A Long Day....

I left Parkersburg at 6:00 AM with a full day's agenda ahead of me.

The day would begin with a tree planting on the EXTREME headwaters of Big Run. I would follow that with a committee meeting of TU's Potomac Headwaters Initiative at Spruce Knob's Mountain Institute. I would wrap up the day with dinner at the Marlinton Opera House and a presentation on Marcellus Shale Drilling.

It hasn't rained to amount to anything in nearly two months, but it sure did this day. I am by no means complaining - we need rain!

We had five other folks show for the tree planting so we got 150 silky willows planted in the high meadow.

From the tree planting it was down over the east side of Spruce Knob to the Mountain Institute. I have been past this complex a few times, but never on it. What an incredible place!

http://www.mountain.org/work/skmc/

We held our meeting in a Mongolian style yurt. It was a very unique structure with a great view of a high meadow. I believe I could get used to that place in a very short time.

Following this meeting, it was down off the mountain with a destination of Marlinton. The dinner was nice and the meeting was very educational but the lack of information the WV DEP has on this new technique concerns me. It concerns me because they continue to grant permits.

I finally made it home about 2:00 AM - a 20-hour day! I didn't take many photos but I did meet some new folks and I am beginning to start the networking needed for my new position of chairman of the WV Council of Trout Unlimited.

Chris