Twas the day before Christmas

Twas the day before Christmas as we walked to Leetonia and something just wasn't quite right. Not a flake to be found or ice on the ground just the sound of the creek to be heard. Now this is not common, but not so unheard to see not a soul just a bird. And as we shed our coats as we walked through along we wondered if Santa would know. Don't look for the snow or the ice here below cause we're skipping winter this year. The animals all said they didn't mind it at all and thought it was the best gift they've been given.  Easy walking and eating through the woods for the critters would be like a treat or treat for Christmas this year.


It was in the 60's as Lee and I walked from our house to Leetonia and back. Enjoy the pictures of your favorite place in the middle of the big woods. You may have to click on the pictures to see the entire picture. Mountain girl, Paula, logging out.

Christmas Day and Storm on the way

Valley Hi

Clark

 I took some pictures of several of the camps on Christmas day few people were up. Things are going to change fast as a big storm is now pumping snow down on Leetonia.
As of 9 PM I have cleaned up 8" of snow and it is still coming down. Saw a couple of snowmobiles, but expect a larger amount in next few days. So far the snow has been light so not too hard to move with the four-wheeler. Of course I had a few mechanical problems that kept me kneeling in the snow to fix. The estimates I have heard are anywhere from 10-15" by the time it is over. This is more snow then we got all last year. I will post some pictures tomorrow when it is all over to let you know the final count. Mountain girl, Paula, wishing you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Old Herre Camp

Hooke

Bob Paul

Hill of Camps

Stetz Town

Home Sweet Home

Leetonia Christmas Pictures

Here are more camps and the old CCC building. One more upload and I will have everyone in Downtown Leetonia.

Christmas Photos

This pictures are taken in order going down the road from the South edge of Leetonia heading towards Painter Leetonia Rd. I can only load a few cabins at a time so you all are going to have to look at several posts to find yours. It was too icy to go outside of the main area of Leetonia Christmas Day. Sorry to those of you whose places are farther out.

Christmas day in Leetonia

For all of you who have cabins on the side of the hill in Leetonia. This is what your place looked like on Christmas Day. The only thing in Leetonia other than the ghosts of Christmas past where a flock of Turkeys and one deer.

Mountain Girl, Paula, Logging out!

Things get HOT at Buckhorn Camp

When someone knocks at my door at 1 am and asks for a fire extinguisher its never a good sign. A fire up here usually means a total loss of building, life or both. But this story has a happy ending.

The smoke detector failed but not the noses of the camp members who were just getting ready to go to sleep. The wood stove pipe overheated and caught the wall on fire. All of the walls up here are double thick solid hemlock and once fire gets started between the boards it can be a difficult thing to stop.

Quick thinking and drinks and water thrown

mostly on the fire, Sheila in the excitement of the moment tossed a bucket of water right into Robert Senior's face. They still managed to get enough of the water on the fire to keep the cabin from burning down until the fire company came as backup.

The Germania fire company came within 40 minutes of my 911 call, which isn't bad on these slippery roads. The smaller brush truck was all that could drive back the 1/2 mile lane to the camp and it was indeed fortunate that not much was needed. After careful inspection and the adding of more water the wall was deemed safe enough to leave.

And now you know the reason the people in the last picture are smiling. The cabin still stands and
no one was hurt not even their new puppy, part Rottweiller and part Bermese Mountain dog who at eight weeks looks like a small bear. They all smell like smoke and probably won't sleep the rest of the night. But this is the kind of stuff you tell your grandkids. Because you lived through it. This is one lucky camp.

Sorry the pictures are so blurry.. guess my hand isn't too steady at 2 am. Mountain Girl, Paula, logging out and hitting the pillow. I will post more tomorrow when I am awake.

The Bonitz Camp

The Bonitz camp sits atop a hill called the "Boneyard". It was dubbed the boneyard in the early
1900's after all the bones buried there from the slaughter house. The camp was built in the 1950's on the site of the old school house. The school house was the second school in Leetonia. The first one was over on Francis Leetonia road in front of the graveyard.

Jack Bonitz who I interviewed for this story claims to have saved the bell from the school house. The Bonitz camp has been the stomping ground for many a hunter and fisherman.

One of the most interesting things about the camp is all of the stuffed a
animals inside. The bobcat, the dualing grouse, deer, bear, trout and a wall of squirrels that surpasses all others.

Jack says he has one of every kind of squirrel ever seen in Leetonia and I believe it. He also has two palomino trout his mother caught back in the 70's in Cedar Run.
Last but not least is the bear hanging from the wall. This bear attacked Lee last year while she was cleaning(as reenacted in the picture). It left a hefty cut on her head when she came up under it. Just goes to show you bears are dangerous even when stuffed.

Well the big storm has not materialized into anything so far but a little snow and some wind. It always seems the storms that get the most talk produce the least and its the ones you don't see coming that leave you buried. I am not too upset to see the low snow amounts. Now if the cold would just leave we can get back to having Spring.

It would be nice to do a little something about each of the camps when people come up to camp let me know and I will come and write up a little post for you. Mountain Girl, Paula, logging out.

Log Cabin by the creek

This little log cabin is half-way between our camp in Leetonia and Cedar Run. We use it as a marker in the winter to know which way to walk for help. Before it...Cedar Run after it home.

It has to be the quintessential log cabin when you think of a little camp in the woods. Nestled among the trees with the waters of Cedar Run running past the porch and water trickling down the side of a cliff opposite the camp. It is tiny only about 16' x 24 and one room. The privy is outside and the only running water goes past it in the creek. It is truly the kind of place a pioneer would have built small efficient shelter, close to water and easily heated with wood. A man that built this out of red pine logs cut in the area, not a log kit milled into straight lincoln logs from a factory, rough irregular logs, fresh from the woods.

So many of the log cabins today are pretentious, large 3000+ sq ft mansions that have long since departed from the wisdom of the early pioneers. Make it large enough to keep you dry and warm and not a foot bigger.

Well, today brought rain and gloomy weather. Just in time to perk up the mud on the roads. So Mud warnings are still in effect. Mountain Girl, Paula, typing out.

Somebody left the water running at Buckhorn Camp

Who left the the water running? It was flowing good at the Buckhorn Camp today. Who moved the toilet outside? I think I saw an ad for a place like yours.

Nice cabin..remote location...running water and toilet. Interpretation: 1/2 mile off an unmaintained dirt road, down a rutted washed out lane, fifty feet to the outhouse.


All the kidding aside I love your off the road place...no dust! I know one thing getting back there to get a picture of your camp made my truck very dirty...I can't even read the lettering on my truck.

Well Paula, the mountain girl out for now.

Mystery Camp Revealed

For anyone who didn't guess where the last two blogs pictures were taken it was behind the Petitte camp. The first picture two days ago was on the cliff up high the second in Cedar Run Creek. I am sure Jimmie got the first one.

As you can see most the snow is gone. Knock on wood we won't be seeing much more white before next winter. As Mickey would say, "Time is wasting, better start getting your firewood, winter will be here sooner than you think!" The first year I lived up here I sort of poo fooed his announcement which seemed to come the first day we got rid of our snow. Then when winter again was knocking on the door, I realized he was right. There are two seasons up here: Firewood burning season and Firewood gathering season and you best be busy during the second or you'll freeze during the first.

So happy Firewood Gathering Season! from the Leetonia Mountain Girls

Mystery camp picture II

I know many of you will guess whose camp this is when you see this picture taken two days ago and still a little snow. The propane man came today and gave us a nice large bill to pay. I often wonder how much more it would be if I heated with propane. We went through about six cords of firewood this year so it came out to an average year. We won't use much more during the next two months and will actually have to move some of it from the porch...due to my residing efforts on our cabin.

The deer must be watching for me in the morning to put the birdseed out. They came down within 10 minutes and ate most of it much to the dismay of the birds. It was a picture perfect day in Leetonia, blue skies, warm breeze, and very few bugs yet. Some of the people are up for the weekend, and we saw a few people fishing Cedar Run Creek. The roads are still muddy in spots, but very negotiable. Travel slowly so you don't hit rocks or holes too hard or you will be getting a tire fixed like I did today. Until something happens this is one of the Mountain Girls signing off.

Tires vs Road... Score: Road-2, Tires-0

Well anyone who lives in the woods knows Spring brings the annual flat tire marathon. The sharp rocks coming up through the frost and the broken spikes from snowmobile tread left in road made for my second tire of the month. The first one was on the car and this one on the truck. The only thing nice about it was the weather was great for changing, warm and dry.



Today as I was driving around I took some pictures and wondered how many of you can recognize where I took this picture? I bet someone reading will guess it the first day. I will post another picture clue during the next couple days if you don't get it. Post a comment as to where you think the picture was taken and I will let you know if you are right.

Things are looking good for the weekend. Roads are muddy and ruddy, but drivable. So come see the woods before its gets dressed up with its Spring flowers and foliage. It is amazing how far through the mountains you can see when there isn't any leaves on the trees. It gives you a whole new perspective on the area. Mountain Girl Road update: car drivable...but plan on washing it when you leave. Make sure you have a spare tire and know how to change it.

Meltdown Update

Here is a picture of the Herre camp, which got left out of the cabin pictures a few days ago. As you can see we still have a little snow. It is melting fast and we were able to drive to Leetonia from our camp today for the first time in a week.

The roads are still tricky although I am expecting them to be much improved by next weekend. Mountain Girl Road Advisory adventurous only--some areas still closed.

Leetonia Cabins 2nd Day of Spring

See if one of these pictures is your camp today!