2018/07/30
Trail Promotion Routes and Total Mileage
2018/07/29
Adventurer's Project's Facebook Page
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 Website
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 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
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
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?
2018/07/01
After Action Review - Trail Promotion at the Back Home Appalachian Music & Arts Festival in New Martinsville, West Virginia
Adventurer's Project manned table and backdrop at the Back Home Appalachian Music & Arts Festival 2018 in New Martinsville, West Virginia, USA.
At approximately 8am on Friday, June 29th, 2018, I arrived at the non-profit tent on the north side of the Wetzel County Museum/ Wetzel County Convention & Visitors Bureau. This was the first manned event that these materials were used in. The backdrop was assembled about a week ago at Wolf Run State Park. Otherwise, the other materials were procured in June of 2018. All in all, their cost was probably in the ball park of $300. The felt for the backdrop probably accounted for a least a 1/3 of that. Unfortunately, tracking their expense wasn't a priority.
During the festival, there may have been 8 people who approached the table over 2 days. But in all fairness, the crowd in the street was anemic and by the ones in my sight, I can't say that the vendors had a good turn out either. For what was supposed to be for 15k to 20k entries, there wasn't enough food and for what was there, some of them ran out of supplies in mid-event.
On the evening of Friday, 6/29, I approached one of the event organizers and asked to be moved somewhere else. The public did not know that that the tent was for non-profits and they passed me by. I was under the tent by myself, but I was told that there was going to be a children's area and games the next day. So, I decided to remain under the non-profit tent roof because I was told that things should get better and then there was the issue of the back drop being tied to two benches with ratcheting roof straps.
On the next day, only one other non-profit set up under the tent. The project probably had the majority of those 8 people inquire about it then. At about 5pm, I made the decision to cancel the remainder of our event that day and the next. I broke down our supplies and headed back to camp.
The things that went well:
1) talked to the CVB before the event
2) got the word out to our base in more than 35 days in advance
3) confirmed our spot with the CVB about a week prior to the event
4) I was very functional on both days
5) From what little interest that we had, American Discovery had the most.
6) The trail promotion for the North Country Trail in equality with the Buckeye went rather fluidly. American Discovery went about as well as it could have considering that it doesn't have a panel on the backdrop dedicated to it.
Things that went wrong:
1) the back drop needs stabilization legs, particularly for outdoor venues.
2) 3 walls need to be designed for our tent. Two of them should move out at an angle. All three walls should have information pinned to them and that would increase what we can post by 200%
3) had I known better, I could have brought another table. On that table, I could have brought my hiking gear and had a demonstration.
How we can do better:
1) We can schedule to have that demonstration during our trail promotion event at the festival. We have ample PA equipment.
2) We can prop up that event with a lead hike, shuttle service, or both.
3) the chapter that comes out of the Adventurer's Project may have to determine if this is some kind of investment? Not necessarily with money, but with time and energy. This is on the basis of the uniqueness of this event.
4) our setup needs it's own LED lighting and battery
5) if my motorhome is still available, we could use my before proposed trail promotion setup in one of the city's parking lots. For those of you who don't know, my motorhome is 24ft long. And if a piece of fabric were as long and wide at it is, it could be fixed to the side of the motorhome to create a giant sign. Also, it has it's own awning.
5) North Country's map was too small for the backdrop. It was a copy of the one used in the National Park Service brochure and it was the same size. It probably needs to be printed on a plotter (architectural printer).
6) We have a crew of 4 in Far SE Ohio right now. 2 of them and myself are from NE Ohio. The other one lives in the west of our area and probably doesn't know much about the east? It seems that my questioning of local officials needs to become more interrogative.
What If???
What if we could pay the royalties to some Hollywood production company to show one of the more recent hiking movies to the general public? Or what if one of the 501(c)3's could get this for free?
In the future, if the Wetzel County CVB has the non-profit area in the same place, a large sign the size of one piece of ply or larger needs to be created for it.