North Carolina State Fairgrounds

As mentioned in the previous post, the record-setting temperatures in North Carolina have been too hot for this northern man  There were a couple of dry camping opportunities in the Raleigh area for less money, but I laid my money down for a bare bones grassy field  with electrical hookups at the North Carolina State Fairgrounds’ campground.

Besides air conditioning, there was proximity to the airport, a dump station/garbage services, and convenient location to laundry, grocery, etc.  The bonus is that some kind of horse show was going on across the street from the campground.

Callie and I took frequent walks over to the exercise pen where we saw many beautiful horses.  My favorites were the high-steppers and the horses pulling carts.  I’ve ridden lots of times but they’ve either been horses on the farm or trail horses.  These were fancy horses at the show.

There are a few things missing at this campground.  There are no showers or even bathrooms on site.  I did get the chance to test my plumbing repairs undertaken this summer and took a shower in the wet bath.  It felt great after a couple of days of dry camping.  I still used two or three gallons of water.  In the long term, that’s not sustainable for two people to take daily showers without frequent refills of the water tank and stops at the dump station. The baby wipes and sponge baths will have to do on some days.

I will have stayed here for three nights when we leave for the Outer Banks of North Carolina.  Hurricane Dorian gave a hard blow to the Outer Banks.  Our campground has reopened, although there are some places we probably won’t get to, including Ocracoke Island.  Julia and I have never been to this part of the country.  I  don’t know if we will be back, so we are going to proceed and see what happens.

The Heat is On!

After leaving the Blue Ridge, we descended rapidly into lower elevations and higher temperatures.  I was still a few days ahead of picking Julia up in Raleigh, so I picked a half-way spot near Greensboro, North Carolina.  The campground choices didn’t look great from a cost/benefit point of view. Instead,   I elected to stay over for free at Grove Wineries using my Harvest Host membership.

I knew that I wasn’t on the Blue Ridge anymore when I set up the Brew Hut thermometer.  94 degrees! Some people love it hot; I’m not one of those people.  Callie is one tough dog; she doesn’t seem to mind it hot or cold. With Callie safely secured in the Brew Hut with the screens open and ample water, I entered the air-conditioned luxury of the Grove Winery’s tasting room.

The young woman working  in the tasting room also happened to be a Harvest Host member.  She and her husband had traveled by trailer from Alaska to North Carolina. They stopped at many Harvest Host locations along the way.  In the end, they both found employment at Grove Winery and Vineyards.

I have quite a bit of experience tasting West Coast and European wines, but almost no experience drinking East Coast wines.  I was very pleasantly surprised with the whites but especially liked the reds.  Not normally part of the tasting, there was a bottle of the 2011 Cabernet Reserve open. It was amazing.  I ended up buying a bottle of that and also a bottle of a red blend called Block B (2013).  I will try my best not to open them until Julia arrives.

For the rest of the afternoon and early evening, Callie and I hung out on the shaded patio.  I caught up on some reading and made use of the free wifi.

By 7 pm, the sun was starting to go down.  However, the temperatures stayed above 90 in the Brew Hut until about 8 p.m.  It was just too hot to cook, so I ate some crackers with cheese and drank my last cold beer.  Then I chugged two large glasses of cold orange juice and a bottle of kombucha.  You would think I would be up to use the bathroom in the middle of the night,  but I must have been dehydrated because I had no trouble sleeping until dawn.

Staying for free is its own reward, but I was ready for air conditioning.  Next stop:  Raleigh, North Carolina.

Dry Camping on the Blue Ridge

After leaving Roan Mountain State Park, I drove to the Blue Ridge Parkway and camped at Julian Price campground.  For $20, you get a generous campsite with access to a modern bathroom (no shower), water, garbage, and a dump station.

Initially, I tried the C loop (no generator).  Unfortunately, that loop is tent only.  I thought maybe I could squeeze my little Brew Hut and truck into one of those sites, but it was a no go.  To me, it makes more sense to designate one of the rv loops for no generators since people with rvs are more likely to bring generators than people with tents.  But what do I know?

I talked to one of the camp hosts and told him that I really would like a site that won’t have generator noise or a bright streetlight.  He told me to go up high on loop F.  I drove past a guy on loop E who had one of the loudest generators I’ve ever heard.  But up on loop F, it was practically empty.  My nearest neighbor had solar panels out, which is always a good sign. 

Callie and I hiked around the Price Lake Loop on both days we stayed here.  We walked all of the campground loops and also did a good chunk of the Boone Fork Loop Trail.  The lake views were outstanding; Callie took several swimming opportunities; and the trails were well maintained and featured a canopy of shrubbery.

Best of all, the temperatures stayed cool at night, making for perfect sleeping weather with no artificial light or generators. We continue to make our way east.

Back in the Roan Highlands

Almost no campsite is perfect.  My campsite at Roan Mountain is nearly perfect, except for a streetlight right at its edge.  As a result, I slept poorly, even though the babbling brook put me right to sleep.  Black-out curtains would fix the glaring light, but it’s rarely a problem where I camp, so I’ve got thin white curtains that don’t keep out the bright streetlights.

We were up early enough to snag one of the limited parking spots at Carver’s Gap, which is the trailhead for going southbound to High Knob (the highest shelter on the Appalachian Trail) or for going northbound across several balds to the Stan Murray Shelter.

Hungry for views, Callie and I climbed up the pine forest, taking in the wonderful smell.  Well, I was breathing pine; Callie was probably scenting squirrels, birds, and snakes.

The contrast with the ice-covered trail from the spring of 2018 was amazing.  With a light breeze and pleasant temperatures in the low 70’s, hiking conditions were perfect.  One of the reasons I love the Roan Highlands is that there are expansive views as a reward for making it to the top.

Later, the trail plunges down through thick forest and overgrown bushes. There must have been a few nettles because my arms were on fire for awhile.  We hiked to the Stan Murray Shelter and back again–about 7 miles round trip.  In each shelter, there is supposed to be a notebook for thru-hikers and other visitors to sign in.  Some people write long passages detailing their hikes, hopes and dreams, etc.  During my thru- hike, I rarely wrote much more than my trail name, so that people I knew behind me could see that I was still on the trail.

This time, I signed for both my thru-hike in 1996 and my short hike that day.

Quid Pro Quo, GA>ME ’96, Carvers Gap to Stan Murray Shelter, ’19.

Driving to my Happy Spot: Roan Highlands

I left Twin Knobs early after a quick oatmeal breakfast and coffee. My next destination was Roan Mountain State Park in Tennessee.  This was my first trip in the Brew Hut.  I spent time tenting here in the Spring of 2018.  I first hiked the Roan Highlands in 1996 during my thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail.

There was no need to set google maps to avoid highways. The most direct route was on winding roads. We passed through a lot of small towns with one memorable stop. I was low on groceries, so I picked up supplies at a small IGA. Careful not to get parked in, I sprawled across several spots in the back of the parking lot.

When I came back with the groceries, I could see that a dilapidated pickup truck was parked in front of my truck. A semi truck was behind my Scamp, leaving no way to get out. Callie was barking furiously at two mountain men inspecting my Brew Hut.

“Nice camper,” the old, fat one drawled, as I came up.

“It’s an old one,” the skinny one without many teeth said.

I made small talk about Scamps, where they are made, how old mine was, and the benefits of fiberglass campers.

“Can we see inside?”

I was standing there with my groceries, unlocking the door, wondering how this was going to go.  They both ducked inside for the one minute extended tour.

“It’s got everything you need,” the skinny one said. “Have a good trip.”

After a long drive, I’m camped at Roan Mountain State Park, tucked in against a bubbling creek.

Personal Protector, Will Travel

Daniel Boone National Forest: Twin Knobs

After leaving Cedar Creek Winery, I set my google maps to avoid highways, beginning a meandering route along state highways, county roads, and town roads. I didn’t make good time, but the scenery and people-watching were well worth the longer journey.

Headed into the heart of coal country, yard signs told me that “coal keeps the lights on.” As I drove, I listened to Amy Goodman on Democracy Now make the case that continuing down the path of fossil fuels will lead to climate collapse.
I saw a lot of America on that drive: rural poverty, small churches asking support for the troops, big houses behind walls and gates, large mega churches, and dozens of signs proclaiming allegiance to local high school school football teams.

By mid afternoon, I arrived at my destination: Twin Knobs campground in the Daniel Boone National Forest. I didn’t have reservations, but I was able to secure a spot with electric for two nights. Choices were limited. All of the sites are back-in. My site had a slight incline.

Those gouge marks in the driveway aren’t from me but testifies to the challenges of the site. Once I set up camp, everything came up roses.

It was a beautiful clear night with falling temperatures. Twin Knobs is a huge campground. Callie and I got 14;000 steps in just walking the campground loops once.

We ate a light dinner of a small strip steak, sautéed spinach, and a toasted hamburger bun, followed by glasses of porter and an internet radio broadcast of the Packers Bears game.  Public consumption of alcohol is illegal in Kentucky, so we stayed close to the Brew Hut, our current abode.

On the next morning, we slept late (7 am), and then prepared bacon, eggs, potatoes, and coffee. I’m currently drinking a home roasted Ethiopian, taken to just before second crack. Rather than roast coffee on the road this trip, I have two weeks supply and froze enough for the remainder of the journey. If I run out, I’ll look for a good commercial roaster and ask what they roasted that day.

Freshness is more important than origin or degree of roast–almost every time.
After breakfast Callie and I hiked up Twin Knobs. When I thru hiked the Appalachian Trail in my younger days, I was always the first to leave the shelter and be on the trail. As I broke through countless spider webs on the way up Twin Knobs, I was reminded of that disadvantage in being the first on the trail.

When I reached the top of the “observation area”, I was also reminded of the eastern forest’s stinginess in rewarding climbs with views. Trust me, there is a beautiful lake behind the trees.

After the hike, Calle and I sought a less obstructed view.