The Terminator...

... happy birthday, Ig....

... never "owned" a cat, never thought about a cat, never cared about a cat..... actually, always thought "f*k cats"..

... never even held a cat until this time last year (56 years old at the time)...helped out a stray mother cat who needed help with her kittens... only ever previous cat encounter -  kept a '71 Chevy Chevelle  in my grandparents barn/garage years ago, "off season" - would stop up on cold winter days to "fire it up" to keep the battery from dying... one visit I cranked the ignition, everything died and every dash light lit - "now what the f*k?" - lifted the hood - there's a dead kitten - got wrapped in and popped all the drive belts...

... got "stuck" with this guy... last one remaining out of a litter of four male kittens - no one wants 'em... man... and he was the "runt of the litter" - totally independent - would hiss, swat, claw and bite at me every chance...

... "Listen! and understand!.. the Terminator is out there! It can't be bargained with! It can't be reasoned with! It doesn't feel remorse, or pity or fear. And it absolutely will not stop, until you are dead!!!...

                                                                                                              - "Kyle Reese" (from the movie)

... that's all he does!!...

... night vision, high frequency hearing, acute sense of smell and touch, razor-sharp teeth and claws, expert climber, speed and agility, fearless "on the hunt" - pound for pound, an ultimate "killing machine"... that's what he does... pretty cool... 

... "nice kitty"....

Update 05/27: "Hey Ig - killed anything yet today?" - "Naa!... but the day ain't over yet!!..."

Vipers and such... (Wildlife Part 1)

... coolest thing about roaming the woodlands is encountering wildlife. Over the years we've crossed paths with just about every critter out there, many seldom seen, from bobcats to flying squirrels and otters to porcupines. Swear I even saw a large black panther minutes before dark one night along the 'Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail' - crossed the trial about fifty feet in front of me - just got a fleeting glimpse. Yea, I know that there's "none around here" and no one believes me when I tell this, but it was a damn-big and thick coal black cat - around 80lbs - with a long thick tail - and I'll leave it at that. Don't worry - if I'm gonna' spin a "tall tale", it's going to be a good one ("let me tell you about my weekend with Raquel Welch....").... Whoa!!! - speaking of which - just did a simultaneous google-search for 'Cougar' on-line - linked me to some "interesting" websites - going to have to return to investigate when I'm through here....

Anyway, probably the most frequent encounters are with snakes. The forested and rocky ridge-tops around here are prime habitat - will leave it at that as well. Here's some photos accumulated over the years.....

... check out this monster 'Black Snake' (either a 'Northern Black Racer' or 'Northern Rat Snake' - I get 'em confused, so usually just leave it at 'Black') - easily five feet in length - those are 'Tent Worms' hangin' on for the ride...

... another one - easy to see the markings and body shape - 'Rat Snake'...

... same guy close-up...

... 'Norther Copperhead'...

... 'Timber Rattlesnake' - black phase...

... here's a monster rattler, about 4ft long...

... same guy, close-up...

... this "guy" is an apparent 'pregnant' female - note the "bloated" body as it tapers toward the "tail" (was also "that time of year")...

... here's a monster "yellow phase" 'Timber Rattler'...

... pregnant female as well (again, note the bloated body)...

... this snake had some girth - her head must be three inches across... 

... although supposedly not their range of habitat, by the markings this could be an 'Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake' (then again, it could be a 'Black Panther')...

... anytime scrambling around rock ledges, give that lower step a little berth...

... got up early one morning to purposely hike up to a known local 'den' to get some photos - always noticed that the rattlers would "lay out" at the top of the cliff before the sun got too hot... hiking up through the woods I noticed a large 'Hawk' circling high above the cliff... made it to the top, camera at the ready, and noticed two black phase and this yellow phase rattler moving from the open and back to their den... just as I was about to step out into the open, the hawk swoops out of nowhere and just missed snatching the 'yellow phase' from the cliff-top - my sudden appearance apparently disturbed his "attack"...

... how cool would that have been to get a photo of the hawk making off with the snake - unfortunately, only got this photo of the hawk flying off (was a cool sunrise 'ta boot)... I'm pretty sure that the bird could have handled the snake - I've seen hawks flying through the air carrying some decent-sized snakes on several occasions....and if you don't believe any of this - well then, Raquel Welch was nude-sunbathing on top of the cliff as well, pet Black Panther at her side... and I'm not showin' ya' the pictures!!...

... now then...C-O-U-G-A-R...

The 'Way Cool Piers' (Bouldering Part 2)

Hey, it's finally summer....

... could never interest anyone in these - but it seems like a few "younger folks" I've run into are a little more open minded these days (maybe not) - anyway - here they are....

... the 'Way Cool Piers' - located a few hundred yards up-river from the South Connellsville Dam (do I have to draw a map?) - some pretty decent climbing on these things, especially on a hot summer day - just as good as the old 'White Rocks' climbing area near Fairchance, Pa (my opinion) - about a two minute walk from the nearest parking if only packing an innertube - about a 1/2 mile float downriver from the 'South Connellsville Beach' or 1/4 mile from 'Turtle Rock' if paddling...

... a bit exciting un-roped climbing on these things - although, they take pretty good gear (medium/small nuts and cams - very good practice) - we also had a route or two protected by 'railroad spikes', easily obtained from the nearby rail-line (disclaimer: lying about on the ground - don't pull 'em from the rail-ties) that we nailed into the construction joints as "fixed lines" - just climb and girth hitch 'em. I've noticed that they've come and gone over the years. Descend by rappel (toss a rope over the top from one side to the other, anchored by gear or RR spikes, or 'simule) or 'BASE Jump" (no 'chute' required)... lots of fun with cool "summit" to hang out on...

... unfortunately, don't have any good "action photos" - did most of this stuff way before the "photog" days - was more interested in learning how to climb at that moment - above is a photo with some "hot chicks" thrown in for scale - the piers are maybe 40ft tall - the best routes are the 'aretes' - the identified 'Way Cool Arete' on the east abutment wall is the best - the builders cut the stones at an acute angle (60 degrees?) forming a cool bomber layback (however, don't get too cocky in your abilities, especially at low water - popped off the very top once - the water isn't as deep as you would think - luckily the bottom is mud) - that whole wall needs some serious gardening each year, is solid poison ivy - got a near "death-case" there once...

...hey... how cool would it be to rig a 'tylorean' between these things?...

... for those of you who only heard "hot chicks"....

... update..... was searchin' the archives.... no action photos as thought - found this though......

... some old 'vertical rope' practice along the nearby 'railroad trestle' - at the time - is now the 'Yough River Trail' trestle spanning 'Wheeler Bottom' and 'Dunbar Creek'...

... update again... got to lookin' at this (last) photo - through my "real job" I know a bit about building bridges - WOW!! - look at those giant, rivited sectional bridge beams that grandpa' built - !!!!...

....REAL MEN!!!!.....

A Picture's Worth a Thousand Words

Was going through the "archives" lookin' for some old "stuff" and came across a few cool shots that I subsequently "stitched" together to create this image...

...pretty much summarizes many of the earlier posts and mapping. Shot "these" from 'Casparis Point' one winter day - forgot I had 'em. Left to right looking south to north. The (approximated) 'MTB Trail' is the "home stretch" of the earlier referenced MTB 'Big Loop' or "second half" of the alternate MTB 'Cow Rock Loop'. The 'Loyalhanna Limestone' is as identified on the 'Useful Map'. For scale, the 'Yough Gorge Crag' (Loyalhanna Limestone) probably ranges from forty to eighty feet in height. The 'Lower MTB Trails', all ridden, are just part of the maze of trails to be found. Forgot about those - we cleared a "spur trail" to link the 'Yough River Trail' long ago -  is located near where the lowest trail visually terminates in the lower left of the photo - surely overgrown these days...

... pretty cool....

Revised 05/12: My mistake - had to revise the photo and text - the 'MTB Trail' descends the ridge to the north as now shown - doesn't continue out across as had been annotated. Also - the lower trails ascend the spur to the right that climbs up and below the 'Yough Gorge Crag' as seen in the photo, and link the 'MTB Trail' at the old timber operation staging area.

Strongman Sunday

The folks over at 'Virtus Institute' are havin' their "Grand Opening" on Sunday, May26, and are cappin' off the occasion with a 'Strongman Contest'...

...have seen many of these guys (and gals) in action and can personally say that it should be a good time, whether competing or just hangin' out and watching... Don't miss it!

Bouldering, the Ridge and the People in the Woods (Part 1)

It's that time of year and a few people inquired as to 'bouldering' around here - here's some information and a quick tour....

We photographed the 'Bouldering' video, that's been up on the website for a while now, way back in 1998, with editing completed the following year. Again, shooting on 16mm motion picture film (Eastman 7246). Was pretty much outdated from the get go - the practice of 'bouldering' had pretty much exploded around the year 2000, with tons of climbers, lots of exposure in the climbing 'media' and all the gear/clothing manufacturers producing more 'bouldering specific' paraphernalia (rock shoes, crash pads...) than you could "shake a stick at". New rating systems were developed to address the many "super difficult" problems that were being "put up"- no more B1 (you can do it), B2 (you can't do it) and B3 (you can do it but no one else can - however, if repeated, reverts to B2..? - so theoretically, you had to do a B3 (harder) before you could do a B2 (easier) - contrived logic, none-the less. Bouldering"V-Grades" made a lot more sense, basically correspondent to the "free climbing" Grade 5 level, with "easy" beginning at around 5.10.

Other than the 'corny dialog' - the film didn't turn out too bad. Considering that we were shooting film (expensive), we stuck mainly to stuff we had "wired" - no budget for "re-takes". Still got in a lot of good "problems". The boulder "locations" are from everywhere - Fish Rocks, Mojo, Yough River, High Rocks, the infamous 'Workout Boulder', Casparis and The Ridge, a few 'One Outs' (new term recently heard - like it).. Probably the best SWPA area by far are the flanking slopes of this 'knob' located in the 'Casparis' area of 'Chestnut Ridge'.....

.... had bouldered there on and off since the mid-'80's. However, mostly rope-climbed at the 'Stairway to Heaven' area located at stones numbered 6 thru 11 and adjacent wall as indicated on the above map (significant locations have been numbered for later reference - the trail system was plotted using GPS co-ordinates). Hiked Tim Anderson through the place around 2006 and all he saw was a lot of potential. By the end of summer 2008 there had been 200+ new 'problems' established along with a "rustic" trail system....

... Tim and Laura - the energy behind it all...

... Rob Goodman, original "frontiersman", on top of the 'Uberman Block" (stone #9 on the map)... as well as bouldering, developed most of the roped climbing in the area ...

... long-time climbers Bob Rentka (stone #1)...

... and Carl Samples (near stone #1) also contributed big-time to the recent development...

... as did Matt Johns (stone #3) during several trips from Kentucky (Anderson Photo)...

... another "frontiersman", Matt Burnsworth with bodyguard - this boulder isn't identified on the map, is slightly further down the valley - he put up the route to the right which remained a "B3" for many years, with many attempts by quite a few good climbers - took Carl up there a few years back - he repeated it on his third try...

... speaking of which - there's much more in the area than mapped - the north ridge opposite the creek is an extension of the area - here's Bob and Carl on an unnamed block...

... and again on the nearby 'Biscuit Block'...

... this seldom visited crack is located at the small area near where "filtration plant" is annotated on the map (muscle girl Sarah standing in for scale)...

... back to the 'Ridge', Laura on FA of the 'Blunt Arete' (stone #3 - Anderson Photo)...

... Tim "dynamic" on the 'Power of Tang' (stone #3 - Anderson Photo)...

... Tim workin' Matt on the 'Wizard' (stone #5) - another "B3" per old standards -  there's a good segment showing Tim on the FA in the video 'People in the Woods' posted on the website...

... Laura on 'Two Hicks and a Chick' (stone #26)...

... Tim workin' the low roof 'Horizontal Latitude' (stone #21)...

... Tim on a difficult route on either the 'Fish' or 'Seneca Block' - forget what they called it (stone #4)...

... Bryce Dillinger (climbing) and Dave Lane on 'Hicks in the Thicket' (stone #22)...

... Joel Brady on a "project" down in the 'Wash' (near stone #15)...

... Carl on the 'Black Box' (stone #12)...

... Bob climbing with Carl - I even forget where this is at - is a maze of rock up there...

... steep slab in the 'Stairway to Heaven' area (stone #7) - Rob for scale...

... Tim on an old un-repeated steep and thin slab route (stone #2)... 

... I could go on forever - here's some final shots of the walls - Rob on a cool crack climb at the wall near stone #5...

... and doing some "gardening" at the 'Beginner Wall' (near stone #6) - don't let the name fool ya'...

... by the way - lots of good "cooling off" opportunities along the nearby 'Yough' if it gets too hot to climb - Matt, Laura and Tim hanging at a "secret beach"....

... a "wave goodbye"!