A very silly circus act, some high energy Irish music and an
outstanding a cappella trio will reap a harvest of great
entertainment at the Pocahontas County Opera House this month.
El Gleno Grande
Rides Again
Saturday, October 6, marks the return of El Gleno Grande to the Opera
House stage. Grande is the alter ego of Glenn Singer, a comic
performer with a soft spot for the circus.
"I loved the clowns, although I couldn't help feeling sorry for the
animals. So now I put on a real live wild animal act, only funnier,"
he says.
Using hilarious optical illusions, a dry delivery and a warm
conversational style, Glenn Singer's spoof of a circus equestrian act
will have you laughing again every time you think about it.
Singer has secured a place for El Gleno Grande at the very bottom of
the big time with engagements at such places as Caesar's Palace in
Las Vegas, Universal Studios in Hollywood, and Ed's Big Top in
Hurricane.
Irish Music on Tap
The Blue Ridge Irish Music Ensemble performs October 13 at 7:30.
Photo courtesy The Blue Ridge Irish Music Ensemble
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Irish music is a favorite among Opera House audiences. No surprise
there, since the music of the Appalachian region evolved from the
tunes that immigrants from Ireland and Scotland brought with them
when they settled here in the 1700s.
The Blue Ridge Irish Music School in Charlottesville, Virginia, is
dedicated to teaching the living art of traditional Irish music, as
well as to fostering a dynamic environment for it. Their touring
Blue Ridge Irish Music Ensemble will perform at the Opera House on
Saturday, October 13.
The Blue Ridge Irish Music Ensemble is both a musical group and a
percussive dance trio from both sides of the Blue Ridge. Meg Madden,
Emily Oleson and Matthew Olwell have been dancing together for
several years as Good Foot Dance Company based in Charlottesville.
Rachel Eddy and Abe Folmsbee have been playing together in different
combinations for many years around West Virginia and the East Coast.
Individually, all members of the group maintain a lively schedule of
performance and teaching projects at venues like the Augusta Heritage
Center, where several of them met. At the Opera House, they will
come together to offer a varied program of music and dance from
Ireland and North America.
Soup's On!
Soup Kitchen (L-R), Bill Kimmons,
Becky Kimmons and Dock Cutlip, blend voices October 27 at 7:30.
Photo courtesy of Soup Kitchen
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Opera House regulars Soup Kitchen offer up another serving of their
unique a cappella repertoire on Saturday, October 27. Just as a trio
of bass, cello and viola would be unusual, Soup Kitchen's vocal mix
of contralto, bass and tenor/baritone makes for an unusual sound.
"When we refer to Becky as Yo Yo Maw, the implications are vast,"
says her husband Bill Kimmons, the trio's bass. Dock Cutlip augments
Becky's lead vocals with a variety of harmonies. Their repertoire can
be understood as classical, as long as the audience understands the
genre is the enduring works of the world folk tradition.
"Folk music is music that folks like," says Becky Kimmons, who adds
that much of Soup Kitchen's repertoire is made up of songs that folks
of another time liked and shared, but are no longer part of
contemporary popular culture.
Several of the group's songs come from the bluegrass tradition, some
from the African-American gospel tradition, some from the tradition
of old-time camp revival meetings, and some are pop music from the
‘50s and ‘60s. It's all delicious!
The Pocahontas County Opera House is located at 818 Third Avenue in
Marlinton. Tickets to all performances are $5. Children 12 and
under are admitted free. Performances begin at 7:30 p.m. For further
information, call (304) 799-6645. Persons with disabilities are
encouraged to attend. Special seating can be arranged by calling in
advance.
Performances at the Opera House are family friendly and open to all.
Keep posted on upcoming events at the Opera House website,
pocahontasoperahouse.org.
The 2007-08 Performance Series is sponsored by the Pocahontas County
Opera House Foundation. Financial support is provided through a grant
from the West Virginia Division of Culture and History and the
National Endowment for the Arts, with approval from the West Virginia
Commission on the Arts. Additional support is provided by Pocahontas
County Drama, Fairs and Festivals.
Patchwork quilt
colors and sweeping vistas along the Highland Scenic Highway in autumn.
Photo courtesy of The Monongahela National Forest
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The Highland Scenic Highway
Leaf-peepers will enjoy a ride along the Scenic Highway
Drew Tanner
Staff Writer
The Highland Scenic Highway is a beautiful corridor through the
National Forest. This National Forest Scenic Byway extends 43 miles
from Richwood to US Route 219, seven miles north of Marlinton. The
Highway follows State Route 39/55 for 21 miles from Richwood to the
Cranberry Mountain Nature Center and passes by Falls of Hills Creek.
It then turns onto State Route 150 for the 22 mile Parkway section
that passes by the Cranberry Glades and the Cranberry Wilderness. The
Highway traverses the mountainous terrain of the Allegheny Highlands
and Plateau, and rises from Richwood, elevation 2,325 feet, to more
than 4,500 feet along the Parkway.
The Highway is a paved two-lane road. Speed limits are 55 mph for
the State Route 39/55 section and 45 mph for the Parkway section.
Commercial truck traffic is not allowed on the Parkway. The Parkway
is not maintained for winter travel, and is normally closed from
early December to March.
Scenic Overlooks
Four scenic overlooks located on the Parkway portion of the Highway
provide spectacular views of the Allegheny Highlands. On clear days,
views of the surrounding ridges and valleys are a special attraction.
Spring blossoms, summer wildflowers, and autumn leaves offer color
throughout the season. Barrier-free picnic shelters and restrooms are
provided at each overlook.
Camping
Three campgrounds are located a short drive from the Highland Scenic
Highway: Summit Lake, Tea Creek, and Day Run. Camping is also
permitted along the William's River at designated numbered campsites
outside of the campgrounds. Water and toilet facilities are not
provided, and no fee is charged.
For those looking for a backpacking experience, there are a variety
of camping opportunities. Some popular areas include the Cranberry
Backcountry and the Tea Creek area. Minimum impact camping methods
are encouraged, including a pack-it-in/pack-it-out trash policy.
Visitors are asked to camp away from trails and streams.
Trails
More than 150 miles of trail are accessible from the Highway. Three
barrier-free trails serve the Falls of Hills Creek, the Cranberry
Glades, and the Big Spruce Overlook. Many trails are also suitable
for cross-country skiing and horseback riding. Mountain biking is
permitted on most of the trails outside of the Cranberry Wilderness.
Services Provided
Gas, food, and lodging are available at Richwood and Marlinton. The
Chambers of Commerce or Tourism Commissions at these locations will
provide listings of businesses such as motels, restaurants, and
service stations upon request. Emergency services are also available
in these communities.
For more information contact the Gauley Ranger District, 932 North
Fork Cherry Rd., Richwood, WV 26261 (304) 846-2695 or the Marlinton
Ranger District, PO Box 210, Marlinton WV 24954 (304)799-4334.
The view from the trail at Gaudineer Knob, looking east across the
ridgelines. Elevation of the Knob, part of Shavers Mountain, is
around 4,440 feet.
Photos by David Holtzman
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Trail (and Drive) of the Month:
To Gaudineer Knob and Back
David Holtzman
Contributing Writer
Pocahontas County is so vast that it sometimes is difficult to
believe that places in its northern and southern districts are both
within its bounds. It is no wonder that people tend to identify so
much with the institutions of their particular neighborhood and less
with those of their fellow county residents who live more than an
hour's drive away.
And yet, we all read the same paper and listen to the same community
radio station. We share the same library system, the same county
leadership, and the same historical ties. When it comes to natural
wonders, as a resident of Hillsboro, I am fond of visiting Watoga,
Beartown, the Falls of Hills Creek or the Cranberry Glades to get a
wilderness fix. Visiting a scenic spot in the vicinity of Durbin, on
the other hand, seems like a tall order.
And yet, I simply had to visit Gaudineer Knob and Scenic Area. It is
actually even farther away from Hillsboro than Durbin, rubbing
shoulders with the Randolph County line. So I put off a visit there
for months, but as this summer drew to a close my journey could be
delayed no longer.
I was not disappointed and neither should anyone be who is
enthusiastic about the natural wonders of the world.
For the trees at Gaudineer Scenic Area are not like those anywhere
else in the county. Many of them were standing when the first white
people tramped over the Allegheny Front close to three centuries ago.
That makes them what foresters call "virgin timber," on land that
has never been logged. This is a rare thing in a county that was
almost completely denuded of its forests in the late 19th and early
20th centuries.
The scenic area and the knob are within 2-3 miles of U.S. 250, but
far enough away that visitors cannot hear the racket of the road. The
turnoff to the Knob is the first thing visitors see after they drive
in two miles from the highway. At the end of this rocky driveway is a
forest made up entirely of red spruce. The trees grow together so
closely that they leave no light for plants to grow in the
understory, and one can see across a wide expanse of forest to the
nearby ridge.
This red spruce is growing on a pair of rocks in the Scenic Area. The
tree is probably some 250 years old.
Photos by David Holtzman
|
This is the tree that dominated the higher elevations of our
mountains before the logging era. It grows best on thin, acidic soils
that can hardly support any other tree types. Red spruce also grew
well in areas with better soil, but after those areas were logged,
frequently hardwoods such as beech and yellow birch grew up to
replace them. Often foresters responded by planting Norway spruce
seedlings rather than red spruce, because this European import tended
to grow better and faster and competed well with the hardwoods.
Gaudineer Knob is one of the few places where red spruce has done
very well.
But the trees on the Knob are relatively short and thin. To see how
these trees look after 250 or more years of continuous growth, I
ventured another mile past the turnoff. I arrived then at the
entrance to a half-mile loop trail through the Scenic Area.
Here the landscape is dramatically different from on the Knob. The
forest here has never been logged, nor has it been managed in any
way. The only reason the United States Forest Service, which
maintains this area for the public, might remove trees is if they
blocked the walkway. A sign at the trail entrance warns visitors not
to pass through on a windy day, as the oldest trees are vulnerable to
falling down because of their age and the area's relative exposure
to high winds.
Not only are the tallest trees grouped together tightly, but there
is a tremendous amount of tree growth beneath them. The trees are a
tangled mixture of dead and alive. The dead ones have sunk into the
ground, contributing to a lumpy ground surface. As a result it is
impossible to see beyond a distance of a few feet and the forest is
so thick that it almost shuts out the sunlight. But a glance into the
heavens reveals the magnificent old-growth spruce towering above
everything.
A fallen tree displays its
awesome root system.
Photos by David Holtzman
|
Beech, yellow birch, red and sugar maple and other trees share this
crowded space with the red spruce. As the oldest spruce fall down,
sometimes the hardwoods take their place, but the soil conditions
here are such that they allow spruce to regenerate. Because the
Forest Service does not remove the debris of fallen trees, they rot
in place and create exceptionally rich soil.
Gaudineer Scenic Area sits partly on the Allegheny Trail, the
state's only long distance hiking path. Taking a detour off the loop
onto the long-distance path, heading south, the path soon degrades,
at least until overgrown plants have died back in the fall. But the
trail is in better condition for hikers headed north.
Having driven to Durbin and Gaudineer Knob by way of Route 28, Green
Bank and Bartow, I returned south on Back Mountain Road. This winding
lane took me through some of the tiny communities that bustled with
activity during the logging era – Stony Bottom, Clover Lick – but
now sit quietly surrounded by gorgeous vistas of farmland and tree-
covered mountains. The road passes through Cass on its way back to
Marlinton and Hillsboro, my neck of the woods. I saw parts of the
county I had never seen, making me even more pleased that I had been
drawn to Gaudineer Knob.
Light pours into the lower
classroom through the windows, many of which still have their
original glass intact. The wood floor will bear a fresh coat of oil
when students gather here for this year's school reunion.
Photo by Drew Tanner
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Tales and traditions of bygone days
Huntersville Remembers
By Drew Tanner
Staff Writer
Former students of the Huntersville School will get a treat they
haven't had since they were youngsters; this year's school reunion
will be held inside the historic building, which was recently
acquired by the organizers of Huntersville Traditions Day.
The reunion and the festivities in Huntersville will take place
Saturday, October 6.
The Huntersville School educated generations of students between 1880
and 1968. It was the last of the county's numerous one- and two-room
schoolhouses to see use. When it closed its doors, Huntersville area
students were bussed to Marlinton. Today a group of volunteers is
working to restore the historic school.
Photo by Sunny Given
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The two-room Huntersville School was the last of the one- and two-
room schoolhouses in Pocahontas County to see use. For more than 80
years, children in and around Huntersville could receive up to a
sixth-grade education in the school.
In its later years, the school served first, second, fifth and sixth
graders. Third and fourth grade students were sent to the one-room
Cummins Creek School, about three miles down Beaver Creek Road.
A staircase leads to the upper classroom, where grades four through
six were taught. The worn steps have been shaped by countless feet
that passed over them in the school's 88 years of use.
Photo by Sunny Given
|
Huntersville Historical Traditions President Susie Landis was
herself a student at the school, attending first through sixth grade
between 1952 and 1958. She has fond memories of the time she spent
there, as do many other alumni, she said.
"Everybody who went to school here has some funny story to tell,"
said Landis.
In one story, a student was chased out of the school by the stern
teacher, Eva B. McCarty. Fearing his fate at the hands of Ms.
McCarty, the student climbed up the maple tree in the school yard. At
the end of the day, when the students and Ms. McCarty left, the boy
was still in the tree.
Landis remembers McCarty's black Dodge, parked behind the school by
the fire escape that was added to the building. She, too, recalls the
teacher's stern manner, but looking back, Landis said she figured
McCarty had to run a tight ship to keep a room of students spanning
three grades in line.
Susie Landis holds one of several papers
that was stashed in the school's attic. In addition to this
arithmetic homework, volunteers discovered love letters, paper
airplanes and an antique globe.
Photo by Drew Tanner
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As Landis and Traditions Day volunteers have cleaned up the school
and gotten it ready for October's reunion, they have found some
interesting relics along the way. In the school's attic, they
discovered the old globe, as well as paper airplanes, love notes and
spelling and arithmetic assignments. Landis hopes to have the
tattered papers on display for Huntersville School alumni.
Instruments of instruction or correction? Those connected with the
school have donated many items that are appropriate to the period the
school was open, from desks and games to these rulers.
Photo by Sunny Given
|
Those with connections to the school have recently donated items
that have a welcome home in the historic building—desks, old games,
rulers and other period-appropriate memorabilia.
Beyond the memories the schoolhouse contains, Landis also marvels at
the care and workmanship that went into the structure itself. Details
like the woodwork of the staircase and windows, the pressed-tin
ceiling and the ornate plaster capitals of the columns at the
entryway show that the school was a point of pride of the former
county seat when it was built in 1880.
Prior to the construction of the Huntersville School, a chartered
academy was built in 1842, according to an article in the December 8,
1898, edition of The Pocahontas Times. Similar to the academies at
Hillsboro and Green Bank, the Huntersville academy was a preparatory
branch of the University of Virginia.
Teachers included a J.C. Humphries of Greenville; Augusta A.
Crawford, from Brownsburg, Virginia; Reverend T.P.W. Magruder, from
Maryland; J.W. Price, and a Professor Miller, from Pennsylvania,
according to the article.
The Huntersville Presbyterian Church, built in
1883, is now home to the Masonic Lodge.
Photo by Sunny Given
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In addition to the academic, Huntersville hosted some of the
county's earliest spiritual education, hosting the first year-round
Sunday school in Pocahontas, the article noted.
The present-day schoolhouse is but one of several original historic
buildings that still stands in the community.
The Huntersville Presbyterian Church—today used as a Masonic Lodge—
was built in 1854 and saw use as a hospital during a Civil War
skirmish. The second floor was added in June, 1896, when the Masons
made the building their home, moving their lodge from the courthouse.
A small brick structure is the only remaining part of the county's
first courthouse. The courthouse was built in 1824. In the early
1850s, two brick additions were constructed, one on each end of the
building, for use by the county and circuit clerks
Above, the old Huntersville Jail will host
tours on Traditions Day. William McNeel, Editor Emeritus of The
Pocahontas Times, local author and historian, will also sign copies
of his books.
Photo by Sunny Given
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Not far from the site of the courthouse, the Huntersville Jailhouse
was built in 1884. The block building was in use until the county
seat was moved to Marlinton in 1891. Scrawled on the walls is the
graffiti of some of those who spent time there.
Still in use today, the Huntersville Methodist Church was built in
1866. Architecturally one of the most interesting buildings in
Huntersville, the beautiful Gothic revival building is still lovingly
cared for by a congregation of the United Methodist Church.
An ornate press-tin ceiling is one of several fine touches that set
the Huntersville School apart from many of the county's schoolhouses.
Photo by Sunny Given
|
Near the church, the Carr House, constructed in 1893, shows in the
back parlor the exposed chimney of handmade bricks formed from the
clay of Browns Creek. The oldest part of the home is held together
with hand-wrought square-head nails.
Down the road, the Carriage House Inn is among the oldest
continuously occupied structures in Huntersville. Built in 1852 by
the Barlow family, the Carriage House was first a dairy farm and
later a livery business. Today the Carriage House is a charming bed
and breakfast and gift shop.
Lying at the the confluence of Knapps, Browns and Cummins creeks,
Huntersville was formally established by the General Assembly in
December 1822, about a year after Pocahontas County was carved from
Bath, Highland, Pendleton, Randolph and Greenbrier Counties.
It was suggested initially that the town be named Smithville, in
honor of Captain John Smith, Cal Price wrote in The Pocahontas Times,
February 1, 1951.
Ornate plaster capitals adorn the entryway of the school that served
the former county seat of Pocahontas.
Photo by Sunny Given
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"However, the name Huntersville was strenuously insisted upon by the
leading citizen, John Bradshaw, and his friends," Price continued.
"This was a special compliment to the hunters who swarmed there
during trading season and to whom the place owed much for its
prosperity."
Civil War reenactors "camped' on the
lawn of the Presbyterian Church in 2004. This year will feature a
sentry in uniform at the church.
Photo by Sunny Given
|
Bradshaw, a wealthy man by the day's standards, was a veteran of the
Revolutionary War. His home was believed to have been near the
courthouse site.
A colorful account of the early town was given in a letter written
by Colonel J. Howe Peyton, the first commonwealth's attorney of
Poca- hontas County during his first term on the "Superior Court,"
held after the formation of the county.
Peyton traveled with a Judge Stuart, from Staunton. As his letter
shows, he was struck by the ruggedness of life west of the Allegheny
Front.
"On Tuesday at two o'clock, we arrived at Huntersville, the seat of
Justice of Pocahontas County—a place as much out of the world as Crim
Tartary. Owing to the bad condition of the roads we were fatigued and
bore many marks of travel stain. The so called town of Huntersville
consists of two illy-constructed, time worn, (though it is not time
which has worn them,) weather beaten cabins built on logs and covered
with clapboards. My negro cabins on Jackson's River are palaces in
comparison with them.
One of these wretched hovels is the residence of John Bradshaw, the
other is called the loom house for these people are self sustaining.
They spin and weave. The big wheel and the little wheel are birring
in every hut and throwing off the woolen and linen yarn to be worked
up for family purposes. The home-spun cloth, too, is stronger and
more durable than that brought by our merchants from Northern
manufacturers.
In Bradshaw's dwelling, there is a large fireplace which occupies
one entire side, the gable end. The chimney is enormous and so short
that the room is filled with light which enters this way. It is an
ingenious contrivance for letting all the warmth escape through the
chimney, whilst most of the smoke is driven back into the chamber. In
the chimney corner I prepared my legal papers before a roaring fire,
surrounded by rough mountaineers, who were drinking whiskey and as
night advanced, growing riotous. In the back part of the room two
beds were curtained off with horse blankets—one for the Judge and one
for myself. To the left of the fireplace stood old Bradshaw's couch.
In the loft, to which they ascended, by means of a ladder, his
daughter and the hired woman slept, and at times of a crowd, a
wayfarer. The other guests were sent to sleep in the Loom House, in
which was suspended in the look a half-woven piece of cloth. Three
beds were disposed about the room, which completed its appointments—
one was allotted to Sampson Matthews, a second to George Mays and
John Brown. The loom was used as a hat rack at night and for sitting
on, in the absence of chairs in the day. As there was not a chair or
stool beyond those used by the weaving women, my clients roosted on
the loom while detailing their troubles and receiving advice.
Bradshaw's table is well supplied. There is profusion, if not
prodigality in the rich, lavish bounty of the goodly tavern. We had
no venison, as this is a shy season with the deer, but excellent
mutton with plenty of apple sauce, peach pie, roasting ears. As a
mark of deference and respect to the Court, I presumed, we had a
table cloth—they are not often seen on Western tables and when they
are, are not innocent of color—and clean sheets upon our beds. This
matter of the sheets is no small affair in out of the way places, as
it not unfrequently happens that wanderers communicate disease
through the bedclothing. Old Bradshaw's family is scrupulously clean
which is somewhat remarkable in a region where cleanliness is for the
most part on the outside. A false modesty seems to prevent those
salutary ablutions which are so necessary to health, and I did not
commend myself to the good graces of the hired woman by insisting on
my footbath every morning.
We remained five days at Huntersville closely engaged in the
business of the Court, which I found profitable. Pocahontas is a fine
grazing county, and the support of the people is mainly derived from
their flocks of cattle, horses and sheep, which they drive over the
mountains to market. There is little money among them except after
these excursions, but they have little need of it—every want is
supplied by the happy country they possess, and of which they are as
fond as the Swiss of their mountains. It is a pretty country, a
country of diversified and beautiful scenery in which there is a
wealth of verdure and variety which keeps the attention alive and the
outward eye delighted."
In the years after Peyton's visit, Huntersville became a bustling
center of trade and commerce in the county. People came monthly to
the County Court and to the yearly "Big Muster," a military review
involving all able-bodied men between 18 and 45 years of age.
Wool spinning is among traditional craft
demonstrations you will see.
Photo by Sunny Given
|
During terms of County Court and the Big Muster, tradesmen sold all
manner of goods, noted Price.
"Stores and barrooms did rushing business, and the horse and cattle
market would sometimes be lively," he wrote. "Store profits up to
four hundred percent were not unusual in Huntersville up to the 1840s."
The town's monopoly on commerce faded as the Staunton and
Parkersburg Turnpike, Huntersville and Warm Springs Pike and the
Lewisburg and Huttonsville Turnpike opened other areas to trade and
settlement.
Much of the town burned in 1852, buildings in the block between the
Presbyterian Church and the courthouse were burned, Price wrote.
"General Frederick Burr, a veteran of Napoleon's Armies, said the
town looked like a coat with nothing but the tails left," he noted.
and a miller stands ready to grind
corn.
Photo by Sunny Given
|
Ten years later, Federal troops burned Huntersville again.
"These were sent from Beverly," Price continued. "As soon as the
troops left, volunteers came in from the woods and saved some of the
town. Many of these firefighters were women."
Past craft displays have included gourd carving.
Photo by Sunny Given
|
In a similar spirit of preserving the community and its ways,
Huntersville Historical Traditions was established as a non-profit
organization earlier this year. The goals of the volunteer group are
to preserve, restore, educate and promote awareness of the history of
Huntersville.
Over sweet tea, popcorn and carrot cake, Traditions Day organizers
meeting at the Carriage House Inn one recent evening discussed their
plans for the day that will showcase many of the "lost arts" that
were once common skills during the heyday of the former county seat
and during Peyton's visit.
Traditions Day visitors will find a variety of demonstrations, from
butter churning and ice cream making to quilting, basket making and
blacksmithing. Visitors can also enjoy a horse-drawn shuttle ride to
the fair. Old time musicians will be on hand, as will state
Department of Natural Resources representatives, who will give black-
powder rifle demonstrations, all in period clothing, of course.
For more information on Huntersville Traditions Day, Huntersville
Historic site or the non-profit Huntersville Historic Traditions,
call 1-800-336-7009 or 304-799-4747.
"Slide? I didn't know it would slide!" Part of the damage at the Simmons' home.
Photo courtesy Sandy Simmons
|
Visiting Bears
Area residents need to be aware of dangerous
practices that encourage bears to frequent our living spaces.
Jaynell Graham-Awad
Staff Writer
"If you go down to the woods today you'd better not go alone.
It's lovely down in the woods today. But safer to stay at home.
For ev'ry bear that ever there was will gather there for certain,
because today's the day the teddy bears have their picnic."
Muddy footprints on the wall and curtain make this visitor easy to track.
Photo courtesy Sandy Simmons
|
On a recent Sunday afternoon 4-wheeler ride with friends through the Buckley Mountains I had my camera in tow, in hopes of seeing a bear. Bear spotting, which once was rare, has become quite the norm and the ab-norm, if you will, this year. There were no bears to be seen in the woods, however we ended our day with dinner at the Foxfire Grille at Snowshoe. As we were making our way home around 9:30 p.m., we saw "something" crossing the road just before we got to the Red Fox Restaurant. Being a farmer and knowing large animals, I said, "someone's bull has gotten away from them!" But it was no bull, it was a bear, with a to-go meal in a styrofoam box, and that bear was huge! I was more than happy to report this sighting to my co-workers at The Pocahontas Times, who have had a match you and raise you one, ongoing bear sighting competition throughout the summer.
Although some people's proof is a picture of "that black spot right there," to others, the bears are up close and personal.
A bear-shaped hole can be seen in the screen, like a furry guest just walked right through.
Photo courtesy Sandy Simmons
|
Larry Simmons, long-time employee of Boxley Aggregates at Mill Point, and his wife, Sandy, employee of DHHR, live about ½ mile off of Locust Creek Road at Hillsboro. Having left a window open one morning, Larry came home to find the screen torn out. He cautiously entered the house to find that there were no bears, but all the bread had been eaten and a bag of dog food, belonging to their grand-dog, was gone. Larry called Sandy, who was in Charleston, to tell her of his discovery and as he went to shut the window he looked out to see a sow and four cubs eating the dog food on the porch, under the window. The bear proved to be a considerate guest as no dog food was spilled in the house, however she had tried the recliner and found it to be "just right!" The paw prints remain in the suede material. There was also a muddy paw print beside the door bell.
Evidence of a second attempted entry is seen on window screens.
Photo courtesy Sandy Simmons
|
As the sow and four cubs slowly walked away, Larry observed two boars wanderiing the yard. The next day, the bears returned and, finding no windows open, they tore the screens off several windows and the French doors. They even pulled out a piece of baseboard on the porch, complete with the 12 nails that held it.
Above, one of the seven bears that visited Larry and Sandy Simmons' home on Locust Creek.
Photo courtesy Sandy Simmons
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The third day, Larry looked out his kitchen window and saw a bear by his truck, just outside the garage door. Inside, protecting their food dish were three cats, bowed up in all their glory. It wasn't the brightest thing to do, but it worked and the bear left. Larry soon discovered that the bear had been in his truck.
A call to the DNR produced a trap made out of a culvert, five feet in diameter with gates on each end. It was attached to a trailer with a ramp. This trap was baited with bacon and donuts. The bacon was heated, as bears can smell bacon for up to seven miles. We will leave out the donut/policeman connection. The boar returned to eat the dog food which had been relocated to a hilltop and then made his way to the trap and walked right in. They had no problems with house invaders after the boar was relocated, but Larry has about three minutes of exceptional video, filmed with a very steady hand, of the sow and her four cubs maneuvering in their back yard.
Needless to say, the Simmons' experience has brought about a change in their routine.
The garage door is always closed and, for now, no corner is turned without apprehension.
Meanwhile, down on Stamping Creek at the foot of Kennison Mountain, at the home of General and Evalena Triplett, more than company was on hand for the family reunion. Being a very warm August night, they left the kitchen door open to create a breeze.
A bear enjoyed the leftovers from the family reunion at the home of Gen and Evalena Triplett on Raintown Road.
Photo courtesy Sandy Simmons
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Their daughter, Sandy Rediker, and her grandchild were sleeping next to the kitchen. At 4:30 a.m. Sandy awoke to find that a bear had knocked the screen out of the door, and as a result of its visit the contents of the tabletop, which included peaches and nectarines, had been swiped away. In addition, the bear took Evalena's new dish towel off the toaster.
This was not the first or last visit from this bear. Earlier, it had made mincemeat of their trash can and one morning, around 11 a.m., as Evalena washed cucumbers at an outside spigot, her son's dog, Lucy, barked to alert her that a bear was in an apple tree not more than 20 feet from her. Although Evalena shouted, the bear would not leave.
As bears are hard of hearing and short of sight, they map their way through life and forest by scent. According to some reports, a bloodhound has a sense of smell 300 times that of a human.
A bear's sense of smell is 50 times that of a bloodhound. Be careful what you put out there.
When the wind is right and the food is right, you, too, can attract a bear from seven miles away.
There have been problems with bears this summer, but for the most part, folks excitedly report "the bear on the front porch," "in the bee's nest," "at the birdfeeder," "in the trash," and even "on a park bench."
For this past season, the only thing more plentiful than zuchinni has been bear sightings.
shgiven@pocahontastimes.com