appalachia
just as soon as i came back from idaho, i was whisked away to blacksburg virginia for a business trip. being my first time to visit this part of the country, i had my itenerary booked through the weekend to do a bit of exploring.
- i had the pleasure of swimming in VT's varsity swimming pool, in the dank basement of the war memorial. it kinda felt like swimming in hokie pee. upon exiting, i saw two large bulletin boards covered with cards and letters from swim teams around the world expressing grief for the tragedy this past april. 3 months later, the emotion of the shootings is still very salient--not just in the natatorium, but all around blacksburg.
- i went for a friday evening run on the huckleberry trail, which runs along the southern border of campus. it didn't take too long before being overtaken by barnyard scents, and vistas of crops and livestock. VT is really rural outside of its borders. i was caught in a 75-degree sunset shower which cast a 180-degree rainbow over all of campus upon my return trip. lovely.
- the next day i rented a mountain bike from hokie spokes (what a name!) and drove it down to the new river trail, a 50-mile park cutting through the roanoke valley. what was planned to be a 3-hour/40-mile round trip was cut to 2/20 due to a comedy of errors:
the trip wasn't all in vein: the trail did have some nice views and a handful of rustic bridges. at least all of my electronics survived once they dehumidified.
- this morning, i went for a run at the cascades. fantastic! from the base parking lot, one runs upstream for two miles, acending over 700 feet on rugged trail. all you can hear are your footsteps and the rush of ice-cold water. at the trail end, your effort is rewarded with a driving 60 ft waterfall. certainly not the biggest waterfall in the world, but its appalachian seculsion gave it a more intimate feel. the return path is fast-n-rugged, with several well-crafted log bridges and a massive, rusted 100-year-old power generator that was used when this area was first settled. best stop on the trip.
- finally, a 3/4 mile swim in the blacksburg community pool. really nice facility: sunroof, not overly cholorinated. in a small town like blacksburg, this place probably is the happening place to be during the summer.
[...]
i'll sleep well tonight, for sure. i'll need some rest--swim lessons start tuesday!
- i had the pleasure of swimming in VT's varsity swimming pool, in the dank basement of the war memorial. it kinda felt like swimming in hokie pee. upon exiting, i saw two large bulletin boards covered with cards and letters from swim teams around the world expressing grief for the tragedy this past april. 3 months later, the emotion of the shootings is still very salient--not just in the natatorium, but all around blacksburg.
- i went for a friday evening run on the huckleberry trail, which runs along the southern border of campus. it didn't take too long before being overtaken by barnyard scents, and vistas of crops and livestock. VT is really rural outside of its borders. i was caught in a 75-degree sunset shower which cast a 180-degree rainbow over all of campus upon my return trip. lovely.
- the next day i rented a mountain bike from hokie spokes (what a name!) and drove it down to the new river trail, a 50-mile park cutting through the roanoke valley. what was planned to be a 3-hour/40-mile round trip was cut to 2/20 due to a comedy of errors:
- running shorts do not make good bike wear. the loose fabric keeps catching onto the seat, causing a safety hazard.
- the forecast called for 80-degree sunshine. boy, was that wrong. 5 miles into the trek, a sizeable thunderstorm moves over, dousing the gravel trail, the bike, and myself.
- i had my camera backpack with me on the bike. my backpack is waterproof enough, but the rain was getting ridiculous and i was getting concerned for my equipment. i slopped through the now-muddy trail hoping to find a shelter... all i could find was a portable toilet left over from some construction work. propping the door open with a stick, i huddled on in not knowing how long i would (or could stand to) remain.
- in an attempt to call someone back in austin to get a weather forecast, i discovered that there was no cell phone reception! ah, the trifecta: stuck in a storm, in a toilet, in the middle of nowhere. soaked through and through.
- the storm passed after 30 minutes. continuing down the trail, my bike gave a sudden jolt. i discovered that the handlebar collar had come loose, and now my semi-curved handlebar spun and slid all over the place as i rode. of course, the shop ownder didn't provide me with a bike toolkit.
- upon deciding to abort mission and turn around, two cattle ran (they can move if they want to--think pamplona) alongside the fence i was beside, then out their open gate and right onto the trail 10 yards in front of me, impeding my return trip. thoughs of "irresponsible animal ownership" pop into my mind. the cattle gave me a good stare. "bah! cows or bulls? cows or bulls?" i couldn't get a good look. don't forget: mud, camera, handlebar. after 15 seconds, the cows (phew!) ran off up the mountain.
- on the slowed return trip (mud, handlebar), i came across a roadside with two country bumpkins fixing their camper on some property. i approached them and asked if they had an allen wrench. within 10 seconds they procured one, and in another 30 seconds, the bar was tightened and ready to rock. i must have been the sight to see, coming off of the middle of a trail; i couldn't thank them enough! i finished the rest of the ride under partly sunny skies.
the trip wasn't all in vein: the trail did have some nice views and a handful of rustic bridges. at least all of my electronics survived once they dehumidified.
- this morning, i went for a run at the cascades. fantastic! from the base parking lot, one runs upstream for two miles, acending over 700 feet on rugged trail. all you can hear are your footsteps and the rush of ice-cold water. at the trail end, your effort is rewarded with a driving 60 ft waterfall. certainly not the biggest waterfall in the world, but its appalachian seculsion gave it a more intimate feel. the return path is fast-n-rugged, with several well-crafted log bridges and a massive, rusted 100-year-old power generator that was used when this area was first settled. best stop on the trip.
- finally, a 3/4 mile swim in the blacksburg community pool. really nice facility: sunroof, not overly cholorinated. in a small town like blacksburg, this place probably is the happening place to be during the summer.
[...]
i'll sleep well tonight, for sure. i'll need some rest--swim lessons start tuesday!
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