Featured MOMENT

The National Pike

Sat, 31 Jul 2010 22:28:57 -0400

Ever wonder what the first major highway was in the United States.?

Roads among the major eastern cities had developed over the early decades of the U.S. but that network didn’t allow for easy expansion west to settle the new territories. Travelers could go as far west as Cumberland by navigating the Potomac River but from there travel got tough.

In 1811 the federal government commissioned the construction of a National Road to connect Cumberland to Pittsburgh and points west. Then, in 1824 a turnpike was constructed which connected Baltimore with Cumberland and was called the National Pike or the eastern extension of the National Road.

190 years after construction began you can still find many mile markers in place indicating distance to Baltimore (e.g. “3 M To B”). Not all are original but even the newest are many decades old. The idea that still today you can find evidence of the National Pike built at the dawn of our country's history really intrigued me. I was going to hunt them down and take pictures of those which stood out as notable.

My plan was to drive 125 miles of it starting in Cumberland and heading east to Mile Zero in Baltimore. With the help of my navigation system I'd stay as much as possible on the old road and with the aid of my odometer I'd find as many of the evenly-spaced milestones as I could. Where a marker caught my eye and was easily accessible I'd take a picture. That's what I did and a sample of the mile markers can be seen below. This site was my inspiration.

Along the way I stumbled into some interesting distractions. In Ellicott City I found the oldest railway station, the original terminus for the first railroad in the country: the B&O Railroad. It now serves as the B&O Railway Museum. Nearby I found the amazing Thomas Viaduct stone arch bridge which was a part of the original B&O line and which is still in use today carrying 60-80 trains per day.

Once in Baltimore I was free to wander before heading home. In this town there's no shortage of things to see so I narrowed my focus to Johns Hopkins University and Mount Vernon Place. At the former I walked the grounds, visited the library, and strolled the Bufano Sculpture Garden. I also tried to visit the U.S. Lacrosse Museum but it was closed. At the latter I was floored by what I found: the original Washington Monument, the Peabody Library, and many other cultural icons. I need to get back there!

On my way home I knew there wouldn't be much open. It was after 5:00 on a Saturday but I could at least swing by a few places and scope the out. I chose a few institutions along the 295 between Baltimore and Washington. The National Electronic Museum seemed to deal with pre-digital electronic technology and is probably worth revisiting. Certainly the National Cryptologic Museum of the NSA and the NASA Goddard Space Center are worth returning two and both are less than an hour from home.

All I just wanted to do when I finally got home was to sit still and zone out!

Cumberland Tri-State

Fri, 30 Jul 2010 21:21:11 -0400

Long ago I learned about the skinniest stretch of Maryland's panhandle. Then, in the last few months I experienced the character-filled, historic town of Cumberland which happens to be located at Maryland's skinniest geography. To the south is West Virginia and to the north is Pennsylvania.

Knowing what I now did about Cumberland, why not map out a bike ride that went from WV thru MD to PA and back? How long a ride would it be to bike? Was it practical to create a circuit loop that encompassed these three States? Would the ride be interesting? Safe?

I decided to find out.

The path I chose was an obvious route around a hill on local roads running roughly north and south. I started out at the C&O Canal Visitors Center since this National Park Service facility had convenient and parking was free. Riding across the Potomac River put me in West Virginia where I toured for a whopping 10 minutes before crossing back over in to Maryland and starting my slough north to Pennsylvania.

The road I took north was rather hilly but the lack of traffic on Valley Road made up for the extra effort I had to exert. Once over the border in to PA I paused at a grocer to recharge with a bottle of lemonade. Much as in WV, I didn't pause long before heading back into MD, this time riding down the smoother Bedford Road with all it's extra traffic.

After 15 miles I was back where I started. Evening was approaching and the air was cooling. As I rode back to my car, I heard live music being played. After packing my bike away I headed toward the pedestrian mall where I plopped myself down in an available chair, iced tea in-hand, and soaked up the music.

My full day was ending well.

Early Morning Old Rag

Sun, 25 Jul 2010 22:38:11 -0400

Yesterday was 106 degrees hot. Today was forecast to be 104 degrees hot. For someone wanting to go on a hike, when is a thermally-sane time for an outing? Why very early morning, of course!

My rhythm for climbing Old Rag is well-established. I’m out the door by 7:30, parked and climbing by 9:00 and usually completing the loop by about 12:30. Depending upon the season and the weather, the available light varies only within a certain range. As a photographer, I’m always thinking about light and only today realized that an early morning hike might benefit me by open my eyes to new shooting possibilities.

This morning I was awake by (gulp!) 4:00 AM and out the door by 4:30. This already put me three hours ahead of my typical schedule and would have me arriving at the base of Old Rag by sunrise: 6:05. Long shadows, yellow light, and new perspectives would greet my photographic eye. I was hoping this would show me new things to take pictures of and I wasn’t disappointed. The pictures below are of ever-present scenes along the trail that jumped out at me today as new due to the early morning light.

So, how was the hike? Hot! At 6:00 when I started hiking it was still 84 degrees. As I climbed, two thermal forces were at odds: with elevation it got cooler but as the sun climbed it got warmer. For certain, the sun won and by the time I was driving home it was 102 degrees. Unbelievably, as I was leaving I saw many people only starting their hike. God bless youth.

Lee’s Maryland Campaign

Wed, 14 Jul 2010 23:13:34 -0400

One of the first things I heard from a Park Ranger at the National Park was "Were it not for Harpers Ferry, the battle of Antietam would never have happened." Well, I knew enough to realize this was a big deal because Antietam was the single worst day of fighting in all of U.S. history with over 22,000 soldiers killed, wounded or missing. Harpers Ferry, Antietam, and more were part of the Confederates' first incursion into the North in an effort known as The Maryland Campaign.

I can't do justice to the recounting of the campaign's details. Suffice to say that this was Lee vs McClellan over the course of two weeks of bloody battles which resulted in a draw. Lee returned to Virginia while McClellan licked his wounds. The Union's holding its territory and Lincoln's issuing his Emancipation Proclamation were enough to cast the Confederacy as pro-slavery which prevented England and France from recognizing the South and causing a defacto legitimization of secession by the South.

Battle Site of the Burnside Bridge over Antietam Creek

Of the 22,717 victims from the battle of Antietam over 17,000 were wounded. This was human damage on a scale that had never before been seen. It totally overwhelmed the medical resources available but also catalyzed a revolution in war medicine. This history was documented at the National Museum of Civil War Medicine in Frederick, the town where 8,000 soldiers were taken to be treated. Barbarous stuff but out of it came a revolution medical command and control, protocol for triage, systematic first aid, and ambulance systems.

Civil War Mortality Rates by Type of Amputation

The Maryland Campaign was hugely important. Many things came of it but one I found particularly fascinating was an animosity between two people that played out in a U.S. Presidential election.

Lincoln had been frustrated after Antietam at McClellan's lack of follow through. Pursuit of Lee is what Lincoln wanted but instead McClellan took time to revitalize his troops. After that year’s Congressional elections were over, when there could be no repercussions, Lincoln fired McClellan and replaced him with a man of action, Burnside. The amazing twist which resulted was that in the 1864 U.S. Presidential elections it was McClellan who became the Democratic party candidate to run in opposition to Lincoln. Had McClellan won I'm sure his revenge would have been sweet!

The more I learn about the Civil War the more impressed I am, the more saddened and bewildered I become and the more I realize how little I know about our nation’s history.

The Six Faces of Harpers Ferry

Wed, 14 Jul 2010 23:11:37 -0400

I came here to practice my hosteling skills before heading off to Wales in August. I'll be traveling the U.K. again by train and also doing lots of hiking so I’ll need to travel light. In contrast to last time when I felt burdened every time I relocated, this time I want to travel with less weight but with more technology. I'll have more cameras, my kindle and iPad, and all the supporting accessories such as a wireless keyboard. Importantly, I'll be traveling without my six pound laptop computer and this is a frightening prospect, hence my need to test things out with a stay at the Harpers Ferry Hostel.

As usual I knew very little about where I was going. Harpers Ferry is one of two National Parks in West Virginia and it stands at the confluence of two rivers: the Shenandoah and the Potomac. The only other fact I knew was that my uncle wants to revisit Harpers Ferry because he enjoyed it so much. Pretty sad starting point for me, huh?

From Maryland looking across the Potomac, Harpers Ferry & the Shenandoah.

As usual, I started my education at the Visitors Center where I learned that this National Park focuses on six themes:

1. Natural Heritage - the land and rivers which provide the reasons things happened here: rivers for power and transportation, easy passage through the Blue Ridge mountains, and access to the sea through the Chesapeake.

1. Industry - manufacturing where interchangeable parts were first used successfully here in the production of fire arms for the U.S. government.

1. John Brown - his failed raid in the cause of abolition was a timely, publicized and important catalyzing event for the Civil War.

1. The Civil War - site of the largest surrender of U.S. troops until WWII in the Philippines and the Confederate victory which allowed the Civil War's bloodiest battle to take place at Antietam, Harpers Ferry was a critical battle ground which changed hands eight times over the course of the war.

1. African American History - pivotal developments happened here like the forming of Strayer College and the meeting of the Niagara Movement.

1. Transportation - rivers provided the best paths for canal barges and rail trains to follow as they competed to provide transport to the Ohio River.

I was floored and excited by the vastness of what I was about to explore. For a town which was almost wiped from existence by a series of floods and is even now only a small backwater town, it's amazing to think it was a center of industry, a key battleground, the site of a critical catalyst for the Civil War and for Black rights advancement, and all the while a stunningly beautiful location. Harpers Ferry was shaped up to be another Travis Marathon.

Harpers Ferry’s Historic Train Station

As if the above weren’t enough, it turns out that Harpers Ferry is also where a few special organizations are based.

The Appalachian Trail Conservancy coordinates all the local clubs along the 2,175 miles of trail. It's almost half way along the AT and over 1,000 miles from either end so through-hikers (those walking the full length) stop by to check-in, have their picture taken, and get their number. While I was visiting hiker #641 was registering ... the 641st end-to-end hiker to stop by the Conservancy in 2010.

By chance and by dumb luck I also came across the innocently named Harpers Ferry Center. With that title you'd never guess it was part of the National Park Service. Neither would the name suggest it produced all the exhibits, audiovisual programs, banners and brochures for all the National Parks. I LOVE THEIR WORK! As I explained to the man at the reception desk, I've been collecting NPS brochures for years and my stack is now over a two feet tall!

The View from Jefferson Rock to where the Rivers Merge

While I explored, I hiked and I hiked and I hiked. I climbed to Maryland Heights to a rock cliff overlooking the rivers and towns. I hiked the AT into three States (MD, VA, WV). I walked every street in town and along the waterfront. It’s a remarkably accessible place and a worthy place to visit.

Scranton Has Steam!

Fri, 2 Jul 2010 21:33:29 -0400

From carpenters nails to t-rails for railroad tracks to steam locomotives, the Stanton brothers had a big impact on this town. At the time when trains were just taking off, northeast Pennsylvania was a busy place. The hard coal came from their hills, the rail lines were produced in their foundries, and soon the area was a major rail transportation hub.

The last fact is what caught my attention and that of the National Park Service too. Due to the important roots of steam locomotion in Scranton and the existence of a railway yard with roundhouse the NPS chose to build the Steamtown National Historic Site here. The site has a museum, a working steam line, a functioning roundhouse, lots of trains and a whole lot more.

This place really is for those who love trains of the steam era. My favorite section was the Train Technology building where everything from switching to lighting to basic steam engines was covered. The repair shed was in operation and six trains were being worked on. I saw the last of the day’s trains return to the station and I walked around and admired the still-functioning turntable in the middle. It’s still used to garage trains.

I had a blast. While I’ve been to many excellent train museums (York, Sacramento, Newcastle, Glasgow, Baltimore, etc.), all the great ones have something that sets them apart. The rail-yard roundhouse is what I liked best here. I also enjoyed that it was situated in such an historically appropriate place with iron works, anthracite coal, t-rail manufacture, railway lines, and a history of being an important transportation hub. This place was a winner.

A scale model of the site can be seen below.

Ricketts Glen Falls

Thu, 1 Jul 2010 21:32:37 -0400

In northeast Pennsylvania on a hike of only three miles in length you can see 21, yes twenty one, waterfalls ranging in height from 11’ to 94’. It’s pretty awesome to have such a high density of falls. Special enough to have been declared a Registered Natural Landmark and later to become a State park: Ricketts Glen.

I’m not going to burden you with many more words. The pictures below speak to the majesty of the sight; they were taken over two days. I’ll simply close by saying the only thing that could have been better is if there had been more water flowing. It hadn’t rained in quite a while before my visit and the falls were a bit on the anemic side. How do I know? The park brochure has pictures which when contrasted to what I saw make it pretty obvious.

The falls are a delight. The park trails are well maintained. The campground was excellent condition with all facilities in good shape. Finding the park and making hike to the glens is rewarding. Recommended.

Within the park nearby is the Grand View fire tower atop Red Rock Mtn.

Harrisburg’s Riverfront

Wed, 30 Jun 2010 21:31:28 -0400

It’s not part of some “grand plan” but many of the cities I visit lie along a river, the waterfronts are often revitalized, and with my bicycle in the back seat I can’t help but be tempted to take a ride. So I did.

My timing was lucky. The town was spruced up in anticipation of the July 4 celebrations. As I biked around I explored the Capitol area, ran around in the historic district, pedaled down the waterfront and across one of its many bridges to City Island where baseball fields, a soccer field and more can be found.

If you click here then you can interact with the map at the right. You’ll be able to explore a bit of Harrisburg and see some pictures I took along the way. Just click on the little green camera dots. Nice town.

Two days later I returned to Harrisburg to pick-up where I left off. Most importantly, I visited the National Civil War Museum. I’ve spent several years going to battlefields, monuments, museums and more. Just a few week ago I ended my journey where the Civil War ended: Appomattox Courthouse. It seemed a good time to visit the only museum dedicated to the entirety of the Civil War, not just some battle or theme or geography.

It’s affiliated with the Smithsonian so you’d expect it to be good, and it was. Ironically, just as I thought my journey had ended I was inspired to return to Gettysburg by a film clip I saw. Guess my journey hasn’t ended after all.