Clarendon Construction - December 2010

I haven't posted an update on the local construction in a few weeks and there is a good reason for it.  I have been taking a class at the local community college over the last few months and one of the requirements was to do a "site visit" at a local construction site and document examples of what you'd learned...I chose the north block development, which I have been calling the "mid-block" building over the course of this series.  Today we'll revisit the three sites in an overview sort of fashion.

First up, there are the south block buildings.  As we've learned during the course of this series of posts, this development is actually composed of three buildings, two on the south side and one on the north side of Clarendon Boulevard.  These two, a residential building and an office building, are across from my office.

The trailer that was being used as a rental office has been removed, and I guess they now are doing that from inside.  Also, at night I can see that somebody has moved into the third floor of the office building - it's very messy there, almost like an IT assemly lab.  Furniture is also visible in one of the upper floor conference rooms.  The clock is working on the tower, and the two big lanterns were only installed within the last month or so - in fact, these are installed on all three of the buildings.

Here is a simple view of the north, or mid-block, building, and two views of the restored storefront facades, which I don't remember posting before. 

At the top of the building you can see the new lanterns...also, at street level, the planted the street trees (live oak, if I am not mistaken).  The sidewalks are going in, and much of the interior work is underway.  In the overview photo, you can see the restored storefronts below, with the ground level pictures of these two also shown. 

There is still a bit of work to go, but the majority is complete.  Both of these developments are supposed to be ready for occupancy mid-month...I think that they are most of the way there.  Rumor is, we will be getting a Trader Joe's in the south block building - you wouldn't believe the anticipation.

Finally, the church development behind our office.  I watched a few weeks ago as they put in the crane pad overnight in a single pour, now they started form work for some of the columns.  Some aspects of the substructure are visible to the rear of the excavation as well.  This development still bugs me, I can't get over how...I simply cannot find a better word for this...how ugly this is.  It is truly hideous. 

I can't even make an argument for the functionality of this project, combining the church and living spaces.  My prediction:  it will be a laughing stock when it's complete, and will continue to be one for as long as it stands.

On Top of Old Stonyman

To close out our holiday weekend, Mary and I decided to take a drive on Skyline Drive, choosing the little Stonyman trail for a season-ending adventure.  It was a very clear, if bracingly cold day, and with most of the Park's lodging and dining facilities closing, we figured we might come close to having the place to ourselves.

That's almost never the case at Shenandoah National Park, due to its proximity to DC, Baltimore, Richmond, and other east coast population centers.  But it does slow down and there are times when you'll find excellent surprises.

The temperature was hovering around 30 degrees once we were up at altitude - enough to freeze the little rivulets you often see on the back side of Stonyman.  Later on in the winter, these will be bonafide ice pillars, but for now they are just getting their tenuous start.

Here's a pair of views from the summit, one looking to the north and over Lake Arrowhead, and the other a westward view that includes much of the town of Luray. 

It's not something I do all that often, but while we were at Skyland, I put a quarter in the telescope machine there on the veranda and took a look at the town.  With the leaves down, you really can get a nice view from up there.  I imagine you'd have this all to yourself at times during the winter if you wanted to make a picnic on a warmer day.

There weren't any traces of the fall fires we had the previous week.  With black powder hunting season over, maybe there won't be anymore...just saying.

Another thing interesting about the view from up there on this day was the notable inversion layer to the west of Massanutten.  Traffic was crazy on I-81, we were told, and maybe that's what was causing that dirty haze over in that part of the Valley.  I thought it reminded me of Denver, or Los Angeles...

For a final shot of the day, here is a tech watch geek update.  I remembered to turn on my Pathfinder's altimeter function as we were coming back down from Stonyman summit.  When we got to the intersection sign with altitude, I checked my reading - it showed 1,060 meters, same as it did the last time I passed by the sign, last week!  That's 3,286 feet, so a typical adjustment had to be made with the reading...but I am surprised that I got the same altitude two times in a row.  Maybe I am onto something.

While the majority of Park facilities closed for the season this weekend, Skyline Drive remains open for the winter, except during inclement weather.  I'm looking forward to a few little excursions this season if I can get my little hiking group up for it.

The Story of the Forest Trail: An Easy SNP Day Hike

As they are listed in the little book (see Amazon link below), I have four of my Easy Day Hikes left to review. I completed all 26 of those hikes early this year, but have stayed busy on other topics and haven’t posted the last four hikes – starting today, I’ll remedy this during December, since we are having the kitchen remodeled and I will be off of my morning post routine for a few weeks. This process may mean I post less during the next few weeks than I normally would, so bear with me on that! And thanks again for reading.

I combined the short Story of the Forest Trail (#23) with the one for Lewis Spring Falls (#24 - these are my chronological numbers, not the book's), which is also in the vicinity of the Big Meadows Lodge, but I will review the trails separately. I did not complete the Story trail’s entire loop, which the Easy Day Hikes book says is 1.8 miles. It’s definitely an easy one, and parts of the trail are paved, with an elevation change of nearly 300 feet.

On the late spring day that I went, there were families with small children out on the trail, and the kids were finding plenty to explore – one of them reported to me that he had found quite a few fungi – but as an adult with plenty of miles on the blue blazes under my belt, I didn’t find this trail very memorable.

Although Heatwole says there are markers that facilitate interpreting the experience, I don’t remember them. In fact, as I also had felt about the Traces trail, which I’ll review in the next few days, if this is a hike meant for families with small children to enjoy, it could use more interpretive displays.

As I continued walking, I noticed tents and campsites, and I grew concerned about the proximity of this trail to the camping areas at Big Meadows, so I walked quickly through there hoping not to disturb anyone. Finally I cut off of the trail on a path that led to the road, keeping an eye on my NPS provided map, and navigated to Black Rock (not the rock scramble I’ve posted about many times – this is the other one, that is practically on the grounds of the lodge). After I enjoyed the view for a few minutes, I continued down the AT to the Lewis Spring Falls trail – more about that adventure in my next post.

Heatwole includes a paragraph about the little Black Rock summit trail, which is less than a half mile round trip from the lodge, and shorter from the nearby parking area. There are some steep sections in the little trail but the climb is only 60 feet or so; the path is gravel in places but not completely.

I’ve encountered large family groups on this one a few times – and in fact, some of the people I have met talk about this little climb being a family tradition for them, whenever they manage to get together for a stay at the Lodge. There are great views of the Valley from the summit, and the barns of Wisteria and Jordan Hollow Inn are visible from here.

Here is an Amazon link to the Easy Day Hikes book I frequently reference in these posts:

And So It Begins: The Alexandria Kitchen Remodel

Finally all of the contracts are signed, materials ordered, etc. - so the long awaited kitchen remodel can begin.  I guess I will post a weekly update on this process, which officially began on Monday morning at 8am, after much staging and gnashing of teeth.

This project was much needed.  It's an old hypothesis that the kitchen was last remodeled in the '80's - perhaps you're catching a glimpse of some familiar aspect you may remember from an apartment you shared back then or something.  We think it was a flip, completed with contractor grade materials, after the house was bought in an estate sale...at least that is what we've gathered in conversations with the neighbors.

So it's about time we undertook to modernize.  Actually, we've been doing that for the last couple of years, having replaced the appliances already.

The remodel is a bit more extensive than just the kitchen.  It will take in the pantry and the sun room - both original to the house, although the sun room was enclosed from a porch (a neighbor tells stories about sitting on a porch swing out there as a child), the laundry room (Mary is recycling cabinets to that location for additional storage), and the dining room, where the doorway to the kitchen is being moved to improve traffic flow in the kitchen.

So to record the transformation, I will try to include this basic set up of photos every week: 

Four "cardinal points" in the kitchen -

The dining room wall (where the new door will be) -

The pantry and two lengthwise views of the sun room -

Laundry room walls (beer fridge in evidence) - 

Smokin' Wood

Mickey had stopped by Hawksbill Cabin last week and taken care of all the leaves. With more than a dozen oaks, a half dozen hickories, and various other odds and ends for deciduous trees in the one acre plus (cleared) yard - there's about two acres still in woods, this endeavor takes quite a bit of time; he also has been keeping an eye on the grading of our driveway, where any heavy rain makes for gullies.

Inspired by the cleanup, I gathered a couple of four- and five-inch pine and apple branches I’d saved from pruning this year to make some logs for my firepit. They both seasoned through the summer and are now primed for winter fires on the brick terrace. I tested some of the pine out this weekend, it worked great, and I have the smoky scent embedded in one of my Carhardtt hats to show for it.

The apple is destined to be smoking wood for something later in the winter. I had been thinking I would go ahead and use it on the briskets I’ve been saving, but now I think I may get together a couple of pork tenderloins and try that instead.

I am also seasoning this big section of white oak for future use. When my friend Bill from Tampa was up a few weeks back, he salvaged this from a neighbor’s yard and brought it over. I don’t have a specific plan for it yet, but I am working on it.

2010 Tech-watch Geek Series

It's getting to be holiday season, and I like to check in on all the "tech watches" at this time of year.  So let's get started!

Of course, I have a Casio that I have been enjoying this year since Mary gave it to me last Christmas.  I used the altimeter function most recently last Saturday up on Stonyman Mountain, where I took this measurement.

Here you can see I have a reading of 1060 meters, or about 3,286 feet.  My reference point is the sign, which says that the actual altitude is 3,837 feed.  This variation is typical for altimeters reading barometric pressure...it's important to find a reference point like this handy sign early in the hike to peg the variation.

Weather factors can introduce variation as well, once again reinforcing the need to have a good reference point.  Then you can better evaluate variation that seems to change too rapidly - after all, it could be a storm moving in, and you don't want to be caught by surprise.

FYI, here is an Amazon link to the Casio Pathfinder like mine...I'll take a look at this year's offerings from Suunto, Tissot, and Tech 4 oh over the next week or so.

A Fall View of Old Rag

On my way to Stonyman on Saturday night, I caught sight of Old Rag’s northwest face in the harsh fall sunlight, all those rocky promontories gleaming there, shining in reflection – in fact, the exposed granite on the mountain is one of the main things that makes it so unique on the Blue Ridge. I had to stop at one of the best views of the mountain from Skyline Drive, the Thoroughfare Mountain Overlook. From there, you can scamper down a path through a meadow to a couple of large boulders, then climb up and get a look from only a couple of miles away.


There’s also a good view from the Hawksbill Mountain summit, but it offers a view of the southwest face. Both of these views will give you a good idea of how the mountain got its name – from the deposits of “Old Rag Granite” that is exposed in a long ridge along the summit. Most mid-Atlantic area readers know about Old Rag, the rock scramble through all of that rock is a very popular destination.

Old Rag Mountain is located in Madison County, just south of Sperryville; Wikipedia has its summit at 3,291 feet. According to Hiking Upward, it is probably the most popular hiking destination in our region. I’ve added links at the end of this post for reference to this information.

There’s a third resource with information about the mountain that I like to check from time to time. One of the blogs I follow is Bob Look’s, who is one of the volunteers that patrols the summit during peak hiking season and other times. He has a relationship with the NPS, the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club, and the Old Rag Mountain Stewards (ORMS) – in addition to providing helpful information along the trail, ORMS is very active in searches and rescues on Old Rag.

A look at Bob’s blog will not only give you an idea of this organization’s commitment to Old Rag, and all the training they go through to stay ready for the call when it comes, but it also has links to additional useful information about the hike. And he has a few colleagues that also keep blogs – a browse of all of these will give you a good idea of the experience of this mountain, as well as its beauty.

And here on Hawksbill Cabin, we also have our Old Rag story – you can find it by clicking on the Old Rag label at the end of this post. About three years ago, Chris and I set out and did the scramble as a day hike. It wasn’t crowded on our day, but from the experience I’ll add my own recommendation – everyone who’s up for the challenge should try this one. 

Finally, I like to take a look at Google Earth, where I have a push pin at the Hawksbill Cabin location.  Zooming out, the mountain is almost due east of us, about 6.5 miles away on the other side of the Blue Ridge.  So as I approach from the east, Old Rag is like a beacon to me.

Here are the links I mentioned above:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Rag
http://oldragpatrolsbyrsl-blook.blogspot.com/
http://www.hikingupward.com/SNP/OldRag/

After a few minutes of enjoying the view, I headed back up to the overlook and my car. I met a couple in the lot who also had stopped – they described being arrested by the beautiful sight of the mountain off in the distance. I offered to take a picture of the two of them with the mountain in the background, and then headed off for my little outing on Stonyman.

Not a Shy Buck...

When I was up in the Park on Saturday, this big fella was hanging out beside Skyline Drive.  I mean really, doesn't he know what season it is?

In my experience it is pretty rare to encounter antlered deer up in the Park; they seem to stay out of sight for the most part.  Last year I saw a five year old up at Big Meadow - that was a rack that really stopped traffic, especially since he was in one of the most popular parts of the Park on one of the busiest weekends!

Actually, the Park started closing some sections for hunting season last weekend.  As I entered on Saturday afternoon, I was advised that the North District (Front Royal to Thornton Gap) and the South District (Elkton to Waynesboro) would close at five p.m. until daylight for to prevent illegal hunting.  I'm not sure about the permitting situation, but I've heard that the hunting here is reserved for employees.

I've learned (and thanks to posumcop for pointing me in the right direction) that these closures are actually to prevent illegal hunting in the Park.  There is a link to learn more here:  http://www.nps.gov/shen/parknews/park-announces-night-closure-of-the-skyline-drive-during-hunting-season.htm
If you're planning a visit, be sure and check in for potential closings.  You don't want to find yourself locked in the Park with hunting going on  and have to hike out!

GWNF/Massanutten Fire - View from Stonyman

On Saturday afternoon I took a late drive up to the Park with the plan to take the short hike on Stonyman Mountain.

I've written about this pleasant hike a few times before; with the beautiful fall day we were having I expected crowds and my expectations were met.

However, there are still a couple of spots up there I know about that don't get so much foot traffic, including this one - the outcropping to the right is one that most people visit, I head on over to this one.

In the distance, you can see the fire that has been burning for about a week on Massanutten.  This fire is in the vicinity of Duncan Knob, and reports currently are describing the location as Duncan Hollow - but it definitely affects and threatens parts of Luray.

The paper says it appears to have started near one of the trails there, and that it is likely accidental.  But it has covered a couple of hundred acres already.

By Sunday, it seems to have burned down to a more manageable fire than it appeared in these last two posts, basically smoldering away.  I'll keep an eye out for news over the next few days.

GWNF/Massanutten Fire - Update 11-19

I've gotten into town early today and as I crested Thornton Gap coming over the Blue Ridge I immediately saw that our fire is still going on over on Massanutten Mountain.  As I understand it, it smoldered after the rains this week, but never really went out.  While I don't have confirmation yet, it is likely a back fire was lit to burn some of the fuel to help accelerate it's going out.

Looks to be a couple of hundred acres now.  Still high up on the mountain, but since it is hanging there right above town obviously a lot of people are watching it.

I'll post a new status on this one Sunday night - we'll see what happens with it over the weekend.

Thanks to Gary, Linda, Howard and Andy at Appalachian Outdoors Adventures for the wireless hookup today!  (...and the background music is MacArthur Park...excellent!)

Clarendon Construction - Old Logo, New Logo

A few weeks ago, they changed the sign on our building from my company's old logo to it's new one.  I work at AECOM, a large architect-engineering firm, by the way, and if you are interested in more research the NYSE symbol is ACM.  I don't write much about my work here, and will keep to that practice; however, since I do post on Clarendon Construction, this post has a place on the blog.

I'll let the photos speak for themselves, but I was lucky enough to catch pretty much the whole process - a morning shot of the building with the old sign, the sign coming down, the installers in their gantry, and the new sign.  All in all the process was less than four hours...but now, as you're heading up Wilson Boulevard from the east, you'll see us from a few blocks away. 

By the way, if I haven't mentioned it lately, I hate this new photo interface on Blogspot.

...and if you are coming to visit me, my office is just a few feet to the right and just below the "M."

Clarendon Construction - November 2010, post 1

I have some catching up to do on the Clarendon Construction series. Starting with this post, I’ll have a series of three reports on everything going on around us there at the office. The posts are about the crane installation in the air rights development, the installation of the new logo sign on the building I work in, and then some miscellaneous updates from the north block development I’ve been watching go up across the street.

Earlier this month they brought in the tower crane for the Clarendon Views site near my office. I have been calling this the “air rights” development because of the unique concept it involves, building over the old sanctuary space of the church.

Once the excavation and support lagging was completed, they built a small foundation pad for the crane to stand on. Concrete trucks came and went continuously overnight to complete the single pour, and then the pad was left to cure for about 10 days.

Then one beautiful fall morning trucks began to arrive with the components, which were carefully assembled over the course of two days. In one of these photos you can see a group of workers at the end of the in-progress boom, waiting for the end section to be lifted to them so they could attach it to the rig.

So now we have another crane gracing our skyline here in Clarendon. It’s been about 9 months since they took the others down – people are getting used to having such an iconic feature on the horizon around here.

Massanutten/GWNF Fire Update - 11/17

A quick note, over on WHSV, the lunch time update has a short report on the two fires we've been following on the blog.  Both are on Massanutten Mountain, north of the US 211 gap.

Apparently overnight rains helped to control the fire, WHSV even goes as far as to say they are out.  However, 40 firefighters remain standing by - the high winds that have followed overnight rains could cause a flare up.

That report is at 3:20 in the 11-17 video update, if you are interested.

Stocking Up

It's fall, and one of my favorite things to do at the Hawksbill Cabin during this season is to sit out on the brick porch in the evenings with a fire going.  Heck, I'll even sit by the fire well into winter, as evidenced by the photo below - this picture highlights my survival strategy during last winter's "snowpocalypse."

Mary bought me this new firepit to replace the old one, and we went to Wal-Mart Sunday so I could stock up on fake logs, shown here.

One thing I've noticed out there, since the canopy is mostly down.  I can see the lights from the houses up on Tanners Ridge at night, sometimes a car in a driveway, etc.  But frequently I see a fire going up there, and I imagine that they are sitting around a firepit enjoying themselves just like I am.

I have 12 new logs, plus two left over from the summer.  This should be just about enough to ensure I survive the winter. 

GWNF/Massanutten Fires - Update 11/16

This morning, WHSV is reporting that the two wildfires I posted on last night have grown to 100 and 400 acres, respectively.  Here is a link to the article that is up on their website this morning:
http://www.whsv.com/home/headlines/Two_Wildfires_in_Page_County_Continue_to_Burn_108323024.html

The article reports that a helicopter is still being used to fight the fires.  In one case, the location sounds close to town, they provide the Caverns Club golf course as a point of reference, so plenty of reason to keep an eye on it!

Also, there was a smaller brush fire in Stanley yesterday, but our local firefighters were able to take care of that one quickly.  It's also reported on the WHSV site.

Gwnf/Massanutten FIres - this time to the North

Thanks to alert reader Marjie for the comment about new fires Page County residents are seeing on Massanutten Mountain.  She told me that one of them was near the US 211 gap, and that one is in addition to the one Mary and I saw yesterday afternoon north of Kennedy Peak.

So far the only "official" news I have is from WHSV morning news today. If you head to their site and get the 11/15 morning rush news, speed ahead to about 3:26 and there is a report on both fires.

For the first, they reported about 1 acre burning on Page Valley Road, but did not give a status.

The second was reported as starting about 12:30 Sunday.  While no status was given on whether it was under control this morning, helicopters and fire fighters had been called in to fight it.

More to follow...thanks everyone for tips on this!

Change o' Season

We are about two months into the fall season at this point, and I'd say our leaf canopy is about 75 to 80 percent down.  There are still rustling oaks out in the front yard, and there are even some bright golden patches left on the nut trees that are deeper back in the woods.  One highlight of this time of year are these shrubs, which are the last to change - they really put on a show for us.

One thing that we look forward to every year, as we get to this stage of autumn, is the opening of our sight lines into the hollow across the way.  We can see and hear a stretch of Beaver Run and it will stay that way now until spring.  Off in the distance is Tanners Ridge.  (This where we had the beaver pond a couple of years ago, if you're interested, just click on the label to read more about that...)

From the brick terrace, I can hear and sometimes see the small herd we have crossing through the hollow, uphill from the stream.  They probably come back down to the stream about a half mile away, deeper in the woods.  They are shy this time of year, and the reports that echo through the hills tell you why - it's hunting season now through the end of the month.

Just about time to have the yard cleaned up.  We are working on getting an appointment for this - probably the week after Thanksgiving, to give the rest of the leaves time to drop.

On a final note, as Mary and I were driving into Luray for some errands Sunday, I saw a wisp of smoke on Massanutten a mile or two north of Kennedy Peak.  This would be between 12 and 15 miles north of Lokey Hollow, the fire I was posting on a few weeks back.  I'll track this one and put some posts up as I find news - it didn't look very big just yet, as we were seeing it in the early afternoon.

The Bench, In George Nelson Style

You ask about the bench?

At last, during the summer, we added the iconic slat bench to the entry way of Hawksbill Cabin.   It complements some of the other midcentury-styled pieces, which you can check out by clicking on the blog's "Midcentury Modern Furnishings" label at the end of this post.

We also have a Vassily chair, that Wirkala light fixture in the bedroom, and some bar chairs to complement our new bench.  Not to mention the little house itself, which was built in the late 1940's with an addition in the late 1950's.

The bench was originally designed by George Nelson, one of America's foremost modern designers, a compatriot of the Eameses.  The Wikipedia article on Nelson includes the following quote:

"Most people think that George Nelson, Charles Eames and Eliot Noyes invented industrial design. That is, of course, an exaggeration. George did it without any assistance from the other two." -- Bill N. Lacy, FAIA

So maybe, buying this bench so I can sit down and put my shoes on by the door makes me some kind of design snob.  You are entitled to your opinions, but I'll clarify that I found this on eBay - I didn't get it from Herman Miller or Design out of Reach, this time.

It does look good in this spot though, doesn't it?