Hiking, Biking, & Climbing

I continued my exploration of West Virginia last weekend with a trip to Seneca Rocks and Spruce Knob. My eyes weren't expecting the beauty, and my body wasn't expecting the workout. David agreed to another fun, active weekend, but I don't think he knew the extent of the active part. We started out taking the back trail to Seneca. The front trail takes about 45 minutes, but the back is more difficult and requires some climbing so, of course, I opted for that one. 2 hours later, we made it to the top; although, our way allowed us to talk with and watch some of the serious rock climbers. It was very cool. The top view was breathtaking, and the day was perfect. The one rock featured is the "climber's rock". That is the one serious climbers tackle. It looks scary, but I think it may go on the list as a goal of mine to tackle. I was intrigued with watching the climbers on it and impressed. It was fun just to walk around and explore the rocks.

Afterward, we headed on a 10 mile bike trail. It was a gorgeous ride, but I had never mountain biked before. I had no clue it would be so rough or that I needed to stay in a lower gear. I spent half the time in a hard gear, trying to bike uphill. Basically, it killed me. Luckily, David is an expert mountain biker so I had him to encourage me on and show me some things. Unfortunately, part of that package was my whining when I got tired, but he was a good sport and let me take some short breaks. By the end, I had the hang of it and was enjoying it much more than at the beginning. We definitely ate up that night at a neat little restaurant by Seneca Rocks. David is not used to my "snacking" style and was starving so we devoured some of the restaurants "world renowned" pizza. I think maybe Seneca Rocks is more world renowned than the pizza, but it was good. Yes, Meg and Tab, I ate pizza! I did get a water though. :)

Day Two -- we headed to Spruce Knob, WV's highest point. It was a 45 minute drive to the top but definitely worth it. You could see from all directions. We had lofty aspirations that day so we decided to hike 4 different trails that each intersected at different points. The trails headed to the bottom of mountain and then the climb went over 1,000 feet back up. Let me rephrase, I think I had lofty aspirations. We started the trail which went through tons of different terrains. The woods were covered with a nice reddish moss that felt like carpet to walk on. It was similar to what I've read about in fairy tales. Then we headed to open fields that were full of green vegetation and rocky floors. Then we ended up at a small waterfall that was pretty dry because of the lack of rain. We then headed back up the mountain on a trail called "High Meadows". The grass was definitely high, in fact, I don't think the trail had been used in the last month because the path was hard to find. The view reminded me of what I had seen in Iceland.

The trail ended up taking us 7 hours, and we encountered rain. Needless to say, we were ready for the hike to be over at 7 that evening, and David was definitely ready for dinner. Nuts and Slim Jims are not his idea of quality nourishment. :) The hike was a little scary though because we did not encounter people for 7 hours, and bears are abundant in that area. I'm thankful we were kept safe and able to enjoy lots in that area. It was definitely a feast for the eyes. What a great weekend before I had to hit anothe week of office work!

Kitchen Progress

Mom and dad have been remodeling the kitchen, and it is finally starting to look like a kitchen again. It is really fun to see the whole thing beginning to come together. Here are some pics of the cabinets and hardwood floors that have been installed. We are still waiting for countertops and appliances. Mom and I can hardly wait until the new stove arrives. Poor Dad has been eating alot of Mediterranean dinners and is quickly getting sick of salads, hummus, and pitas. Those of you that have been to my mom and dad's may enjoye seeing this. The hardwood floors go to throughout the halls and entryway too. I took the pics at 2 am so they may not look as great as during the daytime. Meg, enjoy this.

Also, here is the new table mom is considering getting for the kitchen. We loved it but have to post the pics to get Meg's approval first. Let us know what you think, sis. If anyone else has any comments on it, feel free. Mom is a little hesitant because of the heighth

Wild Wonderful West Virginia

Despite the recent setbacks in my life, I am glad my love for outdoors and travel is still alive. I have been in West Virginia for awhile but just recently realized that for the duration of my time here, I should take advantage of it. It is an amazing state and has tons of beauty and adventure that most West Virginians don't fully experience. I planned a trip to Lewisburg to try the Greenbrier River for kayaking and the Greenbrier River Trail for biking , deciding that 14 miles of kayaking and 10 of biking were good enough exercise for one day. The kayaking was nice; although my arms were tired after 14 miles. It's a good thing David (who agreed to do the trip with me) is use to using his arms a bit more than me; otherwise, we may not have made it down the river until dark. The scenery was perfect, reminding me a bit of the scenery I saw on my rafting trip in Costa Rica. The water was nice and clear too.

After we made it down the river, we dropped off our kayaks and rented some bikes in order to get back to the car. We did 10 miles on the Greenbrier River Trail which was picturesque, nice, and flat. Needless to say, by the end we were worn out and starving but felt great! We ate a huge Mexican meal and headed back to Charleston that night. Seeing all that beauty made me so proud of being from WV and excited to do a bit more exploring while I am still here. Hopefully, I will be posting more pics of this state in the next few weeks. Until then, I'm thankful to live in such a great state and to have my health in order to experience it.

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The Beautiful Blondes

Sunday was such a fun day for me because I got to spend some time with my family. There were so many of us together, and I absolutely love being with them. My cousin Jay and his two girls Gwen and Gracie were there. I have not seen them in awhile so it was nice to spend a little time with them. They are beautiful and blonde as can be. It was good to see Jay again, but he is not as enthusiastic about posing for pics as taking them. Jim did a crazy pose with Gracie though. Here are some cute pics of them.

Here are some pics I posted of my last days in Victoria. I could run to the beach from Tara's place which was amazing. I took full advantage of that run about everyday. (yes, Meghan and Tab, everyday) I took some shots of the beach for viewing enjoyment, as well as flowers. The last night Tara, Craig, and I had a fondue dinner which was delicious. The fondue pot was from the 70's though. I had never used any other kind but electric so when we were trying to light cotton with alcohol poured on it, we were a little nervous. We volunteered Craig for the job, and he was successful. The chocolate and cheese were the evidence. I was sad to leave, but it was so early, Tara and I didn't want to take any pictures. It was a great visit, and I'm so thankful I was able to go.