Tower City

In north central Pennsylvania, there is a town called Tower City that lies near several mountains. I had to take an opportunity to write about this, because I went up here one summer to visit a friend from undergraduate.

and I am so glad that I did.

I was on the highway for maybe a half hour out of the hour and a half Journey from my house. For the rest of it, I was surrounded by the forest, mountains, Recreational Park areas, fishing zones, and the Appalachian Trail. since starting my new job with a medical company, I had wanted nothing more than to retreat to the mountains again. This came as a perfect opportunity, as I got some much-needed forest therapy. I needed this time so badly, that I actually put my phone on silent and stopped voice-recording any book or blog notes I was working on, turned off my mp3 player, and enjoyed the Roaring glands through the trees for a solid 30 miles until I arrived at my friend's house.

When I was in high school, one of my English teachers told me to go and sit with nature. Not just being it, but to engage in it. To turn off all electronic devices, to take the watch off, and to sit and be one with the world for least a half hour. I sat there for an unknown amount of time, wrote my assignment about it, and realized immediately that this experience has changed my life completely and for the better. It is the reason why I'm so obsessed with being outdoors in nature and Hiking now.

And so when I got to the area of Wiconisco, we went hiking in Bear Valley. It was pretty much a straight shot up one trail. If we would have taken the trail ten miles we would have eventually reached a fire lookout. We hiked for about 2 miles before turning around, enveloped by forest on either side.

After this, we spend a lazy afternoon at my friend's girlfriend's place, relaxing with homemade pizza, mountain pies, and lemonade. Many good laughs were shared, and even if it isnt a high caliber adventure that I usually take, it was much needed for R&R. Until the next adventure... stay tuned!

The City of Steel

In my high school, all seniors had to take a class on parenting. There was a project in this class that involved to taken care of an artificial infants, programmed to cry for attention at completely random intervals. On the other hand, if you were completely against taking care of said child and losing sleep, you were able to do an accessory project in which you babysat a child under the age of 10 for an entire weekend. As it so happens, my youngest cousin was 7 years old at the time, and obsessed with Legos. My aunt's told me that they were having a Lego convention in Pittsburgh that he really wanted to go to, and so it was a compromise between needing a class grade and visiting a new place with my younger cousin who I love to death.

And so, bearing that in mind, I took my first trip to Pittsburgh. Even though I had been to Europe and the Virgin Islands, I had never actually traveled that far west. This was my first time to do so, and although it isn't much, it's definitely something. The 4-Hour Drive was rough, but we made stops every hour for my cousin, so it was worth it and tolerable. We had Legos and video games to keep ourselves occupied on the voyage.

Since I was with my aunt and cousin, I didn't get to do a whole lot of sightseeing, but we still took a little drive around town as soon as we unloaded our bags in our hotel room. We were only staying one night, so we had to soak in as much of Pittsburgh as we possibly could in that time. We took a drive to see downtown Pittsburgh, with the bustling business district, before driving over to Heinz Field. Home of the Steelers, this massive Fieldhouse can see it several hundred thousand people. And it is just impressive from the outside.

After seeing a few sites downtown, we parked over to the Lego Expo. The sheer amount of Legos in that building had to be in the millions. Legos for sale, Lego buildings, Lego sculptures, Lego machines, pretty much everything you could think of was there. At this point in time, the Wii-U was a new invention as well, and they were demoing it using the new Lego game that was to be released the same year. My cousin had a field day, and truthfully, with my inner child, I did too.

Pittsburgh is home to one of the most expensive restaurants I've ever eaten that as well. I still ate meat back then, and I got a steak with fried mushrooms and potato wedges. Served with a small side salad, this meal at their famous fish market cost about $44. My cousin got chicken tenders and grilled cheese, and that alone cost him about $26. On the bright side, after dinner, we got to spend some time in the whirlpool and sauna inside a hotel. There were other kids there as well, and even though I was 18, I got to enjoy the same sense of fulfillment and relaxation that the other parents sitting in the hot tub watching their kids play in the pool did... Even though my cousin was not my own kid, he sure felt like it at times.

Later at night, we were tired to her hotel room, and our older cousin Thomas came to visit us. He lives maybe 20 miles down the road, and promised us a visit since we were in town for the first time. We wanted to go see him before we left at his house, but we just didn't have the time. I had school work to get done as soon as I got home, and my aunt had to work some weekend hours. We were tired early that night, getting a wonderful night's sleep 4 The Voyage ahead of us in the morning. We ate breakfast at the hotel's restaurant, packed our bags, drove past a few museums, and called it quits.

Nowadays, I’m working on becoming a better musician, writer, and Occupational Therapist. My cousin, at the time of writing this, is a second dan black belt in Tang-Su-Do, and a teenage computer geek. I’m still proud of him to this day for being true to who he is.

To life accomplishments complete in one trip, visit Pittsburgh, and play with a absurd amount of Legos. Something I would recommend to pretty much everybody. I know that I'll be visiting Pittsburgh again sometime, and I'll be looking to accept visitors when I go. Hopefully I'll see some of you there!

The Two Towers

In Jarrettsville Maryland, about 25 miles Southeast of Bellaire, there lies a state park with lots of beautiful rock formations. Rocks State Park used to be home to the susquehannock Indian tribe, has three and a half miles of beautiful trails, in the challenging climb to the king and queen seat, a rock formation that stands 200 feet above Deer Creek below.

The main men in action: Travis in front, and me in the background.

when I climbed this rock formation, admittedly I didn't know what a wild ride I would be in for. The trails themselves were fairly easy to navigate, but climbing up to the top of the king and queen seat both required a lot of focus and energy. One false move could mean a long and potentially lethal drop. Factor this in with the cardio needed to climb up the first set of rocks, and you have a difficult like ahead of you.

when you get to the top though, you will realize just how worth it your hike was. Some of the most beautiful Forest views I've ever seen came from the top of King's seat comma because the way that the Kings seat juts out into nature makes it look like you were on the peak of the world.

All Things Considered, this like it's at least a solid 4 out of 10 on the difficulty scale. All of the trails are not very long, climbing up to see the things that you want to see prove to be very difficult. However, it doesn't get much higher over rating because it's not the hardest type that I've ever done. there are also some State high points that have yet to be seen that would provide a similar experience. there are also much more arduous hikes ahead of me.

on top of this beautiful scenery, there are two Satellite Parks nearby, as well as Kilgore Falls. This secluded location provides a nice natural getaway on one of the most peaceful waterfalls in Northern Maryland. The rushing water is blissful, and getting to it is relatively easy as long as you know which path to take.

Just look at that lovely water!

Northern Maryland has a lot of great hiking opportunities, so there is no doubt in my mind that I will be back to score some more of them.

What Should I Bring Hiking?

Being an eagle scout as an avid Outdoorsman, I've done quite a lot of hiking and time spent outside in my life. The Scout motto is to be prepared, which always comes in handy. My personal mottos are to learn to improvise and to not overcompensate, though, which are also very important rules to live by. This is especially true if you're packing for any sort of trip and what you will not be around the comforts of home, which will pretty much be everywhere, unless you are camping out in the hotel room instead of in tents. Here, I've compiled list of some items you should definitely bring and not bring on a hiking trip.

1) A compass or some other method of orientation (such as a sextant).

When you're out in the wilderness, your surroundings can change in an instant, leaving you lost for words as to where you are located. As a rule of thumb, it is important to not rely on a GPS or piece of electronic equipment to bring you back to civilization. In the wilderness, electronics are prone to fail, lose service, or die. Learning how to use a compass will be a valuable skill. Just as well, there are several tips and tricks to finding society when you are lost.


2) A water filter.

Of course, when you're out hiking, you need to remain hydrated. If you're in the middle of the woods and your water supply runs out, having a water filter can save you from almost certain dehydration on your hike. There are some that are so efficient that you can put it in the stream and drink directly from the stream. I've taken many a drink from many a stream, but it is much more efficient and healthy and safe if it has been purified or filtered.

3) Lots of Trail Mix or granola.

When you are out hiking, it is easy to forget to eat lunch, lost in the beauty of your surroundings. Is even more likely that you will run out of physiological fuel and need to replenish. When I hike, I always bring a bag of granola trail mix with me to put put a pleasant taste in my mouth and to replenish my energy.

4) Airtight bags containing extra clothing and rain gear.

On this note, learning how to gauge the weather patterns by looking at the clouds in the sky is a valuable skill, as is checking the weather forecast before departing. You should always come prepared with extra clothing in case of inclement weather, and keeping it in air-tight bags will ensure that your clothing actually stays dry should your pack run out of water proofing. Getting a can of waterproof spray is also a helpful precautionary measure as well.

5) A first aid kit.

There are many of small pocket-size first aid kits available nowadays, and each one is very valuable for trail hiking. A lot of camping stores also give free or discounted classes on wilderness medicine, where you will learn the difference between treatments and items for discounted price. One notable store is REI.

6) A multi-purpose tool.

Trying to cut a piece of tinder for your fire? Open a bottle or can? File something down to size? Need to fix a loose nut or Bolt somewhere along the line? A multi-purpose tool will become your best friend as such. Plenty of retailers carry multi-purpose tools, and finding a good one is essential for any outdoorsman.

7) Safety items, such as a magnesium stick, whistle, and rechargeable flashlight.

Purchasing a wind-up flashlight or flashlight with rechargeable batteries will come in great usage out in the wilderness, where there is a great potential to see nothing for miles and miles and quite literally so. You can use a flashlight as a signal, to see your way around, or even as a way of telling directions if you know how. With a magnesium stick, you won't have the risk of it getting wet like matches or drying out and cracking like flint and steel. A magnesium stick such as this one goes right on the keychain and produces an insane amount of Sparks when scraped with a steel knife. And a whistle will come in great use as well if you are stranded (or bored).

8) A companion.

By way of common knowledge, it is always a good idea to utilize the buddy system when in an unfamiliar area, especially when that area happens to be fairly uncharted and unorganized territory. Not only will you reduce your risk of falling victim to an injury and not being able to receive medical attention or help, but bringing a friend with you ensures that you have someone to share your wonderful memories with. The best voyages are often taken with the company of others. And, if you lack the resources of outdoorsy friends, then try to stick to well-lit and highly-traveled areas.

9) Rechargeable batteries and a battery recharger.

If you have anything at all that runs on electronics, getting rechargeable batteries and a portable recharging station can be the difference between life and death. If you don't have access to a recharging station, make haste to bring plenty of extra batteries. Solarchargers also come in handy for cell phones end other USB adaptive technology, since you definitely won't have access to a wall outlet in the middle of the Woods.

10) Pack smart, pack light.

In general, remember to pack light and only pack what you need. When searching for gadgets online, try to get a gadget that does at least more than one thing. It will save on pack weight and overall expenditure. For comparison, this survival kit only costs around $30, whereas the individual components would be well over $40 and take up more space. 

These are just a few of the basics, which hopefully prepare you for a successful excursion outdoors.