Where's My Tailwind?

West Virginia was fun but work called so Monday morning we headed back home.  The forecast weather was supposed to be clear almost all the way and then 4000' or better.  We planned an early for us, 8:30 am departure to beat possible afternoon rain.  The one issue was the surface winds down South.  Forecast was 25+ knots from 050.

I chose Allendale, SC as our fuel stop.  We had used it many times before.  Nice runway, friendly service, cheap gas, clean facilities and candy on the counter.  The runway is 35 so if we had 050 winds at 25 that is a pretty strong crosswind.  There are also trees along the right side that would create a good bit of turbulence.  My backup was Barnwell, 19 miles North, 50 cents more per gallon but a runway aligned with 050.

Leaving Clarksburg, it was a ghost town.  It was 40 degrees so once I started I idled in place for several minutes to warm the engine and oil.  Then I taxied slowly to get to the operating temperature I wanted for takeoff.  We never saw another operation from our arrival at the plane till we departed.  Departure was easy as the runway basically put us on course.

I filed for 8000 to cross the mountains and because I was supposed to have a crosswind.  We initially headed about 220 and had a small tailwind.  We had to head South West to get around Charlotte.  Also by paralleling the mountains, it made our over mountain crossing shorter when heading South.  We were enjoying great mountain views with pockets of morning fog and a smooth ride.

When we made our turn, we lost our tailwind and picked up about 15 on the nose as well a a steady chop.  The forecast was wrong but it did say that higher was better.  I asked for and got 10 thousand and up we went.  As we climbed the wind shifted to our tail and dropped a bit.  We ended up with about 7 on the tail which was nice.

Coming into Allendale, the controller had another Beechcraft inbound as well.  He was having trouble finding the airport which I understood.  It is sandwiched between trees and I can find it now but the first time was also a challenge for me.  He ended up beating us to the field and I knew he would be heading to the pump too. I politely asked if he was, and when he said yes, requested that he pull up enough that we could park behind and fuel without having to move the plane.

He was very nice and agreed.  We had to wait for him to gas but enjoyed chatting with another fellow Florida Aviator.  Soon our tanks were topped, others drained and we had been given candy and water. We launched for the short 56 minute hop home.  We had been watching the weather and by the time we were crossing Savannah, we saw a small line of rain heading for home.  It looked like we could beat it so we pressed on.  Crossing Saint Simons we went from clear to cloudy and even though the ATIS was still calling for good VFR, the controller was saying that previous planes had needed an approach.

At first I was going to see if we could pick up the field visual but the rain was getting closer and our path would take us through some moderate precipitation so I requested the GPS 14 approach, circle to 5.  The circle was because we had gusty winds up to 25 knots at 050.  The 14 approach is not my favorite as it has a slight bend on final but it made sense today.

The controller gave us a direct to the initial fix and from their things went like clockwork.  Bases were at 1600 but even though we broke out, the rain limited visibility and we didn't pick up the airport until about 2 miles.  From their the circle was easy.  We had light rain on final as the showers started to show up.

Regular blog readers know I got soaked a few weeks ago after landing.  This time I expedited pushing the plane back and just beat the next set of rain.

 

Faces and Knobs

I was a bit tired by Saturday evening.  Over 3 hours of instrument flying Friday, hiking and a few hundred miles of really hard roads Saturday.  CC came to the rescue and offered to drive Sunday.  The morning was once again brisk as we headed to Seneca Rock.  I knew the first part was going to be easy since we started on I-79.

After 20 miles we took our exit and instead of a cart path like I had enjoyed, she had a divided 4 lane highway.  This continued most of the way until about 30 miles out where she got 2 lane with alternating passing lanes.  All was good though, we arrived alive and I got a break from driving.

Seneca rock is a large formation that combines trails and danger.  The rocks have claimed 15 lives since 1971 and they have many signs to remind you.  Since I was being careful not to die of a virus, I figured that I should respect gravity too.  When we arrived the sun was behind the rocks and the view was nice but not spectacular.  

Frankly I was hoping to see some leaves changing.  The prediction sites said we should have some at the high elevations.  We were about 2 weeks early I figure with only sporadic dashes of color.  I'll chalk this one up to 2020.  

We did see some real mountaineers with ropes, helmets and climbing stuff strapped to them.  They left the parking lot in a different direction from us timid walkers.  I had come for the views and knew they had a nice 1.5 mile trail to an observation platform.  I should have read a bit more.

I figured the platform would provide a better view of the rocks.  Well not quite.  The trail started by crossing a pretty stream before gently winding through the forest.  It then started to rise and just kept going.  We trudged back and forth along the face of the rock.  It was nicely shaded by the trees.  

The observation platform is really next to the rocks that you came to see and lets you look out as if you had climbed the rocks.  In all you climb 836 feet.  We enjoyed the views, talked to some fellow hikers and decided to heed the do not proceed lest you die sign.  The way down was much easier. The first rule of trails is that when you head down, you will eventually have to hike up.  Luckily the corollary means that the up is going to followed by down.

By the time we returned to the car we were getting hungry.  Luckily there was a Subway down the road a bit and we picked up subs and drinks.  We held off eating though as we were on our way to Spruce Knob.  Spruce knob is the highest point in WV at 4,863 feet above sea level.  Why is it called a knob?  A knob is the top rounded part of a hill.  For some reason they have knobs and not mountains in WV.  

The drive was easy until the last 10 miles when we went to the narrow, can't quite fit 2 cars and really steep and curvy. We were soon on top and decided the first order of business was to eat. I must say it felt like we were camping.  We were outside and eating.  Yes, many of you will scoff but I can say that this is as close to camping as I will get.

It was cool and windy up on the knob, close to 50 degrees and we were glad we brought jackets.  We did see some locals in shorts but what do they know.  After eating we cleaned up and made preparations for the final ascent to the peak.  It was nothing like Everest.  You leave the parking lot and then walk about 700 feet across a flat trail to an observation platform.

Two flights of stairs and you have a nice mountain view.  It works best to the West because trees block the East view.  It's a nice view and since you can drive there, worth the effort but it seemed a bit lacking.  We had a good time anyway taking selfies and admiring nature.

On the drive down we stopped at the East observation pull over which filled in the view.  Then it was time to head down.  By this time the Earth had rotated a bit and Seneca Rock was well lit.  We stopped for some pictures and then headed back to Clarksburg.

We were sort of tired of junk food so we chose IHOP curbside pickup.  They do a nice job and we were soon well fed.  I started planning the flight home and for a change the forecasts all looked good with the possibility of a tailwind.

West Virginia Mountain Momma

Saturday was crisp and clear.  The sky was dark blue and the temperature overnight dropped to 40.  We headed out early for us to sample the great outdoors.  For those new readers, you may have noticed that the last post had West Virginia as state 28.  Back in 2017 I decided to land in all of the lower 48 states.  I reset my total to 48 and have been counting down since. 

We had sampled some small roads on Friday.  I am used to driving through the rural Southeast but generally you get a line on the road.  On Friday we had a few places with no line.  Today we would take this up a notch as we wound our way  across North Eastern West Virginia and Maryland.

Rachel and Sam have Switches and we have been playing family Mario Cart as part of our quarantine activities.  Nothing builds family bonds like knocking a member off the track or zapping them with a power up.  I found that this was good training for the roads we drove.  We went from 2 lane winding, to blank pavement, to not wide enough for two cars.  This theme was present Sunday as well.

Our first stop was at historic Philippi to see the covered bridge.  We did more than see it though, we drove through it.  When we stopped, there was a memorial at the bridge.  It was to the coal miners that lost their lives.  A reminder that this is a coal state and mining is a dangerous business.  The mines are not visible but you do see random piles of coal lying around.

After enjoying the Bridge views, we headed off to Douglas falls.  Douglas falls are just outside Thomas, WV.  The main attraction is Blackwater falls but that was next.  Passing through Douglas, it reminded us of Jerome, AZ.  Both had mining connections and both built on a hill with two main streets, both one way with quaint shops.  We avoided the shops this trip but normally would have been a fun stroll.

On the way we saw some more Windmills.  We had seen a bunch the day before and would continue to see them.  Sort of ironic, all those spinning blades had to drive home the point that coal was on the way out.

Getting to the falls is a bit tricky.  you follow city streets and find the tiny sign pointing down a dirt road.  Then you head down that road for about a mile.  At a few points it  had standing water and some serious ruts.  The ruts were not big enough to swallow a Tahoe but we had a rental Kia so we had to be careful.

At the end of the dirt road there was a sort of parking area and a gate saying no motorized traffic.  We parked and started walking down the path.  We ran into a group of hunters. We had seen a lot of them on the way.  Big trucks, groups of dogs, guns, and orange vests.  They confirmed we were indeed walking the correct direction and the rushing water gave us confidence.

Getting down to the falls was a short but it was a steep and rocky 40 foot descent.  It was well worth it, they are some nice looking falls and there were just a handful of people around the entire visit so distance was not an issue.

We worked our way back to the car and then headed off to Blackwater Falls.  The car was undamaged but it did have a thick coat of dirt.  Somehow our adventures always end with dusty rental cars.  Blackwater falls are just a few miles away on the other side of town so it was a quick trip.  This is a proper state park and it was much busier.  This was probably the most trouble we had staying away from people.

Blackwater is an impressive fall and they have very nice stairs, walkways and viewing platforms.  We enjoyed the views while shifting as needed to stay distant and then headed off.  I had read that there was a second view from the opposite side of the river so we went in search because water looks different from the other side.

After a short drive we found a parking lot and figured we were at least close to the right place.  After we were parked we saw a sign that was visible when travelling the other way that said we had found the overlook.  This one was made for people who needed a flat surface to access the falls.  We walked a short path and got another nice view of the falls.

Our stops so far had been fun but were not strenuous, our step count was till low.  We decided to head back to Douglas and take a walk on the Blackwater Canyon trail by the river.  I took the drone with me and got some nice shots of the town and dam.  I had flown it Friday at a park in the town but they are generally not allowed in state and federal parks so it had stayed in the car all morning.

We were getting hungry so we packed up and drove up to Oakland, Maryland.  It was on the way to Swallow Creek State Park and had lots of choices yet we settled on DQ and ate lunch as we approached the park.  As we entered the Park we found our first traffic jam.  There were about 20-30 cars ahead of us.

We were a bit concerned it would be crowded but we patiently waited and soon were paying the ranger.  As we waited a good many cars left and when we entered there was no issue scoring a prime spot by the trail head.

This park has three waterfalls but the first (Toliver) is more of a dribble.  The Swallow Creek falls both Upper and Lower are nice as are the Muddy Creek falls.  The trails were pretty busy and you do have moments when you get closer to people but generally we were able to do our own thing and enjoy the trail and the water.

When it was time to leave, there wasn't a car heading in.  In fact I think we must have hit a weird rush as the park was busy but not full. The park does have a camping section so maybe everyone was heading there.  Camping is not our thing so we were definitely not competing with them.

On the way back I had to choose between the scenic route and the fastest route.  I chose scenic and it paid off.  coming down a small road we saw 3 deer grazing and got some nice pictures.  Deer are not an odd site but mid afternoon in the open and unafraid of us seemed odd.  We did all our pictures from the car lest they decided to come have a conversation with us.

Our Dinner was KFC which while tasty annoyed me.  First they tried to give us someone else's order and then they shorted my 3 piece chicken and gave me a 2 piece.  Luckily I believe this is the worst tragedy the we personally faced on the trip.

Vacation time (#28 West Virginia)

COVID has impacted our travels.  Early on we cancelled a trip as things were locking down.  Then the summer was super hot and crowded.  With the kids returning to virtual school and the weather changing, we decided it was time to travel.  So where to go?  I decided we would do a hiking weekend.  

West Virginia was still on the list of states to visit and with lots of nature, picked Clarksburg.  Why Clarksburg?  I wanted to be further North where it was cooler, wanted the mountains and it has a good airport with Hertz cars.

All week we watched Hurricane Sandy progress and I wondered if she would clear in time.  The rains did but the clouds persisted and early Friday when I awoke, the weather was a bit lower than I like.  I did the only reasonable thing, reset the alarm and went back to sleep.  An hour later the sun was higher and our path was looking better.

Direct to Clarksburg takes you right over Charlotte.  I knew that was not gonna happen as the last thing they want in their flow is a slow piston plane clogging the airspace.  So I had to decide East or West of Charlotte.  I had planned both and the weather made the decision.  Sunny on the West and low clouds on the East.  We went West.  Our fuel stop was Shelby county and the ride up was good with the exception of 20 knot headwinds.  

I had planned to cut over the mountains around Roanoke, VA but the clouds were low.  At Shelby I refiled a route North and then cut over to Clarksburg on the North side of the mountains.  Shelby was clear and we had been watching Clarksburg all morning.  It had gone up to 1200' and then back to 600' overcast.  Minimums were 590 for the straight in approach from the South so I was making plans as to how to handle a potential missed approach.

Luckily as we approached the clouds lifted to 1300' and the approach was bumpy and wet but pretty easy.  The runway appeared and we were soon parked at the FBO.  We got the prime spot, right by the dumpster.  It worried me a bit but the plane was fine.

They had our Hertz car waiting and we were off to sightsee.   Our first official stop was Arbys.  Practicing safe travelling we avoided inside dining and did takeout, drive through or curbside.  Once fed we headed further North and crossed into Pennsylvania to see Cucumber falls.  The falls were an easy hike and we continued down to the river to see some rapids.

Our next stop was just a few minutes away,  Ohiopyle, PA.  The small town is known for its bridge, its rapids and its ice cream.  It is a quaint town.  After taking in the water features we sampled the ice cream.

Our final stop was Cooper State park in WV.  It is known for its overlook.  It is a nice view and it has a short underlook trail which we completed.  The sun was setting and it was getting dark so we headed back to our hotel.  Dinner was Taco Bell.  I noticed on Google Maps that it is listed as a "Mexican inspired fast food chain".  I think that is a good description.  Not Mexican food but very inspired.

A few words on travelling during COVID.  We did a few things different.  I booked Towneplace Suites because I wanted the fridge and dining table as we would be eating in the room.  We took drinks and snacks with us to avoid one extra grocery trip.  I also packed a COVID kit with the essentials; masks, gloves, wipes and sanitizer.  We used little of the kit but it was good to know we were prepared.

Overall WV seems to be ignoring COVID at the personal level.  Only about 20% mask usage and some people tried to get in our space at the parks.  We just smiled and adjusted to keep our distance.  Overall without having to use commercial air transport, travel was easy and either contactless or socially distant throughout.

You will see our food choices were not great but to be fair, there were not great restaurants in Clarksburg that I felt I missed.