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The waitress in Monterey's tiny diner confided to me, "I've only been here for three weeks, and I've already put on 30lb." This bronzed young Floridian had fallen for a blue-eyed West Virginian and made the long trip north; for our part, we had driven for hours from Washington, DC, as the West Virginia highway rose higher into the mountains with every switchback we traversed. Then, finally, there they were: the seemingly endless peaks of Appalachia's Blue Ridge mountains.
At a gas station, we'd picked up a John Denver CD, which we played over and over as we wound through little mountain communities of trailer homes and broken-down cars, where some families still do not have running water.
It seems that not every part of America is intent on turning their countryside into one endless strip mall. West Virginia has somehow remained largely untamed. It has valleys rushing with some of the best white-water rivers in the US, and mountain scenery that has changed little since the first settlers pushed west into unexplored "Indian country". Don't come expecting fancy restaurants – but at a time where there seems to be a Starbucks at every major intersection, it is a welcome break to strike out for some home cooking.
We found ours in Monterey, an idyllic-looking town in the high Alleghenies, part of the vast Appalachians, which run for 500 miles from Pennsylvania, through Maryland and West Virginia. The diner menu was full of West Virginian favourites. Dana, our mahogany-tanned waitress, assured us that the ribs were the house speciality. Looking at the white-bearded mountain man in the corner, his plate loaded with brisket, we decided to take her at her word. Dana soon came over to my bar stool to fill me in on an agonising decision: whether to stay with her unemployed West Virginia beau through the bitter winter, or head back to the warmth of the Florida keys.
"Sure, he's cute," she said. "He's even got steel-blue eyes. But there's not much for a computer guy to do in West Virginia. Matter of fact he's out cutting wood for the winter today." This is West Virginia: an unvarnished, what-you-see-is-what-you-get sort of place. I wanted to hear more but late afternoon was approaching, and we wanted to avoid a long mountain journey in the dark.
As soon as we left Monterey, we found ourselves deep in the landscape described by Thomas Jefferson in his Notes – right at the majestic confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers: "The first glance of this scene hurries our sense into the opinion that this earth has been created in time, that the mountains were formed first, that the rivers began to flow afterwards, that in this place particularly they have been damned up by the Blue Ridge mountains."
Jefferson believed that a huge ocean of water would burst through the mountain. The forces of nature at work here were so powerful and catastrophic that he believed America's future lay beyond the peaks, where he saw "a small catch of smooth blue horizon" inviting people on. There, beyond the tumultuous landscape of history, was the harmonious landscape of America's future. But the peaceful expansion into the North American interior that he envisioned led instead to terrible wars with the Native Americans.
The Indian Removal, as it has been called, cleared pretty much all the land between the Appalachians and the Mississippi river in order to create a continental empire. In 1820, there were 120,000 Native Americans living here. By 1844, there were only 30,000, many of the rest forced to migrate west.
When the Civil War broke out in 1861, the pioneer settlers of West Virginia broke with the Confederacy: a huge betrayal in the eyes of slave-owning Virginians to the east. Over time, the social and cultural differences between the two sections of Virginia grew extreme. A few "old" Virginians still point out, somewhat fancifully, that the Supreme Court has not yet ruled as to whether West Virginia had the legal right to declare itself a state; they even harbour notions of a reunion.
On one particularly treacherous bend on the tight, winding mountain road, we found ourselves suddenly loomed over by a "tractor trailer" – a huge articulated truck, all screeching breaks and silver smokestacks. We pulled over to compose ourselves – at what turned out to be a spectacular viewing area.
Before us, about eight miles south-east of Cheat Summit fort on US Route 250, was a Civil War gun emplacement built of huge boulders, a defensive wall for cannons that once blasted down the valley. Some of the first actions of the Civil War occurred along the Staunton-Parkersburg turnpike, which Union and Confederate forces needed as a transport and supply route. Soon we encountered the train tracks that run through the little town of Cass in Pocahontas County, once home to the Virginia Pulp and Paper Mill, a symbol of economic power hinting at a past in which steam railways snaked through the state, linking the cotton-producing south to the Great Lakes ports in the north.
In summer, the Cass Scenic Railroad runs for 11 miles up the mountainside through a series of switchbacks. One of the excursions takes you to the abandoned site of the ghost town of Spruce, once known as the coldest, highest town east of the Rocky mountains.
Things are quiet in Cass: it's a pitstop on the road to more upmarket destinations such as Snowshoe (our final stop), a small ski resort which caters to visitors from the Carolinas, Maryland, Virginia and DC. The mountains provide a natural buffer, a fortress that is as appealing in peacetime as in war, and which somehow defines West Virginia – and the individualism of West Virginians.
Population: 1.8 million
Area: 3 times the size of Wales
Capital: Charleston
Date in Union: 20 June 1863
Flower: Rhododendron
Motto: "Mountaineers are always free"
Nickname: Mountain state
Getting there
Charleston is the main gateway to West Virginia. You can connect in Cleveland with Continental (0845 607 6760; www.continental.com).
Staying there
Cass Scenic Railroad State Park, Cass (001 304 456 4300; www.cassrailroad.com). Restored houses, cabins and cabooses are let as rentals, starting from $46 (£24) per night.
Visiting there
The Cass Scenic Railroad runs day trips to Whittaker, Bald Knob and Spruce. Fares start at $16 (£8.40), one way.
Snowshoe Mountain (001 877 441 386; www.snowshoemtn.com).
More information
- More about:
- Native Americans
- Railway
- Serious Fraud Office
- State of Virginia


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Tuesday, May 3, 2016
Bakso Monster @ Telawi, Bangsar
13 comments:
I will go with sup tulang and hor fun, can I add more meat balls? Hehehe.. :PReplyDeleteReplies
CK: heheh, sup tulang with hor fun was actually our choice also! and yes, you can add extra meatballs ... though one meatball is quite big already! :DDelete
Looks like a happy place - hearty food, good prices and cheery setting.ReplyDeleteReplies
The Yum List: crossing fingers that the team here will do well in bangsar! :)Delete
Lots of bakso here but I have not had any good ones. I would prefer minced meat meatballs, the texture...not so well-beaten that it becomes rubbery like fish balls or those frozen ones that I am not fond of. I'd love those sambals, I'm sure - bet they would make anything taste good!ReplyDeleteReplies
Suituapui: ooo, the bakso at this restaurant is not bad ... it's decently textured ... smooth but not overly artificial-tasting, and definitely not rubbery, heh :) and yep, i enjoyed all three of the sambals, even though they were spicier than i had expected, heh! :)Delete
I don't remember seeing any Bakso here in town... I would like to try Bakso Monster's though, the huge beef ball looks promisingReplyDeleteReplies
Ken: here's hoping you get some good bakso in george town soon! :)Delete
I need those sambal, for everything!ReplyDeleteReplies
KY: i think the sambal tumis was my fave, cos i like its relative oiliness, heh :)Delete
hi Sean, thanks for the review! do they provide non-beef meals as well?ReplyDeleteReplies
Summer: oh, it's practically all beef right now ... So would not recommend non-beef eaters to head here :)Delete

subset: commoncrawl


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Calvin leads Zig Zag in mountain boots
in honor of the late Dallas Kloke.
Photo by Matt Perkins.
Climbing Area: Mount Erie
Mount Erie is designated community forest land, owned by the City of Anacortes.
Land Manager:
Anacortes Parks and Recreation Department
904 6th Street
Anacortes, Washington
Current status:
Mount Erie is open year round. Falcon closures have been imposed for the last several years and climbers are asked to respect them. If you observe falcons in the area, and particularly if you observe their territorial displays which frequently include dive-bombing climbers on the rocks, please report these to Anacortes Parks and Recreation. For some background information, visit Friends of Anacortes Forest Lands.
Access considerations:
The parking area and viewpoints at the top of Mount Erie are very busy with visitors coming to enjoy the view during periods of good weather. The cliffs immediately below can be clogged with instructional groups. Watch for seasonal falcon nesting closures on the western portion of the Main Wall and Skyline Arete.
Other resources:
Weather forecast
Weather cams (Anacortes)
Mount Erie was first explored by Dallas Kloke and other local climbers over forty years ago. It's seen steady climber traffic ever since. The area has many excellent climbs, ranging from easy 5th class to 5.12.
Most routes are on steep but rarely overhanging faces. The rock is some weird kind of diorite, and although there are some cracks for gear, there's little true crack climbing. Many of the newer routes are sport climbs. There are some excellent top-rope crags near the parking area, and for many years Mount Erie's been a popular practice area for climbing clubs and instructional groups.
The crags on Mount Erie are scattered on the south slope of a mini-mountain overlooking Puget Sound. Wide views take in the waters around Deception Pass, the San Juan Islands, the Olympics, and several of the Cascade volcanos. There are madrona trees, shore pines, and wild roses around the cliffs. It's common to see eagles and turkey vultures soaring overhead. Mt. Erie is worth visiting as much for the atmosphere as the climbing.
Mount Erie is a city park owned by the City of Anacortes. The city has been generally tolerant of climbing. Visual impacts are minimized by the fact that most of the crags are below or unseen from the main visitor areas. There have been few other concerns associated with climbing, although erosion could become a real problem if people stray from trails.
The biggest issue at Mt. Erie is its popularity. A road leads to the top of the mountain. As a result, a lot of tourists drive up to take in the view. It's not unusual for people to throw rocks or beer bottles off the edge of the cliffs near the summit parking area. A helmet's not a bad idea at these areas.
These crowds mean that parking can be a problem. Parking at the mountain top is extremely limited and you should carpool, if possible. Some cliffs, including the Main Wall (Snag Buttress), are reached by hiking up from the bottom of the mountain. There's a small parking area off Hart Lake Road, but space is limited here, too. The parking area is also close to a residential driveway. Be sure not to block the driveway and observe any property signs.
The park is closed at night. There is no camping.
Dallas Kloke's long awaited guidebook came out in March, 2005. A second edition was released in 2013.


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SailNet Community (http://www.sailnet.com/forums/)
- Gear & Maintenance (http://www.sailnet.com/forums/gear-maintenance/)
- - Need Boat Ladder Suggestions (http://www.sailnet.com/forums/gear-maintenance/67953-need-boat-ladder-suggestions.html)
Need Boat Ladder Suggestions
I have my boat on the hard and need to have a good ladder solution. I will be refitting every system on the boat and up and down extensively over the next 6 months. I want a rolling step ladder with a platform but they are expensive and my other half says there has to be a better solution. Does anyone have any great ideas that would make my other half happy?
Thanks -
I have 10' and 6' step fiberglass step ladders the 6' is cheep the 10' was pretty big bucks BUT much less than falling off a cheep one
I also have some 16' planks i set up on blocks when i want to work on a large section of hull and do not want to keep moving the ladder
We use an articulated stepladder similar to the one below to make an impromptu scaffold. We place a 10' 2 x 6 board across the top so that we can walk from one end to the other. A 2x8 might be more reassuring for you. The result is a very sturdy platform that is stable and strong enough for both myself and my wife. Ours is a cheap-ish Harbor Freight ladder, but any articulate ladder should work. We've used this setup without issue for about 20 years.
Werner M1-8-16 8'/16' mm Type I Aluminum Articulated Ladder
I'd second the Werner ladder Sabreman points out... very useful and far more versatile than a typical stepladder.
maybe come up with some projects around that house that you would love to do.... if only you had a quality ladder! Maybe that way the purchase would have added value...
I extend the ladder to it's full 16' length for painting the exterior of the house and fold it in half (8') for getting to our cathedral ceilings (at home, not on the boat :laugher ).
Super versatile ladder. I wouldn't be without it, regardless of whether I had a boat.
Keep the great suggestions coming!
I like the Werner ladder idea but what about going up it with 50 pounds of ballast in my arms? I guess I could rig a pully system around a platform and hoist gear and supplies up to the deck via the dingy davit. I'm still not convinced I don't need to shell out for a rolling step ladder. This is the one I'm looking at: Used Warehouse Rolling Ladder 12 Step
Tommays suggestion was very helpful too. I will do that for fiberglassing the hull, sounds perfect!
Thanks guys!
I have refit my Tayana 42, and I can tell you, ladders of ANY TYPE suck. Build yourself a set of stairs 4' wide, with a landing on top at least 8' X 5'. Put a hand rail up both sides, and make the deck of the landing at the same level as the deck of the boat. Nail asphalt shingles to each step, and onto the platform on top. You will be walking those stairs a million times with heavy crap. build a post on a corner to hook up a come along or rope and pulley system to raise and lower all the things you do not wish to fall all the way down with. You will never regret it if you do. :D
This only really works if you own the place that you work on the boat at... most people need something that is a bit more portable a solution, rather than something so permanent. It might also work if you have a long-term relationship with the yard you're keeping your boat in.
I would try really hard to negotiate with my yard to allow a good set of stairs. Since KJ already mentioned a rolling set, I didn't see space or perceived permanence as a problem. My stairs can break down in under half an hour with a cordless screw gun. I used 2 X 12's for the stringers, 2 - 2X 6's for each tread, and 2 sections of brick layer scaffold for the tower. I have the entire boat surrounded by scaffold, and can walk up the stairs and either work around the topsides, or step onto the deck carrying both hands full. I just can't imagine trying a refit going up and down a ladder...
So what type of boat did you buy KJ? What will the scope of your refit involve?
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