The roads to Shenandoah National Park

When I headed out on this journey, I expected things to be challenging. I knew the route would be anything but fixed. Little did I understand just how true that would be. I sit here in a small hotel 20 miles Southeast of Shenandoah. I can’t help but wonder what will happen next. The one takeaway is that everyday I wake up with a plan and a route. By the end of the day, most of that plan is gone with the wind.

The Williams and Maury River areas have been my favorite spots so far. Sometimes there are places that I can feel the urge to stay and definitely make notes on coming back. That’s were the adversity of this trip reminds me that I wouldn’t of ended up in those beautiful places if that bridge hadn’t of been out or that rail to trail wasn’t flooded.

Managing all the social media aspects remains a challenge. It feels like a full-time job. When I have a little free time, like when I was out West, I rarely have service or motivation. There is just something about being out on the trail. Camping in the woods makes me unplug. I am present in the moment to a flaw.

Let the adventure begin.

It’s April 23rd and I am sitting in my son’s Athens Georgia apartment drinking coffee. After leaving Lake Sinclair April 20th, I made the long way backroads trek to Athens a full day ahead of schedule. It is going to be much easier to vlog about this experience so I will keep this post relatively short and insert a few video links as well. Some of the bullet points so far:

  • The ratchet closure of my left cycling shoe failed and I had to order a new pair of shoes. They should be here today and I will get back on the route tomorrow. The bonus time with my son is a huge gift.
  • The heat and humidity are back and it will take time to adapt to it. After returning from our West in the late Fall this is the first time I have had to deal with it.
  • The cycling rig is just too heavy with the amount of food/clothing I packed. It looks like Summer is here and I am going to need to ditch some cooler weather gear. Food is also something that I am going to have to adjust as well. This is why I was calling this part of the ride a shakedown.
  • So far so good in my up-cycling project with my 20+ year old Cannondale T2000. Everything is working rather well.
  • Check out some of the videos below as I try to learn how to use a GoPro, phone, Wahoo GPS, and Ride with GPS and edit all that info into video. This will take some time.

https://youtu.be/EF7UDYpzjBA?si=aZ0j8aXjSoZxANbE

More to come!

Not doing the job, but playing the game, and getting dirty to get on…..it’s been a long time coming.

The elastic stretches, as I mentioned before. Like gravity, the pull of “home” and family brought me back to Georgia. I ended up pulling strings and asking for a few favors to make it happen. I found a corporate job to replenish funds while staging for the next move. I just clocked out of my last day at a stereotypical dysfunctional job. Now, I am left with feelings of extremes.

It would be easy to dwell on the negative. I could dissect the toxicity and dysfunction I found upon my return, but will leave that up to future post. What I want to focus is the amazing support and the opportunity to reconnect that I found while back. To have this chance to share coffee and conversation in the mornings with family. Even though I was unhappy at this job, having family there as I leave and come back daily has been a true gift.

To be gone for such a long time and see who made time to spend time does matter. To understand who belongs in my inner circle and those that need boundaries does have value. Even though I could have found a job back West that would have accomplished the same thing. It would have left the door open on these questions. This closure is an important step to break the elastic gravitational pull of chapters I have closed.

Projects are distractions with a purpose

Finally making some progress on transitioning my classic Cannondale touring bike into a hybrid bike-packing long hauler. While hiking long trails last year, I found myself moving away from the status quo of going ultralight. I avoided going to town as much as possible. I also learned to push the boundaries of what I could handle to carry in supplies. Additionally, I pushed my limits by staying on the trail as long as possible. I plan to bring that philosophy to my upcoming adventures.

This will be the first time for me to have a bike with fenders. It will also have head and tail lights, GPS, and various storage bags. I am still trying to decide on a few other things. The Bob trailer will make a return and will use a roll top bag I ordered years ago. I am still debating about some options to recharge electronics on the go. So the research and planning goes on.

That’s what made me think. Taking a thought or idea and finding a way to make it happen is a process. It lends itself to distractions with a purpose. So as I have been plugging away working, the planning and deliberation on parts continues. I am reminded of the importance to have projects like this to focus on, especially during these times. The more complex a project the better! It’s o.k. to have things that are consuming in planning and preparation. It’s acceptable to stay connected and aware, but have distractions to break up the stress.

What I will miss…….

I have pulled away from social media for various reasons. I used that time to focus more on the blog for upcoming adventures. I also worked on the documentary and book in with the free time and free mind. Still, I do allow myself some time to look around. The internet will break free of the controls of surveillance capitalism. It will show something new. This morning while taking a break from work I was introduced to the Japanese concept of Ikigai. I believe every culture around the world has a version of this idea. This just hit a nerve for me this morning. It was nice to be reminded of what matters and stay focused on what matters. I am off to do what will fund what I love, what the world needs. and what I am good at doing.

Times well spent at Old Stone Fort State Park

Technology can be frustrating at times. I go back and forth between being sickened by how invasive it is. Then, I praise it for how it enlightened me. The one thing I can’t help but enjoy is how inclusive and educational technology can be for the wanderer. I have #google and #alltrails to thank for discovering Old Stone Fort Park. My son and I explored it on our way back from Nashville for the New Year’s Eve #widespreadpanic concert. I found this place to be one of the most interesting historical places that I have visited in the South.

Check out this short clip from our hike there a few years back.

Winter is my vibe….

With my current gig, I am fortunate to have a little flexibility. I can step away from the big picture and breathe. A few weeks back, I was lucky to find time to justify heading North with work. This happened just as a rare winter storm was expected to hit the area. I gathered my camping and hiking gear. I also packed my work supplies. I stopped at a couple of markets on the way up to Crockford-Pigeon Mountain WMA. Pigeon Mountain holds a special place in my heart. This is true for so many reasons. When it comes to adverse weather, this area rarely disappoints. When I finally get around to finishing that book, there will be many stories. There will also be chapters dedicated to the impact this area had on me when I was a young man. In the meantime enjoy the short clip that will surly make it into the documentary.

Vegetables :)

Not sure what other people have experienced after coming off a long trail hike, but for me it was vegetables and I mean fresh vegetables. I certainly miss the ground and being in the woods each day, but it sure is nice to have a full kitchen and the spices and pans to cook what I have missed. Last week I had the chance to make a hearty root vegetable soup and made enough to freeze some for later. I am not a “preper”, but it is nice to have some food banked for long days of training or on the job that resemble healthy choices. It’s also a way to steer clear of the convenience food that is so processed and full of what we don’t need. I will also say that in the back of my mind there is that ominous feeling of knowing what financial hardship feels like and regardless if it’s self imposed by my minimalist ways to true economic stress, something many of us are already dealing with and the growing concerns of what the future may hold for food security and affordability. The main takeaway is gratitude for what I have now and knowing that through personal choice or uncontrollable circumstances of the future may limit access to what I really love. Give me fiber or give me death!