Crabtree Falls

I know, I know...we need to get out and do something.

You can tell by the recent posts that we haven't been adventuring much lately.  What's that you say?  There haven't been any recent posts?  That is because we haven't been out adventuring.  I have been working and we have been doing normal things like going to the grocery store and yoga classes and the climbing gym.

Then Sarah showed me her list.  She has compiled a list of things to do while we are here in Richmond.  It is quite thorough and extensive.  We realized that we needed to get cracking if we hoped to even really dent this list.  As we scanned down trying to figure out what to do, a hike appeared.  With waterfalls?  How can we resist?  After all, it is only a two hour drive away.

We drove east past Monticello.  No dear, don't tell the Jeffersons we are passing by, they will insist that we stop in for a visit and we simply haven't the time. Then turned south and wound our way through narrow country lanes to Crabtree Falls.

We were greeted with a warning.

Wikipedia said 28 people, why quibble?

Of course we wouldn't let minor inconveniences like death stand in the way of a good adventure!  Onward!

We walk awkwardly in the face of danger!

The sun was traversing the sky right along the top of the ridge which left us in shade for the majority of the day.  We hiked up along switchbacks that carried us near to, then away from the water.  We could tell we were getting closer to the stream by the crash of water, the colder temperatures and the humid air.  Crabtree Falls isn't just a single waterfall, or even two.  It is a long series of smaller falls interspersed with three or four larger cascades. The cool part about that is that each time you switchback, it takes you to a new segment of the waterfall.

It's been too long since we had a family waterfall picture.

Being a picture nerd, I of course have to try the slow shutter speeds that make water look so cool.  The angle of the sun was not friendly to my efforts, but it was fun anyway. 

Dang sun.  No that isn't a huge laser pointer hitting the bottom left.  I left the huge laser pointer at home.

We hiked up and up.

The lack of foliage made it easier to see the falls, but we couldn't help but wonder how beautiful everything would have looked with the colors of fall or the green growth and flowers of spring.  Can't let a little thing like cold stop us though.  Speaking of cold, you will notice a striking lack of warm weather clothing. We underestimated the cold and suffered a bit for it, but nothing major.  It was colder than we looked.

The first of many long exposure water shots.

Shiny happy people.

Something weird happened on this hike.  I almost don't want to mention it, in case I jinx it or something.

The kids were enjoying it.  Heck, they were leading the way at times.  They even, gasp, seemed eager.  I blame the  mushrooms for Michael.  No, no, I didn't drug him.  Seriously, I wouldn't do that.  He has become quite interested in mushrooms and fungus.  We bought him an Audobon Society Field Guide to Identifying Mushrooms and he dove right in.  I told him that we would see a lot of fungus on our trip and he couldn't wait.  The downside is that I now have a dozen pictures of fungi and slime molds.  Awesome. 

Hey!  Fungus!  Michael taught me the names of a few of these.

Apparently that orange-ey stuff there is Witch's Butter.

Ahhh sunshine, you taunt us so.

Even Max was having fun hopping around on the trail and climbing obstacles.  We reached a nice spot to sit and have a snack.  I took the opportunity to try some pictures in less than awesome lighting.  Oh well. 

Isn't she just adorable?  Oh yeah, kids or something too.

The tree branches looked like spider webs.  Needed a better photographer though.

Awww. sweet Max.  Even Satchel the adventure dog got in on the action.

Shortly after resuming the hike we found this cool little spot where several boulders had fallen together to form a natural shelter with a small passage through the center. The kids, of course, loved it. 

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There it is...sunshine!  Just out of reach.

Does it have the precious?

Eventually we had to get back on the trail.  It was 1.7 miles each way with an elevation gain of just over 1300 feet.  We continued to wind our way through switchbacks and enjoy the view of the various falls. 

I like this one because the water looks like ice.

Adventure dog wanted to lead the way.

I like this one, bad light and all.

As we got closer to the top, the hoped for sunshine continued largely to elude us.  Instead, the wind picked up.  We could see the top though, and it looked sunny.

Almost there!

We reached the top and found this poignant sign.  Kleenex up.

Good dog. 

The conquering heroes!

Cute Mommy snuggles in the cold.  We finally get sun, but also wind.

Michael has to get into the act.

We settled in for more of a snack/lunch.  The view was nice, but of course we couldn't help imagining what it would have been like in a prettier time of year.  The sun was nice, but it was pretty windy.  Still a nice hike and not too strenuous.  We enjoyed ourselves for a few moments and then started back down. 

I can see how dangerous one slip could be.

I am guessing the flag is another sad memorial.

One last waterfall picture on the way down.

Once we reached the bottom, there was a neat little footbridge that used to be the way to the trail.  When they installed the bridge for those newfangled horseless carriages, they kept this one around for the pretty.  And I thank them for it.  A good hike.  We needed that.

Oh yeah, then there was this.

Couldn't they make it fully enclosed?  It gets cold out here you know.

The Near Miss

OK, I promised I would do it and I will.

I was stupid.  Reaaaaallllyyy stupid.  Like, fork in a toaster stupid.  Like pushing the big red button labled DO NOT PUSH stupid.

But I digress.

And I need to one last time before we get into this if you are to understand just....well...here.

http://egad-ybnormal.blogspot.com/2012/07/71312.html

I had just finished the mudder a few days prior and on a day off, I changed out the lines for the power steering system on Flo.The old ones were rubber and I put in the new braided steel lines.  Good upgrade, stopped the power steering fluid leak. 

So, fast forward to the highways of Arkansas and Tennessee.  We had been driving, and pulling the RV, for a couple of days now and I had noticed something.  There was a whine starting when turned sharply or when braking hard.

The Duramax diesel has what is called a hydroboost system.  It uses the hydraulic pressure from the power steering pump to aid with the brakes.  So, since I heard the whine with both systems, it was surely the power steering whine.

The noise grew more pronounced and I had to use more steering and braking effort. That is not a comfortable feeling when driving through mountain roads towing your 15k lb house.  Some stress was building.  By the time we arrived at Cedars of Lebanon, the whine was constant.  Something was pretty wrong.  We parked after much noisy steering in tight spaces.  After we set up, I popped the hood.

The beast within.

Here is where things really started going off the rails.  Again, I don't really have an explanation for this.

Looking around the all-too familiar internals here, there are a few landmarks that are worth noting.

Mr. Master Cylinder fluid reservoir.

The view down the front of the engine.  Hmmm..What is that there at the bottom?

Something familiar here, but let's find that problem.

So I throw open the hood and take a look.  First thing I notice is some dark sludge underneath the master cylinder.  Makes perfect sense because remember, the two systems are connected. So I clean off as much of the sludge as I can, so I can see the leak.  I check the fluid in the master cylinder and it is dirty, but there seems to be enough.  I even draw out some of the fluid and replace it with nice, clean fluid.

By this time I am exhausted and we want to go eat somewhere.  Time to pack it in for the night.  I'll check things out in the morning. 

Fast forward to the next morning.  We pack everything up and get ready to leave.  It is going to be a shorter drive today, but we are all ready and waiting to go.  Besides, the park will be full today and we have to leave.  The government shutdown has pushed all the people out of the national parks and they are now filling up the state parks, like this one.  We need to leave pretty soon. 

I start the truck up and step on the brake.  The noise is worse than ever.  Sarah hears it.  There is no way we can proceed in this condition.  I checked the fluid last night and it was fine.  Damnit.  It must be the power steering pump.  I jump online and do a quick search.  Power steering pumps are available in Nashville, an hour away, and they aren't too expensive.  I am betting I can get it replaced and still get us on the road.  Sarah calls Good Sam and starts looking for other RV parks in the area just in case.  They have a mechanic nearby who can do the work if I can't, but he doesn't work onsite and we would have to get Flo towed to his shop.  Oh yeah, it would be a few days too.  We would then have to get the RV towed to another campground because this one would be full. 

This now really sucks.  I need to find a way to get this fixed soon. The auto parts store in Nashville has a power steering pump, but it has a core charge of over $100.  So I need to pull the old pump off and bring it with me.  I am officially stressed.  Sarah has an emergency contingency plan in place and is waiting to pull the trigger as soon as I say I can't fix it.  To hell with that. 

We go find the campground host's trailer and tell them our problem.  We are informed that we will be leaving by 3pm today either under our own power or by a tow truck.  No questions.  The husband of the husband and wife team knows something about trucks and as soon as he returns from some duty he is off performing, he will stop by and see if he can help.  I am loathe to accept any help, but I can see the wisdom in another set of hands.  Back to the truck. 

I pop open the hood, crank over the engine and hear that terrible whine.  It seems to be coming from here.

Right there.  Lucky me!  That should be easy to get off.

And that looks easy enough to get off.  It is right there up front and on top.  I can do this.  I break out the tools.  I am wrestling with the belt to get it off because I can't reach the belt tensioner with any of my tools.  I figure that I can almost pull the belt off by hand if I plant both feet on the bumper and pull really hard.  Maybe if I just loosen the bolts on the pump, I can shift it enough to get the belt off an save some time.  So I grab a wrench and start loosening the bolts holding the above piece of equipment to the engine. 



Then I notice something weird.

Denso?  That sounds familiar.

Hmmm...Denso.  Back in Santa Fe, a few weeks before we left, Sarah's dad and I replaced the air conditioner compressor on the Honda.  The compressor was made by the same company, with the same little plate on it...Denso. 



That alone should have made me stop.  But no...this crazy train was going too fast by now.  Nothing was stopping me.  I was determined. 

The husband part of the camp host couple shows up and I explain my situation to him, tell him my plan and he agrees that it sounds reasonable.  Of course, he assumes I am not an idiot. I put up a good face until you get to know me. 

So I go back to what I am doing while we make idle chat.  Things are going a little slower now that I am distracted by having this guy around watching.  The pump is not moving like I want it to and I decide that I need to pull off some of the supply lines to get a little more wiggle in it.  The guy is telling me that his wife was crazy to say he knows about trucks because he really doesn't know much of anything. 

I set a pan under the truck to catch any drips and throw a wrench on the lines leading to this pump.

Yep, those right there up top.

About this time, the guy says, "You know, I don't know for sure, but I think you are just about to take your air conditioner compressor off." 

What?  This guy really doesn't know anything about trucks.  Hell, I've worked ...on...this..be...

Wait a minute.

Something isn't right about this.

That symbol is trying to tell me something important.  What could it be?

Denso?  A/C compressor.  It's all coming together now.

WTF?

Why am I about to take the air conditioner compressor off? 

About this time he reaches down and pulls the lid off of this.

I'll be damned, it looks almost like a steering wheel.

And it is empty.  Dry.  Nothing in there. 

"You are out of power steering fluid man." 

I was less than a minute from taking the pressurized supply line off of the air conditioner compressor.  That would have clued me in to my current stupidity, but I like the way he did it better.  Holy Crap! 

I stopped, really stopped, for the first time that morning.  I asked Sarah if she could go to the store in the Honda and pick up some power steering fluid. 

While she was gone I put everything back together.  The camp host shared with me a few times he had done something really stupid, nothing quite on this scale, but I appreciated the sentiment.  Sarah got caught in traffic and it took a while for her to get back.  Plenty of time for me to wonder how I had fallen down this rabbit hole.  I knew this system and just didn't think at all.  Not even a little bit.

She got back and we put the fluid in.  Magically, the whine was gone and we were ready to roll.  I thanked the host profusely and we set off, much later than we wanted, but in pretty good shape all things considered.  I'm still a little tense and not 100% certain of my steering and brakes though. 

Less than five miles down the road and there is a merge lane.  Ahead I can see a truck, obviously laden and laboring to accelerate uphill in the half mile long merge lane.  The van in front of me decides, instead of just continuing on at her current speed (and yes it was a her, no stereotypes today thanks) and easily passing the truck well in advance of any real merge opoprtunity, she decides to slam the brakes and come to a complete stop to wait for the truck. 

This requires a panic stop by me.  The brakes work!  Heart thudding I start to call her an idiot.  I don't though.  I think it will be a while before I call anyone an idiot. 

Mt. Vernon

We went to another president's house.

What's that dear?  The Jeffersons want us over again?  No, we're going to the Washingtons this time, tell the Jeffersons we will have to do it another time.  He is the father of the country after all. 

It seemed like a good idea to go to Mt. Vernon before the weather turned too cold.  Also seemed like the pictures would turn out better if there were still some pretty leaves on the trees.  We were heading north toward DC again, which meant silly traffic, but it seemed like it would be worth it. 

You know you have a nice place when you need a map like this at the entrance.

First thing we see coming in the gate.  Considering the current political climate, it seemed appropriate.  

We went through the visitor's center and picked up our guide. Then there was a 10 minute video presentation of Washington's life in the military and politics.  I had been doing some research and it was pretty interesting stuff.  He had some very admirable qualities and did some pretty cool things. But first, we had to get to the house.  There were 300 school children there on a field trip and they were filling the house tours at the moment.  So we were advised to wait until 1230 to go on the tour.  This gave us some time to explore the greenhouse and associated buildings. 

The greenhouse...because Michael insisted.

Slavery was wrong, but complicated by the times.

Stark contrast to the rooms inside that you weren't allowed to photograph.

I had to wait forever to get this pic without tons of people in it. 

Cozy, with a big backyard for the kids to play.

Having dawdled enough, it was time to make our way around to the front of the house for the tour.  This is apparently the most visited house in the US with a total of 8 million visitors in its near 300 year history. 

I feel like J.J. Abrams.  Lens flare.

Rocking chairs would have been better.

And of course...they don't allow photography in the house. 

So, the highlights are pretty cool though.  In the entryway hangs the key to the Bastille prison which was given to Washington by the Marquis de Laffeyette who helped take it down after the French Revolution. There is the game room where the Founding Fathers frequently met to talk politics and strategy over cards.  Upstairs, there was Washington's bedroom with the same bed in which he died.  It was interesting to walk down the private back stairs thinking that Washington probably held this same handrail.  Then to realize, with 8 million visitors running their hand on the same rail, the wood he touched is probably gone.  I wonder what size the rail used to be.  Finally, they run you through his private study and out the back door.  The main dining room was closed due to restoration. 

Then we could take pictures again. 

Not a bad view. 

I love the idea.  Do Not Enter (The outside world, it's scary out there.)

What I learned in my research is that many people, including myself, think that Washington's most important act was giving up power.  After the Revolutionary War, many of his senior staff and many politicians thought he should be made a military ruler of the country.  Think about that.  You are the Commanding Officer of an army that just pulled off the most stunning upset victory in the world.  You are world famous and popular in your own country beyond belief.  It would be be very easy to just assume power.  Instead, he resigns and goes home, to Mt. Vernon, to be a farmer.  Not too long after, he is called back to power and unanimously elected the first president.  Then re-elected, again unanimously.  These are the only two times ever that a president has been elected unanimously by the electoral college.  After his second term, though people are clamoring for him to stay and keep power for life, he resigns and goes back to Mt. Vernon, to be a farmer. 

Not a bad retirement setup really. 

I think that was the biggest pecan tree I have ever seen.  I may or may not have a pecan from it.

Finished at the house, we toured the grounds. Situated on a hill overlooking the Potomac river, I can see why it would be an attractive place to which to return. 

Fancy carriage rides and all.

This led us down to the Old Tomb, where Washington and his family were interred initially.  He decided this was neither a good location, nor a good structure and began plans to have a new one made.  He died before it could be constructed.  When it was finished in the 1830's, he and his family were relocated. 

The old tomb. 

New and improved.

The rest of the family is behind the metal door in the back which was locked in 1858 and the key was thrown into the Potomac.

There is another memorial area at Mt. Vernon.

The people who did the work of the place. 

A sad and solemn place. 

Finally there was time for a nice stroll across the property before lunch and the museum. 

I love the quote.

Take that Monsanto. 

Being artsy again. 

Then lunch. 

After a much needed meal, it was quieter when the hundred or so middle schoolers left, we made our way into the museum to check out some history.  The museum tells more of a narrative history of Washington.  He was the son of a wealthy planter, but his father died when George was relatively young and a lot of the benefits of a wealthy father didn't quite make it down to him. So, he became a surveyor, among other things, and made his own way.  Then he joined the militia and in turn, the King's army.  He took part in a battle near the Monongahela River where he rallied the troops after his commander was killed.  His actions that day started a reputation as a war hero that led to certain appointments with the Virginia militia and eventually the Continental Army.  The rest, as they say, is history. 

There was a really neat theater in the museum with rumble seats, strobe lights, fog and snow machines, the works.  It outlined the major campaigns of the war in a way that enthralled even the children.  All in all, it was a pretty awesome day.  Heck, we even got to see an authentic set of Washington's dentures.  No pictures allowed though. 

Again, if you are in the area, I recommend it.  Even a history buff is likely to learn something new and interesting about a famous world historical figure. 

Young George, the surveyor.

The multimedia theater.