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FOUR ONE NIGHT STANDS AND A TRIO OF DOUBLE DATES

7/24/2020

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​The time has come for yet another journal of an epic adventure. Starting these journals or write-ups after getting home is always tough. This trip I opted out of taking my daily journal entries and expanding upon them for a final write up, to be honest, I didn't take any notes on this trip and now I wish I had.  Note to self, "take daily notes".
With the strange ebb and flow of the country and world this year, I found myself sitting on excess vacation days. Another person who found me sitting on this excess was my boss, who elegantly for us to be fiscally responsible and use the excess versus the norm of the company paying you the excess.  I was ready for an adventure and happily took the week off in conjunction with the 4th of July holiday for a total of 10 days off.  Now there are plenty of things to do and see in ten days, but for me, it wasn't about seeing all the things or doing all the things, I just wanted to drive and see where I ended up.
As per my norm, I did not plan much more than a general direction of travel and a possible goal, for this trip, I would head northeast with my sights set on Oak Island, Nova Scotia. You will later read where my lack of planning threw me a curveball on that location.  I had a few more things I wanted to try on this trip, such as drive some of the TransAmerica Trail, visit friends in West Virginia, stop in Helen, Georgia to find schnitzel, and see a moose in Maine.  All simple places or things to do I thought; outside of these few items, I would simply plot a route and if something on or near that route caught my attention, I'd go see it.  Much like Forrest Gump when he said he just "felt like running", I just felt like exploring…
I loaded up the 4Runner with more than I would likely need and headed off on a trip that would challenge me, thrill me, and ultimately leaving wanting more.  I mean, what could be better than that…

Day 1 (Mississippi)
At noon on July 2nd, I had finished all the grocery shopping, topped off the fuel tank, and hit the interstate.  As I crossed into Mississippi from Louisiana, a little more than two hours into the journey, I could already feel tensions easing and my eyes broadening. Mississippi would give me my first dirt roads and a small taste of the TransAmerica Trail.  Before I get too far, let me share a little about the TransAmerica Trail for those who are not familiar with it. In 1984, Sam Correro, an avid motorcyclist with a whole lot of time began scrubbing map after map and journeying out across America in the hopes of connecting a network of county roads, public trails, and even some private lands with permissions, to chart a route from coast to coast.  His routes have been adopted as the official TransAmerica Trail or TAT for short. ( https://www.transamtrail.com/)
Heading north on I55, I exited at the Coffeeville exit and proceeded to jump onto a section of the TAT for what I was hoping brought some exciting views and a little tranquility to the drive. I was alone in the deepest wooded areas with extraordinarily little sign of others for nearly an hour, and it felt great.  Skip ahead another thirty minutes and in comes the rain, I went from windows down enjoying the fresh air to slip-sliding my way around sharp unmarked dirt roads.  While any other day this would have been a blast, I had slowed to nearly a crawl and had not even begun the daily task of finding somewhere to camp.  I had had enough, my first taste of the TAT was a sour one, not because it is a bad route, but I had not expected just how slow the pace would be. Some may be quick to point out, "Hey knucklehead, the website for the TAT says you'll only make 200 miles a day", I was totally fine figuring this out as I did, I still believe true adventure requires you to take the good with the bad.  Back on the highways, I made my way north of Oxford, Mississippi, and found Holly Springs National Forest, the site of my first campground. This was a pay campsite, but the fee was a very affordable $7.00.  I was lucky this campsite was out of the way and I only saw one other car the entire evening.  I set up camp already late in the evening, so dinner was super quick pasta from a bag and into the tent I went.  It was super quiet all evening, nothing heard other than the aerator pump on the small lake I was camped next to.  As the sun rose, so did I, this quickly became a theme of me waking with the sun and pulling into camp at dark.

Day 2 (Tennessee)
I made some coffee, omelet with spinach and mushrooms, took care of the hygiene then packed camp with time to take in a few sights around the campground. It was still early as I found I could do everything and be ready to hit the road shortly after 7 am. While driving out of the campground I noticed a fellow camper had snuck in during the night not far down the road from where I was at, kudos for a respectful neighbor.  Strangely, this act from a total stranger stuck with me and I made it a point to do my best to find camp before dark as my trip continued. (I really did "try") I thanked the forest, pulled up my Waze app, and started heading for Georgia. As I worked my way across the state of Alabama, a familiar city name flashed upon a few signs, the signs read, "TALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAY".  I couldn't resist the chance to stop in and at least look from a distance.  I exited and not more than two miles from the exited there I was, parked at the gates of Talladega.  Now, I am not a die-hard race fan, but who hasn't heard of this place. I snapped a few pictures as everything was closed and I hit the road.
Low and behold, not far down the line, yet another familiar city presented itself to me.  This city holds a much more personal meaning to me than Talladega likely ever will, the city is Anniston.  Anniston was the home of the now-closed US Army installation of Ft. McClellan, a place I spent six months figuring out who I was as a young man.  Ft. McClellan was home to the US Army Military Police school, at the time, 1995, it was where the Marine Corps also were sent for training.  My time in the Corps at this base was amazing, I met people from all walks of life and some I keep in contact with today.  As I drove through the town, which hasn't changed much in 25 years, all the memories came flooding back to me, the parties at the hotel, the base bowling alley, sitting outside the base exchange, rollerblading up and down the many surrounding hills, even the many nights at the local skating rink(remember those). A lot of the base was unchanged as the city has now taken over the area and private companies now occupy what is McClellan Development Authority.  After my loop down memory lane, I was yet again back on the road. 
So glad I love driving as this would turn into the longest day of my trip. In the early afternoon, I arrived in Helen, Georgia, this beautiful tourist trap of a town was packed full of people.  The town is gorgeously designed in Bavarian-inspired architecture, sounds, and foods.  Beyond that, it looks like an amusement park with a roller coaster and lazy river right in downtown. I had landed right smack in the middle of the busy season and a holiday weekend, duh, it was now the 3rd of July.  I walked a few laps weaving in and out of people, consulted a few restaurants as I had my stomach set on finding Flammkuchen. Now I know Flammkuchen is normally served in the fall, but how can this delicious dish not make for a quick to-go meal in a place gear toward tourists? Flammkuchen is a pizza-like flatbread topped with cream, onions, and bacon and is super light and such a favorite of my time spent in Germany. While no Flammkuchen was found, I did find some amazing Schnitzel at, The Heidelberg German Restaurant.  The restaurant was styled very much like a traditional German restaurant, nothing frilly or extravagant, just a humble, deep dark comfortable eatery.  Stuffed to my ears, I ventured back to my 4Runner parked an extremely long way from town due to the people.  I sat down and began thinking of where I would sleep…
This pondering left me with little options as the town was full and I had seen enough people to send me running for the hills.  I decided to since I needed to meet my friends in West Virginia to celebrate the 4th of July, I would start driving until I was tired then find a place to crash for the night.  I made the two and a half-hour drive to Asheville, North Carolina, and started to look for a campsite.  Browsing all the nearby listings on www.freecampsites.net I soon found myself with dead end after dead end.  North Carolina had closed all camping until the following day. Realizing I would need to get a hotel I began checking prices and found everything was in the $200 range, this was not happening.  Understanding I needed to get away from the big cities to find more affordable accommodations I got back on the road and drove. I drove late into the night finally hitting my wall of fatigue near Erwin, Tennessee, luckily the glow of a Super 8 was at the tiny exit.  Pulling into my savior for the night, I walked into the lobby and found it empty and quiet, I picked up the courtesy phone as the letter on the desk indicated and called the numbers. No answer… This cannot be happening, I reached for my cell phone, called the hotel number from the parking lot, and still, no answer.  At this point, I retreated into my truck and decided to sleep in the parking lot. After what seemed like the longest most uncomfortable 15 minutes of sleep, I woke and tried the number again, this time, a groggy voice answered, I was saved…  By the time I was in my room, it was after 2 AM, I decided I was going to sleep in and be fresh before making my way to northern West Virginia.  Sleep was amazing…

DAY 3 (West Virginia)
9 AM came early I tell you, having switched time zones the day prior, the shift in one hour coupled with the long day was felt for sure. I quickly checked out of the hotel and grabbed fuel, and a large coffee, then I was on my way.  I chugged away, clocking mile after mile on the odometer and amazing views along the way.  My first target for today was Reddish Knob on the state line between Virginia and West Virginia. I stumbled upon Reddish Knob from an Instagram post I had seen a week earlier, it looked cool and I wanted to check it out.  Turns out, Reddish Knob is one of the tallest peaks in Virginia at 4397ft, who knew.  I met a few folks at the summit and explored a couple of short trails before I realized time was moving quickly and I was moving slow, I could miss dinner with friends and fireworks…  Back on the road, I made my way into Franklin, West Virginia, it was here I was sold as this being an option of a retirement area.  Wow, the beauty was all-encompassing, so much so, I set a marker on my Gaia GPS route, simply named, "come again".  The afternoon was upon me and I found myself pulling into Fairmont, West Virginia just in time for dinner.  My good friends, Wil and Krystal, who had driven more than eight hours to attend my small military retirement ceremony a few years back, had again opened their hearts and arms to welcome me.  The food was amazing the company even better, Wil's family put on one of the best fireworks displays I had ever seen done by a nonprofessional organization.  We retired to the house and kept talking as if there was not a break of three years since we had seen each other.  Finally, we turned in as the next morning we were headed to the lake, yes…
 
DAY 4 (West Virginia)
If memory serves me, we spent an amazing day on Tygart Lake. We swam, towed the kids on tubes, debated going out for some myself but opted to save the embarrassment and pleasure for Wil to toss me into the air a dozen feet.  While my original plan was to leave town that evening and get back on the road, as old friends can often do, they convinced me to spend one more night and join them for breakfast before I set off in the wind again.  I must say, I was happy to stay and recharge, after all, I was a bit sunburnt and dehydration was probably close as well.  The evening closed with them teaching me a new game of Dominos and laughter. 

DAY 5 (New York)
The next morning, it was back to the old routine, up with the sun and packing up.  Krystal, Wil, and I all stopped in for breakfast at the family restaurant, Mom's Place for some amazing home-cooked meals.  The portion sizes here are for the hungry, surely no man could complain about a full plate of biscuits and gravy.
With breakfast over and work calling for my friends, it was time for us to part ways yet again.  Not goodbye but see you next time.  I surely plan to see them again a lot sooner than a three-year hiatus.
Today's target was Niagara Falls and whatever else I could get into.  Entering Pennsylvania, I quickly realized someone had forgotten to update all the speed limit signs on the interstate, I mean seriously, 50 mph. Good thing the memo had gotten out to the drivers who were all happily cruising along at 65 or above.  As I was working my way north and east, it was amazing to see the history of the nation being preserved in the buildings and cities.  Too often we are quick to tear down and build the latest and greatest often erasing history and culture.  If anyone has driven I-79 through Pennsylvania, can you answer, is it always under construction? 
Finally, as I had nearly reached the northernmost point before heading east toward Buffalo and I couldn't help to notice the large signs for "Erie". Knowing this was on Lake Erie, I decided why not check off a visit to a Great Lake.  I adjusted the navigation and entered Presque Isle State Park.  Situated on the coast with beautiful beaches, amusement parks, eateries, and even a campground.  While stopping for the night did enter my mind, I had so much daylight remaining I had to press on.  I snapped a few photos, dipped my toes in the water, and tracked some sand back into the 4Runner with me before headed out for Niagara Falls. 
Arriving at the falls, I paid for my $10.00 parking spot and walked over to see what I could see.  As per the usual COVID-19 rules, most things were closed or roped off for social distancing, although, this made for great viewing due to limited crowds.  I stared across the rushing water for a few minutes, took a few photos, but for some reason, the commercialization of this magnificent area turned me off.  I don't mean to take anything away from Niagara Falls by any means, but I have seen smaller falls in remote areas that were much more awe-inspiring.  Safe to say, I expected more, and this is likely due to the inflated perception we often get from seeing things in photos vs real life.  I've heard many people say this same thing about Mt Rushmore or even attending an NFL game in person.  In the pictures and television, things look larger than life but in person, you realize you've been duped.
Leaving from Niagara and heading east, paying toll after toll on the New York State Thruway I found the sun beginning to dip.  I began scrolling through www.freecampsites.net and www.hipcamp.com looking for options as New York had restricted state park camping to reservation only and this could only be made a day in advance, not an option for my style of wandering. I found a promising site on HipCamp and quickly messaged the operator of the site asking if they could accommodate me for the night and started driving in that direction. This detour took me south of Syracuse into the area of Cortland, after talking with a ranger at a local state park I was educated as this is known as the Finger Lakes area due to approximately 10 lakes which resemble outstretched fingers, I say they look more like claw marks on a map, but that wouldn't sound as inviting.  HipCamp doesn't give you physical locations of the camp areas as they are private property, usually a landowner with excess acreage willing to let you park for the night and a small fee.  Here I found myself running out of daylight and waiting for a response from a landowner when I could have been making miles.  I waited nearly an hour and no response from the landowner, I had to get back on the road and seek out a new camp.  I drove north, back up and around Syracuse, then east to Utica, here I noticed a large green area on my Gaia GPS indicating a forested area. 
Swapping over to my freecampsites app I saw there was an entry from 2015 titled, Stewart Landing and it was within reach before total darkness.  Now a five-year-old review didn't leave me feeling very confident, but as it was nearly 8 PM and my options were limited.  I took a chance on it, a long shot at best, then again true adventuring to me is taking the good with the bad, getting those highs and lows are all part of the journey, albeit the lows are certainly less publicized.  Winding through back roads and forests thick as mosquitos in Alaska during summer, I followed the coordinates to a single dirt road into the woods.  This road was well maintained and not more than a few hundred yards in I came upon the first marked campsite.  I drove down a little further and found another site, this one was stocked with firewood and appeared to have been used recently, likely for the 4th of July weekend.  I backed in, leveled the 4Runner and I was in bed in less than five minutes.  It was dark, I had pulled yet another 12 plus hour day. 

DAY 6 (Maine)
My imagination and all the lights on my 4Runner did not prepare me for what I woke up encompassed by, the most peaceful, clean, and quiet campsite.  I certainly hit a homerun taking a chance on a 5-year-old entry with zero updates.  I closed my tent and made a delicious breakfast of omelet with spinach, mushroom, and cheese, a few slices of turkey bacon, orange juice, and a large cup of Louisiana's own, Community Coffee.  I sat on a log bench which was placed around a small fire ring while I enjoyed my breakfast in complete silence. While I sat and let my mind wander, I found the "awe" I was hoping for at Niagara Falls.  I found it after an all-day struggle to find camp while covering hundreds of miles, but above all that, I found it in the middle of the woods, alone…  I am not a loner or introvert by nature, I love people and enjoy company, but there is just something about the vulnerability and the insignificance I feel when surrounded by the often-unstoppable power of nature.  This to me is a feeling that can drive many people to seek new experiences on many different ways, everyone has a story, everyone has a reason, but often I think many people are seeking a similar experience in their own ways.
After a quick exploration of the nearby campsites, it was again time to drive, I am sure glad I absolutely enjoy driving.  Only the road for a couple of hours, I was leaving New York and entering a state I had never been to before, Vermont. Vermont is a beautiful state for sure, rolling hills and green forest in all directions.  Just south of Woodford, Vermont, I found a nice forest road and decided it was time for a break and maybe even an early lunch.  I drove to the what was now the end of National Forest Rd 273 and found it terminated at a parking lot but during the winter it would continue for snowmobiles only. There was one other vehicle in the lot, unoccupied when I pulled in but shortly after an older gentleman stumbled out the woods from his hike and departed.  The menu for lunch was pizza!  I recently picked up a Coleman Camp Oven to use on my camp stove, I had never used it and was very anxious and hopeful my first attempt would be successful.  The quick setup and easy to use oven and stove were great, my pizza was amazing and cooked perfectly.  Today was turning into a great day for sure.  My afternoon plans were to find a nice fish dinner in Gloucester, Massachusetts, but I had a bit more ground to cover. 
Driving on these smaller roads and highways away from the interstates and thruways can reveal some very cool finds.  Things like driving past the home of the Yankee Publishing company, say what? All of us have seen or heard of the Farmer's Almanac, right?  Well, I have and thought it was kind of neat to see it coming from the small town of Dublin, New Hampshire versus some massive publishing agency.   It's the small things at times.
I was making good time and was due into Gloucester soon, it was nearly 3 pm and perfect time for early dinner thus leaving me ample time to find a campsite.  I made way into downtown, parked right on the Harbor, and set out on foot to find a fish dinner.  Along the way, I searched the docks looking for the cast of the TV show Wicked Tuna.  While I found only one boat anchored a way out in the harbor, it was great to see the hard-working men in women of this port/harbor.  Did anyone know Gloucester was settled just 3 years after pilgrims landed at Plymouth?  This city has a tremendous history which could leave you browsing interesting facts and data for weeks, unfortunately I only had a couple of hours, the parking meter was running… Finding a fish dinner was a bust, with Gloucester being known for swordfishing, remember the Perfect Storm, the Andrea Gail, and tuna, Wicked Tuna; the only thing I was finding on the menu was lobster.  Well, I was saving my lobster dinner for Maine…
I did a little video documenting while sitting on the pier enjoying the 70-degree weather and started to look for nearby camping. During this time and after a post I made on social media, I received a message from an old friend from way back in 1998.  David and I had served in the Marine Corps together and he reached out wondering if I was going any further north.  I told him my original plan to head to Nova Scotia, which by the way was no longer an option due to the border being closed to non-essential personnel.  I told David I was available for a visit if he was and made plans to make it happen.  Come to find out, David can throw rocks into Canada from his back yard.  When I searched for Fort Kent on the GPS, I swore the language had switched to French.  I also realized how large the state of Maine is running north to south.  I had better get on the road if I planned to meet David the next day.  North, I drove, passing briefly through New Hampshire and then into Maine on I 95.  I began scanning all my camping apps searching for somewhere to camp but not too far off the beaten path so as not to lose time.  This absolutely wasn't the case, I found an amazing campsite again using freecampsites.net, but it was a little out of the way.  Tucked away in the White Mountain National Forest just south of Gilead, Maine was a forest road with about six dispersed campsites after a quick survey of the available sites, I choose mine for the night and got set up.  This was the first night I began to worry about the wildlife, I had been in "bear country" for a while now, but this was the first day I had seen a bear while driving into camp.  This talk about bears is also the same night I decided to bring chips into the tent with me to snack while watching movies on the iPad.  I survived, no bear attacks, and only a couple of vehicles drove past early in the morning. 
The morning was a muggy and buggy, I was not ready to deal with the mosquitoes and try to cook at camp.

DAY 7 (Maine)
I packed up and headed to the nearest gas station, I cleaned up, gassed up, and grabbed a coffee and a muffin for a rolling breakfast.  I had tried to stop for meals and avoid eating while driving, one for the distraction part, two its hard to find healthy to-go breakfast from a gas station, and three, I had a fridge full of food.  Driving Highway 2 across Maine gave me my first glimpse into the remoteness of what I have now dubbed the Alaska of the lower 48. The Flora and Fauna, the low population, the remoteness, the smells, and the views, all of which made me miss my time in Alaska. Driving further and further north, I found it necessary when I stopped at a rest area for a lunch break, to put on pants.  The temps had dropped into the 60's and light rain, again reminiscent of Alaska weather, and I was already wearing a fleece jacket with my shorts. I got more than a few stares as I sat on my rear bumper eating a fresh sandwich in the rain.  Why has it become so foreign for a person to simply eat a meal outside of the driver's seat, have we all gotten to a point we can slow down for just five minutes.  Listen to me ramble on about slowing down as I'm covering hundreds of miles a day ha. Hello kettle, I am the pot...
Making my way into Fort Kent a couple of hours before David would be available to meet up gave me some much need time to explore this new territory of old Acadia.  Being a nice young Cajun boy, I knew a little about the Acadians, after all, "Cajun" is derived from "Acadian", say it with me, "oh, you Acadian"(oh, you are a Cajun), and we wonder why we need subtitles down south. Seeing the French influences all around and the similar mutual respect people have for each other certainly reminded me of the small communities I grew up in, in South Louisiana. 
Another interesting thing I began looking for at, was could I reach the farthest east point of the United States easily from where I was, what about the farthest point north? While technically I wasn't able to do either of those, I was able to visit Madawaska, the northernmost city in Maine, which is also home to one of the recognized four corners of the United States. Think of it as visiting the north northeastern-most point.
This area of Maine is supported by timber and paper mills and has seen a steady decline in population and a rise in the average age of residents.  Automation and efficiency while needed, have taken away many jobs and forced young adults to move on to find a living wage.  Now how did I learn this on such a short visit? Meeting with my old friend David and his wife provided me with so much information on the local community.  David and I spoke of old times and family life over the years, kids, divorce, living in Hawaii as young men and Marines.  I was able to find a connection with him that not even 25 years could interrupt.  While we have gone different places and directions in life, the bond of serving is strong.  We both find ourselves reserved, yet outgoing, protective yet willing to sacrifice for strangers, call it odd or call it respectable, either way, we like many other veterans can understand it. 
That evening David offered for me to spend the evening with him and his family which was absolutely appreciated, with both he and his wife needing an early start to the day, I kindly declined but accepted his invite to park in his driveway to camp.  This was my first-time driveway camping, but the weather was nice and cool, cell reception was great and I was able to get online to plan my next day's drive and watch a movie. Another great day in the books and my days were getting short to get back to Louisiana.

DAY  8 (New York)
With David departing for work early, I was up and loaded ready to say my see you later and express my gratitude for the hospitality.  Today was, after all, Lobstah Day…  Portland, Maine was the first destination for the day and a short five-hour jaunt.  Oh yeah, lobster for lunch.  My route had me following David out of town for about an hour, he told me I had a good chance to see a moose along the way and I was super excited.  I checked every turn and offshoot and no luck, I gone from the bottom to the top and back to the bottom and not seen a moose; next time I will stay longer. Making it into Portland I did a quick search to find a well-reviewed restaurant for a Lobster lunch, no need making the trip for bad food right. Portland Lobster Co. was at the top of the list and had no waiting at the bar, did I mention it was right on the water. Now, this isn't my first go at lobster, if had it many times and honestly, I find it very bland in flavor.  Hoping for a better result this time I ordered the lobster roll with a side of slaw and fries. My mom always told me to eat all my food, so I did, but not because it was the best thing I had ever eaten.  Again, bland lobster, dry slaw, I so could have used just a splash of crab boil seasoning and it would have had me asking for seconds.  With my meal falling into the category of merely calories to sustain life, it was time to push on, but where?
I had no idea where to next, I opted to drop down into Connecticut and possibly Rhode Island, eventually settling with skipping Little Rhode, sorry little guy, maybe next time.  As I found myself closer and closer to southwest Connecticut, I saw a black cloud appear on my GPS, NEW YORK CITY… I was in no way driving through, around or near the city so I quickly began searching options farther west.  This highly skilled obstacle avoidance led me to possibly one of my best mornings yet.
I found a campsite on freecampsites.net in the town of Shandaken, New York, in the Catskill National Park.  Catskill was another trigger word for me, like is this the Catskill Mountain range…  Silliness I know, but after a week on the road and hours upon hours alone, it was one of the things that jumped out at me, so I decided to give it a go.  The campsite was a bust, packed full of people, there was one site left and it was a hike in site.  It was after 9 PM and I opted to just park at the small roadside pull off for the campsite and sleep in the 4Runner.  This night alone has encouraged me to reconfigure my packing in future trips to allow a sleeping platform inside the truck versus only the rooftop tent.  Seriously though, go into your garage and through a bunch of random items on the floor and try to sleep on it all while the entire truck is listing to one side.  Not my favorite night sleep by far, but, out of all this, my greatest morning was about to unfold.

DAY 9 (Virginia)
I tossed and turned most of the night and finally decided at around 4:30 AM, I had had enough.  I climbed into the driver's seat from the back seat, not stepping outside as I noticed in the evening a bad odor, it wasn't me.  Turns out the previous site occupants had a clam bake or something and dumped all the clamshells on the side of the road and lucky me parked right on top of it all.  Heading out I found an open gas station again refueled and grabbed some coffee and a couple of bananas for breakfast. I know you're thinking, how is this the greatest morning ever?? The night prior, near the end of another long day, I happened to see a few road signs that read, "Woodstock".  Not thinking anything of it at the time and having no cell service for the night I couldn't do any research to even figure out if this were the real deal Woodstock related to the culture-changing music event of 1969.  Now, I am not old enough to have been born or even thought of in 1969, but I have seen my share of television shows and grew up hearing the music from that era as my father wouldn't let me ever change the radio dial(kidding, well maybe not). 
While sitting in the parking lot sipping warm over-sweetened coffee, I found my next location and it was not an hour away.  Bethel, New York, more specifically, Max Yasgur's dairy farm, the official site of Woodstock.  Some may know, originally planned for Wallkill, New York, the city refused to grant the organizers a permit thus forcing them to find an alternate venue.  When you research the event organizers and how it happened, it is a miracle it happened at all. I arrived at the farm which is now the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, it was amazingly well kept, with a roving security guard who happily talked with me for nearly 20 minutes. He pointed out areas where things were during the event and how far and wide the masses of people sprawled. He also told me I wasn't allowed to fly my drone over the property, so there went plans for epic video editing and merging of footage.  I spent nearly an hour in the early morning sunrise, magic hour as a photographer might call it, and amazing photos I did take.  On my way from the gas station, I pulled up a Woodstock playlist on Amazon Music as a way to open my thoughts by listening to the lyrics and what the artists were singing about, this coupled with the pure beauty of the venue made for a very special moment.  There I was, standing in the very field nearly half a million people stood just over 50 years ago.  I could only imagine the intensity and vibration which filled the air during that event.  With my final photos taken and my mind done wandering, it was time to head south. 
It was still incredibly early in the day, so I didn't even plan a destination right away, but I knew I wanted to get back into the Appalachians.  While heading southwest on Interstate 81 through Pennsylvania, I noticed Reddish Knob was again within my reach and my first pass through the area was too quick.  GPS adjusted and Reddish Knob, Virginia was the target and I could be there in about eight hours. Would this be my earliest arrival at a campsite, possibly?  I have said it in this journal, but my adventures are not made by sitting around a campsite seeing the see trees over for hours, I seek new trees, new sights, so no matter what time I got to Reddish Knob, I wasn't going to camp until nearly dark.
Arriving at Reddish Knob I immediately picked up where I left off exploring forest roads and trails in the area. One of the places I followed an old two-track trail all along the side of the hill and eventually it turned into a ridgeline trail, this location was beautiful.  Having camped on a ridgeline before, I know the consequences of falling for this beauty and that is the lack of windbreaks and rapidly changing weather. As the rain began to fall, I turned around and headed back to sturdier roads, no use getting stuck on the side of the hill or worst yet sliding to the bottom a couple of thousand feet below.
I drove for a couple of hours, dabbling on and off of the TAT, then found camp, I was excited for dinner as it was pizza night. An encore to my pizza lunch a few days earlier I was so ready to add a bit more to this pizza depending on what I had in the fridge after 8 days. Dinner was great, and the rain was minimal as I settled in for the evening.  My campsite was only about 70 yards from the roadway so there were a few vehicles throughout the night I was awoken by, outside of that it was a great spot. 
​
DAY 10 (North Carolina)
I know what you are thinking, "you only moved one state in a whole day?", not exactly, but yes.  Breakfast at camp went great again, I was able to shower out behind the 4Runner for a fresh and clean start to one of the strangest days of the trip. So I have this map on my 4Runner where I can put a sticker on the states I had visited in the 4Runner, having already missed Rhode Island and New Jersey(although I accidentally put the stick on the window), I opted to shoot across West Virginia, into Kentucky and then south into Tennessee/North Carolina area. This around the way navigating took some time and it turns out going a longer route using the interstate would get me to my destination quicker so I opted for the long way.  The area I had in mind is one my parents have visited several times, it's a place I often dreamed of visiting when I was an avid motorcyclist.  Deals Gap also known as the "Tail of the Dragon" is a super popular destination for motorcycles, sports cars, and just an awesome place to be.  US 129 is the official road name and it contains 318 curves within 11 miles and no intersecting roads to worry about traffic.  I promise in all 11 miles, you would be hard-pressed to find one mile of straight roadway.  If you aren't entering or exiting a curve, you are in the apex of one, staying in your lane is critical and can be a life or death decision for a passing motorcyclist. I posted a video to YouTube of my drive which took just over 20 minutes of hard braking, tire squealing action as I slung my pig of a 4Runner all over that road, trust me when I say I am glad I was alone on that drive.   
While this area is a haven for motorcycles, it also hosts many forest roads and options to get away from the pavement and exceedingly loud motorcycle exhausts.  I opted for a campsite a mile or so off the highway on a forest road, again the resource for finding this site was www.freecampsites.net.  I have to say, the website came in clutch several times, more than enough to say I will use it again.  This evening was another where I arrived at camp just before sunset and was able to get set up, cook a nice dinner (turkey burger w/bacon) and relax for a while.  Oddly enough I brought a camp chair, yet I never took it out of the 4Runner a single time, the rear bumper worked just fine for me. This was to be the final night of my adventure unless my trip the following day went awry.  I settled in for the night to the sound of a small nearby creek running and slept without waking a single time, it was one of the only nights I had slept through the night and it felt great.
DAY 11 (HOME)
The next morning, I woke with the sunrise and treated myself to a healthy breakfast as I still had quite a bit of food in the fridge. I headed back towards Deals Gap to pick up a few stickers and T-shirts for friends, then run the tail of the dragon the other direction to start my journey home.  The store opened at 8 AM and I was walking in soon after they flipped the sign and turned on the lights.  Roads were clear on the way back through the 318 curves, with only one police officer hiding in one of the many blind curves.  Luckily for me, there was no way I would be speeding in the loaded down 4Runner.  I wish I could tell you the drive home was exciting or that I couldn't wait to get home, but this simply isn't the case. It was the end of an adventure in which I had seen more things I could ever put in this journal, trust me, this is the condensed version. I pulled into my driveway around 5:30 PM having gained an hour due to changing back to Central Standard Time, it was officially over, except for the unpacking part.
 
 
CLOSING THOUGHTS
In all, I transited 17 states covering nearly 5800 miles in 11 days, I saw amazing sights, visited great friends even met a few along the way.  While many of my memories and experiences will fade in time, I'm ok with that, as long as I can go on another adventure to replace the fading memories with new ones. 
Many people I spoke with about my trip severely overestimated the cost of this trip, while I admit I didn't take notes or save receipts, my rough calculations for food, fuel and one night in a hotel was just over $1000.  Yes, I know this seems like a lot, fuel was the vast majority of my expense, let's face it, 14.8mpg isn't great.
I'll end this with a quote from John Krakauer and the movie "Into the Wild'. I feel this captures this adventure and my goal for future adventures.
"The very basic core of a man's living spirit is his passion for adventure. The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun. If you want to get more out of life, Ron, you must lose your inclination for monotonous security and adopt a helter-skelter style of life that will at first appear to you to be crazy. But once you become accustomed to such a life you will see its full meaning and its incredible beauty."
 
 
 
 
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WeBoost 4G-X OTR Review

5/31/2020

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weBoost 4G-X OTR

We are all tied to technology in some way or means, for me I work from home most of the year and my company requires me to have a means of communication and data to work on things at any time.  While this is normally a non-issue, there are those days where I would like to be on the road or out exploring.  On top of my work reasons, I also like to stay in touch with family and friends while I am out and about.  This is crucial for me as I often venture out solo.  It is for these reasons I felt it was time to try out the weBoost 4G-X OTR.

To be clear, I read and watched many different reviews out there and some of what I will tell you will absolutely echo what the others have said.  Where I will differ is by offering insight in how this device applies to off-roading/overlanding/camping where most other reviews you find are RV based or long haul “over the road” truckers. 
Wilson Electronics is the creator of weBoost, Wilson has been producing quality products for many years and this product is no different.  I didn’t find a single part of the kit to be subpar, everything included was well labeled and properly packaged. Let’s get into the business end of this review.

Installation:
Installation for me was done while I was out and about in the Lincoln National Forest of New Mexico.  I did my own install on a 2017 Toyota 4Runner with nothing more than a few hand tools.  While the kit comes with a mount for a tractor trailer exterior mirror, it would also work on a small diameter roof rack rail.  Most of you will have to think about the mounting on your own rig dependent on what you have.  I opted for an Antenna Mount which attaches to my rear lift gate, thus removing any issues with mounting to my roof rack.  This is a mount I have been using for years with my GMRS radio antenna on the opposite side of my lift gate with no issue’s sans a little rust on the bolts.

After test fitting my mount and determining how many extensions I would need on the antenna, I attached the cable side exit fitting(required for spring use) and mounted the spring(tree branches) using a small amount of thread locker(blue loc-tite) included in the kit.  I affixed the mount to the lift gate and then loosely mounted the antenna.  As I routed the external antenna cable into the interior of the 4Runner I realized the amount of cable included would severely limit my ability to hide the wiring cleanly and/or reach my preferred mounting location(inside the center console). With this issue noticed early, I opted to simply run the cable through the cabin out of the way, but not tucked into the headliner as I had planned. The internal antenna would be much easier.

For the small internal antenna, they provide a small strip of adhesive back Velcro or a more permanent double-sided tape option for mounting.  I opted for the double side tape and placed the antenna between my battery gauges on my Ovens Design Ram Mount Dash Kit. This option put me well within the recommended 18-32-inch bubble for optimal signal boost.  I quickly removed the dash, tucked the wire and routed it under the cent console and into the rear passenger floor board area where I opted for temporary placement of the weBoost device due to lack of external antenna wire length.
From here it was super simple, screw on both antenna, the device is well labeled so no chance of mixing them up, plug in the provided power supply and route it between the seats to the cigarette lighter in the dash. Now some of you are thinking of a more permanent power supply versus the cigarette lighter plug, I am as well. 

The important thing to remember is the weBoost system is not intended to be running all the time.  The included power supply has a handy on/off switch on the plug making it quick to turn it off when signal is sufficient.  Now you are asking, it’s a booster why do I need to turn it off, why not just boost my four bars of LTE coverage here in town?  Unfortunately, when you try to boost a strong signal, the weBoost for reasons unknown to me(I’m lacking the technical knowledge to explain) will actually reduce the signal strength.  I believe this is due to competing signals in your device’s internal antenna.  This is why if you plan to hard wire it in, you must have an on/off switch. I plan to run mine with my SwitchPro and eliminate the exposed wiring completely. 

Recommendations for install:
Figure out your external antenna mounting first.
Be prepared to purchase an RG58 extension, weBoost has them in 10ft lengths or like I did, Amazon had a 6 ft length.(more cable contributes to more signal loss)

BUT DOES IT WORK!!
Yes, it absolutely does increase cell signal when you have little to none.  Another MUST know portion.  WeBoost cannot create a signal!  If you are in an area where there is zero cellular coverage then weBoost will not miraculously give you a signal.  This is covered in many other reviews but it has to be stated as some still don’t understand.  You can also experience a situation where the weBoost will simply not properly power on if you place the external and internal antenna too close together, the system will recognize this and give you an orange light letting you know something isn't correct.

I am the guy who drops way-points via Gaia GPS while driving down a trail and I get cell signal after having none for hours.  I use these way points for my hikes from camp at times.  I’ll get camp set up and head off for a mile-long hike to send a text to my family letting them know I am all good.  Now I can just turn on the weBoost and often tap into that signal and send the message from camp, leaving the hiking for sightseeing.  I have recently tested my weBoost in the Lincoln National Forest near Weed, NM, on the top of the Capitan Mountains, NM and even right here in Bossier City, LA.  It works. 

HOW MUCH WILL IT BOOST?
I normally get a boost of a few bars on my iPhone X.  Let’s say you have 3 bars of 4G, it may push you up to a bar or two LTE.  Another thing I want to point out in closing, the weBoost isn’t just to boost cell signal for making phone calls, it also provides a boost for data connectivity.  As pictured below, I travel with an iPad for navigation.  My iPad is a sixth generation with cellular and Wi-Fi and what I have found is the iPad has a more powerful internal antenna and is able to use the boost from the weBoost even in instances where my phone showed zero signal. Could be worth getting a small tablet versus depending on a cell phone only.
 
WOULD I RECOMMEND?
Overall, I believe the weBoost is a solid functioning system and when used properly and within its limitations, it will deliver a boost to cellular and data signal.  I would absolutely recommend and actually just this morning was talking to a friend about installing one of the weBoost products on his RV.  If the install is well thought out this is one of those products that you’ll be glad you have it when you need it.
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A Solo Adventure

5/27/2020

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​21 May – 26 May 2020

Bossier City, La – Greenville, TX – Sacramento Mountains via Weed, NM – Alamogordo, NM -  Capitan Mountains via Capitan, NM

Day 1
               So, where to begin this quick escape into discovery and solo travel.  Let’s start at home.  Another week of sitting at home while the rest of the world is in a pseudo state of quarantine/social distancing, I found myself with a long weekend and needed to figure out what I was going to do.  My kids were busy, my friends(very small group), couldn’t clear their schedules on such short notice, so I was going solo.  I first looked to head back into the Ouachita NF and/or the Ozark NF as I had done just a couple weeks ago.  Remembering the struggles with cell signal my last trip, I on a whim asked if anyone had a WeBoost system I could pick up in person before heading out. I’ll save the details on the WeBoost for another write up when I have tested it further. Ryan Hitchcock of CB Adventure Supply had one inbound on Friday the 22nd at his Ft Worth store.  This is where my adventure started to take shape. After changing my direction of travel from North to West, I figured I would keep moving West for this trip.  I was extremely eager to get moving and didn’t want to waste a day, so Scott Phillips graciously offered me a place to crash for the night of the 21st.  Being in Greenville I figured a quick trip to Ft Worth to grab the goods and be on my way. I packed the 4Runner in record time and got on the road to Greenville and a dinner date with the Phillips family minus his two boys. After a very short evening of great conversation and a pretty good fajita dinner it was shower, sleep and get ready for the long Friday ahead. 

Day 2

               Friday morning was a quick flurry out the house and a stop with Scott for some IHOP.  After breakfast, Scott shuffled to work and I headed for the Ft Worth area in an attempt to locate the hidden gem CB Adventure Supply.  A little trial and error but I found the shop and was met by Libby Hitchcock, who was expecting me and told me no luck, Fed Ex had not arrived.  I knew from previous conversation I would be waiting for the FedEx delivery to get to the shop before I could be on my way again.  Libby was busy organizing the amazing storefront, which for adventuring guy like me, I would equate it to a kid in a candy store.  I must have browsed the shelves a dozen times, convincing myself I needed a Garmin InReach then talking myself out of it amongst other things(Maxtrax).  I had a few goodies picked out and ready for when the WeBoost arrived.  After bugging Libby for a while, the big white truck showed up and just like that, my toy pile got larger and bank account smaller.  It was now around 1pm and I had to get on the road and out of the Texas heat.  I pulled up Waze to get me out of the concrete jungle and West I went.

               Ok, time for a quick proclamation… I do not sit and study areas for weeks to plan routes, stops, camp sites and bathroom breaks.  I prefer to let the adventure unfold before me, I strive in chaos and feel extremely trapped and bottle up by schedules and timelines. Please do not confuse this as I don’t want to go with you on your fully planned and prepped trip, I will gladly follow.  Now with that out the way, I programmed Weed, NM into Waze and the journey was on.  As the miles clicked on and the sun began to set, I was gifted with another hour when I left Central Standard Time for Mountain Standard Time crossing the border into New Mexico.  Traveling in west Texas along US 380 through some one stoplight towns, leave a lot to the imagination.  I mean why doesn’t someone paint those pumpjacks and windmills different colors, maybe a glow in the dark windmill, now that would brighten up the drive in that area. Tired and ready to get out of the saddle, I arrived in Weed, NM and Waze let me know, “you have reached your destination”, oh how I wished that were true. 

               Into the Lincoln National Forest I pushed, cattle guards and gates lined the roadway as I piloted higher and higher, finally at 8236ft of elevation, I found a spot where I wouldn’t be surrounded by cattle in middle of the night.  This forest very different from the Ouachita and Ozark I had recently visited, not only were campsites not well marked, it was silent, not a cricket, a frog, nothing.  I swear it was so quiet, I could hear the saliva bubbles in my mouth bursting.  I fell quickly asleep as it was near midnight and a crisp 48 degrees. 

Day 3

               The previous nights camp was a good spot for a weary traveler, but not exactly where I wanted to stay.  I packed camp early, skipped breakfast and was on trail by 7am, and I am so glad I was.  Using Gaia GPS with MVUM (USFS), NatGeo Trails Illustrated and Gaia Topo layers turned on I was knocking off trail after trail and finding the beauty of the forest I wasn’t able to see driving in at dark. Wow, truly a breath-taking forest. In total I had to have mapped more than 30 miles this day, all while spotting wildlife around every turn.  Elk, deer, turkey, fox and coyote were either crossing the road in front of me or grazing quietly just off the roadway.  Another intriguing thing about this part of the Lincoln is the number of pull behind RVs folks had drug down into the woods. Albeit, these were on maintained Forest Roads, guess I just wasn’t expecting to see so many.  I stopped scouting and mapping at nearly noon to have lunch and install my new WeBoost cell signal booster and to give the map a good look to see where I would camp for the night.  Post lunch and with new found cellular coverage, I reached out to a friend John, who happens to live in the area and was super helpful with trail information and an offer to meet for a beverage and dinner.  John also asked if I wanted to join him in scouting a trail which he only knew as to be described as a “hard” trail, of course I wouldn’t turn this down.  But first, I needed to find camp for the night.  During conversation with John he recommended for me to take Forest Road 90, known to the locals as the “West Side Rd”, north to the city of High Rolls, NM.  I was at a half tank of fuel and needed to emerge from the woods so using this trail, I was able to work backwards and complete a route to put me on trail and ready to meet John the next day.  I found camp on the West Side Rd easily and was sitting at 7500 ft elevation for the night.  I set up camp around 4pm, lounged around in the hammock for a while and even dozed off for a few minutes.  Dinner that afternoon was a burger with chips as well as a Feisty Blonde courtesy of HOP Fusion Ale works in Ft Worth. It was either the fatigue of travel, disrupted sleep or the 8.27% alc/vol, but I was in bed at 7pm.  Man, I’m showing my age, old man needs his sleep.

Day 4

               Mmm, a delicious breakfast and coffee this morning, now that’s how to start a day on the trails. Anxious to see messages from John about our meeting for the day, I packed up camp and started north again on the West Side Rd.  John had made mention that there would be some great views along the way, including White Sands National Park.  Have to be honest right here, I had no idea White Sands was in this area… Like I said, I am not the guy looking beyond the windshield.  News from John came in via text and wasn’t great, his coworkers that wanted to meet and run the trail with us hadn’t responded to a meet up time.  No worries, it was early and I had plenty of time.  One thing I didn’t have plenty of was fuel, now creeping under a half a tank I needed to get to town.  John told me the town of High Rolls were the trail met with the highway had fuel station but he believed it to have closed down.  The next closest town was Cloudcroft, but Alamogordo was about the same distance and the direction of the trail we were going to run.  Into Alamogordo I went, beautiful small town with a population just over 30K in 2018.  I fueled up and called John, he wanted to wait until “later” to hit the trail.  Well, later to me, the guy roaming around a new city meant, “time to check out White Sands!!”  Let me tell you, the excitement was short lived... Damn you Covid-19...  White Sands National Park was closed.  As I cruised the highway looking out into the vast openness, I realized I couldn’t see a darn thing lol.  I did find and open gate that had markings like, “Keep gate closed by order of State Police”, “This area monitored by Holloman AFB Security Forces”, that second one and I was thinking to myself, ‘”I am going in this gate”, so I did.  Turns out it leads to the overlook for Holloman AFB waste water lakes. Only now while typing this did I learn the state of New Mexico was/is preparing to sue the Air Force to force closure of the publicly accessible lake due to “high concentration of hazardous chemicals”, good thing I just snapped a few pictures and left.

               Beginning to feel like I was losing a day of exploration, I decided to drive around the small town of Alamogordo and see what life is like for the locals.  Well, that didn’t take long now did it lol.  I texted John and asked if he was up for a visit as I was running out of things to do in town.  I rolled up to John’s place and we chatted for a while as we hadn’t seen each other since last September and a lot of stuff can happen in that amount of time.  All caught it up, it was time to make tracks.  John took lead and we headed off road onto the most difficult trail of the trip, I mean I actually had to engage 4wd.  We jumped off highway 82 and proceeded to climb a ridgeline trail up to just over 7000ft with the most amazing view of Alamogordo and White Sands.  This place was to be my camp site for the night, I mean 100yds from my camp was a launch site for hang gliders.  It was pretty awesome sharing this experience with John as he had never been to this point before as well.  We decided earlier to take a late lunch in Cloudcroft and I reluctantly drove away from the camp site thinking to myself, “this will be occupied by the time I get back”.  With the current state of affairs due to Covid-19, New Mexico has not yet opened restaurants for dining in, all services are take away only.  We decided on the Old Apple Barn Wild Game Bistro & Market and convinced the ladies inside to let us eat on John’s tailgate and not chase us off the property.  The Bison burger and Mountain fries were a belly filling serving after the last couple days of small camp meals.  We talked more than we ate, we spoke on life, dating after 40, employment struggles, financial stability and overall, how we were finding our way.  This talk was one I didn’t take lightly, it was profound as in that moment I felt, good, with my decisions in the past.  Decisions that have up till now have given me everything from happiness to heartache and everything in between.  It was also in this moment I realized my camping and off-road adventures were not what I did to escape from people or go “off the grid”, what I was doing was finding answers, seeking opportunities vs running from them.  John and I parted ways, him to work on his dryer and me to grab my epic camp site.  We left with a commitment to meet again on yet an even greater scale as we conquer a trail farther west.

               I quickly made tracks back to the camp site and to my surprise it was empty.  A little further up the ridgeline trail was a couple in a 4Runner out metal detecting, for what I have now idea, but I did over hear him state he had found a lot of bottle tops.  Just a little further was a group of hang gliders perched and ready to take off.  I’m guessing the wind was never how they needed it, as the never launched. I leveled out my 4Runner and set up of the evening.  The site had good cell signal so I FaceTimed my daughter in Florida to see how she was doing and to let her know I was good and looking at one of the most spectacular sights I had seen in a while.  We chatted while I set up my GoPro for a time-lapse of the sunset, which sadly I started it too early and the GoPro battery gave out a bit early. I was able to get some great photos and learn a little about shutter speeds and ISO settings while trying to get the best shots I could with an iPhone and a GoPro.  Once settled in to camp for the night, I took advantage of the cell signal and watched a couple episodes of Tales from the Loop on Amazon Movies.  I went to sleep feeling confident in where I was on my journey and knowing there was more to come, but where? 

Day 5

               Around 3am the winds up on the ridgeline took a turn and came in from a different direction than I had situation my tent for.  I was now taking wind gust of around 20 mph, broadside.  After weathering the wind for a while, I decided my highly anticipated sunrise wouldn’t happen on the ridge.  Disappointed but enjoying the ever-changing dynamics of the trip, I loaded up and headed down the trail.  I returned to Alamogordo to study my maps, top off fuel and grab a coffee.  John had pointed out a peak the day prior while we were on the trail, he pointed and said that over there is Sierra Blanca.  I grabbed the iPad and opened Gaia GPS, I notice another section of Lincoln National Forest northeast of Sierra Blanca called the Capitan Mountains, I identified a route and set off.  This route I quickly found out, traversed the Mescalero Apache Lands.  I was greeted by signs listing certain roads that were closed to non-tribal members. I verified my route was clear and continued on passing through more amazing areas which reminded me of Sedona, Arizona.  The temps were in the lower 40’s, deer grazing in front yards and relatively light traffic, made for a great drive. 

                Driving through the small town of Capitan I noticed lots of signs for the famous Smokey Bear, as I was nearly out of town, I saw a sign identifying Capitan as the birthplace of Smokey Bear.  Sure enough, a quick internet search and the information is there about the rescued bear from the Capitan Gap Fire. To me this wouldn’t have been so cool had I known about before passing through. While I didn’t make note of what time I arrived at the National Forest, it was still early in the day, around 8:30 on a WAG. Being back on gravel roads, I aired down to keep the ride as comfortable as possible.  Airing down proved to be a wise choice later in the day.  This area had suffered a fire recently as there was signage posted advising to use caution for falling trees, rocks and debris. In 2019 the Pine Lodge Fire burned a good bit of the Capitan Mountain range and areas were still recovering.

             As I traveled up to Capitan Pass on County Road C001, I opted to not take the pass, but to use FSR 56 to climb the mountain up to highest point one could reach by vehicle.  This road was mountainside and rough with a great view straight down the mountain lol.  I managed the road easily in 4H but it could very likely be done in 2WD.  I annotated several campsites will traveling the road, but several were very near a vista with little protection from wind and after the night prior I was not wanting to deal with that again.  I met a couple in a Sand colored Tacoma from Texas, the flagged me down as the y were heading down the mountain after spending what they called an amazing night in an Aspen filled meadow.  They told me where I could find the site and with a quick word of thanks and well wishes they were headed down the mountain.  I got back on the trail, found the amazing meadow and dropped a pin in Gaia. It was still early and I wanted to map as much of the area that I could before calling it a day.  I worked my way in and out of off shooting trails that were blocked or just simply ended.  When I reached the end of the road there was a sign for a hiking trail to the true summit of Capitan Peak at 10049ft, although my GPS showed me at 10145ft at the end of the road.  The area was filled with antenna, solar panels, a couple buildings and generators roaring.  Most of this was label for telecom and such but it wasn’t very tidy. Filled with trash from years of work and repairs in the area, old pipes, rebar, broken solar panels were amongst the normal trash people tend to leave behind.  While there is a campsite here, I opted to avoid the hum of the generators and headed back down the mountain to the meadow.

               Arriving back at the meadow I made camp and settled in for a great day, or so I thought. I found the altitude was kicking my butt, shortness of breath just doing the simplest things.  I also realized I wasn’t very hungry and had been fighting a headache most of the morning(I attributed to lack of sleep), to add fuel to the fire, diarrhea was trying to join the party.  Now, I am a frequent flyer for work and never leave home without over the counter meds to address all these issues.  I took my meds and decided to watch a little more Tales from the Loop and maybe take a short nap. After two trips down the ladder to dig a hole, I realized a nap wasn’t going to happen. I was curious as to why I was feeling ill, as I normally have a great appetite. Turns out, Altitude sickness fits the bill, coming from sea level and camping near or above 8000ft for the past couple days and now at 9600ft was taking its toll on me physically.
The weather was changing quickly, one minute I was in a cloud, the next it was sunshine.  I was even sitting in BB sized hail for a few minutes.  I have heard about high altitude weather and how quickly it could change but I had checked the weather report earlier and was only 20 percent chance of light rain.  Figuring that was my luck and I’m getting the full 20 percent right then.  I climbed back into then tent once again and this time had actually dozed off.  7:20pm, a loud and clear boom of thunder woke me like I had never woken before.  There was no rain so I thought maybe that was all it would be, then it happened again. Boom. I was able to find one bar of cell service to get a weather update and slowing the map updated to show a couple of thunderstorms had formed northwest of my location and were looking to just pass to the north, hopefully.  I made the decision to err on the side of safety and leave my amazingly peaceful campsite and head down the mountain. 

               This decision also meant my adventure was coming to an end.  I made my way down the mountain second guessing my choice, wondering if it would clear and be the most breath-taking morning view with Elk grazing in the meadow just a hundred feet away from my camp.  I didn’t turn around, go down the main highway and aired up my tires ready for the journey home.  It was once again time for Gaia GPS to step aside and allow Waze to get me home safely. I stopped in Brownfield, TX at a Holiday Inn as I was physically drained and need sleep before pushing the last 8 hours back to Bossier City, LA. 

Day 6

The wrap up…
               Just your normal eight-hour drive where you can see the vastness that is west Texas.  I used this time to process my adventure and things I learned along the way.  A few notes to take away from my adventure:

People; I don’t like social distance, I enjoy people, but at controlled doses.

Technology; I enjoy it and will use it to enhance my adventures.  My cellphone doesn’t tether me to a world I can’t turn off, I mean it comes with an option to turn it off, do it.

Gear; I over pack and know I do. I am OK with it.

Semper Gumby; Always be flexible.
 
         In closing, I had an amazing trip covering nearly 2000 miles, I made memories,  said hello to old friends and enjoyed discovering so many cool things about the world we live in.  Beyond all the photos and video, beyond this journal of my trip, the things that are most impactful are the things not visible.  The internal works of self-discovery are different for everyone but when you can find yourself or even small answers to those questions you don’t normally speak about, it is powerful and uplifting.  I haven’t answered all my questions, not by a long shot.  I will continue my trips, or adventures I like to call them, and I will continue to avoid over planning and enjoy the trip for what it is.  But what about the things I missed on this trip that I could have seen or done?  Well, I guess I’ll have to go on another adventure until I find the things I missed…
 
 

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    Author

    Lance Taylor, just a guy who loves the outdoors, adventures and has too much in his head to keep contained.

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