Backpacked Seneca Rocks Backcountry

So Lager and I went out to West Virginia to do recon for our guys fall backpacking trip to Dolly Sods in Mohongohela National Forest in WV, While Chrissy was at the DNC in Colorado...We Backpacked 10 miles the first day to Seneca Rock which is a Rock Climbers dream for Folks here in the Virginia's, We opted to not stay in the back country and stayed at Seneca Meadow a nice campground....We set up camp and hiked down to town where I purchased a nice cold Rootbeer float...Lager partaked at the end obviously...I couldn't drink such a delicious drink with out sharing it with my bud...
We crossed the street to climb Seneca Rocks where I would not recommend if your are looking for a hike with solitude....the trail was packed with weekend hikersWell we got to the top in about 45 minutes...its a 3.5 mile roudtrip the Ranger at the station said it takes about three hours round trip...psst...he dosen't know Lags and me...got to the top and I wanted to hang for a while but you had West Virginia's Finest up top on the edge hanging out drinking Milwaukee Beast...Mullets galore and I think i saw a women with only three teeth...we didn't hang out for long...just long enough to get a picture and role out...hiking down the the trail where we saw everyone still coming up as we were coming down...one of the fat overweight wanting to feel good about themselves ladies hiking up maid some kind of remark like,"Hey didn't you pass us when we were half way up and now your coming down", Wow...I wanted to tell her to get off her fat butt more often but decided to be nice and just smile. She had all of her teeth minust the middle two...

Camped out and there was a guy there who was an ameture astronomer...pretty cool...he was showing me Pluto and other galaxies...the Milky Way was incredible you could see it with the naked eye....there was absolutly no light polution to be found....I got a chance to see a galaxy that is the furthest away that is able to be seen by the naked eye...supposidly it takes 21.5 Million years for the light to come to earth...pretty mind blowing...
Anyways we slept pretty soundly that night...got up but crack early 6:00 AM to watch the sun come up over the Rocks thru the Saddle...was not a great sunrise...
HIked back up thru Seneca Creek to get to the car...drove to Shenandoah and camped at Big Meadows and did a few side trails on the AT

....approx 8 miles give or take...sat had lunch with Lags on some rocks on a great vista wonderful view of the Blue Ridge... got back to Big Meadows

for Sunset and enjoyed the wonders of car camping...BEER...one to many probably...but enough to put me in a sound sleep...Woke up and hiked down to Doyles fall...81 feet tall...

hung out there had some granola and blueberries hiked back to the camp and drove to visit my Sister in law at JMU for the evening...Love ya Kali...Good long three day weekend...it was a blast...

Picasa Web Albums - chris

http://picasaweb.google.com/cfaessen/20080804ChrissySBirthday

Take a peek at some of my pictures instead of posting them here ont he blog i will just keep this album updated...for the most recent events that has taken place in our lives...Chrissy finally turned 30...she is out of her twenties...she enjoyed every minute of it. I rented a limo for her and her girlfriends, Jeff her brother flew up from Georgia and her sister Jenna flew from Conneticut. We started our morning with mimosas and eggs benedict... than the limo picked us up at 11:00 we traved one hour to Chateau O'Brien, totally recommend this winery...http://www.chateauobrien.com/
Than we went to Three Fox Vineyards where we use to enjoy but for some reason we were in a hurry to leave and go to Naked mountain Vineyards...where we polished off three more bottles of wine...needless to say its 4:00 in the afternoon and well, "Anyone want shots?" And there were no Naked People at the Winery...

We came home where I BBQ for our friends family and some neighbors, continued partying, we played guitar hero on the Wii till the cops shut us down...to loud... we danced and protected ourselves from the Aliens with Aluminum Foil...see the pictures to understand more...LOL

Thanks for all the help from everyone that helped clean prepare etc ...love you my wives, and sister in Law...needless to say Jeff and I were pretty worthless on Sunday...i think we just were a little hung over,,,I could not get off the couch upstairs and he could not get off the couch downstairs...Thats what i get for partying with a 21 yo frat boy... :) Shot gun a beer Jeff?

Well I ended up feeling better today, although Chrissy is still a little upset since I could not really function to help clean up...she loves me though thank god...we think....

Cousin Mikearoni comes to Visit DC

So my little cousin from pennyslvania came to visit us here in DC for a week...we had a absolute blast...anytime mike you want to come down you are more than welcome to man...next time we will def. do some camping...the first day here the pour guy had to come to work with me...because of certain rules and laws i had to make him stay out of the kitchen. He had to sit outside and read a book for 8 hours while I worked.. the next couple of days though he stayed with Chrissy at the Rock the Vote offices and had a blast playing Rock Band on the Playstation...
We saw all the sites, boy did we see all the sites that DC had to offer...We saw them in during the day than we went back at night to see them again at night...BOy loves him some HOoters too, we veto Chrissy's vote to go to Hard Rock Cafe and we ate some wings at HOOTERs...what 13 yo boy does not like to eat at hooter skip that what 31 yo boy does not like to eat at HOoters....
You are missed Mike...but we will see you soon...
http://picasaweb.google.com/cfaessen/MikesWashingtonDCTripJuly2008

Tim McGraw Concert

http://picasaweb.google.com/cfaessen/TimMcGraw

June 15, 2008

Tim McGraw concert at Nissan Pavillion where Chrissy, thru work was able to get great tickets with VIP private pre performance for a special few. Well we were that special few...it was awsome . I am not a big concert fan, but seeing Tim McGraw live singing that close was PRetty Freaking cool.

Memorial Day Weekend Getaway

Memorial day weekend the Faeshold's packed up the Explorer and headed to Williamsburg Va.
Not my normal camping but we stayed at a KOA. I would recommend KOA's if you have kids, if you looking for quiet....forget about it!!!


We went to Yorktown and discovered some history...Chrissy Loved Pocahontas . Kali, dressed up like her a few years ago and Chrissy can't forget about it...ha Kali...so grown up now...












After Yorktown we spent sometime eating and drinking by the fire...woke up the next morning and visited Colonial Williamsburg...Glad i did it, don't have to do it again....need i say more



Best part of the trip...VINO...VINO....VINO...
hung out at the winery for a while did we have two bottles or three or four...don't remember Chrissy drove...







Lager met fred on the pathway to a swimming hole. fred, not so mean...but Lager was deadly afrain of him...he couldn't figure out what he was...oh fred hope no one uses you for Turtle Soup...ah!!

Lager and Sadie Swimming at Blue Marsh PA

Sadie, Lagers aunt's first time swimming...we took her to Blue Marsh Lake in Berks County Pennsylvania on Saturday and she was not afraid of the water in any way...



She and Lager loved chasing and swimming after the toys and sticks
















 

Chicks Are Born

Thursday or Friday early morning Ms. Robin had her Baby chicks...we don't have a good name yet, I had mentioned we name them Kris, and Krissy with a K not a C, but that did not go over well...But anyways the babies are doing well and we do our best not to disturb momma as she feeds those hungry babies...if anyone has a name let us know...
C2

So
Momma is keeping an eye on the babies...:)

New Family Member

So a Robin, decided to make her home on our wreath on our front door...there are four eggs in the nest...
Whenever we go outside of the house we knock to let her know we are opening the door and everytime we come from outside in, she flies into the tree out front and watches our every move...





Hopefully the young ones will be just fine at our house...more photos of thier birth in the upcoming weeks...
Stay tuned...
C2

Roosevelt Island

Lager, Chrissy and I went to Theadore Roosevelt Island on Saturday to let Lager go for a swim...

Walking along the path we came across our Blue Hering...he was gorgeous just perched upon an old dead tree top, looking for lunch...basking in the sun...

Mason Neck State Park April 27, 2008

Rainy Day but I did not want to stay in the house so off I went to Mason Neck State Park in Lorton Virginia. Where there is a Bald Eagle Sanctuary....did not see any but I will definitely go back to check them out on a nicer day when i have more time...
Mason Neck State Park is on a peninsula formed by Pohick Bay on the north, Belmont Bay on the south and the Potomac River on the east.

Ramseys Draft, George Washington National Forest April 18,19,20, 2008

Three men Two Dogs...18.2 Miles

Day one Jared, Matt, Codi, Lager and I head off at 5:30 am for a 3 hour Drive to West Augusta Virginia...Talk about Deliverance, thank God we did not have to squeal like pigs...

After getting started on the Trail, we are hiking along when I notice Lagers Saddle Bags are leaning to one side...yeah he torn the bag and lost half of his food and half of his water...this is mile one...Guess who carried it for the next 10 miles...yeah ME!!!
Lager and I at the first summit...mile 7 along Bald Ridge Trail...its was called this because you are literally walking along the ridge straight up for 10 miles...4000 feet.
We finally get to our first nights destination at Hiner Springs where thankfully was running water since it was about 80 degrees out and sunny Lager and I drank all of our water around mile 9...
Jared enjoying his h0t dog, I am enjoying a nice Dominican cigar and Matt is using his monkey hanging from a tree to take the pictures...i got to get me a monkey tripod...good idea Matt...
The next morning...wake up and start the descent out down the draft...where we will be crossing the water 21 times...i already have blisters...and slept like a rock....very few animals came in thru the night...Lager and Codi kept them away i am sure...we did hear some noises out in the distance possibly a black bear, most likely a squirrel...LOL






Codi and Lager ready on day two for the remainder 7.2 miles down the draft...Lagers bag is fixed with Duck Tape...do you think it holds....supposedly is the miracle tape...we shall see

now there is a family portrait...Codi and Jared ready to go...but someone has to take damn pictures...come on Chris lets go...
One of many times crossing the draft and the creek...thank god Lager and Codi could cool off when needed this time...
Break time...checking the blisters and soaking the feet while the Lager take a dip to cool off and and Codi takes a Break basking in the sun...
While we check the blisters and dogs take a break...Matt busy taking photos...thanks matt...Hey...Dolly Sods West Virginia here we come...

oh Look who finally joined the backpacking Trip...Cruse where you been...looks like you had a rough 18 mile backpacking trip...no no that's right you drove to the campsite what a ruff day...:) Love ya dude...

Lager and I waiting out the rain on Sunday to pack up and do some fishing in Luray but it never stopped it just kept raining and raining and raining...oh well

It was a great weekend...a huge blister on the left heel, Lager had a few scraps on back paws...Codi monster was a little sore...Jared and Matt, few blisters but all and all we all had a blast...stay tuned for Dolly Sods West Virginia coming soon...