Lost River State Park – Elon Musk – Sergei Lavrov – A Russian oligarch dodges assassination – A recipe from a Department of Natural Resources – Kim Jong Un’s elusive children – The early spring – Evening statistics
Another long pause in the journal, in part due to the fact that I was away for the weekend, staying with several friends at cabins in Lost River State Park. We were fortunate in our weather. It was, to be sure, cold and damp and rainy on Friday, the day that we all drove up and checked in, but afterwards the weather was clear and dry, growing steadily warmer each day. As with the previous trip, we went on various hikes both in and out of the park, and then assembled to converse and feast and play board games afterwards. There were fourteen of us in all, which made for lively evenings. We were scattered about in three cabins; we held dinners in the largest one of the three, in which I among others was staying. In some cases I had not seen members of this group for a long time. The issue of not seeing various friends for months on end is still one of the legacies of COVID.
Here are the hikes we did during this trip:
3/4, Half Moon, 6½ miles, 1200’ elevation
The park is close to Great North Mountain, which has several trails with overlooks that draw hikers from many different areas. Half Moon Overlook is reached by a trail that at one point goes up a short, steep rock path, nestled in dark-green pines. It provides one of the best views of the Trout Run Valley, with Big Schloss prominently displayed on the range opposite the overlook. The blue of the sky was accentuated by the cumulus clouds spaced at irregular intervals, which cast shadows on portions of the valley and thereby highlighted those areas illuminated by the sun. Ordinarily the hikes I’ve taken to this overlook involve going up the German Wilson Trail, which is extremely arduous, ascending nearly 1000 feet in less than a mile, and going to and fro for the first quarter-mile about a rocky ravine that generally is wet and slippery even on dry days. The route we took on this occasion was a pleasant alternative, starting from the base of the Halfmoon Trail (there is a parking area at the trailhead) and gradually ascending to the Halfmoon Lookout Trail that leads to the overlook.
The hike was relatively short and for that reason we returned early. I went on my own for an additional four miles on some of the trails in the park itself. Specifically, I did a circuit involved the Staghorn, Woodthrush, East Ridge, Covey Cove, Copse Cove, Lee, and Light Horse Harry Lee Trails, using the Pine Ridge Road (which actually is another trail, despite the name, and has no automobile traffic except for an occasional park service vehicle) to connect between the Covey Cove and Copse Cove Trails. This was less enjoyable than previous rambles in the park have been. Lost River State Park has suffered greatly during the winter storms and many of the trails contained dozens of blowdowns. There is little evidence of anyone attempting to clear them; but the park service for many states, and for West Virginia in particular, is short-staffed and it cannot be easy to maintain a network of trails that cover dozens of miles. Even though this additional hike was only four miles, it was slow going, taking me a good hour-and-a-half to complete it.
3/5, Cranny Crow and Miller’s Rock, 12 miles, 2000’ elevation
The weather was warmer and less windy on this day than it had been on Saturday, although the wind intensified as we reached higher elevations. We took a slightly different route than we generally have done on previous visits to the park, using the Big Ridge Trail from the walk along the disused road instead of following the road all the way to the junction with Miller’s Rock Trail. That trail was reasonably clear, but when we turned along the Virginia View Trail the way became rougher, with several blowdowns to go around, for it was impossible to climb over them. At Cranny Crow itself the wind blew fiercely and we stayed at the overlook only a few minutes, preferring to lunch behind the overlook structure itself to obtain some shelter. It was at Cranny Crow on a previous visit, incidentally, that upon contemplating the lofty views encompassing six counties the divine afflatus seized me and inspired me to compose the following immortal lines:
Upon the top of Cranny Crow I met up with my mortal foe; I could not think, I did not know I’d dash him down the rocks below – How pleasant that it happened so!
Afterwards we took the Miller’s Rock Trail to the fire tower. Here several members of the group turned back to return, but others went on all the way to Miller’s Rock itself. The views from the rock, incidentally, are somewhat limited on account of the trees obscuring one’s line of vision, but an outcropping just a few yards from the rock provides an extensive vista to the east, including the unincorporated town of Lost River in the valley below and of Great North Mountain on the other side of the valley. The hike thus described is actually only ten miles. It was longer for me than for the others, because the others chose to drive to the trailhead, whereas I decided to walk the additional mile to the trailhead and the additional mile from the trailhead back to the cabins.
3/6, Trout Pond, 4 miles, 550’ elevation
Most of us wished to do an additional hike after we checked out of the cabins, so we went to Trout Pond, which involved only a short detour during the drive back home. We parked at the area just before the gate for the Trout Pond Recreational Area (which was closed for the season) and took a loop via the Fisherman’s, Lake, Chimney Rock, and Trout Pond Trails. We went at a leisurely pace, savoring the sun and the increasingly warm temperatures, with many views of the lake along the appropriately-named Lake Trail. The hike was of modest length and elevation gain, but it included three stream crossings; and, since the streams were particularly full after the rain of the previous week, they provided a bit of a challenge. Happily those of us who did the complete hike crossed them without any mishap.
Afterwards we all lunched together at Toltecas, a Mexican restaurant in Strasburg, and one that I can thoroughly recommend. The food is delicious and not at all expensive, and it has unusual décor, with chairs containing enamel coverings on their backs with Aztec-themed images. Here we ate and chatted before saying our farewells to each other and returning our separate ways.
As always, such episodes in our relatively carefree and relaxed lives contrast vividly with events in more exalted circles.
Recently Elon Musk – who has been praised for years as a paragon of ingenuity – lately received the following tribute from Joshua Erlich, an employment and civil rights attorney based in Virginia: “lord grant me defendants this dumb.” The event that prompted this remark was the case of Haraldur Thorleifsson, who had worked for Twitter since February 2021, when he sold his digital brand agency to the company. Thorleifsson suffers from muscular dystrophy, which has been steadily increasing his disabilities. At one point he tweeted at Musk, claiming that he had lost access to his work computer alongside roughly 200 other staffers. Subsequently, he said, the company’s human resources department would not confirm whether he was still employed, while Musk ignored his emails. Musk responded by terminating him and afterwards publicly mocking him on Internet. Thorleiksson has not filed a lawsuit yet, but, as Erlich’s comment indicates, he probably could win one if he did. I hope he will. No doubt any damages awarded to him would be too insignificant to make any appreciable dent in Musk’s financial holdings, but anything that tarnishes Musk’s inexplicable reputation for brilliance would be only too welcome.
Russian Prime Minister Sergei Lavrov and U. S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken met at the G20 talks in India. Afterwards, at the Raisina Dialog conference, also held in India, Lavr
Lost River State Park – Elon Musk – Sergei Lavrov – A Russian oligarch dodges assassination – A recipe from a Department of Natural Resources – Kim Jong Un’s elusive children – The early spring – Evening statistics
Another long pause in the journal, in part due to the fact that I was away for the weekend, staying with several friends at cabins in Lost River State Park. We were fortunate in our weather. It was, to be sure, cold and damp and rainy on Friday, the day that we all drove up and checked in, but afterwards the weather was clear and dry, growing steadily warmer each day. As with the previous trip, we went on various hikes both in and out of the park, and then assembled to converse and feast and play board games afterwards. There were fourteen of us in all, which made for lively evenings. We were scattered about in three cabins; we held dinners in the largest one of the three, in which I among others was staying. In some cases I had not seen members of this group for a long time. The issue of not seeing various friends for months on end is still one of the legacies of COVID.
Here are the hikes we did during this trip:
3/4, Half Moon, 6½ miles, 1200’ elevation
The park is close to Great North Mountain, which has several trails with overlooks that draw hikers from many different areas. Half Moon Overlook is reached by a trail that at one point goes up a short, steep rock path, nestled in dark-green pines. It provides one of the best views of the Trout Run Valley, with Big Schloss prominently displayed on the range opposite the overlook. The blue of the sky was accentuated by the cumulus clouds spaced at irregular intervals, which cast shadows on portions of the valley and thereby highlighted those areas illuminated by the sun. Ordinarily the hikes I’ve taken to this overlook involve going up the German Wilson Trail, which is extremely arduous, ascending nearly 1000 feet in less than a mile, and going to and fro for the first quarter-mile about a rocky ravine that generally is wet and slippery even on dry days. The route we took on this occasion was a pleasant alternative, starting from the base of the Halfmoon Trail (there is a parking area at the trailhead) and gradually ascending to the Halfmoon Lookout Trail that leads to the overlook.
The hike was relatively short and for that reason we returned early. I went on my own for an additional four miles on some of the trails in the park itself. Specifically, I did a circuit involved the Staghorn, Woodthrush, East Ridge, Covey Cove, Copse Cove, Lee, and Light Horse Harry Lee Trails, using the Pine Ridge Road (which actually is another trail, despite the name, and has no automobile traffic except for an occasional park service vehicle) to connect between the Covey Cove and Copse Cove Trails. This was less enjoyable than previous rambles in the park have been. Lost River State Park has suffered greatly during the winter storms and many of the trails contained dozens of blowdowns. There is little evidence of anyone attempting to clear them; but the park service for many states, and for West Virginia in particular, is short-staffed and it cannot be easy to maintain a network of trails that cover dozens of miles. Even though this additional hike was only four miles, it was slow going, taking me a good hour-and-a-half to complete it.
3/5, Cranny Crow and Miller’s Rock, 12 miles, 2000’ elevation
The weather was warmer and less windy on this day than it had been on Saturday, although the wind intensified as we reached higher elevations. We took a slightly different route than we generally have done on previous visits to the park, using the Big Ridge Trail from the walk along the disused road instead of following the road all the way to the junction with Miller’s Rock Trail. That trail was reasonably clear, but when we turned along the Virginia View Trail the way became rougher, with several blowdowns to go around, for it was impossible to climb over them. At Cranny Crow itself the wind blew fiercely and we stayed at the overlook only a few minutes, preferring to lunch behind the overlook structure itself to obtain some shelter. It was at Cranny Crow on a previous visit, incidentally, that upon contemplating the lofty views encompassing six counties the divine afflatus seized me and inspired me to compose the following immortal lines:
Upon the top of Cranny Crow
I met up with my mortal foe;
I could not think, I did not know
I’d dash him down the rocks below –
How pleasant that it happened so!
Afterwards we took the Miller’s Rock Trail to the fire tower. Here several members of the group turned back to return, but others went on all the way to Miller’s Rock itself. The views from the rock, incidentally, are somewhat limited on account of the trees obscuring one’s line of vision, but an outcropping just a few yards from the rock provides an extensive vista to the east, including the unincorporated town of Lost River in the valley below and of Great North Mountain on the other side of the valley. The hike thus described is actually only ten miles. It was longer for me than for the others, because the others chose to drive to the trailhead, whereas I decided to walk the additional mile to the trailhead and the additional mile from the trailhead back to the cabins.
3/6, Trout Pond, 4 miles, 550’ elevation
Most of us wished to do an additional hike after we checked out of the cabins, so we went to Trout Pond, which involved only a short detour during the drive back home. We parked at the area just before the gate for the Trout Pond Recreational Area (which was closed for the season) and took a loop via the Fisherman’s, Lake, Chimney Rock, and Trout Pond Trails. We went at a leisurely pace, savoring the sun and the increasingly warm temperatures, with many views of the lake along the appropriately-named Lake Trail. The hike was of modest length and elevation gain, but it included three stream crossings; and, since the streams were particularly full after the rain of the previous week, they provided a bit of a challenge. Happily those of us who did the complete hike crossed them without any mishap.
Afterwards we all lunched together at Toltecas, a Mexican restaurant in Strasburg, and one that I can thoroughly recommend. The food is delicious and not at all expensive, and it has unusual décor, with chairs containing enamel coverings on their backs with Aztec-themed images. Here we ate and chatted before saying our farewells to each other and returning our separate ways.
As always, such episodes in our relatively carefree and relaxed lives contrast vividly with events in more exalted circles.
Recently Elon Musk – who has been praised for years as a paragon of ingenuity – lately received the following tribute from Joshua Erlich, an employment and civil rights attorney based in Virginia: “lord grant me defendants this dumb.” The event that prompted this remark was the case of Haraldur Thorleifsson, who had worked for Twitter since February 2021, when he sold his digital brand agency to the company. Thorleifsson suffers from muscular dystrophy, which has been steadily increasing his disabilities. At one point he tweeted at Musk, claiming that he had lost access to his work computer alongside roughly 200 other staffers. Subsequently, he said, the company’s human resources department would not confirm whether he was still employed, while Musk ignored his emails. Musk responded by terminating him and afterwards publicly mocking him on Internet. Thorleiksson has not filed a lawsuit yet, but, as Erlich’s comment indicates, he probably could win one if he did. I hope he will. No doubt any damages awarded to him would be too insignificant to make any appreciable dent in Musk’s financial holdings, but anything that tarnishes Musk’s inexplicable reputation for brilliance would be only too welcome.
Russian Prime Minister Sergei Lavrov and U. S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken met at the G20 talks in India. Afterwards, at the Raisina Dialog conference, also held in India, Lavrov at one point referred to “the war which we are trying to stop and which was launched against us.” The attendees of the conference, including a plethora of journalists, erupted in derisive laughter at this remark, to his visible embarrassment and, in all probability, his suppressed rage as well.
The Russian government is making some other claims in addition, the probability of which is left to the reader to decide. For instance, Russian state-owned news outlet RIA Novosti has announced that it has forestalled an assassination attempt by Ukrainians on Konstantin Malofeev, a public figure and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Tsargrad group of companies. Malofeev is a vocal supporter of Putin and of the war in Ukraine in particular. By an amazing coincidence, the assassination attempts upon oligarchs who have gone on record as disagreeing with Putin’s policies have been consistently successful.
It appears that the state of Utah is desperately in need of French chefs. The state’s Department of Natural Resources is urging residences to catch bullfrogs and eat them. The bullfrogs are an invasive species that, among their other activities, consume three species of native frogs that are threatened or struggling to repopulate in Utah. Ja Eggert, a hunting supervisor for the DNR, has provided detailed instructions for catching and skinning the bullfrogs, and in addition has helpfully included a recipe for breaded frog legs – which is not ordinarily the sort of information one would expect to receive from a state DNR.
A few details are emerging about Kim Ju Ae, the nine-year old daughter of Kim Jong Un who was paraded about recently at various official events this past November. These are fairly meager, concentrating principally upon her hobbies – horseback riding, swimming, and skiing; but they are a wealth of information in comparison with those of her two siblings, of whom even their gender cannot be ascertained. The eldest of the three is said to be a boy, but there is no direct evidence to support this claim. If Kim Jong Un and Boris Johnson ever meet face-to-face, assuredly they will compare notes about the best methods of concealing one’s offspring.
It will come as no surprise, after the numerous references that I have made to unseasonably warm days in both January and February, that spring has arrived early this year. Pear and cherry trees are blossoming; daffodils are in full flower; in my garden the hyacinths are beginning to unfurl their chalices – and all of this some two weeks before the equinox. In many parts of the country snow has fallen in abundance, coming down in California in such profusion that there are hopes that the snowmelt will relieve the drought that has prevailed there for some years. Here we have had next to no snow at all. The well-known cherry trees at the Tidal Basin may reach their peak as early as March 21st or 22nd, just a day or so after spring officially begins.
ov at one point referred to “the war which we are trying to stop and which was launched against us.” The attendees of the conference, including a plethora of journalists, erupted in derisive laughter at this remark, to his visible embarrassment and, in all probability, his suppressed rage as well.
The Russian government is making some other claims in addition, the probability of which is left to the reader to decide. For instance, Russian state-owned news outlet RIA Novosti has announced that it has forestalled an assassination attempt by Ukrainians on Konstantin Malofeev, a public figure and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Tsargrad group of companies. Malofeev is a vocal supporter of Putin and of the war in Ukraine in particular. By an amazing coincidence, the assassination attempts upon oligarchs who have gone on record as disagreeing with Putin’s policies have been consistently successful.
It appears that the state of Utah is desperately in need of French chefs. The state’s Department of Natural Resources is urging residences to catch bullfrogs and eat them. The bullfrogs are an invasive species that, among their other activities, consume three species of native frogs that are threatened or struggling to repopulate in Utah. Ja Eggert, a hunting supervisor for the DNR, has provided detailed instructions for catching and skinning the bullfrogs, and in addition has helpfully included a recipe for breaded frog legs – which is not ordinarily the sort of information one would expect to receive from a state DNR.
A few details are emerging about Kim Ju Ae, the nine-year old daughter of Kim Jong Un who was paraded about recently at various official events this past November. These are fairly meager, concentrating principally upon her hobbies – horseback riding, swimming, and skiing; but they are a wealth of information in comparison with those of her two siblings, of whom even their gender cannot be ascertained. The eldest of the three is said to be a boy, but there is no direct evidence to support this claim. If Kim Jong Un and Boris Johnson ever meet face-to-face, assuredly they will compare notes about the best methods of concealing one’s offspring.
It will come as no surprise, after the numerous references that I have made to unseasonably warm days in both January and February, that spring has arrived early this year. Pear and cherry trees are blossoming; daffodils are in full flower; in my garden the hyacinths are beginning to unfurl their chalices – and all of this some two weeks before the equinox. In many parts of the country snow has fallen in abundance, coming down in California in such profusion that there are hopes that the snowmelt will relieve the drought that has prevailed there for some years. Here we have had next to no snow at all. The well-known cherry trees at the Tidal Basin may reach their peak as early as March 21st or 22nd, just a day or so after spring officially begins.