Big Dig 2007 Cumberland Trail

The kids and I left early Mother's Day(after a special breakfast with Ginger) for Stony Fork, TN to build trail for a week. Molly and Fudge really wanted to go and hopped in the car. They didn't like getting out and staying behind. It was the first week of the Big Dig and there was a crew there from AHS Volunteer Vacations. We met some wonderful people and avoided some real interesting slackers. Here are a few photos of us building trail. It was hard work, harder than most sections of the Ozark Trail that we've built because so much of this was in the Cumberland Mountains and it seemed to be one side hill after another. At least we never had to build stairs! Some others (Nancy, TC, Tony, Mary, Frank and Cathy, Kevin, Bill, Larry A., and Jim) did build stairs. I wish i had pictures, but taking my camera on the trail is hard on it. I am very proud of the boys. They hiked and built very well, even out-hiked and out-built two of the AHS volunteers! Everyone commented on how good they were (but managed to not hear them being evil to each other, they somehow do that only within my earshot)
There are still 5 weeks of trail left to build so sign up and check it out!
Volunteers are housed in the (now closed) Stony Fork school. A cook makes breakfast and dinner and lunch fixings are out on the table at breakfast for you to pack. Tools are provided and the school has showers and flush toilets! William and I bunked in the Honda Hilton (Element) and Max slept in the tent until the last 2 night when the temperature dropped and it turned out we had not packed a warmth layer. Aside from a very swollen knee, painful hands and Max's incredibly painful flat feet, we had a great time. We'll go back next year, but I might be cooking some days instead of working trail to give my body a break.

We made it in 2 newspapers and for 2 different events!

From the St-Louis Dispatch: http://tinyurl.com/ym9zjr
"'We will teach you'

"Whatever you can bring is valued," said Diane Thornton of Memphis, Tenn., who brings along her 11- and 14-year-old sons to Ozark Trail-building events. "Even if you're young or out of shape, their motto is we will teach you."

That wasn't the case in her home state. Thornton said that when she took her sons to a weeklong trail build in Tennessee, they were eventually asked to leave. She said her son felt humiliated, and "I didn't want him to feel left out again."

Her son, William, who turns 12 this month, said, "I like doing stuff with my hands. It's fun. I see new people's faces. They admire me for what I'm doing for the environment."

and if you check out October 16, 2006 Memphis Commercial Appeal apparently William and I are in the photo of the cast iron being poured at the National Ornamental Metal Museum. The photo is not on the web, or I haven't been able to get it to come up. Max, to his credit, volunteered Sunday afternoon and helped break down and stack chairs and tables.

New Year's Celebration at Greer Springs Campground, MO

Did you ring in the new year or snooze it in? William and I took off for a Mommy and Me weekend with several other faithful OTA members and met up for a quiet weekend at Greer Springs Campground in Missouri. The weather was great, the Honda Hilton hosted yet again and we hiked the Hurricane Creek section of the OTA with Jon Crockrell as our guide. Ron Moll provided a very special Yule Log and we slowly drifted from the fire after 1:30 AM. A short hike the next day and a quick New Year's plunge into the Current River before we jumped in the car to drive back home and go to friend's housewarming. Whew, busy weekend, but great fun with good friends.

Most of the weekend's crew around the fire

from left to right
Linda, Ron, Jon, Sarah, Roger, Alex, Greg 

a group hallucination, long horns in the campground!

 

lunch on the trail

 

Roger helps William strap on the leaf blower

Diane filling fuel bottles

 

snoozing after a day on the Karkaghne

Honda Hilton's first visitor

 

Welcome to the Honda Hilton

At a trail maintenance outing to Sutton Bluff in Missouri, our Honda Element became the HONDA HILTON. Because we arrived late in the evening and were unable to see if any camping areas were level or didn't have rocks and because it was very cold, I agreed to sleep in the Element. The literature boasted that it could be used this way, but I was doubtful. My back sometimes struggles on "level" ground in a tent even with a great "Big Agnes" self-inflating sleep mat so I didn't think sleeping in a car was going to be remotely comfortable. I was wrong. Make a note for the records. I was terribly wrong. We pulled into the campground and chatted with friends. We then went back to the Element and prepared it for camping. We took off the front headrests and reclined the front seats to meet the 2nd row of seats. We took the gear out of the back and reclined the back seats leaving the headrests on. I noted the "bed" had a drop off around my knees so I doubled up my sleep mat in that area after slightly inflating it. We put our full length Kelty Clear Creek bags out and found we had lots of room left for gear! We put gear bags on the front seats, stored boots and water (the campground was officially closed) and propane cylinder spares in the front footwells. My stove and food slid under the rear seats by the clamshell opening and we even hung a headlamp from the grab bar for a little night light. I suspect we were a tad warmer than if we'd been in the tent, but the condensation was still there. I did, however, sleep beautifully! So we didn't pitch the tent all weekend. This is just another great bonus for the Element. It slept one large adult, one 11 year old boy and a very large Yorki in comfort. We could even do a quick flip and drive to the worksite. So no only will the Element load up for a month at the beach complete with kayak and gear, it will become an RV or Honda Hilton. I'll try a dry run with both kids and see if we can use it at the next maintenance outing. Come join us! http://www.ozarktrail.com/workparties.asp
Wear layers. See you there with or without your own Honda Hilton.

Travels

I went to Chicago with another homeschooling family in November. Here are a few pictures. Chicago was great. There are so many things to do and our local memberships to zoos and museums entitled us to free or reduced entrance to most of the top locations. We saw the Planetarium, Field Museum, Shedd Aquarium, Science Museum, Art Institute and tried many good restaurants. The subway and bus systems were excellent and a visitor's pass allowed us to hop on and off all day long for $3! Hotels are extremely expensive in Chicago, even using every discount I could find. We want to return and take Ginger with us next time.