Dolly Sods
I woke up at the campground in Dolly Sods (wikipedia article is interesting), deep in the Monongahela National Forest. The temperature was twenty-four degrees, the wind was howling, and a light snow was falling outside the window. I’d planned to stay another day, hike in the snow, and enjoy the quiet edge of winter creeping closer.
After breakfast, I sat down at the computer to check something online. Google flashed a “no internet connection” message. The light on the Starlink power button was out. I pressed it again—nothing but a brief flicker before it went dark. The button wouldn’t latch. It’s amazing how quickly you realize your dependence on the internet. How do I plan a hike now? How do I even find my way out of the forest? There was no cell coverage either. So, no google maps. Where’s the closest Walmart. No idea.
I pulled out my paper map of West Virginia, found where I was located, and realized I was six miles from the nearest main road. Once I got out of the forest, the signal returned to my phone. The nearest Walmart in Elkins, WV was nine miles away. I drove there, thinking I had a spare power switch in the van—but I didn’t. So, I ordered a new one on Amazon and had it shipped to an Amazon locker near Martinsburg WV over an hour away. I was heading toward Harpers Ferry anyway, and it would be there the next day.
By four o’clock, I found a Starbucks about 15 minutes away and treated myself to a large latte in a porcelain mug. The music was upbeat, the kind that helps words flow, and the place had a good vibe—young crowd, students, parents, people in casual meetings and people working on computers. I was about an hour outside Martinsburg and it felt good to just sit and write for a while, catching up on the blog.
Across the street was a Cracker Barrel in a quiet plaza. I ordered a small salad and baked potato for dinner, and when they closed around nine, I settled in for the night in the RV parking area.
Before bed, I shifted the van over to winter mode—warmer clothes, thicker bedding—and started jotting down a list of things to fix and improve. By ten, I was fading fast. The day had been long, full of little detours and surprises, knowing I had a plan to be back online..