The 11th and maybe MOST IMPORTANT Item of the 10 Essentials
When we think about backcountry adventures, the classic list of 10 essentials often comes to mind. These items—navigation, sun protection, insulation, illumination, first aid supplies, fire, repair kit and tools, nutrition, hydration, and emergency shelter—are the backbone of any well-prepared adventurer’s gear. However, in today’s modern world, there’s an 11th essential that might just be the most important of them all: Communication Tools.
When we think about backcountry adventures, the classic list of 10 essentials often comes to mind. These items—navigation, sun protection, insulation, illumination, first aid supplies, fire, repair kit and tools, nutrition, hydration, and emergency shelter—are the backbone of any well-prepared adventurer’s gear. However, in today’s modern world, there’s an 11th essential that might just be the most important of them all: Communication Tools.
More Than Just a Phone
While a cell phone might seem like the most obvious communication tool, it's often unreliable in the remote areas where true backcountry adventures take place. That's why it's essential to think beyond just your phone. Two-way radios ensure your group stays connected even when you're miles apart. Satellite phones provide a lifeline in the most isolated regions, ensuring you can always call for help. Personal Locator Beacons (PLBs) and GPS messengers like the Garmin inReach go a step further, offering not only emergency communication but also tracking and messaging capabilities. These tools are designed to function where cell phones fail, providing peace of mind and an essential safety net for modern explorers. Investing in these devices transforms your communication strategy from a simple "just in case" to a robust, dependable system that truly complements your backcountry preparedness.
Why Communication is the 11th Essential
Imagine being miles away from civilization, surrounded by the beauty of nature, yet something goes awry. Your GPS fails, the weather takes an unexpected turn, or someone in your group gets injured. This is where communication tools come into play, bridging the gap between you and the outside world. They provide a lifeline when you need it most, ensuring you can get help, stay connected, and navigate safely.
The Role of Communication Tools
Emergency Response: Immediate contact with rescue services can be lifesaving in case of injury or other emergencies. Devices like Personal Locator Beacons (PLBs) or satellite phones ensure that help is always just a signal away.
Group Coordination: Two-way radios help maintain communication with your group, ensuring everyone stays on track and can respond quickly if someone gets separated or lost.
Weather Updates: Access to real-time weather updates via GPS messengers can help you make informed decisions about your route and shelter, avoiding potentially hazardous conditions.
Peace of Mind: Regular check-ins with family and friends provide reassurance and peace of mind, both for you and your loved ones, allowing everyone to relax and enjoy the adventure.
Essential Communication Tools to Consider
Two-Way Radios: Ideal for group communication in areas without cell service.
Cell Phone: Always a good backup, though its reliability depends on coverage.
Satellite Phone: Provides reliable communication in remote areas.
Personal Locator Beacon (PLB): Sends a distress signal with your location to emergency responders.
GPS Messenger: Devices like the Garmin inReach allow for sending and receiving text messages via satellite.
Whistle: A small yet powerful tool that’s simple, reliable and effective. Its sound carries further than a human voice and is universally recognized as a distress signal. A TRUE must-have for emergency situations!
New iPhone Satellite Capabilities
The latest iPhone 14 models have introduced satellite communication capabilities, allowing users to send emergency SOS messages, request roadside assistance, and share their location even when off the grid. This technology could revolutionize backcountry safety by providing a reliable means of communication in remote areas where traditional methods fail. As this technology continues to evolve, it may lead to even more advanced safety features, making backcountry adventures safer and more accessible.
Integrating Communication Tools with the 10 Essentials
While communication tools might not traditionally be listed among the 10 essentials, they complement and enhance the safety provided by the classic items. Here’s how they fit in:
Navigation: GPS messengers can offer real-time location tracking and route updates.
First Aid Supplies: Having a way to call for help ensures that injuries can receive prompt medical attention.
Emergency Shelter: If you need to hunker down due to weather or injury, communication tools can keep you informed and connected.
The Mighty Whistle: Small but Powerful
In the realm of communication tools, the humble whistle stands out for its simplicity, reliability, and effectiveness. This lightweight and compact device can be a true lifesaver in the backcountry. When faced with an emergency, a whistle's piercing sound can travel much farther than a human voice, cutting through dense forest, wind, and other environmental noise to reach potential rescuers. Its ease of use means it can be quickly deployed, even by someone who is injured or exhausted. Additionally, carrying a whistle adheres to the Leave No Trace principles, as it’s a non-electronic tool that doesn’t rely on batteries or cellular signals. A whistle offers a durable and low-tech solution to signal distress, making it an indispensable part of any adventurer's safety kit. With three short blasts universally recognized as a call for help, this tiny device packs a powerful punch in ensuring your safety.
Conclusion
Incorporating communication tools into your backcountry gear can significantly enhance your safety and preparedness. They provide a critical link to the outside world, ensuring that no matter what happens, you can stay connected and safe. So next time you pack your 10 essentials, remember to include the 11th—the tools that could make all the difference.
The 10 Backcountry Essentials
The 10 Essentials: Your Lifeline in the Backcountry
Introduction
Venturing into the backcountry is an exhilarating experience, but it comes with its own set of risks. Whether you're a seasoned hiker or a novice explorer, carrying the 10 Essentials can make a critical difference in your safety and survival. Let’s delve into why each item is indispensable and how it contributes to your well-being in the wild.
1. Navigation
Map, Compass, and GPS
Why It’s Essential: The wilderness is vast and disorienting. Navigation tools help you find your way and avoid getting lost.
Pro Tip: Always carry a physical map and compass as a backup to your GPS device.
2. Sun Protection
Sunglasses, Sunscreen, Hat
Why It’s Essential: Exposure to the sun can cause sunburn, snow blindness, and long-term skin damage.
Pro Tip: Choose broad-spectrum sunscreen with at least SPF 30 and reapply regularly.
3. Insulation
Extra Clothing
Why It’s Essential: Weather conditions can change rapidly. Extra layers can keep you warm if temperatures drop unexpectedly.
Pro Tip: Pack a lightweight, insulated jacket and thermal layers even if the forecast is favorable.
4. Illumination
Headlamp or Flashlight
Why It’s Essential: Darkness can fall quickly in the backcountry. Proper lighting helps navigate and set up camp safely.
Pro Tip: Carry spare batteries or a backup light source to ensure continuous illumination.
5. First Aid Supplies
First Aid Kit
Why It’s Essential: Injuries can happen at any time. A well-stocked first aid kit allows you to treat minor wounds and stabilize more serious injuries until help arrives.
Pro Tip: Customize your kit to include items specific to your health needs and the environment you’re exploring.
6. Fire
Matches, Lighter, and Fire Starters
Why It’s Essential: Fire is crucial for warmth, cooking, and emergency signaling.
Pro Tip: Store matches and a lighter in a waterproof container to ensure they remain functional.
7. Repair Kit and Tools
Multi-tool, Duct Tape
Why It’s Essential: Equipment can fail. A repair kit allows you to fix gear and handle unexpected issues.
Pro Tip: Include a multi-tool with a knife, pliers, and screwdriver to address a variety of needs.
8. Nutrition
Extra Food
Why It’s Essential: Having additional food can sustain you during unexpected delays.
Pro Tip: Choose high-energy, non-perishable snacks like nuts, dried fruit, and energy bars.
9. Hydration
Extra Water and Water Treatment
Why It’s Essential: Dehydration can impair your physical and mental capabilities. Extra water ensures you stay hydrated.
Pro Tip: Carry a water filtration system or purification tablets to treat natural water sources.
10. Emergency Shelter
Tarp, Bivy Sack, or Space Blanket
Why It’s Essential: In case you’re caught in unexpected weather or need to spend a night out, emergency shelter provides vital protection.
Pro Tip: Choose lightweight, compact options that are easy to carry but effective in providing shelter.
Conclusion
Carrying the 10 Essentials is more than just a checklist – it's a commitment to safety and preparedness. Each item plays a pivotal role in ensuring you’re equipped to handle the challenges of the backcountry. Before you head out on your next adventure, double-check your pack to ensure you have these critical items. Stay safe and enjoy the beauty of the wild!
First Bear Sighting
I had to call Minnie off 3 times from giving chase.
First of all, to call this a bear encounter is overstating it a bit. I suppose I should call it a bear sighting. Minnie and I were running trails in the Joyce Kilmer Memorial Wilderness. This is part of the Nantahala National Forest. It is far west North Carolina. In fact the route I took had me within miles of the Tennessee border.
We had taken Jenkins Meadows up from our campsite in Horse Cove. Hopped onto Haoe Lead and took that along a long ridge line, through Saddle Tree Gap, then down another ridge line where we hooked into Naked Ground that switchbacked us back and forth across Little Santeetlah Creek.
We spotted the bear at really a perfect point. We were on our first switchback on Naked Ground at 6.1 miles into the run. Minnie saw it first and started to quicken her pace to give chase to the fleeing bear. Out of instinct I hollered at Minnie to stop, I have a good intuition on when she is giving chase to something. Normally it turns out to be a squirrel, but today she spotted this bear at about 40 yards. The bear was northwest of us and up the hill. We were headed north and about to hit our switchback sending us southeast. The bear was heading almost directly north. I started to admire the agility of this creature blazing it's own trail through undergrowth and many downed trees. I took a brief moment to scan for any other bears in the area even though I would estimate this bear to be a 2 year old. With no other bears I returned to my admiration of how this thing could move.
One of the concerning, or rather interesting things is that we were just down the hill from where we had came. In fact, if that bear had been where we spotted it, I estimate that we were closer to it as we headed south on the ridge line than where we saw it heading north on our switchback.
It was very cool and I had to call Minnie off 3 times from giving chase. She wanted to hunt that black bear down. It does make me wonder what would've happened if she caught up with it. I picture a Scooby Doo burn out heading back towards me.
I have logged thousands of miles in the woods running and hiking. A lot of times of spiderweb laden trails, meaning the trail definitely haven't been trafficked in a bit. This is my first bear sighting while in the woods. It really goes to show how elusive these animals are. Trail running is twice as fast as hiking and with a similar noise footprint. I sneak up on many animals and sometimes people who I need to be careful not to spook. People don't normally expect a runner while they are having a relaxing hike in the wilderness. Of course maybe I just have more close encounters than I care to think about, I just don’t notice.
Moose Poop and Gummies
I was eating gummies with my face in moose poop.
I was eating gummies with my face in moose poop. Well, to be fair I didn't notice the moose droppings until my vision started to reopen. The past few miles had been pretty close to the shittiest I've ever traveled, and I could not read the writing until almost too late.
Meet Adam 4 miles into the run, then meet Adam 14 miles later.
June 20th, my day off. The weather apps all agreed it would be a beautiful day. My shin bone was still pretty sore from a slip I took in a boulder field two days before, but I couldn't pass up a nice day off.
I took off with a smile on my face, little did I know the wreck I would return. I passed by a large group of hikers ready to tackle the same trail as I. The Continental Divide Trail, although it goes by many names: Knight Ridge where I started and I think Ranger Trail where I looped back towards camp.
My climb up Knight Ridge was familiar ground but still gorgeous. I hit the overlook three and a half miles in where I turned back last time. I continued on cutting inland from Lake Granby to catch the Colorado River up to the north. I dropped off the ridge into a smallish valley that looked like a warzone. The Pine Beetle had really done its damage through this area. Luckily the trail had been chain sawed so I wasn't hopping across downed trees for the next few miles. I came to a boarded up US owned cabin as I got my first glimpse of the river. Well, I think it's technically the river at this point although I wouldn't want to try and split where river officially becomes lake.
Shortly beyond I hit a sign that claimed to welcome me to Rocky Mountain National Park. All the 'do this, don't do' reminded me of that long haired freaky people song.
So as with most things with me I had no clear cut goal, or turn around point, on this out and back. I had 2 places it'd be nice to reach, but nothing in stone. One place was Green Ridge Campground. I could fill up my water here for the return trip... oh the return trip I didn't know I was in for. The other was a trailhead between Shadow Mountain Reservoir and Grand Lake.
If I were to turn around early I would want it to be a significant landmark that I wouldn't forget. Also I just like putting arbitrary rules on turning around to help make it more difficult to Columbus out. That dude has been celebrated for far too long. He set out for the Indies and turned around at America. If you sent me to the store for spices and I came back saying i had met some new friends, you should reply 'Cool! But where are my spices?' So instead of saying wuss out or calling myself a pansy, I'm calling it Columbussing.
I hit Columbine creek and thought this to be a significant place to turn around. I found a strange tin cylinder, possibly a well. At 8.5 miles it was a little short, and I thought I was getting close to Green Ridge Campground. I decided to run another 5-10 minutes and check my progress on my GPS trail app. From there I could make an informed decision on turning around or making it to the camp.
In this 10 minutes I met a couple that hikes a lot of spends the summers in Grand Lake, the town, not the actual lake. They said it was another 2-2½ miles to the Shadow Mountain Dam, which is right next to the campground. This buoyed me on, also they told me of a spot that they always see wildlife. I had run right through it, but I would be sure to check for some creatures on my return trip... oh the retur- I won't do that again.
I made it to the camp, and found a spigot to fill my water. I almost skipped doing this as I should have enough water for the return trip... this is something I almost always trick myself into, and I almost never learn.
Never pass up water.
Never skip nutrition because I feel good.
Never travel without a raincoat.
That last one is a new one I'm adding, because it may have saved my life on this trip, along with the not passing by a water spigot. I did, however, skip the nutrition that led to the great story I am slowly getting to.
I never saw that couple again, but being an out and back I kind of expected to. They must've snuck out while I was messing around at the camp and dam. I did however run into 4 people who were out on a pontoon boat, had run it on a sand bar and were relaxing in the sun drinking beverages. I wandered down to the water to let them know that they were living the life!
Me after meeting the Pontoon People.
I checked off the landmarked I had passed earlier that morning and came to the marshy area the couple suggested I look for wildlife. I saw none, although I did hear a creature breaking branches as he scampered away at my presence. This however was the warzone area I mentioned before. It was now 2:00 in the afternoon, on a semi cloudless day. I was baking without the tree cover, so I assume all the smarter-than-I animals were under cover waiting out the hot sun.
It was around this time my day was five bombing... fast! The hills were crushing, and my chest felt tight. I took a gel pack and sucked down some water. Maybe I felt slightly better, but down in this valley i just baked. I remember dubbing it the Valley of the Shadow of Death because of all the downed trees. As I created the ridge separating me from Lake Granby I was welcomed with a big cool guest of wind. I literally said, 'Thank you Wind God.'
Now on top of the ridge I was blessed with some runnable flats and downs. I had an arbitrary time I wanted to finish in so i was taking advantage. This section goes from the ridge, to lake level, back up the ridge, then down to the campground. These next uphills I hit, no matter how small, were absolutely murdering me like I have never felt before. I was strictly hiking at this point. I knew my times were out the window and making it back to my camp was my only concern.
I stopped, sat on a rock, and ate another gel while letting my heart rate return to normal. I think this did help, but after another couple minutes I was back to the sufferingest sufferfest.
At 1½ miles out from camp I was struck by a thought. My clothes were soaking wet and the wind was probably literally freezing me to death. First thought: I'll make it back to camp. Second thought: You fucking idiot! You always do this. Just take a second and put a coat on, one I was luckily carrying on my pack, and fix the situation I have just identified.
I put the coat on and continued on the trail. I am good at compartmentalizing pain. To a fault for sure as I was suffering so hard at this point and thought I'll make it the mile or so to camp and then fix my shit feeling.
Now my vision started to suck in as I tried to negotiate a stream without getting my feet wet. Figuring this out took so much thought it started to hurt. This is what caused me to have the brilliant thought that what I was experiencing was something serious. I remembered the gummies in my pack so I pulled them out of the pack as I played myself down next to the trail to avoid the inevitable fall that was about to occur.
This is where I started the story. The gummies I pulled out of my pack as I went to the ground ended up having the sugar my brain wasn't just craving, but it was in such dire need and had no way of explaining to the idiot at the controls what it was requesting. I was within eye shot of the trailhead and a mile walk down the road to camp.
The last mile was miserable but slightly better than the few prior. I passed a half dozen cars, but I'm not one to make a scene and plus I knew this mile was punishment for not doing what I know I should have done. Watch the clock, and take in calories. Its soooo fucking simple.
I feel like a kid out playing. I'm just having so much fun that I don't think about the essentials. I have not thought about this in years, but I remember as a youth playing football or hockey and some kid peeing themselves because they were so wrapped up in playing that they didn't notice their bodies cues that it had to go. Luckily I didn't piss myself as I was dehydrating myself. There's a good life hack!
Long story short, I survived, now I just need to learn. Anyone wanna take bets on that prospect?
Goethe State Forest
Godspeed in retirement Jeff, may you never trick anyone into venturing into tick infested forests again!
The Goethe Giant and I
When I arrived in Goethe I had already been bumming around central and west Florida for a few days. The day before and the morning of I had just finished up visiting an uncle that I had never really met since becoming a, or rather being considered an adult. It was an amazing visit and we share so much in common... Almost like we're related. All that basically means, watch out Goethe, I'm coming in hot!
Even though I'm still in Florida, it's the first time it started to feel a little less Floridy, if I can coin a term here. I drove in on a dirt road as opposed to the paved one GPS suggested. Dirt roads are long in Ruby Tue. She has a stiff suspension and a lot of ass. Taking this back way in led me past a boardwalk. I'll sometimes ignore these as they are mostly built for the 'round bellies' to quote a man I met in Lone Pine, CA. I stopped to see what this boardwalk rolled out the red carpet to. A giant fuckin tree! Not believing that Florida actually had giant fuckin trees I took the walk. I made the grueling walk in 5 or 6 minutes and there it was! The Goethe Giant! As I messed with my camera I heard a truck pull up. (You know it's a good hike when you can hear vehicles pulling into the parking lot)
This is Jeff w/ his ghostbusting pack
In a few minutes Jeff came walking down the boardwalk ready to bust some ghosts. He said they blow the leaves off the boardwalk once a week, but I know a ghost-buster when I see one. I asked a few questions about the real trail head I was heading to when he let me in on a little secret. There's a natural spring fed pond a little off trail. He gave me verbal directions on how to find it and I committed it to memory. I wasn't convinced that I would find it, but hey, if Jeff says it's worth checking out, I better try. Hell, he's never liked to me before.
So here in the conversation I mentioned that I won't be getting back home until sometime in May, and that's when he said, 'I retire May 1st!' Congrats Jeff! He had been in the area most his life and been working for the state forest for 30 or so years. Good luck with your retirement Jeff.
I found my way to the black prong trail head and paid my couple bucks to the iron ranger. I went over the map a couple times and even looked at satellite images, but couldn't make out where Jeff's spring fed pond might be. Oh well, either I'll find it or I won't. Time to run!
The spring Jeff told me about. It was even more impressive in person.
Minnie and I took off! The trail we started on, as well as the rest of the trails we ran, were double track. Not surprising I guess as they are mainly used as horse trails. I found a turn off quite similar to Jeff's description about four tenths of a mile before Jeff said I'd find it. He said the detour I would take would be a quarter mile or so. I took the trail until it terminated into woods but saw nothing. I was about to start exploring through the woods when my attention was caught by a clearing to my right. Wow! Just wow. In the middle of swampy sandy Florida scrub sat the most magical, out of place pond I have ever seen. Minnie took a couple dips even as I urged her not to. First as an impulse of living in gator country for the past 5 months, and also as I did not want her to muddy up these beautiful waters. A few more moments of basking in this beauty before it was time to move.
We encountered an armadillo that Minnie chased off the trail. I had to holler and she finally gave up chase. I spent the next 10 minutes not being able to remember the name of these damned armored opossums. I had aardvark, which I knew was wrong, and I had amarillo, the Spanish word for yellow in my head. So close, yet so far.
When I finally solved the armadillo mystery I found myself at an obstacle I did not want to cross. The road had a lake in the middle of it with a wide enough inlet and outlet that I would be getting my feet wet to pass. Armed with a map I knew of an alternate route assuming that one wasn't flooded. As I stood there weighing my options I felt a bug on my leg so I swatted at it. It was still there so I took a closer look.
Shit! A tick!
One of many…
An even closer inspection found a white dot in the middle of its back. I know this little fucker from his mugshot on line. He's a lone star tick, and he isn't known to give you Lyme disease. No, he gives you a red meat allergy. What's worse? This guy has friends. Lots of friends! I flick a few more off as I not only curse in my head, but I become vocal. Almost all come off with a hit, but two have already started feasting.
I have a tick key. A key chain attachment that easily removes ticks fully intact. I had become lazy about carrying it on runs and today I pay for it. I remembered a trick of using baby oil to drown the tick so it has to release its bite for survival. I didn't have baby oil, but I made a dam with my hand and spit water in to drown the damn lone star piece of shit. It seemed to work. Ten seconds of drowning and the tick wiped away. I tried the same trick with number two and another success!
We closed out our run and now it was time for a chance to play where does Minnie have ticks! Any guesses?? Yes, correct! Everywhere!!! I started pulling these things out of between toes, behind pads, under collar, by every joint on her legs, and even her armpits! What a nightmare. I can't help but get phantom itches and have to scratch my legs as I type this.
I was pissed at these woods. Goethe State Forest had let me down and I wanted to just get away... But it was going to be a clear night for some after hours photography. Dammit, as much as I wanted to leave in protest, I decided to bum around for the night Goethe... But I'm hiding out in the van as much as possible.
My Goethe campsite
I found a dirt road called Wolf Run and pulled down looking for an out of the way place to set up for the night. With much consideration given to not having to call for a tow the next morning, I landed on just parking in an intersection. I left enough room for vehicles to pass, but kind of went on the assumption this road didn't see much night use. I saw one vehicle before I slept, and the GoPro did not show any headlights throughout the night.
I even hopped out to do some shots with the Nikon. I found either a couple sly ticks that avoided earlier capture, or maybe they came in while I was doing my photography thing. I murdered the ones I could find and left their bodies on the running board for any piece of shit ticks brave enough to enter the 'Van of Tick Death'.
I beelined for a Walmart the next morning to stock up on tick murdering chemicals to add to my arsenal. I'm willing to acquiesce that I caught Goethe State Forest on a bad part of the season, but I kind of feel like that first experience may have been bad enough to convince me to drive on by next time. (Not that I drive by all that often. So even though the ticks were pretty small, they dominated the day. I'm pretty happy with the pictures I captured, and the spring fed pond helped keep the run from feeling like a total failure. Also, as I write this, it is May 1st and Jeff will be leaving work for the last time today. Godspeed in retirement Jeff, may you never trick anyone into venturing into tick infested forests again!
50 High Peaks
Collect ‘em All
On my birthday in 2017 I climbed Mount Marcy in the Adirondacks. The view was incredible! Just under 11 months later I climbed Mount Humphreys in Arizona. Somewhere after that climb, having 2 of 50 done, I decided that climbing 48 other high peaks in the USA was a new goal of mine. If I want to see the entire country I might as well collect these as I go.
This is where I will keep track of my progress.
New York - Mount Marcy - 5344 feet - September 2nd 2017
Florida - Britton Hill - 345 feet - April 24th 2019
Arizona - Mount Humphreys - 12,633 feet - July 21st 2018
Alabama - Cheaha Mountain - 2407 feet - April 25th 2019
Fern Footer
Bigfoot has always been on my brain.
I woke up in the middle of the night terrified of an, I suppose, irrational fear.
October 4th 2013 DuBois, PA
Bigfoot.
Fern Footer circa 1996
I have always been intrigued by the guy even before I knew it was a thing. While on a hike with my family as a 9 year old, my grandfather and I conceptualized a mythical creature named 'Fern Footer'. Neither one of us wanted to be out there hiking that day, and we passed the time by flexing our imaginations. Now later in life knowing that many regional names for Bigfoot exist, it seems we may have just created a new name for the big guy. He is forever memorialized as a father, or grandfather, and a child peering around a tree in a sketch that my grandfather drew for me as a birthday present. My tenth birthday in fact, the last one my grandpa was alive for. It is such a treasured possession of mine, one I definitely could not have taken on my van-life adventure that I did the next best thing. I had my tattoo artist and friend, Eerie Eric, put it permanently on my right leg.
I used to watch VHS tapes a lot as a youngin’, not a lot of VHS tapes though. I would watch the same 2 or 3 over and over. One I must've wore out the film on was Swamp Thing. Swamp Thing was slightly different as he was a genetic experiment gone wrong, but he is quite similar to the Fern Footer or Bigfoot.
Fern Footer Tattoo by Eerie Eric
So Bigfoot has always been on my brain. Maybe watching Swamp Thing on repeat everyday as a young impressionable child instilled me with wonder and belief. Essentially consigning me to always think about this like a deeply carved rut in my brain.
Anyway it happened, I am enthralled by the concept of a large bipedal creature wandering around us in the shadows and under the cover of darkness. In the case of the Fern Footer I helped create, he is a happy guy in the woods. As is the case with Patty, the bigfoot filmed in October of 1966 by Roger Patterson and Bob Gimlin. It seems that may not always be the case though.
Sassy and I in Illinois
Most my life it had been a novelty to me. A fun idea to think about and joke with. What makes it especially easy to cut up about are the 'researchers' that are out there. A few years ago though I started listening to a popular podcast that focuses more on eyewitnesses than the supposed researchers. Some of these eyewitnesses can be questionable, but many come across as honest people who have seen or had experiences that they can't explain. The worst part though? Many of these people don't describe a happy guy peeking out from behind a tree giving a thumbs up to anyone aware enough to spot him. They describe a vicious evil entity. A predator that doesn't like when they find people have invaded their territory. The host of the show has a few words for people who wish to have an encounter someday... 'Be careful what you wish for.'
I have never seen or heard or experienced anything questionable while out in the woods... Except for that one night I indulged in too much edible marijuana in northern Illinois, but that's a separate story and I would hardly consider myself reliable, or even responsible, that night.
It seems completely implausible that these things are actually out there, but here I am, typing away on the topic. If I had to stake money on it I’m not sure how much I’d be comfortable with throwing down on it, BUT I cannot explain the eyewitnesses!! If it weren't for the ones I've heard I would probably still consider this a fun novelty, a holdover from my childhood. I would describe my stance on the topic as guarded believer. I’m not sure that is a good descriptor, but it’s what popped into my head and I’m just going to roll with it. I truly do not know if these things are out there, but from the stories I have heard, I pray to God that they are not. In fact, if the stories I have heard are true, God either doesn’t exist, or he is not on our team.
The Great American Eclipse Part Four
I met so many amazing people on this adventure, and I CANNOT wait to meet more of them!
As I drove away from the most terrifying run through the woods I have been on, I headed north to the town of Harrisburg that the bikers had told me about. While searching out a laundromat I found a rat rod almost displayed out in a parking lot in front of a car wash. I made a few questionable turns and looped back. I went inside the car wash and found Jamie. I asked permission to photograph his car, and took down his email to send him the pictures. He came out and gave me the back-story and a personal tour of the car. I'm not sure what draws me to rat rods over hot rods, but nothing turns my head like a Frankensteined rusty piece of junk with dents. Had this truck been cleaned up and soaked with a shiny paint, there is no doubt in my head that I would have drove right past and kept going. After the short conversation Jamie and I had, I feel we share a similar mind in our appreciation of the stripped down ratty no frills autos. I should've asked him what drew him to rat rods and to want to build one because I feel his answer could save me a lot of time trying to figure the answer for myself. It may have to do with character though. Character can no doubt exist in a pristine hot rod, but it is far more attractive when the car wears its story on its sleeve. My mind flashes to that scene in ‘Jaws’ of the men on the boat showing off their scars. Also many of these rat rods have been saved, rescued from the brink of death after spending years rotting away in a field or lost under hay in a barn. Who doesn’t love a good redemption? No test-drive was offered and I'm not one to put someone on the spot… no matter how tempting.
The Milky Way over Little Grassy Lake
After my clothes were laundered I pushed west towards Carbondale where I found a campsite for the night in Giant City State Park. On my way there I drove across a dam with a pull off parking circle in the center. It had a beautiful view looking south over Little Grassy Lake. I decided that was my destination for some milky way photography later that night.
My campsite had an electric hookup, which was great, but I quickly realized how ill prepared I was for it. With the heat of Kentucky August I had been running my roof fan around the clock. I felt like I had been asking a lot with only a single smallish solar panel and a lone house battery. Plugging in to give my battery some much needed AC love would've been nice. (This experience definitely went into the brain bank for a later design in Ruby Tue.) What I was able to do was plug in my laptop. I left it hidden in a 5 gallon bucket, for security? I guess while I went out for target practice on the stars. While parked on the dam shooting stars, some college students from nearby Southern Illinois University stopped for some gazing. Some were local and some from Chicago. They had a conversation going about how most people tend to think of Illinois as just Chicago and very few realize how big of a state it really it. I interjected how I faced the same issue being from Western NY. Most people only think NYC. I felt like the NY→ NYC association was much worse than IL→ Chicago, but I kept that thought to myself. After I felt I had captured enough celestial light I headed back to camp and crashed after the long day it had been.
Minutes before I crossed the Mississippi River!
Wander Like Water: Patrick and Sarah
Waking up the next morning I proposed 2 runs at 2 different locations and nixed them both. I had one goal for the day, cross the mighty Mississippi. Once as a teenager I went on a road trip with one of my best friends and we made it as far west as Memphis. So I had been up to the Eastern side of the Mississippi River, but I had never crossed it before in my life. Today was my day! I crossed at Chester, IL. I didn't know it until I saw the Popeye statue, but Chester is home of Popeye! Had I not been so close to my goal of crossing the Mississippi I may have stopped for a picture with the statue. The bridge was 2 lanes with no shoulder and no pedestrian sidewalk. It was a little nerve wracking, but it is a fearsome river, and so its crossing should be as well. I was finally across the Mississippi and into Missouri! I crossed into St. Mary where I found an antiques mall I decided to snoop around for a bit, I headed north out of St. Mary and came into Ste. Genevieve. I found a garage with a bunch of old hacked up cars out front. Intrigued, I stopped and found the proprietor and his wife eating lunch. They ran the shop and gave me permission to take some pictures. He was a lifelong Ste. Genevieve resident so I asked him, what I should see for my brief time in his little town. He informed me that Ste. Genevieve is the oldest town west of the Mississippi, and having so much history I should head down to the old town and see some of the old buildings down there and step inside the visitor center. I did as he suggested and was not disappointed. The old houses were built with mortise and tenon joints. While I consider myself a low to mid level woodworker, I know enough to appreciate the skill and dedication of true carpenters. At the visitor center I found Sarah and Patrick with bikes packed like mules. They had a cardboard sign that read 'Wander Like Water'. I struck up a conversation and found these two were following the Mississippi all the way down to the gulf with an emphasis on promoting water conservation. I talked mostly to Sarah as Patrick had adjustments to make to his pack mule, and even though she had only just arrived in town, had no trouble schooling me on the changes in route of the Mississippi River in that location. It was actually a question I had been puzzled over that morning.
Bolduc House in Ste. Genevieve, Missouri
I weaved through the small streets of the ancient town and made my way back to highway. I had thought about stopping to appreciate the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, but I decided to pass it up this go around and get headed back east towards home. I-55 East gives about as good of a view as you can expect for not even giving them the respect of stopping to take in the engineering achievement that it is. I passed through the craziness of the intersecting exits, merging lanes, and bridges over bridges. As soon as it settled down and I thought I was ready for the long haul back across Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio I saw a sign with a name I recognized.
Cahokia.
I had watched a documentary a few years back on Cahokia, and I could not pass up the prospect of standing on top of Monk's Mound. It is the largest Pre-Columbian earthwork in America. Once you climb to the top you are treated to a dwarfing view of the Gateway Arch and the St. Louis skyline. I hung out on Monk's Mound with the pups and talked with a family that were in love with Lugnut and Minnie.
This is the part where I have to pay for all the fun I had been borrowing all week. Time to log some droning highway miles, not fall asleep, and keep the gas tank topped off. I took I-70 until I hit Columbus. Illinois seemed to drag. I knew Terre Haute was just over the state line into Indiana, but I felt as though I spent hours of driving seeing signs for the city without it ever appearing. Even with my doubts growing I eventually hit the Indiana state line and entered back into my native time zone. I swear that I-70 had that 'tha-thunk' pattern of expansion joints the entire way through Indiana. They held down the rhythm while the white lines took the lead and almost succeeded in lulling me to sleep a couple times. Once I hit Ohio I was counting down the exits until I could pull into the friendly neighborhood Planet Fitness for a shit, a shave, and a shower. Pure Bliss.
Columbus is only 5 hours from home. It's an easy push, but there was one more thing that I had been hoping the whole trip would finally happen. Even though she is a Browns fan, I wanted to conclude the trip with a cup of coffee in Cleveland with a long time friend. We have talked for longer than I care to disclose, but we had never met. This is something I am very hesitant to publish, let alone discuss in private. However I cannot expect people to suffer through my long-ass ramblings if I broad brush over details or leave experiences out like this. We had communicated for years, but timing never proved to be friendly towards a meeting of any kind. But why not a rainy Thursday morning in August? I arrived early and was struggling to see anything as my wipers felt like smearing the rain on the windshield as opposed to actually wiping it. I killed some time by treating Ruby to a pair of brand new windshield wipers. This story might be that firecracker you light and once the fuse burns down it makes and 'pssst' instead of a 'BANG!' We didn't catch eyes and start making out in the middle of Starbucks or run off and start a new life together, nor was it expected. I was now able to put a person to picture though. It was fitting to end a week of new experiences by tying up an old one. As a very private person I find it difficult to find people to confide in and go to for advice on personal matters. For me, she was that person, on and off, for years and as such, meeting her held a special importance to me... Browns affiliation and all. In true Adam fashion, a photographer who never takes photos of memorable moments, I did not take a photo with her. It wouldn’t have been a part of this blog had I taken it anyways but it would’ve been nice.
The mileage and math of my fill ups and MPG’s.
I don’t know how to wrap this up. It was my first van-camper excursion, and it cemented in my head that I was on the right track in my life. That this was going to be a thing important enough to me that I tear everything else down and start over. It takes a lot to come to that decision, but it honestly kind of felt easy. Not easy to implement of course, but once I took the first step I knew I’d be running in no time!
I heard from a very good friend of mine that travel is the only thing you can buy that makes you richer, and I could not agree more. I used to be so obsessed with tangible things that I thought travel was worthless. To spend sometimes thousands of dollars and end of with nothing material when that money could be put down on the mortgage or toys seemed illogical. I have taken such a 180 on that stance. I know what I am doing isn’t for everyone, but one of my biggest points is that tomorrow isn’t promised. Having a bucket list is great, but if you want to do it so bad, why wait? I want to see everything this country has to offer while I can still run on the trails and climb on the rocks! Even if you have no interest in mountains so are sure to be fascinated by something, and that something is waiting for you as you read this. Go and get it!
I met so many amazing people on this adventure and many others that I have partaken in, and I CANNOT wait to meet more of them!
Some People...
If I fall in the woods and no one is around to hear it... It still hurts.
Some people don't have any consideration for others I thought as I made direct eye contact with 2 people in conversation blocking the hallway. No effort was made to accommodate me as I turned sideways and sucked in my gut to squeeze past them. I, on the other hand, have fallen flat on my face during a race as I moved to the side of the trail to allow a fellow competitor to pass.
A happy medium must exist!
November 23rd 2018 Delray Beach, FL
As a person of extremes I have never been good at finding 'happy mediums'. I have found myself in the position of those two people in conversation I mentioned. A friend was confiding in me about something very serious and personal. I became so involved in their situation and in being there for that person, that all other concerns disappeared. That included pedestrians trying to pass. Allowing myself to notice the person trying to get by and then moving would've broken my concentration on my friend's issue. More importantly they may have felt I wasn't paying attention to the conversation.
January 25th 2013 Panama, NY
Maybe these situations arise more often than I realize... Or maybe people are just assholes. There’s a good chance people are just really good at justifying their own selfish actions.
In the case of the trail race I laid out earlier, I over accommodated to a fault. That might sound like I am being 'holier than thou' but what I didn't share earlier is that I only THOUGHT I heard a fellow runner behind me... There was no one. I fell and stubbed my toe for no reason, but least there were no witnesses!
So if I want to address the issue of my lack of selfishness, what are my options? I can dial it back until I find the Goldilocks zone, right? Or I could go all the way to the asshole end of the scale and move back towards my original stance until I come across that good compromise point. Doing nothing is not an option because if I fall in the woods and no one is around to hear it... It still hurts.
I read an article about this topic and what I got from it is that a good starting point would be to just be more aware of what I am doing and why. Am I doing something because I truly want to help a person, or am I doing it because they want me to do it? This is a good distinction to make. I don't always do things because others want me to, I do like being not only helpful, but useful too.
What's the good in being a hammer if you don't hit shit?
March 24th 2018 Sherman, NY
I guess this coincides with my vanlifing journey as well. I am viewing this essentially as my retirement. I am moving it from 65-? to 32-?. I have good general laboring skills. It really would be a shame to not use these to help people I meet on my adventure. Also, if I don't use these skills during my retirement, I could unretire someday to find these skills have atrophied. So by helping others, I'll be helping myself. Stealthily Selfish!
I don't know if I got anywhere with this or if it is useful for anyone, but this is where we are. I feel like I might've just gone in circles, but ending up in the same place is alright sometimes, as long as you learn something in the process.
The Great American Eclipse Part Three
I might have been crying, but with all that rain I'd never have to admit it anyway.
I headed north out of Kentucky directly into the Shawnee National Forest in Illinois. It was another late night of pushing through the darkness to reach my destination. I found my way and parked by the Garden of the Gods in anticipation of an early morning tour of the rock formations. As it was a short hike, I brought my pups along for the photo shoot. The garden was amazing, people pet the dogs and I shot the rocks. As I framed up one particular photo I noticed people were in the shot. I put the camera down to wait for the couple to move. Then it dawned on me that I should take the photo and offer it to the couple. They seemed very cautious of me, as can be expected, and it took the guy a few months before he emailed me about sending him the picture. I thought some about the timing of his email request for the photo. I wonder if he forgot about the weirdo guy that approached him saying he took a picture of him and his girlfriend, and only sent the email when he remembered. Or possibly it was coming up to an anniversary and he called this in as part of a surprise for her. I also tossed the idea around that they were going through a rough patch, and he was desperately searching for anything to show his love to her. I've never cared enough to ask him. I guess it’s like Schrödinger's cat, as long as I never ask it can be any, and all, of those possibilities at once. It's far more interesting that it exists in my mind as a question, rather than it having a definite answer.
Sassy ‘n I
Who’s that?
When I left the Garden of the Gods I met Sassy the Bigfoot and took my picture with her. Then as I headed through Herod, IL I spotted a very bizarre ruin and I knew I would regret it if I didn't turn around and check it out. It appeared to be a house built into/against the side of a rock. Next to the chimney I found a very large undercut beneath the enormous rock roomy enough for a picnic table to be dwarfed. I stopped at the same time as a Harley Davidson husband and wife. They were from northern Illinois but like me, made the trip down for the eclipse. They gave me pointers on where to find a good laundromat and stock up on a few supplies. A middle aged lady stopped in awe of the ruins and again an eclipse conversation was struck. It was very unique in that you didn't have to ask 'Did you see the eclipse?' It was a known in that area at that time. She opened with 'Have you seen any of the news footage of the eclipse?' Even though I hadn't, I answered that I had as to not shut down eclipse talk before it had a chance to start. She said 'The color of the corona looked more white on the news than in person right?' I did notice the yellowish quality of the corona so I made a safe assumption and explained white balance on cameras to her. Still to this day I have not been able to find any info on line about those ruins. I like that there are some things the internet doesn't know and visiting local museums might still hold a useful place our technological world.
AllTrails did not disclose all important facts.
A well I found and did not dive into!
This is, of course, official history…
At this point I had taken a couple days off of running and I went to the AllTrails app to find an Illinois trail to run... This is going to be a slight rant about AllTrails. It's useful but it does not give you the entire story. What I found on AllTrails that day was a 7 mile loop trail. That's what I went into the woods expecting. What I was actually running on was a series of interconnected horse trails. I've heard of others having a similar issue with the app. I still use it, it's a good tool, but it's not an on line trail bible. Back to the point, Minnie and I hit the trail for a leg stretching. We found a couple interesting landmarks, and as I was running the trail counterclockwise I took every left... I crossed a road... I shouldn't cross any roads on this route, but onward I went. After a bit I came to a parking lot where I found a wood carved trail directory. I deciphered it the best I could and went the direction I felt I should go... And after a bit of running found myself back at this parking lot... Okay, let's try door 2... Back at the same parking lot! It was right at this time that I realized it was starting to get dark so I thought I need to quit guessing and find the right way back. I do remember processing the thought that it seems weird that it's getting dark at 1 PM but I put that on the back burner in favor of finding Ruby.
I found a full trail map in the parking lot and thought I was saved, but not knowing the area too well I was still unsure of which way to go. Two ladies in their late 40s had just finished up loading their horses into the trailer and so I asked them for a little help. One helped me read the map as the other gave some water to Minnie. I will add here that even though I got lost one more time after these nice ladies helped me, I believe it was my own fault and not because of the direction I received. So Minnie and I said thank you and took off. As I have just mentioned I ended up at this parking lot one more time. #$-#&##+$(!!! By this time I had processed in my head that there was a rain storm rolling in and it was not nightfall coming early that day. With this in mind I decided I would take the road straight north and turn east at the end and I would for sure find my vehicle. A couple minutes up the road I found that first road crossing that had confused me! I had finally found my trail! I quickly debated taking the safe choice of the road back, but felt my pride would benefit from taking the trail I followed in, back out.
I started to feel raindrops shortly after hitting the trail again. This was quickly followed my quite possibly the loudest boom of thunder I have ever heard in my life and sheets of rain! 9 miles into the run at this point Minnie had been starting to slow down and fall behind. I began yelling my loudest at her to COME ON! HURRY UP!!! GO!!!! I could barely hear myself over the storm, but they say dogs have good hearing. GO! GO!!! I slipped a time or 2 and tripped a few, but in my memory adrenaline and fear had me back up and running before I even hit the ground. MINNIE!! GOOOOO!!! I remember thinking that I know plenty about the weather in Western NY... But we are not in Western NY... Is this a tornado? The ladies didn't warn me, is this normal? Would locals be laughing at me freaking out over this storm that to them is regular? Would they say 'What? You were out in that? ARE YOU CRAZY???' I felt like a fish out of water while soaking wet. When I came to the trail head and found Ruby sitting there waiting for me I felt such relief I could have cried. Hell, I might have been crying, but with all that rain I'd never have to admit it anyway. I slid the door open, Minnie and I soaking wet dove into the safety of little ol' Ruby, mud and all. I still get slightly nervous when I think of the end of that run. It definitely taught me to appreciate the weather while traveling, and to be more cautious.
The Great American Eclipse Part Two
I like that we haven't 'progressed' past appreciating the natural wonders of our universe.
The Little Green Men Days in Kelly was a cool experience. It was sort of typical in that they had a bounce house for kids, a hay and train ride, vendors, a stage with bands playing and camping available. It was sort of atypical in the merchandise for sale, the giant UFO in the middle of the grounds, and once the countdown to the eclipse started, all the wild things people were wearing. I would like to say the people were crazy nuts, and even though that's what I expected, I did not find that to be the case. Sure there were eccentrics, but everyone I spoke to seemed to have a grasp on reality… Hopefully this isn’t that look to the left, look to the right thing where I end up being the crazy one. There was a young boy that was going around selling random goods, unless that’s illegal… Then he wasn’t doing that. I swear he was the incarnation of Tom Sawyer. He seemed to have an affinity for economics. While petting Minnie and Lugnut he commented how I could breed them and make good money. I told him that they were both fixed, and I’ll never forget the confused face he turned up toward me asking ‘Why would you do that?’ At first I thought he was being funny, but he was truly perplexed.
Connie Willis, host of Blue Rock Talk and weekend host of Coast to Coast AM, was present at the festival . They brought her on stage where she delivered a short monologue. She had been on my radar since her incredible interview with Les Stroud, Survivorman, and as soon as she came down off the stage I struck up a conversation with her. She introduced me to her friends, the Kentucky Myth Chasers, who became my camping buddies for the night before the eclipse. She has a great outgoing personality, go figure… she's talks for a living, and following her around as we waited in anticipation for the eclipse to begin I got to meet many interesting people. There was a guy who had 2 drones he was shooting the eclipse with, and a couple with a van similar to Ruby that had a solar telescope. We were able to peak through just as the lunar disc was starting to blot out the sun. It was so detailed that you could see sunspots.
I like to make rough plans and let things fall into place or leave wiggle room to adjust on the fly. It usually works out in my favor… KNOCK ON WOOD. I think for eclipse photography though... When you have 2½ minutes to shoot and no second chances, a rock solid plan would've been a lot better. I'm happy with the pictures I got, but I'm not ecstatic. Part of the problem was with the eclipse being at 1 o'clock in the afternoon, the sun was so high in the sky it was difficult to do a good wide angle picture. To get foreground, or a scene, into the picture I had to turn the camera sideways to portrait. I did not even think about that ahead of time. Lesson learned, I'll be ready for 2024 when the eclipse will swoop right up past my hometown... In reality I'll probably make the same mistakes again, but I have 5 more years to believe that I'll make the necessary changes.
Before I even left the Little Green Men Days festival I had heard how bad the traffic was. The radio had reports of the traffic jams that we're happening all over. I have to believe a lot of people on their way to viewing the eclipse had to settle for watching it from the roadside in a traffic jam. I felt bad for these poor souls for a while. I tried to put myself into their shoes though. Here's how my imagination plays out the scene. Traffic backed up for miles, no movement whatsoever, everybody honking, yelling, frustration building and building... Until... A hush falls over the crowd and everyone exits their vehicles, just like that R.E.M. music video. All traffic concerns disappear and awe sweeps the crowd. The guy that just cut you off lends you his cardboard glasses so you can view the eclipse. Of course 2½ minutes later it's back to the blaring horns and cursing, but at least normal life could melt away for a few moments. I'm sure that's me looking through rose tinted glasses, but it's better than imagining those jammed up fools not enjoying the eclipse they no doubt traveled so far to see.
Even if that is a made up scenario, what I'm not making up is the signs on every business I entered before the eclipse that stated that they would be temporarily closing so the employees could take part in viewing the eclipse. Even McDonald's had the sign in their window. I can't think of anything else that would stop the world in its tracks like this. Maybe the O.J. verdict? I don’t know why that was the first thing that popped in my mind, but I’m leaving it. Even if it was only 2½ minutes, I like that we haven't 'progressed' past appreciating the natural wonders of our universe.
I hit the road within an hour of totality ending. I was held up by a butterfly that landed on me and had to wait for Connie to take a video of it. I kinda hoped to beat the traffic... And I did! Even though I drove passed jam after jam, it was always in the opposite direction I was going! I couldn't believe my luck. I headed directly west towards the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area. They had a driving loop through some plains that promised to show me some elk and bison, but to no avail. I saw absolutely nothing. Onward I go!
As I exited the Rec. Area to the west I stopped by Land Between the Lakes Distillery. The sign said they had a museum. A moonshine museum. I thought it’d be a hokey tourist trap, but I was wrong. They had some very interesting history here. I led myself around the museum and as I was preparing to leave I was lucky enough to catch the owner there. Spencer Balentine was and older gentleman with a cowboy hat and sunglasses. He gave me a personal tour of the museum that far exceeded the one I had just given myself. He explained how his father used to run moonshine back when it was illegal. He told me a story of how his father almost got caught by the law one night. The police had the road blocked just past the bridge over the river that brackets the Land Between the Lakes to the east and had him dead to rights. His father whipped the car around and headed back for the bridge. He bailed out of the drivers door and ghost rode the car off the edge of the bridge and plunged the fully loaded car into the the river below. Pretty banged up he climbed over the edge of the bridge and hid below the deck for hours until the heat cooled off. Once he determined the coast was clear he started the long trek back home and made it through the door in time to interrupt breakfast. He said he still remembers his father limping in, clothes torn and dirtied, sitting down at the breakfast table and saying 'I'm done.' No one said a word, he said everyone understood what had happened and what he meant. He also relayed a more recent story of a still blowing up on a couple of his workers. This took place in 2015. Both workers, Jay Rogers and Kyle Rogers, sustained serious burns and one, Kyle, even succumb to the injuries and passed away. He seemed very tore up by this, I can't help but feel the same way when I think of the look on that old man's face. While we ended on the note of that still explosion, I picture him in my mind excitedly explaining to me how his father wore his watch a certain way, sewed extra hems in his pants, and many other tricks he used to be a successful moonshiner. We also touched on a recent sonar search that turned up hits that would be consistent with a car buried under the muck at the bottom of the lake. This search was documented on an episode of “Moonshiners”. When his father launched the car off the bridge it was a river. Now the river has been dammed to form a lake so the car lies in the deepest part of the lake. It would be very cool to see that car ripped from it's watery grace someday, and if that day comes I would love to be present in case some of the cargo is still intact!
Spencer in an ad photo from 2014
An interesting note here. Recent research has shown that while I met Spencer Balentine, he was going through auctioning off his business. Two months before I passed through he was quoted on the local new as saying, "It’s emotional for me every time I go in that museum,". Speaking about the incident that killed one and injured another he said, "It took my desire to put somebody else in front of a still." In hindsight, that makes the personal tour I received seem extra special and for sure much more somber. Also, unfortunately, the museum appears to be permanently closed.
Next stop is the Shawnee National Forest in Illinois.
https://www.bluerocktalk.com - Blue Rock Talk with Connie Willis
http://www.thebeastoflbl.com/the-beast/ - The Beast of Land Between the Lakes
http://www.kellyky.com - Kelly Little Green Men Days Festival
The Great American Eclipse Part One
Overview, Trip prep, Day 1 and 2
This is the story of my journey, in an old rusty van outfitted to a camper, to see the Great American Eclipse of 2017. It has been broken up into 4 parts. It was a very important trip for me, and I believe it will be just as entertaining to read about. I hope you enjoy.
Taken June 2nd, 2017
Being that one of my interests is celestial objects, I can't believe the Great American Eclipse almost snuck me by. A few months before the eclipse I was listening to a podcast of photographers discussing their plans to photograph the eclipse when it hit me. The seed of van life had already been planted, and I had plenty of vacation time at work not allocated to anything else so why the hell not? I was going somewhere to take pictures of the eclipse!
Taken June 14th 2017
This story falls into the category of it's about the journey, not the destination. The eclipse was absolutely incredible. The silence, eerie darkness, and the temperature drop that fell over the entire crowd of thousands of people was a unique moment in my life. So even though the eclipse was the cherry, it’s not the cherry on top without an ice cream sundae. So let’s eat.
I spent months researching where to watch the eclipse. A mix of looking at the eclipse path map and looking up landmarks along that path. I went back and forth more times than I care to try to remember. I would pick a spot, research it, rule it out and a week later find myself looking into it once again. One location I kept coming back to was Hopkinsville, KY. It was the point of longest totality. Totality is the point when the moon is perfectly blocking out the sun and it is safe to look at with naked eyes. Going from memory I think it ranged from 40 seconds in some locations, and up to 2 minutes and 40 seconds around Hopkinsville. Hopkinsville was calling itself Eclipseville. Many of my searches circled around landmarks, or unique interesting locations. Some of my candidates were places such as Shawnee National Forest and Land Between The Lakes Rec. Area. (Both places that I included on the trip after researching them.) I was looking for somewhere isolated in nature to view it. Where I landed was far from that, but in hindsight, I think far better.
From Astonishing Legends
From Astonishing Legends
I kept finding myself drawn to the Kelly Little Green Men Days (KLGM Days). It's a festival every August that celebrates an encounter a family had in Kelly, a small town just north of Hopkinsville. I’ll graze the surface here for you, but much more bettererly written articles can be found on the web.
On the evening of August 21st 1955 a man fetching water from a well saw a streak of light in the sky. He returned to the house and reported the sighting. Then things got interesting. The house and its 11 occupants came under attack of 12-15 goblins surrounding the house and peering in the windows. A gun battle ensued with many shots being fired through the windows and doors.
Here’s a link to a great podcast on the subject for inquiring minds.
Long story short, this sounded too good to miss. Especially since the eclipse fell on the anniversary of the sighting and encounter What are the odds?. The festival was even giving away a used Mitsubishi Eclipse. This thing checked a lot the boxes for a fun time.
Serpent Mound from the Observation Tower
Historic Water Tower in Louisville
I am not one to waste time, and during my tenure on third shift, always leveraged the odd schedule in my favor. So I finished up work for the week at 6AM Friday morning, packed up the van, and hit the road by ten. I had stops along the route planned and number one was the serpent mound in southern Ohio. I had heard of this site from the television show 'Ancient Aliens'. While I'm pretty sure it's not an alien structure, it is a very intriguing and stunning landscape. It's one of those spots that pictures don't do justice. Sure a picture can encapsulate the entire mound, but being there to walk the perimeter helps with understanding the size and magnitude of this place. The body of the snake also has several astrological alignments. The curves of the body align with the sunrise on both of the solstices and equinoxes, and the mouth of the snake is aligned with the sunset of the summer solstice.
In the photo from the observation tower, the first big swoop seen on the left is the winter solstice sunrise. Next, on the right bottom of the picture is the equinox sunrise alignment. (Both spring and fall.) Just above that is the summer solstice sunrise. Lastly, disappearing into the trees on the right is the head of the snake and the egg shape it appears to be eating.
I left the mounds before sunset with the sleeplessness of an entire night of work and day of driving catching up with me. I stopped at a southern Ohio gas station, plopped into the back of my van, and gifted my tired brain a quick power nap before it was time to drive on. In my rush to hit the road, I subconsciously opted out of a shower at home. I did a quick planet fitness search and found one in La Grange, KY. I caught a shower before they closed up for the night. Even though it was already late, my plan was to push through Louisville and then shoot up into Indiana to find a place to park and sleep in the Hoosier National Forest.
Louisville at midnight was a traffic jam, which is normally no fun, but in Louisville it affords you an extra long look at two beautifully illuminated bridges.
My Campsite in the Hoosier National Forest on Patoka Lake.
When I arrived in the Hoosier National Forest, being dark, I didn’t get a good of a view of anything, but glassy Patoka Lake was more than welcoming. She offered me an amazing place to park on a tiny peninsula off the main road. Still to this day one of my favorite campsites. I don't even need to say much more about it as the picture says it all.
I woke up twice the next morning, once with the sun and quickly realized the previous day was far too long for that. The second time I woke up I made a cup of coffee and found a nearby horse trail to stretch my legs on. The trail circled a small lake and followed an old buffalo trace for a bit. Of the 10 miles I did that day, the first 4 were amazing. After that I came up behind a trio of horseback riders. I announced myself and they found a good spot for me to pass. One of the ladies even offered me a branch she was holding in front of her face to catch the spiderwebs. What a crazy lady I thought, a woman who definitely doesn't belong in the woods I thought. I mean, I hadn't ran into a single web the entire run.
I'm sure everyone reading has figured out already what I was very slow to learn. Adam, you haven't had any spiderwebs because the horses had already cleared them. Well I returned the favor to those poor horses over the course of the next 6 miles. I ran into more webs in those 6 miles than all other trail miles combined I think. It was unbelievable, I am talking like a thousand webs. As much as I tried to clean myself up, I spent the next 3 hours removing webs as I drove almost directly south towards my eclipse destination.
Hopkinsville
Lugnut - The Story of a Diabetic Dog
I didn't know if I could do it, but I owed it to Lugnut to at least try.
July 2014 - May 2017 Almost 3 years. Thats like 20 dog years of aging!
OVERVIEW
May 2014
An undiagnosed diabetic dog
The first and most important thing to say here is that I take full responsibility for what I did to my best friend. By trying to show my love for Lugnut by giving him all the treats a dog could want, I gave him diabetes. Plain and simple. This is no pity party, but it is also not the story of my dog and I overcoming something that was thrown at us. Too many treats caused this. Too much 'human food' caused this. Lugnut is not in charge of any of that, I am. I put this out there very bluntly because I don't want any other dog/people teams to go through this unnecessary care. I was also in denial the entire time Lugnut was EXTREMELY obese and I was killing him.
The only reason I accept that he was overweight now is because I can look back at the pictures. I don't even know how to explain it, I mean look at these pictures! How did I not accept that he was overweight?? It still boggles my mind.
DIAGNOSIS
July 2013
During the family camping trip in August 2014 I noticed Lugnut being very sluggish. Normally on a hike Lugnut goes through cycles of running ahead and coming back to check on me and make sure I am there. This year, I had to keep turning around to find him. He would be 10-20 yards behind, looking at me like he didn't want to be out there hiking at all. Also, it sounds like a small thing to notice, but I did make comments to people that he seemed to be drinking a lot of water. I know what that meant in people and assumed it meant the same for dogs.
We finished out the camping trip and upon arriving home, I set up a vet appointment where my fears were confirmed. My dog had diabetes. I had no clue what this meant logistically and so I left him at the vet overnight while I did some research on what caring for a diabetic dog entailed. What I found scared me. It sounded very time consuming, very expensive, and labor intensive. I didn't know if I could do it, but I decided that I owed it to Lugnut to at least try.
August 2014 - Just after diagnosis
I don't know if it works different for other diabetic dog owners, but for how it works with Lugnut is I give him a set amount of food and a set amount of insulin twice a day. He has to eat on a regular schedule of being fed every 12 hours. I have no idea what my feeding schedule was before, but it wasn't very good or structured at all.
I had a tough go of it at first, but we did manage to settle into a routine. It became second nature. I had it down to where I could measure food and give it to Lugnut, get a needle and the measure insulin, inject, and put needle into a sharps container in less than a minute.
That is the most important part of this. The part owners of newly diagnosed dogs need to read. Now that everything was starting to go smooth again, it was time for curve ball number 2.
CATARACTS
November 2014
I noticed clumsiness and confusion, I could also clearly see the heavy blueing of his eyes. I took him to the vet already knowing what it was, but wanting confirmation. I got it. It took him some trial and error, but he has become very good at getting around. Luckily Lugnut is a very intelligent dog and he is able to map and memorize the house, the yard, sniff out nature trails and adjust to new environments very quickly. I don’t know for sure what he can or can’t see, but I believe he can see light changes like shadows. I have witnessed him running and coming to a stop when he crosses into a shaded area. He also takes high steps and keeps his neck loose so that changes in elevation and running into things have minimal impact on him.
The basement Lugnut discovered
He also has his troubles as well. While stopping to visit a friend in June of 2018 I was wrapped up in conversation and realized I had not seen Lugnut in a bit. My mind went to the worst case scenario first, and knowing that my friend had a house next door torn down I ran straight to the empty basement. Sure enough. Lugnut had taken the 6 foot fall down in. Much like a drunk in a car accident though, he must have stayed loose and taken the fall with inebriated grace. I found him wandering around the basement looking for a way out. I jumped down and hoisted him out, got a hand up and out from my friend and inspected Lugnut… He had bitten his lip… Even keeping eyes on him for days after, no other injuries.
There also came a brief period in June of 2015 where Lugnut’s right eye became filled with blood. When he would lay down the red fluid in his eye would stay horizontal. I kept waiting for his eye to fall out, but it never did. I even went to the vet hoping they would just yank it out. I have no idea what this was caused by, but it went away and has never come back.
WEIGHT
June 2016 - A dog on the mend
The heaviest Lugnut weighed in at was 82lbs. By the time he was diagnosed with diabetes he was 67 lbs. Currently, as of 2018, he has consistently came in at 47lbs. That means he was 35lbs overweight!!!! Close to double his natural body weight. I won't continue to harp on this as I went into it pretty heavy earlier in this write up. It's a lesson learned, and I hope one I don't have to relearn again someday.
GUIDE DOG
Minnie is a bitch. She's a female dog. Lugnut does use her as a guide dog sometimes though. Most of the time she plays her role as guide dog although I don't believe it's a role she enjoys. Especially while fetching she prefers to not be followed. She will weave between 'obstacles' in an attempt to lose Lugnut by running him into the obstacles. I have no concrete proof of this, but I guarantee it is what she is doing and it has worked on many occasions.
CONCLUSION
As I write this in February of 2019, it has been 4½ years since that August day Lugnut was given the diagnosis. That was over 3,000 needle pricks, and 11 ounces of insulin ago. I have also heard of and seen many other diabetic dogs since then. I had never heard of one before Lugnut, so I am still trying to decide if it is similar to that phenomenon of buying a car and then seeing it everywhere, or if it is a growing problem in animals as it is for humans. I have a tendency to lean towards the latter.
As I mentioned earlier, when Lugnut was diagnosed, all I could find on line was explanations of how to care for a diabetic dog and the hardships of it. To be completely honest, it almost deterred me from trying. A while back, a friend of mine, when I was explaining how easy caring for Lugnut was, told me I need to put my experience out there for others who find themselves in the boat of deciding whether to care for a sick dog or set them to sail. While there have been some tough days, I’d say well over 90% has been great. When I think back to that day when the vet laid out the choice try to care for Lugnut or put him down… and I think about how close I was to picking #2, it makes me so grateful that I chose to try. Hopefully this finds its way to at least one person’s screen that is on the fence and I can sway them to pick up that needle and stab their dog.
March 2018
67 South Allegany Ave.
The Great Home-owning Experiment
February 17th, 2012 - The day I bought my first, and only, landlocked domicile. A huge milestone for anyone, I had finally made it. Dreams were coming to fruition.
Warm fireplace on a cold winters evening
I still look back on the experience of owning a home as extremely positive. I learned skills I still use to this day, I had amazing neighbors, and I came to many realizations in that time. I did renovations, improvements, customizations and made it a very comfortable environment... too comfortable.
Minnie and Azareeyah in the backyard
I think humans in general need struggle, but I at least know that I need struggle. I don't want to drown, but I can't spend much time at all reclined in comfort. Everyone's heard that the devil find work for idle hands. To exchange the religious for science, the first law of thermodynamics says 'energy can neither be created nor destroyed; energy can only be transferred or changed from one form to another.' Hands can't stay idle while there is energy in need of transfer.
I don’t think Minnie was drinking, but she enjoys passing out all the same.
Best case scenario for my idle hands were projects around the house, worst case was throwing alcohol down my throat and more often than not it was the latter. I'm not proud of it's what it was. I think I am better for having been under the spell of the demon rum and worked to overcome it. I had to change my entire mindset which felt like changing the direction of the wind. I managed to stay on my two feet until the wind started blowing in the right direction.
I think a lot of people know this, but this house burned to the ground exactly one month after I sold it. I won't get much into that story as that is the current owners story. My story is that of ending the homeowner chapter of my life and having closure on it. While I am very saddened that it is gone, I can't deny that the finality of it was cathartic... Metaphorically of course... My lawyer advised me to state that I did not burn the house down and to speak no further on the subject.
While I am hopeful I will purchase another ground-based home again someday, I can say it is not in the foreseeable future. So long and thanks for the memories.
Livin' the Dream
The less I have the more I gain
For many years my automatic response has been 'Livin' the Dream'. Whether it be 'How's it going?' 'What's up?' or 'How are you doin'?'. I've never given it much thought, but overhearing someone else say it the other day set off a thought avalanche I couldn't stop.
This is the first winter in my life that I haven't shoveled any snow. (I know there is still time to fuck this up, fingers crossed that I don't) I am working, maybe overworking but I've never been good at moderation, in a completely new field that I never could have pictured myself in. I am meeting some of the most interesting and fun people I could've hoped to get to know and I'm getting to connect with two uncles that I really only got to meet as a child until now.
I have virtually no bills, and nothing tying me down. (I could literally blow town in 10 minutes) I have my 2 pups not just with me on this adventure, but almost within petting distance at all times. Some mornings I wake up and take 30 steps onto the beach.
It was the modern day philosophers of Metallica that wrote:
'And my ties are severed clean. The less I have the more I gain, off the beaten path I reign. Rover, wanderer, nomad, vagabond, call me what you will... Anywhere I roam, where I lay my head is home.'
Condensing my possessions has been hands down the greatest thing I have ever done. It almost got addictive. Once I started jettisoning belongings I couldn’t stop. It was like I was carrying everything and as I got rid of it, I could feel the weight coming off my shoulders. On a scale of 1-10 I went to 6 or 7 on ridding myself of possessions. I think most people should at least try a level 1 or 2 though. You almost definitely have something you never/rarely use and someone out there would use it daily. That giving feeling is incredible. If Christmas is such a great holiday, why only do it once a year, right?
I am very uncomfortable with writing about myself this much, but it is something I should work to get more comfortable with. I also acknowledge the absurd corniness of the 'deep staring out over the ocean' photo. When I took the picture I was thinking 'Hey, I'm never in any of my pictures' and hopped in. It wasn't until I fell into this livin' the dream thought river that the picture made any sense to me.
Now this is not to say i am gripe-less. I have plenty of them. The key is to not let them overpower the good. My dog Lugnut is blind. When he runs into something, he shakes it off and takes off running in a new direction. He has taught me to be more go with the flow, and I am extremely grateful for the lesson.
So next time you see me, you don't need to ask how it's going because you already know...
I am livin' the dream!
Blasphemous Brain Curl
How accurate are Jesus quotes anyways?
Matthew 4:19
•and he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”•
Taking this photo popped this Bible verse into my head. And from there I branched in 2 directions. I amused myself with how people may feign outrage over the use of men in this verse. Luckily though plenty of modern translations have changed men to people, even though I don't think that's how quotes work. Also two thousand years on I'm sure the english, by way of a couple language translations, is pretty far off from whatever actual words came out of Jesus. Translating any quote from its original language can be pretty inaccurate I s’pose.
The second branch of thought I had was about how fishing is done in 2 ways. Dangling an appetizing meal in front of the fish and trapping the fish inside a large net. Both of which are quite different from teaching the fish new ideas that changes its life and compels them to follow you.
Was Jesus a used car, er donkey salesman pushing his new religion? Or did he start the world's oldest pyramid scheme? 'If everyone gets 12 of their friends to get below them in the triangle and collects 10% from each of them then everyone gets 120% of a normal salary!'
I realize this is somewhat blasphemous and I apologize, but to me this post is more about snowballing thoughts as opposed to blasphemy.
Maybe he didn't say fishers, but teachers of men. Maybe he even included women in the pupils. Maybe he never said any of it or maybe it was written down wrong after years of oral tellings of the quote. Maybe I have spent way too long analyzing one damned sentence.
I'm gonna vote for the last one, but just like going to the gym to pick stuff up and set it back down, over analyzing one dumb sentence is a pretty good brain curl.
Yooz it or looz it… said someone sometime.
Ruby Tue: Who could hang a name on you?
Building a van into a camper is surprisingly very similar to renovating a traditional house.
I bought Ruby Tue from a local dealership in September of 2017. The plan was to pay her off in 6 months so I wasn't burdened with a car payment. I had a rough plan on how to accomplish this, but even with the best rough plan, 20k in 6 months is still a tall wall to climb. I won't bore with the specifics, but I missed my goal by 2 weeks paying it off in 6½ months. To me, the lesson here is that you aim high because to land lower is still pretty damned good.
Building a van into a camper is surprisingly very similar to renovating a traditional house. The foundation, walls, roof and siding is already done, all you are doing is creating your living space. Throughout the entire process I kind of just put my nose to the grindstone seldom looking up to enjoy the view. It was similar to running up a hill, just keep going and eventually you’ll be at the top. That analogy may make it seem unappetizing to most, but I am good at embracing the suck as some might say. When I believe the ends will justify the means, I can be very committed to a task. It was an incredibly engaging process.
I have given quite a bit of thought on how to write up this build. After going back and forth a dozen times I had landed on breaking it up in to different categories. I will details the electronics, the woodwork, the bed/galley, exterior, and appliances. I am sure there will inevitably be some bleed over in these different areas, but I will try to keep it to a minimum. Concise well laid out documents would be ideal, but I will be doing my best to ramble and hand out unnecessary information.
Van life origins and Ruby
For an old rusty van she turned out to be exactly what I was looking for.
September 7th, 2017 - Ruby in front of Champlain Mountain. Acadia National Park in beautiful Maine
Until 2017 I had never owned a van, never even thought of buying one. My experience now is that most people are very positive, encouraging, or even jealous when I explain what I am doing. I have to admit that even ‘2015 Adam’ would have called current Adam insane! I told close friends about my plan to move into a camper or a van and start traveling, but I did not tell many others. I was sure I was going to be ridiculed. It felt like a secret I needed to hide. I think I was still trying to process what I was considering doing.
My first experience with someone asking me about attempting ‘van life’ was at the fourth of July party I go to every year. My friend’s dad called me over to where he was sitting and told me that his son had told him about what I was going to do. OH NO, Here it comes. Maybe it would be belittling, maybe warnings, maybe even a ‘what are you? INSANE?’ What I got though? He told me that I would see and experience more than I could imagine! This secret that I had been carrying around suddenly felt lighter. It was a huge relief. I thought everyone would treat me like Ralphie in “A Christmas Story” asking for a Red Ryder B.B. Gun for Christmas. ‘You’ll shoot your eye out!’
I’ll mention here that I do understand the risks involved with van life, but when I weigh that against regret - It’s a no-brainer.
First came Ruby.
This was where Ruby sat for a month as I went into construction mode.
I saw this maroon van sitting on the side of the road while out running on the Westside Overland Trail in Mayville, NY. $350 and the transmission needed replaced. Deal! The previous owner let me know that his whole family was excited that someone was taking the van to give it new life as opposed to it sending it to a junkyard. He had taken his family on many trips in this van and it was almost part of the family. He told me his kids had named her Ruby. I’m not quite sure this color reminds me that there’s no place like home, but I’ll go with the flow. Ruby it is!
I got to work right away. I had one month until the family camping trip and I had other adventures on deck for the summer. I have always been a procrastinator so I have plenty of experience working under tight deadlines. I would literally walk out of work at 5:30 AM and be asleep by 6 so I could wake up and spend every second getting this van built. I think I have trouble giving myself credit for how handy I am sometimes, but I do have some pretty good fabrication skills. I work best with only vague plans and mostly in my head. Thats how this vamper came together. I spent most every night bugging my friends at work with the project and getting their input on what direction I should head. I can’t think of any specifics on the many things in this build that were their ideas, but there’s a good chance Ruby wouldn’t have been a success without them.
Ruby in Allegany State Park on her Maiden Voyage.
I spent a week in Allegany working out any bugs before I hit the road heading to Kentucky to watch the the Great American Eclipse at a UFO festival… I think I’ll call this the stopping point as that trip deserves its own short write-up. For an old rusty van with a bum transmission and grass growing up around her ankles she turned out to be exactly what I was looking for. After spending the summer with her I went right out and bought her bigger sister, Ruby Tue. I also had the fight the fight the urge to just quit my job almost every night. Not that I hated my job, which I didn’t, but I had a small taste of freedom and now my appetite was roaring for more
Allegany State Park North Country Trail Out and Back
… It had been 40.35 miles and 8 hours 32 minutes and 57 seconds since I left my vehicle that morning.
I woke up on the morning of September 2nd, 2018 with more than 6 months and a broken foot since my last ultra marathon, and I was ready to get back on the horse. It was my birthday anniversary, and this was the only present I wanted. I hit the trail at 6 AM sharp starting from the parking lot just outside the Red House toll booth. The plan was to run south on the North Country Trail through Allegany State Park until I hit the Allegheny National Forest in Pennsylvania, then turn around and get myself back to that parking lot.
It was warmer than I had anticipated, but the first 5 miles ticked by pretty smoothly anyways. Somewhere around mile 7 I stepped on a chipmunk. He had the great fortune of just catching my toes and he squeaked obscenities at me as he continued his path across the trail. 10 miles still felt pretty good, and I took a short break to drink from the natural spring by bent rail. At the half marathon mark I passed the first hikers of the day, a quick conversation and on ward I went. I hit the PA line at 10:05 in the morning at just about exactly 20 miles. I ate a bag of trail mix and it was time to start the trek back. Shortly after turning around I ran into a familiar face and got my first 'happy birthday' of the day. It was right around this time I ran out of water in my hydration pack, but I had brought my Life Straw so I just needed to find a stream. Mother nature had a different solution for the issue though as I got hit with a torrent of rain that did not want to quit until it had quenched my thirst. Slightly demoralized by the turn in weather, and possibly the dehydration, I decided to power hike for a couple miles. Once I climbed up towards Mount Tuscarora and began the descent to Coon Run Rd. I was able to get my running legs back beneath me though. I crossed Coon Run, hit the bent rail natural spring to refill my hydration pack and it was time to get back to business. The rain had slowed to just a periodic sprinkle and I was 3/4 of the way done. I've got this! I climbed Mount Oneida on my way to crossing ASP 1, then made a wrong turn and ended up at the Eastwood meadows Trail head. After cruising down that mountain with only one more mountain in my way I could tell my water supply was starting to get low again and my watch gave me a warning that its battery was getting low as well. The water was a little concerning but with 2 1/2 miles to go I knew I could suffer it out, but the battery dying really lit a fire under my you know what as I could lose the GPS, pace, and heart rate data for the entire run if that were to happen. I cruised past some day hikers and the backpackers I had seen at the half marathon mark as I neared the final summit. Seeing people out on the trails is always uplifting and helps push me forward. As I crested the final mountain and the run became all downhill I could start to hear the traffic on 86. I hit the trail head and only had a half mile of road before completing the run. I don't know if it was a testament to how good I still felt at mile 40 or it really shows how scared I was of my watch dying, but I was cruising through the road section at a sub 8 minute mile pace. It was just after 2:30 PM, and I had finally concluded my adventure.
It had been 40.35 miles and 8 hours 32 minutes and 57 seconds since I left my vehicle that morning. I plugged my watch in to find I had completed the run with 1% of battery life left. There were some low points, but there were just as many highs too. It was a great day to be out on the trail and the birthday present I had been hoping for. I was exhausted, but felt revitalized as well. Having spent the last year and a half as a volunteer trail steward at ASP, I have met some amazing people and have had great experiences giving back to the trails I grew up on. That gave this run an almost victory lap feel.
July 13th - 15th 2018 Ohio is bigger than you think.
Thank you for letting me bum around your state for far too long Ohio. I’ll be back to wish I wasn’t very soon.
On Friday the 13th of July 2018 I started off on a very ambitious vacation. I had only crossed the great Mississippi River once before in my life, and that had only been for 3 short hours. I then scurried back towards the safety of the east coast. This trip though would take me through a dozen new states, show me scenery that pictures can’t duplicate, and introduce me to people that I couldn’t have imagined.
Back to the title though, I spent the first night of the journey at the Chippewa Creek Gorge.
Chippewa Creek Gorge Star Trails on July 13th 2018
I arrived well after dark and had no clue of what there was around the gorge for places to set up the GoPro for an overnight star picture. I wandered off into the darkness and only found trees and more trees. I could hear the creek running below me but couldn’t see well enough with the flashlight to venture down to it. I headed in the direction of a road I could hear and I found a parking lot with a sliver of open sky. Far from ideal, I was tired enough to say f*** it and set the camera up. I was able to wake up, grab the GoPro and edit the hundreds of fotos into the picture above before I heard from my friend Pete that he was awake and ready for a morning run if I wanted to join. On the run with Pete and his wife, between conversation, my thoughts kept drifting towards where I was headed after we finished the run. Being in a van with only a deadline of when I needed to reach Las Vegas, my options were completely open. I had never given it a thought until that run, but my grandfather lived 3 hours to the south and I hadn’t seen him in a few years. I knew instantly that I HAD to make that my next checkpoint.
I didn’t have my grandfathers address but knew the location well enough that I figured I could find it. I was right, I found it, but he lives in a duplex and I couldn’t remember which door. No biggie, I have a 50/50 shot. I park and approach the house doing a mental version of eenie meenie miney mo when my grandfather walks out of his front door, tea in hand to enjoy his beverage on the front porch. PERFECT! I walk up and say ‘Hello’ and sit down at the empty chair next to him. My grandfather, who has recently been diagnosed with dementia, said hello back and we enjoyed some small talk. I had a feeling he didn’t recognize me, even though he was being very gracious considering a stranger just wandered up and started talking to him. After a few minutes of conversation he told me ‘I just realized who you are.’ To me this was a very cool moment. I could almost envision the memory machine working the rust off a couple of the gears and kick into action.
My grandfather and I on July 14th 2018
We had an amazing afternoon. We went out to lunch and he recalled stories of his military days working in the Canal Zone in Panama and the origins of him and my grandmother meeting. I always knew my grandfather a very straitlaced, stern man. So to get into some ‘guy talk’ with him was a surprise and completely unexpected. When I left, he told me that it would be a day that he would never forget. While I know Dementia might have more of a say on that than him, I know that it’ll be one I will always remember.
July 14th 2018 A view from Tu-Endie-Wei State Park in Point Pleasant, WV
After heading out from visiting my grandfather I headed further south to try and escape Ohio. I had brief success as I made my way through Point Pleasant, WV. I had no Mothman sightings so I crossed and bridge and DAMMIT! I was back in Ohio. I have nothing against Ohio, but this is supposed to be my Great American Adventure see the country and I cant get out of the state that is 2 hours from where I live!
Another night where I had no clue where I was going to spend the night well past dark. I like scoping out a camping spot while it’s still light, but I hate wasting time that could be spent driving… I only had a couple nights on this trip where I was able to find this balance. I was venturing through the Wayne National Forest looking for any nook that looked remotely inviting. I found a parking lot at a horse trailhead… another instance of being tired enough to say f*** it. (This is a constant theme)
July 14th Star Trails looking south over the Wayne National Forest in Ohio
I set the GoPro up directly in front of the van… again tired = f*** it. Too many cars and the picture gets ruined… Just a couple and the foreground get lit up with no effort on my part. Luckily this was a night where I had the Goldilocks amount of cars. I woke up ready to bid this state good riddance! I have 2 weeks to explore the country and I’m 3 days in Ohio?? WTF?!
Settle down, I saw a cool looking lake with a trail around the perimeter on G-word Maps. I have to check it out. I took my pup Minnie out on a run around the lake while Lugnut hung out and kept the Ruby Tue safe. It was just short of an 8 mile round trip. As much as I wanted to get out of Ohio, there was no denying this was a cool trail! There was rock outcroppings, runnable hills, and even a quarter mile dock to round out the lap… or start it if you go counterclockwise.
I only did the run to get some cardio in before a day of driving, but I ended up finding a hidden gem in a small corner of this countries vast public lands. Heading out after the run I was able to buzz the top of Kentucky and cruise through Louisville. Make a stop in the Hoosier National Forest for some lunch and crash at Lincoln State Park in Indiana.
I spent 3 days frustrated that I was STILL IN OHIO, but at the same time enjoyed every minute of it. I’m not sure that is a word for that feeling, actually I really hope there isn’t. I think it’s something unique to Ohio. I know many Cleveland Brown fans that spend the entire game frustrated, but love every moment.
Thank you for letting me bum around your state for far too long Ohio. I’ll be back to wish I wasn’t very soon.