Sunday, July 25, 2021

Video 21, The hard part, Shaping the Handle

The 'Chestnut Liberation' hiking stick's unruly root system begins its transformation into the unique handle.

PJ's workshop this time is a rock among the rambling rapids of Stoney Creek, biggest and noisiest of the Three Creeks at the Cloister.

He begins the process with a compass saw. The shaping of the handle starts by removing the obviously unwanted roots. Then the artistic process begins, with each new cut being chosen as the handle evolves.

Video uploaded for PJ Wetzel by F.I.T. Wilderness, VLC

 


Wednesday, July 21, 2021

Video 20, Sho' 'nuff - we got a peeler

PJ begins to prepare his 'Chestnut Liberation' hiking stick. The setting (his 'workshop') is his favorite place at the Cloister - the cool, shady glen beside the St. Francis statue, with the endless sound of Flat Rock Creek providing soothing background.

He begins by removing the bark. As he explains, there are two ways this can be done: the easy way and the hard way. Which will it be?

Video uploaded for PJ Wetzel by F.I.T. Wilderness VLC

 


Tuesday, July 20, 2021

Video 19, Harvesting the Hiking Stick

The 'Chestnut Liberation' Hiking stick starts its journey from obscure forest understory red maple (Acer rubrum) sapling, with dominant trees above it giving it few long-term prospects, to a cherished walking stick for the old Hermit.

PJ shows the simple process of freeing the small tree from the soil, keeping its major root system intact. It is the bent and twisted root of the tree that provides the hiking stick with its unique handle and with its ultimate distinctive 'look'.

In future videos PJ will describe the process of shaping the raw material into a special walking aid for an old man as he rambles about the grounds of the Cloister at Three Creeks and beyond.

Video uploaded for PJ Wetzel by F.I.T. Wilderness, VLC

Monday, July 19, 2021

Video 18, Chestnut Liberation

The Chestnut blight fungus, introduced from Europe early in the 20th century, has completely removed the American Chestnut as a primary forest species in the eastern US. The loss has had a devastating effect on eastern wild landscapes. But there's an amazing story of hope for natural Chestnut recovery. The fungus that attacks the trees kills only the growth above ground, and does not kill the roots. The American Chestnut is able to re-sprout new growth from the roots, and many such sprouts continue to thrive in the understory of the eastern woods. Some of these trees' root systems have lived more than a century in this diminished state and show no signs of giving up. When they are exposed to sunlight, they can even grow large enough to flower and produce viable seed (the delicious chestnut) before the Chestnut blight fungus attacks and kills it back.

The grounds of the Cloister at Three Creeks has at least half a dozen of such sprouting chestnut trees in the forest understory, and here PJ discusses plans to give them a little human assistance in growing to the size where they can produce seed. Every seed produced is one more chance that American Chestnut will evolve natural blight resistance. It may take centuries, but nature does not work on human time scales. This is the story of hope and recovery that PJ presents.

Video Uploaded for PJ Wetzel by F.I.T. Wilderness, VLC

 

Thursday, July 15, 2021

Video 17, Little Things, Big Mysteries

One of the most bizarre discoveries at the Cloister at Three Creeks was this statue of St. Francis of Assisi lying face-down in Flat Rock Creek deep in the wilds of a natural woodland. How did he get there? How long had he been lying there? From the weathering of the concrete on his hooded head (which was pointed upstream), and the growth of moss on his back, the answer to the second question is unquestionably many, many years. If only he could talk, and tell us the tale of how he came to be abandoned and forgotten deep in the woods so long, long ago ...

The video contains a few other stories, ones that nature tells, the kind that PJ is always seeking out.

Video uploaded for PJ Wetzel by F.I.T. Wilderness, VLC

 


Wednesday, July 14, 2021

Video 16, Rain

A little practical joke.

Pretty much self explanatory, no?

A sudden shower hits the Cloister at Three Creeks. Very sudden.

Video uploaded for PJ Wetzel by F.I.T. Wilderness VLC



Tuesday, July 13, 2021

Video 15 A short walk on Stoney Creek

Stoney Creek is the largest of the 'Three Creeks' that surround the Cloister. Here PJ takes a little walk next to some of the noisy white water. The video is chopped short because his camera battery ran out. But the intended experience was complete, so here it is.

Video uploaded for PJ Wetzel by F.I.T. Wilderness, VLC



 

 

Monday, July 12, 2021

Video 14, PJ's American Chestnut rescue plan

Here begins the 'Chestnut Liberation'. The Cloister at Three Creeks has only a handful of surviving root-shoots of the American Chestnut, a tree that used to be one of the dominant forest species in the area before a blight imported from Europe in 1904 killed off virtually every tree in the eastern US.

PJ proposes to give one of his charges a hand in its effort to produce seed before the Chestnut Blight fungus kills it back to the ground. There is hope for this effort. PJ has helped wild American Chestnuts produce seed in the past. Given a decent amount of light, natural wild American Chestnut trees do still produce seeds, and so, given time, even without human intervention, it is possible for the American Chestnut to evolve blight resistance and resume its stature as one of the great forest trees of the American East.

But, of course, humans love to meddle.  And we love underdogs, love to offer help and support to the sick and weak, and PJ is no exception; so a little human intervention seems like a fine idea, particularly with the unexpected secondary purpose PJ has in mind.

See what he proposes, as he undertakes to liberate his little friend the deep-woods Chestnut sprout.

Video uploaded for PJ Wetzel by F.I.T. Wilderness VLC

Sunday, July 11, 2021

Video 13, Tragedy in the woods

In honor of the traditionally unlucky number, PJ chose a theme of tragedy for the 13th video. But this tragic story told by nature is hardly all doom and gloom. In the eternal life-and-death struggle that is nature's wild way, every tragedy leads to opportunity.

Video uploaded for PJ Wetzel by F.I.T. Wilderness, VLC



 

 

Saturday, July 10, 2021

Video 12, The story told by old White Oak

One of the Noblest trees in the forest, the White Oak's survival advantage is simply to out-live its competitors. To do so, it has superior ability to heal wounds such as those left by dead branches. This leads to a surprising and unexpected behavior, which PJ explains ... in person.

He's getting comfortable with these daily interfaces with the outside world, so we'll be seeing more of 'The Hermit' in future videos.

Video uploaded for PJ Wetzel by F.I.T. Wilderness, VLC



Friday, July 9, 2021

Video 11 Evening with the birds

 Sit and listen. The cool of the evening brings out the birds as no other time of day does. Featured is the melodic medley of selections provided by the Wood Thrush. How such a tiny bird can make such big sound is one of nature's true miracles.

Coming next: In tomorrow's video PJ makes an appearance on camera!

Video uploaded for PJ Wetzel by F.I.T. Wilderness, VLC



Thursday, July 8, 2021

Video 10, A stroll along the Ridge

 

PJ built and maintains a mile and a quarter of trail on the grounds of the Cloister at Three Creeks. They range from rock hopping on the 'low water route' up Stoney Creek to this 'ridge walk' on a spine of land in the woods. There's a surprise at the end. Giving no spoilers.

Video uploaded for PJ Wetzel by F.I.T. Wilderness, VLC



Wednesday, July 7, 2021

Video 9, Gravelly Creek

The third and least of the Three Creeks at the Cloister retreat, this one had become barely a trickle, because it had been drier than normal through early summer. We're nearing the completion of the general survey of the grounds of the Cloister. Soon PJ will be making an actual appearance on camera. Stay tuned.

Video uploaded for PJ Wetzel by F.I.T. Wilderness, VLC



Tuesday, July 6, 2021

Video 8, South Corner, confluence of two of the Three Creeks

The Cloister at Three Creeks is a magical place. Two of the creeks, which PJ calls Flat Rock Creek and Stoney Creek, come together at a corner of the property where there is a nice rock perch/seat to take it all in. Video uploaded for PJ Wetzel by F.I.T. Wilderness, VLC

Monday, July 5, 2021

Video 7, Bee Bonnet Falls

Curious name, but definitely appropriate for a place where PJ literally got 'bees in his bonnet' when he ran into a hornet's nest. By whatever name, this is the best, noisiest, prettiest individual cascade at the Cloister at Three Creeks. Video uploaded for PJ Wetzel by F.I.T. Wilderness, VLC

Sunday, July 4, 2021

Video 6, A Surprise at the West Corner

On the west corner of the landholding at the Cloister at Three Creeks, PJ (aka 'The Hermit') discovers a surprise left there more than 30 years ago by the original owner. Video uploaded for PJ Wetzel by F.I.T. Wilderness, VLC


This was the moment of discovery:  about 7:30AM on a morning exploration, the sun was beaming through a tiny opening in the forest canopy right on the statue, making it impossible to miss.  



Saturday, July 3, 2021

Video 5, The Swimmin' hole

A cool spot on a hot day. Flat Rock Creek: from the Cloister at Three Creeks. Video uploaded for PJ Wetzel by F.I.T. Wilderness VLC.


Friday, July 2, 2021

Video 4, Bathtub Rock

From the Cloister at Three Creeks: One of the fun features of the 'playground' at Flat Rock Creek. Posted for PJ Wetzel by F.I.T. Wilderness VLC




Thursday, July 1, 2021

Video 3, Flat Rock Creek and St. Francis of Assisi

The Cloister at Three Creeks consists of a ridge of land surrounded on three sides by creeks, a big one, a little one, and an in-between one. I visit the latter one, at a spot overlooked by a bench high on the bluff. I call this creek Flat Rock Creek. It's my spiritual center and also my playground, as you'll see in future videos.




The concrete statues on the property (there are five that I know of so far) were apparently placed here by the original owner.  This one I rescued from the creek where it was lying face down in the gravel for who knows how many years.  He accumulated an amazing mossy back and a truly worn 'patina'.




Posted for PJ Wetzel by F.I.T. Wilderness, VLC.