Day
8 – Tuesday April 5, 2016 It was a cool 36 degrees when we got up.
Today was our day off so we drove to Wilksboro for breakfast. Then we
went to check out a campground in the area operated by Bureau of Land
Management but we discovered it does not open until April 15th.
They have three that are located on the banks of the W. Kerr Scott
Reservoir. This is the smaller one so they must not need it open as
early as the others. From there we stopped at Wal-Mart to stock up on
groceries.
We
decided to go back via Elkin and stop at Cracker Barrel for lunch
before returning to the park. Later in the day we walked around the
campground. Last year we saw lots of deer in the campground but have
only seen two as of today on our walk. I asked Ranger Hicks if she
had given the deer the month of April off. She said she just had not
let them out of their pen yet. (a joke)
Day
9 - Wednesday April 6, 2016 We were off again today so we relaxed
and did some reading in the morning. About 2 PM we hiked up the Stone
Mountain Loop Trail to the summit of the mountain. It was 3.5 miles
round trip with some really nice views out across the mountain. The
elevation at the summit is 2305 feet above sea level.
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| Old Cabin Chimney |
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| Stone Mountain Summit |
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| Stone Mountain Summit |
The
dogwood trees are just beginning to bloom here in the park and the
other trees like maple and oak are just beginning to form their
leaves. After returning to the car we drove through the park to the
old Baptist Church and back. There were several people fishing in the
creeks. We began to see deer and one turkey on the way back. By the
time we had rode around the campground we had seen 31 deer and the
one turkey. I guess Ranger Hicks decided to turn the deer out.
Day
10 – Thursday April 7, 2016 It rained a lot last night but the sun
is out so it should be a nice day. We only have 8 reservations coming
in today but will probably have some drive ups. It was a quite day
for us. We did our normal routine of putting out the few reservation
signs for today, checking for supplies in the bathhouses, cleaning a
few sites, etc. The wind blew really hard later in the day. I worked
on my crafts inside the motorhome. We did have a few drive ups for
the campground.
Day
11 – Friday April 8, 2016 It was cold and windy again this morning.
After breakfast I got the reservation list and we put them on the
reserved sites, cleaned those that needed it and reported a problem
with a water hydrant to the maintenance people. We have 40
reservations tonight plus those already here and what drive ups we
will have. After lunch we checked and cleaned the sites that were
vacated this morning, talked to some of the campers and then gassed
up the golf cart. After supper I attended a Raptors program in loop A
that was presented by a man from a nearby town. He had a Harris Hawk
and talked about how the bird hunts and how to keep raptors.
Day
12 – Saturday April 9, 2016 We awoke this morning to 35 degrees and
snow on the ground. At 8:15AM the sun is out and it is still snowing.
We can look across the campground up the side of the mountain and the
snow is just fogging down. I feel for the people here in tents. I
hope they have good sleeping bags. The snow stopped about 9AM but the
wind was still blowing over 10mph.
After
breakfast we put out the reservation signs and then at noon we
relieved Wilma at the Visitor's Center during her lunch hour. Even
with the cold windy weather there were several people out hiking the
trails. Later in the day we rode through the campground and checked
the vacated sites and pulled the reservation signs for those that had
arrived. Lena spotted a hawk in a tree in front of our site that set
in the tree for several hours and occasionally groomed itself.
Day
13 – Sunday April 10, 2016 It was 31 degrees when we got up but the
sun was out and the wind was not blowing so it looks like a better
day weather wise. There were several here last night in tents –
burrr.
After
breakfast we did our morning routine in the campground before
relieving Wilma in the Visitor's Center for her lunch hour. After
returning to our site and having lunch we went to clean sites and
pick up site tags of the campers that had departed. There was a lady
on one site (traveling alone) that was having have trouble getting
her water hooked up so we stopped to help her. She could not get the
quick-disconnect off her water line inlet. She had just purchased the
class B (van style) motor home and this was her first trip with it.
After getting the water hooked up she still could not get water to
her sink. I went inside and after checking everything I discovered
the aerator on the sink faucet was clogged up and stopping the water
flow. She thanked us for our help and we finished our duties in the
campground and returned to our motor home to do some reading. It is
amazing how much nicer the weather was today than yesterday – warm
sunshine and no wind.
I
made one more pass through the campground at 6PM before calling it a
day.
Day
14 – Monday April 11, 2016 I got the reservation list and after
breakfast we put out the signs on the sites and cleaned and raked
several sites. The maintenance staff was also out raking sites and
cleaning the fire pits. We had raked so many sites yesterday that it
did not take long to finish all the sites.
Before
I grilled chicken for lunch I went back around the campground to
clean a few sites that were vacated this morning. I talked to a
camper that had been a volunteer campground host here a few years ago
before his wife developed Alzheimer disease. I reported another
water hydrant that needed repairs.
After
lunch I built a campfire so I could cook some cinnamon rolls in my
small cast iron dutch oven. For my first attempt to do this they were
good except I got the bottoms to hot. I need to move the grate up
higher next time.
We
did a couple more trip through the campground before calling it a
day.
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