Lone Oak Trail

This is a steep hike up the west side of Buffalo Mountain to the mountain's summit (3,300 feet) (view pictured above).  It's 3.6 miles round trip, with a 1,475 foot elevation gain. Expect a cardio workout with lots of switchbacks! This is the perfect time of year for this hike -- with the leaves down you'll find beautiful views all the way up. Once you endure the switchbacks, you'll walk the ridge line and have great views in both directions. As you climb you will see the continued recovery of the trees and vegetation from the devastating 2008 forest fire.

The trail is very narrow in places, almost like a goat path winding around the mountain. I wouldn't want to try this trail on an icy day or in spring when the trail is muddy -- the higher it gets, the narrower it becomes. Hiking poles are probably a good idea.

The photo above and to the left shows the first knob that you climb and the ridge you walk. You get a real sense of accomplishment when you see just how far you've climbed. :)  This trail gives you lots of excuses to stop and enjoy the views.

For directions and more information click here.
For an overview of Buffalo Mtn trails, click here.
To read about the man who developed the trail, click here.

Here's to eight years of blogging Appalachia! :)

of no value

All things human hang by a slender thread; and that which seemed to stand strong suddenly falls and sinks in ruins.
--Ovid (43-17BC) Ancient Roman Poet and Author.

What is it about old, abandoned houses and boarded-up buildings and factories? They draw photographers like moths to the flame. In Detroit there are now companies that will give 'ruin tours' of the collapsing parts of that once-grand city. What is our fascination with such decay?

Is it just such a spectacle that, like an unfolding tragedy, "We cannot look away." Or is it that we find and must confront something of ourselves, our condition, our mortality there? Maybe it springs from a desire to share with others images of the forgotten and overlooked, to tell the story and capture the fleeting images of a past quietly fading away.

Or perhaps it's that here, we sense something real. Something authentic. We confront the gritty and painful reality that life, stripped away of love, care and concern is decay and ruin. This is what it's like to be abandoned.


For me, I like to imagine what once was. The families gathered, the children playing, the warmth and sadness, laughter and tears these crumbling walls once contained.

I couldn't find any history about this place online, but looking at its rough-hewn logs... it's old. The 48 acre property upon which this place sits is for sale. The ad reads "Older cabin of no value being removed from property."

For a thoughtful discussion of our fascination with urban ruins, click here.

For those interested in seeing images of "Abandoned America" click here.

hopes vs. fears

We should not let our fears hold us back from pursuing our hopes.
–John F. Kennedy 

It wasn't the best of lighting for waterfalls late yesterday afternoon, but we went anyway. Always a tricky lighting situation when you have bright sunshine and deep shade. This beauty is found on private property in Washington Co., TN on the west side of Buffalo Mountain.

for those who listen

The earth has music for those who listen. 
--George Santayana (1863-1952) philosopher, writer. 

Above: A scene on Ramsey Creek.

Vintage

This impressive railroad viaduct over Boones Creek Road in Johnson City, TN was built in 1908. The VW Bus ahead of me was built in 1973. :)

St. John Milling Company

Founded in the 1770s, the St. John Milling Company of Watauga, TN was the longest continuously operating business in Tennessee until it closed its doors last year.  Remarkably, it stayed in the same family during its long history. It began with Jeremiah Dungan purchasing 400 acres of land and building a mill powered by a 16 foot water wheel on Brush Creek. The stone manor located across the road was also built at that time. It wasn't until the 1930s that the mill would be powered by electricity.  Click here for an article with additional information about the mill's history.

take rest

Take rest; a field that has rested gives a bountiful crop. 
--Ovid (43 BC - 17/18 AD) Roman poet. 

Above: Tomato farm in Washington Co., TN

Memorial Day

What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world remains and is immortal.
--Albert Pine (1861–1937) American author

Two Revolutionary War heroes to honor this Memorial Day...

Jacob Brown, born in Virginia in 1736, moved to the Nolichucky area of what was then North Carolina territory in 1754 on land leased from the Cherokees.  He established a trading company and provided blacksmith and gunsmith services. His home was located just three miles from Col. John Sevier's home -- who he followed into battle at Kings Mountain as part of the Overmountain Men.  He was a captain at the time of the Battle of Kings Mountain, and was later promoted to second Major of the Washington County militia when it was part of the short-lived State of Franklin.  Brown died in a hunting accident in 1785. The large monument you see here incorporates the original small stone (click photo to enlarge). The Brown Cemetery is said to be the oldest marked cemetery in Tennessee and is located next to the Nolichucky River in a remote area of Washington Co, TN.  More on Jacob Brown and his family here. Click here for directions to the cemetery and a listing of those interred there.

Hugh Harris, Sr. had the distinction of serving under George Washington during the Revolutionary War. Born in Virginia in 1749, he  enlisted in 1776 as a Private in the North Carolina Continental Line, being promoted to Corporal in 1778. He served in the Battles of Germantown and Monmouth, and was discharged in 1779. Around 1827 he moved to the Limestone area of Washington County, Tennessee. He did in 1855 at 105 years old. His grave is located at New Salem Church Cemetery on Lester Snapp Road in Washington County.

for good measure

A journey is best measured in friends rather than miles.
--Tim Cahill (b.1944) travel writer 

Above: A winding path at Buffalo Mountain Park in Johnson City, TN. To download the latest trail map of the park (pdf) click here.

sweetness and seniority

I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority.
--Elwyn Brooks White (1899-1985) American writer 

Above: Millstone Creek Falls in rural Washington County, TN. Click here for more information and directions.

Washington County Courthouse

Few men have virtue to withstand the highest bidder.
—George Washington, letter to Robert Howe, August 17, 1779

Above: The Washington County Courthouse, located in Jonesborough, the oldest town in Tennessee. When established in 1777 (named of course to honor General Washington), Washington County was on the frontier - and belonged to the North Carolina territory. In 1796, Washington County, NC was transferred to the newly established state of Tennessee. Here's a photo of the previous 1842 courthouse, which was torn down in 1912 to make way for the courthouse you see above, which was completed in 1913. In all, this is the sixth courthouse to occupy this site.

Jonesborough is home to the International Storytelling Festival, held the first weekend of October. Click here for more information.

Click here to visit the Historic Jonesborough website. The old downtown is a terrific place to visit - lots of great shops and restaurants.

A Light in the Wilderness

Washington College Academy was established in 1780 by Dr. Samuel Doak, a Presbyterian minister, educator and abolitionist. At the time of its founding "in the wilderness" (basically anywhere west of the Appalachians) Tennessee was not yet a state (that wouldn't occur until 1796), so the school's initial charter was granted by the state of North Carolina. Called Martin Academy at the time, it was the first institution of higher education west of the Appalachians. In 1795, the name was changed in honor of our first President, becoming the first educational institution in the US to bear his name. Known for its 'classical education', Washington College boasts a number of notable graduates including three governors, numerous legislators, and many college presidents, ministers, teachers, judges and lawyers. In 1923, the college curriculum was dropped and the institution became a college preparatory school. In recent years, the Academy has fallen on hard times and no longer operates as a college preparatory boarding school. It does, however, continue to offer a number of continuing adult education and GED classes. The 120 acre campus, located 7 miles southwest of Jonesborough, TN, is beautiful and loaded with history. Directions here. For more information, click here and here.

Pictured above: Harris Hall, one of the women's dorms.

A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.
--Henry Brooks Adams (1838-1918) American author and historian

just give me that countryside

When I go out into the countryside and see the sun and the green and everything flowering, I say to myself 'Yes indeed, all that belongs to me!'
--Henri Rousseau (1844-1910) French painter

A beautiful farm just north of Gray, TN. Click photo to enlarge.

unrelenting

You could cover the whole earth with asphalt, but sooner or later green grass would break through.
--Ilya Ehrenburg (1891-1967) Russian author.

The Green Mile, just west of Buffalo Mountain in Washington Co, TN.

time crumbles things

Time crumbles things; everything grows old under the power of Time and is forgotten through the lapse of Time.
--Aristotle (384-322 BC) Greek philosopher

The above photo is of Millstone Creek Falls in rural Washington County, TN. Click here for more information, links and directions.

potential

If we did all the things we are capable of, we would literally astound ourselves.
--Thomas Edison (1847-1931) American inventor, scientist and businessman

A view of Ramsey Creek within the Buffalo Mountain Camp outside Johnson City, TN. Directions and photos here.

landscape photography

Landscape photography is the supreme test of the photographer - and often the supreme disappointment.
--Ansel Adams (1902-1984) American Photographer

A farm in Gray, TN. Tom Ang suggests in his book Digital Photographer's Handbook that there are three essential elements of landscape photography: place, time and means. I certainly found a wonderful place for this photo, and I especially liked the old tree leaning in, and the old gravel road leading the eye into the scene. In terms of means, I used a graduated neutral density filter to hold back the highlights in the sky, while allowing the detail of the grass to be exposed. If I have a disappointment about this shot, it's the timing -- I didn't get there in time to get the golden rays of the setting sun lighting up the barn in a warm glow. But hey, two out of three ain't bad. :) Hang around landscape photographers long enough and you'll hear lots of sentences beginning with the words "Next time..."

Details: Nikon D90, 18-200mm lens at 48mm, f/29 for 6 sec, ISO 125

Truman for President

My friends, Will and Kendi, have such an amazing kid. This past spring he was running for 2nd grade president. Each candidate was to write a speech and deliver it to the class prior to the big vote. Here is the text of Truman's brilliant and stirring speech...

I promise that if you vote for me, Truman, as your next class president I will ask the principal if we can have lines drawn on the football field, and I'll ask the teacher if we can have drinks at the drinking fountain for as long as we want to and have unlimited pencil sharpening on Wednesdays and no "power-ups" in four square. Thank you for listening - remember a vote for me is a vote for you!

Ahhhh...what would you give for kid issues?

Above: First Baptist Church, Jonesborough, TN

Buffalo Mountain Fire Revisited

This was my first visit to Buffalo Mountain since the devastating fire last April. The park was closed for a while after the fire in order to clear the trails. From the photo above you can see that Huckleberry Knob is looking pretty bare -- but here we are just five months after the fire and you can see the resilience of the plant life -- ferns, mountain laurel, sassafras and pine trees are springing up through the ashes. In fact, there's actually quite a bit of color to be found there this fall. Click here for trail maps and more information about Buffalo Mountain. Huckleberry Knob is a short walk from the main trail head and offers great views of Johnson City, TN.

Boone Lake Fun

Boone Reservoir was created in 1952 with the completion of Boone Dam on the south fork of the Holston River. It offers a very nice public beach -- and lots of picnic tables looking over the lake. It's located just off of Route 75, west of the Tri-Cities Airport, so if you're ever out that way, check it out.

I like this shot of Hannah and her dad, Tim, as they play in the warm light of late afternoon and the cool waters of the Boone Reservoir after a picnic celebrating Tim's 28th birthday.

Yes, I'm having a little too much fun playing around with Lightroom 2 presets. Can you tell? This is one of my favorites, inspired by the bold look of the movie "300". Presets, in case you're wondering, are pre-selected settings (think of them as shortcuts) that make it easy to quickly obtain a specific look. Lightroom is awesome -- if you have it and want to get some free presets, click here. I think this whole preset thing will just be a fad for me -- something I'll eventually get over. But if it's okay with you, I'd like to share some more 'preset' shots with you this week.