Selecting Our RV

I guess we were just like most folks in the market to purchase an RV. We thought about it for several years, stopping at dealerships and RV shows to look at what was available. I really should have lost some weight just climbing RV steps. We finally made our first big decision—we wanted a travel trailer or 5th wheel rather than a motor home.

We had looked at many, many RVs of all types by the time we took our little pop-up camper to Alaska. We were minding our very own business when a Montana rolled into the campsite next to ours in Dawson Creek. The next morning we hitched up bright and early and headed down the Alaska Highway. We found a tiny campground in a provincial park along the way and pulled in for the night. The next thing I knew, that Montana rolled into the campsite next to ours. It’s owners were very nice and we had chatted some while in Dawson Creek. They invited us over for fresh baked cookies. When I climbed the steps of that Montana, I was sold. I never found another RV I liked as well.

Lucky for us there is a Montana dealer in our home town, so when we really started shopping, that was where we went first. We had made a list of things we wanted based on how we planned to use the RV. First and foremost, it was to be our fulltime home. Therefore, we would need more storage space and carrying capacity than if we were just going to use it for short vacations. Secondly, since we expected to be away from our home base for extended periods of time, we wanted to be able to invite friends and family to visit. Therefore, we needed sleeping space. We also expect grandchildren some day and wanted to be able to accommodate them. With these things in mind, we shopped until we dropped.

After much deliberation, we finally selected the 3295RK, 2006 model. It was short enough that we can still get into a few National Park and more rustic campgrounds, but large enough to be comfortable living in fulltime. We have plenty of wardrobe and drawer space in the bedroom and ample basement storage for less used items and camping/hiking gear. With opposing slides in the living area it is spacious enough for guests. We actually had 12 people in here at one time, but I don’t recommend doing that. The high ceiling of the 5th wheel gives you the feel of a house rather than a trailer. The sofa converts to a bed for extra guests and we got the garden tub for eventual grandchildren.

Someone told us to think about what we most like to do and get that in the rear. I really enjoy cooking and Gene really enjoys eating, so we selected the rear kitchen model. I actually have more drawer space than I did in our condo kitchen. The L-shaped counter gives me plenty of room to prepare and serve meals and the under counter space is awesome.

Laurel Forks Falls

We went for a very nice little hike with good friends on Good Friday. There are so many “ways” to hike, but what we did is my absolute favorite.

We let our lives get so bogged down with work, chores, and a wide variety of obligations and too often we fail to stop “and smell the roses”. It seems the more modern the technology to reduce our work load the more work we have to do. Our lives are so crowded, not with things to do for the enjoyment of that activity, but as a means to another end. How have we gotten so busy that we can’t take time out to enjoy each other and God’s magnificent creation?

Friday we did what we are always aspiring to do—enjoy the day, enjoy each other, enjoy friends, and enjoy the wonders of being out doors. We started off by meeting our friends at the donut place. Now how can you go wrong from there? Good conversation over good coffee. I’m not thinking about the fat in the cream filled, chocolate iced confection. Then we loaded our packs into their car and struck out for the trailhead. We ended up in Hampton, TN at a little side trail that lead to the AT.

It was a wonderful hike with very little up hill along the Laurel Fork Branch. It was a beautiful spring day and, being a holiday for many, there were lots of folks along the trail. The water was too cold for a dip, but compelling nevertheless to get as close as possible without getting wet.

Our destination was Laurel Fork Falls about 2.5 miles from the trailhead. It had rained quite a bit during the week prior to our hike, so we were confident the falls would be full of water. We were not disappointed. We found us a rock with a good view of the falls and broke out our lunch (prepared by our friends) of sandwiches, chips, and fresh fruit salad. Oh, I can’t forget the brownies. Now this is my favorite kind of hike--a beautiful, easy stroll to an outstanding natural feature to enjoy a decadent lunch with friends. Blessings untold!

Damascus, Virginia

We took a side trip to Damascus, VA the other day. We hadn’t been there since our AT trip in 2005. It brought back some real memories.

Back then we had walked 10 miles down the hill from Abington Gap Shelter into Damascus by noon on the Friday of Memorial Day weekend. In hiker terms, that is a 10 x 12, and that was the best time we have ever made anywhere on a hike. I had hiked so many miles along the Tennessee/North Carolina border that I didn’t think I would ever get to Virginia. Then, all of a sudden, there it was. I almost knelt down at the state line sign, but got a hold of myself in the nick of time. Instead, there was just a soft utterance to the heavens, “Thank you, Lord”.

We went to Damascus the other day to go to the outfitters. I needed new boots for this next section. We were highly impressed with the folks at Mt. Rogers Outfitters when we were there before. Jeff tried everything he knew to make my feet quit hurting. I have since come to the conclusion that if you hike more than 5 miles, your feet are going to hurt. He fitted me for my new boots and then we strolled through the store fingering the merchandise and took a quick look through the trail register.

Damascus is a trail town which hosts two trails—The AT and the Virginia Creeper Trail. The Virginia Creeper is primarily a mountain bikers trail, but is also open to horses and hikers. It runs 34 miles from Abington, VA to the NC state line near Whitetop, VA. This is a rail-trail conversion from the old Virginia Carolina Railroad and takes the rider through beautiful rural Virginia countryside. Locals nicknamed the Virginia Carolina the Virginia Creeper from the way it crept up the mountainside with heavy loads of lumber and iron ore. There are bike rental shops available for anyone who doesn’t have their own bike and shuttles available so you don’t have to make it a round trip effort. What could be easier than that?

The AT and the Creeper are one in the same for a few miles north of Damascus. What a great stretch of trail—a wide, graded, gravel footpath with benches for resting by the mountain stream. Now this is hiking!

Chore Day

Friday is chore day around our RV. It took a long time to get some of our friends to understand that we have chores. Many thought we were just on vacation and, therefore, didn’t have dirty clothes and an empty pantry.

Anyway, Friday is chore day. There are two main things which must be done—grocery shopping and laundry. I also put ironing on the list, but somehow it never seems to get done on Friday. Generally, I try to avoid ironing, but inevitably a couple things sneak in. Some chores are only done once a month and I usually put them off until the last Friday. That was the case today.

I actually thought this day would be kind of easy. I guess I was dreaming. The biggest, baddest chore of all is defrosting the freezer. There are very few things I miss living the RV lifestyle. A frost-free freezer is on top of the list. I remember helping defrost the freezer when I was a child, but I don’t ever remember having to defrost thousands of metal slats on the inside of the refrigerator. Are those things only in RV refrigerators? And they are razor sharp. I can’t do this chore without cutting myself. Freezer defrosting has been a discussion on RV discussion boards and I read one time about how defrosting is easy. Just turn the refrigerator off and go to bed. The next morning you’re good to go. There is no way I could go to sleep knowing water was dripping in the refrigerator. Just think of all the disasters that could happen! So every minute I am there with a cloth to wipe up every drip.

Grocery shopping is always an adventure and takes up a good chunk of the day. I hardly ever shop in the same store more than a few times. Even if we are camped at the same place for an extended period of time, I like to try out the different grocers in town. I can easily walk a couple miles around in a circle trying to gather up the things I need.

One Friday as I was putting away the grub I had purchased, I took a few cokes out of the carton and placed them on the counter to go in the refrigerator. I got distracted with something else and in a couple minutes I heard a loud thump immediately followed by a spraying sound. As I turned around, I saw Peanut standing proudly on the counter admiring his work. For some reason this cat likes to help me keep the counter and tabletops free of clutter. The warm coke he had pushed off the counter had exploded like a grenade. Coke was everywhere and on everything as far away as the front door. The only thing that had saved most of the carpet was the numerous plastic groceries bags that I had not yet picked up.

Life is an adventure even if you don’t go out of the house.

The Training Ground

Like I said before, I chose Erwin for this hill. As you can see from the trail profile picture, southbound from the Nolichucky River it rises pretty steadily right from the road. The first step is up and every step after that is up for almost 2 miles. There are a few switch backs across this section, but I guess the trail builders got tired of that and gave it up toward the top. Just about the time you think you have crested the summit, there is what you hope is the last up looming in front of you. Of course, you can’t see the next one for the steepness of this one. Ah, the AT we know and love.

From the Nolichucky River left to the top of Temple Hill

The trail is in great shape here. It is spring, after all, and the maintainers in every trail club are busy getting their sections in tip top shape for the onslaught of thru-hikers. On my first trip up this hill the tread way was in excellent condition with only about 5 or 6 blow downs across the trail in a 4 mile section. Later that first week, the maintainer came with his saw and removed most of those. Since then there has been another storm which resulted in a couple more blow downs, but I am confident he will be back, perhaps this weekend. Gene has a small folding saw which he takes when he is able to hike with me. He has cleared a couple of the really small things.

Up and up, then up some more

View of the river from the top

This hill has been a good workout for me. Always carrying a full pack, I sometimes just go to the top and then down. Other times I go out 3.5 miles to Temple Hill Gap then back. One day Gene and I went the other direction (northbound) from the river to Curley Maple Gap Shelter (4.2 miles from the river). This is a fabulous hike along the creek with a very gentle climb for the first 3.5 miles and hard push to the top in the last half mile. The reward for my efforts? Well this is early spring and there are no leaves on the trees so the views are spectacular.

Erwin, Tennessee

For the AT hiker, Erwin is a trail town. Trail towns are communities, usually very small, easily accessible to the trail. In the case of Erwin, the trail comes off of Temple Ridge down to the Nolichucky River right at the outskirts of town. Greeting the hungry hiker as he steps foot on the road is the “snickers 40¢” sign. Ah, life is good. There is also a hiker hostel here a mere 20 feet off the trail with a bed, a shower, and a small store with hiking gear and plenty of ice cold soft drinks. One can also get a ride into town.

View of Erwin from the AT on Temple Ridge

Erwin is a community of approximately 5,000 with most of the fast food chains, a couple Laundromats, a few hotels, a grocery store, a pizza parlor, and drug stores to meet the hiker’s needs. The town folks are hiker friendly and happy to do what they can to facilitate your journey. They are accustomed to the hundreds of thru-hikers who descend on their town each spring for a one night stand.

Erwin has another advantage as a trail town—the Nolichucky River. Many hikers enjoy a break from the walking and welcome a little water sport activity.

Hiker hostel where the AT crosses the road at the Nolichucky River

For the traveler, Erwin is a destination worth considering. There are numerous trails for day hiking in the Cherokee National Forest as well as along the AT. There is the rafting and canoeing on the Nolichucky. The city has a fabulous paved greenway through town for biking or walking. For stock car race fans, the Bristol Speedway is a short drive up the interstate. It is also just a short drive to Jonesborough for the Storytelling Festival each fall. In October, the mountains around Erwin are ablaze with the fall colors of a vibrant hardwood forest.

For RVers, there is not a campground in Erwin that will accommodate the big rigs. We are parked 3 miles from the Main Street exit at Woodsmoke Campground in the very small community of Unicoi.

For me, I’m here to hike up to Temple Ridge and down again, a climb of 1300’ in a mile. Some of my friends lovingly refer to this activity as “hill repeats”.

A Mouse in Our House

This is Gene’s story, I’m not having anything to do with a mouse.

We discovered telltale signs that a mouse was in our house. I immediately leaped from my couch to the truck and hence to Wal-mart. A quick review of baits and glue cards and I came home with the tools of war. Mrs. Mouse needed quick eradication before she gave birth. Aren't they always pregnant, even the males?

I spread most of the dozen bait blocks around outside areas, and in the basement storage. All the glue cards went inside. We had to be careful Peanut didn't get at the bait blocks.

No luck in the first 24 hours, but more evidence Mr. Mouse was active.

We went hiking with our friends Charlie and Jennifer who live nearby. Charlie stopped in at a local old-time hardware store. It was a wonderful place that had everything a person (flip flops, overalls, boots and a straw hat) or a home (oven heater elements, gorilla glue, copper rendering kettles) would need with the one exception of health insurance. Mr. Brown escorted me to the rodent eradication department. He assured me that when, from time to time, he and Mrs. Brown got the errant white-footed house mouse, she always brought home Victor brand traps. They apparently have never invented a better one despite all the talk over the years. Mr. Brown advised peanut butter or cheese.

We got home and the deed was done. I admit feeling slightly disappointed that 5 minutes passed and no sound came from under the sink where our traps lie in wait. We had reconciled ourselves that later, in the still of the night, we would hear the sound of success. Just then, success. Even Peanut who is hard of hearing went over to the cabinet to sniff around. We marveled at how modern technology failed when decades old technology was swift and efficient. Then the other trap sprang. Mr. Brown said that often was the case.

I will let you imagine the squeamish modern office worker’s attempt to improvise a haz-mat suit to dispose of the remains.

In the morning I reset the one Victor trap still operational. Too squeamish to bend the wires back in place on the other one. I'll just pick up a couple (clean) ones at Wal-mart today when I get my $4 prescription. If Wal-mart doesn't have them, I know a good hardware store in the area.