olympics in order to make a point that doping would not be tolerated under any circumstances.
3. There won't be any hockey this year, either
If you have always enjoyed watching your favorite hockey teams duke it out at the Winter Olympics, you are in for a big disappointment this time around. The last time the Winter Olympics were played, many hockey teams were frustrated by the need to participate because they felt that it completely disrupted their regular season. As such, there won't be any hockey at the Olympic Games this year. This is undoubtedly a big change, but it might be one that fans have to get used to on a permanent basis. Only time will tell.
4. North Korea will be competing
It seems like North Korea is in the news on an almost daily basis, especially given the relationship between North Korea and the United States. With all that being said, North Korea has announced that it will be sending its athletes to compete in the 2018 Winter Olympics. This announcement made waves because for a long time, there was serious doubt that anyone from the country would be allowed to compete in any capacity.
5. Transgender athletes will be allowed to Showcase their talents
This will be the first year that the Olympic Games has allowed transgender athletes to compete. This is a big step forward, not only for competition athletes, but for everyone that identifies as transgender. It represents getting one more step closer to true equality for everyone, not just the people that fit into someone else's tidy little box.
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2011 f1 cars articles archive
Pre-season technical review
2011 F1 season preview
8th March 2011, 12:45 | Written by John Beamer
Guest writer John Beamer reviews the innovations on the 2011 F1 cars revealed so far.
Williams FW33 livery revealed
2011 F1 cars
24th February 2011, 11:20 15th March 2011, 8:36 | Written by Keith Collantine
Williams have revealed the definitive livery of their 2011 F1 car.
Which is the best-looking F1 car of 2011?
Debates and polls
9th February 2011, 7:56 14th February 2011, 12:36 | Written by Keith Collantine
Who has the best-looking car on the grid this year? Compare them and cast your vote below.
Force India VJM04 – first pictures
8th February 2011, 14:02 3rd February 2021, 16:19 | Written by Keith Collantine
Force India have revealed the first images of their 2011 F1 car, the VJM04.
HRT F111 launch – first pictures
8th February 2011, 8:11 3rd February 2021, 16:19 | Written by Keith Collantine
HRT have revealed the first pictures of their 2011 F1 car, the F111.
Virgin MVR-02 launch – first pictures
Virgin have launched their 2011 F1 car, the MVR-02.
McLaren MP4-26 launch – first pictures
McLaren have launched their 2011 F1 car at the Potsdamer Platz in Berlin. Here are the first pictures of the car.
Toro Rosso STR6 launch – first pictures
1st February 2011, 8:45 18th February 2016, 15:34 | Written by Keith Collantine
The Toro Rosso STR6 has been launched in Valencia.
First pictures: Williams FW33 revealed
1st February 2011, 8:42 1st February 2019, 12:14 | Written by Keith Collantine
The Williams FW33 pictured on-track in Valencia in an interim livery.
Mercedes W02 launched: first pictures
1st February 2011, 8:26 1st February 2021, 8:50 | Written by Keith Collantine
Mercedes have launched their 2011 F1 car in Valencia. Here are the first pictures of the W02.
Red Bull RB7 launch: First pictures
Red Bull have launched their RB7 in Valencia.
Renault R31 launch – first pictures
31st January 2011, 11:39 29th December 2020, 17:04 | Written by Keith Collantine
First pictures of the Renault R31 at its launch in Valencia.
Sauber C30 launch – first pictures
31st January 2011, 10:10 18th February 2016, 15:35 | Written by Keith Collantine
Sauber have launched their 2011 F1 car, the C30, in Valencia.
Lotus T128 launch – first pictures
31st January 2011, 5:10 31st January 2021, 10:07 | Written by Keith Collantine
Lotus have revealed pictures of their 2011 F1 car, the T128.
Mercedes W02 rendering revealed
30th January 2011, 20:47 2nd February 2011, 22:27 | Written by Keith Collantine
Mercedes have published a rendering of their new 2011 F1 car, the W02.
2011 Ferrari F150 and 2010 Ferrari F10 side-by-side
Last year's Ferrari won five races and nearly took the title. How does the new F150 compare?
Ferrari F150 launch – first pictures and video
28th January 2011, 9:36 29th December 2020, 17:02 | Written by Keith Collantine
Pictures and video from the launch of Ferrari's 2011 F1 car, the F150.


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Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Hike
July 11, 2019 / jim fetig	/ 10 Comments
C&O Canal National Historic Park, July 7 – 10, 2019 — My Hoodlums trail crew colleague Cindy invited me to join her Allegheny Passage hike after her first partner was felled by a hip injury. We agreed to rendezvous at Paw Paw, WV – around mile 158 where the 3,118 ft. Paw Paw tunnel begins. From there we'd trek to mile zero in Georgetown, D.C. Link to Allegheny Passage Trail info.
When Cindy asked me to join her for the last 160 miles, I thought, How hard could this be? The tow path is flat! Just plant one foot in front of another for 10 days. It would be a snap with campsites every 3 to 10 miles apart, each sporting a Porta Potty, a potable water pump and a picnic table. Pure luxury!
Best of all, like the Laurel Highlands Trail, every mile is marked! Measuring progress by the mile is reassuring. The distance simply melts away. Easy peasy, right? Stay tuned.
The tow path can be a bit muddy in places, but overwhelmingly consists of hard packed gravel. Emphasis on the word hard. It was like walking on unforgiving concrete.
The guide book is written for bikers, not hikers. Hiker guide books have maps of trail towns showing where and the distances to needed business. Whereas a mile is a lot for a hiker to walk to a grocery store, it's nothing for someone on a bicycle. The only clues we had were town name and yes or no for restaurants, grocery and the like.
Accordingly I packed 10 days worth of food. My pack weighed 30 lbs. full up including four lbs. of water in the bladder. That's a lot for summer when I usually schlep something closer to 20 lbs.
The C&O is full of history which has been curated by the National Park Service. We need a funder for a similar initiative on the AT.
National Parks are a good cause, but it may surprise most citizens to learn how much the parks depend on volunteers and donations. Without volunteers and philanthropy our national parks could not continue as we know them. I wore the glove on my left hand to cushion the surgical scars from my hand surgery five weeks ago.
Lock keeper's house. The canal closed in 1924 and it is surprising how much of its infrastructure survives.
There's an old mule barn in the distance. Boat owners usually kept two mules hauling and two resting on the boat while boarding others along the way. The sign says they would often get their animals back skinnier than when they left them because unscrupulous livery stable owners would feed short rations.
Most locks are preserved for appreciation. A few are overgrown and barely visible.
"Please stay off the ruins," the sign says. Of course there was a well-worn pathway to the ruins.
Active train tracks. When George Washington proposed building the canal, he could not have anticipated the invention of the railroad which paralleled the canal route even before the canal was finished. Thereafter, canal boats shipped mostly coal rather than the full range of commerce originally anticipated. Sadly, the C&O was obsolete before it was done.
Some of the old infrastructure is still working. The power plant still generates power.
We saw a couple of friendly black snakes, a few deer, squirrels, turtles and water fowl, but not much else.
Enough of the park. Here's the people story.
After a hot day, the first night we set up at a decent campground. Later a couple on bicycles joined us. Cindy is a hammock hanger. In the absence of trees Cindy pitched it as a bivy.
With T-storms in the overnight forecast, sweat soaked clothes hang in your tent which has places to attach lines for that purpose. The rain and thunder drummed all night long.
Yup. It rained. Everything inside was dry.
Reveille.
Midway through day one, we discovered abandoned bacon and dog food at a campsite. We thought it interesting that the dog food attracted butterflies, but that the bacon was undisturbed. In fact, we saw lots of raccoon tracks in the tow path mud. However, in spite of being in bear country, we saw no bear sign whatsoever. It appeared the camper couldn't start the fire.
In spite of the absence of bear sign, we hung our food anyway.
After a respite from the rain allowed us to pack up in the morning, the skies then opened in offering of a day-long baptism of our march. Note the clothes line behind the picnic table where we hung our stuff out to dry including the plastic ground cloth from Cindy's bivy.
When I pulled off my sopping socks, my feet were wrinkled and white. They'd been aching a bit during the day, but I attributed that to the hard-surface walking. Upon inspection I had developed blisters on the soles of both feet.
This is a first. I haven't had a blister in 30 years! Blisters on the soles of your feet are no joke. By morning my feet were dry and the pain was tolerable, so I changed into dry socks and thought I was good to go.
Trash on this trail proved to be a feature rather than a bug. Bikers are pigs. The park supplies plastic trash bags at each campsite with instructions to pack it out. Of course Leave No Trace educational signage was nowhere to be found. Information on Leave No Trace outdoor ethics at this link.
At noon on day three we stopped for lunch and to change my socks. The heat and humidity induced profuse sweating. To my surprise, my feet we again white and wrinkled with a cottage cheese appearance. The blisters were worse. I was in trouble.
Finding abandoned cheap tents isn't surprising to experienced hikers. My bet is that someone either got soaked in the previous rain or did not want to carry a wet tent.
As the day progressed, the walking grew more painful. I felt like a bird with a broken wing. Fortunately vitamin I (Ibuprofen) took the edge off.
That night we camped at Fort Frederick State Park, the site of a 1756 stone fort from the French and Indian War. Link to Fort Frederick State Park
We discussed my ability to continue. The next day we'd be passing through the town of Williamsport where we planned to grab lunch in what turned out to be a stereotypical dive bar that served a delicious burger. That's where I'd need to decide.
They were rebuilding flood-damaged part of the canal in Williamsport forcing a detour through the town. We had stopped at the campsite closest to town where I inspected my feet. The left was tolerable. The right was a clear no go. If the skin sloughed off, I'd be unable to walk and might require an embarrassing rescue.
As it happens there's a C&O Canal visitor center in Williamsport. That's were I slipped my pack off my shoulder for the final time with only 60 miles on my odometer. I limped inside and called for the hour-long ride home. I must have looked pathetic. The people at the center tried to cheer up a disappointed visitor who had failed his partner.
Cindy's trail name is Song because she sings at any prompt. She's a walking parody of a Hollywood musical. At one point, after reminding me that a mutual friend noted that her hiking partners tend to have bad luck, she launched into Queen's 1980 hit, "Another one bites the dust." Well, as it turned out, that another one was me.
The good news, I'm meeting Cindy and our mutual friend, and her new partner, Janice in Harpers Ferry Saturday morning for breakfast. It's the least I can do.
An Ugly Start to the Summer
May 26, 2019 May 27, 2019 / jim fetig	/ 7 Comments
Appalachian Trail, Maryland and Northern Virginia, May 20-24, 2019 — Usually the trail is an undramatic place. Hikers come and go. Some even dig cat holes to go in.
This week opened uneventfully and hopeful of good times to come. I met the short-season Maryland ridgerunner at the Greenbriar State Park visitor center where the rangers with whom we work have their offices. Bucky was issued his radio, parking permit, apartment key and other such stuff.
Bucky's room. Packs explode when you open them.
We met Mary, his ridgerunner partner, at the apartment. We drove around pointing out landmarks and key areas. Then we adjourned to Dan's Tap House for juicy gourmet burgers before bounding up the mountain to Annapolis Rock where Bucky will spend his first shift as caretaker. Mary will be patrolling in Maryland.
The sundown faded toward black as Bucky and I arrived at Annapolis Rock. As the last of the sunset peepers were sliding down the hill towards home, we stowed our gear and made the rounds. We found only one camper, a thru hiker. He actually properly hung his food bag on the bear pole. Score! After securing the sagging tarp over the picnic table, we called it a day and dove head first into our respective dream worlds.
We woke to the thunderous snoring of Jake brakes and the throbbing pulse of commerce rushing along I-70. The interstate is invisible from the view point, tucked in behind a low ridge. When the wind is quiet, its presence is as undeniable as is the drag strip across the valley.
With the crack of dawn piercing the tent walls, we raked the sand out of our eyes and adjourned to the ridgerunner office/picnic table for breakfast. Two packs of instant oatmeal and a Jet Boil coffee later, it was time to inspect the rock.
Following orientation, we hiked to the Pogo campsite about two miles up the trail. First we stopped at the Black Rock overlook and scoured the area for trash.
The desecration of Black Rock and other places is a pastime for local high school kids. I'm certain Shawna wasn't present when the perp misogynistically memorialized his conquest.
The good news is that it didn't last long. Mary followed up the next day with a bottle of Elephant Snot and a scrub brush. Bingo. Like it never happened.
We also checked out Fox Gap where a Civil War skirmish was fought. New graffiti topped the old.
Once again, Mary and her trusty Elephant Snot to the rescue. (Learn more about Elephant Snot here.) All in a day's work for a ridgerunner, right?
Now it's time to interrupt this friendly story for a brief trip to the dark side.
This hiking season has already been marred by a tragic event. One hiker was murdered and another maimed and nearly killed when someone who was deranged stabbed them. Click here for details: (How safe is the Appalachian Trail).
The AT attracts 3 million visitors annually. They represent a cross section of society with all that entails. Normally hikers are pretty mellow, but this tragedy elevated concern within the hiking community, especially for unbalanced and misogynistic behavior which was reportedly exhibited by the accused killer.
Earlier in the day, a hiker complained to us about another hiker variously called "Yogi Beer," "Renegade," or "Air Quotes." Bad actors often change their trail names to avoid authorities. Judging from reports of his behavior, Yogi Beer appears to be a raging alcoholic and possibly bipolar. He had been aggressively harassing women.
With this in mind, Bucky and I were enjoying the brilliant weather while hiking to the trailhead — Bucky to pick up a bale of wood chips for the Annapolis Rock composting privies and me to my car so I could meet the Northern Virginia ridgerunner for his orientation hike the next day.
Three hikers stopped us to complain about a guy called, you guessed it: Yogi Beer. They had first-hand knowledge. One of them had been concerned enough to snap Yogi Beer's photo. We immediately filed an incident report and shared the photo with law enforcement rangers, trail officials and the other ridgerunners. (Details not shared here to protect the innocent because some of it may be hearsay.) With that, we thought we were done with the dark side.
In the interest of chronology, let's put the dark side on hold for a minute because we're not done. It will be right back after a bit more of our friendly story.
Each of our ridgerunners is an expert backpacker. Occasionally a resume stands out. Witt has thru-hiked the triple crown – Appalachian Trail, Continental Divide Trail and Pacific Crest Trail. He also as held the FKT (fastest known time) for the Arizona Trail and is the FKT holder in Maine's 100-mile Wilderness. ( Info on the National Scenic Trails System)
Unfortunately for Witt, ridgerunners are more commonly evaluated by the number of contacts they make and the amount of trash they pick up. That's slow going for a guy who's used to moving in the fast lane.
Along the way we noticed an unusual arrow made of sticks pointing to a path in the woods.
Somebody wants us to follow the yellow brick road, right? Naturally we did.
About 100 yards in we discovered a sign for a hiker hostel. Unfortunately it's on National Park Service land, about 20 feet inside the boundary according to the marked trees. We informed the folks who deal with these issues. The owner only has to move it off park service property and it's good. Commercial ads/promotion isn't allowed on federal land.
Stacking rocks has been a thing for awhile. Cairns and rock art are inconsistent with Leave No Trace principles. In short: Leave only foot prints (not rock stacks, painted rocks or graffiti) and take only photos (not flowers, feathers and antlers). Leave those for others to see.
Boom. The rocks were widely scattered.
We hiked 12 miles. The trash collected was moderate. Best highlight: We opened the tool cache at David Lessor shelter. We immediately noticed a field mouse. A second later a juvenile Black Snake became obvious. We left mother nature to her business. If they could get in, they could get out.
Now we'll return to the dark side. When we left we were dealing with Yogi Beer.
Turns out Witt and I may have passed a hiker who turned up in an incident report for threats and sexual harassment. His photo was familiar. Not long after learning that, a report came in about an abusive hiker at a nearby hostel.
Believe me. This volume is highly unusual. Unfortunately, there's more!
So, there I was at home in my favorite chair, quietly sipping coffee while reading the New York Times early Saturday morning. The phone rings. It's Mary at the Ed Garvey shelter in Maryland.
She's found a mess. The guy in the tent won't get up. He doesn't appear to be under the influence. She wants to educate him to pack out his trash, not to mention properly hanging his food and not to make the mess in the first place.
Raw chicken is in the mix. This could attract animals including bears. Then we're dealing with a different problem.
Since the camper rolled over and would not get up, she moved a distance away to observe, radioed the Maryland Park Service and waited for the ranger. Before the ranger could arrive, the guy packed up and left. She cleaned up the area.
Enough already? Damn right!
Of note. Sexual harassment on the trail isn't a universal experience, but its frequency is way too high. Sometimes it's subtle as when one of our women ridgerunners quipped that all she needed was another septuagenarian man-splaining how she should hike. Other times males go out of their way to tell women they don't belong on the trail alone or they aren't strong enough to hike long distances. Sometimes it's much more sexually suggestive or worse as when someone attempted to rape a hiker I know.
This is shameful. Men need to step up and stop this behavior. We need to own it and step in when we see or hear it.
Incident Reporting: http://appalachiantrail.org/home/explore-the-trail/report-an-incident?fbclid=IwAR2dlPHezWWPQy17qyRHUBqR21UWz-GyyrA7xtHD9FgXgZmrtxGLhZ7l73U
The 2019 Ridgerunner Season Begins
April 16, 2019 April 17, 2019 / jim fetig	/ 6 Comments
Sabine and Mary at Annapolis Rock, Maryland with Greenbriar Lake in background.
Appalachian Trail, Maryland and Shenandoah National Park, April 1 – 14, 2019 — Dawn cracked to reveal a chilly drizzle like the warmth a Sunday school teacher might project showing a little leg through clouds of petticoats. Right place. Wrong idea. Can't see that much, so up the mountain we marched.
Mary is a veteran ridgerunner some readers will recall from last year's blog entries about her service in Shenandoah. This season her Maryland tour is seven-months long. She will be reinforced by another ridgerunner from Memorial Day to Labor Day. She started on the auspicious First of April. No joke.
Sabine will be in Shenandoah National Park through early September. She arrived a tad early to observe and get to know Mary before launching her own long march toward autumn on her 102 miles of the AT she'll be patrolling some 55 miles southward.
Earlier Mary had kicked down winter's door, Hoovering up the off-season detritus like a caretaker opening a musty summer house long dormant. That's bags of trash to the uninitiated.
On her first morning sweep of the Pine Knob shelter she found two backpacks apparently abandoned on the floor. No note. That's more common than one may imagine. People get tired, wet, quit, and abandon their gear all the time. Regardless, they were available for animals to rummage. She decided to wait and see.
On her evening swing they were still there, so she packed them out tandem style to the Greenbriar State Park visitor center.
The knuckleheads called the park looking for them late in the evening. They'd been day hiking from the Pennsylvania border. Unfortunately the packs weren't available til morning. Sorry guys.
Off we marched to begin patrolling the area between Annapolis Rock and the Pogo campsite. Trash picking was easy.
Pogo, where a tree fell atop one of the iconic fire pits.
Ridgerunning is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're going to find – tent poles, plastic container and a rubber band slingshot.
Painted rocks have become a trend in the hiking world. We found one at Black Rock that seems to advertise a lake front development in Maryland. There will be follow up with the developer.
Drying out. Caretaker tent graciously donated by REI.
Senseless vandalism.
Photo: Mary Thurman.
Please pad your anchors and save the trees.
Somebody actually tried a bear hang instead of hooking their food bag on one of the tines. This method actually makes it much easier for the bear to get the food. 😦
Sabine's OJT at Annapolis Rock was complete. On to Shenandoah.
Shenandoah day one starts in the backcountry office for orientation, paperwork and equipment issue. Then it's a hike to check the north boundary kiosk.
We made a side trip to hike the cult-like Piney Memorial Trail and paid our respects to the fallen. While there, the ridgerunner janitorial instinct kicked in.
The first overnight is at the luxurious Indian Run Maintenance Hut which is available to the ridgerunners when in the area.
First showdown with a hanging tangle. She drew her clippers faster than Gary Cooper in "High Noon" and cut that sucker down. Note the full trash bag.
Foundation of what was once intended to be a restroom for a "colored" picnic area that never was built.
Taking a break on a handy rock.
Second night at Gravel Spring. Not sure if the tree is apple, cherry or otherwise.
Sabine's trail name is "Foureyes." Not what you'd think for a hiker who's done the Appalachian Trail, the Long Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail while in between earning a PhD in physics.
Some people come to the trail ignorant, thoughtless and unprepared. Yes, it's what it appears to be. Digging cat holes to bury other people's feces is one of the more unappealing aspects of the job. You have to want to protect the trail with all of your heart to do this work.
Third night at Pass Mountain. The tree blew down on a campsite before the camper was there. It was a dark and stormy night. Really!
Watching the hawks atop Mary's Rock on a brilliant day.
Final night. Rock Spring.
Final day. Welcome to Jurassic Park. Come right in. Ummm, I mean Shenandoah National Park … May your hike toward autumn be a pleasant one.
New Ridgerunning Season Coming Soon.
March 12, 2019 March 15, 2019 / jim fetig	/ 8 Comments
Kensington, MD, March 12, 2019 — The snow drops are up! As sure as daylight savings time, snow drops are a natural alarm clock announcing it's time to get ready for a new season on the Appalachian Trail.
Here's the starting line up. Our first Shenandoah National Park Hoodlums trail crew work trip is this weekend. As reported here, there's still plenty of storm damage to clear.
No fooling, our first ridgerunner starts in Maryland April first. The second ridgerunner begins patrolling in Shenandoah on April 8. The remaining four are scheduled for mid-May. Project ahead two weeks and we're there. So, let's get ready to rock and roll!
We've been getting ready for awhile. The budget was submitted last year. The application deadline was January 31. Hiring occurred in February. The last of the supplies and equipment arrived last week.
First to arrive was six Bear Vault BV 450 bear canisters. These are the half-size canisters with a four-day capacity. They are very difficult for a bear to open or break. I'm certain Yogi and Boo Boo hate them, but I can all but guarantee that Mr. Ranger loves them.
Why bear canisters? The number of human-bear encounters is increasing each year. The 2018 reported incidents are at this link: ATC 2018 Bear Incident List
Some of these incidents included stolen food bags and damaged tents. Fortunately there were no injuries though there have been nasty injuries and even a death in previous years.
Bears become food conditioned because careless backpackers, day hikers and others leave food or food trash at or near shelter areas and campsites. Ultimately bears learn to identify shelters, tents and backpacks with food.
Camera studies by the National Park Service and U.S. Forest Service show the first place bears go in camp is the fire pit because people toss food trash thinking it will burn. It does not burn completely so the residue continues to attract bears long after the fire is out.
Once bears associate humans or places where human's congregate with food, the potential for trouble compounds when bears lose their natural fear of people.
Bear canisters make it difficult for a bear to get a food reward. Ridgerunners uniformed presence on the trail affords them visibility. The weight of the example they set by carrying bear canisters complements the educational component of their mission.
We experimented last season by having some of our ridgerunners carry BV 500 canisters loaned to us by the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. They voted unanimously for the smaller version. Comparison of a BV 450 and the larger BV 500 on the right. The stickers help tell them apart. The reflective tape helps find them of an animal decides to bat one around.
Additional equipment includes 12-inch folding saws, clippers, SAM splints, and work gloves. The rope and tarps help cover the caretaker area at Annapolis Rock.
Meanwhile I have recovered from off-season Dupuytren's release surgery. I have two more impacted fingers on my other hand and hope they can wait until September.
Next stop. Setting up the caretaker area at Annapolis Rock. Can't wait.
Hilton Hotels Community Service Project
September 29, 2018 September 29, 2018 / jim fetig	/ 4 Comments
Harpers Ferry, WV. September 28, 2018 — Many corporations have programs which allow employees to perform community service on company time. Younger employees especially like this idea. For them it's a habit. They've been performing community service since they were young students.
Allowing employees to do good in the company name offers excellent brand recognition while employees get to enhance morale, build camaraderie, and recharge their batteries.
Yesterday, as a representative of the PATC Trail Patrol, I led a group from the Hilton Hotel corporate headquarters on the portion of the Appalachian Trail that is co-located on the historic C&O Canal tow path. Though they didn't know it before starting, the volunteers would visit three national parks that day – C&O Canal, the Appalachian Trail and Harpers Ferry National Park.
In ninety short minutes, these volunteers collected approximately 40 gallons of refuse from either side of the tow path and from the canal itself.
Another group covered the six miles on the AT between Gathland State Park and Weverton Cliff parking.
Thank you@hiltonhotels.
Thanks also to my friend Mary Thurman, caretaker at the Blackburn Trail Center. Mary acted as the sweep, ensuring that the entire group arrived together.
Last Ridgerunner Hike of the Season
September 1, 2018 / jim fetig	/ 5 Comments
Appalachian Trail in Maryland, August 24 – 26, 2018 — In spite of the horrible heat, smothering humidity and the drenching rains we've enjoyed all summer, autumn is skulking on the next calendar page and that signals the time when the clock expires for all but one of our ridgerunners.
The last man standing remains on duty in Maryland until Halloween hoarfrost beards the pumpkin patch.
Still, the season's not over until it's over. We made time to celebrate the season's finale with a final jaunt across Maryland's 42 AT miles.
Kiki and I cinched up our hip belts and headed southward from the Mason-Dixon line, to Harpers Ferry. I always forget this route is a little more challenging than hiking the other way around. People say the trail in Maryland isn't rocky. Not so, as my blistered boots will gladly attest. Best of all, hiking southbound front loads the best of the abrasive boulder fields.
Kiki carried a hoe to clear clogged waterbars (drains) on what proved to be a waterlogged trail.
Initially we didn't set a goal for the day because we got a late start which was the result of stashing my car in Harpers Ferry. We decided to see how the day would unfold.
Of note, Maryland is one of the most hiked portions of the AT with millions of people from the greater metro areas between Philadelphia and Washington living within a two-hour drive. Consequently, no dispersed camping is allowed to help protect the environment. To compensate, there are shelters and campgrounds conveniently spaced along the way. We suffered no worries about finding a place to camp.
We made excellent time in spite of finding several gallons of trash. We measure trash by estimated volume rather rather than estimated weight for closer accuracy. Occasionally, we stopped to enjoy the views after breaking up an illegal fire ring or two.
Penultimately we thought we'd drop anchor at Pogo campground. (Yes, it's that "the enemy is us" Pogo.) But, long before we reached Pogo, we remembered Annapolis Rock is just a couple of miles further, and there our colleague Harry would be in residence as caretaker.
At our pace, we'd arrive slightly at the end of evening nautical twilight, but having the company and hanging out at the caretaker's picnic table was worth the energy expenditure.
Caretaker's tent.
As it happened, we literally stumbled in, tripping over stones because we weren't using our headlamps with the intent of pranking Harry. In the gloom, Harry didn't recognize us as we pretended to be thoughtless hikers intent on breaking all the Annapolis Rock rules like building a fire and camping on the overlook. Ya had to have been there to appreciate the dialog before we ended the charade.
Two years ago, in a one in a million tragedy, a dead tree fell and killed a camper at Maryland's Ed Garvey shelter. Since then trees of concern are quickly removed. Recently, we traded safety for aesthetics in the caretaker's area.
Insects had invaded the wounded area and hollowing was present in the trunk.
From Annapolis Rock, a reasonably strong hiker can comfortably reach Harper's Ferry the next day. However there was a risk of arriving too late to catch the shuttle to the National Park Service's remote lot and my car.
So, expecting unusually good weather for this sopping wet year, and therefore a busy Saturday, we decided to hike to the Crampton Gap shelter. That would leave an easy 10 miles for Sunday morning. It proved to be a solid decision when we coached a large group of young men on how to party without ruining the evening for everyone else.
On the way to Crampton, we stopped to inspect and clean up the shelter at Rocky
Run. We found a supermarket bag with a week's worth of hiker food hanging on the bear pole.
Why would someone leave that much food where it was? We checked with some campers. It wasn't theirs. It was there when they came.
The food could have been leftover from an individual hiker or one of the many college freshman orientation groups currently on the trail. It also might have been a misguided attempt by a trail angel. Regardless, it's irresponsible behavior to leave food anywhere in the woods. The good news: Kiki didn't have to buy supplies for his final week on trail.
Speaking of college freshman orientation groups, we met students from Loyola University of Maryland (Baltimore) on the trail and stopped briefly to chat. They seemed like an agreeable group. Only at Ed Garvey, where they'd camped the previous evening, did we discover the present they'd left for us in the privy's wood chip barrel.
Thanks Loyola for more trash then we could pack out. Then we wonder why the number of problem bears is increasing. I'll be sending a letter to the university with an offer of free Leave No Trace education this spring when they train rising seniors to be student leaders.
But, there's more …
Survivalists and preppers are among the many subcultures on the trail. They are sometimes called camosexuals, a label that is a twist on the Hipster lumbersexual subculture. Unfortunately, if everyone strip mined live vegetation like this, the shelter and camping areas would look like moonscapes. This was within sight of the shelter.
This makeshift shelter would have been worthless in wet weather. Moreover, nowhere on the Appalachian trail is this appropriate. If you really want to do this, the national forests and some state forests are happy to oblige.
We found this fire ring and grill half way between Ed Garvey and Harpers Ferry. Not a bad field expedient attempt at making a grill from green wood and wire. Again, fires and dispersed camping are verboten in Maryland. But if you are willing to risk an expensive ticket, why not clean up your mess? Please! Leave No Trace.
PBS Travels with Darley
May 27, 2018 / jim fetig	/ 2 Comments
Shenandoah National Park, Hawksbill Mountain, May 24, 2018 — My friend Karen Lutz is the mid-Atlantic regional director for the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. As such, she's forgotten more about the Appalachian Trail than most people will ever know. That's why she was asked to appear on "Travels with Darley," a travel program that airs nationally on Public Television.
Karen is a bona fide expert. Her resume opens with a 1978 thru hike, especially prominent because so few women thru hiked 40 years ago.
Karen's original hiking boots are enshrined in the Park's Big Meadow visitor center museum. We paid respects at this shrine to (grave of) Karen's youth on our way to lunch.
The day's itinerary was a march to the top of 4,050 foot Hawksbill Mountain, the tallest peak in Shenandoah National Park. It's also the last 4,000 footer headed north on the AT until New Hampshire.
The program's topic was all the wonderful things a tourist can do in and around Culpeper, Virginia. Hiking on the AT is only one of them, and thus only a part of the subject at hand.
Darley and Karen making tracks.
Television production is tedious work. Endless b-roll has to be shot to serve as transitions between topics or video wall paper to cover voice-overs. You can never have enough in the editing process.
Karen and Darley did a lot of marching shots that will be used to stitch together parts of the AT segment.
Lots of starts and stops on the way up.
The folks involved in the shoot were many including Darley and her three person crew, plus writers from the Richmond, Virginia PBS station and representatives from the Culpeper chamber/tourism organization.
Getting ready for the summit interview. They hid Karen's mic in her hat – clever, but a hat is not something Karen normally wears. She'll probably hear from her friends.
During the actual interview, the mob hung out at a nearby outcrop where I busted a guy from Maine whose dogs were off leash. Dogs must be on leash to protect wildlife from harassment, but also to protect the dogs from from the bears, coyotes, raccoons, skunks and snakes who can inflict far worse on the dogs.
Channeling Ansel Adams before heading back to the cars.
It's a wrap. Stay tuned for the air date.
In the National Capitol Region, the program airs on Maryland Public Television and Howard University Public Television.
Trail Magic: Leapfrog Cafe
May 3, 2018 May 4, 2018 / jim fetig	/ 5 Comments
Old Forge Picnic Area, Michaux State Forest, PA, May 2, 2018 — Trail magic in the hiking world is thought of as an unexpected act of kindness, generosity or discovery, or finding exactly what you need most when you least expect it.
Trail magic can make your day or your hike. It can move you to tears, restore your faith in humanity, or stimulate extreme gratitude; sometimes all three.
As you can imagine, hikers love trail magic, but not all of it is welcome. Unattended trail magic can food condition animals and litter the forest with heaps of trash.
This trail magic in Maine attempted to get it right but failed because it was unattended. Animals could easily open these containers or a careless hiker could fail to close them. Moreover, it's personal property left on public lands and helps create expectations of free food for hikers.
Those who bestow trail magic are known as trail angels. Tim Davis is one. That's about an eight-pound omelet he's making for me in that frying pan.
Following a thru hike attempt where his ill-tempered knees failed to cooperate, the generous-hearted electrician wanted to stay involved and turned to cooking which is his second love after hiking. Tim's trail name is Fresh Ground for the beans he ground up and the fresh coffee he brewed with them each morning of his hike.
He invented the Leapfrog Cafe as the means to deliver his love to hikers. He sets up the Leapfrog Cafe for a few days, then moves up the trail to find new hikers.
The Fresh Ground Leapfrog Cafe was a welcome discovery in 2015 when, as a ridgerunner, I splashed out of an icy rain into Gooch Gap, GA. The freshly grilled banana pancakes and steaming coffee were simply divine and exactly what I needed. If I was crying out of thanks, no one could tell if it was rain or tears running down my freezing red cheeks.
Later, I enticed several hikers, who had been dodging the rain for several days at the Gooch Mountain Shelter, to move on with the promise of fresh pancakes and hot coffee at the bottom of the soppy mountain.
Then, it was my duty to discuss Leave No Trace principles with Fresh Ground. For one, he didn't lock up his trash at night in bear country. Since, he's refined his methodology to be truly compliant.
This trip, since the Cafe was only slightly more than an hour away from home, I spent most of the day hanging out at the Cafe. I brought cases of Coke, grape and root beer sodas plus a cash donation as a small payback for the priceless kindness I received not that long ago.
Hand washing station for filthy-handed hikers. The water has bleach in it. He properly disposes of his gray water afterward.
A clean towel covers the picnic table in the food prep area. Sanitation is paramount.
Hiker feeds like this are not allowed to charge money or accept donations. Fresh Ground has a Facebook page and Go Fund Me page for that. Initially he saved and used his own money. Now he does that, but accepts donations, 100 percent of which go towards feeding the hikers.
Stopping at the Leapfrog Cafe can be like a fine dining experience with the owner doing double duty as the server. Pancakes, omelets, hot dogs, taco bowls, fresh fruit, cookies and lemonade are on the menu. He now packs up every night and operates out of picnic and off trail areas.
Even the hikers need photographic souvenirs.
The Fresh Ground Leapfrog Cafe, featuring live entertainment by "Strummy String." He says his instrument is a reformulated mountain dulcimer.
Trail magic is criticized for causing hikers to congregate. But, whenever hikers stop for a bit, there's always an opportunity to talk and sometimes make a difference.
While talking to "Research" who is a psych professor on sabbatical from a college in Macon, GA, I learned she had hiked within a shout of the half-way point and didn't know how to hang her food bag. She thought she couldn't throw the line high enough. "Never fear!" I offered. "There's a way even you can throw like Tom Brady."
After loading a sock with a rock and knotting it to her bear line, Research learned to fling the sock over a tall branch by swinging it underhand.
The next step in the PCT hang is threading the rope through a carabiner, then hoisting the food bag up to the branch level. Here she's tying a clove hitch on a stick that will prevent the bag from sliding back into bear reach. Reverse process to retrieve the food.
Success!!! I love it when someone is excited about learning something new.
Fresh Ground planning his next move while Research destroys a taco bowl.
At dusk, the Leapfrog Cafe disappeared into the sunset headed for its next surprise location. With luck, that will be near you.
May 26, 2017 August 5, 2017 / jim fetig	/ 10 Comments
Left: National patch. Right: Local maintaining club patch.
Scott Farm, PA, May 16 – 23, 2017 — Baseball players go to spring training and so do Appalachian Trail ridgerunners. It's a time to refresh and sharpen needed skills for the upcoming season; and to bond and mesh as a team. It's also fun.
The eleven ridgerunners hired to patrol the mid-Atlantic region gathered for five days of intensive training at the Appalachian Trail Conservancy training center at Scott Farm just outside Carlisle, PA. I was there as the ridgerunner coordinator for the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club (PATC) which employs six of the 11; and to attend the wilderness first aid training to renew my sawyer certification. Following first aid, I helped teach the Leave No Trace instructor course.
The first day opened with a hearty breakfast followed by administrative announcements and an orientation to the trail from a systems perspective. The AT is a lot more complicated than the average hiker can appreciate. The bunkhouse quickly filled up, so the spillover camped on the lawn.
Uniform and equipment issue soon followed. Ridgerunners carry pruning saws to clear minor blowdowns, clippers, first aid kits and wear distinguishing uniforms. The patrol their respective sections for five on and two off; always being present on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, the days of heaviest use.
Household chores – cooking, cleaning, dishes, etc. are divided among and rotated between everybody taking part in training. Readers may remember PJ from the Million Woman March.
Following the administivia, it was time to get down to serious business. Each ridgerunner is certified in wilderness first aid and as a Leave No Trace outdoor ethics instructor.
First aid training comes first. Some seasons the worst thing a ridgerunner sees is a skinned elbow or knee. But, and it's a big BUT, they have to be prepared to manage serious emergencies that arise in the backcountry, hours away from first responders and easy evacuation.
The SOLO Wilderness First Aid course is 16 hours long (two days), and focuses on the basic skills of: Response and Assessment, Musculoskeletal Injuries, Environmental Emergencies, Survival Skills, Soft Tissue Injuries, and Medical Emergencies. The idea is to perform a proper patient assessment, treat common injuries up to and including setting and splinting a compound fracture.
The ridgerunners are trained to determine whether the patient can be safely "walked out" of the back country, or whether an evacuation is necessary. At that point their training allows them to professionally interact with the medical system for the patient's benefit.
Needless to say, the training is realistic.
Lower leg fracture splint using a common sleeping pad as a splint. Students are taught how to employ commonly available gear.
Field expedient traction splint to set a fracture of the femur.
Splinting an open book fracture of the pelvis. The legs are tied together. This is NOT something you want to deal with deep in the woods. These fractures are often accompanied by severe internal bleeding and the need to get the patient to a room with bright lights and stainless steel tables is critical. Unfortunately, this can take hours in most places and days in others.
Love moulage.
Putting a dislocated shoulder back in its socket. If you didn't treat dislocations and fractures, the pain might send a patient into severe shock long before s/he could reach care.
Treating hypothermia (on a hot day). Glad I wasn't the patient.
Eurica! Our friend Denise hiked in right in the middle of training. She's on a LASH – long-ass section hike. What a pleasant suprise.
With first aid out of the way, we turned to Leave No Trace. With an estimated 3 million people using the AT each year, minimizing human impact on the environment is of paramount concern.
The ridgerunners primary duty is not to hike. Rather, it is interacting with the public for the purpose of helping them do as little environmental damage as possible. Leave No Trace
Most Leave No Trace training takes place in the woods. The seven principles Seven Principles
Nobody is going to be perfect, but ignorance is our worst enemy. If we can show a hiker how to improve, that's a victory.
Peeing and pooping in the woods is a subject of endless discussion and immense importance. Not everybody knows how. Ask any ridgerunner. They'll be glad to teach you.
We divided the students into three teams and then determined who dug the best cat hole – width, depth, 200 ft. off trail. Here, Ryan rolled up a Cliff Bar which looks just like shxt. Then he reached in and pinched off a piece and ate it. He actually hooked a couple of folks!
Exercise in choosing durable surfaces.
Learning about shelters.
Unfortunately graffiti begets graffiti.
Most Leave No Trace training takes place on hikes.
Your 2017 mid-Atlantic ridgerunners.
FIRST PATROL
Julie is our newest ridgerunner and the only one with whom I have not hiked. An orientation hike is always beneficial. So, we started by meeting with the rangers of Michaux State Forest and New Caladonia State Park, PA. Her patrol section runs the 62 miles south from Pine Grove Furnace State Park, to the Mason Dixon Line at PennMar Park.
Clipping vegetation encroaching on the trail.
Documenting a blowdown that will require a sawyer to remove. It's waist high.
We stopped to clear a small blowdown and who should show up but my friend Rocky who this year is on his second thru hike.
Checking the trail register at the official half way point.
Hung our food and smellables at the Toms Run shelter.
At the very time Julie and I were at Toms Run, Lauralee Bliss was at the Gravel Spring Hut (shelter) in Shenandoah National Park where a bear destroyed two tents.
The tents have had food in them. Rule number one in bear country. Never put food in your tent and properly store your food and anything that smells such as deodorant, toothpaste, soap, etc.!
Found a hiker just starting his hike from Harpers Ferry. He plans to flip from Maine back to HF and then hike to Georgia. Note the bear bell, large knife and stuffed animal. Bet those are gone soon as he gains confidence.
It was a good week.
Short Part of a Long Journey
April 18, 2017 / jim fetig	/ 7 Comments
Appalachian Trail, New York, April 2017 — Last week I was lucky enough to spend a few days hiking with my delightful friend Robin. She is on a month-long trek to both close an unfinished gap she has between Georgia and Maine; and to get into shape for ridgerunning.
She parked her truck and stashed her extra gear at our house and then together we drove to New York where climbed up to the ridge that hosts the AT at the NJ/NY border on a very warm spring day.
I met Robin, aka Miss America, when I was ridgerunning in Georgia in 2015. The daughter of National Park Service rangers in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, she's a willy woodsman and a strong hiker. She was a ridgerunner in Maryland last year and will serve in Northern Virginia this season. All told, she's a perfect hiking partner.
Speaking of what's hot, I can't remember the last time I hiked in temperatures under 80 degrees F. Last September in Vermont, this March in Georgia and last week in New York it was hotter than Hades. My socks have been so sweat-soaked that they make a squishy sound that squeaks like Crocks on a wet tile floor. Talk about holding your feet to the fire. Enough with the hot weather already!
Fortunately the water sources were plentiful and flowing. In spite of that, I drank four liters of water and still didn't urinate. By the end of my journey, my clothes were so salt encrusted that they could stand by themselves unaided – you know, kind of crunchy like saltine crackers.
New York is the state where the AT angles a hard north eastern turn toward Maine. The trail turns perpendicular to the north-south flowing ridge lines meaning it's all day up and down for the hikers. In other words, PUDS – pointless ups and downs.
Here rebar replaces an aluminum extension ladder that was too easy to steal. Hey, it's New York!
The terrain is ugly for the most part. This is hard work even when heat is turned down.
The gnats had recently hatched. In NY they're a feature, not a bug.
Can you spell rugged?
How 'bout them bears? We properly hung our food every night.
Casualty.
We navigate using a guidebook that lists terrain features, elevation profile, campsites, springs and also has town maps and phone numbers.
Miss America photo bomb!
We were out four days before it was my time to head home for chainsaw recertification, a trip to Annapolis Rocks to bring supplies up to Gene Anderson and the Appalachian Trail Conservancy Flip Flop Festival this weekend where I'm a featured speaker.
We tented rather than sleep in shelters. This is at dawn, packing up before a big rain pending. At first, Robin was worried about wearing a Red Sox cap in Yankee country, but people treated her as a novelty. Not sure most of them had never seen a Sox fan before.
Staying clean in the woods is critical to remaining healthy and avoid gastrointestinal ailments. We were hiking along one afternoon when I got a message from the ATC asking me if I could take a photo of a hiker using soap and water to clean up in the field practicing leave No Trace principles. We magically produced the goods.
Hudson River Valley just south of West Point.
Yes, the trail goes straight up that rock slab.
Earning my trail legs.
Sometimes you get surprised by trail magic. This was just north of the aptly named "agony ridge." The sodas were cold too! As a practice, leaving unattended food, trash and drink along the trail is not a good idea. Too many opportunities to unintentionally feed animals and make a mess. Some call this "trail tragic." We did appreciate it though.
Old sign. Can't wait to rejoin Robin next week. We'll be hiking north until just before ridgerunner training starts in late May. Then my spousal unit will come pick us up. There's no doubt in my mind that Miss America will go far.


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Legwold: Best of the NFL 2007
By Jeff Legwold |
Right from the start, right from the time the New York Jets said the New England Patriots had a guy videotaping their defensive signals in September, the Patriots have been the story of this season.
And Saturday night, they can put the punctuation of punctuations on such things if they become the first team in league history to finish a regular season 16-0 with a win against the New York Giants. That would also give them the inside track to becoming the first team to finish 19-0 after a Super Bowl win.
So, when the trophies, kudos and honors get handed out during the next few weeks, the Patriots will have plenty of names on plenty of lists.
Here"s one man"s ballot, as the regular season draws to a close:
Offensive rookie|
Make a little history in your first lap around the NFL and you"ve done something. And Minnesota running back Adrian Peterson, who leads the NFC in rushing at 1,305 yards with a game to play against the Broncos, has done just that. His 296 yards Nov. 4 against the Chargers is now the league"s single-game rushing record.
It was also the second time this season he topped the 200-yard mark and 46 more yards than any rookie had ever rushed for in a game in NFL history.
Peterson was also named a Pro Bowl starter.
Defensive rookie|
In a draft that was more than a little light on quality inside-linebacker prospects, the 49ers Patrick Willis" name was easily at the top.
And the Butkus Award winner out of Ole Miss has made an almost seamless move to the NFL, starting at inside linebacker in the 49ers" 3-4 defense and leading the team in tackles as a rookie.
While tackles are not an official league statistic, Willis is also considered to be leading the league with 162.
A big-time finisher who had five 15-tackle games in his college career, Willis was named to the Pro Bowl, the only rookie named to the NFC defense.
Defensive Player of the Year|
This is a difficult call.
The Titans" Albert Haynesworth has, at his best, been the most dominant defensive player in the league. But he also missed three games down the stretchwas limited in another.
The Chargers" Antonio Cromartie, with a league-leading 10 interceptions, including three against Peyton Manning is also a contender, but he has started just six games.
So with the idea being to reward those who played the whole way for a team heading to the postseason, the pick here is New England"s do-it-all linebacker, Mike Vrabel, who just earned his first Pro Bowl nod in 11 seasons.
Vrabel is fourth in the AFC in sacks with 11½, has forced five fumbles and can line up almost anywhere on the field. He also has two touchdown catches, the ninth and 10th of his career, showing his versatility.
Offensive Player of the Year|
In less time than it took to type this sentence . . . Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. A three-time Super Bowl winner who has never been the league"s MVP will see that streak end this year when he gets that trophy, too.
Comeback Player of the Year|
The Patriots" Randy Moss, who played through plenty of injuries last season and has bounced back with 21 receiving touchdowns in this one, would be a likely candidate, but there are many in the league — and it"s hard to argue with them — who believe much of his "fall" was self-induced because he was not happy in Oakland.
So the pick is Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who followed a motorcycle accident in 2006 with a 23-interception Super Bowl hangover when he was sacked 46 times and finished with a pedestrian passer rating of 75.4.
This year, Roethlisberger is second in the league in passer rating (104.1), third in touchdown passes (32) and has the Steelers back in the postseason as AFC North champs.
MVP|
Best player on the winningest team with a slew of offensive records in tow . . . its Brady.
Coach of the Year|
Toughest decision of all, especially if the Patriots run the table.
But Bill Belichick"s team, and he"s in charge of all things Patriots, was caught cheating and was sanctioned by the league. That is no small item. Seems that"s worse than losing a game or two.
Green Bay"s Mike McCarthy and Dallas" Wade Phillips, given what they have done as compared with the expectations they came in with, also are candidates.
But the check mark goes next to Indianapolis" Tony Dungy. He has followed a Super Bowl win with a 13-2 mark, the Colts defense is still ranked No. 3 in yards allowed per game — No. 1 against the pass — and the offense is No. 3.
To do all that after a championship with 10 players, including three defensive starters, on injured reserve is remarkable.
Jeff Legwold is a Rocky Mountain News columnist.
Jeff Legwold


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Q: Googletest error. Not able to include : #include < gtest/gtest.h> in VS Code I am working on VS code and I have cloned googletest from Git, I am working on VS code and worked the commands on terminal. I am trying to implement googletest in my test_deque.cc file. My test_deque.cc also includes a deque.h file.
I have combined my test_deque.cc , deque.cc and googletest all in the same folder but I still get an error in my first line of test_deque.cc : Not able to include path #include < gtest/gtest.h>. How can I get rid of this error?
Thanks.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Business leaders and authorities should work together to develop the institutions, laws, laws, and practices that contribute to good public governance and unbiased markets. It's rated a 'B' quality journal in the Australian Business Deans Council (ABDC) Journal High quality Listing 2013. Worthy as these initiatives could also be, in our view, usually this is no less than as much (or more) in regards to the perception than an actual commitment to operating the business ethically. Fostering this sense of loyalty and commitment among employees and agents could also be the best manner through which a business ethics program protects the enterprise from disloyal employees. Whereas there are lots of moral points that come up in negotiation, one issue that has received special attention is bluffing", or deliberately misstating one's bargaining position. Business Ethics refers back to the system of ethical principal applied to business activities.
New focus must be placed to give exposure to companies and organizations which have a history of exhibiting business ethics within the operations. This is exactly why they should examine business ethics in addition to finance, advertising and operations! Provides protection to social teams : Business ethics give protection to completely different social groups reminiscent of consumers, staff, small businessmen, authorities, shareholders, collectors, and so forth. However what the business ethicists might add just isn't only arguments that show why most typical sense judgments are certainly right, but also the instruments by which the morality of recent points may very well be intelligently debated. The Markkula Center contains business ethics as considered one of its areas, as we effectively know.


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Q: Directed Graph Markup Language No Longer Recognized with Visual Studio 2017 After installing Visual Studio 2017, I just noticed that my Directed Graph Markup Language(.dgml) files can no longer be opened in a visual-designer for editing; it only opens to see the internal format of the file. Does anyone know how I can fix this? Is .DGML no longer supported with Visual Studio 2017?
In case some people arent aware of what this is/was, here's a picture:

And here is my .dgml file, which was recognized and loaded in Visual Studio 2015 without a problem.
https://pastebin.com/xaYsiyzm

A: Nevermind, I figured it out. I guess that Visual Studio no longer installs this by default. You have to go in to the Visual Studio Installer->Modify, and tick the box.


What is it ? : Continuing from the last episode, Anakin is still wounded and the Jedi and remaining Clone Troopers are staying with the Lurmen colonists in their village on Maridun. A Separatist ship commanded by a fat Neimoidian (voiced by the always wonderful George Takei) arrives and claims the world under his protection. The droids violently search the village for signs of Republic forces, and Anakin and his team take cover in some long grass.
A probe droid locates the Jedi, but is destroyed, but in the chase they discover the Separatist base where they're testing a new "defoliant" weapon, which basically just burns a large area destroying all plants and animals, but not harming droids.
The Jedi steal a shuttle and some shield generators and defend the village against the Confederation forces including the defoliant weapon. The pacifist Lurmen village leader doesn't want to be involved in the wars at all, and against his wishes the youth of the village including his son, join the battle. Destroying the new weapon, and capturing the leader of the separatist forces.
High Points : The action scenes are well done throughout, and the use of the stolen shield generators is handled skillfully, but the story balances on the idea that the Lurmen colonists don't want to be involved in the war, but are dragged into it. Except, as mentioned in my review of the last episode, they're more than willing to threaten violence, by holding a hostage, and the leader is the only villager who voices their want to avoid violence, even at the cost of all their lives. The other villagers, especially the youth happily join the fight to protect their way of life, making the leader look like a dictator rather than a popular leader.
Low Points : It's all a little bland, the new weapon is just a AAT tank with a bigger gun, George Takei is wasted here, as the Neimoidian he portrays doesn't really do anything much, perhaps he'll return as happily he survives the episode.
The droid raid on the town, which is quite effective in showing how brutal and uncaring the droid occupation force is, is sadly weakened as it shows the Jedi watching, and declaring that they will need to take cover in the long grass over there. The long grass is about 20 feet away, and the simplicity of them hiding robs the scene of any drama.
So what do you really think ? : Another one of those episodes which feels like it's treading on well covered ground, the drama here isn't the invasion, it's the pacifistic Lurmen being drawn into the war, but it's not well handled and the storyline is much weaker for it.
Sadly, almost everything around the storyline is well done, the planet is well realised, the invasion well done, and the tactics and plans all seem well thought out and realistic, but all of that is for naught when the drama of the main storyline is weak and mishandled to this degree.
Final Words : As I've mentioned, most of the story is well done, just not the central theme, and hopefully this is just a blip and they'll realise better stories with the skill they handled this one with.


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OHSU Education Programs Among Nation's Best
For more than a decade, U.S. News and World Report has consistently ranked Oregon Health & Science University's education programs among the best in the nation. And this year is no different, according to the news magazine's America's Best Graduate Schools 2008 edition.
April 02, 2007 Portland, Ore
The news magazine ranks OHSU School of Medicine's primary care program fourth among the 128 medical schools participating in the survey. This is the 12th consecutive year OHSU's primary care program has ranked in the top 3 percent. Rankings are based on peer assessment surveys.
According to the news magazine, the medical school's rural medicine specialty ranks sixth; and its family medicine specialty ranks third, up two spots from last year. OHSU's family medicine specialty has ranked among the top five nationwide for 13 years in a row.
U.S. News and World Report also ranks medical schools based on overall research funding. The OHSU School of Medicine ranks 32nd, tied with Dartmouth Medical School.
In addition, the news magazine ranks nursing school education programs. The OHSU School of Nursing master's program ranks seventh among approximately 350 such programs in the United States. The master's program has earned top rankings since the magazine first began its surveys 16 years ago. The School of Nursing's nurse-midwifery program ranks No. 1 in the nation; its nurse practitioner gerontological/geriatric specialty ranks fifth; and its nurse practitioner family medicine specialty ties for 11th.
The magazine also ranks other health disciplines, including physician assistant master's and doctoral programs. OHSU's Physician Assistant Program ranks ninth, up from 10th in 2005.
The magazine does not rank dental schools; however, the clinical examination scores of OHSU School of Dentistry graduating dental students are consistently among the best in the nation.
Tags Education
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Gibson: Proteas will pick on form first
Hashim Amla and Ottis Gibson
Published on March 18, 2019 | Leave a response
Ottis Gibson says the Proteas would like to look at form first when selecting their World Cup XV.
The debate about the Proteas' World Cup XV continues.
The Proteas have yet to confirm their full list of players, with some places still up for grabs and uncertainty lingering over certain players in the starting XV.
Faf du Plessis said in his press conference on Saturday that the Proteas are 98-99% sure of their World Cup XV, but there will be an opportunity for that 1% to be filled by any player in red-hot form.
ALSO READ: Pick on form, not reputation
Gibson, however, gave us a little more insight into their selection thought process.
'First and foremost, you'd want to pick on form,' said Gibson on Tuesday. 'But if there's no form to go with then you have to look at reputation, I guess.
'That's something we will have to look at. Obviously, with regards to Hash [Hashim Amla], he hasn't played any cricket in a long time because of his family situation, so when we sit down to discuss a team that will certainly be one of the things we will have to consider.'
The T20I series comes after the Proteas dominated Sri Lanka 5-0. This gave the Proteas a strong indication who their XV for the World Cup will be.
Gibson did not, however, rule out the possibility of a fringe player to sneak his way into the selectors' hat.
'Not sure about IPL, but I think in this international T20s you still have an opportunity,' said Gibson.
'We said as a selection panel that we sort of look at it like the Ryder Cup selection where the Ryder Cup captain has a wild card pick.
'So there's still an opportunity for someone who comes in and does something unbelievable in the next couple of games. There is still a chance for selectors to consider that person.'
ALSO READ: PREVIEW: Proteas vs Sri Lanka (1st T20I)
Photo: Isuru Sameera Peiris/AFP/Gallo Images
Posted in Making News, Proteas, T20, Top headlines Tagged odi, Proteas, sri lanka, T20I
Post by Khalid Mohidin
Highlights: England vs New Zealand
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Ricky Ponting talks about taking on the then World No 1 bowler Shaun Pollock.