Appalachia

We had had a good time visiting Northern, West Virginia a few years back but we had missed some sights down South.  I decided we would head to Blacksburg as this would allow us to sightsee both West and Regular Virginia.  When we arrived Sunday, the weather was going South fast but we still had goals.  

We drove West to the Appalachian trail.  The trail is almost 2,200 miles long and crosses 14 states.  We would not do the entire trail, in fact we would only do a miniscule portion.  We joined at the foot of a cool suspension bridge, walked all the way across and all the way back and then about 10 feet more.  So in absolute terms I can now say I have walked the Appalachian trail.

After the strenuouse hike we headed about a mile down the road to Dismal falls.  That weather was coming and it started to drizzle but we persevered.  We made the super easy hike, about 500 feet to get to the falls.  Compared with the online pictures, the water flow was very low so Dismal was an apt description.  It was actually a nice area but lacking in falling water.

After an arduous trek back to the car we headed off to a covered bridge and then finished at the Virginia Tech gardens.  They were quite nice but those skies were getting really dark.  We found a local place with good reviews, Taqueria El Paso.  It is a grocery and restaurant.  We ordered some tacos and Carnitas and shopped while the food was prepared.  

We headed to our hotel to eat and watch the rain roll in.  Luckily as the storms hit the mountains and broke up so nothing severe hit us, just some rain which cleared out quickly.

We awoke to severe clear skies and headed South to the Blue Ridge Parkway for a scenic drive.  We started at Maybry Mill which was constructed in the late 1800's but frankly was not much of a mill due to low water flow.  It is known to be quite picturesque and while it was nice, it is a bit oversold.  The shutdown meant some of the bathrooms were closed but some were open so it was not a big impact.

We headed East along the parkway and enjoyed some nice overlooks and some nice fall colors.  This was not technically a foliage trip but we arrived at a good time so we enjoyed the colors.  We ended in Roanoke at Mill Mountain where we strolled the garden, looked at funny bikes, enjoyed the view of the city, saw the Roanoke star up close and personal and took a quick hike.

Our next stop was Roanoake downtown, it was quaint bit underwhelming.  The city boasts the city market which was billed as a food mecca.  In reality is has 8 shops and only 3 were open.  To be fair they sell the city hard in the online info. it would be better to say they are a nice friendly midsized town.  The rest of downtown was a nice stroll and we walked over a bridge to see the MLK statue.  The bridge is over the railroad tracks and as we returned we saw the Amtrak train pulling into the station.  Given the paucity of train service in the USA, it was an unusual sight.

We headed back to Blacksburg and took a hike around campus and saw the war memorial.  The Virginia Tech campus is pretty as campuses go.

When I started the idea of visiting all of the lower 48 states I had intended to go to Beckley, WV for two sights.  Well we ended up going further North for our WV visit so it was just lingering on my list.  As a child I remember taking a coal mine tour and thinking it was very cool.  I also learned during that tour thatno way would I be a coal miner.  In the 1950s the town of Beckley bought a coal mine and turned it into a tourist attraction.  The mine originally was only a few feet high as it followed the coal seam.  I can imagine it was miserable.

After acquiring the mine, they cut through the rock to make the tunnels 5-6 feet tall.  They added lights and made the place quite nice.  Arriving, we bough tickets which included a small museum and more.  We had some time till the next tour left so we soaked up some coal mining history.  Coal mining historically was more dangerous and very poorly paid.  The companies required the miners to buy their own equipment, including the black powder to mine the coal.  

Then the company rented the miners there homes, paid them in fake money and made them buy their supplies from the company at inflated prices.  Miners then got to work in terrible conditions that were always attempting to kill them.

Luckily by the time we arrived, the miners had unionized and instituted safety measures.  The tour was conducted from a small coal train.  We rode down into the mine and learned about its inner workings.  At one point they turn out the lights and you really learn the meaning of dark.  After the mine tour we visited some replica buildings showing how the miners lived in the 1900s.  

Our next stop was the New River Gorge Bridge.  It is a national park and we were surprised to find the visitor center open.  We took in the bridge views and then took a scenic drive down to the river.  To show the height of nerdiness, we drove to a bridge, parked and walked across the bridge so that we could get a better view of the bigger bridge.

We also stopped along the way for more bridge views and finished our outdoor sightseeing with a quick walk to a another less than impressive waterfall.  The trail had a nice bridge over a nice stream but the waterfall was small and you stood at the bottom which made the view sub optimal.

Our final stop was back in Beckly at a local arts center.  It was billed as unique artists, it was nice but not so unique.  They did have a good variety of arts though.  We grabbed some Thai food on the way back to the hotel which was quite tasty.  As we returned some un-forecast rain rolled in but we were warm and dry.

On our final we headed day past Roanoke to the Natural Bridge State park.  Natural Bridge is pretty much like it sounds.  They have a nice welcome center where you pay the park fee and then you walk down 137 steps to get to the park lower store.  Here you can either show your receipt or if you forgot to pay, you can buy admission.  From there it is an easy .1 mile hike to the bridge.  Think Arches but taller and much less orange.  Also there is a stream that runs through it.

A historical sidenote, George Washington surveyed the area and it must have been his rebellious youth phase as opposed to his rebellious, rebellious phase because he carved his initials in the arch.  Beyond the Natural Bridge the trail continues another .9 miles to a waterfall.  The fall is "mid" to use the vernacular of our youth.  The walk is nice along the stream though.

There are several cool sites along the path too.  There is a lost river where some of the stream runs under the rock.  Way back when, miners broke through the rocks and exposed a portion so they could have access to the water.  There is a cave where revolutionaries dug salt peter to make gun powder and there is a nice crossing of the stream where we saw a Grey Heron.

After the Bridge, we continued up to Shenandoah National Park.  We were prepared at the entrance gate with our America the Beautiful park pass but the ranger managing the station waved it off.  Apparently during the government shutdown they don't collect fees.  We drove the South portions enjoying the fall colors and stopping along the way to look at the views.  For Winnie the Pooh fands, we can say this was really a Windsday.  We decided not to hike due to immitted time and the fact that most of the hikes were pretty long.

Overall Appalachia is beatiful.  The people were friendly, the infrastructure good and lots to see.  I think after some of the parks out West the East is having a hard time competing.  Don't let my grumbling above stop you.  We had a great time, it was relaxing and loverall a great trip.

Sunny and Rainy

We are travelling again.   It has been a while, we did a trip out West in May but since then, other than a short trip to Chesapeake, most things have been close to home.  We typically take a trip to the Upstate of South Carolina this time of year and I almost planned another but I was in the mood for something new.  Looking around I settled on Blacksburg Virginia.

Weather is always important and I had been watching the forecasts.  Initially it was supposed to be sunny but as we got closer, the forecasts started to turn.  There was a strong front sliding across the country.  The good news was that the morning would be nice and we would be well ahead of the front.  We departed just after 8:00 AM and headed up the Coast.  We had a strong crosswind but as we crossed Savannah it swung around and started providing a nice tailwind.

It's only 423 miles but for a variety of reasons we chose to make a fuel/comfort stop.  We dropped into Wadesboro, NC just West of Charlotte.  It's unattended on the weekends but the gate code and the FBO lobby code is the Unicom frequency.   The ramp gate code makes you guess but the FBO had the clue printed on the door.  I had called ahead the week before and gotten the codes so we were good.

It was a good stop and they even had a Welcome to North Carolina sign.  The one downside was their fueling hose was a bit short.  The previous person had left the hose in the taxi area so I stayed a bit farther from the pump to keep the right engine clear.  

It was going to be tight as to whether I could reach the left filler port but I used an old trick and ran the hose under the nose which gave me the slack I needed.  

Departing, we checked in with Charlotte and they soon handed us to Greensboro Approach.  After checking in it was really quiet, for a long time.  I called approach to make sure we were still connected and the controller said we were the only one there so we had our own controller for a bit.  It was Sunday morning but I expected a bit more traffic.

The weather at Blacksburg was advertised as clear but coming over the mountains we had an overcast layer below.  Roanoke wanted to know our approach request.  They could only get us down to 5,200' so to be safe we set up for the GPS 13 approach but coordinated that we would take the visual if it worked out.  About 15 miles out, we hit a clear area and picked up the field.  With a clear path in, I cancelled IFR, descended a bit to stay clear of the clouds and entered the pattern.  

You get a  nice view of the Virginia Tech campus and stadium on downwind.  When we called in the FBO had given us the winds and when we cleared the runway there was a follow me golf cart which we followed to a parking.  

I was concerned that there were no tie downs but once shut down the lineman pulled out straps and got us hooked up.  We had the front coming in so I reconfirmed they would not need to tow me, put up DO NOT TOW signs in the windows and  put in the control lock, including the rudder pin.  It is a pain to get in and when the winds are light, I often l leave it out.  

The winds had been calm at Blacksburg when we were about 30 minutes out but now they were starting to blow.  The blue and clear skies were looking cloudy and I was glad we got going and took advantage of the the calm before the storm.

Heading home we had great weather.  It was cold overnight, down to 39 so we decided to head back around 9:30 AM when it was closer to 50.  Starting the plane, the engines were at 45 degress, not great but well within limits.  Once running we sat for several minutes to get the oil into the mid 80s.  We were parked on a slight uphill and the plane was not gonna roll without some power.

We used the wait to set everything up and to call clearance.  Roanoke has a remote frequency so we picked up our clearance and waited.  I had filed and was given a route to T201 which goes around the East of Charlotte.  I was not sure the computer would give it to us but it did and I was hopefull that would be our route.  Once warm, I powered up to about 1200 RPM and got rolling.  By the time we taxied out the oil was above 100 degrees and after the run up we picked up our IFR release and headed out.

The winds were screaming from the Northwest and I assumed we would have a rough ride, it was surprisingly smooth though.  With the cool air we were soon at 8,000 feet with about 30 knots of tailwind scooting along.  After we were handed off to Greensboro I got the bad news.  We had to reroute.  Either a lot more East or a lot more West.  West looked better as it was shorter so we turned towards BZM VOR and then we were told it would be direct home.  

Our 30 knot tailwind became a 25 knot headwind but it was only for 55 miles, then we could turn and start zooming South again.  Well, Greensboro handed us off to Atlanta and he had another reroute all the way to GENOD.  We had fought our way 40 miles West and now he wanted us to go another 55 miles?  Also as we headed West it got a lot bumbier.  I made a decison.  We were in severe clear with 100 mile visibility.  I cancelled IFR and started a climb to 8,500 and turned direct home.  

I asked Atlanta if Charlotte would let us through the Class B.  He checked and they would not.  This was not an issue, I figured this would be the case so we kept climbing to 10,500.  In smaller lower powered planes, climb rates are anemic up that high but the Baron has plenty of power and I just set up 500 feet per minute and left the power alone.

10,500 solved our class B problem but the winds were more from the West so we had just a bit of tailwind and sometimes a bit of headwind.  I also started thinking ahead and our route would just clip the restricted areas by Savannah.  I add SAV VOR to our route and the slight change fixed everything.  Charlotte had no issue with us at 10,500 and it was a bit easier not being IFR.  As we cleared the class B I told them I was going back to 8,500.  Normally 10,500 can be a bit faster when the winds are favorable but today lower the winds were more from the North so we dropped back into a 15 knot tailwind.  

Leaving Charlotte we slid over Columbia, I forget how close they are, only 77 miles and today with the visibility I watched Charlotte international slide under the nose and there was Columbia.  Columbia came and there was Savannah and pretty soon we were descending for home.  I could see the river and where the airport was when we were 50 miles out.  Being VFR came in handy agian as we could descend as we chose and with the smooth air I was able to optimize our profile.  The trip home clocked in at 2:18, 2 minutes longer than predicted and used 1 gallon more than planned which was not bad with the rerouting.  The drive is close to 9 hours.

The approaching storm and the one that just left

One of the hardest go no decisions is when the weather isn't really that bad but it's not that good.  We have been looking forward to a trip up North for quite some time.  Initially it looked like the weather was going to cooperate but as it got closer that changed.  Departure day the entire Eastern Seaboard was low IFR including our first fuel stop and second.  This was not a deal breaker as it was supposed to clear and I was pretty confident it would open up by mid day. 

Our destination was the issue, forecasts were for the afternoon ranged from marginal VFR to low IFR.  Four things concerned me.  The first stop might not clear requiring a divert and delay us.  Our destinantion weather might hold but the later it got, the worse it would be and it would stay bad for at least 36 hours.  There were no close easy alternates.  The final issue was the uncertainty.  At 7 AM I needed to make a call about what was happenning at 3 PM, 7 hours away.  

Yes the plane is very capable, I have flown 10 approaches in the last 60 days, 7 in actual so it was less about what we could do and more about what was prudent.  I made the call to delay.  So what happenned, our first stop cleared just in time, our second had storms during our arrival, not sure how that would have changed things and the destination stayed high enough to get in.  That said it then got hammered.  This left us planning to leave Friday with excellent weather across our entire route.

Then the hurricanes showed up.  While we build flexibility into our schedule we anted to be able to be back by Tuesday and the predicted influence of what will be Imelda made our chances look bleak.  So today we scrubbed the trip until a later date when we had time and good weather.

I had a plane ready to go so we deciced to take a quick flight and train on the radar some more.  Big storms were out West so we filed IFR to Lake City and back.  Everything worked as planned and we got some nice cloud time, the controllers were friendly and let us deviate around the bad as in bumpy stuff.

We also saw some but heavy rain coming from short clouds.  I've said it before, just because the tops are less than 15,000, it still doesn't mean you want to take the ride.   On the way out we had some litttle yellow cells on the XM display but as we approached they were much more serious according to the omboard radar.  We circumnavigated the area and on our return path they were even more intense but still showing OK on the XM.

As I was writing this, the potential storm Imelda just got names potential cyclone 9.  The official cone has it moving slower but still looks like a Tuesday return was still not in the cards.  It's always hard to scrap a trip you have been planning and looking forward to especially when you have a seriously capble airplane and you practice a lot.  That said, we have done it before and we are still here to do it again.  

Be careful out there

I know I have posted a good bit on not using ADS-B/XM tactically but I am not sure the message has really sunk in.  Typically green and yellow on XM are safe to fly through if that's what they really are.  Today I was out shooting some approaches and the rain was building.  I had the XM on the 750xi and the live radar on the 500txi.  While being vectored for the GPS 13 SGJ we first were pointed at some weather that was mostly green with a few yellow spots on XM but it was painting a solid red core.   I was about to ask for a turn when the controller headed me North West towards ORSOF.  

You can see in the picture above just North and West of ORSOF there is a small but strong cell.  I was tilted up 6 degrees so none of this is ground clutter.  Also my radar does not display within 5 nm on the 40 nm scale so what you are seeing is clipped at the white ring.  We turned to avoid this and though we were mostly IMC, got a look at it.  It was raining but it would be hard to tell that the core was that intense.  Given its size I doubt it would have been really bad but I am thinking it was not a ride I wanted to take.

The XM picture is above.  It looks mostly benign and many would have no issue going through based upon the colors.  The rain was not moving much so this lag was less positional and more intensity but position is not the same.  These are cut from the same picture just after my radar swept so really the same instant.  On radar (and our eyes) the storm is more to the top right of ORSOF, not to the right as shown in the lower picture.  So if you tried to deviate based upon XM you actually might run right through the core.  As Sergeant Phil Esterhaus used to say, Let's all be careful out there.

Not as soft as it looks

Was heading back today after a localish flight.  The weather down South was mostly nice with a few isolated showers.  Up by home was a different story.  Rain was building on the coast and things were strating to look ugly.  Coming North I decided to cut inland North of Saint Augustine.

There was rain North and we could see clear air to the West but their was one cloud that looked tall and ominous.  This is where the radar really shines.  I was at 1,000' running 20 mile range and 6.25 tilt up.  This much tilt is not useful for much further ranges as the beam will likely go over the section you want to see and farther out, just over the top of anything of interest.

So back to our cloud.  No visible rain, no characteristich thunder head and it was small, maybe a mile around.  Well this little mass of wet air was painting bright red with a steep gradient.  Even with nothing showing below we avoided it and had a smooth dry ride.  It was a good reminder that just because something isn't really tall, or big, you still need to respect what you are seeing.