Category Archives: Outdoors

LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN – SOUTHERN MAGIC DISIPATES IN FORECAST OF FUTURE

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Idealized painting of the Battle of Lookout Mountain. Joseph Hooker rides the white horse in center.

Flying from the west into Atlanta, looking out the window it is hard to miss the waves of mountains sprawling in long ranks southwest to northeast not unlike a series of geographically arranged ribs.  Chattanooga, Tennessee lies smack dab in the middle of these ancient ripples.  And flowing right through the middle of the long mountain spines is the Tennessee River looping back and forth onto itself as it brushes through the city.  The long ridges, extending for vast distances from Birmingham. Alabama in the southwest all the way to the northeastern edge of Pennsylvania in the northeast, represents a vast area once an ancient seabed that underwent uplift.  Eons have worn down the region, though Lookout Mountain still rises 1,500 feet above the city below. 

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MYSTICISM ABOUNDS IN THE MAGICAL REALM OF ELOWAH FALLS

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The majesty of Elowah Falls Basin - Mount Hamilton and Table Mountain soar across the Columbia River in Washington.
The majesty of Elowah Falls Basin – Mount Hamilton and Table Mountain soar across the Columbia River in Washington.

Recent posts have dealt with history for the most part – military history, mostly – World War 1 and the American Civil War. There are several more to come dealing with the later, so I thought to break it up a bit.

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CHICKAMAUGA – STORIES TOLD IN GRANITE ON THE RIVER OF DEATH

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Monument to the 15th Pennsylvania Cavalry Regiment and the Field Headquarters of General William Rosecrans 20 September 1863 at Chickamauga.
Monument to the 15th Pennsylvania Cavalry Regiment and the Field Headquarters of General William Rosecrans 20 September 1863 at Chickamauga.

The second deadliest battle of the American Civil War, Chickamauga is nowhere near as well-known as other battles such as Gettysburg, Antietam, or Vicksburg.  The first two were fought by the Army of the Potomac, the main Federal army fighting in the eastern theater of the war centered on Virginia.  If this army had been destroyed, the Federal cause would have been defeated.  Neither Gettysburg nor Antietam were large-scale Federal victories.  They both were emphatic ending notes to the two invasions of the Northern States in 1862 and 1863 by General Robert E. Lee and his Confederate Army of Northern Virginia.  Vicksburg meant the Confederate States were split into two as Federal control over the Mississippi came into being.

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STONES RIVER – “BRAGG’S A GOOD DOG, BUT HOLD FAST’S A BETTER!”

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Graves of men of Hazen's Brigade killed at the Battle of Stones River.
Graves of men from the 41st Ohio Infantry of Hazen’s Brigade killed at the Battle of Stones River.

A three-day affair to end 1862 and begin the new year, the Battle of Stones River – also known as the Battle of Murfreesboro – resulted in the highest percentage of casualties of any major battle of the American Civil War.  32.7% of the 78,400 who fought died, became wounded or went missing or captured after the battle’s end.  Four brigadier generals died either outright or from mortal wounds from the battle – two on each side.  Braxton Bragg’s newly renamed Army of Tennessee moved first on the morning of 31 December rolling through the Federal lines.  But true to his nature, Bragg would find a way to turn victory into a tactical defeat.  Much of Tennessee remained under Federal control as 1863 began.

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CHANTERELLE MELODIES – MAGIC OF THE FOREST

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Pacific Golden Chanterelles - State Mushroom of Oregon.
Pacific Golden Chanterelles – State Mushroom of Oregon.

Cantharellus – cibarius in Europe and formosus here in the Pacific Northwest – the Golden Chanterelles, holds down one of the top three spots among edible mushrooms to be foraged from the forest duff. Along with porcini, morels and maybe matsutake, the chanterelle remains one of the most sought-after mushrooms for those seeking additions to their dining tables. There are certainly more than waterfalls awaiting you out in the forests of the Northwest.

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WATERFALLS MAGIC HIDDEN IN THE CENTRAL OREGON COAST RANGE

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Drift Creek Falls from the bridge - notice the large rock to the left of the bottom of the falls. The rock cleaved off the cliffs just above the falls at the top and to the left.
Drift Creek Falls – one of the waterfalls of the central Oregon Coast – from the bridge – notice the large rock to the left of the bottom of the falls. The rock cleaved off the cliffs just above the falls at the top and to the left.

Lincoln County is home to the Central Oregon Coast. If you can get away from the beach, magnificent Drift Creek Falls awaits deep in the woods. A couple other waterfalls are better visited on the way to the central Oregon Coast or on the way home. By no means a conclusive list of waterfalls, but here are three worth your time.

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FORGOTTEN WATERFALLS IN THE FORESTS OF TILLAMOOK COUNTY

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The double drop of Pheasant Creek Falls 124 feet altogether.
The double drop of Pheasant Creek Falls 124 feet altogether – hidden deep in the mountains of Tillamook County.

Tillamook County, well-known for beaches, wild headlands, sand dunes,
fishing and dairies. Hidden away in the rugged mountains are several waterfall
gems. There are others, so keep looking.

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WATERS FALLING IN THE RAIN FORESTS OF THE LOWER COLUMBIA

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Last wintery look at Beaver Falls.
Late wintery view at Beaver Falls, one of the most magnificent found in the Lower Columbia.

Waterfalls abound throughout the State of Oregon, especially in the western hills. Abundant rains fall throughout the forests filling streams cascading over lava cliffs. To catch these falls at their height means an off-season journey. Summer season can mean little or no rain for a month or more at a time making the falls seem much tamer than when they are at their fullest. Here, a small collection of waterfalls taken from the area around the Lower Columbia. This area gets pelted with rains out of summer. Astoria averages 86 inches of rain a year – Portland, by contrast, averages a mere 36 inches.

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MAGICAL LITTLE PIGS OF THE FOREST – PORCINI

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A trio of porcini – Boletus edulis – pulled from the forest duff.

Another season has come and gone now. My supply was drawing thin from the last few seasons of little luck. But early fall rains drenched the forest floors encouraging a small flush of porcini – Boletus edulis – to crawl forth from the timbered duff. Out into the forests, I went, combining a quick visit to waterfalls with a myvological hunt. Six bags of dried little pigs later, my mushroom supply has replenished.

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LONG-DISTANCE PATHS RECOUNT THE GREAT WAR HIGH IN THE ALPS

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Unknown Austro-Hungarian grave in one of the countless sinkholes - dolinas - of the Carso found along the Pot miru - Path of Peace.
Unknown Austro-Hungarian grave in one of the countless sinkholes – dolinas – of the Carso found along the Pot miru – Path of Peace – one of Europe’s long-distance paths.

Long-distance paths have acquired quite a following in the past few decades.  In the US you have ways like the Appalachian Trail, the Pacific Crest Trail and the Continental Divide Trail standing as the Big Three.  There are plenty of other long-distance paths to spend days upon days on, as well, such as the Arizona Trail, the Green Mountain Trail, and on and on.  Of course, the American examples pale in number when compared to the Old World.

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