Beautiful Foliage

We traveled up to camp this weekend to enjoy a short vacation and enjoy the foliage. The weather was quite cold for October. Sunday morning, the temperature was 29-degrees. This morning, it was 28-degrees with snow flurries. Fortunately, the heater kept it nice and warm in the cabin. We got some work done around the cabin and did some hiking. This picture was taken off the top of Chimney Rocks Mountain looking towards Cedar Run. This has always been one of our favorite spots. The kids, ages 3 and 5 made it all the way to the top. It won't be long now until we'll be heading back up for deer season.

Summer Vacation

We spent our annual week at Pettecote Junction Campground in July. As usual, it was a great week and Sandy and Sue were the best of hosts. The Rails/Trails Conservancy was having their annual bike tour on the Canyon Rails Trail this year. They camped at Pettecote for two nights and we got to meet bikers from over 20 different states. They were a great bunch of folks. The campground was full for most of the week. The Bencus's are doing a wonderful job of running the campground. Every year they make a few more improvements. If you haven't gotten down to see their renovated caboose (which is now the campground office) you have to make the trip. The weather was absolutely beautiful for July. 70's during the day and 50's at night. We got some rain, but not enough to ruin any of our plans. Our son really enjoyed looking off the bridge that crosses Pine Creek. Taking them out of his 2-year old hand with a needle wasn't one of the best highlights of the trip. We camped, hiked, and biked for 7 days without seeing a bear. However, on our final day of the trip, we rode about 1 mile up the rails trail from Cedar Run and were able to watch a medium sized black bear strolling along the trail for about 1/2 hour. (see picture) One day on our way south on the rails trail we stumbled along a 150 year-old cemetery near the Black Walnut Bottom Access south of Slate Run. It was a small family cemetery under a big pine tree just off the trail. It was interesting to read some of the tombstones. Most of those buried there were very young. Many were only infants. It reminded us of how hard times were back then. We made it back to camp a few times to do some work and some hiking. The only problem we're having is that the porcupines seem to be chewing any wood that they can sink their teeth into. We've never had this many problems with porcupines. Summer is almost over now. It may be small game season until I get to make it back up to camp again. The rest of the family will be visiting throughout the summer as we have some more work to do. Recently, I just purchased a motorcycle and I'm itching to make the trip up north on two wheels. It may be the excuse I need to make another visit to my favorite place on earth.

What a beautiful weekend!

We finally travelled back to camp on Saturday, April 25. It seemed like a year since deer season, even though it was only 4 months. Everything at camp seemed fine. The leaves are about 3 weeks behind where they are back home. This year, there was a hatch of gnats (big ones)that attacked you as soon as you stepped outside. Hopefully they will be gone soon. The weather was unseasonably warm - around 88-degrees-most of the weekend. The stiff breeze helped to keep the bugs away, but it also turned out to be a problem as two forest fires were burning over the weekend. One started at the Petticote Junction Campground. It was started by a group of boaters who were throwing fireworks into the dry leaves. Another much larger fire was buring off the West Rim Road, but was contained by Saturday evening. This was the same weekend that the Bull Run Fire was burning last April. I'm hoping to get up at least one time for Spring Gobbler Season. I noticed a large gobbler hanging on the meatpole at one of the camps as you enter Leetonia. Someone was succesful.

Deer Season 2008

Well, another deer season is behind us. We had the first "white" deer season in a long time. There was snow on the ground for the entire season. We had to strap the tire chains on our 4x4's to get in and out of camp for the first and second weeks of deer season. Although we didn't get any deer at camp this year,as always, we had a great time hunting together as a family. We saw some deer, but the hunting is tough these days up North. There are very few other hunters in the woods to move the deer around. You can't sit in your tree stand all day and see deer like you used to. Also, the herd is down in numbers. One of the highlights of the season for me came on the last day. I was driving through some thick laurel trying to move some deer to my son, when I knocked 3 bears from their den. They weren't too happy about being awakened, but it was exciting to be within 15 yards of them. My son was still talking about the experience on the way home. We may not get back to camp now for a while. The snowmobiles will soon have the road packed down to solid ice. It's great to be able to read Paula's blog. It's kind of like being able to be up there. I'll still be doing some hunting in Maryland this winter, and perhaps take the flintlock out for a walk once or twice. I'm looking forward to a long-awaited Christmas vacation with the family.

Success in Maryland

This past Saturday, I was successful in harvesting a buck in Maryland. It is the second Maryland deer that I've brought home this hunting season. This weekend, we're heading back up to Tioga County for the last few days of deer season. My son is home from college. It will be great to be able to spend a few days in the woods with him. Since I've already gotten two deer, my role this weekend will be to dress lightly and keep moving through the thick stuff in an attempt to push some deer to one of the other guys in camp. The weather this week has been weird. The temperature is supposed to be near 50 with rain tomorrow and then fall back to the single digits by the weekend. It's hard to say what the roads will be like going back into camp. However, as always, we'll be prepared for just about anything.

Ice & Snow

Well, we needed to strap on the tire chains to get back into camp for the first day of buck season. We had about 5 inches of snow on top of the mountain. Dad and I arrived at camp around noon on Sunday to get the heat going. It was about 20 degrees outside and inside. The camp really didn't begin to warm up until we fired up the oven and started the meatloaf around 5:00 pm. The rest of the gang arrived safely just in time to enjoy the venison meatloaf. We hunted hard for three days and then inched our way back down off the mountain. We didn't see many deer, or other hunters for that matter, but as always, we had a great time just being out in the mountains. I think the icy roads really deterred some hunters from coming up. I'll be heading down to Maryland to hunt this Saturday, and then we're heading back up to camp for the last few days of the season next week.

A Cold Day Hunting

Yesterday, a friend and I decided that we wanted to go up to camp for one last day of turkey hunting. We left home at 4:00 am and traveled all the way to camp. Arriving around 7:30 am, we were excited by the fresh coating of snow on the ground, but not the temperature (9-degrees.) I can't remember the last time I hunted in 9 degree weather...esp. in November. We saw a lot of game today. Many turkeys...although the turkeys ended up being the hunters as we did not bring any home for thanksgiving...and several deer including a few nice bucks and a piebald deer. It was a beautiful animal...not quite albino...but very close as it just had a few patches of brown. Once again, I did not have my camera with me when I needed it. A lot of the camps were open today with hunters eagerly anticipating the opening of bear season on Monday. Not being a bear hunter, I'm eagerly awaiting the opening of deer season the following week. It's hard to believe that another PA deer season is just a week away. I'm sure I'll have a lot of information to post following deer camp 2008.