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Day 2 - Wednesday 3-4-15 After breakfast we went to the Visitor's Center to introduce ourselves to the office manager and to find out when we would be trained on our duties. She told us that Ranger Jones would meet us about 4:30PM to go over our duties. Then we drove to Elkin to find a car wash and to pick up a few items at Wal-Mart. The Jeep was a mess after the trip here in the rain with all the stuff that had been sprayed on the roads during the recent snows. We returned to the campground and set outside in the sunshine and read for awhile. The weather was just beautiful today – reaching the high 60's. The ranger came about 4:30PM to go through our duties. We were surprised to find out all we are required to do is manage the Contact Station from 4:30-8PM to check-in any campers that arrive after the Visitor's Center closes at 4:30PM and sell firewood and on Saturday and Sunday relieve the person in the Visitor's Center from 12- 1PM while she goes to lunch. We were expecting to have to also check and clean the campsites after the campers checked out. He said some of the hosts did this and it was a big help to the rangers. We told the ranger we would be glad to do this. They have a large park to patrol and are short handed.
Day 3 - Thursday 3-5-15 It started raining during the night and rained almost all day. We stayed inside and read most of the day. This was our first day to manage the Contact Station so we went to the Visitor's Center to get the keys, campground reservation list and the money pouch, etc. Ranger Jones met us at the Contact Station at 4:30PM to assist us since it was our first day. We only had one camper come in and I forgot to tell them a couple of things that I was supposed to tell them but the ranger covered for me. Tomorrow I'll do better.
Day 4 - Friday 3-6-15 The temps got down to 20 degrees last night and will get up to only about 39 today with sunshine and then it is supposed to warm up tomorrow. I got the golf cart that is assigned to us this morning. I have named it the “Campground Cadillac”. I rode around the campground a couple of times to check for any sites that needed any attention and the only thing that needed doing was rake a few leaves and pick up some dead limbs. We had several campers come in while we were operating the Contact Station so we got some practice doing the paperwork so today went much better.
Day 5 - Saturday 3-7-15 The temps were a little warmer at 24 in the morning and about 50 for a high. We had to relieve the lady in the Visitor's Center from 12-1PM while she had lunch. The duties there were about the same as what we do in the Contact Building with the addition of answering more questions, giving directions, answering the telephone and selling shirts, caps, etc that are for sale in the center. The Visitor's Center is a large building with signs directing all campers to check in before going to the campground anytime between 8-4:30PM but there were some campers to either not see the building and sign or just ignore them and go on to the campground and set up before checking in. One group checked in and went to their assigned site – decided they didn't like that site and just moved to another site without asking anyone. I found out about that from another camper. So I ask the Ranger to check it out. He had a discussion with them but agreed to let them stay on the site and he changed the records after verifying that the site was not reserved. There are several white tail deer that roams the park near our site. When I was returning to the site after closing the Contact Station at 8PM I saw an albino (white) deer.
Day 6 - Sunday 3-8-15 Finally a sunny day. After breakfast I checked and cleaned the sites that had been vacated. There was only 3 that needed attention. Most campers leave their sites clean but some don't. I noticed a strong smell of beer on one site as I was picking up beer bottle caps and trash on the site. That afternoon when I was talking to Ranger Jones he told me that as he was patrolling the campground Saturday night he noticed the campers on this site were drinking alcohol which is prohibited in the park. They had 2 cases of beer and also whiskey so he made them pour all of it on the ground. That is why the beer smell was so strong. There are lots of people in the park today enjoying the warm sunshine. Many were hiking the trails. We didn't have any new campers tonight but I did sell 5 bundles of wood at $5 each. So that makes $100 of wood sold since Thursday.
Day 7 - Monday 3-9-15 After breakfast I did a ride around of the campground, then we drove to Sparta to Backwoods Bean to get a specialty coffee and use their WiFi. Then we went to Brown's Restaurant for lunch. We found this restaurant in 2013 when we were in the area. The food is great, priced right and very generous portions. We could not eat it all, so we asked for a take out box as there was enough for both of us to have another meal. We stopped for a few groceries before returning to the campground. I only had one new camper to checkin this afternoon.
Day 8 - Tuesday 3-10-15 Today was our day off so after breakfast we drove through the park and went out the lower gate on our way to Wilksboro. On the way through the park we saw several deer and geese. We were talking to one of the former campground host on Sunday and he was telling us that the Corps of Engineers Warriors Creek campground had been upgraded and the sites were much better. We drove to the campground but discovered it was closed until April 15th. Lena had to pick up a few items so we went to Wal-Mart and Lowes before stopping at Bojangles for lunch and access to their WiFi. Later in the day after returning to the campground I did a 1.24 mile walk around the campground. I walked by 5 deer near our site when I returned. All the sites in loop B have 50/30/10 AMP and water hookups. Sites in loop C are built just like loop B but do not have hookups but do have water hydrants scattered around the loop. Sites 87-89 are large enough for a 40' motor home and level.
Day 9 - 3-11-15 Wednesday We awoke to a drizzly rain and it rained all day so we stayed in and read. I did get out about 4PM and took a 1.3 mile walk in the drizzle. We were also off today as our days off are Tuesday and Wednesday. There are only 3 sites occupied today.
Day 10 - 3-12-15 Thursday After breakfast we took the “Campground Cadillac” and rode through the campground and cleaned and raked a few of the sites that had been vacated since Monday. I grilled porkchops and then we drove a couple of miles to Widow Creek Falls to see/photograph the falls. These falls are not as spectacular as the other falls in the park but are still very pretty.
Ranger Jones told me a story about a lady visitor to the park that have visited the area before the park was developed and accused the park personnel of moving the falls from where it was when she had visited area previously. The rocks around and in the falls are huge and would weight hyndreds of tons yet she still believed the park personnel had moved the falls. The ranger said he could not convience her that they did not move the falls.
I opened the Contact Station at 4:30PM and checked in several campers and sold some wood before closing at 8PM. The weather was really nice today but rain is expected the next couple of days.
Day 11 - 3-13-15 Friday We awoke to a rainy drizzle. After breakfast I rode around the campground to check the sites that had been vacated and talked to some of the campers. It drizzled rain off and on all day. I opened the Contact Station at 4:30PM and checked in several campers. Several were camping in tents so they had to setup in a rainy drizzle – one group wanted to know if I had any extra traups as they had forgot to bring any. The park does not provide camping supplies. Two groups wanted to know if we had a pavillion or shelter they could get under to cook – which we don't. I felt kind of sorry for them because we began camping in a tent and I know what they are going through.
Day 12 - 3-14-15 Saturday It is still drizzling rain this morning but is supposed to quit by noon and warm up to the low 60's. Well the rain stopped at noon but the temps didn't get above the mid 50's. We did our normal weekend duties – checking sites, releiving the lady in the Visitor's Center for lunch and operating the Contact Station from 4:30-8PM. Also provided some tips to a family new to RV'ing.
Day 13 – 3-15-15 Sunday It was warmer today but really windy. After breakfast I rode around the campground to check the sites that had been vacated. Then we releaved Wilma at the Visitor's Center at lunch time. Afterwards we drove out of the park a couple of miles to eat lunch at the Country Store and use their WiFi to catch up on things. It was good to set and enjoy the warm sunshine. Later we checked the vacated sites and then operated the Contact Station until 8PM.
Day 14 – 3-16-15 Monday After breakfast I checked the sites that had been vacated. Then we got our backpack, hiking sticks and drove to the Lower Parking Lot to hike some of the trails over/around the mountain. We hiked the Wolf Rock Trail and then returned on the Cedar Rock Trail for a total of 2 hours and 3.2 miles. These trails provide a great view of the face of Stone Mountain. About 2/3 the way on the Wolf Rock Trail it comes to a massive rock area named Wolf Rock. We walked out on it to take some photographs. The wind was really blowing a gale across it. I am sure it would we very uncomfortable on it if the weather had of been cold. We came upon a site of one of the old homesteads along the trail. There was a rather large rock chimney with a front and back fireplace and an old outbuilding that was still standing, This makes three rock chimneys that we have found in the park from the old homesteads.
We returned to the campground and cooked hamburgers for lunch and then I ran the Contact Station from 4:30-8PM.
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| Wolf Rock with Blue Ridge in background |
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| Old chimney from a homestead in the park |
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| Granite face of Stone Mountain |
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| Cedar Rock with Stone Mountain in background |
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