Geo Photo Catalog

It might be 9 days before I can continue Adventurer's Project's "Geo Photo Catalog."  It has several applications.

Application #1: A photographic record of the trail to educate Buckeye Trail Association volunteers and a reference for future maintenance needs.

Application #2: Produce photos for trail adopter procurement.

Application #3: Social media content.  The photos will be released about 3 at a time in between other posts and help with fresh content during the cold days.

Application #4: Photos for Adventurer's Project's website.

Application #5: Pictures for trail promotion and volunteer procurement.

Application #6: Determine where we need to take pictures with better cameras.  Those photos can be used for trail promotion, the website and social media.

Adventurer's Project supports the Road Fork and Whipple Sections of the Buckeye Trail (North Country concurrent) in Noble, Monroe, Washington and Morgan Counties of Ohio.  The photos are taken about every 50yds or less in both directions.  Currently, the photos are being taken at my smartphone's highest possible quality.  As this region's off-road total is about 40 miles, it should produce over 2,600 photos.  That's far more than Buckeye and North Country's hikers have produced at the moment. 

On-road portions have been recorded via video with spoken locations from an automobile.  Aside from that, Google Street View covers some of this area.  So at this point, it's mostly about photographing about 40 miles of off-road paths on foot.  And I'm earning my 2020 North Country Trail 100 Mile Challenge, which I've missed other challenges like this in previous years.

The "geo" part pertains to enabling my smartphone camera's "locator" to produce geotags.  This process embeds the location of where the photo was taken into the properties of the file.  From there, software can be used to extract their coordinates and then embed them into placemarks into a Google KML/ KMZ file.  In terms of the maintenance record, volunteer users can follow the photos, particularly with the GIS/ GPS track of the Road Fork and Whipple Sections.  So, this is to see the trail's line with the photos on an application like Google Earth and probably ArcGIS products?

In previous years, the camera locator was on by default.  But I like to refer to geotags as "creeper tags."  It's unfortunate because people were physically followed by others when they downloaded their pictures and had the geotags extracted.  They could tell by the days of the week when they took their kids to karate class for instance.

But recently, to enable the geotag feature, there are two safeties.  One is that the phone's locator must be enabled.  When it is, this is what enables the smartphone's mapping and navigation.  The second step is to enable the locator a second time, but in the camera app's settings.  I find it to be a wonderful tool for the trail, but I tend to use it wisely.  As of the time of this post, geotags are automatically stripped by Facebook, but not by every social media company.  Presently, Adventurer's Project is only on Facebook and no other social media service due to insufficient manpower to admin more.

At last count, it takes about 1 hour to photograph 2 miles of off-road footpath here in what I call "Far SE Ohio," which is in the Appalachian Foothills.  That's that's about 4 times faster than it takes to initially blaze (painted navigational markers) one.  But still, the "stop and go" is harder on my body and I haven't scheduled this photographing over 7 round trip miles yet.

So, that just about sums up Adventurer's Project's Geo Photo Catalog.

Exhaust Status, Establishments, My Personal Profile & Organizational Body Contingencies

I purchased a new Milwaukee sawzall today.  I already have some short Diablo blazes on hand.  The way I figure it, the existing exhaust that I have in my 2008 Chevy HHR LS is coming down and getting sawed in half no matter what.

I met somebody from a community organization recently.  And one criticism that I've always had about establishments, particularly uptight ones, can be inconsistent with the communities at large.  Pushing policy and establishment is can't good for public relations because how are they going to identify with you?  It's neither the time or the place for this.  The key to success is to somehow be one with the people.

One of the reason why I started Adventurer's Project is to reduce the liabilities from my profile.  Lately, I've been becoming a little undone on my profile.  I have a tendency to fight when cornered.  But that's exactly what the project needs in Far Southeast Ohio because it's always been cornered.  Perhaps a little less now?  But that's me speaking having been virtually by myself until recently.

With a group, theoretically, the idea is to eliminate need.  As a group and amongst each other, you do things that eliminates the avenues for this.  Sometimes a good presiding officer is one who knows how to prevent this and if necessary, put out a brushfire FAST.

Facebook Promotion

I just set up another Facebook promotion for Adventurer's Project's upcoming "Introduction to The Wilderness Loop" presentation in the meeting room at Quinet's Court Restaurant in New Martinsville, West Virginia.  Something tells me that I'm going to have to increase the budget for these?  Yesterday, I introduced and linked Adventurer's Project's Facebook page in a post on the Buckeye Trail Association's Facebook group.

Adventurer's Project's Facebook Promotion Ratios

I was about to state that Adventurer's Project's donated Facebook promotions were lagging behind on the east side of The Wilderness Loop per capita compared to the Marietta/ Parkersburg, WV areas.  But then I had a look at the record of all promotions that the Facebook page, or events have had and have and that's simply not accurate.

On the south side of the loop where Marietta (Ohio), Vienna and Parkersburg, West Virginia are, it has a ratio of 1 Facebook like per every 1,070.25 residents.  The ratio of the east side which centers around communities like Woodsfield, Ohio and Moundsville, New Martinsville and St. Marys, West Virginia has a ration of 1:1,537.3.  But that's only with one promotion.

So, we're doing alright considering the circumstances.  But I know one thing and that is we have one of the most remote areas in the State of Ohio.  And if we were to do better, I'd need to analyze my data to try and approach them with something else.

My car needs just about every gasket that I can think of.  My 2008 Chevy HHR LS has over 210,000 miles.  It's been a towing vehicle.  I know its needed an oil manifold gasket for quite some time.  And it definitely needs an exhaust manifold gasket and now it needs one for the timing chain.  I've got to get more out of this car, so I'm getting read to do the work myself.  My back is holding up and I'm ready to catch up with these.

150 likes

Adventurer's Project's Facebook page is now at 150 likes.  The Introduction to The Buckeye/ North Country Trail and Trail Maintenace Presentation is tomorrow from 1pm to 4pm at Local Roots in Caldwell of Noble County, Ohio.  I hope my car makes it.

Benchmark 120 Likes Reached

Adventurer's Project's Facebook page cleared the 120 like benchmark sometime earlier today.  The new benchmark is now set at 180 likes.  It currently stands at 123.  I'm not sure what the total reach is?  I can't find a feature on the page's insights that would allow me to see that.  But if I had to guess, it's been on the news feeds for 7,000 to 10,000 people.  The inbox notification for the page looks like it might be malfunctioning?  I had to select several types of messages before I found where they are.

Adventuer's Project is an unincorporated effort with an intent to result in the creation of a new chapter of the Buckeye Trail Association in the Upper and Mid Ohio Valleys, Southern Noble and Eastern Morgan Counties of Ohio.

Facebook Post Force Landscape Mode

You won't believe this... I figured it out.  All you have to do to force Facebook to post in landscape mode on your tablet is open www.facebook.com on it's browser.  That's it.  It will bring up Facebook's full website, rather than the moble one.  And in landscape mode, it won't change to portrait when writing a post.

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.

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?

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.

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

Log 2016040101

Yesterday, I joined the new Facebook Group for the American Discovery Trail.  I would love to see pictures for the ADT's intersections with the Triple Crown (Appalachian, Continental Divide and Pacific Crest Trails).  And I'd like to know more about those three wheeled strollers that I've been seeing.  But I'm really there to assist their adventurist with giving them some Ohio data and "pointers."

I now have GPS tracks for the American Discovery Trail (ADT) in Ohio & Kentucky, it's by-passes and one spur.  The Buckeye Trail (BT) is off-road on a variety of surfaces and in some places, as far as the permitted mode of travel is concerned, they can be at the mercy of the park district.  About 90% of the BT's off-road surfaces occur within government reservations.  However, the BT by the nature of it's establishment is a "hiking route."  The ADT on the other hand is more "multi mode."  That's why they need bypasses.

But many of those who hike or volunteer on the BT can tell you where it and the North Country Trail (NCT) intersect.  They can do so with the ADT intersection in Cincinnati.  But they're sometimes foggy about where the SE intersection is.  Where the NCT is reliant on the BT's maps when their concurrent, for it's own purposes, the ADT produces its own map and guide, even when their concurrent.

With the addition of their spurs, this might be confusing.  I don't know of any ADT support between Belpre of Washington County and Cincinnati of Hamilton County.  And I can't recall if ADT's map and guide has ever being submitted to the 9 concurrent BT section supervisors?  If they haven't, they might not know what's going on.  And that's why I'm not sure if BT's Facebook Group will know what's going on.

For an ADT traveler on BT concurrent sections, the best way to get support would probably be on their Facebook Group.  But here's the thing.  It's something a local custom around here that anytime that one a distance trail wants to run concurrent with a second distance trail, that the first one will only be there for ROUTING ONLY.  Some of the administrative and nearly all of the maintenance (for instance) is the domain of the primary agency.  The problem is how ADT weaves in and out of the BT on those by-passes.  With the exception of the Shawnee By-Pass, those are not a part of the BT.

On the BT, they have map and guide combination documents.  It's like being on a limited access toll road.  And instead of having exit numbers based on mile markers, this is one of those roads where they go 1, 2, 3 and so on regardless of the distance between them.  Often times, locations are expressed as being something like "New Straitsville Section, Pt. 13."  ADT mentions the section names, but does not use the BT's point system.  BT has explored going to a mile marker system and so far it's been unpopular and perhaps difficult to implement as of yet (communication with ADT adventurist could change that).  Meanwhile, the guides have mileages, but probably not as frequent as the ADT's.  So, their adventurist and the BT community might have some communication problems and confusion over the admin and maintenance of those by-pass routes.  I think that ADT should save themselves some manpower and get out of the business of mapping on concurrent distance trails... leave it up to those agencies.  ADT should only produce materials for the bypasses and all other areas beyond the BT.

Log 2015013101

Two days ago, I conducted an experiment and found out that the "Post to E-Mail" address for the Buckeye Trail Association's Facebook group actually worked after all.   That got me excited, so I attempted to post to it using my SMS Gateway (writing a text message to an e-mail address) and it wouldn't go.

I realized that Facebook wasn't able to associate my cell phone's email address with my profile in order to post, so I attempted to add it to my profile.  Well, it required a confirmation and the number it sent was cut off because of the 160 character limitation of a text message and I couldn't do it.  So, I sent a message from the gateway to my Gmail account.  In there, I found the message at attempted to set it so that it automatically forwards to the BTA's Fb group Post to Email address, but setting up the forwarding addresses also needed a confirmation that was cut off.

So yesterday I got smart.  And set up a forwarding e-mail address on OTHR's domain (which didn't need to send a confirmation).  I strung it all together and what'da know... it doesn't work.  Facebook and blogger both have their own apps and SMS text message submission methods.  But they only work for your own blog or profile.  You can't use an SMS text message to post to the Buckeye Trail's Fb group.

If hikers could, the advantage is it could be used as an "electronic trail register" in place of areas where we don't have physical boxes.  And the system would work as long as the hiker on the end had at least roaming cellular signal.  I'm attempting to determine if it can be done using a web page guestbook.

Log 2014092304

I successfully ran a text to Facebook test a minute ago.

Log 2014092303

When this blog posts, it publishes notifications to Google+ and Facebook accounts.  Every so often, Facebook changes my Post By E-Mail address, which causes me to look up the address that they assign me and alter where the notifications go here in my Blogger settings.  Personally, I think it's rather annoying, but I guess it's what has to be done.

Log 2014050201

The last week has been eventful.  I torqued off a bolt on the passenger's side stabilizer bar link with a 18mm wrench, breaker bar and 17mm damaged nut socket.  When I did the first one, I snapped the bolt and nut flesh against the stabilizer bar mount.  When that happened, the socket cut into the corroded nut and ceased inside, making its removal seem impossible.  Even a long screw driver and hammer wouldn't get it out. 

So, I took to drilling it and smoked the bit.  That barely took 1mm off the surface of it.  For the next one, I resorted to using the sawzall.  But either my speed was too high, or the blades I was using just weren't meant to cut through metal that dense?

Well, I bought a tool from Sears in Mentor of Lake County that popped that nut and bolt right out of the damaged nut socket.  So if it keeps this up, I'll just twist and snap those other three bolts.  That's fine with me.

This is how I see the rest of this suspension upgrade and light harness replacement going... The light harness is going to crimp on after I cut the old one out. The new eagle eye will bolt in, I know where one of them is at and have to find the other.  Tomorrow, I'll torque off the second bolt for the passenger's side stabilizer bar link.  Once that's out of the way, the new link can go on and the passenger's side strut  

The headphones that I got stock with my Samsung Note 3 smartphone started shocking me in the ear canal one day.  So, I purchased a new pair of Sony Stereo Headset DR-EX12iP for about $28 from Walmart in Mentor of Lake County today.  And I really like the way they sound.  I put down more money than usual on earphones because sometimes you can buy some that sound like your state of the art smartphone MP3 is an AM radio.  Anyways, I needed mine to have a built in microphone for when I make, or receive calls.  But Sony's built in volume control doesn't work with my Android device.

Yesterday, I dropped my Note 3 in a toilet full of feces while I was out shopping.  When I pulled it out, the back light came on and it seemed that it still worked.  So, I took it apart and washed it down with soap and small amounts of water. Put it back together and purchased some 91% isopropyl alcohol.  Where I got back to the place that I'm house sitting, took it back apart and rubbed it down with Q-Tips.  Then I put it all back together and realized that it didn't work anymore.

A couple hours later, I called Verizon asking what my options where and the operator put me through to my insurance provider, Asurion. I can't say for sure, but I've probably had insurance on my smartphones ever since 2009.  And Asurion has never been a bad company to deal with.  But this time they impressed me.  I order a lot of things on line and 5 - 7 days with shipping is fine with me.  But for my $99 deductible that I had to pay, they overnighted my replacement Note 3 to my doorstep, which I thought was very fast. It exceeded my expectations. The damaged phone will leave Lake County tomorrow via USPS. 

I spend much of today programming the new Note 3 so that the apps and screens looked something like it's predecessor. 

The bicycle now has a USB 3.0 cable attached to the generator.  I tested it for about a mile today and the warning that usually comes up when I plug a USB 2.0 cable into it stating that it's charging slowly no longer comes up.

In the past few days, I submitted KML data to the Buckeye Trail's Facebook Group Files on parking areas along The Emerald Necklace (Cleveland), Ohio & Erie Canal and Ohio to Erie Trails.