NC Mountain wilderness - by boat, cycle, and hiking trail

Photos from my recent trip to NC...
Fontana Lake, Nantahalla Forest, and Great Smoky Mountain National Park.

Center Hill Lake - Last weekend in Sept. '10

Center Hill Lake, Sept. 25-27, '10.

(click photos to enlarge)

On a mostly cloudy day, just as the sun was setting, a brilliant burst of yellow sunshine contrasted beautifully with the dark clouds (pic 1).

Looking toward the sun just moments later, the clouds parted briefly to reveal an ethereal sunset. (pic 2)

Hiking down the beach, I parked the Sea Ray on the soft sand. (pic 3)

Something I had not seen before, a deer swimming across the lake. I got quite close to her with the boat and watch her stagger to the shore, exhausted. (pic 4)

Walking along the cliffs I heard a big houseboat coming. Who would be out here on a Monday... besides me? Oh, it was Alan Jackson, taking his behemoth redneck house boat from the marina to his mansion.


I was surprised to find many wildflowers including fresh honey suckle vine growing along the lake. Also, lots of ripe scuppernong muscadine grapes around the lake edge. I collected a bouquet for the galley. Tea is a necessity for boating, ask any Brit.

Water temperature is still 79°, swimming was nice.

I really need to start bringing my camera on these trips. Again, all photos taken with my cell phone.

Thinking about screaming to Dave Ramsey

By November, my house will be paid off.

Having an abundance of concerts in the past few years has allowed me to get way ahead on mortgage payments. I could pay it off now, but I think I might buy a car first. This will be the first time since my pre-college youth that I will be 100% debt free. I might just call Dave Ramsey and scream "I'm debt free!" This is one of the most important milestones of life. Wanted to do it before I turned 50, but whats a few months?

I've often thought about selling this place and moving to a more isolated setting with a bluff view or on the water, but I'm pretty happy with my place. I thought about reopening it as a Bn'B. I thought about building a smaller cabin in my woods and renting out the big house. Any ideas?

It will always be worth more than it's appraised value since it's a unique historic house, hand-hewn in the 1830's from red cedar, (moved and reassembled in the '60's), and location location location... it's on 4 acres in the largest stand of big oak forest within one mile of the largest undergraduate college in the state.

Not a bad spot.

Bottom pic: the back patio under the solarium is where I spend most of my time in the summer. 100% private, I like that.

TN River gorge - pictures of morning and storm clouds

Morning in the TN River gorge. It was a calm serene morning. Osprey and blue heron were fishing. I was amazed by the lack of boat traffic for a Saturday. We definitely found the nicest and least populated part of the TN River gorge, near Raccoon Mountain, about 12 miles outside of Chattanooga.

I took these pics with a cell phone, so they are not very sharp, (click to enlarge).

Later that day, I saw it coming.





The thing most boaters don't want to see on the open water: a severe storm... except me of course, I like storms. On the radar, it looked like it would be brief, so I didn't put up my full canvass, a mistake.


By the time I saw the wall cloud dipping down, seeming headed right for my boat, I decided to drop anchor and hide in the cabin.


The wind then started picking up and serious waves started hitting the boat. I could tell my anchor was slipping because the waves were catching me broadside. Not good. Rain was pouring in from under the top canvass and every time I went out to put up the side canvass, lightning chased me back into the cabin. At times the boat was rocking pretty violently with white caps slapping the boat around. Quite a ride!

I was OK after the anchor caught and turned the boat into the wind which I estimate to have hit 55 mph with near zero visibility in heavy rain.

It was a great storm.

I love the summer.

Tennessee - the Hottest Place on Earth ... for a moment

Heat Index: 130.8ºF.
KNQA: Millington Municipal Airport, TN, United States [54.9°C, 130.8°F], Aug. 3, '10

For weather nuts... I noticed that at one point, Millington, TN was the hottest place on Earth as measured by Heat Index. Heat Index is the measure of dewpoint (absolute humidity) and temperature, resulting in 'apparent temperature' or 'how hot it feels.' At the time on Aug. 3rd, Millington was reporting a temperature of 105ºF and a dewpoint of 80º. This (with fractions) resulted in a heat index of 130.8. Note that Millington was far from the highest temperature, but desert locations can often have a heat index lower than their actual air temperature. The usual places that have the highest heat indexes like Africa and the Middle East were dark (night time) at the time of Millington's report.

Find weather extremes like dewpoint and heat index at coolwx.com. (Some of the extreme readings displayed are occasionally due to malfuctioning sensors ... i.e. today's Crocket, TX 100º dewpoint and 198ºF heat index - obviously false readings). The Millington reading was in the ballpark within readings from the region at that time, so I think it was authentic.

Personally, I love hot weather. Today, there was a heat advisory in effect for TN. I was outside all day, playing guitar in the shade, by a fan, with occasional pool breaks. It was 95ºF here today with heat index well over 105º.

Center Hill Lake - mid July '10

Center Hill Lake trip from Sligo to Great Falls at Rock Island State Park.

Swimming at night in an isolated section of Center Hill Lake, Iska said she's never experienced lake water that warm. It had to be over 90 degrees at the surface.

We hiked to the falls, swam around and sat behind the waterfall. An ideal place to be on a 95 degree day.

It was perfect. The boat ran great!

Fontana Lake videos and pictures

Two videos of serenity and more pictures from Fontana Lake, early June, 2010.
The best way to visit the Great Smoky Mountain National Park - by boat.

Click to enlarge pics. (Sorry for the windy soundtrack on the vids).

Running Roark's Cove Rd. - 1000' climb in 2.8 miles

I love running hills. The climb from the base of Roark's Cove Rd. up to Sewanee, TN is 1000 feet over 2.8 miles. After the climb, I run to Iska's house an additional 1.6 miles on the flat to complete a nice 4.4 mile run. It always seems that the last mile on the flat is harder than the hill. I can only manage about a 9 min mile up the steep. And, it's brutally steep in places, for extended stretches. In fact, it's such a climb, I can feel a change in the air from bottom to top. It is usually several degrees cooler at the top.

It's a great workout, and less impact than running on the flat. I do this run almost every time I visit Sewanee. July 4th weekend, I did this run every morning, 3 days in a row. A good way to celebrate my upcoming 50th birthday this week.

I intend to run this hill on my 60th birthday as well.

Check out the topo map, click to enlarge.

Tennessee Governor's School for the Arts Classical Guitar Seminar - Performance at TPAC

TN Governor's School for the Arts first classical guitar seminar concluded with a performance by the quartet at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center (TPAC) in Nashville on June 30th.

Congrats to Wes Atnip, Ian Baker, Ben Kass, and Max Marlowe for their performance of the Telemann Sonata in D and 2 Dances from "Terpsichore" by Michael Praetorius.

Special congrats to Max Marlowe - Third Prize Winner at the Austin Peay pre-college guitar competition.

Classical guitar LIVES in Tennessee!

Arturo Sandoval was the pinnacle of Chattanooga's Riverbend Festival. Awesome musician.

Arturo Sandoval ripped a blend of modern jazz with smokin' hot bop to an appreciative crowd at Chattanooga's Riverbend Festival.

I just happened upon the festival and was happy to find a spot at the dock for my boat. I noticed a former student playing percussion with the band at one of the venues, so I decided to listen. I asked a volunteer for a schedule to see what was coming next and I saw "Arturo Sandoval" would be performing. THE Arturo Sandoval I thought?? Surely not the legendary Cuban jazz trumpeter, 4 time Grammy award winner??!!! Yes, it was true!

I was blown away. Not only did he play his trademark blazing fast bebop on trumpet, he also scat sang and played percussion. What a musician! He was also quite an entertainer (those 2 qualities are different, you know).

I heard Arturo warming up just above the boat dock. Blowing long tones, playing arpeggios. I spoke with him briefly. He ended his concert with a tune by his famous mentor, "A Night in Tunisia" by the late great Dizzy Gillespie. It was a memorable concert.

He was actually playing opposite of Charlie Daniels, who was on the main stage. Sorry, but Charlie sounded pathetic in comparison. I heard CDB play 4 tunes, Amazing Grace, The Star Spangled Banner, an arrangement of William Tell (showcasing the guitarist - I guess his concept of "classical guitar?"), and his hit - Devil went Down to Georgia. It was bad... unless you like out of tune fiddle playing. I was a CDB fan as a kid. I always liked the CDB album Saddletramp. I guess my tastes have evolved over the years. Charlie has since turned into a (self-described) redneck and a mediocre fiddler. By comparison, Arturo is at the top of his game. I know, apples and oranges.... yet, I tend to appreciate virtuosity over pop stardom.

Later that night, Iska and I went through the Chickamauga Lock and spent a beautiful night in a cove among the islands at Harrison Bay State Park.

Helene Yelverton's 50th Annual Dance Recital

My beautiful mother celebrates 50 years as a dance teacher. Her studio is one of the most prestigious in upstate NY.

Article in the Binghamton Press.

Congrats to mom.

Pic 1 - Shelly, Mom, and Stephanie

Pic 2 - alumni student John and Mom on Broadway  

UPDATE:  John Kendrick - RIP

Fontana Lake - June '10

Smoky Mountain Paradise

Where else can you hike the Smokies for hours on a Saturday and not see anyone?

Nothing like four nights on the lake and in the woods ... with Iska. Fontana Lake was nearly full and the trails were as beautiful as ever.

The Lost Cove Trail to Shuckstack was particularly beautiful. The climb was brutal - 1000' in just one mile but the reward was excellent. The Appalachian Trail was full of flowers - flaming azaleas, spiderwort, mountain laurel, etc...

These are just cell phone photos, unfortunately I forgot my camera. (click on pics to enlarge)

Have boat, will travel....

Spring '10 concert season

I played 10 concerts, gave 5 masterclasses, judged guitar competitions, and recorded new music with a Grammy Award winning production team.

Most rewarding was the opportunity to perform/judge at five guitar festivals: Texas Guitar Festival, Tennessee Guitar Festival, Indiana University Guitar Festival, Appalachian State Guitar Festival, and University of Louisville Guitar Festival.

It is always difficult to perform at guitar festivals that include a major guitar competition. Many of the audience members are superb guitarists, doctoral or masters level guitar students, and music professors.

It was great performing in such excellent concert halls. My two favorites were: University of Louisville's Comstock Hall, and Indiana University's Auer Hall.

Photos from the top:

1) Indiana University's Auer Hall

2) Appalachian State University's Rosen Concert Hall

3) University of Louisville's Comstock Hall

4) Recording session at Ocean Way Studio, Nashville. Recording Osterfield's - Klee Abstractions with Todd Waldecker, clarinet and Deanna Little, flute. Recording by Boston based Sound Mirror productions.

5) Leaving for yet another concert with a state vehicle. It's great to be an artistic ambassador for my state and university.



Looking forward to directing the first season of the Governors School for the Arts Classical Guitar seminar for talented TN high school students. I hope this program grows and more high school guitar students become involved in obtaining good quality guitar training.

Tennessee Guitar Festival at MTSU March 21-25

Tennessee Guitar Festival at MTSU – March 21-25, 2010

All events free and open to the public.

The Tennessee Guitar Festival, the largest festival of its kind in the state, will present five consecutive nights of guitar concerts by some of America’s finest guitar virtuosos.

http://www.mtsu.edu/~yelverto/guitfest.html

Sun., March 21, 8:00 pm – Concert: William Yelverton, Roger Hudson

Mon., March 22, 1:40 – 3:40 pm – Masterclass: Enric Madriguera (SFA 117)

Mon., March 22, 8:00 pm – Concert: Enric Madriguera, Duo Guitiano

Tues., March 23, 8:00 pm – Concert: John Knowles, Nicholas Ciraldo

Wed., March 24, 9:30 am – 11:30 am – Masterclass: Nicholas Ciraldo (Hinton Hall)

Wed., March 24, 8:00 pm – Concert: Jason Vieaux

Thurs., March 25, 2:00pm - 4:00 pm - Masterclass: JasonVieaux (SFA 207)

Thurs., March 25, 8:00 pm – Concert: Silviu Ciulei, Tequila Flamenco Group

All concerts are in the Hinton Music Hall, Wright Music Building
Faulkinbery Drive, MTSU Campus

MTSU Guitar Students Sweep Beethoven Club Guitar Competition

MTSU guitar student Otto Stoy has won FIRST PRIZE in the 32th annual Beethoven Club Young Artist Guitar Competition in Memphis on Saturday, March 6. Also, MTSU guitar students BJ Golden and John Hollandsworth were awarded SECOND and THIRD prizes respectively. Each received a cash award. Congratulations to Otto, BJ and John. This is the forth time MTSU students have swept all of the guitar awards in this annual competition.

Founded in 1888, The Beethoven Club is one of America's oldest private music clubs and sponsors an annual Young Artist Competition for Strings, Guitar, Piano, Voice, Woodwinds and Brass.

Breakfast

A special occasion breakfast.


Valentine's Day morning by the fire - Arabica pressed coffee, flourless chocolate torte (low carb!), almonds, strawberries, bananas, 2 forks. Best Valentine's Day ever. One year ago, I met Iska on Valentine's Day.

I kept the fire going 5 days, til Wednesday of this week.

Actually, I've enjoyed this cold weather in some ways.

Ice Moon

Looking up through the glass ceiling of my sunroom... full moon through the ice coated trees.

TN received a few inches of snow followed by freezing rain on 1/29/10.

Photos taken with a pocket Canon SD 900, no tripod.

Tornado season arrives in TN

Sewanee tornado on 1/21. Photo by Ben Beavers (taken from the front of Shenanigan's)

This weak tornado touched down near the airport in Sewanee, about 1/4 mile from Iska's house. Ranked an EF-0 by the NWS, it hit right at dusk providing a really nice photo op.

Maybe this is the harbinger of things to come this season?

Hiking the Catskills - Fall and Winter '09

Pictures from my Dec. hike to Slide mountain summit, and my Oct. hike to Wittenberg mountain summit.

The Catskill Mountains are in Southeastern New York State.

Both hikes were beautiful but Wittenberg was the best summit view and the more challenging hike. We did Slide the short way, 5.4 miles round trip. The upper trail was beautifully enclosed and sheltered by snowy pines and hemlocks.

The colorful leaves made the Wittenberg hike especially beautiful.

Click on photos to enlarge.

Thoughts on diet, weight control

I think I'm a "snap back" type of person. I allow myself freedom to get messy, eat poorly (within my fish-only "quasi-vegetarian" lifestyle), get out of shape... until BAM, I "check myself." What I mean is ... when my household disorder becomes too much to bear, I clean ... sometimes to the nth degree. It's like a short-lived temporary obsession. When I get close to being "clinically overweight," that is a BMI index of 25 or above (for me at 5'7", that is 159 lbs) I often up my exercise, and reform my diet. That sometimes involves a cleanse which can include some fasting. More about that later...

Diet is a very personal thing. Americans, especially here in the South, are some of the fattest and least healthy people on the planet. What works for one person, may not for another. I know that I tend toward being hypoglycemic and have tried many different diet regimens in the past. I DO NOT follow conventional wisdom all the time.

What is an ideal weight?
Depends on what you want to do. If you want to ride the couch for life, you can be obese and probably live happily into your 70s, that is, IF you have good genes, don't smoke, and have good health care. But if you want to be a traveler, athlete, hiker, outdoorsman, etc... you'll not do well as an obese person. Here's why (... and this is my theory).

Most humans are physically mature (on the average) by their late teens. During this time, your musculature, joints, and connective tissue develop to support your specific weight. Even 10 lbs more than you weighed in your late teens will put added stress on your joints in later life since your joints weren't "designed" for this weight. If you wish to remain physically active, you should endeavor to maintain this weight or less - your weight at approximately age 18. As we age, our bodies don't repair themselves the same way as during adolescence which makes weight gain even more debilitating to the joints. Of course there are other factors, weight is just one, but one that we have control over.

Here is a list of things that work, and don't work for me, along with some pet peeves.

Three meals a day
If I ate the "normal American 3 square sit-down meals a day," I would be overweight, absolutely no doubt about it. Some diet plans involve eating several small meals a day with precise proportions. On it's face, this may be healthy but I find that so much meticulous attention to eating is psychologically counterproductive. Simply put, the more you eat, the more thought you put into dieting, the more you crave eating, and vice-versa. It's hard to stay fit living a 'food-centered life.'

Great American Breakfast
If I ate cereal, bread, waffles, pancakes, hash browns ... any grain, flour, or potato based item in any substantial amount in the morning for breakfast, I would be seriously crashing by late morning, needing a nap or strong coffee to keep me going. The idea of a large American pancake and hashbrown breakfast is deadly. I might as well take a large dose of sleeping pills. It truly is like a drug to me. Sometimes, when I'm home with my girlfriend on a Sunday morning, I will take this drug - known as a "Cracker Barrel pancake breakfast"... and spend the afternoon luxuriating in slovenly slumber... falling asleep to a movie or football game. Been there? Conventional wisdom calls for a substantial breakfast that includes whole grains. Sorry, doesn't work for me. An apple, and a hand full of almonds is perfect. Or, simply tea with raw sugar. Just enough to keep my blood sugar stable.

Sweeteners vs. Sugar
I don't get it. Why do people who think they are informed and "healthy" put chemicals like sucralose and aspartame into their bodies instead of the meager 15 calories per teaspoon that raw sugar provides? It's gross, disgusting, unhealthy... like trying to get healthy from a pill. The only good news you'll get about chemical sweeteners are from their corporate websites. Sucralose (Splenda) was discovered by scientists doing pesticide research, it contains chlorine, a carcinogen, along with a laundry list of chemicals not found in nature. One recent study compares Splenda to putting pesticide in your body. Diet sodas are the worst because they contain aspartame which has clearly been linked to a variety of side effects including dizziness and panic attacks. Sugar is painted as evil. I agree, white sugar IS evil. Not all sugars are created equal. Raw natural sweeteners are absorbed by the body more slowly than refined white sugar and corn sweeteners. I use raw sugar and maple syrup as my primary sweeteners. People dieting tend to eat foods loaded with chemicals. For example, fat free ice cream contains: dextrose, palm oil, high fructose corn syrup, mono and diglycerides, polydextrose, inulin, microcrystalline cellulose, cellulose gum, locust bean gum, calcium sulfate, polysorbate 80.
Yuck.... not that I'm saying real ice cream is that much better for you, but... why don't people read labels? If they do, why would they consume such a host of chemical crap? I guess it's part of modern society where people think there is a chemical solution to any health risk or illness.

Fasting
I almost never do a complete fast for more than 24 hours. When I do, I may still drink a bit of juice to keep my blood sugar stable. When I "check myself" and start a weight loss diet, I often start with a brief fast and then slowly start eating raw fruits and vegetables - what I call a cleansing period. My most recent cleansing diet consisted of carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce, oranges, grapefruit, and tea with raw sugar. I ate just these items for four days. With daily exercise, my weight dropped 9 lbs in 4 days - after ballooning up to 160 lbs during the holidays, down to a nominal 151. During these times, the digestive tract shrinks and the less I think about food, the less hungry I get and the less I eat. When I do get hungry, some tea with raw sugar eliminates hunger.

My Diet
Again, this is what works for me. And, I can say that it does work, proven by the fact that I am one of the only people I know that is about the same weight as I was in highschool and can (and sometimes do) wear the same clothes that I wore as a teenager... AND, I'm fairly healthy in that I rarely get sick, and I'm fit enough to have had success as a competitive athlete in my late 40s (age group awards in 5k races, national ranking as an age group sprinter). Soo... if it works for me, it may work for you, (especially the bit about eliminating most carbs and obsessing about diet).

• Carbs

I am an acknowledged "carboholic." I love bread, pastries, pies, pastas, cereals, potatoes, popcorn, chips, etc... and I've found that if I was on a mission to gain weight, these are the things I would eat at every meal. Because I am a carboholic, I avoid carbs. I don't bring them into my house. When I go home for the holidays to my parents, you'll see me stuffing my face with garlic rolls and pasta at the local Italian joint because it's something I never do at home, and I do mean never. I have not purchased a beloved miche loaf of multigrain Panera bread in years. If I did, it would be consumed with tea as toast with butter and honey within a day or two. I love it too much, it's a special treat that I have just occasionally. Carbs simply make me feel tired and make me fat. I have replaced starchy carbs in my diet with fats and protein in the form of nuts, fish, and occasionally, beans - I like chickpeas. I even eat dark chocolate in small amounts, which for me, is much healthier than oatmeal. They say that calories are calories, no matter the source. I say BS. Calories from starchy carbs seem to pack the weight on me unlike calories from say, juice, or tea with sugar. Yes, yes, I know, sugar is a carb but it doesn't have the same effect on me.

• Vegetarianism

I am not a true vegetarian because I eat seafood. Would it hurt me to eat chicken, pork or beef a few times a month? Probably not much, but it's a commitment I made almost 20 yrs ago for health reasons. The commercial meat industry is disgusting. Today's supermarket grade meats are so pumped with growth hormones and antibiotics it is amazing. Not to mention, "land animal" fat is not the kind of fat you want in your blood stream. Seafood offers a better type of fat. People are now eating fish oil supplements because this type of fat is healthy for the heart.
A pet peeve I have about vegetarians is that many eat high fat dairy products like cheese, whole milk, ice cream, eggs, etc... eating these foods in abundance pretty much negates the healthy lifestyle that vegetarians try to achieve. I haven't cooked an egg in 20 yrs but I will very occasionally eat baked goods that contain them. A good substitute for eggs in recipes is a mixture of soy milk and corn starch. I don't drink cows milk although I'll occasionally put it in my coffee if I am out and about.

• What I eat

One main meal. That's totally enough. It could be a huge salad with a small piece of fish, roasted or sauteed vegetables, greens and beans. Other 'meals' are snacks that could be a raw piece of fruit, nuts, or a vegetable like a carrot or cucumber. Sometimes just a glass of juice, (V8, white grape, and apple are my favorites) and sometimes black tea with raw sugar. I can feel absolutely stuffed and satisfied, eating a 2 crowns of steamed broccoli with sauteed onions, and mushrooms in spaghetti sauce (Classico brand - 50 cal/serving) - a less than 400 calorie meal with low carbs. For a snack, a colorful variety of crisp vegetables I take to work with me in a baggie: carrots, celery, red bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, radishes, zucchini, etc.... or a celery heart with some spicy V8 juice is a great snack. Sometimes small spicy/salty veggie snacks are a really satisfying low calorie way to deal with hunger.

Overall, simple is best. Less refined, more fresh, no processed crap or chemically laden foods, smaller wild-caught low toxicity fish, and a creative and colorful variety of produce that includes fruits, berries, nuts, seeds, melons, greens, tomatoes, beans, squash, and of course ... dark chocolate.

• Weight loss

I've observed stages of fat loss. Most people, probably 95%, have a band of 'firm fat' in the usual places. When I'm actively fasting, cleansing, or dieting, it is usually because I am "snapping back" from a period of weight gain when I feel an excess of firm fat on my body. For most, these bands of fat will remain for life, which I don't think is particularly healthy since toxins can be stored in fatty tissue.

A chemistry professor I once had, who was an outstanding marathon runner into his 40s, noted that the human body must 'learn' to burn it's fat reserves. That is why I continue my exercise routine even when fasting or dieting, because my body has no choice but to burn it's fat reserves. It is interesting to observe the stages of fat reduction. First, the firm fat on my sides and abs becomes soft and jelly like. Then it slowly disappears. When I am running competitively, I try to get as light as possible without sacrificing strength, that means reducing body fat. My normal average weight is about 148-150. My best competitive weight is about 9 lbs less. 9 lbs in a 5k race is huge for me.

• Last word
  

Most importantly, don't obsess about diet. Don't make food the center of your life. Be a doer, not a sitter. There is always time to ride the couch. It only takes 20-25 minutes to get a killer work out. Even 15 min is better than nothing, especially if it is intense, like running 2 miles at 7 min pace.