I just got permission to hold Wetzel County's "Hiker Fellowship" event at Quinet's Court Restaurant in New Martinsville, West Virginia. These may start in February?
2018/12/26
Website Upgrades 12/26/2018
Campground & lodging mileage from the establishment to the trail was added yesterday. Adventurer's Project's "Hiker Resources" web page had to be practically rebuilt to handle it. Today, I added a mileage chart of the Road Fork and Whipple Section - Buckeye (off-road)/ North Country National Scenic Trail. I won't touch the on-road, but that's much easier to use the "measurement" tool in the BTA's digital mapping on Avenza Maps there.
A link to my Generic Gear Inventory was created on the Hiker Resources web page.
A link to my Generic Gear Inventory was created on the Hiker Resources web page.
2018/12/16
Adventurer's Project's Website, Doggy Sitting, Chapter Cross Pollination
Information and links were added to Adventurer's Project's website regarding the City of Sistersville II ferry that crosses the Ohio River from Fly of Monroe County, Ohio to Sistersville of Wetzel County, West Virginia. The ferry is 11.1 miles from a place in the Marietta Unit of The Wayne known as the Walter Ring House and Mill Site (Ring Mill) on the Road Fork Section. That area marks the northeast corner of what is known in the Buckeye Trail as "The Wilderness Loop."
I've been in Lake County, Ohio doggy sitting lately and my plan is to be back in Woodsfield of Monroe County, Ohio tomorrow. But on the way, I'll be taking some pictures for possible fresh content for the Adventurer's Project Facebook page. Furnishing it with fresh content is harder in the winter considering that we don't do much hiking, or have much in the way of events. I already have a stockpile of more than 600 photos waiting to be used.
On the trip down to Woodsfield, I'll be photographing areas on the Buckeye and North Country Trail's outside of Adventurer's Project's coverage zone. There's probably some supporters who need to know that the trail is something that extends outside themselves and what they generally do in their daily lives, or what they know of. While we're not in a place to be exporting the occasional hiker, ultimately supporting the Buckeye Trail's south and east will ultimately be how it works and what it does. Hopefully, their efforts will someday help further our hiker numbers in return? I call this effect "cross pollination." In theory, if there isn't a chapter on one of their ends, it's likely that hikers won't gravitate there.
I've been in Lake County, Ohio doggy sitting lately and my plan is to be back in Woodsfield of Monroe County, Ohio tomorrow. But on the way, I'll be taking some pictures for possible fresh content for the Adventurer's Project Facebook page. Furnishing it with fresh content is harder in the winter considering that we don't do much hiking, or have much in the way of events. I already have a stockpile of more than 600 photos waiting to be used.
On the trip down to Woodsfield, I'll be photographing areas on the Buckeye and North Country Trail's outside of Adventurer's Project's coverage zone. There's probably some supporters who need to know that the trail is something that extends outside themselves and what they generally do in their daily lives, or what they know of. While we're not in a place to be exporting the occasional hiker, ultimately supporting the Buckeye Trail's south and east will ultimately be how it works and what it does. Hopefully, their efforts will someday help further our hiker numbers in return? I call this effect "cross pollination." In theory, if there isn't a chapter on one of their ends, it's likely that hikers won't gravitate there.
2018/12/14
ADT Diagnostic Continued
There have been problems with my GPS data for the American Discovery Trail. I've noticed that with what I have saved recently in Google Earth that I'm somehow missing things? Right now, I'm writing my Mock Hiker Logistical Diagnostic map by way of the North Mid-West Route (NMR). I was working with ADT - Indiana on the NMR earlier and it has multiple amenity gaps. That's a conclusion that I don't like coming to and try to avoid at all costs. I don't think that should be right? I know that the ADT is more supported on the north side than it is on the south. The longest day that anyone should be reluctant to have (due to availability of overnight amenities) is about 27.5 miles long in Nebraska.
I managed to find my lodging folder. But I'm thinking that my governmental reservations data will have to be rebuilt? I think I'll start that task later today, this time starting with local then county parks on up to the federal level. I like overlaying as many maps as I possibly can. Right now without so many of those, my ADT file in Google Earth is about 90 megabytes in a zipped KMZ file. I either expect that size to go up tremendously when I do this, or I'll save each state to the hard drive, which is probably the better idea. At that point, I can just open them as needed and save on my computer resources that way. Uncompressed, Google Earth has trouble opening files in the ballpark of 320 megabytes and up.
The odds of me finishing the diagnostic in the next two days are looking extremely slim.
I managed to find my lodging folder. But I'm thinking that my governmental reservations data will have to be rebuilt? I think I'll start that task later today, this time starting with local then county parks on up to the federal level. I like overlaying as many maps as I possibly can. Right now without so many of those, my ADT file in Google Earth is about 90 megabytes in a zipped KMZ file. I either expect that size to go up tremendously when I do this, or I'll save each state to the hard drive, which is probably the better idea. At that point, I can just open them as needed and save on my computer resources that way. Uncompressed, Google Earth has trouble opening files in the ballpark of 320 megabytes and up.
The odds of me finishing the diagnostic in the next two days are looking extremely slim.
2018/12/09
American Discovery Trail Data Re-Organized, Upcoming Logistics Diagnostic
I've reorganized my American Discovery Trail data using a standardized template that I use for ordering items in Google Earth Pro for every distance trail that I work with. Under ADT's directory, it should be something like 00aa. for Delaware tracks, 00ab for alternates, 00b for data, 00c for mile markers, 00d for waypoints, so on and so on. I'm getting ready to do a independent diagnostic on the trail's camping/ lodging logistics.
A westbound hiker has to be in Sacramento, California by 10/10 annually or they risk the Sierra Nevada Mountains becoming impassable. All diagnostics that I've done so far are "true thru" documents. That means that the mock hiker is true to the prescribed route of the trail, unless it's a threat to one's life, limb, eye sight or is legally impassable. If the trail for some reason were to meet those conditions and that trail alert, or map update hasn't been published, then they can affect a by-pass at their discretion. But for right now, the mock hiker will be routed in a more "perfect world."
So with 10/10 in the westbound direction being fixed, I'm going to apply my standard daily mileages for different types of terrain and see if I can get that mock hiker across the continent? This is why I don't want help from anybody else's data. Illegal stealth camping won't be factored in. I want to see if my mock hiker can make it across without resorting to a 30 mile day (not even one).
I've got a feeling that it won't make it. If what I hear is right, when one chooses which side of the loop that they're on, I vaguely recall the length of that trip to be 4,600 - 4,800 miles? And I know that 4,800 won't do it. And I imagine that it would probably take 4,300 to do it? There's only 6 miles of difference between the north and south of the ADT's mid-west loop.
A westbound hiker has to be in Sacramento, California by 10/10 annually or they risk the Sierra Nevada Mountains becoming impassable. All diagnostics that I've done so far are "true thru" documents. That means that the mock hiker is true to the prescribed route of the trail, unless it's a threat to one's life, limb, eye sight or is legally impassable. If the trail for some reason were to meet those conditions and that trail alert, or map update hasn't been published, then they can affect a by-pass at their discretion. But for right now, the mock hiker will be routed in a more "perfect world."
So with 10/10 in the westbound direction being fixed, I'm going to apply my standard daily mileages for different types of terrain and see if I can get that mock hiker across the continent? This is why I don't want help from anybody else's data. Illegal stealth camping won't be factored in. I want to see if my mock hiker can make it across without resorting to a 30 mile day (not even one).
I've got a feeling that it won't make it. If what I hear is right, when one chooses which side of the loop that they're on, I vaguely recall the length of that trip to be 4,600 - 4,800 miles? And I know that 4,800 won't do it. And I imagine that it would probably take 4,300 to do it? There's only 6 miles of difference between the north and south of the ADT's mid-west loop.
2018/12/07
My Places File Sizes
The "My Places" on my laptop's Google Earth Pro is about 417 megabytes in size with a KML file extension. But I don't think that I can rely on that number because if I were to save it as a KMZ (a zipped file), it's coming up as 522 megabytes. File sizes much larger than somewhere in the ballpark of 300 megabytes are too large to load in The Robot's Google Earth Pro app.
I just opened one portion of the laptop's data. It reads as 479 megabytes and opening it was successful. Considering that I had to slim the My Places down by committing certain portions to be opened from the hard disk, I have doubts that I can do it again. Looks like I'll have to save both sections sub folder by sub folder in order to get them to load again?
I just opened one portion of the laptop's data. It reads as 479 megabytes and opening it was successful. Considering that I had to slim the My Places down by committing certain portions to be opened from the hard disk, I have doubts that I can do it again. Looks like I'll have to save both sections sub folder by sub folder in order to get them to load again?
2018/12/03
Deer Gun Hunters
I want to tell the deer gun hunters in the Marietta Unit of The Wayne that it could be possible to attract North Country/ Buckeye Trail hikers away from the forest during this season, but only if something else happens on our end in the future. The problem that remains depends on what the National Forest Service draws on to the trail system by it's own means. The BTA and NCTA doesn't have any jurisdiction there. That's why its senseless to voice any opinions or concerns to me without dealing with the bureaucracy of the National Forest Service. The end goal is unwinnable without that last 1/3rd. And at present, I have no interest in initiating such a thing with them, so your on your own.
2018/11/29
Adventurer's Project - Facebook Promotion Numbers 11/29/2018
I spent $9.88 of my own money to promote Adventurer's Project's Facebook page. Facebook gave me a rock bottom deal of $1 per day and I took it for 10. They just reported that I reached 2,124 people and we got at least 1 new like out of it. Adventurer's Project now has 34 supporters. All but about 5 of them have unknown intentions still.
If Facebook's numbers were right, then this was probably worth while. I set the promotion to concentrate over the Moundsville and New Martinsville areas of West Virginia. New Martinsville is about 25 miles from the Walter Ring House and Mill Site near Graysville of Washington County, Ohio. Right now, I'm willing to commit $30 a month to Facebook advertising.
2018/11/27
Priority 1 Maintenance
While I don't have jurisdiction over much of this, the Road Fork Section, Points 27 (7/2011 map & guide) to 31, perhaps out to Whipple 03 should have the 1st trail maintenance. And this should take place before June 30th annually. The reason is that we have an economic cooridor between these points. I say perhaps Whipple 03 because Points 01 - 03 are not a very popular destination. And that segment has an adopter who usually comes in July. I supervise that section, but that segment is something that I shouldn't touch. Probably the most that I can do is hike through and collect waypoints on downed trees so that my NFS point of contact can cut them?
From the time of the ground thawing to May 31 is the most ideal time for benching. This is the physical widing of the trail's tread with a mattock axe. It's typically done on a hillside. I must say that I have no idea what condition my lower back will be in by that time?
At the moment, I have to get in control of my own finances. I'm projecting that January 1st will the be the first time my budget can properly reset and get straightened out? At the previous board meeting, we're not getting any back up. But I didn't request any. The BTA has enough on it's plate and I've decided that we're going to go it alone. And it's becoming imperative that we start becoming more independent locally.
This is where January comes into play. I'm going to use it for trail promotion, but I'm not ready to publically state where, when or how?
2018/11/24
Winter Gear Moved In 11/24/2018
My car is still somewhat packed with gear and items that I brought from Home Port. But I had the opportunity to change out some items in my gear bay. I dont remember seeing my clothing layers. So far, I switched out my 60 liter frameless backpack for my 90.
During the cold days, I usually hike fully loaded with the 90 liter pack because there's a few more things to consider. All in all, it comes out to be about 48lbs without water.
One of the things to consider is here in Ohio, we have levels of "snow emergencies." They dont usually clear up too quick. When a county sheriff declares a Level 3, anyone on the road could face arrest, including pedestrians. Also, in the winter, there are warm and cold pockets that person could hike into. Then there could simply be a sudden temperature drop.
Preparing for Boy Scouts
Blog posts to Adventurer's Project can not be made from my Android based devices because they're integrated into my personal account. I'd have to switch it in their system settings and that would change every other app while I was at it. What I wanted to write there was that I was studying Boy Scout hiking requirements and wondered what they needed from Road Fork and Whipple Sections. But I still find that I need some reports and presentations by Boy Scouts themselves in order to know how to really help them? But I do know more about how to point them in the right direction as far as the Buckeye/ North Country National Scenic Trail in the Marietta Unit of The Wayne is concerned?
-ME Edmonds
2018/11/23
Laptop Charger and Eastern Communities
Well, I left Home Port with a lot of stuff. But I forgot my laptop's charging cable. I watch movies on it nightly. The laptop probably has 2 hours worth of charge on it and I'm going to have to leave that be in case I need it for something?
My thoughts have been on the eastern communities along The Wilderness Loop of the Buckeye Trail (North Country partially concurrent) and how I'm going to establish Adventurer's Project there?
2018/11/19
Home Port
I'm back at Home Port until Friday, November 23rd, 2018. The last time I was here, I didn't have enough time to transfer all of my photos, so I'm getting the rest done now. The plan is to do some laundry and pack my semi-formal clothing, one dress shirt, tie, suit and overcoat.
Also, I paid for 10 days of ads for Adventurer's Project's Facebook page for $10.
2018/11/18
Adventurer's Project 11/18/2018
I responded to an e-mail from an anonymous person who expressed interest in the Buckeye/ North Country Trail in Far SE Ohio. But with their being anonymous, I have reservations regarding adding them to the registry of Adventurer's Project's supporters. I might do it, but it seems incomplete? I should probably ask if they wanted to be on the list because I'm going to have to add an unsubscribe method to email communications anyways.
How long will it take until Adventurer's Project completes it's current mission? I'm anticipating that question because I just believe that it will come up somewhere and sometime? The answer is that Adventurer's Project's objectives are not time based. That's because there's too many unknowns right now. The effort is more achievement and evolution based. Our current volunteer procurement ratio is 100 days to 1 volunteer. And I think that we need to halve that. But that's the sort of thing that you learn from year one. Right now, the more time that I dedicate to trail promotion diverts from maintenance. And we have to be real careful about that ratio.
I'm somewhat mathematic about the way that I do things. I think that it confuses some in the hiking community? But I'm not sure what to do about it. Somethings about Adventurer's Project are very well considered. You have to factor in the objectives of the Buckeye Trail Association and weigh them with the conditions surrounding the local area.
There is somewhat of a road map for this kind of thing. Let's just say that I've seen and heard of a few good examples. And I know more about some of the nuances of getting a BTA chapter started than my counterparts were probably aware of.
I'd like Adventurer's Project to have a more moderate collective disposition. And this is one thing that I think my training of others in the months and years to come will be essential?
I worked on Adventurer's Project's website today. We've been having problems with it and the e-mail systems recently. I found some parts of it internally that were incomplete. I just hope with them being fixed now that in the months to come that we get a better reception from the outside world.
A couple days ago, I made a post on the Buckeye Trail Association's Facebook group regarding deer hunting hours and how we could miss the hunters if we hiked at night. That gave me an idea where I posted on something about that topic. At that point I realized that I've been one of the most prolific night hikers on the BT and it gave me the idea that I should try some soon for content on Adventurer's Project's Facebook page.
I'm trying to keep what audience we have interested through out the winter. It's not an easy task because there's less going on in the cold days of the year. At the moment, I have 965 photos available, but I'm not sure that I'll be able to use all of them? Just for guesses, I believe that I'll only need about 90 of them?
It's like someone gathering firewood for their one and only heat source in the winter. During the warm days, instead of firewood, it's pictures and video. Right now, I'm contemplating starting a YouTube Channel for Adventurer's Project. Our pictures are hosted on the Facebook page, which is can be seen by those who don't have a profile. But Facebook will "nag" them to get one. I'm contemplating having another host for them, but it's got to integrate into the Facebook page to avoid redundancy on the volunteer end for us? For that, we might need an Instagram account?
How long will it take until Adventurer's Project completes it's current mission? I'm anticipating that question because I just believe that it will come up somewhere and sometime? The answer is that Adventurer's Project's objectives are not time based. That's because there's too many unknowns right now. The effort is more achievement and evolution based. Our current volunteer procurement ratio is 100 days to 1 volunteer. And I think that we need to halve that. But that's the sort of thing that you learn from year one. Right now, the more time that I dedicate to trail promotion diverts from maintenance. And we have to be real careful about that ratio.
I'm somewhat mathematic about the way that I do things. I think that it confuses some in the hiking community? But I'm not sure what to do about it. Somethings about Adventurer's Project are very well considered. You have to factor in the objectives of the Buckeye Trail Association and weigh them with the conditions surrounding the local area.
There is somewhat of a road map for this kind of thing. Let's just say that I've seen and heard of a few good examples. And I know more about some of the nuances of getting a BTA chapter started than my counterparts were probably aware of.
I'd like Adventurer's Project to have a more moderate collective disposition. And this is one thing that I think my training of others in the months and years to come will be essential?
I worked on Adventurer's Project's website today. We've been having problems with it and the e-mail systems recently. I found some parts of it internally that were incomplete. I just hope with them being fixed now that in the months to come that we get a better reception from the outside world.
A couple days ago, I made a post on the Buckeye Trail Association's Facebook group regarding deer hunting hours and how we could miss the hunters if we hiked at night. That gave me an idea where I posted on something about that topic. At that point I realized that I've been one of the most prolific night hikers on the BT and it gave me the idea that I should try some soon for content on Adventurer's Project's Facebook page.
I'm trying to keep what audience we have interested through out the winter. It's not an easy task because there's less going on in the cold days of the year. At the moment, I have 965 photos available, but I'm not sure that I'll be able to use all of them? Just for guesses, I believe that I'll only need about 90 of them?
It's like someone gathering firewood for their one and only heat source in the winter. During the warm days, instead of firewood, it's pictures and video. Right now, I'm contemplating starting a YouTube Channel for Adventurer's Project. Our pictures are hosted on the Facebook page, which is can be seen by those who don't have a profile. But Facebook will "nag" them to get one. I'm contemplating having another host for them, but it's got to integrate into the Facebook page to avoid redundancy on the volunteer end for us? For that, we might need an Instagram account?
2018/11/08
Benching
The best trail maintenance to get done from around 3/1 to 6/1 in Far SE Ohio is benching. This is when one uses a mattock axe to widen the trails surface horizontally along the roll of a hillside. In the Marietta Unit of The Wayne, the Buckeye/ North Country Trail has about 36 miles of nearly continuous off-road trail in the Appalachian Foothills of Ohio. And there's a lot of benching to be done back there.
With a lack of expertise, that had to be learned this year. And I'm not even on planning for the winter just yet. There is a few personal tasks things to get done around here first.
2018/11/02
Verizon Wireless Mobile Hotspot Warning 11/02/2018
Verizon Wireless gave me a warning today on my smartphone stating that I was down to 15% of my 15 gigabyte downstream mobile hotspot allotment and that the next cycle will start on the 3rd. Well, this happened today on the 2nd and I'm not at all worried about it. So far, the cloud services via the USB tether cable seems to be working.
Heated Hose Insulation, Motorhome Curtains, Baby Vac Bag
I insulated the heated hose that I purchased on the Facebook Marketplace. But to my chagrin, I discovered that the hose has double female ends. I'll have to get something to convert the motorhome's end to make it work.
I installed one of the roller curtains over the breakfast nook table today. This is my first time doing one of these. One has to purchase a larger length than they actually need and then have staff at the store cut it down. Well, I mismeasured it (again), but this time I got fed up. So I took my razor knife and a hack saw and did it myself. Now, it's mounts. But, it needs to be wound up. The mount is pretty tight and I'm not sure about how well I can get out to do that? Oh, well. I like how the sunlight can shine through it.
The roller curtain was installed over the right side master bed area window. That leaves about 4 more curtains to go. The good news is that they're all smaller than the breakfast table and right side master bed windows. Then I have 4 windows around the overhead bunk that I have to use snap fasteners with felt for those. The good news with that is I can just unsnap them and put them in a washing machine. Then later down the road, I might get crafty with some tarps, sheet foam insulation and hot glue to make a heat shield around the cab windows? I'll have to cut the foam plys down to pieces that are about 8 inches wide to get it to form around the outside of the windshield. Then the ends will employ some strip magnets to try and hold it down.
The roller curtain was installed over the right side master bed area window. That leaves about 4 more curtains to go. The good news is that they're all smaller than the breakfast table and right side master bed windows. Then I have 4 windows around the overhead bunk that I have to use snap fasteners with felt for those. The good news with that is I can just unsnap them and put them in a washing machine. Then later down the road, I might get crafty with some tarps, sheet foam insulation and hot glue to make a heat shield around the cab windows? I'll have to cut the foam plys down to pieces that are about 8 inches wide to get it to form around the outside of the windshield. Then the ends will employ some strip magnets to try and hold it down.
Yesterday, I purchased a canvas laundry bag for my baby Shopvac. I was using a compression sack for it before, but it's a bit tight getting the vac and tubes inside of it.
I'm scheduled to be at the BTA's board meeting tomorrow in Shawnee of Perry County. I thought that I was going to be driving back to Painesville afterwards, but with the water tube needing hardware and me discovering it at about 1900 hours in a town where things close at 1800, it's too risky to leave the motorhome overnight.
I replaced a set of dual 15 amp breaker switches. The broken one pertained to most of the electrical outlets in the motorhome. A few weeks ago, I attempted to power something else in addition to my electric space heater and I blew one.
Since my little mountain bike is running well, I purchased a smartphone pouch for it. Unfortunately, the cables for the bike run along the top frame tube where it's supposed to mount. So, I'll have to punch come holes inside the case for its other strap to mount to the handle bar with zip ties. No problem.
2018/11/01
Verizon Hotspot Allotment
Moving the cloud services over from the laptop to my cellular devices has successfully saved on Verizon Wireless mobile hotspot downstream allotment.
2018/10/30
Scouting Moundsville and Buckeye TrailFest on Adventurer's Project's Internet Media
I couldn't stand staying home any longer. So I went to Moundsville, WV to scout it. I think it's going to be harder to break into with trail promotion for Adventurer's Project, but it does have a Dunham's sporting goods store there. At the moment, I'm thinking that we may have to break into this market by way of Wheeling, WV?
The Buckeye TrailFest committee has given me the go ahead to promote that event on Adventurer's Project's Internet media. That's good because the website has a lot of dead space.
The Buckeye TrailFest committee has given me the go ahead to promote that event on Adventurer's Project's Internet media. That's good because the website has a lot of dead space.
2018/10/25
Adventurer's Project's Social Media and USGS Hydrographic GIS Data
I might like to get Adventurer's Project on multiple forms of social media, but we're a little short handed at this point. Many of the posts that I write to its Facebook exceed 280 characters, so, they're not really compatible with each other. But one day, it might be good to diversify our communications over several social media platforms in the event the Facebook goes terminal.
I'm working with the hydrography data for the Road Fork and Whipple Sections - Buckeye/ North Country Trail now. They all came unlabeled from the USGS, but I have the bigger streams along the trail renamed. Unfortunately, somehow, either I or Google Earth stripped its embedded information? Now, I can't tell if the remaining streams are creeks, runs or just some finger in the tree of these watersheds? I'll have to get a new copy of from USGS and try to overlay what I have named and go on from there.
The data needs to be reorganized and merged because that which is issued by USGS it's too demanding on computer systems. And the LoMaps on my Locus Maps apps doesn't display much in the way of hydrogrqphy.
- The Whipple Section approximate to Point 07 (10/2010 map & guide) is 9.73 miles north of the Ohio River on the Little Muskingum River.
- The Little Muskingum River Flats between Whipple Section, Points 05 - 06 falls between miles 12.5 to 13.61 from the Ohip River.
The Road Fork Section between Points 20 - 22 (7/2011 map & guide) is along the Little Muskingum R between Miles 38.87 to 41.02 from the Ohio River.
- The upload of mostly surface streams along the Road Fork and Whipple Sections to the Locus Maps app on my smartphone and tablet is complete. This project has been sitting around in Google Earth for months
2018/10/24
High Pitched Pop or Ping
Last evening, I went to the grocery store to buy some cereal. That would have gotten me on the road quick this morning for a GPS project on the Road Fork and Whipple Sections - Buckeye/ North Country Trail. Unfortunately, the turn on to my street is sharp immediately onto an incline. When I made this bank turn, I heard a high pitched ping in my front left wheel well of my 2008 Chevy HHR LS. I knew that a part of my suspension was going bad, so I have to park the car until I can replace this part.
My family mechanic friend said that if I sent get this replaced soon, that I could find myself in a heep of trouble if those wheels fly off on the road. I've been wanting to do it when I can have a chance to change the rear brake shoes, drums and rotate the wheels anyways.
2018/10/21
Current List of Things To Do
There is what seems like a lot of work to do around here. Let me start from the top of Adventurer's Project's list, which is:
-to repartition the Road Fork Section in to suggested segments. This a GPS desk task.
- Write Adventurer's Project's winter plan
- I need to create a link in Adventurer's Project's website to the Ohio Revised Code Section 1533.18, which is a recreational use statue
- I need to download the roads and trails for the national parks and forests in Utah and Nevada for a mock hiker project
- Road Fork and Whipple Sections surface stream data needs to be merged by stream, creek or river.
- They then need to be named
- Re-title the oldest blog entries in Treeman's Adventurer's and Volunteerism Logs. They were written by date before. But I'm concerned that when I update them, that they're going to drive my Facebook profile wild with posts?
- Delete old Verizon data. What I have is more updated.
- We desperately need a picture of a chainsaw, so I'll have to photograph mine. What we've been using on Adventurer's Project's website is an old clip art image from the mid-1990's because it's public domain.
- Adventurer's Project's coverage area polygons need to be turned down to 15% opacity instead of 65% because of how Locus Maps reads them. Unfortunately, there is no easy way to do this, so I'll probably have to do it on Google Earth Pro and then import the modified file.
- I'll need to inquire if a in-person map vendor must order a minimum quantity?
- Hikes this winter can't be planned. Instead, we'll be having "Perfect Wave Hikes" that will be called at the last minute.
- Since Adventurer's Project's website deals with recreational vehicles, I need to ask Monroe County what the weight limit is on the bridge to the Ring Mill?
- I'm not sure if geotagged photos in Google Earth are of a lesser quality and I think I need to find out?
- I have some fundraising ideas, but they'll have to wait until Adventurer's Project is formalized.
- Looping routes may need to be added to the website?
- I need to track Ales Run State Wildlife Area for Adventurer's Project's map repository. I believe that I'm going to have AllTrails host this for liability reasons.
- I need to determine if Eightmile Road, which physically ends, but as per the map continues further north. Jogging my memory, it might continue north into a parcel of land owned by the federal government and I need to see where it leads?
- In-person Scouting of various parts of the Road Fork Section in regards to places mentioned in it's guide. This is in support of the Buckeye Trail Association's Digital Mapping Subcommittee.
- Get USGS quads (maps) on GeoPDF. I believe that I can do this with a paid version of Adobe Acrobat? They could be useful on my cellular devices.
- The the Marietta/ Washington Convention and Visitor Bureau needs to change the location of the :Buckeye/ North Country Trail from being in Marietta to somewhere else in Washington County.
- I need to determine a rule for redundant posts made to Adventurer's Project's Facebook page. I want the viewer, who may become members of the various distance trail Facebook media to have unique content on Adventurer's Project's page. They should not have to get multiple notifications for the same message. That might make Adventurer's Project's Facebook page loose relevancy, or interest?
- I need to add hospitals to Adventurer's Project's "High Flier Capacity" locations.
- Amend all Post Offices and Libraries with their hours of operation. This is going to be necessary for hikers down trail.
- My items in Google Earth may benefit from some key words for it's internal search function.
- Assign posting points for Adventurer's Project's Electronic Trail Register.
- Move the miscellanous trail promotion flyer items into county folders on Google Earth and possibly upload to my cellular devices.
- Update my speaker and presentation opportunities folder with everything conceivable
- Update my government official data
- GPS all fords on Jackson Run Road. There are 4 of them.
- Record track to the cemetery in Lamping Homestead Recreation Area in The Wayne
- What is Frontier Local Economic Development Association? I sent them a letter via USPS and have yet to get a response.
- Both sections need to be completely photo cataloged. It's an internal matter as we have people in the upper management of the Buckeye Trail Association who originate from elsewhere in the state. It's not extremely necessary, but should we need a special BTA maintenance, or trail building project, they may be able to consult an image of the location at their leisure? The on-road can be done with a video in my car, but the off-road has to be done on foot. This task may have to wait until May when the forest is under full foliage again.
- Input Wetzel County Visitors Guide in to Google Earth
- Devise a new Traveling Maintainer Certification program
- Get RF on-road's headings at intersections
- Continue considering a method of getting a DR Mower into the Little Muskingum River Flats.
- I need to write the curriculum and make a video for a GPS class
- A document may be created detailing places on the BT's circuit where hunting is prohibited.
Today is October 21st, 2018. The winter plan has not been written yet. And that means that the plan for the next traditional hiking season certainly hasn't been devised. We've got to crack in to those West Virginia markets in the Northern Panhandle as they are essential to stabilizing The Wilderness Loop's NW tier. We need more of a "battle strategy" than we have now. And I think that the River's, Trail's and Ales needs a bit more support. I think that with their permission, we may need to add to it's substance by putting on a hiking program during it. It might be something like a gear demonstration?
But as of right now, I'm looking into ways that I can take full advantage of the winter.
-to repartition the Road Fork Section in to suggested segments. This a GPS desk task.
- Write Adventurer's Project's winter plan
- I need to create a link in Adventurer's Project's website to the Ohio Revised Code Section 1533.18, which is a recreational use statue
- I need to download the roads and trails for the national parks and forests in Utah and Nevada for a mock hiker project
- Road Fork and Whipple Sections surface stream data needs to be merged by stream, creek or river.
- They then need to be named
- Re-title the oldest blog entries in Treeman's Adventurer's and Volunteerism Logs. They were written by date before. But I'm concerned that when I update them, that they're going to drive my Facebook profile wild with posts?
- Delete old Verizon data. What I have is more updated.
- We desperately need a picture of a chainsaw, so I'll have to photograph mine. What we've been using on Adventurer's Project's website is an old clip art image from the mid-1990's because it's public domain.
- Adventurer's Project's coverage area polygons need to be turned down to 15% opacity instead of 65% because of how Locus Maps reads them. Unfortunately, there is no easy way to do this, so I'll probably have to do it on Google Earth Pro and then import the modified file.
- I'll need to inquire if a in-person map vendor must order a minimum quantity?
- Hikes this winter can't be planned. Instead, we'll be having "Perfect Wave Hikes" that will be called at the last minute.
- Since Adventurer's Project's website deals with recreational vehicles, I need to ask Monroe County what the weight limit is on the bridge to the Ring Mill?
- I'm not sure if geotagged photos in Google Earth are of a lesser quality and I think I need to find out?
- I have some fundraising ideas, but they'll have to wait until Adventurer's Project is formalized.
- Looping routes may need to be added to the website?
- I need to track Ales Run State Wildlife Area for Adventurer's Project's map repository. I believe that I'm going to have AllTrails host this for liability reasons.
- I need to determine if Eightmile Road, which physically ends, but as per the map continues further north. Jogging my memory, it might continue north into a parcel of land owned by the federal government and I need to see where it leads?
- In-person Scouting of various parts of the Road Fork Section in regards to places mentioned in it's guide. This is in support of the Buckeye Trail Association's Digital Mapping Subcommittee.
- Get USGS quads (maps) on GeoPDF. I believe that I can do this with a paid version of Adobe Acrobat? They could be useful on my cellular devices.
- The the Marietta/ Washington Convention and Visitor Bureau needs to change the location of the :Buckeye/ North Country Trail from being in Marietta to somewhere else in Washington County.
- I need to determine a rule for redundant posts made to Adventurer's Project's Facebook page. I want the viewer, who may become members of the various distance trail Facebook media to have unique content on Adventurer's Project's page. They should not have to get multiple notifications for the same message. That might make Adventurer's Project's Facebook page loose relevancy, or interest?
- I need to add hospitals to Adventurer's Project's "High Flier Capacity" locations.
- Amend all Post Offices and Libraries with their hours of operation. This is going to be necessary for hikers down trail.
- My items in Google Earth may benefit from some key words for it's internal search function.
- Assign posting points for Adventurer's Project's Electronic Trail Register.
- Move the miscellanous trail promotion flyer items into county folders on Google Earth and possibly upload to my cellular devices.
- Update my speaker and presentation opportunities folder with everything conceivable
- Update my government official data
- GPS all fords on Jackson Run Road. There are 4 of them.
- Record track to the cemetery in Lamping Homestead Recreation Area in The Wayne
- What is Frontier Local Economic Development Association? I sent them a letter via USPS and have yet to get a response.
- Both sections need to be completely photo cataloged. It's an internal matter as we have people in the upper management of the Buckeye Trail Association who originate from elsewhere in the state. It's not extremely necessary, but should we need a special BTA maintenance, or trail building project, they may be able to consult an image of the location at their leisure? The on-road can be done with a video in my car, but the off-road has to be done on foot. This task may have to wait until May when the forest is under full foliage again.
- Input Wetzel County Visitors Guide in to Google Earth
- Devise a new Traveling Maintainer Certification program
- Get RF on-road's headings at intersections
- Continue considering a method of getting a DR Mower into the Little Muskingum River Flats.
- I need to write the curriculum and make a video for a GPS class
- A document may be created detailing places on the BT's circuit where hunting is prohibited.
Today is October 21st, 2018. The winter plan has not been written yet. And that means that the plan for the next traditional hiking season certainly hasn't been devised. We've got to crack in to those West Virginia markets in the Northern Panhandle as they are essential to stabilizing The Wilderness Loop's NW tier. We need more of a "battle strategy" than we have now. And I think that the River's, Trail's and Ales needs a bit more support. I think that with their permission, we may need to add to it's substance by putting on a hiking program during it. It might be something like a gear demonstration?
But as of right now, I'm looking into ways that I can take full advantage of the winter.
2018/10/20
Maintenance Backpack, Leak, Marietta Webcams, Photo Documenting Road Fork Section On-Road, Spray Foam
I got my maintenance pack from the car today and here's something that usually drives other hikers wild and that it that it has a dual 3 liter water bladder system. The reason is that I have a peculiar medical issue that can dehydrate me faster. And this maintenance usually takes place in hot and humid Far SE Ohio. So, bad things will happen if I don't have enough water.
Lately it's had a leak, but while others state that these issues are the ones that keep them from using bladders, this is a very minor issue to me. Usually, it's caused by drink tubes not sealing correctly around their nipples. Today, I'm quite sure that the retainer ring around the cap, which came off, was preventing it from properly sealing, or threading right. I'll find out tomorrow whether re-seating the cap was the solution?
I think it was yesterday that I linked to the street cams in the Marietta of Washington County area. They're by BestOne Computers and I believe that a few of the cams listed could show hikers from out of town whether we have snow accumulation in Far SE Ohio. It's very likely that the northern parts of Ohio can have it longer than we do. And that could make us a destination for somebody?
Today, I made a video to photo document most of the Road Fork Section - Buckeye Trail/ North Country Temporary Connector's on-road. But I ran into a problem and I think it's one with the smartphone's hardware. I use a suction cup windshield mount for my unit. At that point, I drive with two hands while it's filming and vocally note what intersections it's coming up on. The problem was with the length of one video segment. It was exceeding 1hr 15min and as it was recording, the size probably got too big for the hardware to handle and it dumped the video. I'll probably make these no larger then 40 minutes and put them together in Microsoft Movie Maker?
Yesterday, I did a little bit of sealing up some gaps from the outside to the inside of the motorhome with some spray foam. I had a bit of buildup on the can's straw and I'm impressed with how it's hardened up. And it does seem like it's got the ability to flex, too?
Lately it's had a leak, but while others state that these issues are the ones that keep them from using bladders, this is a very minor issue to me. Usually, it's caused by drink tubes not sealing correctly around their nipples. Today, I'm quite sure that the retainer ring around the cap, which came off, was preventing it from properly sealing, or threading right. I'll find out tomorrow whether re-seating the cap was the solution?
I think it was yesterday that I linked to the street cams in the Marietta of Washington County area. They're by BestOne Computers and I believe that a few of the cams listed could show hikers from out of town whether we have snow accumulation in Far SE Ohio. It's very likely that the northern parts of Ohio can have it longer than we do. And that could make us a destination for somebody?
Today, I made a video to photo document most of the Road Fork Section - Buckeye Trail/ North Country Temporary Connector's on-road. But I ran into a problem and I think it's one with the smartphone's hardware. I use a suction cup windshield mount for my unit. At that point, I drive with two hands while it's filming and vocally note what intersections it's coming up on. The problem was with the length of one video segment. It was exceeding 1hr 15min and as it was recording, the size probably got too big for the hardware to handle and it dumped the video. I'll probably make these no larger then 40 minutes and put them together in Microsoft Movie Maker?
Yesterday, I did a little bit of sealing up some gaps from the outside to the inside of the motorhome with some spray foam. I had a bit of buildup on the can's straw and I'm impressed with how it's hardened up. And it does seem like it's got the ability to flex, too?
2018/10/15
Back, Hip Flexor Pain and OTC's
I got a new mattress and my back is recovering from yesterdays volunteerism building trail at Caldwell Lake better than I thought it would. But my right hip flexor is very sore and I'm sitting out today from the work week trying to recover. A volunteer told me to take some Advil, but I don't normaly pop pills for pain. My last bottle of pain relief, over the counter medicine expired in my cabinent. When I had my spleen taken out in the Army, the medical personnel said that I hardly used my morphine. And I told them it was because it wasnt doing anything for me, so I just sucked it up. But with how my back has been feeling, how distracting it is and how that was interrupting my day, I do have an OTC in the cabinent now (but have yet to take any).
2018/10/11
Power: LP Gas Sensor
The LP Gas sensor is getting some power, but in the millivolt range of my multimeter. It's definately more than when I touch the probes together. But why? Shouldn't it be at 12V? Anyways, this is a DC system and for all I know it's connected to the auxiliary generator, cab motor and converter not charging the auxiliary batteries, which apparently run the display panel with all the level indicators for things like the boondocking water and liquid propane gas tanks.
Motorhome: Replaced Bathroom GCFI Outlet (Again)
I replaced the GCFI outlet in the bathroom area of my motorhome. It's the first in series with the bedroom, kitchen counter and outdoor outlets on the same 15 amp circuit. I have a theory about the last replacement that I did there. What if my George Forman Grill was plugged into the microwave's 15A circuit, but the outlet was rated for 20A. And what if the grill is a 20A appliance which normally gets plugged in there, but when I changed the GCFI in the bathroom, which is rated for 15A and I plugged the grill into the then repaired 15 - 15 circuit and somehow damaged that outlet? But as far as I know, this shouldn't be?
There's one cord that goes to the 220V/ 30A receptical on the outside power box. This motorhome is only 24ft long and really doesn't need 50A service. One of the things that I want to do sometime is wire in an additional 20A outlet, but instead of installing it to the converter, I want to run a new power cord straight to to 120V receptical on the outdoor post.
One of these days, I'm going to draw a schematic of the electrical, gas and plumbing routes as I know them, or come to know them.
2018/10/10
New Faucet Installed: Bathtub
I installed a new faucet in my bathtub/ shower, but I reused the old shower hose and head. The new faucet flows better, but I think that there's some clogging in the old shower line? I do not understand how, but the electical reading for the propane is indicating a full tank. I have to do some electrical testing to the liquid propane/ explosive gas sensor just to see if it's getting any power to begin with? I'm unable to find battery powered replacements, so this is going to have to be wired to the converter. If I can figure out what's going on with it, the next task will be to determine what's going on with the hot water tank?
The sensor has an automatic shut off feature when it senses gas in the chassis.
The sensor has an automatic shut off feature when it senses gas in the chassis.
New Motorhome Toilet Valve Installed and Roof Update
I installed a new valve for my motorhome's Aqua Magic IV. The directions didn't state anything about the use of Teflon Tape, nor was there any on the previous valve. But put some on the new one anyways.
Also, there was a decent rain today. But the roof seams to have held up? However, with it parked on bags of gravel, the right side continues to sink. It's going to need a series of 4 leveling scissor jacks now.
Also, there was a decent rain today. But the roof seams to have held up? However, with it parked on bags of gravel, the right side continues to sink. It's going to need a series of 4 leveling scissor jacks now.
2018/10/09
New Hub Caps
The new hubcaps are on my 2008 Chevy HHR LS. The car is metallic blue (a dark blue) and the hung caps are grey. I don't like their color, but I got all four on clearance at Advanced Auto Parts in Woodsfield of Monroe County, which is where I live now. So seeing that I didnt have to travel an hour to get them and I only paid $10 for them, I'm happy. And if memory serves me right, they fit tighter than the last ones?
2018/10/08
Fixing Toilet: Uh Oh
I'm making repairs to the motorhome's toilet right now. The valve broke. But there is a piece of coat hanger wire that I snapped off from another compartment of the toilet. I think that I'm going to need to look at it outside when its day light. Right now, I think that I have it somewhat useable until the morning?
2018/10/04
Hotspot Downstream Conservation
I have an unlimited data plan on two devices with Verizon Wireless. But, the unlimited data with high speed bandwith only applies to my cellular devices. However, I have to use my "mobile hotspot" as the laptop's primary internet connection. It only has a 15 gigabytes downstream before Verizon Wireless downgrades my speed on it until the next billing cycle.
The files on my cloud services are huge and routinely syncronize. I've gone beyond 15GB inside of a week. So I'm uninstalling the Dropbox, One drive and Google's backup and sync. These are still necessary services, so what I'm going to do is tether my devices to my laptop. I can gain access from the laptop to their file systems via the tether. One once done, those services will reside on those devices were the band with remains at top speeds.
There is another thing that could be problematic, but I don't want to write about for the moment.
Roof Leak May Be Temporarily Fixed?
I believe I may have stopped the motorhome's roof leaking problems for now. I purchased two additional bags of gravel yesterday. Right now, it's pitched 2° downward towards the back and rolled more than that to the right (again). The next 3 days are looking like they'll be dry, so hopefully I can affect some repairs?
But the lifting of those bags over the past few days has aggravated my back muscle injury some. I've been thinking that it's getting to be about time that I started reporting this to my doctors? With my gym membership and its lower back machine, I hope to be back up and running for the 2020 maintenance season.
2018/09/28
Water Data Continued for ADT - Nevada
The re-organization of the water GIS data for the American Discovery Trail - Nevada continues. There are dozens of intermittent, or perennial ponds, particularly in the area of Lahontan Lake on Segment 5 of that state's turn-by-turn guide. I was able to determine their intermittence using the symbols as stated by my USGS Topo overlay in Google Earth. Those ponds and lakes must be eliminated in order for thru adventurer's to, perhaps, rely on the data for water resupply. You might say that this project is like bringing water to the desert, but it's more like finding it.
For those of you who don't know, there several methods for purifying water down trail The first is boiling. The second is with using water purification tablets, or drops. But for some of the information that I'm gathering, it maybe necessary to use a portable device to filter the water due to sediment and micro organisms which may be present in the water source?
I own a Katadyn Hiker Pro which is rated to filter 99.9% of protozoa cysts from a natural water source. At one point, Katadyn had a video of somebody filtering from a stagnant pond. There's a "rock, paper, scissors" to what I do. And being down trail is better than a desk. Sitting here in Ohio, I highly doubt that I'll be in Nevada anytime soon.
The idea to what I'm doing is to see to that ADT - Utah and Nevada can support multi-day hiking at roughly 10 miles per day. And that support entails water. It's resupply is a more intensive need. At some point, I'll have to go back through Utah and Nevada's water data and eliminate places that are on private property.
But I'm running out of time. Utah's state coordinator needs this data is whatever shape it's in two days. Then I have to affect a repair on my car on the third and resume Adventurer's Project's normal operation afterwards.
For those of you who don't know, there several methods for purifying water down trail The first is boiling. The second is with using water purification tablets, or drops. But for some of the information that I'm gathering, it maybe necessary to use a portable device to filter the water due to sediment and micro organisms which may be present in the water source?
I own a Katadyn Hiker Pro which is rated to filter 99.9% of protozoa cysts from a natural water source. At one point, Katadyn had a video of somebody filtering from a stagnant pond. There's a "rock, paper, scissors" to what I do. And being down trail is better than a desk. Sitting here in Ohio, I highly doubt that I'll be in Nevada anytime soon.
The idea to what I'm doing is to see to that ADT - Utah and Nevada can support multi-day hiking at roughly 10 miles per day. And that support entails water. It's resupply is a more intensive need. At some point, I'll have to go back through Utah and Nevada's water data and eliminate places that are on private property.
But I'm running out of time. Utah's state coordinator needs this data is whatever shape it's in two days. Then I have to affect a repair on my car on the third and resume Adventurer's Project's normal operation afterwards.
2018/09/25
Hydrography Download for ADT - Nevada and Re-Organization of Data
I already have the National Hydrography Dataset (concerning streams, brooks, creeks, runs, rivers, ponds, lakes and oceans) for the American Discovery Trail - Utah. But, it's been hell in a hand basket getting it for ADT - Nevada. But I found it. On https://catalog.data.gov/dataset/usgs-national-hydrography-dataset-nhd-downloadable-data-collection-national-geospatial-data-as, click once on the FTP "Download" option.
Now, I'm an IBM based computing expert and it didn't dawn on me until late that the next page was to an open File Transfer Protocol server. When I figured it out, I copied the address in the web browser, then I switched to Windows Explorer and pasted the location in it's address field. I use shapefiles and it seems that USGS has the National Hydrographic Dataset for Nevada in a ZIP file. Its somewhere in the ballpark of an 800MB download. My connection is slow for the time being, so it's looking like it's going to take over 2 hours?
I just sifted through my ADT data on Google Earth Pro today. I seems that I moved the campsite/ campground files? When the BTA GIS/ GPS Repository was still online, the tracks were downloadabale for free. That means that I had to split my BT data between items that could be found with that information verses things that could only be found in the map & guides that one has to purchase. ADT never had this information. My tracks are based on its copyrighted and proprietary turn-by-turn guides which never had this circumstance. Therefore, all information that's generated and based on them are closed (not open to the general public). And that's what I was compensating for. I was moving it's campsite/ campground data from the "open" folder to the "closed."
Now, I'm an IBM based computing expert and it didn't dawn on me until late that the next page was to an open File Transfer Protocol server. When I figured it out, I copied the address in the web browser, then I switched to Windows Explorer and pasted the location in it's address field. I use shapefiles and it seems that USGS has the National Hydrographic Dataset for Nevada in a ZIP file. Its somewhere in the ballpark of an 800MB download. My connection is slow for the time being, so it's looking like it's going to take over 2 hours?
I just sifted through my ADT data on Google Earth Pro today. I seems that I moved the campsite/ campground files? When the BTA GIS/ GPS Repository was still online, the tracks were downloadabale for free. That means that I had to split my BT data between items that could be found with that information verses things that could only be found in the map & guides that one has to purchase. ADT never had this information. My tracks are based on its copyrighted and proprietary turn-by-turn guides which never had this circumstance. Therefore, all information that's generated and based on them are closed (not open to the general public). And that's what I was compensating for. I was moving it's campsite/ campground data from the "open" folder to the "closed."
2018/09/17
Log Titles, 1,000th Entry and USGS Hydrography
Some of my log entry titles are written with a generic title and their date. They make up over 50% of my total entries. I had a task written to rename them all, but it would require shutting off the service that notifies Facebook when I post one. Since all those logs have to be updated, it's probably going to drive my Facebook profile wild when I do them.
I'm not comfortable doing it yet. And it's going to require a considerable amount of time. At the moment, the full speed of my mobile hotspots are either nearing, or exceeding their limits. That means that Verizon Wireless has downgraded my download speeds. I wanted to start working on the hydrography (streams, creeks, runs and rivers) for the American Discovery Trail - Utah and Nevada. But it's creeping by at just over dial-up Internet speeds. But I think I remember that these downloads from the United States Geological Survey are slow anyways?
And as an amendment to the previous entry, this is the 1,000th log for Treeman's Adventures & Volunteerism. According to the stats, it's has 23,186 pageviews at point.
I'm not comfortable doing it yet. And it's going to require a considerable amount of time. At the moment, the full speed of my mobile hotspots are either nearing, or exceeding their limits. That means that Verizon Wireless has downgraded my download speeds. I wanted to start working on the hydrography (streams, creeks, runs and rivers) for the American Discovery Trail - Utah and Nevada. But it's creeping by at just over dial-up Internet speeds. But I think I remember that these downloads from the United States Geological Survey are slow anyways?
And as an amendment to the previous entry, this is the 1,000th log for Treeman's Adventures & Volunteerism. According to the stats, it's has 23,186 pageviews at point.
2018/09/13
Change Spark Plugs and Fuel Leak
I changed the spark plugs to see if that was my problem with my 2008 Chevy HHR LS starting hard. What I can say is that the Seafoam that I put in the oil a while back really did the trick with plugging the break in the oil manifold gasket. The spark plugs were changed at the mileage on the odometer as pictured.
But I found the real problem... the Chevy sprang a leak in the driver's side gas line in front of the right rear wheel. Looks like I'll have to take care of that problem tomorrow?
But I found the real problem... the Chevy sprang a leak in the driver's side gas line in front of the right rear wheel. Looks like I'll have to take care of that problem tomorrow?
2018/09/12
Tailgate Release
I tried to wire the new harness and attach it to my 2008 Chevy HHR LS's electric tailgate release today, but it didn't work. I discovered that its 20amp fuse was in the wrong spot, but putting it in the right one didn't change anything. The next step is to change the its relay in Slot #18. But I took it out and didn't hear any rattling.
Motorhome Turned Over and Car Levels
After more than a week, the motorhome turned on and the engine is sounding like it should.
And I took my 2008 Chevy HHR LS for about a 40 mile drive in Far SE Ohio and the computer has yet to display another diagnostic code. Now that it's off, the battery is reading 12.2V when it's off and 14.8V when on. Both are in the normal range. I'm starting to suspect that the spark plugs are fouled?
The oil level looks good. But it might need a little Dexcool in the radiator reservoir. The brake fluid looks fine. And the milage on the odometer is 204,448 miles.
Chevy HHR Code and Right Rear Drum
My 2008 Chevy HHR LS was giving me a diagnostic code stating that there was something wrong with one of the environmental system. It said that it had a slight leak. I believe that I found it as the clamp on the hose from the air filter manifold to the engine block was loose. I tightened the clamp and reset the codes. I have a Bluetooth code reader that uses the "Torque" app on my Android based smartphone. I'll just have to see if it comes back on again and go through the troubleshooting steps if it does. When my app gives me a code, it comes up with recommended places to troubleshoot and web links.
Here at camp, there's been some funny "gasoline like smells" every time the wind blue. And there might be something going on with one of the gas lines near the right rear side of the car. But since I tightened up that clamp, there's only been a slight hint in the wind which leads me to believe that somebody either has gasoline uncovered somewhere, or somebody else is leaking, or spilling?
The rear right brake drum has been making a lot of noise. It sounds like metal against metal. But my foot position on the brake pedal seems to be too good for that and I believe that it has contaminates in it. I'm hoping that I can just spray some brake cleaner inside there and call it a day?
Here at camp, there's been some funny "gasoline like smells" every time the wind blue. And there might be something going on with one of the gas lines near the right rear side of the car. But since I tightened up that clamp, there's only been a slight hint in the wind which leads me to believe that somebody either has gasoline uncovered somewhere, or somebody else is leaking, or spilling?
The rear right brake drum has been making a lot of noise. It sounds like metal against metal. But my foot position on the brake pedal seems to be too good for that and I believe that it has contaminates in it. I'm hoping that I can just spray some brake cleaner inside there and call it a day?
2018/09/11
Changing the Motorhome's 110V/ 120V Receptacles
I was going to call it a day, but I got the nerve to replace another electrical outlet. I replaced the one in the main bed area to no avail. But I found the one that is a junction. I wanted 3 RV outlets, but Stoney's RV in Cambridge of Guersney County only had one in stock. So, I tried to replace the one at the junction from the one that I took out of the main bed area and that didn't work.
I have a catalog from Stoney's and I think I'll have to place an order for two RV type 110V/ 120V electrical outlets and one standard household one for the outside. My motorhome is 30 years old and it's just time for them to be replaced. I'm running my mini fridge on a high quality extension cord that I'm running out of the motorhome's driver's side vent window and into the 120V receptacle on the power box outside.
The motorhome's walls are too thin for electrical boxes like you'd see behind a typical house's 110V/ 120V power outlets. RV electric receptacles have this back plate that snaps on the main body. The wires go into slots. The wires and the slots are tough, so I learned today how to use a "C" clamp to make the two pieces snap together.
And in case you were wondering... I shut off the power before I started working on these.
In the future, I'd really like the converter to supply power to the auxiliary batteries. When I get that fixed, I can install a switch in the cab that would toggle between it's batteries and the auxiliaries. If I can do that, then my stereo, which has a remote control could be used from the chassis. It has a Bluetooth and auxiliary input jack, so I could connect the laptop, smartphone and tablet sound to it. I could also power the CB with the weather band radio to it without having to worry about draining the cab's batteries.
I have a catalog from Stoney's and I think I'll have to place an order for two RV type 110V/ 120V electrical outlets and one standard household one for the outside. My motorhome is 30 years old and it's just time for them to be replaced. I'm running my mini fridge on a high quality extension cord that I'm running out of the motorhome's driver's side vent window and into the 120V receptacle on the power box outside.
The motorhome's walls are too thin for electrical boxes like you'd see behind a typical house's 110V/ 120V power outlets. RV electric receptacles have this back plate that snaps on the main body. The wires go into slots. The wires and the slots are tough, so I learned today how to use a "C" clamp to make the two pieces snap together.
And in case you were wondering... I shut off the power before I started working on these.
In the future, I'd really like the converter to supply power to the auxiliary batteries. When I get that fixed, I can install a switch in the cab that would toggle between it's batteries and the auxiliaries. If I can do that, then my stereo, which has a remote control could be used from the chassis. It has a Bluetooth and auxiliary input jack, so I could connect the laptop, smartphone and tablet sound to it. I could also power the CB with the weather band radio to it without having to worry about draining the cab's batteries.
2018/09/10
Almost: Off-line Verizon Coverage Map
I almost found an off-line method of knowing whether one is in Verizon Wireless signal on the Buckeye Trail. I've been working with the "Verizon Cell and Data Coverage" layer on ArcGIS Earth. Then I got the idea that maybe there was a mobile edition and there was (Explorer for ArcGIS). I downloaded it on Android from the Google play store.
I had the sneaking suspicion that the same layer is available there and it was. Sometime after that, I shut off the "Mobile Data" on my tablet, restarted the program and the cell signal data wasn't available. I then tried to to find a way to download it for off-line use, but it seems that ArcGIS made that impossible?
Oh well. It would have been a very valuable tool for smartphone carrying hikers. But, I salvaged that session by plotting waypoints along the various highways and county roads that we have here in our sizable cellular signal gap (aka "The Gap"). I'll know now where the signal begins and ends, as well as a number of places that are off highway that are near by. I plan on using it if I ever get out to check on those flood levels I mentioned in the previous log.
I had the sneaking suspicion that the same layer is available there and it was. Sometime after that, I shut off the "Mobile Data" on my tablet, restarted the program and the cell signal data wasn't available. I then tried to to find a way to download it for off-line use, but it seems that ArcGIS made that impossible?
Oh well. It would have been a very valuable tool for smartphone carrying hikers. But, I salvaged that session by plotting waypoints along the various highways and county roads that we have here in our sizable cellular signal gap (aka "The Gap"). I'll know now where the signal begins and ends, as well as a number of places that are off highway that are near by. I plan on using it if I ever get out to check on those flood levels I mentioned in the previous log.
2018/09/09
Adventurer's Project's New Web Host & Flood Conditions
The web host (the service with the hard disk space that stores a website) for Adventurer's Project was changed today. I donated about $7 a month for paid service now. As a result, I had to change some settings on the http://www.adventurersohwv.info domain name. The Domain Name Server informed me that it would take 24 hours to fully resolve (link the domain name with the web hosting service).
Well, it's a hell of a day for that to happen because we're dealing flood conditions from a tropical storm now. Hopefully, it will be resolved tomorrow afternoon because we might have the remnants of hurricane coming in to follow up this tropical storm. And the website contains links to the various flood gauges along the Road Fork and Whipple Sections - Buckeye Trail (North Country concurrent).
We still have cellular data signal on Verizon Wireless in various places, particularly on the Duck Creek Corridor where the gauge in Macksburg of Washington County is starting to reach minor flood stage.
If the remnants of this next hurricane come to our area, my car might be in condition by then to watch these places flood? If I can see them doing this, I might be able to form a basis of comparison to the reported level at that sites versus nearest flood gauge? And I might be able to come up with some concrete answers as to what floods where? It's something that I've been meaning to do.
In the meantime, my location in Woodsfield of Monroe County is good. We've had lots of rain, but for the most part, it's too high to flood. In fact, I don't think there's even so much as a dry stream in this village?
Well, it's a hell of a day for that to happen because we're dealing flood conditions from a tropical storm now. Hopefully, it will be resolved tomorrow afternoon because we might have the remnants of hurricane coming in to follow up this tropical storm. And the website contains links to the various flood gauges along the Road Fork and Whipple Sections - Buckeye Trail (North Country concurrent).
We still have cellular data signal on Verizon Wireless in various places, particularly on the Duck Creek Corridor where the gauge in Macksburg of Washington County is starting to reach minor flood stage.
If the remnants of this next hurricane come to our area, my car might be in condition by then to watch these places flood? If I can see them doing this, I might be able to form a basis of comparison to the reported level at that sites versus nearest flood gauge? And I might be able to come up with some concrete answers as to what floods where? It's something that I've been meaning to do.
In the meantime, my location in Woodsfield of Monroe County is good. We've had lots of rain, but for the most part, it's too high to flood. In fact, I don't think there's even so much as a dry stream in this village?
2018/09/07
Change of Contact Information Complete
My change of address, email and phone number is complete. It took two evenings had to be done with 42 different entities.
2018/09/04
Today's Errands 09/04/2018
A couple days ago, I signed up for a membership at Midtown Fitness in Woodsfield of Monroe County. Today, I canceled my membership at the YMCA in Marietta of Washington County. While I was in the area, I purchased a used microwave on the Facebook Marketplace for $10.
I got some cleaning supplies and a case/ Bluetooth keyboard for my tablet. Since the Verizon Wireless, mobile hotspot that I'm using to send an Wi-Fi Internet signal has a 15GB limit, I'm planning on using the tablet now for Internet communications and entrainment like Pandora, or YouTube. If the data is used on my the tablet or smartphone only, then those have unlimited data.
My front overhead cabinets were screwed into the ceiling. But as I was driving my motorhome to this area, I heard what sounded like "broken glass." The windows are still in fine shape, but the top screws to this overhead cabinet stripped out of the ceiling. I got two pieces of 1/4in wooden molding strips. And I'm going to Gorilla glue them into place. I'll then screw those away from the stripped out holes, then rock the cabinet back and screw them into the strip.
While I was at the home improvement store, I purchased six bags of gravel to help level the motorhome's right side in my oil and gas campsite. About a week ago, I got my Rhino ramps out of storage and was going to use those to level the right rear duallies, but the gravel under the wheels isn't very good. I have leveling blocks back there now, but one on one tire. I didn't have enough blocks to level both on the right side duallies and the front tire. And with the air conditioning having been run for two months, all the water goes off to that side and has made it muddy at times. I felt that parking those wheels on bags of gravel was the best solution since that side of the motorhome needs to come up by a lot.
I was ahead of schedule today and was about to go out to eat when I realized that I could make the post office in Woodsfield of Monroe County in time to open a new PO Box. I zipped across the backcountry and got there in more than enough time. Because I've been through two of these in the recent past, I filled out two change of address forms. And for Adventurer's Project, I found out that this post office does in deed have a community cork board and I made a record of it. Before, I eliminated this location because I thought that it doesn't have one? The post office in Woodsfield is a general delivery location, but it's way off of the Road Fork Section - Buckeye Trail (North Country concurrent).
Now that I have a local PO Box, I can now order two new RV electrical outlets. These have special plastic backplates that fasten on to it. My guess is so something in the wall doesn't touch the wires in the backside and catch the motorhome on fire? Either that, or these don't need mounting plates, which could require more depth than a RV wall can accommodate?
Also, I need a new box of 20lb paper. The office supply stores around here are distant, like an hour in every direction. Out here, I'd rather make an Internet order and have it shipped. After I was at the post office, I had dinner at a nearby restaurant called "Traditions." It's an Ohio State Buckeyes themed restaurant. Then I went to the gym and got all my seating and equipment positions recorded in my workout spreadsheet on my smartphone. In recent years, I've worked on on weight machines, so getting the correct postures and proper range of motion is very essential to them working right.
I got some cleaning supplies and a case/ Bluetooth keyboard for my tablet. Since the Verizon Wireless, mobile hotspot that I'm using to send an Wi-Fi Internet signal has a 15GB limit, I'm planning on using the tablet now for Internet communications and entrainment like Pandora, or YouTube. If the data is used on my the tablet or smartphone only, then those have unlimited data.
My front overhead cabinets were screwed into the ceiling. But as I was driving my motorhome to this area, I heard what sounded like "broken glass." The windows are still in fine shape, but the top screws to this overhead cabinet stripped out of the ceiling. I got two pieces of 1/4in wooden molding strips. And I'm going to Gorilla glue them into place. I'll then screw those away from the stripped out holes, then rock the cabinet back and screw them into the strip.
While I was at the home improvement store, I purchased six bags of gravel to help level the motorhome's right side in my oil and gas campsite. About a week ago, I got my Rhino ramps out of storage and was going to use those to level the right rear duallies, but the gravel under the wheels isn't very good. I have leveling blocks back there now, but one on one tire. I didn't have enough blocks to level both on the right side duallies and the front tire. And with the air conditioning having been run for two months, all the water goes off to that side and has made it muddy at times. I felt that parking those wheels on bags of gravel was the best solution since that side of the motorhome needs to come up by a lot.
I was ahead of schedule today and was about to go out to eat when I realized that I could make the post office in Woodsfield of Monroe County in time to open a new PO Box. I zipped across the backcountry and got there in more than enough time. Because I've been through two of these in the recent past, I filled out two change of address forms. And for Adventurer's Project, I found out that this post office does in deed have a community cork board and I made a record of it. Before, I eliminated this location because I thought that it doesn't have one? The post office in Woodsfield is a general delivery location, but it's way off of the Road Fork Section - Buckeye Trail (North Country concurrent).
Now that I have a local PO Box, I can now order two new RV electrical outlets. These have special plastic backplates that fasten on to it. My guess is so something in the wall doesn't touch the wires in the backside and catch the motorhome on fire? Either that, or these don't need mounting plates, which could require more depth than a RV wall can accommodate?
Also, I need a new box of 20lb paper. The office supply stores around here are distant, like an hour in every direction. Out here, I'd rather make an Internet order and have it shipped. After I was at the post office, I had dinner at a nearby restaurant called "Traditions." It's an Ohio State Buckeyes themed restaurant. Then I went to the gym and got all my seating and equipment positions recorded in my workout spreadsheet on my smartphone. In recent years, I've worked on on weight machines, so getting the correct postures and proper range of motion is very essential to them working right.
2018/09/03
Motorhome Air Conditioner
I'm unsure what the temperature was inside the motorhome today. But I'm in a gravel pit, oil & gas campsite in Far SE Ohio. There aren't any trees around it, so it's constantly exposed to the sun. The outdoor temperature today was about 91°F and the UV index was very high at 8 out of 11+. Under these conditions, the air conditioner wasn't really keeping up. I applied antiperspirant and still my arm pits were sweating. When the outdoor temperature dropped to 88°F, the motorhome became more comfortable.
Trail Promotion Flier Routes
Adventurer's Project's trail promotion flier strategy consists of three loops, three areas and six routes covering about 13 of it's 14 counties. The remaining county is where only 3/4ths of one township is closer to the Whipple Section, which is covered by the project. For the most part, it's been seeded to Little Cities of the Forest Chapter of the Buckeye Trail Association.
The bad news is that I went through the post office lobby and library hours and determined a "least common denominator" as far as what days they're not open. Until things change (like if these least common denominator locations is eliminated due to lack of flier support), two of those routes can only be executed on Monday's only.
The bad news is that I went through the post office lobby and library hours and determined a "least common denominator" as far as what days they're not open. Until things change (like if these least common denominator locations is eliminated due to lack of flier support), two of those routes can only be executed on Monday's only.
Laptop Hard Disk Space
I wanted to resume work on my trail promotion routes for Adventurer's Project, but I noticed that my hard disk drive was almost full. So, I got a pie chart and there was 500GB of back-up files on there. Apparently, some must have made their way over from The Robot, or my back-up location. I deleted them and I hope that the laptop's on-board software aren't installing them there?
2018/09/02
Digital Mapping
One things that Adventurer's Project does is supports the Buckeye Trail Association. The chapters are requested to take on the mission of the BTA with providing outdoor recreation, education and access to the varied natural resources according to http://www.buckeyetrail.org/chapters.php.
I interpret that as the chapters could appoint a digital cartographer to be a liaison to the Digital Mapping Subcommittee. In our efforts, I would appoint myself at the moment. Our digital cartography is already pretty far along.
One of the things that I'm working on is getting waypoints for everything mentioned in the Road Fork Section - Buckeye Trail (North Country concurrent) map & guides. When they were published in those paper documents, their distances mentioned were measured by a surveyor's wheel. As I understand, there's no digital equivalent for their positions yet. Whipple's are already done.
I used Google Earth Pro's internet search and satellite imagery to plot as many places as I could find from the desk. Then I made a list of the ones that I didn't find so that later, I could go down trail and waypoint them in person with a dedicated GPS.
Adventurer's Project's Facebook Page
The Facebook pages for the Buckeye, North Country and American Discovery Trails are set up to appear on 4th, 11th and 18th of every month on Adventurer's Project's Facebook page.
2018/09/01
USB Keyboard, Mobile Hotspot, Motorhome Needs, Weed Whacker Retrofit, Maintenance Day at the Ring Mill
I found the USB fob for my wireless keyboard and touchpad. Normally, I wrap cling wrap around it and use this for automotive reasons when my hands get dirty. But if all goes right, this should work with my tablet when I get a tether cable for it? I'm really glad that I found it. This should save some money? I can't order that until I get my PO box changed to my local post office. Tomorrow being Sunday, Monday is Labor Day, so, changing it will have to wait until Tuesday.
A few days ago, I got a warning that my 15GB allotment for mobile hotspot (using my cellular devices for an Internet connection to my laptop) was down to 10% and wont recycle for another 5 days from now. I figured that I could stop listening to YouTube videos on my laptop when I'm doing computer work. Instead, I can listen to them and do most of my communications on the tablet, which has an unlimited connection.
I don't have a coffee shop anywhere within 30 miles of where I live. And I needed to do some GPS mapping work on Google Earth, which needs an Internet connection to be fully functional. So, I went to my local McDonald's, but there's something odd on their server that was kicking out an erroneous certificate. Turns out that I just had to use that 10% of hotspot that I had left.
I might as well spend Tuesday in the Marietta area. I need about 3 bags of gravel to help stabilize my motorhome here in my oil & gas campsite. The ground underneath it needs gravel and has sunk my rear wheels stabilizing blocks into the mud. I have two of my automotive ramps here, but the mud is just going to sink those, too. It would take a heavy steel plate under those, which could be pricey? The right side needs to come up a lot. So, I'm just going to run the right side duallies right up on the bags and see what that does?
My back problems are muscle related. And my doctors have been wanting me to strengthen it with a back machine at a gym for years. Considering how maintenance has gone so far, I'm going to take them up on it. Since I'm pretty much settled in Woodsfield, I joined the local Midtown Gym, which is in walking distance from where I live, but so is any place in Woodsfield :-)).
I retrofitted my personally owned professional weed whacker. Many weed whackers on the Buckeye
Trail are property of the BTA, so I make sure that I state this clearly so some people don't get any funny ideas. It has bicycle handles on it for greater swinging ability. But I added a residential handle to it to improve my stability when walking down trail steeply. I believe that my other hand could be used for stability because there's some places where the Whipple and Road Fork Section's off-road could get treacherous for someone carrying a weed whacker?
I purchased a new outlet for the motorhome's bedroom. I wanted to replace the one next to the sink, but the RV store didn't have another one in stock. But I might get lucky like I did the last time where if I replace one, the other two will come on.
At the hardware store, I purchased 28 snap fasteners for the overhead bunk curtains that I'm making out of the surplus felt, which I used to make my trail promotion backdrop. I really need 48 for this project, but I'll have to make due for now. Two of the overhead bunk windows are oddly shaped.
The remaining two are at an angle. My walls were replaced with pitted hard plastic, so stick on Velcro is out of consideration. The male end of the snap fasteners will screw in.
The maintenance event at the Ring Mill failed as nobody showed up. But if there's lessons to be learned, one might be to get in contact with the land owner on the north east side of OH-26 and Jericho Low Gap Road (I believe that it's in Benton Township of Monroe County). The weeds were so tall on that corner that it was blocking Jericho Low Gap's sign. Many people in Monroe County are unfamiliar with where the trail is in it's south.
There's a ford on Jericho Low Gap that could get too flooded for cars with a lower suspension. Honestly, having the event at the Lamping Homestead Recreation Area would have been better had the highway between there and OH-26 not been shut down for so long. There just wasn't a good alternate way for most people from most of Monroe County to get there and Lamping just wasn't an option. But for a hike, it is now.
A few days ago, I got a warning that my 15GB allotment for mobile hotspot (using my cellular devices for an Internet connection to my laptop) was down to 10% and wont recycle for another 5 days from now. I figured that I could stop listening to YouTube videos on my laptop when I'm doing computer work. Instead, I can listen to them and do most of my communications on the tablet, which has an unlimited connection.
I don't have a coffee shop anywhere within 30 miles of where I live. And I needed to do some GPS mapping work on Google Earth, which needs an Internet connection to be fully functional. So, I went to my local McDonald's, but there's something odd on their server that was kicking out an erroneous certificate. Turns out that I just had to use that 10% of hotspot that I had left.
I might as well spend Tuesday in the Marietta area. I need about 3 bags of gravel to help stabilize my motorhome here in my oil & gas campsite. The ground underneath it needs gravel and has sunk my rear wheels stabilizing blocks into the mud. I have two of my automotive ramps here, but the mud is just going to sink those, too. It would take a heavy steel plate under those, which could be pricey? The right side needs to come up a lot. So, I'm just going to run the right side duallies right up on the bags and see what that does?
My back problems are muscle related. And my doctors have been wanting me to strengthen it with a back machine at a gym for years. Considering how maintenance has gone so far, I'm going to take them up on it. Since I'm pretty much settled in Woodsfield, I joined the local Midtown Gym, which is in walking distance from where I live, but so is any place in Woodsfield :-)).
I retrofitted my personally owned professional weed whacker. Many weed whackers on the Buckeye
Trail are property of the BTA, so I make sure that I state this clearly so some people don't get any funny ideas. It has bicycle handles on it for greater swinging ability. But I added a residential handle to it to improve my stability when walking down trail steeply. I believe that my other hand could be used for stability because there's some places where the Whipple and Road Fork Section's off-road could get treacherous for someone carrying a weed whacker?
I purchased a new outlet for the motorhome's bedroom. I wanted to replace the one next to the sink, but the RV store didn't have another one in stock. But I might get lucky like I did the last time where if I replace one, the other two will come on.
At the hardware store, I purchased 28 snap fasteners for the overhead bunk curtains that I'm making out of the surplus felt, which I used to make my trail promotion backdrop. I really need 48 for this project, but I'll have to make due for now. Two of the overhead bunk windows are oddly shaped.
The remaining two are at an angle. My walls were replaced with pitted hard plastic, so stick on Velcro is out of consideration. The male end of the snap fasteners will screw in.
The maintenance event at the Ring Mill failed as nobody showed up. But if there's lessons to be learned, one might be to get in contact with the land owner on the north east side of OH-26 and Jericho Low Gap Road (I believe that it's in Benton Township of Monroe County). The weeds were so tall on that corner that it was blocking Jericho Low Gap's sign. Many people in Monroe County are unfamiliar with where the trail is in it's south.
There's a ford on Jericho Low Gap that could get too flooded for cars with a lower suspension. Honestly, having the event at the Lamping Homestead Recreation Area would have been better had the highway between there and OH-26 not been shut down for so long. There just wasn't a good alternate way for most people from most of Monroe County to get there and Lamping just wasn't an option. But for a hike, it is now.
2018/08/29
Geotagged Trail Promotion Photos 08/29/2018
I spent some time today re-organizing Adventurer's Project's data. When I was on trail promotion two days ago, I took some geotagged photos of the various cork boards and rack card/ brochure posting opportunities to replace the icons at those locations. The photos were exported to Google Earth Pro and are overlaid with just about any of my previous data. Those photos have more information than just the icons. It displays its size and measures its traffic.
2018/08/28
Washington County Loop
I completed posting fliers on Adventurer's Project's Washington County Loop. But I better not sleep on my back tonight because its giving me hell for walking around a little bit in the Village of Beverly.
2018/08/25
The Difficulty With 8am Event Start Times
Considering the lack of freeways in Far SE Ohio, Adventurer's Project's 14 county coverage is too big and vast for 8am start times. Right now, I'm thinking that if the project is to promote events like this, it will need to come up with both the options to camp and have a second shift on a Saturday from 11am to 6pm to support local volunteers who only want to help on one day?
This is in reference of the Road Fork Work Week between October 13th - 17th at Caldwell Lake in Noble County. But I also had this difficulty with the previous Work Week back in July. The addition of the second shift might also help those wishing to commute in for a day from other places in the state.
Printer Troubleshooting
I was having trouble with my 20 year old HP Laserjet 4000tn on Windows 10. No matter the quantity that I wanted to print, it was only printing one page upon command. The few help posts that I read wasn't really fixing anything here. So, I dove into my basic computer repair skills. When I was in business, it was mostly in-home and I didn't have too much experience with printer issues. But I tinkered around and found that the "collate" option under the quantity in the print menu had to be disabled. Once I did that, I executed a quantity of 50 prints successfully.
2018/08/24
Flier, Rack Card and Brochure Posting Opportunities
Not including speaking engagements, this is the total preliminary count for flier, rack card and brochure posting opportunities in the 14 county area that Adventurer's Project covers. The gas stations are the most theoretical and that number should start coming down when I drive out to those places find that it doesn't have flier support. But what I can tell you is that it isn't much more than that number.
Post Offices :
17 near the trails
94 beyond 3 & 4 miles from the trail
111 total post offices
Libraries:
5 near the trails
27 beyond 3 & 4 miles from the trail
32 total libraries
Gas Stations:
254 count
Grociers:
64 count
Coffee Houses:
11 count
Miscellanous Posting Opportunities:
18 catloged
High Capasity Flier Location:
6 catloged
Rack Card/ Brochure Locations
14 count
Post Offices :
17 near the trails
94 beyond 3 & 4 miles from the trail
111 total post offices
Libraries:
5 near the trails
27 beyond 3 & 4 miles from the trail
32 total libraries
Gas Stations:
254 count
Grociers:
64 count
Coffee Houses:
11 count
Miscellanous Posting Opportunities:
18 catloged
High Capasity Flier Location:
6 catloged
Rack Card/ Brochure Locations
14 count
PIcasa & Google Earth
I've always used Picasa to embed photos into waypoints in Google Earth. But Picasa has been discontinued for years. I found a download for it, imported my photos, but it needed a previous version of Google Earth, the free version to work. When Google Earth 7.0 opened up, I see it found my My Places from Pro. I sure hope it didn't taint my original work?
But I got my geotags to work. As far as trail promotion, there are only 60 of them. If there were more, I'm sure that they are lost?
But I got my geotags to work. As far as trail promotion, there are only 60 of them. If there were more, I'm sure that they are lost?
2018/08/23
Data Transfer
I was go to bed, but I decided to digest the data that I transferred out of The Robot. What happened is that I was trying to setup a home cloud and I couldn't get it done because my old Internet gateway didnt have the features necessary to do it. When I left, I forgot to transfer the files to my laptop. I also didnt back up the My Places on The Robot. As a result, The Robot had some things and the Laptop had others.
Getting back to Home Port on the fly isn't exactly simple these days. And I've been miss missing the geotagged photos that I've already taken. Some of them display flier posting opportunities that I've collected in the previous 2 years.
I think I have them now? They'll be used to try and estimate how many fliers I'll need coming up on Adventurer's Project's marketing routes.
Back Problems 08/23/2018
My back is still giving me problems. This time, I didn't wake up with the pain. I went grocery shopping yesterday and forgot to get some Tylenol. Now, that's going to have to wait about a week. I have to get into a stretching routine twice daily because my issues are muscle related going back to the Night From Hell
The problem from back then was I had no choice but to push myself way beyond my design parameters that day. I wouldn't have ordinarily done this without sufficient testing of my abilities. By way of testing back then, I was only rated for an absolute maximum of 32 miles in one day on flat terrain.
The first test was on a loop using a portion of the Pemberville Section - Buckeye Trail. That was 31 miles in 10 hours, 04 minutes and 28 seconds. I then had to notch it up to 32 when I was on the International Appalachian Trail - Newfoundland and Labrador when I had to make a regional bus stop on time. Normally, I hiked in the ball park of 20 mile days.
On the Night From Hell, I prepositioned my bicycle and scheduled a 24 mile day hiking. The bike ride back was supposed to be about 12 miles. I started late and my hike took me past dusk. Road Fork Section - Buckeye Trail (North Country concurrent, during that time) wasn't maintained well and I didn't trust it. I've had plenty of off-road night hiking experience. And at night, it's slower. There's also optical illusions out there. Even the most powerful flashlights can't display certain depths right (like inside of a rut).
I executed two contingencies that evening that added mileage on foot. For me, it works out to be 1:2 or 3 in hilly terrain and 1:4 on flat terrain. The rear rim on the bike was so out of true that I couldn't ride it much more, so I had to walk it on-foot for about 6 miles. The bike has a drivetrain that spreads out the load on a person's stamina. In total, it turned out to be a 54 mile day, 44 of those were on-foot.
The problem from back then was I had no choice but to push myself way beyond my design parameters that day. I wouldn't have ordinarily done this without sufficient testing of my abilities. By way of testing back then, I was only rated for an absolute maximum of 32 miles in one day on flat terrain.
The first test was on a loop using a portion of the Pemberville Section - Buckeye Trail. That was 31 miles in 10 hours, 04 minutes and 28 seconds. I then had to notch it up to 32 when I was on the International Appalachian Trail - Newfoundland and Labrador when I had to make a regional bus stop on time. Normally, I hiked in the ball park of 20 mile days.
On the Night From Hell, I prepositioned my bicycle and scheduled a 24 mile day hiking. The bike ride back was supposed to be about 12 miles. I started late and my hike took me past dusk. Road Fork Section - Buckeye Trail (North Country concurrent, during that time) wasn't maintained well and I didn't trust it. I've had plenty of off-road night hiking experience. And at night, it's slower. There's also optical illusions out there. Even the most powerful flashlights can't display certain depths right (like inside of a rut).
I executed two contingencies that evening that added mileage on foot. For me, it works out to be 1:2 or 3 in hilly terrain and 1:4 on flat terrain. The rear rim on the bike was so out of true that I couldn't ride it much more, so I had to walk it on-foot for about 6 miles. The bike has a drivetrain that spreads out the load on a person's stamina. In total, it turned out to be a 54 mile day, 44 of those were on-foot.
2018/08/22
Bath/ Shower - Motorhome
I took my first bath/shower in the motorhome today. Turns out that I need a new faucet in there because the shower mode that pull up on it won't stay up. Maybe that's the way it's supposed to be? After all, this thing does have a tank and is meant for boondocking.
Canceled Events - Adventurer's Project
Without a manned trail promotion in Parkersburg and upcoming personal circumstances, the following events are canceled:
Scheduled Shuttle Service
during the Ohio Sternwheel Festival
September 8 and 9, 2018
Mid- Ohio Valley Introductory Hike
needs to be canceled because our audience isn't yet established in the Mid-Ohio Valley
My stand alone thru hike of The Wilderness Loop which was to be in October.
But, I'll be working on some getting some more trail promotion for Adventurer's Project in the upcoming days.
Scheduled Shuttle Service
during the Ohio Sternwheel Festival
September 8 and 9, 2018
Mid- Ohio Valley Introductory Hike
needs to be canceled because our audience isn't yet established in the Mid-Ohio Valley
My stand alone thru hike of The Wilderness Loop which was to be in October.
But, I'll be working on some getting some more trail promotion for Adventurer's Project in the upcoming days.
2018/08/19
Data Transfer Aug. 19, 2018
Systems maintenance is complete. I'm now trying to move mapping and photo files from my network area storage to my laptop. Only that I have to back in Woodsfield by 11am for a meeting. Those files are extensive, so I saved the My Places from Google Earth on The Robot to the laptop and I'm transferring the pictures there now. There's over 8 gigabytes of photos that have to go through the router. I don't think that I have a flash drive on-board that could handle it. I even forgot to pack the motorhome's smartphone USB cable. That could have made it faster?
I tried taking the hard disk out of the network area storage and tried plugging it directly into the laptop with a kit that I have, but Windows couldn't read the drive's formatting. The drive back to Woodsfield is about 3 - 1/2 hours because I'm taking my mini fridge down there on a trailer with wheels that max out at 55MPH. I hope to get enough sleep?
What's special about these photos is that I might be able to use them for Adventurer's Project's Internet media. We've had a shortage recently. Most of my photos are for the Whipple Section and they're mostly maintenance ones, taken of a tree down, or some other issue. At the moment, we may not have many photos taken in the best of circumstances and know where they are???
Adventurer's Project's Facebook page is young. It's perhaps a struggle to keep it's content fresh and the way to survive a winter is with plenty of photos.
I tried taking the hard disk out of the network area storage and tried plugging it directly into the laptop with a kit that I have, but Windows couldn't read the drive's formatting. The drive back to Woodsfield is about 3 - 1/2 hours because I'm taking my mini fridge down there on a trailer with wheels that max out at 55MPH. I hope to get enough sleep?
What's special about these photos is that I might be able to use them for Adventurer's Project's Internet media. We've had a shortage recently. Most of my photos are for the Whipple Section and they're mostly maintenance ones, taken of a tree down, or some other issue. At the moment, we may not have many photos taken in the best of circumstances and know where they are???
Adventurer's Project's Facebook page is young. It's perhaps a struggle to keep it's content fresh and the way to survive a winter is with plenty of photos.
Systems Maintenance
I'm back at Home Port today visiting relatives. In the meantime, I'm performing much needed maintenance on the computer systems. There's also a number of mapping and photo files that I need.
2018/08/18
Correction on Yeti Cooler
My Yeti cooler is not 134 quarts. It's only 125. Its still big and still melts 10lbs of ice daily in my motorhome under mixed conditions, including 8 - 10 hours in air conditioning bringing down its temperature to roughly 68°F - 72°F.
2018/08/17
Fuel Injector Cleaner
Fuel injector cleaner was added to the fuel up a fill up in my 2008 Chevy HHR LS, but I do not know what the mileage was when it went in.
Lightning, Event Rescheduled
The Trail Maintenance Day at the Ring Mill in the Marietta Unit of The Wayne (National Forest) in Monroe County, to take place on the Road Fork Section - Buckeye Trail (North Country National Scenic Trail concurrent), Points 21 - 23 that was scheduled for tomorrow (Saturday, August 18th, 2018) has been rescheduled to Saturday, September 1st, 2018 due to lightning in the forecast.
2018/08/13
Partial Tune-up: 2008 Chevy HHR
I changed the oil, air filter, cabin air filter and the gas vapor recycler in my 2008 Chevy HHR LS at the mileage displayed above. The gas vapor recycler was so easy to replace that it didn't even need any tools. I then used Torque Pro and Wi-Fi OBD II module to clear the fault codes. For right now, the only thing that remains lit on the dashboard is a "Tire Service Monitor." This Chevy breaks tire pressure monitors (TPM's) like crazy. The last that I knew, they were $75 a piece and they always break on the right rear rim. I haven't kept up with my tire rotations and I think that I blew a belt in that tire? But I think it will get me by until next month?
The HHR was driven and arrived back at home at the mileage above. The power improved, but I wasn't able to get a reading from the oil dip stick until I took the front end off of the ramps and ran it for about 5 minutes. It spooked me for a minute as I went back over my steps, confirmed that the oil pan bolt was secured properly and there wasn't anything other than typical residue around the engine mounted oil tube. I lowed the car on the basis that it had to be there. But this isn't the first time that I got confused with Houdini engine oil in this car. But it showed up. I think that I need a new dip stick because the one that I have is corroded and confusing me when the oil is clean?
Accelerating in any gear was more smooth. But this car is still pending a clutch replacement and there's a little slippage from that, but not as much as before with the old gas vapor recycler. Considering that my dashboard computer display takes readings from multiple sensors that give me my fuel range and economy readings, I don't think that the new recycler is going to do much to improve what it already had?
Accelerating in any gear was more smooth. But this car is still pending a clutch replacement and there's a little slippage from that, but not as much as before with the old gas vapor recycler. Considering that my dashboard computer display takes readings from multiple sensors that give me my fuel range and economy readings, I don't think that the new recycler is going to do much to improve what it already had?
I still have yet to clean the fuel injectors. The HHR is about about 3/4 of a tank right now and I'll try to remember to do it when I refuel. At this time, the engine is still going strong for it having been driven over 200K miles.
2018/08/12
Supply Depot
I dropped off the trail promotion supplies. The supply depot is further south than the trail and Woodsfield is 20 minutes from it on the north side. It's a 114 mile round trip on mostly rural highways and I don't like making it unless I really have to.
2018/08/11
River's, Trail's and Trail's Expo
Yesterday, Adventurer's Project was being promoted at the Rivers, Trails and Ales (RTA) Expo in Marietta of Washington County. I was there from 6 - 8pm. Adventurer's Project picked up 2 new supporters, there were those who came by that have already covered the trails and I spoke to a few people.
Need to have support in order to get support? Trail promotion has been a chicken and the egg like problem lately. At the moment, many things look like we just need to increase our base of support and that flier deployment seems like the inescapable answer?
Need to have support in order to get support? Trail promotion has been a chicken and the egg like problem lately. At the moment, many things look like we just need to increase our base of support and that flier deployment seems like the inescapable answer?
2018/08/09
Bathroom Outlet Works
I just discovered that the bathroom outlet works. That makes three, but I need to get an outdoor spring loaded door for it because it's right behind the toilet. And I found the lens cap for the outside light. I'll probably have to change its socket since it's been exposed and corroding for years? But the screws are still in it. I've got it soaking in the kitchen sink because it's got some kind of substance on it.
Microwave and Overhead Table Outlet
My motorhome's microwave AC outlet is working now. I just had to replace the outlet. And now the outlet over the table is working somehow, but the one at the side of the kitchen sink and the master bed still doesn't.
I've been using a heavy duty extention cord lately to connect my hotplate. It can be done, but with caution. Since I mounted the microwave outlet towards the front, its compartment is right over the stove where the hotplate sits on a cast iron slate on the liquid propane burners. Currently, I don't have any propane at the moment, so theres no harm with it being there.
I discovered that the overhead table, kitchen side and master bed outlets are special because they have a special backplate that protects things from protruding on to the wires. The outlet that I got for the overhead (because it was dead before) is for a house and won't work in the motorhome.
Sewage Outtake, Pressure Regulator, New Bike Seat and My Back
The new stands for my outtake tube are in place from my motorhome's sewage. The pressure regulator is on the village water port, but even with the teflon tape, it's still dripping. And a new noiseless seat is on my mountain bike.
My back is still aching and this is day 2. I may have to forgo the showers at the YMCA for some Tylenol and a back machine at the local gym?
2018/08/08
Adventurer's Project Sinage
Adventurer's Project is starting to need some event signage. My idea is that we'll need 4 pieces of ply, 2x4's and some hinges (I don't know what width yet) to make something like 2 A-frame signs. Now what my idea goes on to say is that our most common message will be painted on them. As for anything else, the signs could be the same dimensions as a twin size mattress. And that somehow we could use a fitted sheet with a screen printed image for other messages?
2018/08/07
Yeti Cooler
I believe that my Yeti cooler has a 134 quart capacity. It takes 110lbs of ice to fill it (5 large bags). In SE Ohio in the month of August, at full capacity, the ice melted at a rate of 10lbs a day. The cooler is stored in my motorhome. The air conditioning is on for 10 to 16 hours a day.
There's a package of pork in there now. As of yesterday, it has yet to change color.
2018/08/05
Reorganizing GPS Data, Trail Conditions, DR Mower
It just took hours to re-organize my GPS data. The directory for Adventurer's Project is getting bigger. I just mapped out the known bad roads that could access the Buckeye Trail (North Country concurrent) in the Marietta Unit of The Wayne (National Forest). I know where some of the fords are and I know what roads not to take with an RV.
At present, there are still 13 known obstructions, or trees down on the trail. There are at least 8 areas that still need weed whacking, but most of them are brief. They look like they were places in the middle of a segment where residential weed whackers gave out and quit for the day. Some of it looks like somebody might have just ran them right over the centerline of the trail without swinging to get the 4ft width.
Benching is another story. The work crews tell me that it's probably not worth getting a DR Mower for this area. But in working with Road Fork Section's (volunteer) supervisor, I weed whacked everything he said the DR couldn't access and in my opinion, a lot of those areas just need short stretches to be benched wider (leveling the roll of a hill side).
At present, there are still 13 known obstructions, or trees down on the trail. There are at least 8 areas that still need weed whacking, but most of them are brief. They look like they were places in the middle of a segment where residential weed whackers gave out and quit for the day. Some of it looks like somebody might have just ran them right over the centerline of the trail without swinging to get the 4ft width.
Benching is another story. The work crews tell me that it's probably not worth getting a DR Mower for this area. But in working with Road Fork Section's (volunteer) supervisor, I weed whacked everything he said the DR couldn't access and in my opinion, a lot of those areas just need short stretches to be benched wider (leveling the roll of a hill side).
2018/08/01
Playing the numbers and project plan
The point at which Adventurer's Project starts procuring new volunteers is the point where I can make an estimate regarding how long it will take to make the Road Fork and Whipple Sections have more sustainable maintenance crews. At the moment, I don't have any answers. But I do think it's getting to be time that I revise Adventurer's Project's overall plan, but I don't see that happening for over a month.
2018/07/30
Trail Promotion Routes and Total Mileage
Adventurer's Project's flier, rack card and brochure routes are split into 6 so far and total at 627 miles. It's probably unlikely that we'll cover them all in the short term?
2018/07/29
Adventurer's Project's Facebook Page
The Facebook page for Adventurer's Project, promoting the Road Fork and Whipple Section of the Buckeye Trail (North Country concurrent) and the American Discovery Trail in the Mid-Ohio Valley is at https://www.facebook.com/AdventurersOHWV/.
Adventurer's Project's primary coverage area is:
Washington County of Ohio
Most of Monroe County, Ohio
Part of Noble County, Ohio
Ritchie County, WV
Wood County, WV
It's secondary coverage area is
The Eastern 2/3rds of Center Township of Morgan County, Ohio
The southern 2/3rd of Marshall County, West Virginia (including Moundsville)
Wirt County, West Virginia
Tyler County, West Virginia
Pleasants County, West Virginia
Wirt County, West Virginia
Jackson County, West Virginia
Roane County, West Virginia
Calhoun County, West Virginia
Adventurer's Project's primary coverage area is:
Washington County of Ohio
Most of Monroe County, Ohio
Part of Noble County, Ohio
Ritchie County, WV
Wood County, WV
It's secondary coverage area is
The Eastern 2/3rds of Center Township of Morgan County, Ohio
The southern 2/3rd of Marshall County, West Virginia (including Moundsville)
Wirt County, West Virginia
Tyler County, West Virginia
Pleasants County, West Virginia
Wirt County, West Virginia
Jackson County, West Virginia
Roane County, West Virginia
Calhoun County, West Virginia
Paper Maps Covering Road Fork and Whipple Sections and North Country Challenge 2018
Adventurer's Project's local audience was notified today of the 100 and 50 mile challenges for 2018 from the North Country Trail Association. They were also informed of the various recreational maps covering this area, but due to inaccuracies and certain portions of the trail being cut off on one that the National Forest Service issues for The Wayne (National Forest), the Road Fork and Whipple Section maps from the Buckeye Trail Association are best for this area.
Adventurer's Project Website
Adventurer's Project's website is at
http://www.adventurersohwv.info
Adventurer's Project's primary coverage area is:
Washington County of Ohio
Most of Monroe County, Ohio
Part of Noble County, Ohio
Ritchie County, WV
Wood County, WV
It's secondary coverage area is
The Eastern 2/3rds of Center Township of Morgan County, Ohio
The southern 2/3rd of Marshall County, West Virginia (including Moundsville)
Wirt County, West Virginia
Tyler County, West Virginia
Pleasants County, West Virginia
Wirt County, West Virginia
Jackson County, West Virginia
Roane County, West Virginia
Calhoun County, West Virginia
http://www.adventurersohwv.info
Adventurer's Project's primary coverage area is:
Washington County of Ohio
Most of Monroe County, Ohio
Part of Noble County, Ohio
Ritchie County, WV
Wood County, WV
It's secondary coverage area is
The Eastern 2/3rds of Center Township of Morgan County, Ohio
The southern 2/3rd of Marshall County, West Virginia (including Moundsville)
Wirt County, West Virginia
Tyler County, West Virginia
Pleasants County, West Virginia
Wirt County, West Virginia
Jackson County, West Virginia
Roane County, West Virginia
Calhoun County, West Virginia
2018/07/27
Task Lists & Lamping Cemetery
I went through everything in my task lists. They really weren't that long. Some things had to be reassigned to October. I scheduled two local work days for 18 and 19 August.
I just got a response back from the Monroe County Historical Society stating that the "Indian Mound" that is listed in the USGS Topo Map near the pond at the Lamping Homestead Recreation Area in the Marietta Unit of The Wayne (National Forest) was found not to be a native American burial ground at all. Still, Lamping Cemetery, which sits on top of that hill, is old and creepy itself.
I just got a response back from the Monroe County Historical Society stating that the "Indian Mound" that is listed in the USGS Topo Map near the pond at the Lamping Homestead Recreation Area in the Marietta Unit of The Wayne (National Forest) was found not to be a native American burial ground at all. Still, Lamping Cemetery, which sits on top of that hill, is old and creepy itself.
2018/07/21
Great Blue Heron and Rest Day
I saw a Great Blue Heron in the Little Muskingum River Flats on the Whipple Section - Buckeye Trail (North Countey current) yesterday. It was truly a surprise. It's my favorite bird in Ohio because it's so solitary most of the time.
I was down there weed whacking about half of the flat's 1.1 miles. Between that and weed whacking places that are impossible for the DR Mower to reach, I had to take a day off today. Yesterday when I got out of the car to meet the Road Fork/ Whipple Work Week crew, I was light headed and felt a surge to my brain like none before. I didnt eat lunch on both days, so I was probably having low blood sugar mixed with fatigue. Now, I know better.
Those flats once took a crew of 4 about 40 man hours to weed whack. I got half it done in about 6. I'm 6'6 and I think that my swing and the disposition of my weed whacked engine have something to do with it?
2018/07/17
American Discovery Trail Promotion, Similarities, My Profile
I got permission to promote the American Discovery Trail at any of Adventurer's Project's events until December 1st from the president of the American Discovery Trail Society. Ever since I've been in trail promotion, I've been corresponding with their Facebook group regularly. The circumstances of Adventurer's Project are less like anywhere else on the Buckeye Trail and more like those on the American Discovery.
We hardly have any volunteers in this area. American Discovery has never needed to count theirs. The Buckeye Trail Association has assured me that there is next to nobody on their membership roster in this area. I'm sure that the ADTS's is smaller, too. Where Buckeye has chapters, the ADTS has state committees. As far as I know, they really haven't been very organized yet. So, I'm letting them learn from my successes and failures.
Recently, I unfriended some people from my personal Facebook profile. The reason is that these people were on it so I could write about the Whipple Section at more length. Now that Adventurer's Project has it's own page, I posted a link to it on my profile for about a week. I just wanted to have my personal life back. I don't want my personal views to reflect how I do business with the trails. And so far, I just don't think that some people understand how structured I am and how necessary that is for me to sustain life? Without structure, I am a mess.
Today, I uploaded the Buckeye, North Country and American Discovery Trail GPS tracks to my tablet. I'm not sure if I'm going to have my laptop at outdoor trail promotion events anymore? The setting sun started heating up it's case and I can't afford to fry it's CPU at the moments. The good thing about the tablet and the smartphone is that I can get them out of the sun easier and take them out when needed.
We hardly have any volunteers in this area. American Discovery has never needed to count theirs. The Buckeye Trail Association has assured me that there is next to nobody on their membership roster in this area. I'm sure that the ADTS's is smaller, too. Where Buckeye has chapters, the ADTS has state committees. As far as I know, they really haven't been very organized yet. So, I'm letting them learn from my successes and failures.
Recently, I unfriended some people from my personal Facebook profile. The reason is that these people were on it so I could write about the Whipple Section at more length. Now that Adventurer's Project has it's own page, I posted a link to it on my profile for about a week. I just wanted to have my personal life back. I don't want my personal views to reflect how I do business with the trails. And so far, I just don't think that some people understand how structured I am and how necessary that is for me to sustain life? Without structure, I am a mess.
Today, I uploaded the Buckeye, North Country and American Discovery Trail GPS tracks to my tablet. I'm not sure if I'm going to have my laptop at outdoor trail promotion events anymore? The setting sun started heating up it's case and I can't afford to fry it's CPU at the moments. The good thing about the tablet and the smartphone is that I can get them out of the sun easier and take them out when needed.
2018/07/16
I'm Diverted
I've been plenty diverted here. Trail promotion for Adventurer's Project is a whole other animal. There needs to me two of me here.
I advertised the Road Fork/ Whipple Work Week on Adventurer's Project's Facebook page and the Buckeye Trail Association's group today. So far, we have four RSVP's and possibly 4 others. I'd really like to get some of the trail photographed and geotagged this year. Adventurer's Project's internet media really needs them. And we also need a photo for the new Road Fork and Whipple maps.
2018/07/12
Hiking and Adventurer's Project
I was gaining weight and my doctor told me to make a list of things to do. One of those things was hiking. In 2009, I started hiking in the Cleveland Metroparks. It was there that I noticed blue paint Mark's on the trees. I looked it up later and found it to be the navigational marker for the Buckeye Trail.
Back then, it was 1,444 miles long. I purposely skipped those parts in case I wanted to commit to it. In 2010, I did.
On December 14th, 2014, I stepped up and became the volunteer supervisor for the Whipple Section - Buckeye Trail. Now, I've covered about 1,200 miles, but the demands on these usually keep section supervisors glued to their areas. So, I've been stalled on my progress.
But that's ok, I love what I'm doing. Now, I'm on to Adventurer's Project. Being a section supervisor consists of mostly trail maintenance tasks. Beyond most maintenance, the project also covers the Road Fork Section.
Adventurer's Project currently is just that. It's a project. But it's on it's way to becoming something that is more formalized. It doesn't have members, but supporters.
In an average year, the Buckeye Trail only has about 1 to 2 thru hikers. But last September, an unusual event took place and Whipple and Road Fork were forecasted to get five.
Any other region of the Buckeye Trail would have been handle it. But aside from low volunteer numbers, this region has some uniquenesses.
I know that some of you reading this are going to say that drinking from some of the surface streams is fine. Based on the location of past and present mining, my own unprofessional, amateur data might concur? But the National Forest Service (NFS) on one of its documents disagrees. There are a few water systems that can filter heavy metals, but we've got to get the hikers weaned off the natural sources for the most part.
Adventurer's Project's chapter like functions were activated. During that time, a hiker was concluding his journey at the end of the Whipple Section. Because his thru hike was "high profile," it included two events here... a speaking engagement and membership drive.
Our support numbers in this region are very low. And I voiced my reservations to the BTA on both, but they were content to give them a try. I printed about 300 fliers and started posting them like crazy for the first one. But when I was resupplying water for two thru hikers at once, posting fliers for the second event became more than I could handle.
What we need is a local following. And since the hiking program hasn't really been cultivated here, we will be looking for supporters from the ground up. Literately straight off of the streets.
When it comes to BTA support, the majority of the hikers and volunteers live in either western, or Northern Ohio. For most of them, the trail in Far SE Ohio is the furthest place on the Buckeye Trail.
We do receive some support like the upcoming Road Fork/ Whipple Work Week, which will be from July 21 - 25, 2018 and its basecamp will be at the Little Muskingum Watershed Association in Ludlow Township of Washington County, Ohio (post office city is New Matamoras). Volunteers do not need to stay for the entire event and locals can just help on a day or two? This is the event where we perform heavy maintenance with DR Mowers, weed whacking, and leveling the roll of the trail on a hillside.
It can also include pruning.
Also, we may receive some material support from the North Country Trail Association?
Otherwise, I have a lot of ideas and I'd rather discuss them with supporters in person.
If you have any questions, or would like to volunteer, please contact me at the following:
MD Edmonds
info@adventurersohwv.info
C: (740) 885-9644
2018/07/11
I Know How to Work the Weed Whacker Now
I found out how to work my weed whacker. From reports, most aperatures on the Road Fork and Whipple Sections should be clear now. I did this by car, so there were two aperatures that I couldn't access. Those will have to get done when the DR Mowers, or weed whacker sweep through.
2018/07/10
I Have No Clue How To Run My Weed Whacker
I finally got it all together and started weed eating the aperatures. I did the west off-road terminator and the one at Bean Ridge near McCain Hill Rds area (Whipple 06 - 05). But my weed whacker started acting up and I have to admit that I don't know what it's choke symbols mean. So, I withdrew for the day, went back to basecamp, read the manual and found out that I wasnt doing it right.
I look forward to starting at the north terminator tomorrow. It's a lot closer to basecamp.
2018/07/05
Woodsfield and Breaker Switch
The motorhome is in Woodsfield of Monroe County. I replaced the breaker switch for the chassis air conditioning and it's working now. But I think I may have traced the auxiliary battery charging problem to the converter? Maybe tomorrow, I'll try the city water intake port. I'm not sure if I have the right ends for it? Or if it's going to spring a leak somewhere?
2018/07/03
Scorching Hot, Laundry and Weed Whacker
It is direct sun, scorching hot today. I'm in the laundromat now. As I was putting my laundry in, I felt how damp it was. I forgot to pack my bathroom scale, but I can see I my face that that I've lost weight. True, that I've had a few more salads lately, but I think I also sweat it off. My laundry was surmounting in my shower, so that was probably making the motorhome stink?
I woke up very late today. I drove about 40 miles to Arby's in Marietta, made my order and realized that I forgot my wallet. There's a label on my motorhome's chassis door that reads something like "do you have wallet?" I totally ignored it.
On the drive back up, the car's fuel level was "dangerously" on empty. Well, I made it up to it, back down to the nearest gas station about 25 minutes from camp.
I went to Arbys because I inconvenienced them before and I figured ordering from them was the least that I could do. I left and went to get my weed whacker from getting serviced and found out that the department that had it closed an hour before and I probably could have made it if I was keeping track of time better?
Tomorrow is Independence Day and neither they or the laundromat will be open. So, I'll probably have to get the weed whacker the day after?
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