Rincon Mountains

The Transcontinental Railroad, first built in 1829, had a seemingly simple purpose. It provided jobs for over 200,000 people and allowed easy access to expansion westward. Looking at the construction of the railroad through the lense of ‘Manifest Destiny’, the Transcontinental Railroad was a great enterprise into maximizing profits. The negatives of the railroad however, outweigh the supposedly beneficial factors. The Transcontinental Railroad is detrimental to the American society and causes…

Pool Pockets Problem Statement: A ball is hit off of the bottom left hand corner of a pool table at a 45angle. The pool tables dimensions are all whole numbers and the ball bounces off at a 45 angle, how many rebounds does it take before it goes into one of the 4 corner pockets. Which corner will it land in? Process: To start the problem I drew about 20 rectangles to represent the pool table in the problem and recorded the dimensions and rebounds by each rectangle. This took me about 3 days and…

One of the main reasons why Josiah Gregg took the Santa Fe Trail was for the benefit of his health. People believed travelling across the Plains could cure all sorts of ailments, most of which related to the lungs because the clearer air and fresher environment improved respiratory function. Gregg explains the other complaints that could be eased: “Most chronic diseases, particularly live complains, dyspepsia, and similar affections, are often radically cured; owing no doubt, to the…

Virginia is a place for sightseers, especially in the fall. Thanks to the trees lining the region's forests, the state's skyline is painted warm colors of red, orange, and yellow. But you don't necessarily have to be visiting Virginia's countryside to experience the visual beauty that it has to offer. There are many roads throughout the state that offer scenic views. In fact, more than 2,500 miles of roadways are designated as scenic byways, according to the Virginia Department of…

I grew up in a church filled with traditions. One of these traditions was started by our youth pastor’s father: Wilderness Trail. Throughout my elementary years I would hear talk of the annual youth trip up to Virginia, and in sixth grade, I finally had the chance to go. Wilderness Trail is a backpacking ministry located in the town of Troutdale. Each summer, groups come and go on a five day backpacking trip on the Appalachian Trail. Five days of carrying a 30 pound pack on your back in the…

Bud, Not Buddy Modern Era Bud, Not Buddy, is read all over the country because of the Great Depression, but if it was written in today's times, that would not be the case. If this story was written in the modern era a lot of things would be different. Bud's mother wouldn't have died, Bud would've had more knowledge about Hooverville, and Bud would have been able to find Herman E. Calloway's exact location. I think the changes in this story would make it a lot more eventful. If this story was…

GOATS WHAT: Mountain goats are not native in the park they were introduced into the Absaroka Range in Montana in the 1940s. They migrated into the park and established breeding populations themselves in the 1990s. Mountain goats are sure-footed, with long, yellowish-white fur and black, spiked horns. Males stand about 1 meter high and weigh between 150 and 180 kg, females, which also have horns, are slightly smaller. WHERE: As of 2008, the number of goats in and adjacent to the park is…

At my house there is a trail that leads to a place known as The Flat Rock. It gets that name because it is a long, flat, gray stone that ends at the Uwharrie River. I have been told the stone stretches all the way to central Virginia, and yet it chose the five and a half acres of land I reside on to end. It is cool and mossy, even in the heavy heat of summer. It provides a small refuge against the world and all its burdens. The Uwharrie River is little more than a creek where it crosses…

The physical barriers created by challenging mountainous terrain leave the mountain people isolated from society. As a result, mountain people are deprived of opportunities available to lowland people and are subject to difficult challenges not seen in non-mountainous regions. Mountain groups are faced with the challenge of growing crops under difficult weather and soil conditions. They lack adequate supply lines to replenish their scarce resources. They are not able to avail themselves of…

Mountain Bikes Vs. Road Bikes Speeding down a trail or speeding down a road on a bike? What makes a mountain bike similar to a road bike or different? Is there any differences, an average person would ask. If taking the frames into consideration that's where the biggest differences come in. Even though they are both bikes, have two wheels and pedals, they are designed for completely different aspects. Mountain bikes are made to ride in the mountains, and road bikes are made to ride on the road…