This is Dan's Corona commercial.
The younger two Heathens actually handled a canoe together much better than we thought!
Friday, August 7, 2009
Kinzua Trip - Day 4
It didn't rain at all that night. Probably only because we had purchased and put up a new tent. Whatever the reason, it was lovely.
The Asst. Zookeeper had packed his dutch oven for the trip. The night before, he had made fresh biscuits to go with dinner. For breakfast, he made cinnamon rolls. It was awesome!
We packed up camp around lunch time and headed back to the truck. It took us several hours to paddle back because on the oncoming wind, but it was still a great day.
As we were driving home, we were laughing about our poor sense of direction on the way to Kinzua in the first place. We found where we should have caught 119 in Indiana. As we were laughing about this, the Asst. Zookeeper turned the WRONG WAY and took us in towards Indiana instead of towards Johnstown. He didn't realize he had done it until I read one of the "Home of Jimmy Stewart" signs. What a trip!
The Asst. Zookeeper had packed his dutch oven for the trip. The night before, he had made fresh biscuits to go with dinner. For breakfast, he made cinnamon rolls. It was awesome!
We packed up camp around lunch time and headed back to the truck. It took us several hours to paddle back because on the oncoming wind, but it was still a great day.
As we were driving home, we were laughing about our poor sense of direction on the way to Kinzua in the first place. We found where we should have caught 119 in Indiana. As we were laughing about this, the Asst. Zookeeper turned the WRONG WAY and took us in towards Indiana instead of towards Johnstown. He didn't realize he had done it until I read one of the "Home of Jimmy Stewart" signs. What a trip!
Kinzua Trip - Day 3
Considering that we were up a goof bit of the night, we slept in fairly late. After we had fed the boys, we swamped one of the canoes and heated lake water so that they could take a bath on shore. The Heathens thought it was great. The Hillbilly Hotel people just looked at us as though we were strange.
Then Dan and I decided that we wanted to wash as well. Both of us are a little big to bath in the little bit of water in the swamped canoe, so we waded out into the lake together. Throwing the soap back and forth between us, we washed in the lake. We even washed our hair. I know we looked like a couple of hippies. And the Hillbilly Hotel people quite attempting to hide their stares.
Once we were all clean, we put the boys into one canoe and paddled back to the boat launch to head into town for ice cream and a new tent. It was such an overcast day that I was afraid to try it with the raining tent one more night.
Once we were back at the boat launch, we tied the canoe to the top of the truck and headed into town. We still had very little gas and were planning to stop at the first gas station. About 5 miles from the boat launch, the canoe escaped from its ropes. It flipped off the top of the truck, and, landing on it's bottom, slid down the road beside us. No harm done, the Asst. Zookeeper jumped out of the truck to reattach the canoe. About 5 minutes into this process, he gets a panicked look on his face and yells, "Turn off the truck!" We had left it on while we were putting the canoe back on!
We made it into town without any further trouble. We went to KMart and purchased a new tent. Then we stopped at Dairy Queen for ice cream. We also checked on the boy who'd been hit by a car the day before (his older brother worked at DQ). Scrapped and bruised with a minor concussion but otherwise, good. And then we stopped for gas.
Back out to Roper's Hollow we went and we paddled the 5 miles back out to Hooksbrook. When we arrived back at camp, all that was left of the Hillbilly Hotel was one couple. They made small talk as we paddled past. The Asst. Zookeeper and the Heathens paddled past a bit later to gather firewood again, at which point they asked what we had been burning the night before.
Dan explained about the stump. The lady commented that she had wondered if it was incense. The Asst. Zookeeper responded that incense was only burned for cleansing and that there was no reason to burn it at the lake. :) He also stated that since they had made no effort to abide by quiet time hours, he hadn't worried about the smoke after we realized that it smelled. It was a very pleasant conversation!
Later that night, I took one of the Heathens to the bathroom. As we walked over the hill, I could hear a very loud group further down the shore. Where we were camped, we couldn't hear them. But the couple left from the Hillbilly Hotel could - paybacks are sweet!
Then Dan and I decided that we wanted to wash as well. Both of us are a little big to bath in the little bit of water in the swamped canoe, so we waded out into the lake together. Throwing the soap back and forth between us, we washed in the lake. We even washed our hair. I know we looked like a couple of hippies. And the Hillbilly Hotel people quite attempting to hide their stares.
Once we were all clean, we put the boys into one canoe and paddled back to the boat launch to head into town for ice cream and a new tent. It was such an overcast day that I was afraid to try it with the raining tent one more night.
Once we were back at the boat launch, we tied the canoe to the top of the truck and headed into town. We still had very little gas and were planning to stop at the first gas station. About 5 miles from the boat launch, the canoe escaped from its ropes. It flipped off the top of the truck, and, landing on it's bottom, slid down the road beside us. No harm done, the Asst. Zookeeper jumped out of the truck to reattach the canoe. About 5 minutes into this process, he gets a panicked look on his face and yells, "Turn off the truck!" We had left it on while we were putting the canoe back on!
We made it into town without any further trouble. We went to KMart and purchased a new tent. Then we stopped at Dairy Queen for ice cream. We also checked on the boy who'd been hit by a car the day before (his older brother worked at DQ). Scrapped and bruised with a minor concussion but otherwise, good. And then we stopped for gas.
Back out to Roper's Hollow we went and we paddled the 5 miles back out to Hooksbrook. When we arrived back at camp, all that was left of the Hillbilly Hotel was one couple. They made small talk as we paddled past. The Asst. Zookeeper and the Heathens paddled past a bit later to gather firewood again, at which point they asked what we had been burning the night before.
Dan explained about the stump. The lady commented that she had wondered if it was incense. The Asst. Zookeeper responded that incense was only burned for cleansing and that there was no reason to burn it at the lake. :) He also stated that since they had made no effort to abide by quiet time hours, he hadn't worried about the smoke after we realized that it smelled. It was a very pleasant conversation!
Later that night, I took one of the Heathens to the bathroom. As we walked over the hill, I could hear a very loud group further down the shore. Where we were camped, we couldn't hear them. But the couple left from the Hillbilly Hotel could - paybacks are sweet!
Kinzua Trip - Day 2 (After Bed)
As we were getting into our tent for the night, we heard some thunder over the hills. We threw the rain fly onto our tent, and crawled into the sleeping bags. Never gave it another thought.
Part way into the night, around 1:30 am, I woke up because I had rain dripping on me. I slid my cot over a little bit so that I was out from under the drip, and went back to sleep. About half an hour later, another drip woke me up. I moved Heathen #3 over so that I could move my cot further out of the way.
At that point, the Asst. Zookeeper woke up and asked me if I was getting wet. And it was REALLY storming outside. We discovered that our rain fly was leaking at the very peak and was allowing the rain to come in threw the mesh at the top of the tent - effectively raining inside the tent.
We decided to set the dining fly up over top of the tent for the night. The only flashlight we could find was Heathen #3's little Tiki bird. When you squeeze his tail, he sings and opens his beak for the light. But he is not very bright. Using only this little bird, we put up the fly. But the Tiki bird is hard to hold onto, so we kept having to re=squeeze the button and listen to him sing again.
During the entire process, Heathen #3 was sitting in the tent crying that he wanted his bird back. But atleast we were able to go back to sleep without it raining inside our tent!
Part way into the night, around 1:30 am, I woke up because I had rain dripping on me. I slid my cot over a little bit so that I was out from under the drip, and went back to sleep. About half an hour later, another drip woke me up. I moved Heathen #3 over so that I could move my cot further out of the way.
At that point, the Asst. Zookeeper woke up and asked me if I was getting wet. And it was REALLY storming outside. We discovered that our rain fly was leaking at the very peak and was allowing the rain to come in threw the mesh at the top of the tent - effectively raining inside the tent.
We decided to set the dining fly up over top of the tent for the night. The only flashlight we could find was Heathen #3's little Tiki bird. When you squeeze his tail, he sings and opens his beak for the light. But he is not very bright. Using only this little bird, we put up the fly. But the Tiki bird is hard to hold onto, so we kept having to re=squeeze the button and listen to him sing again.
During the entire process, Heathen #3 was sitting in the tent crying that he wanted his bird back. But atleast we were able to go back to sleep without it raining inside our tent!
Kinzua Trip - Day 2
We woke up and the Asst. Zookeeper whipped up sausage and pancakes for breakfast. I should probably note that when we camp, we eat well.
The boys all tore down camp while I headed for my last shower for several days. For those who have never camped at Dew Drop, you are missing a precious experience. There is a button to push to get 2 minutes of hot water in the shower. It is located on the OUTSIDE of the shower stall. It is guaranteed to leave you with a head full of shampoo suds and freezing water. Now try to make it out of the shower stall and locate the magic button without opening your eyes because of the suds. Definitely a trick!
I returned to find camp packed up and stored in the truck. At which point I decided that maybe it wasn't such a bad thing to have three Heathens! At least they can break camp while I shower!
We headed back into Warren so that we could drive over to the boat launch on the other side of the lake (Roper's Hollow). As we were heading along the highway, we noticed that several cars ahead of us were stopped and people were walking on the highway and picking up pieces of something. I assumed someone lost a load on the way home from Lowe's, which was just up the road.
As the Asst. Zookeeper pulled into the passing lane to go around with the rest of traffic, I looked out my window to see what they were picking up. It was pieces of a bicycle and there was a little boy laying on the roadside bleeding. I screeched and Dan yanked the truck to the side. THANK GOD FOR EMT'S AND THANK GOD DAN IS ONE!!!!
He jumped out of the truck to help the boys who had been hit by a car. He had ridden his bicycle right in front of it. None of the people standing around were helping this little boy at all - which still strikes me as very strange.
I stayed in the truck with the Heathens until I saw another adult walk the little boy's friend across the highway to Dairy Queen and leave him there. The poor boy was standing in Dairy Queen's parking lot with tears streaming down his face and watching his friend lay on the roadside. After ordering the Heathens to stay in the truck, I crossed over to wait with the other boy until his father could get there to pick him up. The poor kid was shaking.
Dan helped until the ambulance got there. The called in the helicopter to fly the boy to Children's because he had lost consciousness. Warren doesn't have a trauma center. All in all, the boy was very lucky - no broken bones, alot of road rash, and what looked like a minor concussion.
Once we were all back in the truck, we headed for the boat launch at Roper's Hollow. This boat launch is located about 15 miles from town, down mostly unpaved roads and in the middle of nowhere. As we are going down the very steep last descent to the lake, the gas light on the truck comes on. We giggled and kept going.
After unloading and packing the canoes, we paddled the 5 miles to our favorite boat-in/hike-in campsite, Hooksbrook. It is always peaceful and quiet there. Except this year.
As we rounded the last bend to Hooksbrook, we were greeted with wall-to-wall boats. I've NEVER seen it that busy. As we were pulling into shore to look for a camp site, we started to get closer to a single man in a camo colored canoe. He had a 10 horsepower motor on the back of this canoe and he was sitting pretty low in the water. As we got closer, a wake came in off the lake and started to swamp his canoe. He calmly picked his gas can up above his head and sat in the silly thing while it went under and rolled on him. He never lost the gas can and it never got close to the water. Meanwhile, his friends on shore are yelling "Hold on Rabbit!" as they head for their fishing boat to rescue him. Bizarre.
We located a site well back into the cove where larger boats would not be able to make it in. I stayed at the site while the Asst. Zookeeper and Heathen #1 went to paddle the boats around to it. As Heathen #1 pulled in, I asked him where his father was because I couldn't see him. He responded that his dad was still paddling around the Hillbilly Hotel located at the point.\
This group of people at the point were interesting to say the least. There were 4 or 5 boats and probably a dozen tents. The ladies were floating in rafts on the lake and the guys on shore where THROWING them beer whenever they ran out. I'm surprised none of them drowned considering the amount of beer I saw thrown out into the water.
The Asst. Zookeeper and the Heathens went for firewood and we set up our camp. They even found one of the stumps that are on the lake shores and brought it back to burn. They make for very cool campfires.
After dinner and as it was starting to get dark, the Asst. Zookeeper started a fire. Once we had it burning pretty well, he put the stump on. The wind was perfect, it was blowing steadily in one direction so we didn't have to constantly duck to stay out of the fire smoke.
Quiet hours start at 10 pm on the lake. That's when the Hillbilly Hotel really got going. At midnight they were still yelling and singing at the top of their lungs. We were only partly listening. Until we realized that one of the ladies was screaming, "Whatever you're burning over there, stop it! It stinks! What is that? Incense?"
It dawned on us that our campfire smoke was blowing straight into their camp. The only thing in the fire was wood. Apparently, the stump in the fire smelled like burning tires and the Hillbilly Hotel did not appreciate the smell. Considering that it was after midnight, we really didn't care. The Asst. Zookeeper piled some more wet wood on the fire and we headed for bed.
The boys all tore down camp while I headed for my last shower for several days. For those who have never camped at Dew Drop, you are missing a precious experience. There is a button to push to get 2 minutes of hot water in the shower. It is located on the OUTSIDE of the shower stall. It is guaranteed to leave you with a head full of shampoo suds and freezing water. Now try to make it out of the shower stall and locate the magic button without opening your eyes because of the suds. Definitely a trick!
I returned to find camp packed up and stored in the truck. At which point I decided that maybe it wasn't such a bad thing to have three Heathens! At least they can break camp while I shower!
We headed back into Warren so that we could drive over to the boat launch on the other side of the lake (Roper's Hollow). As we were heading along the highway, we noticed that several cars ahead of us were stopped and people were walking on the highway and picking up pieces of something. I assumed someone lost a load on the way home from Lowe's, which was just up the road.
As the Asst. Zookeeper pulled into the passing lane to go around with the rest of traffic, I looked out my window to see what they were picking up. It was pieces of a bicycle and there was a little boy laying on the roadside bleeding. I screeched and Dan yanked the truck to the side. THANK GOD FOR EMT'S AND THANK GOD DAN IS ONE!!!!
He jumped out of the truck to help the boys who had been hit by a car. He had ridden his bicycle right in front of it. None of the people standing around were helping this little boy at all - which still strikes me as very strange.
I stayed in the truck with the Heathens until I saw another adult walk the little boy's friend across the highway to Dairy Queen and leave him there. The poor boy was standing in Dairy Queen's parking lot with tears streaming down his face and watching his friend lay on the roadside. After ordering the Heathens to stay in the truck, I crossed over to wait with the other boy until his father could get there to pick him up. The poor kid was shaking.
Dan helped until the ambulance got there. The called in the helicopter to fly the boy to Children's because he had lost consciousness. Warren doesn't have a trauma center. All in all, the boy was very lucky - no broken bones, alot of road rash, and what looked like a minor concussion.
Once we were all back in the truck, we headed for the boat launch at Roper's Hollow. This boat launch is located about 15 miles from town, down mostly unpaved roads and in the middle of nowhere. As we are going down the very steep last descent to the lake, the gas light on the truck comes on. We giggled and kept going.
After unloading and packing the canoes, we paddled the 5 miles to our favorite boat-in/hike-in campsite, Hooksbrook. It is always peaceful and quiet there. Except this year.
As we rounded the last bend to Hooksbrook, we were greeted with wall-to-wall boats. I've NEVER seen it that busy. As we were pulling into shore to look for a camp site, we started to get closer to a single man in a camo colored canoe. He had a 10 horsepower motor on the back of this canoe and he was sitting pretty low in the water. As we got closer, a wake came in off the lake and started to swamp his canoe. He calmly picked his gas can up above his head and sat in the silly thing while it went under and rolled on him. He never lost the gas can and it never got close to the water. Meanwhile, his friends on shore are yelling "Hold on Rabbit!" as they head for their fishing boat to rescue him. Bizarre.
We located a site well back into the cove where larger boats would not be able to make it in. I stayed at the site while the Asst. Zookeeper and Heathen #1 went to paddle the boats around to it. As Heathen #1 pulled in, I asked him where his father was because I couldn't see him. He responded that his dad was still paddling around the Hillbilly Hotel located at the point.\
This group of people at the point were interesting to say the least. There were 4 or 5 boats and probably a dozen tents. The ladies were floating in rafts on the lake and the guys on shore where THROWING them beer whenever they ran out. I'm surprised none of them drowned considering the amount of beer I saw thrown out into the water.
The Asst. Zookeeper and the Heathens went for firewood and we set up our camp. They even found one of the stumps that are on the lake shores and brought it back to burn. They make for very cool campfires.
After dinner and as it was starting to get dark, the Asst. Zookeeper started a fire. Once we had it burning pretty well, he put the stump on. The wind was perfect, it was blowing steadily in one direction so we didn't have to constantly duck to stay out of the fire smoke.
Quiet hours start at 10 pm on the lake. That's when the Hillbilly Hotel really got going. At midnight they were still yelling and singing at the top of their lungs. We were only partly listening. Until we realized that one of the ladies was screaming, "Whatever you're burning over there, stop it! It stinks! What is that? Incense?"
It dawned on us that our campfire smoke was blowing straight into their camp. The only thing in the fire was wood. Apparently, the stump in the fire smelled like burning tires and the Hillbilly Hotel did not appreciate the smell. Considering that it was after midnight, we really didn't care. The Asst. Zookeeper piled some more wet wood on the fire and we headed for bed.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Kinzua Trip - Day 1
This was definitely a family vacation to go down on the books. It was definitely an adventure!
We wanted to leave our house by 9am. This would give us plenty of time to drive to Kinzua, and put on the lake to paddle to the campsite before dark. We didn't get out of bed until 9. And we pulled out of our house at the wonderful time of 12:45 pm. :) We were having fun.
We headed towards Indiana to catch route 422. As we were coming into Indiana, the Heathens announced that they needed a restroom break and I really wanted a cup of coffee. We went under 422 and headed into Sheetz. Then we stopped at WalMart to pick up something we had forgotten before we jumped back onto 422. Now we just had to watch for route 119.
The Asst. Zookeeper and I haven't seen each other much this summer. We've both been too busy with various things. We had a great time sitting in the truck and talking. We love road trips and we actually had a chance to talk.
We were paying attention to road signs. No 119 in sight. But we kept talking and driving. Around Butler, the Asst. Zookeeper calmly announced that he thought 119 was back in Indiana. Oops!
Finally, upon arrival at Kinzua, we set out to find an open ranger station so that we could purchase our launch permit. We found several stations - all closed. We decided to cross our fingers that they wouldn't tow the truck away while we were on the water.
We headed for Dew Drop, one of the camp grounds on the reservoir. Got our site and unloaded the tents. With the amount of rain that's fallen up there, it was a mud pit. We headed to WalMart for the few other things we had forgotten, assuming we would buy dry firewood at Lowe's on the way back to camp.
Funny thing about the Lowe's in Warren. It doesn't keep the same hours at the Lowe's in Johnstown. It closes earlier - which meant no firewood for the first night. The Heathens voted to have junk food for dinner. After eating themselves sick on lunch cakes, we crawled into the tents and passed out for the night.
We wanted to leave our house by 9am. This would give us plenty of time to drive to Kinzua, and put on the lake to paddle to the campsite before dark. We didn't get out of bed until 9. And we pulled out of our house at the wonderful time of 12:45 pm. :) We were having fun.
We headed towards Indiana to catch route 422. As we were coming into Indiana, the Heathens announced that they needed a restroom break and I really wanted a cup of coffee. We went under 422 and headed into Sheetz. Then we stopped at WalMart to pick up something we had forgotten before we jumped back onto 422. Now we just had to watch for route 119.
The Asst. Zookeeper and I haven't seen each other much this summer. We've both been too busy with various things. We had a great time sitting in the truck and talking. We love road trips and we actually had a chance to talk.
We were paying attention to road signs. No 119 in sight. But we kept talking and driving. Around Butler, the Asst. Zookeeper calmly announced that he thought 119 was back in Indiana. Oops!
Finally, upon arrival at Kinzua, we set out to find an open ranger station so that we could purchase our launch permit. We found several stations - all closed. We decided to cross our fingers that they wouldn't tow the truck away while we were on the water.
We headed for Dew Drop, one of the camp grounds on the reservoir. Got our site and unloaded the tents. With the amount of rain that's fallen up there, it was a mud pit. We headed to WalMart for the few other things we had forgotten, assuming we would buy dry firewood at Lowe's on the way back to camp.
Funny thing about the Lowe's in Warren. It doesn't keep the same hours at the Lowe's in Johnstown. It closes earlier - which meant no firewood for the first night. The Heathens voted to have junk food for dinner. After eating themselves sick on lunch cakes, we crawled into the tents and passed out for the night.
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