Incredible Blog

I just finished reading the new post on http://therangelife.blogspot.com/. Incredible. Take a look!

Holidays without John

The holidays without John are going to be hard. We never knew if he would come to Thanksgiving or Christmas, but in the past few years he had. Now we know he will never come to visit with the family again.

I've been watching Intervention (the A&E show) on the internet, and I can't help thinking about him.

If you know someone with an addiction do not hesitate to try to get them help before it is too late.

Anvil Cave Trip, Nov. 8th 2008

The Birmingham Grotto went to Anvil Cave on November 8th. The cave requires a 3 mile flatwater paddle on a flatwater creek to get to the cave entrance.

Since my camera crapped out, I don't really have any pics to share. I have a friend's gallery of pics instead. All pics are credited to Scott Fee. Here we are just before entering the cave.


The 3 mile float to the cave entrance is flat, flat, flat. A dam backs up the water I am told, so we actually paddled 'upstream' to the cave entrance. There is NO current. It was very pretty, sometimes covered in green plants, and full of strainers. We never had to portage any. Saw one beaver or otter, it made a big splash when we came up but didn't 'slap its tail' so I am not sure, and heard one woman screaming in the woods as we floated by - bobcat was my guess but someone said a fox can also make a sound like that. It was loud!
Consequently, with no current, my XL12 canoe was the slowest boat. My friend Julie spun circles in her Perception Torrent as well. She wondered aloud why this was happening because she hadn't had a problem keeping her boat straight on other trips, then guessed that it was the lack of current. I am considering getting an inflatable flatwater kayak or canoe and selling the ww canoe.

The entrance was small, the only real 'crawl' we encountered in the cave.


This is the only 'legal' entrance we can enter. The other 8 or 9 entrances require crossing private property, i.e. trespassing. Before the landowners closed their property to cavers' excursions, this cave was the site of the Anvil Cave Rally. Teams of cavers would go through and try to find certain survey markers in the cave, for the quickest time. Anvil was a great site for this rally because it is 13 miles mapped of a maze, on a very small plot of land, making it one of the longest caves in Alabama. You can see my helmet cam on the top of my helmet. It kept cutting off in the dark of the cave. I haven't checked the SD card to see if any video was shot. Anyway, we found a lot of spray paint graffiti near the entrance in the cave. Locals still know where the cave is and apparently they have had some parties in there. Beer cans were also aplenty. Note the 'glow stick' on the ground near me, probably left by a local. String was throughout the passages near the entrance as well. Scott didn't take any pictures of the graffiti - I'm not surprised, much of it was expletives.
Here is a picture of the cave map:

and much of the cave looks like this:



Of course we ended up split into groups and my group found a part of the cave full of pretty formations. Hopefully some pics of that will be posted. We used the map and a compass to find our way out. This wasn't easy even with map, compass and a trip leader who had been in the cave during this summer. It really is easy to get turned around and lost!
At some point I mentioned that we should have set a call-out time. And my group realized that none of us wore watches. And I said that it gets dark early and padding through those strainers in the dark would suck. We all started (tried) to head back. Which was comical because 'heading back' was no easy task. The map owner said we were in a part of the cave far from where I thought we could have traveled in the time we were in there. So the trip leader and I looked at the map and decided that we were actually in a totally different area than the map owner thought we were. (sorry J but that really happened. Now that's not saying Dave and I were right... but it did look that way to me). That's how Anvil Cave is! I told everyone I had fire starter, warm clothes, a 6 pack of tall boys, some Doritos, and a Big Snickers bar to share, all stashed in my boat, if we spent the night outside. You might not believe me but the whole time the trip was fun. Being in the maze like that was like a big puzzle. We kept trying to head South-West.
I am editing this post because it sounded like we didn't need the map reader and compass guy the first 'edition'. On the contrary, I was worried, seriously worried, that we would lose those two and then really be lost. I had a chance to bring a copy of the map and didn't, and a chance to bring a compass and didn't. Which was f'tarded, reminded me of my not bringing water, food, a GPS, phone or warm clothes that time when we almost overnighted on Clear Creek at flood.
At a long hall called 'Main Street', like a miracle, the rest of the group showed up at the same time. We did a head count and everyone was together! We headed out of the cave and had several compasses and cave maps to add to the confusion. The map readers did a good job, and when we were out, it was only 2:30 pm. We really weren't in there as long as we thought!
Back to the boats, and a slow (for me) paddle to the cars. Then radio as I drove to a restaurant near home, I heard most of the second half of Bama/LSU on the radio, and went into the mexican restaurant with the group just as 2 minutes were left in regulation. The game was on big TV's in the restaurant. The others found my enthusiasm amusing. Bama won in OT, I had a great dinner, and went home exhausted and happy.

Black and White animals

This is fascinating!
I watched an episode of Nature on Netflix online. It was about domesticated dogs. In it the subject of coat color was mentioned as being related to temperament. This is in regards to evidence found from the fox taming experiments in Russia by Belyaev. That's a subject worth a Google search in itself. The show remarked on the prevalence of black and white as a coat color in domesticated animals.
Think about it - black and white Tuxedo Cats like my bosses..err, I mean like my two girl kitties, black and white dogs like the damned Boston Terriers my friend Donna loves so much, black and white cattle like Holsteins, black and white horses...

Anyway I've been doing some web surfing and found this article:

http://www.ratbehavior.org/CoatColor.htm

... which is about rats, another domesticated animal (if perhaps not as pleasant to some as cats and dogs are... I have never owned one but did feed a few to a corn snake over the years).
Here is a quote from the article:
"...certain physiological processes underlie facets of both coat color and behavior. In particular, the hormones and neurotransmitters involved in the stress response and other behaviors are closely integrated with pigment production."

I KNEW there was scientific evidence that B&W Kitties are the BEST!!!

Just saw my orthopedist!

His words: "I don't think you need to see me again."

He said my range of motion is a month ahead of schedule. He said he didn't know how that was possible, but keep up the good work. ;-) I said, "I've been working hard on it," and he said, "I believe you!" Then I asked him about my numb fingers. He said that if my numb fingers don't regain their feeling in 6 months or so, come back to discuss a carpal tunnel release. But they are getting better, it is just slow.

I asked if I was cleared to do anything I wanted and he said, "Yes! Have at it, rock climbing or whatever you want!"

I'll still wear my little brace when doing stuff for awhile though. That's my call - I forgot to ask him about it but I think it makes me feel safer. If I crank down on one motion in particular it still hurts. And I have another month of PT ahead of me.

I am VERY happy right now!

sad news

My nephew John had an accidental OD Saturday night, August 9th. and died. He was 26. He was my sister Marilyn's son. We are all in shock.

Upper Chattooga letter - a must read!

From RangerRob on Boatertalk:

"I've spent the past few nights reading the Upper Chattooga management plan comments sent to the Forest Service. Most of them say the same things. However, Claude E. Terry has a very unique point of view. Its one of the finest comments sent to the Forest Service. Please take a few minutes to read every word. Then e-mail it to all your boating buddies, post it to any message board, list serve, and blog you can. This is a letter that should be read by everyone."

From: Claude E. Terry

Reply To: Claude E. Terry

To: comments-southern-francismarion-sumter@fs.fed.us

Subject: Chattooga Planning Team - Comments

Date: 07/22/2008 11:44 AM

July 22, 2008

Jerome Thomas

Forest Supervisor

Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests

US Forest Service

4931 Broad River Rd.

Columbia, South Carolina 29212

Attn: Chattooga Planning Team

Jerome, Thanks for the opportunity to comment on the draft EA for the Upper

Chattooga River. It appears that reasonable comments and input are sorely

needed. As a history, I boated the upper river in the early 70's, before the

arbitrary, capricious, and probably unlawful closure by the Forest Service in

1976. I obeyed the rule of law, and now, regardless of the eventual access

decision, at 70+ years I will never be able to boat those magnificent gorges

again.

Similarly, thousands of boaters have seen their prime years pass without ever

being able to legally use the river.

The closure issue, this decision and its casual flaunting of equity and rights has

been divisive and has produced major questions as to the Forest Service’s

objectives and ability to handle complex and adversarial issues. As an aside,

having a Trout Unlimited executive as the Forest Supervisor for an extended

period did not aid in the issue either.

At the start of this process, several years ago, I had conversations with several

whitewater clubs people. I assured them that today’s Forest Service would be

even-handed and give the boaters a fair hearing. It appears I was wrong. To put

my response in perspective, please note that I have consulted to Federal

agencies since 1969, served as a expert witness on water related issues, and

was the Mission Contractor for Region IV, USEPA for Environmental Studies of

the impact of Federal actions. The projects often involved public presentations. I

have done hands-on and design work for geohydrological restorations on the

Chattooga and other Federal projects. In all of these activities, fair and objective

consideration of alternatives before acting was essential, and even the

appearance of bias was to be avoided.

It is counterproductive to address one "use" of the corridor in flowery terms, while

starkly pairing the other use alternative with "conflict" or "loss" wherever it occurs.

Yet, the existing rainbow trout fishery is described in your letter and the three

pages of alternatives as:

● -"high-quality trout fishing experience"-

● -"one of the unique premiere trout fisheries for backcountry anglers

seeking remoteness and solitude in the southeast"-

● Boating? Boating is mentioned with the need to:

● "Minimize conflict between boaters and anglers by establishing flow and

season(al) restrictions for boating"

● Maintain a "boatfree recreational experience"

● Boating is considered a threat to "uniqueness" and to "unique

opportunities for enhanced solitude"

There’s more, but the simple fact is the fishery is a trout-farm based, put and

take fishery based on a species alien to the area, providing recreation to a very

few people. There are many questions raised in my mind by the verbal "color"

attached to each use. For instance;

● Where on the entire Chattooga River are fishermen excluded to provide

"solitude" and "uniqueness" of experience for boaters?

● Where do you note the differing impact of shoes of fishermen, hikers,

campers, bird watching groups, compared to the passage of a boat?

● There are trail problems noted in the alternatives. Are those trails the

result of boaters’ visits or of fishermen and hikers?

● There is frequent use of "uniqueness" to describe a put and take fishery,

and almost no notice for the incredible white water, and the truly unique

boating experience.

The level of skill and perception required to enter and use this wilderness area

for white water boating are high. There is a reason that boaters have fought to be

allowed to use this segment of the Chattooga, and it is the truly unique white

water, not the artificial fishery.

The blatant attempt to make boating more dangerous or impossible by

prohibiting removal of " large woody debris" apparently came from a Forest

Service sycophant’s input. The removal ban would be laughably absurd if it were

not so dangerous and unscrupulous. It would be appropriate to list the name of

the individual suggesting the protection of woody debris against the loss of life of

a hapless fisherman, hiker or boater. I think this suggestion is the height of

absurdity.

There is a curious inconsistency about a purportedly fair review that touts fishing

as though it were unique and had no impact, vilifies boating as destroying

uniqueness and solitude, ignores hiking, birding and other uses with their

impacts, and wishes to leave trees across the stream to the risk of injury and

death for boaters, hikers, swimmers, and other users. So much for an objective

study.

The two different descriptions of the regulatory trigger flow for alternative 4 are

curiously unknowable and perhaps not even capable of attempts to calculate,

except retroactively. I can visualize boaters detained by Forest Service

personnel, standing at some gauge until midnight in the dead of winter, at which

point the Ranger say "Aha. Got you. See, the average flow was 451 cfs, but the

mean daily average flow level was only 448.5 cfs." It is interesting that a

basically incalculable number would have to be calculated before going to the

river in mid winter, where you park miles away, walk in with your gear, calculate

the river’s cfs accurately, enter the river, avoid touching the trees blocking the

channel at some point, cannot legally use the most attractive areas of the river,

and get out, only to find your calculations were for the "average mean daily flow

level", not the "mean daily average flow level" and that you are boating

unlawfully. If this sounds ridiculous, it is.

To this point, the Forest Service has been a friendly agency to users of the upper

Chattooga, except boaters. The proposed alternative 4 regulations for boating

display the same blind bias that has prevailed for 36 years. Surely, after years of

delay, we could expect a document without the inherent bias shown in the

current proposal.

Please accept these comments as a suggestion that I don’t think Alternative 4 is

objective, reasonable, fair, logical, or capable of actually achieving balanced

management of the Magnificent Upper Gorges of the Chattooga.

Very truly yours,

Claude E. Terry
Atlanta, GA