Ridin' Mount Storm

I made dinner in Woodville on Friday evening, which turned out very well. It was handmade ravioli served with beef tenderloin, Brussel sprouts, and assorted mushrooms in a sauce. Bob paired it with a great Chateauneuf du Pape. Stuffed from dinner, Chad and I rolled down to C'ville to hangout with some friends. Good times, well anytime that ends with a Mojo Chicken sandwich from Little Johns is a great time. Saturday I took Humph on some walks before going to the benefit dinner for the renovation of the State Theater in Culpeper. Sunday I met Dad in the morning and we departed on a 300 mile motorcycle trip up and over mountain range after mountain range until got to Mt. Storm. Mt. Storm is a lake way up in West Virginia at about 3,500 feet above sea level. Because of the elevation its pretty windy usually, which explains why they have 132 windmills that generate 264Mw of power for the middle atlantic. Only in West Virginia would they let you ride down a road that weaves in and out of these 200 foot tall green power giants, you can hear the whoosh of the blades as they whiz by your head. It was a good day of riding, lots and lots of fun curves over to many mountains to count. I got back to Rapp just after dark, got din my car and drove back to Winchester. Looking forward to Thanksgiving week!

Bouldering & Pasta

Today Chad and I did a little bouldering near Old Rag and then headed back to WInchester. I made fresh pasta from scratch and after rolling it through the press numerous times laid out the thin sheets and cut rounds for ravioli. The stuffing came from the Inn at Little Washington's cookbook. It was a shallot and balsamic reduction with cheeses and minced country ham. Everything turned out great and I think I only lost one ravioli to the whole process. Tomorrow its a big drive down to Richmond, the weekend has just begun.

Legends of the Fall

Sunday I pulled into the upper lot of Old Rag at five thirty in the morning. It was cold, dark and quiet. My head lamp did little to illuminate that rocky path up the flanks of Shenandoah's trophy peak. The plan was to meet Chad and Jeremy at the summit as they had slept somewhere on the mountain. I reached the summit before sunrise, taking only about one hour to get up the trail, not bad. Of course, Chad and Jeremy were nowhere to be found. It was cold, it was windy. Seeing a headlamp in the distance, I hiked back to the PATC wall (the false summit). There were a few guys down there but not who I was looking for. I went back to the summit and looked around again. Then hiked down to Bird's Nest shelter on the backside of the mountain to see if for some reason they were thinking I was coming up that side. Nothing, so I then trekked back up to the summit. I figured at this point I would just wait up top for a period of time before scrapping the whole endeavor and heading down the mountain. The sun had long been up now, so it was nice to have some rays to take the edge off the cold. After about a half hour I spotted Chad in the distance climbing some boulder on the PATC wall, you could see the haircut a mile away. They had taken their time getting out of bed and making their way up higher. Anyways with that hunt over, we got on to shooting scenes for our film. We ended up getting some good footage in the can and the leaves were great. I hiked down around 11 a.m. past the hundreds of city folk coming up the trail. Back to Millwood, got on my motorcycle and sped off to Winchester.

Arizona Break

Moonlit winds awoke me on top of Arizona in the hours before dawn and clouds. I laid there on the cusp of Humphrey's Peak watching as faint contrails of fog began to shroud the highest of peaks and then swirl, building mass before they were siphoned down into the valley of the rising sun, pierced by it's sapphire rays. I woke Steve, Caro and Pat and we watched the surging wave of clouds vaporize into a sea a golden aspen foothills. Later crouched behind summit boulders, fighting off the freezing cold and screaming wind with thoughts of warm dessert canyons and the clearest of waters pure. We hiked down the flanks and drove to Fossil Creek. The water poured over calcified dams clear as glass with a hue of emerald. We swam and basked in the warm afternoon rays. Steve found a hideaway under a falls that the four of us squeezed into before letting the rushing torrent pull us forth into an oblivion of laughter and white water. An hour drive on a path of gravel and javelina grounds brought us to the highway. That night we swaggered down Prescott's boulevard of whiskey and micro-brews. Morning brought a dash to the edge of the Grand Canyon. Twelve miles down into the gorge of red rocks and dust brought us to the blue waters of the Supai village. Swimming under the crashing liquid thunder quenched our beaten bodies. Hovering above swarms of scorpions we swung to sleep drifting in the moonlit breeze of a Havasu canyon night on our scorpion infested island camp. Waking to the river sounds at first light we jumped over the blue streams and trekked to the lip of Mooney Falls. Down climbed the side of the canyon. We all stood in the face of the pounding relentless torrent of the falls, incapable of sound, sight or breath in the thundering smash of the two hundred foot Juggernaut. Packed up camp and made the twelve mile blister fest hike, escaping the top of the canyon physically destroyed. Dinner on route 66. Drive back to Prescott. Sleep. In the morning I found myself in the backseat of a plane with Steve instructing and deconstructing the pilot on our way over the mountains to Sedona. Breakfast at the Sedona airport was tasty. The flight back was a series of stalls on a full belly; not for the weak stomach. Steve and I went out to the Dells for a cigar. The wind and the blue waters came together to lull a melody I haven't heard whisper in my ears for a decade. It was good to hear.

Into the Sunset

Excited about getting out of Dodge. Thursday morning I'm leaving the ground behind at Dulles and skipping out to Arizona for a spell. Steve and I have got a few things lined up to keep us busy such as but not limited to motorcycles, hiking AZ's highest peak, hot spring rivers, The Grand Canyon, waterfalls, low airplane rides over the desert proper, and so fourth. I'll post the photos when get back!

Walkabout on the Sods

Sunday Chad and I went out to Dolly Sods for a little bouldering, but mostly just a lot of driving and hiking. The leaves are starting to look good up there, next weekend should be peak. Dinner in Davis at Hellbender Burritos was a good way to close the evening out before the long drive back to Winchester. Another beautiful weekend comes to a close. Tired and ready to sleep it off before the work week begins. Just previewed the post, I don't know what google blogger does to photos when you upload them, but they suck the color out right out!!

Rescue on Old Rag

This weekend I took Mom and Karie up Old Rag. The first time Mom has attempted to summit Old Rag from the front, Ridge Trail, in over 15 years. I donned my Old Rag Mountain Steward shirt for the hike incase the crew already in place needed my assistance. Mom did a great job tackling the trail, but just shy of the summit I had to let her and Karie continue on their own. I encountered the rest of the Mountain Steward's near the summit aiding a girl with an injured leg. We secured her into a litter and carried her over the summit and down the backside of the mountain. I departed after an ample and quickly responding team of SNP rangers intercepted us on the trail. Mom and Karie were down the mountain and I had the car keys, so I had to move. See more at the ORMS blog here. If you enjoy hiking Old Rag and would like to volunteer, this is a great program that could use your help!
Sunday was Beth's wedding. A great time in Leesburg, where all the high school friends from yesteryear gathered to celebrate!

View from Above

This Sunday morning I rolled into the lower parking lot of Old Rag on my bike, fresh out of Winchester. Chad pulled up a few minutes later. We got the radio and headed up the mountain to do the Old Rag Mountain Steward thing for the day. Despite the beautiful weather there were surprisingly few people making the trek up the flanks of Shenandoah's best rock scramble. We used the gear at the Bird's Nest cache to practice some anchor building techniques before headed down the trail. Dinner in Woodville was great. Then a nice cool ride back to the Chester on my motorcycle made for a great way to close out the weekend.

Hurricane Run

This Sunday hurricane Bill threw some good waves at the East Coast, so Dad, Chad and I headed down to Virginia Beach. Upon arrival the first thing we heard was, of course, that we should have been here yesterday. The waves were only about chest high with the occasional head high set. That was good for Chad and I, since our skill level is... fun to watch, for all the wrong reasons. Good day on the beach though. Dad caught a lot more waves than us to say the least.

Brothers

Steve, happy birthday Bro! We all gathered at Millwood to celebrate the occasion. Steve has had quite a year, to say the least. This spring was Boot Camp at Fort Jackson, where he excelled to graduate at the top of a class of 1200 soldiers! The pride I experienced as he received his medal at graduation was something I have never felt before. This Fall he is on the flight line teaching the pilots of tomorrow how to do their job. Steve has always worked hard to achieve nothing short of the best. I know that he will be an inspiration to his students this semester before he leaves for OCS in the winter. He has a tough path ahead of him this year, but I know he will, as he always has, overcome any obstacle in his way; while maintaing his values and his passions. Here's to THE BEST brother that I could ever dream of having my back!

August Dreams

This weekend went about as well as weekends could possibly go, I imagine. Friday I bought my first motorcycle, a Triumph Bonneville, pretty sweet retro ride. Its no race winner, but has major style points where it lacks the power I suppose most people want. Thats fine with me, I'm not trying to end up another statistic on Skyline Drive. Friday night we grilled out in Woodville and swam in the pool. Saturday I drove my new wheels down to Dad's Bay house where I met up with Dad, Karie, Matt and Steve. I sailed with Dad in the Hobie Cat, cruising through the surf all the way from the house out and around the Smith Point Lighthouse. Sunday was more beach time at the house, before heading back to Home. A quick stop in Woodville for some dinner and then a cool ride back to Winchester.

South Bound

This past Saturday a bunch a friends gathered for a great send-off party in ode of Pat & Caroline's impending journey. They left today for the American Southwest. After a few months exploring the Southern States they are headed down for a year long journey of backpacking through Central and South America. Hopefully my Bro and I will be meeting up with them in a couple months to scale AZ's highest peak, Humphreys, and then a drop down into the Grand Canyon for a hike to Havasu Falls. Here's to a safe journey!

Floyd Fest Eight

Friday morning I got in the car and made the shot down 81 for Floyd Fest. The festival went great this year, as it has all four years that I've been. The weather wasn't too hot and there was always a breeze to keep you cool. WW&Co really put on three killer shows, fans went through our merch like water and sttod in line for over an hour to get autographs; the band was on cloud nine. There were a lot of other bands that I enjoyed, most notably Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, they really rocked the Parkway. So great time, looking forward to next year!

Capitol City Tunes

Hit downtown Richmond this Friday night for a WW&Co show at Sine, good times. Saturday was hanging around C'ville with every intention of going for a hike, however we never quite pulled it off. Sunday was Kings Dominion, fun stuff, haven't done that since high school. A golden afternoon sun followed me back home to Rappahannock via 231; one sweet stretch of pavement. This coming weekend is Floyd Fest, hopefully the weather will continue to play it cool.

Jonathan & Sarah

Jonathan & Sarah's wedding was this past weekend up Binghamton, NY. It was a great time, couldn't have gone better if they planned it. For all the photos check out my gallery here. Got to hang out with a lot of people that I haven't seen in awhile. The whole crew from our Mt. Rainier trip last summer was there, we talked about planning the next big adventure; can't wait.

Reunion

Went down to Seneca, South Carolina for a family reunion this past weekend. I don't have a camera right now though, since I had to return my new one. So, I have no photos to prove I actually did anything at all this weekend, so heres a cliche photo of an Old Rag sunset. This coming weekend is Jonathan's wedding up in New York, should be a good time!

Send Off

Jonathan's Bachelor party was this past Saturday. Good times grillin', swimming, playing crispy wickets and so forth. I'll throw a few more photos up later.

Summertime

This was the last weekend that all the kids will be home for some time now. We spent Friday hanging out around Charlottesville. Good times with live music, friends and food. Saturday we went up Cedar Run to cool off a bit. Cooked out for lunch and camped out by the Cabin. Sunday was a good fathers day. Monday night we dined at L'Auberge Provencale, a fantastic way to celebrate Karie's birthday!

Sliding By

This weekend was mostly spent around home enjoying the good weather. We made a killer stew had a camp fire; the usual stuff. Steve, Matt and I went up Cedar Run both on Saturday and Sunday. We slide down the falls a lot. See the video posted above, for the action we captured it via Steve's new water-proof camera. In addition to the waterfall antics we also came across a rattle snake, a copperhead and a bear, good times!

Steve's Back in Rapp

Wednesday evening Marshall and I set out down I-81 bound for Fort Jackson, SC. As you can see we hit a storm or two on the way down. Steve was graduating from Basic, leader of the cycle no less! It was a very impressive to see my bro at the top of a class of 1200 people. We had a great picnic on base with Steve on Thursday. Friday after the ceremony we took Steve and headed out to Uncle Steve's for the evening and night. In the morning it was off to Charleston to visit with Ry and Megan. We beached it on Saturday and hit the town that night. Good times.

Ominous.

One strange ride...

Dinner at the Inn at Little Washington for Katie's Graduation.

Family Day welcome.

Picnic Time.

Steve and one of his favorite Drill Sergeants.

Its been a long, long time.



Down in Charleston at the Pace's place.

Bringing Karie Back Home

Hopefully this is enough photos. I just got back from a trip over the big puddle. I met Karie in Paris, where she has been living for the past year, and we caught a train to Switzerland. We spent five days in Zermatt and two in Luzern. Great times. After returning to Paris we packed up her apartment, visited with her friends and headed back home to the States. I will write some more later but for now putting forty photos up here wore me out, jet lag...

Old Rag Mountain Steward Weekend

This weekend was one of the first of many Old Rag Mountain Steward weekends to unfold in coming months. A volunteer program that arms the trail of this popular weekend destination with knowledgeable friendly folks that are poised to aid the masses attempting this trek with tips, directions, and quick responses to emergency situations. The weather this weekend was postcard quality and the views were as expansive as you will ever see from the summit. Somehow the trails were unusually sparse with hikers. My theory was that being Mother's Day weekend, most Mom's would much prefer to corral the family around a nice dinner or a show, then pull the kids up a demanding hike. So, Saturday morning we all convened in the lower parking lot and after a debriefing with the Park Rangers and a leader from Shenandoah Mountain Guides we set off on the hike, splitting up to cover both routes ascending the mountain. Long story short, it was a superb day on the trail without any major incidents.


God enjoys the views at Old Rag so much, he left a "Heart" in the rocks.

The weather men were calling for rain??

The wind at the summit would literally carry you if you jumped into it.

Some bouldering ensued...


Spring foliage has finally hit the summit thanks to what seemed like an endless two weeks of rain.


After our duties on Old Rag had come to a close we all headed back to my place in Woodville to unwind and enjoy the evening in true Rappahannock style. There was a delicious tequila-lime marinated chicken dinner on the grill and walks in the fields as the sun set on a breathtaking view of Old Rag. After the moon began to shine above Red Oak we headed over to the cabin for a campout, it doesn't get much better than this. Drifting asleep while swinging in hammocks to the sounds of the breeze and the smell of a homemade stew bubbling over the fireplace.







A bowl of stew in the morning gave us the energy to pack up and make our way back to the house for a breakfast of herbed sausage, roasted bell peppers and lightly scrambled eggs topped with fresh morels from the surrounding woods. On time!

The Bloom

This weekend was the annual Apple Blossom Festival here in Winchester. Although it poured just about all weekend it didn't rain on the parade. It was a good time hanging out in the Chester, despite the weather. I didn't break the camera out much and the photos of the weekend are weak to say the least. Hopefully the sun comes out this coming weekend for a Saturday up on Old Rag and a much needed cookout and camping session out at the cabin in Woodville. Only two more weeks till Europe; can't wait!

Fauxfields

After years of successfully turning down offers to attend Foxfields, as I wasn't sure it was up my alley, I have now confirmed those suspicions. Foxfields is like a small scale "horse racing event" reminiscent of say the Kentucky Derby, with all the partying, but less of focus on the horse racing. This is mostly due to one's inability to legally gamble at horse races in the Old Dominion. I will say the event was quite a spectacle to see, largely due to the endless sea of the sun-dresses which were awesome. Another plus was the gorgeous weather and my horse won the race, so I scored some cash. I doubt I would attend again, unless I arrive and depart via helicopter. The late Hunter S. Thompson wrote a piece titled "The Kentucky Derby is Decadent and Depraved", good little anecdote, would be interesting to hear his thoughts on Foxfields... I doubt he would change title much...

Slackin' Off

To get the weekend started off right, Chad and I setup a slackline (tightrope) in front of the house last night. After a few minor injuries we medicated and went down town to meet up with some people. Good times, looking like a good weekend is in store as well.

Spring Wandering

I was on a mission to find some morels this weekend, well maybe not a full blown mission, but I looked everywhere I went. Saturday I hiked down to a bouldering spot we frequent, see photo above, but the five mile hike produced no morels, however I did manage to get an hour long nap in the hammock. This morning I took Humphrey on a walk up Bessie Bell Mountain and despite two hours in the forest we found nothing. This afternoon Chad and I took his dog Trieve bouldering on Old Rag and despite another five mile hike, no mushrooms. Oh well, maybe next time, but I can't imagine the conditions getting much better than this weekend. If you enjoy flowers though, the trillium is going to be blowing up next weekend on Old Rag, enjoy.

Army of One

Here's to my Bro, Steve. He's rocking through basic training right now and then it's on to OCS and finally flying da choppers! I'm sitting in the office working on my carpal tunnel meanwhile he's probably swinging through an obstacle course. Good luck man, I know you're gonna tear it up. On the civilian side of life... I've got the Fodderstack 10k coming up, then the next weekend is Foxfields, then the next weekend is The Bloom! Then after I recover from the Apple Blossom Festival I'm skipping over the big puddle for Paris in the spring time then hopping a train over to Switzerland for some hiking and such, then back to Paris to bring Karie home after her year in Paris. Should be some good times and some good photos over the next two months! Then its summer time...alright, alright...

Atmosphere

Friday night was a William Walter & Co. show down in C'ville. Saturday was a lazy, lazy day. Sunday morning I zipped up to Skyline drive and got the fog photo of Old Rag pictured above - you really have to click on it and open it up larger to see the details. Later I went out in Woodville looking for morels but I think it may be too early...

On Fire

This weekend was a busy one. Steve was home for a short visit before he heads into training. Friday night was a great evening of music at Blue's Alley in Georgetown. Saturday Steve and I went for walk through the forests of Red Oak with Ken. Then drifted around Sperryville for awhile before Matt, Marshall and Chad showed up. As the sun set we grilled steaks with a lime-rosemary marinade and vegetables for dinner. Then headed out to the Cabin-Cabin for fire, drink, and hammocks. It was a cold night's sleep out there but the temperatures quickly rose with the sun. Then on Sunday we mostly just hung outside enjoying the warm sunny day. To finish the weekend in style I had dinner at The Inn at Little Washington, which of course, was as good as food gets and perhaps the best tasting meal I've ever had there (what I find myself saying every time I eat there).

Here's to Steve, my brother, embarking on the journey of a lifetime. Keep it up Bro, you're going places!

Hanging Out

This weekend was mostly spent trying to think of something to do when its forty degrees outside and raining. After a trip to DC, I came back home to Millwood and met up late night with Matt and Chad. We all went out to the cabin for a few hours, cooked some great stew over the fire while the rain fell against the tin roof. Steve is driving back from Arizona today and will be hangin' around Woodville for a week and this coming Sunday is dinner at the Inn at Little Washington... so it should be a great week!

Weekend on Old Rag

Spent the whole weekend up on Old Rag. The weather was great and the moon was so bright we didn't need headlamps at camp. This morning I'm way tired, crushed by the trifecta of running too much all week, then carrying a forty pound pack all over Old Rag and finally the daylight savings... I need coffee.

For Now

So I moved into the new digs, still haven't unpacked everything but I'm getting there. Made some from scratch pizza dough tonight and baked up some great pies. My wine will be bottled tomorrow so hopefully that turns out alright. The weather lately has been too warm for ice and too cold for rock climbing, so I'm in limbo...

Moved

Moved into the new place this weekend. Renting a little house in Old Town a few blocks from my previous location. I'll throw some photos up later.

All In

Guess what? More ice climbing on Saturday. This winter has been the best for ice since 2001 so we've been striking while the iron's hot. Sunday though it was way too warm to hack the ice so I just help do a few things around homestead. Gotta start packing up all my stuff to get ready for the big move coming up. Looking forward to some new surroundings.

Deeper Freeze

The weekend was pretty uneventful until Sunday when we did some ice climbing. In other news I'll be moving in a couple weeks to another spot in Old Town. I think it'll be good to shake things up a bit. Its snowing out now and it sounds like we may finally get more than an inch of snow for once.

Deep Freeze

This weekend we did a little ice climbing out in the big WV. The temps were well into the single digits and it was challenge to stay warm but with three stoves and some homemade soup we managed to keep the frostnip at bay. The temperatures this week appear to be on our side and with a little luck this coming weekend ma prove to be of epic proportions.

Dropping In

Here are a few photos from a hike to Overall Falls this weekend. I'll say more later when I wake up.

Heres to Oh Eight

New Years was good. Party at Becca and Luke's house in C'ville. A New Year's Day hike in Sugar Hollow with Marshall, Matt and Sam. Then on Saturday I guided Mom and Bob up Old Rag; they did great with only one rest on the way up. Hopefully I'll still be able to make it up Old Rag when I'm in my seventies!







Trying to keep focused as we drive down the road
Like we did back in High School before the world turned cold
Now the brakes are thin and the curves are fast
We’re trying to hold steady on the righteous path

We’re hanging out and we’re hanging on
We’re trying the best we can to keep keeping on
We got messed up minds for these messed up times
And it’s a thin thin line separating his from mine

Trying to hold steady on the righteous path
80 miles and hour with a worn out map
No time for self-pity or self-righteous crap
Trying to stay focused on the righteous path

The Edge of 08'

The weather was great today and in the sixties not bad for the middle of winter. Marshall and I went up Old Rag for a quick hike. The winds at the summit were gusting near 40-50 mph, enough to knock you over if you weren't on guard. We took the fire road back down to the parking lot and cruised into Sperryville to pickup a pizza at Rudy's before calling it a day. Another short work week and then its New Years!

Ice Plunge

As quickly as it was upon us Christmas has passed now. Steve has left again bound for Arizona and then onto Paris with Nicole to visit Karie. These photos are from Christmas Eve. Steve, Chad and I went for a hike in the park along a swift and cold river. We saw a little water fall beside a beautiful ice encrusted boulder. Then I thought hey, why not go for a swim? We haven't jumped into a freezing river in awhile so it seemed like the proper thing to do. It was awesome, much like being slammed in the face with a ice cold high velocity Sierra Mist... ahh refreshing! On other notes we spent a couple nights in DC. We went to my favorite restaurant, Jaleo, a tapas place that is amazing. We also went to the Shakespeare Theater and saw "The Twelfth Knight" it was very enjoyable. The last photo is the Chester Gap Santa visiting homes on a fire truck, where else in the world could you see this I wonder? We missed Karie very much, but from her blog it looks as though her Christmas in the mountains of Southern France was storybook material to say the least.

A Home in the Fog

All the way from Arizona, Steve is back for Christmas. The weather has been less than pleasant, but a good break from the Arizona sunshine no doubt. We cut some firewood with Ken on Friday and lazed around the house most of the day. Company started to show up for dinner and the food really got going. After we could eat no more we went out to Blue Rock to hear the Roger brothers play some bluegrass. Late night was a small gathering in our cabin down by the pond. We made soup over the fire and hung out with a few of the Rapp crew that were in town.

Early Season

Winter is closing in and the temps are falling as the howling winds rise and cascade down the flanks of the Blue Ridge. A weekend around Winchester was mildly relaxing. An attempt to ice climb in the park brought disappointment after a long hike ended in a view of the falls that promised no safe ascent of its sparsely frozen face. As the daylight was sucked west over the ridges, flurries swept through the trees on our hike back to the car. Another night trying to make the best of going out in Winchester proved to be the usual scenario. At least the holidays and the good times they promise to bring are on the horizon.

Beacon Hill

So I've spent the last week in Boston at the US Greenbuild Expo. Our company had a booth at the Expo which I drove up here and ran all week. The Expo is basically a gathering of most companies who are creating products that help to build "green" buildings. Buildings that use recycled or rapidly renewable construction materials and resources. Also, focusing development into buildings that create more of their own energy, sucking less from the "grid". So essentially all of this falls into the building "mind-frame" of the future. The speaker this year was Arch Bishop Desmund Tutu of South Africa, he was great, very funny. Boston was a fun place to spend a week, despite the temperatures. I didn't take any photos, 'cept the one above of Beacon Hill which was right next to the lavish hotel I was staying at; the view was straight out of "The Departed".

Last of the Leaves

This weekend Katie and took Mom and Bob to the airport for their trip to visit Karie in Paris. After the airport we had dinner and strolled around REI for a little while. Back at the house we ordered second dinner, a pizza from Rudy's. Sunday Matt, Marshall and I went on a eleven mile hike in the park on some trails I've never been on before. The leaves are pretty much done up in the mountains, but they lasted longer this year than most.

The Ragged Mountain

Nothing sucks the color out of photo more than posting it to Blogger! Anyways, this past weekend was spent up on Old Rag, unfortunately a 2K dollar camera doesn't do you much good without a live battery... so the only photos we got are on Chad's camera and somehow Chad managed to sink his camera into one of the probably three puddles on the mountain. Yes, three puddles in four square miles and his camera fell into the drink... so I'm not sure yet if any of them made it. No worries, I've been on the mountain for a few weekends now and these photos are from recent weeks. The leaves are spot on right now and the crowds are lining up like cattle to the slaughter... thankfully no one met their maker, but like the cattle most folks have no idea what they are in for.

Wine in Time

Tonight was wine making night. We took ten of the twenty pounds of wild grapes we collected and dropped them into a cheese cloth sack thing. Saving the other half of the grapes for another batch that Chad will make in Fairfax. Then the grapes (in the cheese cloth sack) went into the tank with one gallon of water. Then we smashed them into smithereens, creating a thick grape juice concentrate. After boiling twenty pounds of sugar into five gallons of water we added that concoction into the tank. Now I just add the yeast tomorrow and the waiting game begins. Maybe there are a few other steps till wine time, but you can look those up yourself. My place smells like a Welch's Grape Juice Factory! Hopefully 2008 will be a vintage year. We are expecting at least a forty bottle yield, including this batch and the next one in a couple days.

Autumn Wine

Friday Chad and I collected about thirty pounds of wild grapes and after three and a half hours of cleaning and stemming them we had twenty pounds of quality grapes. With any luck, by this spring we will have some good home made wine. So put your orders in early if you want to score a bottle. Saturday night was a cookout at the new Cabin on Millwood. Steaks, gourmet cheeses, and soup from fresh vegetables over the fire made for a great dinner / campout. Sunday was a hike up Old Rag with Allison and Tyler. The crowds there were out of control! Hopefully everyone made it down safely.

Pure WV

A Sportrunner drive down and out to the back roads of West Virginia Friday. When we arrived at camp Matt, Marshall and Evan had the campfires burning and the cold pops on ice. The weather plummeted just below freezing that night, making for a sound sleep in a warm down bag. Morning broke as it can only once a year as we walked out onto the New River Gorge Bridge to watch the brave throw themselves into the 876 vertical feet of cold air between the bridge and the raging river below. After seeing enough jumps we hit the corn dog stand out and headed down to the climbing area just below the bridge deck. Climbing, cooking out and sleep again. Sunday we went out to Endless wall and climbed until we could no longer drown out the screams of the workweek ahead of us. A quick drive back home and another great Bridge Day weekend in the memory banks.

Fall is Here

You gotta see this photo at a larger size, so click on it to zoom in. Saturday night was opera at Lorin Mazzel's place, great entertainment to say the least. Sunday Marshall and I went on a hike up Old Rag Mountain and Robinson, the later being even higher in elevation, so I'm a bit tired this morning. The leaves up on the peaks were just about perfect, as you can see from the photo above. This coming weekend is the annual trip down to Bridge Day on the New River Gorge, can't wait!

Chateauville at Montpelier

This Saturday my Mom hosted the Fauquier Hospital's foundation at Montpelier, in Rappahannock. The food was absolutely amazing, Mom had Foti's make and serve all the food and they really knocked it out of the park. The entertainment for the evening was from Lorin Maazel's Chateauville school about a dozen of the most talented young singers in the business. Listening to them do Opera and show tunes was magical, to say the least. The whole event was like something out of a movie. Good job Mom, all the hard work payed off!

Bench with a View

Over looking the small town I was raised in, perched in an ancient apple orchard, high on the flanks of Red Oak Mountain there sits a lone park bench. Only a lucky few know the location of this sanctuary, with a view that is likely unparalleled in a county that is a mecca for its vistas. These photos of a fog wave rolling through the foothills of the mountains were taken just before sunset on Saturday evening. I soaked in the pura vida, tired, from the table delivery for my Dad's business that Marshall and I had returned from in the early hours of the Saturday morning. We started out in Sperryville at four thirty in the morning and hit the pavement in the fog of a morning that started hours before its time. One stop in downtown Philly followed by three in New Jersey and we finished up with two stops in Connecticut. A stop at White Castle gave us the energy to drive through the night, touching base back in Sperryville at two in the morning; twenty one hours non-stop driving - felt like four, we still got it.

Fried Green Tomatoes

This weekend Matt, Marshall, Chad and I drove down to Charleston, SC to check out Ry & Megan's new place and see Katie who also lives there in town. Making our way south, we decided to take the road less traveled; Route 29. The drive was great, no traffic at all, just the indian summer sun smiling down on one small town after another. After relaxing at the Pace's place for awhile we all strolled into downtown Charleston in search of food and drink. After much perusing we deciding on a seafood place named 'Pearls" that Katie suggested. We were all surprised to see the "Oyster Shots" that Katie ordered for us. It was a wretched concoction, consisting of one mammoth raw oyster suspended in a brew of cocktail sauce and vodka. Everyone managed to force theirs down without hurling, but it was close! Needless to say we did not order a second round! That night we bar hopped around town from one charming little place to the next, dodging the ferocious palmetto bugs the whole way. Fried green tomatoes and grits for breakfast and then Saturday we spent most of the day walking from one eating establishment to the next sampling everything the town had to offer. The city is exceptional beautiful, too bad I barley took my camera out of the apartment. The weather was uncharacteristically cool, which was great. When night fell we went to the local baseball stadium where there was a massive beer festival in full swing; tons of fun - especially the mechanical bull. Sunday was the beach and a few tacos later we were on the long road back home. Hopefully, the sun won't set too many times before I find myself back there wandering the haunted boulevards of spanish moss.

House Sitting

Friday was a half day at the office and then a drive up to Fairfax. A few of us headed out to Fat's for crab legs. The establishment served up the best crab we've ever had there. I ate five pounds which the staff said was a record, I love crab! Sunday I manned the showroom back in Sperryville. Hung around the house on Saturday on account of the heat and humidity. Katie and I did grill a great lunch of NY Strips from the corner store and local vegetables. Katie found this baby frog, I think it was the smallest I've ever seen. A slow drive on back roads brought me back to Winchester for another week of it.

Reverie

We know that autumn does not begin with the turning of the leaves but earlier on some forgotten afternoon when a shadow passes over the fields and it is no longer summer.

Canaan Hurricane

Saturday morning we took off in Jonathan's 4Runner for the mountains of the big WV. Hurricane rains pounded Winchester but after clearing the first set of jagged ridges to the west we never felt the rain again. We drove up to the highlands of Dolly Sods and did some exploring off the trail, down a creek that plummeted two thousand feet off the mountain more or less straight down. Not a fun bushwhack. More hiking in the Bog and then out to Canaan Valley to do a little four wheel driving. We went down a rough road that wound sixteen miles along the rim of Blackwater canyon. We made it through with a dented gas tank as our only causality; not the fuel gauge says full all the time... Dinner in Davis and then camping high on the canyon rim in the mists of a windy cloud cover. After the temps dropped and the clouds broke our view of the milky way was crystal, no northern virginian light pollution out here. Sunday we drove down to Franklin and climbed all day along the river. Good times out in the Wild and Wonderful WV.

With pointing skills Like that, I may put Chad out of job!

Wild Blue Berries, yum.

Little section of the 16 mile off road cruise.

Huge cliffs across the valley.

Border Crosser

This was Karie's last weekend in the USA until this coming June. Moving to Paris to earn her master's from NYU she is beginning a exciting new chapter in her life. We all took her to a wine festival in Charlottesville on Saturday. The weather the wine and the music were all great. Sunday before whisking her off to the airport, we made a fantastic lunch. New York strips grilled with rosemary, pineapple, onions. I made Indian Flat bread on the grill with from scratch tomato jam, which turned out to be quite excellent. We steamed Steve's corn from the garden and Karie made corn bread onion rings. Not a bad last meal before hopping over the big puddle to Paris! Can't wait to go over and visit.





Sunday was a BBQ up in Alexandria with Amith and Marshall, which started as most BBQ's usually do and seemed to be doomed to suffer the usual small talk and uneventful motions of the city slicker backyard gathering until... we discovered that a guy that lives upstairs m Marshall had a paintball gun. The rest of the afternoon was spent running from tree to tree, jumping behind fallen logs and doing whatever zig zag thing we could think of to avoid getting shot to pieces. Since we only had one paintball gun, It was a simple game we called runner/shooter... either you were the runner or the shooter, preferably the latter... Anyways now its back to the work week, but at least I have some welts to show off!

Dusted

This weekend Chad and I went up to Deep Creek Lake and met up with my Dad to go water skiing. After a day on the lake we headed back to the Winchester. Sunday we went to some lake out in West Virginia, hiking a little but mostly just tearing up some dusty dirt roads. This coming weekend is Karie's last couple days in the States before her big move to Paris. I'm excited for her and can't wait to go over and visit her at some point in the next year.

The Remains of August

The weather could not have been better this weekend, not to mention it was a full moon. Hiking around the Shenandoah National Park and rock climbing on Old Rag took up most of my weekend. Saturday night we had a few people over to the new cabin. We raided the garden by moonlight and put red onion, garlic, carrots, tomatoes, bell peppers, rosemary, and a few other items in a tin foil wrap and let it sizzle on hot coals for an hour or so while we soaked in the cool summer night. Sunday was more Old Rag, coming across three bears before we got back to the car. The rest of the day was walking around Winchester and running a few errands.

Driving & Driving

This weekend was busy, starting on Thursday right after work. I went on a delivery for my Dad's table business that spanned 11 states. Topping out in Northern New Hampshire, yet somehow we were still back by Saturday night. Sunday I just lazed about at the farm back in Rapp. This coming weekend should be some trail running and bouldering.

Floyd Fest

This past weekend was Floyd Fest with William Walter and Co. and the weather couldn't have been better. Back from Los Angeles, our plane touched down at Dulles somewhere in the early morning light of my Blue Ridge mountains. A tired drive to Fairfax, sorted gear from the Mt. Rainier trip, then drive to Winchester, then a drive to Rappahannock, dinner, then a drive down to William's place in C-ville. A little sleep and then a drive down to Floyd Fest. So, I was a little worn out, but the Festival got my spirits up as soon as the truck tires hit the grass. We played three sets over three days, much to the crowds pleasure; in fact we won best band at the festival!! Our merch sold like hotcakes and the rest you'll have to catch on VH1's Behind the Music. Not to mention the Festival Folks picked up the tab on the hotel room, which was great since I had been camping out west for the past week.

Rainier

I'm Back! The last week and a half has been a whirl to say the least. I flew out to Seattle, via Virgin America Airlines (highly recommended!) last Wednesday with Chad and Jonathan. We stayed with their uncle Scott in Edmunds, WA. After a buying frenzy at REI we headed back to the house and enjoyed a big dinner with the rest of our climbing party. The next morning Uncle Scott drove us through the early morning mist on our way to The Mountain, as Jonathan, Shea and I slept on the floor of the van. The first day we made it up to Camp Muir after deciding that our original route was too thin and broken up to make for a safe climb. We woke up the next morning at 3 am and suited up for our summit bid. Then we ascended for what seemed like years, finally making the wind torn summit at around 10:30 in the morning. The weather was perfect and the vista stretched on for hundreds of miles. After a twenty minuter on the crater rim, we headed down, which as it turns out, much to my pleasure, is way easier than going up! Camp Muir again for the night and then mostly a fast slide down to Paradise the next morning. That night, back in Edmunds, it seemed that summiting Rainier wasn't enough for our crew... so we went out to the local bars and shut them down, returning to bed no later than two in the morning. The next day Chad, Jonathan and I loaded up Uncle Scott's '66 Chevel convertible and drove out to Smith Rocks and Mt. Hood. Spent a few days climbing, camping and driving and driving, but the car made it a smooth styling glide across Oregon.

Inside Mt. Rainier's summit crater.

Looking down at Little Tahoma from near the summit of Rainier.

Smith Rocks, OR at dusk.

Our campsite at Mt. Hood, pretty sweet.

Roaring river right next to our tents at Mt. Hood.

Looking down at Little Tahoma near the summit of Mt. Rainier.

Don't fall, it was steep!

Near the top of Rainier.

Mt. Adams rises above the clouds.

We got lucky and found a mud puddle big enough for the cliche reflection shot of Mt. Rainier.

66' Chevel with Mt. Hood on the Horizon.

One Last Hike

Saturday was a big day. It started with breakfast and then some shots with the compound bow. Then Steve and I planted some corn to be enjoyed later this summer. Swimming to cool off from the gardening. Then Steve and I met up with Matt for a hike up Cedar Run. We showed up some city folk by sliding down some thought to be unnavigable falls and some jumps that only those with nothing to lose might attempt. The cool spring-fed pools kept the humid July heat at bay for the hike back down. Back at the house we grilled thick steaks that went nicely with Mom's from scratch Pesto pasta. More swimming with Madison and Humph. Then we raided the fridge and garden for fresh produce, cutting up some vegetables for a stew to be made up on Old Rag. We climbed the mountain by moonlight and made camp on the summit rocks. Fell asleep listening to the stew boil away in the misty winds. Restless sleep and a great view in the morning, as you can see pictured above and below. Back to the house we I quickly passed out in the guest room. Now its back to Winchester to sort my gear and pack for Rainer.

Click on this photo and then scroll to get the full vista!

Fireworks & Vows

This weekend started Thursday on the Mall in DC at the Smithsonian Folk Festival. Then Fireworks a la Rappahannock on the fourth at the hunt grounds. Rain almost got the better of the festivities, but the clouds broke right on time. Saturday was Allison's wedding down in Crozet; again the rain teased the crowd but passed by without a fight. The wedding was beautiful and provided may memories for a long time to come.

Demonous Skies

Well the skies this past few months have been a bit moody. Today Fortuna did not choose to smile upon me. I hit a deer on the way to work. I never even saw it. I was just driving down the road trying to wake up at six in the morning, then BAM, glass and a rearview mirror flying in my face. Sad to say, my car didn't fair to well... at least I'm still in top top shape. So, for now Hattori Hanzo is in the body shop awaiting a mend. In the mean time its shaping up to be a good fourth of July weekend. Photos of fireworks and flying rice to come...

Deep Water

I jumped off the cliff edge and somewhere between land and lake I knew the weekend had begun. The water was perfect and the weather was beautiful all weekend. Swimming, climbing, gorges sunsets, balsamic chicken feta pizza, homemade wine, campfires, twenty dollar Walmart rafts, and gouda with pears. Another good weekend down around The New. Bought the tickets for the flight out to Seattle to climb Rainer! That trip is coming up soon, I can't wait to get out there.

Storm over Red Oak

If you look closely, perhaps click on the photo above to enlarge it, you will notice lightning in the rainbow, that was a lucky shot! Steve and I got some amazing photos of the storm last week, I'll post some more later... This weekend was Blues Alley, Seneca Rocks, and the Chesapeake Bay... I'll post more photos later... hopefully.

A Red Oak Hitching

This was a busy weekend, guess it began with Ry's bachelor party on Thursday night; I'll leave that to the imagination. Friday was up early and back to work and then back to Rapp and then down to Cville to get Steve; long day. Saturday I rode the motorcycle around half the day, nearly hitting a black bear on the Fodderstack. The afternoon brought a a quick rain shower and then Ry's wedding up on Red Oak Mountain. The reception back at the Pace's was a good time, saw a lot of folks that haven't been on the radar in awhile. Sunday was intermittent napping most of the day until dinner which was fresh clams from the Bay with homemade pesto pasta. The Ladyslipper orchid photo is from a recent hike, where I came across hundreds of them, I have never seen anything like it before.

Memorial Day

I took more photos this weekend that I intend to post as soon as I locate the usb cord for my point and shoot. This weekend started in Charlottesville on Friday night. Hiked Old Rag on Sunday, there were WAY to many people on that mountain. Monday was another hike and running through a good stretch of both the Hazel and Hughes rivers to keep cool. The photo above was Monday evening's lingering sunlight.

Rappshine

This weekend was one to remember. Karie had her graduation which followed with a dinner at the Inn to celebrate on Thursday night. Friday Steve, Eddie and I hiked up White Oak Canyon; spotting a bear along the trail. After the hike I rode the motorcycle across the county and back. Saturday Katie had her first prom at the old schoolhouse in Sperryville. That night Steve, Matt, Marshall and I camped out at the new cabin or "lodge". Sunday was a twelve mile hike with Marshall and a cookout and touch football back at Millwood.

Rain, Fire & Icing

This weekend it rained, a lot, in fact its still raining. I believe the current tally puts the total rainfall around seven inches in the past few days. Since the rivers were up Matt and I checked out White Oak Canyon and then had a our fill at Pig & Steak. Saturday afternoon the family went to the Wayland's for Sarah's wedding. Beautiful ceremony and reception, not to mention tapas by four & twenty! Then to cap it all off Steve, Matt, and I had the new cabin's first fire.

The Bloom

This weekend the crew came out to Winchester from this years Apple Blossom Festival or "The Bloom". It was a great time, two four hour parades blarred on through out most of the weekend. Nights were out bar hoping in a crowded Old Towne. I think I consumed enough deep fried food to last well into my forties... Sunday afternoon was back in Rapp, walking among the fields of gold. As requested Ryland has made an appearance in my blog, caught skipping through the buttercups overjoyed that he duped Megan into marrying him.

Old Town

Thursday night old town is being transformed into a circus for the Apple Blossom Festival. Carnies have descended upon the town like a swarm of cicada ready to feed on the 250,000 people about to turn this town into a Virginia Mardi Gras come sunrise. Its gonna be a wild weekend.

Spring Slackin'

Friday night the guys came out to Wincester for a rainy night out on the town. Saturday we squared Steve's bike up and I followed him back through the twists and turns to Rappahannock. The weather couldn't have been better. Drenched in warm sunlight we walked out to the Cabin project dow by the pond and dreamed of the perfect BBQ's to come, when the construction finally is finished. Back up at the house sitting outside one by one Marshall, Matt and Chad pulled to the Homestead. In between grilling steaks and chicken we passed the afternoon on the slack line. And when our hunger still refused to subside we ordered in pizza from Sperryville. Sunday the weather was cold but the rain held and we made our way out to the Park and did a little rock climbing. Another great dinner at the house and then back onto Winchester to saddle up for another work week. Can't wait for the warm breezes to linger all summer.

Tree Huggin'

This weekend Steve grilled up some amazing burgers, the recipe is worth a few million at least. Before the cookout Chad thought it would be a great idea to climb and repel into a huge tree out in our woods. Surprisingly it was very hollow and clean inside the tree, how does a 5 foot wide by 50 foot mass of solid wood disappear into thin air?? There is no hole in the bottom of the tree and it is alive and well, I can't figure out where it all went. Sunday it rained all day, so plans for rock climbing vaporized.

Crocodile Smile

I don't know whats going on with blogger, but its struggling to upload photos, I'll add more to this post when it lets me. This weekend was crab legs up in Fairfax, so good, and then bouldering on Old Rag Saturday and Sunday. My hands hurt now, that granite is rough! Think I'm gonna call it a day early tonight.

Unlocking the Sequence

While clinging to a tree that overhangs a 150 foot cliff on the Salmon River Gorge, trying not to slip, I snapped the shot above of Chad topping out on a sick lead climb. We spent the weekend climbing on the last ice of the season, driving all the way to Upstate New York to find it. Battling waist deep snow and the thought of ice avalanches made the weekend memorable to say the least. The evenings were hanging out around Scudder's place back down at Cornell. A lot of driving, but well worth the trip.

Tent Rocks

Saturday was a hike at Tent Rocks just north of Santa Fe. For a short trek it was stunningly beautiful. I did most of the hike with little ben on back, he really enjoyed the outdoors. Sunday was the trip back home and now its the usual white noise of the work week. Looking forward to some warmer weather...

Santa Fe

In Santa Fe now taking a oil painting portraiture class, good stuff, but hard. Santa Fe is a great town, a lot of culture, kind of like Charlottesville in the high desert. Tomorrow we are going for a hike in the Sangria de Cristo mountains north of town, I can't wait to get out in the mountains around here. I wish I could stay another week and just wander the canyons.

Sketchy Ice

Friday Chad and I got on some seriously thin ice, actually it was mostly rock, but we made due. Saturday the lazy ass SNP Park Rangers closed the drive for no reason, so we had to hike in from the valley, it was almost to warm climb, almost. Later that afternoon was a cookout, tomorrow is Santa Fe. The top photo is me climbing mostly rock sprinkled with ice, the middle on is a Bard Owl, and the bottom shot is Chad on a overhung, thin route.

Tree Top Flyer

Saturday night Steve and I met the Rapp crew at Whitlows for the WW&Co. show. These are few photos from the first set, after which we had to shoot back home so Steve and Katie could catch an early flight out to Puerto Rico. Wish I was going, but Santa Fe is coming up this weekend. Sunday was a hike in Shenandoah National Park and a good dinner. Now its one more week of work till vacation!