Wed. morning...things start out inauspiciously. I drop the canoe on my hand and cut open my thumb real good. It was raining. And there were these ODOT guys hanging out at the launch point (by the time we met, then set up my car at the base of the route and then got back up to the start point they were still there...2 hours later).
But soon we were on our way, and despite a slight drizzle things went well. Keep that slight drizzle in mind.
There was nothing we couldn't handle, I mean at this point we're pretty serious outdoorsmen. We already have one Miami river under our belts, what could it's "Little" cousin throw us that we couldn't handle? Actually? Nothing.
Clay sampling went smoothly, and we got some good stuff. Actually, we got our absolutely best looking sample (no loam, no sand, beautiful color, texture, etc.) from directly under Fort Ancient (which would put it ~ at the Anderson site, I think...maybe South Fort, there are like eighty sites crammed in there). It would be pretty cool if that proved a positive match to some of my samples. First, just just finding a positive match would be great. Second, that would put it in conjunction with a site from the Hopewell culture (~1500 years before Fort Ancient), which would have interesting implications potentially as well. Also, the Anderson focus, which my sites are a part of, are named for the Anderson site which is in this stretch of the river. It would just be very cool. If nothing else it shows why so many sites are in this area, and just one of the resources that were available in such abundance. Okay, archaeology theorizing over.
So, that night we'd made it some 13 miles into our trek...and it was time to set up camp for the night. Oh, remember that rain that started out the day? Well, it didn't stop all day but for a brief period around lunch (which was actually delicious and dryish). It started to get worse and we decided it would probably be a good time to find a place to pitch our tents.
So we pulled into a canoe ground I'd called the day before (who had said it was cool to just drop in, no reservation required). Some 15 year old prick (who we'd interrupted from playing a mean round of Guitar Hero) informed us that because it was raining they were closed. We explained that yes, we knew it was raining, which was why we would like to get out of the river and set up a camp. He, using small words (because of both our obvious stupidity and the fact that he was high as a kite) explained "but we're closed, it's raining." Ben resisted his urge to ask if there was an adult around we could talk to...but grumpily we realized there was no hope and took his vague directions of some other place a bit further down river. I never realized it would be so hard to give someone my money, not met anyone so unwilling to get paid.
So, as it starts to rain a little harder (though at this point we're drenched to the bone, water proof coats no longer water proof) we continue on a ways. Believe it or not, the little stoner actually had pointed us to a real place.
That was closed.
Grr.
The other option the guy had mentioned was getting a motel in town, which at this point was starting to sound pretty good (even if it turned out to be some flea ridden roach motel). So we decided to stash our canoe across the river (just so in the morning we wouldn't run into any of the livery people and fight over our canoe, and to keep our stuff safe...from thieves running around in the freezing rain). We started to hike into town (some unknown distance some unknown direction from here), we ran across an old codger who Ben politely asked direction to the nearest hotel. We were told "not in this town...nearest one is bout 9 miles away."
Goddamn stoner kid...expecting us to walk 9 miles...
But the man, paused a moment, and asked us if we'd tried the livery and campground just over there (he jabbed a finger over his shoulder). We explained we'd tried but the place was locked up tight, and neither of our cellphones got reception (mine had 4 bars but brazenly told me it was for emergency use only. Apparently my phone decided despite blue lips and constant shivering that this was not an emergency). He told us to wait, and called up the owner, who we were told would meet us back at the place (in ~10 minutes).
Twenty minutes later Ben and I were contemplating canoeing the remaining 10 miles to my car at the end of our run or finding some abandoned stretch of river to hide out in and set up an illicit camp. Ben was about a minute from never speaking to me again.
Then Mike came up and saved our lives. Mike, pulled up in his van told us to get in before we froze to death so we could talk over the options. He explained he didn't have any dry ground, but we said it didn't matter, just someplace to set up our tents. Mike immediately dismissed that idea and told us about his buddy who was just getting a Bed and Breakfast ready to open in the next week, and he'd take us there and he'd "work out a deal." So with only a little skepticism in our minds (at this point...yeah, lots of skepticism seeing how the day had turned out) we said we'd check it out (I think I was half expecting a roof with no walls or something).
It turns out that Mike was the Mayor of this town (Morrow, Ohio), and a really nice guy. His buddy, J.P. had set up a little ice cream shop and was opening the bed and breakfast next door. The Ice Cream shop was called Miranda's Ice Cream. With the new B&B it would be called "Miranda's Ice Cream (& suites)." Which is pretty clever I think.
J.P was a life saver. The place had just finished up and they'd set everything up just the other day for photographs. He's an incredibly nice guy, who let us be his first guests, though standing in this nice, new, clean, room dripping wet with rain and mud I felt like a real schmuck. He and his wife got some things in order (getting the coffee set up, the fridge plugged in (not that we used it) and filling the soap dispensers, taking the tags off the shower...like I said JUST finished renovating), and the Mayor ensured us a good deal, and we had the best night of camping set up (cable TV and everything!).
The man had a dryer he let us use, so our "canoeing clothes" weren't soaking wet in the morning (heaven!). The shower was hot (heaven!), and Ghost Hunters/Monster Quest were on TV (amazing). Ben and I ate dinner at the ice cream shop (they make a decent burger, although the girls working the counter (JPs daughters) were giggling the whole time. I guess it's not every day two scientists (at least one of them smoking hot) are saved from certain death by their father. Oh! I forgot the best part!
When Mike introduced us to JP he did by saying "Hey, these are two scientists working on the river, and they need a place to stay." That is the first time in my life I've ever been introduced as such (aside from a friend joking around), it was pretty darn cool. (Being cold and miserable we hadn't resorted to our usual dog and pony show of being vague about our real task...saying "I'm doing archaeology" just ends up opening a can of worms, so it's easier to say "I'm doing a soil survey" which is technically true, but no one is interested in so lets us go on without incident)
Anyhow, Miranda's Ice Cream, in Morrow, OH. If you're ever out that way check them out, I'm more than willing to give them a glowing review, and I'll definitely look them up next time I'm out that way in Ohio (it's a little town ("not quite Mayberry, but close") along the river and bike trail) .
Miranda's Ice Cream
Well, Mike, the Mayor, drove us back to our canoe in the morning and Ben and I were back on our way. He was a very nice guy, who gave us each a poncho (sort of as a joke reminding us to stay out of the rain like normal people do), some really helpful information, his cell number, and an offer to help us out with outfitting any future trips. He'll definitely be getting a copy of this when all is said and done (not that he'd be interested specifically in the finer workings of clay, but he did express gratitude that people were doing research and utilizing the river as a natural resource, and not something to exploit, he's proud that he and J.P. are the (unfortunately) only two guys in town doing the tourism/scenic river business).
I can't believe how lucky we got...a series of improbable events led us to having a really good evening, met some really nice and helpful people (who might even be contacts/partners/resources Ben and I can use in the area for any future work). One of the two of us owes lady luck some human sacrifices in the very near future. Probably me, but I kept telling Ben, he just has to stick with me, I'll take care of him.
Well the rest of the day went smooth as silk, we got our samples, had an easy day of paddling and got home nice and early. So, what does sampling along the Little Miami look like (in comparison to the sampling you saw along the Great Miami earlier?)
Something like this:
This is the only picture we got on this trip, it's just with my cell phone camera, so it's not that great. It had stopped raining today so we fished it out after I got up there since it seemed photo-worthy. It's hard to tell exactly but that's a 100 foot cliff if it's a foot. Okay, maybe 20 feet. Anyhow, so I'm clinging to the edge of this cliff when Ben takes this picture. Thirty seconds later the scree gives way and I was sent hurtling down the cliff face. I hugged the wall like they say you're supposed to in order to redistribute your weight...but I just ended up with dirt in my mouth, and my hands torn to hell.
The wost part is I didn't get the clay, it was another couple feet out of my reach when things collapsed. Oh well. That's your sweet archaeology in action shot for the day. I hope it was as good for you as it was for me.
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