See this map for details about the Lion’s Roar/Gold Bug area: Kansas & Kentucky & More.
Category Archives: Wealthy Mountain
4 Valleys
Another remarkable hike today on what could be my last day off for Fall Hiking Season. Short-ish but sweet. Hiked the 4 Valley region again, with 2 big finds. First the discovery of what I call a Southern Passage (or Lower Passage) up and around these ridges, staying close to the bottom instead of the top. All 4 ridges can now be accessed through this lower passage — before, for example, I’d have to huff it all the way up to Louisiana on the 3rd ridge over (counting, once more, south to north), to get from 2 to 4. Now I can significantly undercut that ascent on this 3rd ridge. 2 prominent flat parts (or platforms) on ridges 2 and 3 have now also been found, as yet unnamed. These would be similar to Louisiana itself, although neither approach the size of Kentucky. The larger of these 2 new platform finds on the lower ends of the 4 Valleys ridges might be another site for some type of art happening, and maybe even a more permanent structure might be built there, like some type of earth lodge (?). Anyway the discovery of this Southern Passage alone would have made my day. The 4 Valleys region is becoming tightly bonded with Byng, and I believe they actually make one region between them, separate from any others around Wealthy Mtn. or neighboring Yards Mtn. for that matter. So Green Oz Valley to the west seems separate, and the whole, extensive Lost Valley region (an area I thought of exploring today but decided against it in favor of 4 Valleys) also appears separate, and may be dividable into several sub-regions itself.
A 2nd major find is the discovery of another cave in the 4 Valleys regions. We already have discussed Prism Cave, and also a place called Other Cave. Well, as it turns out Other Cave has a twin cave sitting right next to it, and more enclosed or *closed* in, as well as probably larger. So I’ve redesignated Other Cave as *Open* Cave, and the newly discovered cave next to it becomes Closed Cave. Together they are also the Twin Caves, I suppose.
Close Cave had most definite signs of human habitation in the past, and may have been the site of a *stove*, if I’m understanding what I’m seeing in and immediately around it. A number of bricks remain inside (where the stove sat?), and then a stove piece was found just outside the mouth of the cave, which seems to have been artificially enhanced with the creation or reinforcement of a ledge. I’ll get into more of this in my post devoted to the cave just below.
—–
“Hucka D., who lived in this cave, or at least stayed there? The ceilings seem quite low for any extended stay. But then there’s the matter of the possible stove.”
Hucka D.:
Chuck lived inside. (pause)
bb:
Was he a little person? Munchkin, I suppose?
Hucka D.:
No. (pause) Wait, yes.
bb:
The 4 Valleys region is becoming super important.
Hucka D.:
Each valley a story, each story a valley.
bb:
Maybe we should return to our Lion’s Roar evolving story, Hucka D.
Hucka D.:
Me. (pause) Me, me, me (!)
Filed under Herman Park, Wealthy Mountain
Closed Cave
Amazingly bizarre find yesterday while hiking the 4 Valleys region on the west side of Wealthy Mtn. So bizarre it’s difficult to write about…
Okay, here goes: found a cave, and one sitting *directly beside* another I’d already classified as “Other Cave”, now called Open Cave. The new cave is contrastingly called *Closed* Cave. Together they also make a type of twin caves site, almost like 2 side-by-side rooms. They lie near the head of the 2nd valley of the 4 Valleys region, counting from west to east (see above map).
Below we have just a small sample of the protective vegetation surrounding Closed Cave on basically all sides, even the top. It’s *extremely* difficult to reach, although one assumes this was not the case in some bygone day…
… since within this small cave, perhaps 20 feet deep (similar to depth of nearby Prism Cave, then), we have a number of bricks, obviously moved here by human hands.
And moreover, we have clear signs that the entrance to the small cave has been compromised, seemingly by reinforcing the ledge it is on. Is *this* where the stove sat instead of inside?
Because there’s also this evidence that a stove was indeed here, although I can’t make out the brand because of the worn letters. This lies just below the above pictured ledge where I sat my coffee cup.
As I said, Closed Cave is essentially inaccessible from any direction. I actually went around neighboring Open Cave and entered from the back, the only way I safely knew how. And even then it was tough going through rhododendron and briars. I was crawling on all 4s throughout.
Closed Cave rocks from more of a distance. What is the meaning of all this?? And who “lived” there???
Filed under Herman Park, Wealthy Mountain
Lion’s Roar locations
Maps of Lion’s Roar. First Pot and Center Pot in the upper part are not shown — they lie in the direction beyond Rob E. Center and Door Pot, and like them act as supports for the passing rail.
The second identified way of town shown here: Side Way. It could represent the main business part of Lion’s Roar. Now to find some “people” to populate the town with. Anyone? (Believe me, they’re all clamoring!)
Filed under Byng, Herman Park, Toy Avatars, Wealthy Mountain
Lion’s Roar 03
Another identified passageway or simply “way” of Lion’s Roar, intersecting the other way at right angles. I believe those two, smaller bottles in the foreground represent the only distinctly colored ones on the outside of the track from the wall, or brown (left) and white (right). Oops, my knee got into that picture.
A photo highlighting the natural rocks of Lion’s Roar, including a more interesting one between the two, flatter and plainer (planar?) ones containing several areas of white quartz. I’ll attempt to inventory all rocks and objects of Lion’s Roar asap.
Looking around a moss covered rock projection toward End Line, or the lower end of Lion’s Roar itself.
It was a good day.
Filed under Byng, Herman Park, Toy Avatars, Wealthy Mountain
Wealthy Mtn. Top > Lion’s Roar 02
As stated before, it was a beautiful day in the mountains, a little on the cool side but fine once you start hiking around and building up some body heat. I just wore my regular flannel shirt, a toboggan hat, some light working gloves, and I was fine to go.
Pictured below are rocks near the top of this ridge of Wealthy Mtn. I’ve visited this particular set of rocks before, but it could have been up to 15 or 20 years ago. They are fairly much what I remember them being.
Also from about the same spot, I took this shot of Bass Ackwards Lake through the now mostly bare trees.
Detail of another interesting rock here. Almost looks like hieroglyphics.
Back in Lion’s Roar, everything is starting to shape up as the day progressed. The “Dalek Temple” can be seen in the background, protrusion pointed almost directly at us. Quiver! I’ve determined that this passageway through various bottles and other objects into this “temple” is one of two determinable roads of Lion’s Roar. Maybe Temple Way would be a good name?
Lion’s Roar as shot from across Byng Creek, featuring most of the town.
Another shot of that “Temple Way” mentioned above.
3 more colorful bottles were set up inside the railroad, and against the main bulk of the Lion’s Roar rock itself. These are in left to right order, Green Bottle, Orange Bottle, and Pink Bottle. I didn’t realize it until drawing back and taking an overall gander at what I’d done when positioning these bottles in a creative frenzy — almost all the more colorful bottles were set on the inside of the track, and all the clear bottles on the outside. Is this possibly some unconscious reference to racial segregation? Probably not, but I just thought of it anyway. If so, the “colored” bottles are more valuable here, although I don’t see the bottles as people but more as buildings of some sort.
Note: I dare not think too deeply about what could be in the sealed orange bottle. We don’t want to see it break either (!)
More bottles, with the centerpiece here being “Pretty Bottle”, again, like with the colorful bottles mentioned above, set against the main rock wall of Lion’s Roar for further protection. In front of it are two flat, natural rocks of the location. To its immediate left (if we see it as facing away from this wall) is Pale Green Bottle.
Another interesting part of Lion’s Roar, closer to End Line or Low End. Almost seems to be 2 pillars backing another temple of some sort.
Looking toward the center of Lion’s Roar, uphill from the town. The smaller pot in the back is Center Pot, once more. The larger pot more in the foreground doesn’t have a name yet, like many other Lion’s Roar objects. Interesting that it has a door.
Another shot of the biggest of these objects once more, the “Robbie Robot head” temple. It too is helping to prop up the train track a bit here.
Filed under Byng, Herman Park, Toy Avatars, Wealthy Mountain
Lion’s Roar 01
Another great hiking and art making day in and around Byng. Actually went over into the next valley *north* of Byng for the first time this hiking season, or into the drainage area of the fabled Lost Valley. If I keep my focus on Byng, I believe this valley will become quite important.
But the bigger story today, probably, was the further evolution and refinement of Lion’s Roar itself, the heart of the Byng mythology. In several shifts this crisp, blue autumn day — 3 to be exact — I seemingly perfected Lion’s Roar’s railroad (note to self: maybe better to shorten the name to Lion Roar), while simultaneous setting up the “town” itself around its lower end. 37 pieces of track total were used.
I’m simply going to move into the pictures themselves for further explanations. Below we have a picture of the “town” near the beginning of the day, with the bottles still on the ground and the track still getting into shape. However, I notice here that the old timey coffee pot (left) is already being used to prop up a curvy part of the track, which means that I’d already done some work before taking this midday picture, actually. Original tests for this part of the track, taking place the day before this one, had it set up slightly higher on part of the rock juts themselves, which turned out to be impractical in my estimation. The new track was instead set up on pots such as the 2 shown in the picture, with a lower, rounder example propping up the track to the extreme right in the below photo.
Subtracting the railroad track itself (pieces numbering 37, as mentioned before), Lion’s Roar is now composed of 45 more or less permanent objects, including 30 bottles and 15 other objects, mostly pots, hauled in from neighboring Yards Mtn. (see this older post, for example). Below is the largest object currently residing in the town, a dome effect that puts in mind the head part of Robbie the Robot for some reason. Interesting, because I’ll compare another object of Lion’s Roar with another famous robot in just a moment. As for what this particular object’s real life purpose was, I don’t have a clue right now. Its large presence and unusual shape also reminds me of the similar qualities of Billfork’s B-Hivia, made from an old stove belly in that case. More on the comparisons of Billfork and Lion’s Roar in a moment as well.
Oh, and here we are already at a picture of the other object in Lion’s Roar reminding me of a robot head. Can you guess? Fans of Dr. Who probably picked up on it right away: yes, it looks kind of like a Dalek head, hehe. I’ll have to get proper names for both of these “robot head” objects asap.
Another interesting object used as a kind of doormat into Lion’s Roar. I believe it may be an old stove door. Unfortunately, I jumped on it from a rock above at one point and broke it in two today.
Angle into the heart of Lion’s Roar. Sue is still standing on the rock ledge near this center (small red object).
Another, smaller coffee pot also used to prop up part of the railroad.
Yet another. This happens to lie under the piece representing the exact center of the railroad, or the 19th counting from either end. Seems significant. More on that soon also.
Sue directing the construction of the railroad. I can still hear the echoes of his thunderous roars even now hours and hours later. Is he the *true* Lion of Lion’s Roar, then? Perhaps *he* thinks so. And just where *are* his traveling and exploring companions Stu, Spit and Sid? I can’t find them anywhere. But he seemed pretty happy today doing all the shouting and ordering himself. He’s OK alone right now, seemingly, or as OK as he gets.
Upper end of the railroad track. I logically call the two ends of the rail Upper End and Lower End. Maybe shorten those to Up End/Low End. To remind, Lion’s Roar proper exists at the lower end of the rr.
Btw, I call that large, pale stone in the below photo Overturned Rock, because that’s exactly what I did with it when first discovering some kind of animal poo on its surface. Problem solved.
More near the center of the rail, with Sue unseen in the photo just above. Very interesting ledge effect here, and I’m sure a name will be attached to it. Seems almost like a meeting place (?)
There’s Sue again. He’s almost standing above Center Pot, as I’ll perhaps start calling it, or the pot that holds up the very middle track of the system — 19th again. So there’s 18 track pieces uphill from this and also 18 track pieces downhill. This is the most interior part of Lion’s Roar.
Filed under Byng, Herman Park, Toy Avatars, Wealthy Mountain
Byng Again
Another hike into Byng yesterday. Not a lot new discovered, but did revisit and reexamine both Kansas and Kentucky. Set up some train track in Lion’s Roar, but nothing finalized. Great fun… evening sun shining on me as I worked. The train track will be set up all along the interior wall of the Lion’s Roar rock, a natural setting. Thought of even leaving it up in the winter, but I suppose it would rust anyway; better just to finalize it (today?) and then take pictures to remember and re-create the layout later, just like I did in Billfork. This would be the 3rd marble track set up in the woods, after Hermania and Billfork. This could be the most natural of the 3 locations to set it up. Marbles from Kansas originally? Or at least they settled there in some number. Perhaps a track ran all up and down Kansas at some time in the past, terminating in Lion’s Roar. Instead of a single foot path winding through Kansas, you’d have that single track. Highly industrialized, like a coal country valley with a rr running through it. I’ll always remember Kansas as the place I resolved the Tin S. Man – Wallace3 friction of nearby Green Oz Valley, and add in Kentucky of course, since the Bee Line seems to, among other things, represent long, straight synchs like DSotR2.
How to further develop Kentucky today or tomorrow or Monday? Need to identify the skull there. Need to probably mark out the line better — I think I have the correct alignment, and, indeed, it appears to be about 65 yards long, or 2/3rds the length of a football field. My theory now is that it begins in a clump of grass between Lovely Dovey Trees (which have lost about all their leaves since I took snapshots of them last weekend), and ends at Tie Rock.
Buy compass to get the angle of Bee Line. I’m not finished with it yet.
Most important new find might be the discovery of the sanctioned center of Bee Line, or what I’m presently calling Center Rock.
There’s even a tiny central hole in this rock to emphasize the name. It lies between Central Tree and Tiny Tree, and, of course, right on the Bee Line. As I’m estimating, it’s about 13-14 yards to the lower end of Bee Line from this rock, and then about 50 yards to the upper end. It’s not in the phyiscal, linear center, then, just a central theoretical measuring point, like the Greenwich meridian. I think I’ll call the rock Tiny Central, then, since it lies between two trees of those names.
Will train track be set up in Kentucky? It seems to be more of a lab in this way. Did marbles come here, if they lived in Kansas below it? Perhaps. Maybe they created the Bee Line. So many mysteries remain.
Filed under Byng, Herman Park, Wealthy Mountain
Kansas & Kentucky & More 02
continuing with descriptions of 1st map of the general Byng area, featuring both Kansas and Kentucky (flat platform area on ridge above Byng)…
we move to Kentucky on the ridge above Bing. Kentucky is then separate (to the immediate south) from the 4 Byng areas identified in the Kansas and Kentucky and More 01 post just below, or Upper Byng, Impasse, Kansas, and Lower Byng.
Locations in Kentucky:
Bee Line — the central ley line (literally perhaps) of Kentucky, cutting across the entire ridge diagonally and staying on a constant slope and angle throughout its 60-70 yard length. Seems very unique.
Tie Rocks — at upper extremity of the Bee Line, perhaps, representing 3 small stone juts from the ground that I used to tie the string subsequently extended across the whole of Bee Line. An alternate name is End Rocks, since they lie at the end of this line.
Rocky Mound — mysterious perhaps even ultra-mysterious mound just in front of Tie Rocks, and which Bee Line runs around just at its upper or higher end. Is approx. 15 feet in length. More investigation needed, perhaps even a dig? Possible that Rocky Mound could also be used as a sighting station toward neighboring Yards Mtn. (again, Kentucky is on the slopes of Wealthy Mtn. to the west of Yards Mtn.) per the Devil Seat of Poe’s “Gold Bug” short story (see below); totally unverified as of yet.
3 Trees — 3 trees just across Bee Line from Rocky Mound.
Split Log — long fallen tree mysteriously (once again) split in two almost right on the Bee Line. Represents perhaps 1st clear indication of this line with its stark division.
Rot Cathedral — large rotting tree trunk of reddish color, several yards to south of Bee Line.
Tiny Tree — central tree, perhaps, of Kentucky, and bark mysteriously (once again!) worn out near its base. Represents a polar opposite of huge tulip tree in Poe’s “Gold Bug”. Sits in middle of grass clumps.
Central Tree — the other candidate for central tree of Kentucky, and smart enough to snag the literal title before Tiny Tree or any other tree could step in. Tiny Tree and Central Tree then lie equidistance and on opposite sides of the Bee Line.
Bottle Clearing/”GOLD BUG” — if Tiny Tree or Central Tree is the central tree of Kentucky, then surely the cleared out space between them, which I have called both Bottle Clearing and GOLD BUG, represents the overall central area of Kentucky. Is about 3-4 yards in diameter, or about the same size as the space cleared out by Legrand for the dropping gold bug (from the skull in the huge tulip tree) of Poe’s story. In our case, a gold bug was found *after* the area was mostly cleared — inversion again. This gold bug was then removed and taken home by me for the wife to see and admire, and also our cat got a hold of it afterwards so we had to then put it in a small bottle to preserve.
Lovey Dovey Trees (not named on map) — two beech trees at the end of the Bee Line (Bee Line immediately between them) that are very similar in size and intertwine with each other in their leafy parts, becoming as one.
Terrarium — bottom of apparently same bottle shattered between Tiny Tree and Central Tree, and containing growing moss and at least one other small plant, hence the name. Very green! Just downhill from Lovey Dovey Trees and below the start of Bee Line.
Twomore Trees — two more (conjuncted) tree, as stated, in lower Kentucky and perhaps important in future events of the area. Do not intertwine, however, like L.D. Trees.
One Eye Skull — unk. animal skull with only one eye socket remaining. Probably a direct resonance with Poe’s skull in “Gold Bug” going on here, since the skull’s eyes are featured in that story. Found in extreme southeast Kentucky and then positioned on top of nearby log for better photos.
Filed under Byng, Herman Park, Wealthy Mountain
Kansas & Kentucky & More 01
1st map of the general Byng area, featuring both Kansas and Kentucky (flat platform area on ridge above Byng).
Byng Stream — starts high up on Wealthy Mtn. as a multitude of various forks which combine just before The Impasse (see below). Byng Stream basically runs through these areas:
– Upper Byng (forks just mentioned, in open, walkable woods);
– Impasse or The Impasse (rhododendron clogged region where forks unite as one stream — Byng — which then flows more rapidly as it forms several, long cascades;
– Kansas (general area between lower extent of Impasse and Lion’s Roar that has a navigable path running through it [in contrast to Impasse], forming more of a gorge-like region with steep sides);
– Lower Byng (from Lion’s Roar to mouth of creek at Flanigan’s Fork next to the nearest road — runs through a more open area here with, as in Upper Byng, many options for traversing)
Individual sites on Byng Stream:
Lion’s Roar — near lower end of Kansas that Byng flows all the way through; is a large, overhanging rock, the largest in the mapped area, it seems, and perhaps by a considerable margin. The overhang is extended enough so that I could stay here in the rain and be comfortable without getting wet, a notable plus in future considerations about developing this area. Lion’s Roar already shelters 50 objects (jars, pots, etc.) coming from the side of neighboring Yards Mtn., pieces of a future art happening in this area, no doubt.
Kansas Path — traceable path running all the way through the Kansas region of Byng, starting at the upper reach of Lower Byng and ending at the start of Impasse.
Periwinkle Falls — small cascades just upstream from Lion’s Roar. Split in paths just before, with left hand path (Kansas Path still) taking you upstream and right hand path forming basic beginning of Mystery Path connecting Kansas and Upper Byng in passing around the eastern side of Impasse.
Four Minutes — area recently cleared of dead rhododendron just above Periwinkle Falls. Represents possible future site of Temple of TIDE and more. Mystery Path runs through here; Kansas Path on other side of Byng from here. Named for a Roger Waters song.
Rock Island — small isle of rocks upstream from Four Minutes, near the center of Kansas. Debate in past whether this is part of Kansas or older defined yet vague regions of both Illinois and Iowa, perhaps stemming from the existence of a city called Rock Island (named for an island located between these 2 states) in the “real world”.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_Island,_Illinois
This also seems to imply an assoc. between Byng Creek and the Mighty Mississippi River. Iowa and Illinois, seen as one, are also 2 states bridging Kansas to the west (bordering Iowa) with Kentucky to the east (bordering Illinois). Some say our Rock Island floated downstream from somewhere within The Impasse, losing its Illinois/Iowa ties in the process (deeply debatable).
6 Mile Hill — as yet undeveloped region surrounding a large, dead tree (Rot Tree) in upper Kansas. Could be a center of that already mentioned future art happening. Perhaps. The name 6 Mile Hill relates to 4 Minutes also found in Kansas, and also a 6 Minute Hill on the Jeogeot continent of Second Life located in a sim of the same name. Shrine of Second Life here, then? (Jeogeot?)
Impasse Trees/”SF”/Mine — composing a single area in extreme upper Kansas, on the edge of Impasse and where you can’t keep making your way upstream on Byng directly because of clogging rhododendron, falling trees, briars, and more. The Mine in question is rumoured to be owned by Lisa the Vegetarian, and thus is perhaps an old quartz mine. “SF” just below it (“Suspiciously Flat”) may also be a hopeful reference to gold town San Francisco. Kansas Path end can connect to Mystery Path here, but the way up the embankment is quite steep, with falls and possible loss of limbs forewarned.
Filed under Byng, Herman Park, Wealthy Mountain
Sunklands 