Philadelphia

This past week I had the pleasure to experience the sights and sounds of Philadelphia, the birth place of American democracy.  Six months ago visiting Philadelphia was not on my” bucket list” of places to see but some opportunities are too good to pass up.  My lovey wife was making the trip to attend a conference and invited me to tag along.  Besides, after twenty-five years of marriage, if nothing else, I have become a skilled baggage handler.

Things I learned while wandering the streets of the city:

• If you have an interest in history, Philadelphia is the place to visit.  The city is the home of Independence Hall where representatives from twelve of the thirteen original colonies met to debate, draft, and sign the Constitution.  The interior of the hall is rather small but given that there was no central heating in the 1700s it should come as no surprise.

 

• The Liberty Bell was originally known as the State House bell when the Pennsylvania Assembly ordered it in 1751 to commemorate the 50-year anniversary of  Pennsylvania's original Constitution.  The Liberty Bell gained iconic importance in 1851 when abolitionists, in their efforts to end slavery, adopted it as a symbol of their fight.  Today it is a favorite photo op for tourists; it was very entertaining watching visitors compose and shoot their Facebook moments!

 

• The city’s  buildings represent just about every major architectural style known from the 1700s to the present.  The best part is that you can see it all and not walk more than a mile in any direction.

 

• The Philadelphia Museum of Art houses one of the finest collections of medieval arms and armor in the United States.  Even if art is not your thing, making a visit to see the interior of the building is well worth the price of admission.

 

• Look before you cross the street because the drivers tend to be very aggressive and they make liberal use of their horns.

 

• The one down side is that the noise level can be a bit overwhelming at times.  From our hotel I noticed that people were moving about the sidewalks and streets at all hours of the day and night.

 

If you one day get the chance to visit Philadelphia don’t pass one it, just be sure to get a map and a comfortable pair of walking shoes.

What The Ground Hog Didn’t See

I can’t speak for old Punxsutawney Phil, but I know what I saw this past Thursday.  Sunny skies and the most interesting shadows on the side of my neighbor’s house.  Only time will tell if this means six more weeks of winter.

Saturday Afternoon Sky Watch

 

This picture taken from my living room window pretty much sums up the state of the weather in Astoria today, confusing.  The National Weather Service is predicting snow but today has seen very little action to that end.  One minute the sun was in full view then twenty minutes later it was completely obscured by dark and very threatening clouds.

Snow is not unheard of in these parts but the receipt of a significant amount is a pretty rare event.  Lets just say that it’s more likely that your neighbor’s kids will own a boat than a flexible flyer sled.

Just to be on the safe side, I will make a trip to the basement before turning in this evening to be sure that my snow shovel is ready for action.

Things That Inspire

Old Growth Ponderosa Pine near Lowman, Idaho

 

I am often inspired by the people I meet on a daily basis and the sights I witness.  As we begin the new year, I thought it might be appropriate to share two of my most inspirational events from 2011.

This past August, I made a trip to Idaho to visit the community in which I lived and worked following graduation from WSU’s college of forestry.  Living in Idaho was a wonderful time in my life, I was in my early twenties and everything was new and a grand adventure.  The visit this summer allowed me to be inspired once again by the simple beauty of God’s creation.  This visit may have been short but the experience continues to inspire me.

Working as a volunteer docent at the Columbia Maritime Museum gives me countless opportunities to meet people from all walks of life.  This past September, I met a man who called himself the “gimpy geezer” and his story was incredible.  The “gimpy geezer” spent much of his life in Wisconsin tied to the daily routine of a dairy farm.  Upon the death of his wife, he decided it was time see of the the United States so he sold the farm and began his three year adventure.  Unlike most people, he didn’t load up the car for a road trip; instead he bought a pair of walking shoes and bus ticket to Delaware where began his journey west.

I asked him if he had planned out his route using a guide book to which he responded that he wasn’t very good about following directions.  He instead preferred to find his own way while heading west.  He also spoke about the people he met and the sights he saw.  He continued his quest each year until the early fall, at this point he would hop the bus to Wisconsin to wait out the winter.  In the late spring he began again from where he left off the pervious summer. 

After three summers, he finally reached Oregon and the end of his hike.  During our visit, he told me that he averaged thirteen miles a day and wore out several pair of walking shoes.  I use to think that it was a good day if I rode my bike seven miles in one day; not so much any more!

I have often wondered what he will do in the new year.

The Lunar Landscape

The forecast for the next week calls for rain, wind and more more of the same.  Given that’s it is late November, it’s way past time to share a little about the last stop on our August journey to rediscover the Oregon Trail.  If you ever find yourself in the vicinity of south central Idaho, be sure to take a side trip to Craters of The Moon National Monument.  I guarantee the landscape is unlike anything you have ever experienced outside of Hawaii or the moon.

If you are interested in geology and how volcanoes shape the earth, you can pretty much see it all inside of the monument.  On the other hand, the landscape can be enjoyed just for it’s stark and unusual beauty.  Opportunities for hiking exist at every stop but be sure to have a water bottle handy because water is scarce in this arid environment.  Today the landscape is serene  but but a mere two thousand years ago the earth spewed molten lava from the numerous cinder and spatter cones which are scattered across the area.

 

Lava once flowed from the cinder cones in the distance

 

The presence of vegetation indicates that this cinder cone has been inactive for perhaps three thousand or more years

 

Spatter cones such as these dot the landscape; despite their small size, they are capable of ejecting vast amount of lave

 

The earth’s surface extremely rough and difficult to traverse.  A branch of the Oregon Trail passed nearby;  I often wonder what the emigrants thought when seeing this area?

 

If you decide to visit this truly Idaho gem, do not wait too long because the geologists predict that it will be erupting again sometime in the next one thousand years.

Standing Out

The signs of fall are everywhere these days from the chill of the night air to the decline of the flowers in our garden.  The other day I noticed this “late bloomer” among the rapidly fading Black Eyed Susans.  The bright yellow petals just glowed in the morning sun.  It was nice while it lasted because today the weather forecast calls for rain.

Idaho, The Views Will Leave You Breathless

Here it is nearly the middle of October and I have yet to complete reporting on the road trip the lovely wife and I took this past August.  One of these days I am going to take some time and get organized but perhaps that task is best saved for another day.

If you have always wanted to see majestic mountains and your were unsure where to visit, make a trip to Idaho.  No mater where you travel in the state, the mountains are nearby.  To me, Idaho is all about the mountains.

Just ten miles northeast of Boise taken in the early morning when the light is soft and sweet

Even a road trip to Idaho requires an intended destination and for this portion of the journey, our mission was to visit Lowman.  Lowman could best be describes as being in the middle of no where.  Despite being only seventy miles from Boise, the drive will take you about two hours as you wind your way up the mountains.  Lowman is situated in the heart of the Boise National Forest and was my first duty station as a young forester.  Thirty-five years had pasted since I was last there so a return visit was long over due.

Highway 21 connects Boise and Lowman and even crazy people seldom drive over 35 miles per hour

On the day of our journey, we left Boise in the early morning hours so as to have sufficient time to enjoy the sights along the way.  When I left Lowman in late November of 1976, I carried all my worldly possessions in the back seat of my VW bug.  I also had a lot more hair and my beard was definitely not gray!  I was excited to see how Lowman had changed over the past thirty-five years.  As the road descended into the South Fork of the Payette River valley, I spotted the roadside pull off once known as the Lowman Overlook.  At first I was confused because Lowman was no where to be seen, but then it hit me, the trees had grown and obscured the view of the valley below.  Yes, even in Idaho given 35 years, the trees will grow taller unless they are reduced to ash by a forest fire.

When I departed Lowman in 1976, the resident population was maybe 12, the 2010 census places the population at 42.  When I lived there, the heart and soul of the town unquestionably was the South Fork Lodge.  It was a combination summer motel, gas station, general store, post office, and restaurant.  The South Fork, as it was known had it all and if they didn’t, your choices were to drive back to Boise or live without it.  The second choice was frequently made by many a young forester.

The old South Fork Lodge was destroyed by fire several years ago and the new building, in my opinion, is lacking in character.  Perhaps I’m indulging in a little nostalgia but the old lodge had charm in a 1950s sort of way.  Due to the elevation, even in the summer, the evening temperatures were on the brisk side so venues for indoor recreation were always a high priority.  I remember spending one evening in September of 1976 watching the Ford – Carter presidential debate.  It wasn’t that any of us were especially interested in presidential politics, it’s just that the only television in Lowman happened to be in the lobby of the South Fork Lodge.  The reception on the black and white television was nearly nonexistent but it beat the alternatives.

 

Sadly all that remains of the old South Fork Lodge is the service station’s office

Present day Lowman as seen looking south across the South Fork of the Payette River

In the 1970s, living in Lowman you often felt isolated and disconnected from the rest of society.  I suppose that since we only received mail twice a week and the nearest telephone was thirty-five miles away might have contributed to that state of mind.  Today, things have changed on the communication front as I noticed an exterior community mail box and a public pay phone.  I didn’t try my cell phone but given the mountainous terrain and the small population, cell service is likely nonexistent.

This pay phone and mail boxes are the new “heart of Lowman”

In July of 1989 a massive fire burned in and around much of Lowman altering the landscape.  Even as a forester who once worked on fires I was somewhat taken back by the level of damage.  I just had to remind myself that the fire was but one event in the very long life of the forest.  Despite the damage, the area still offers the unsurpassed beauty I remembered.

Steep rocky slopes with huge Ponderosa pines reaching for the sky

A close look at the Ponderosa pine that inhabit the lower elevations

As you continue driving north and east of Lowman along Highway 21, you will eventually end up in the community of Stanley, AKA as the gateway to the Sawtooth Mountains.  Stanley sits at just over 6,200 feet in elevation so it’s not unusual for even a summer evening to dip into the thirties.  Winter temperatures can be brutal; it’s not unusual for Stanley to have the lowest recorded temperature in the lower forty-eight states.  If you ever plan to go to Stanley, do not forget to bring a warm coat.  Judging by the number of people I saw in town talking on cell phones, it must be the first service opportunity for many miles.  I just wanted to scream “drop you phones and enjoy the mountains!”

The main street of Stanley with the Sawtooth Mountain looming in the distance

The Sawtooth Mountains looking across Little Red Fish Lake

From Stanley we continued our drive south with plans for spending the night in Ketchum. The highway slowly climbs until reaching Galena Summit, the elevation is just a few feet over 8,700 feet.  The views from the Galena Overlook are second to none.

The view from Galena Overlook looking north with the headwaters of the Salmon River in center of the image

After a long day, we arrived in Ketchum late in the afternoon and were fortunate to get the last room available.  Ketchum and adjacent Sun Valley are noted for their world class skiing so who would have thought they would be so busy in the dead of summer.  As it turns out, the area is a mecca for summer recreational activities such as golf, mountain biking, and white water rafting.

Our room was in the resort that overlooked the ski area

The following morning we once again headed south and east back into Idaho’s lowlands and the part of the state through which the Oregon Trail once passed.  Our destination for the day was a visit to Craters of the Moon National Monument.  The details and photos will be the subject of my next post.