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2015/12/10

Log 2015121001

These is what I use for my Ohio Transit Hiker's Resource (OTHR) & Buckeye Trail (BT) Section Supervisor tasks.

This is refurbished HP Laserjet 4000tn commercial printer.  It's the type of HP printer that was once used in my high school.  I use hi capacity, refurbished black and white toner cartridges that yield about 15,000 printed pages.

This is a computer case.  It's a MozartTX.  When I first got it 6 years ago, I was using it as a server.  But these days since I don't need those services anymore, the unit connects to the TV and is what's called a "media center."  It's dimensions are approximately 24in L x 18in W x 36in H.  It has 20 USB ports, expansion Wi-Fi, sound and video cards.  Then 2 DVD - RW drives (I hardly use these) and a front side card reader.  The CPU is a low grade Intel Quad Core (PGA 775) that's maxed out on 8GB of RAM.  It has 10 cooling fans mounted to the frame and one in my 750 watt power supply unit.  I built this unit and other computer enthusiast would have preferred them all to have LED lights.  To me, it really didn't matter.

The story goes that I was living east of Cleveland at the time and I drove to Micro Center (a computer super store) of NE Ohio and saw this case.  The only one that they had was the display.  And I jumped up and down and said that I wanted it.  So the sales person put a hold on it, but while I was gone, another employee sold it.  So she called me and said that it was gone.  But we lined up one in Columbus.  And I wanted this thing so ridiculously bad that we put a hold on it and I drove 150 miles one way to Columbus and got it there.  After I got home, I proceeded to assemble my dream machine.

I've been working with custom built IBM based computers since 1995.  And when this computer has to get everything wiped out and re-installed, it is the hardest machine that I've ever worked with because it's always riddled with something that doesn't want to install, or it has hardware conflicts.  But once it's up, it's a stable system that can run for years on end.

This is the setup at my desk.  The laptop is on a tray with a swing arm.  To the left of it is an all in one color printer/ scanner.  The printer heads on it are currently ceased, so I just use it for the scanner at the moment.  The monitor is 17" Acer on a pole that clamps to the edge of the desk and gives it a 6in boost.  Next to the printer is a refurbished commercial grade shredder.

I use an ergonomic keyboard and trackball because when working on the OTHR while developing a new edition, I start to get carpal tunnel like symptoms with traditional peripheral devices.  As shown on the right, that is my 42" plasma screen TV.  Sometimes it doesn't work right and the picture gets fuzzy for days on end.  But I haven't had cable TV for 8 years because I keep myself constantly busy.

My white boards.  You could say that there's no problem that these can't solve.  The two long ones are there for text.  But the big one's primary purpose is for designs and layouts.

Now about the more so... BT functions...  planning for trail promotion in the Mid Ohio Valley has been ongoing for the last 2 months.  At the moment, I'm waiting for the communities to publish their schedules.  Also, I'm waiting for a marketing plan.  It's a part of a volunteer's Ohio University senior project and I'm anticipating that it probably won't be available sometime around April 23rd, 2016.  I'll need these white boards to help me plan the who, what, when, where, why, how, cost, attire and who's affected.

Once done, then I'll type it in Notepad as a rough draft, print it out and proofread it.  After revisions are made, the text gets copied and transfered to WordPad as a second draft.  It get's edited, styled with something like like bolded and italic text get made, then printed and proofread again.  After that, it gets copied into a word processing application where it's spell checked, looked over again, then printed and placed into a transparency page in my section supervisor's binder.  And OTHR's guide gets edited in a similar fashion.

2015/12/09

Log 2015120901

- The 10 Mile Continious Hikes Without Transit Document was routed from through the Bowerston Section - Buckeye/ North Country Trail today.

- A Windows Update just crashed The Robot.

2015/12/07

Log 2015120701

After finding the Hopewell Croft Cabin, I hereby declare the West Union Section of the Buckeye/ North Country/ American Discovery Trail to be "thru hike compliant" with sleeping amenities as per the Ohio Transit Hiker's Resource (OTHR).  At this point in time, I'm not even sure if the BT has an amenity gap on the OTHR anymore?

I just got back from my trip in South Central Ohio.  And I concluded it by volunteering to clarify data for the upcoming databook in regards to the West Union Section.  I was asked to determine if two locations contained campgrounds, get a phone number for a camp host, and verify two mileages between Points 01 & 02.  I logged in about 4 volunteer hours on that task.

2015/12/06

Log 2015120601

As I'm still in Maysville, Kentucky, I woke up this morning and found that it was 23F and that I wasn't equipped for that.  So with one more day here at the hotel, I drove out towards Marietta to retrieve some extra gear.  And while I was at it, I performed a Morale and Welfare Check to search for a missing hiker.  I circled as best I could all of the off-road trail for the Road Fork and Whipple Sections - Buckeye/ North Country National Scenic Trail.  I was looking for his van, but couldn't find it.  A relative of his says that he likes the smaller backcountry roads.  They tear up the suspension on my car, so like I said, I did my best and couldn't find him.

Little Muskingum Watershed Association's Fall Foliage Tour... The location of Biehl's Store on Covered Bridge Scenic Byway/ OH-26 in Lawrence Township of Washington County is at 39.46891, -81.31572.  T

2015/12/05

Log 2015120501

I'm in Maysville, Kentucky today I been touring the area for the past couple days.  It takes a while to get here from Marietta.  Yesterday, I had to fill my gas tank in Russellville of Brown County.  I'm doubting that the gas gauge in my 2008 Chevy HHR is accurate anymore, so I reset Trip B on the odometer and I'll test the gauge by letting the car run on that fuel for 413 miles.  But, I'm now having doubts that the pump there actually filled my tank.  But while I was there, I got to see some of the West Union - Buckeye/ North Country/ American Discovery Trail's on-road route.  I've only seen it on maps before.  Normally, I forbid myself from touring places that I haven't hiked yet, but it was right next to the gas station.  There was a village park on that corner and I needed to see if it had any parking.  Suffice to say that it doesn't.  But Russellville has street parking.

2015/12/03

Log 2015120302

Correction... I have 11 of 26 working BT section tracks who's measurements agree with the BTA Map Team's total mileages.  This is good for the 10 Mile Continuous Hikes Without Transit document because it's going to speed up the creation of the digital mile markers that I need to use for it.

Log 2015120301

Using Google Earth to create "digital mile markers" for a large distance trail, such as the Buckeye would take a considerable amount of time.  At first, I was attempting to do both whole miles and intersections for all 26 sections.  And I found it to be best to do them separately so I wouldn't make as many mistakes.  Well, I wouldn't mind having a complete set like this, but like I mentioned before, it was going to take more time than I bargained for.

So I chose to forgo the whole mile markers and started concentrating on the intersections.  When routing a mock hiker to camping/ lodging, they're the ones that are really going to matter.  But then I wisened up.  Earlier, I successfully completed the merging of the BTA GIS/ GPS Depository in to 26 single tracks.  Three of which have working total mileages that correspond with what the BTA's Map Team declares as official.

The 65.8 mile Bedford Section (02/2012 map & guide edition) was one of them.  Since I already have a set of digital map & guide points, I just copied it and paste it in the projects folder.  Then I renamed every point to it's stated mileage.  What I did was plot some untitled placemarks in a position on trail that was approximate to my camping, lodging and parking data.

Now, every GPS track has a beginning and an end.  On the Buckeye Trail, they all need to be in the clockwise (CW) direction.  On American Discovery, or North Country, I like to have them face from east to west.  On the Bedford Section, using right click-> properties, a dialogue box comes up.  But I used my mouse and selected the tracks terminating anchor (the little boxes on the line).  Then I deleted it until I got to an untitled placemark.  In the properties dialogue box, I clicked on the "measurements" tab.  Then remembered what it came up with and closed the box.  Afterwards, I right clicked on the untitled placemark and left clicked on "rename."  I then renamed the track with what the measurement tab read, which for me would read like "Mi 26.4" for instance and clicked "OK."

And so you see, that's how you make a digital, or GPS mile marker.