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The Queenstown of America
Sep. 27th, 2010 08:19 amI had an amazing weekend, esp considering it's inauspicious beginning. ( whining ) then I got on the van and people kept talking to me. What's up with that??
Sat was my first time trying a via ferrata. Started in Italy as a means of getting infantry through mountainous terrain fast, they are now a way to get tourists through mountainous terrain they otherwise couldn't handle. In other words, rock climbing for non-climbers. The guides were patronizing and the system slow, but the scenery was gorgeous. The trees near Nelson Rocks are already starting to turn so it's that gorgeous quiltwork of orange and red mixed with hints of green. The contours are completely different than New England leaf-peeping and it was altogether glorious.
We stopped at a country store for lunch beforehand and then afterward while Igor was getting gas. I bought a funny cookbook with a recipe for moonshine and some pecan pie jelly. (Maybe it was meant to be when I ran out of huckleberry jelly on Fri.) I successfully instigated bbq for dinner: we had some Google Maps drama getting there, but eventually found a little shack at a campground. The meat was well-smoked, but the sauce was storebought and clearly added after smoking, so it was kinda boring. I liked that the coleslaw was relatively dry, but the maple baked beans were overrated. The corn on the cob was infuckingcredible though: smoked and generously slathered with butter, salt, and spices. When I am queen, all corn on the cob will be prepared that way.
But it was Sunday that made 20-odd hours of driving worthwhile. I heard about the Gauley river from my insane kayaker-canyoneering friend but didn't realize it was world-class rafting. ( Read more... )
The whole weekend reminded me of Queenstown/New Zealand in general, in part bc I used a via ferrata like system there too: manufactured experiences where you can pay for adventure. And I'm ok with that. I thought our guides on the river were great, combining safety and fun better than the other guides: I still think there's a demolition derby quality to whitewater rafting that makes it so much more awesome when you're setting safety downstream. I have absolutely no desire to learn enough about kayaking/rafting to manage class V rapids by myself: I'm quite content to pay someone for their experience. Considering someone died on the river last week, that's probably for the best and have I mentioned I already have too many interests? I'd definitely go back to WV, maybe even for next year's dam release, but maybe by plane next time.
( Speaking of too many hobbies, mountaineering )
Sat was my first time trying a via ferrata. Started in Italy as a means of getting infantry through mountainous terrain fast, they are now a way to get tourists through mountainous terrain they otherwise couldn't handle. In other words, rock climbing for non-climbers. The guides were patronizing and the system slow, but the scenery was gorgeous. The trees near Nelson Rocks are already starting to turn so it's that gorgeous quiltwork of orange and red mixed with hints of green. The contours are completely different than New England leaf-peeping and it was altogether glorious.
We stopped at a country store for lunch beforehand and then afterward while Igor was getting gas. I bought a funny cookbook with a recipe for moonshine and some pecan pie jelly. (Maybe it was meant to be when I ran out of huckleberry jelly on Fri.) I successfully instigated bbq for dinner: we had some Google Maps drama getting there, but eventually found a little shack at a campground. The meat was well-smoked, but the sauce was storebought and clearly added after smoking, so it was kinda boring. I liked that the coleslaw was relatively dry, but the maple baked beans were overrated. The corn on the cob was infuckingcredible though: smoked and generously slathered with butter, salt, and spices. When I am queen, all corn on the cob will be prepared that way.
But it was Sunday that made 20-odd hours of driving worthwhile. I heard about the Gauley river from my insane kayaker-canyoneering friend but didn't realize it was world-class rafting. ( Read more... )
The whole weekend reminded me of Queenstown/New Zealand in general, in part bc I used a via ferrata like system there too: manufactured experiences where you can pay for adventure. And I'm ok with that. I thought our guides on the river were great, combining safety and fun better than the other guides: I still think there's a demolition derby quality to whitewater rafting that makes it so much more awesome when you're setting safety downstream. I have absolutely no desire to learn enough about kayaking/rafting to manage class V rapids by myself: I'm quite content to pay someone for their experience. Considering someone died on the river last week, that's probably for the best and have I mentioned I already have too many interests? I'd definitely go back to WV, maybe even for next year's dam release, but maybe by plane next time.
( Speaking of too many hobbies, mountaineering )