I present the hilarious and quite witty Katie Willert (plus for some reason I've always liked the name Katie, well that was until a charge nurse named Katie started hating me for eating tacos instead of clocking into work...that's a long story from years ago. If you dig for it you may find it in here some place..)
I heard about "Cracked!" on a separate podcast (I think) checked them out and then looked up their videos that's where I saw her on "After Hours" a funny look at modern media. Click the link and check it out.
Anyways when ever I do this I'd like to show some video of the IGF so here ya go:
That's it for IGFW #2
Summer is here and I am between residences. I am trying to find a place close to the campus while I am laying low due to familial tensions. Currently I am playing the role of middle aged loser and crashing at my mother's place (face palm) and although this gets me closer to old neighborhood friends and work it's still a bummer. This explains the current uptick in IGFW. Cause seriously women don't date middle aged guys who live with their mother and for good reason, it being plain creepy and weird being despite the reason being primary factors. I don't wanna get bummed so I'll drop that train of thought right there.
I should be riding more but I have not because I have lacked the motivation to get up early to ride. It's in the mid-90's now here in the Atl-metro area and riding is best done in the early morning. I have to admit it though I just like sleeping in. Also I have been studying for my final in my summer class. I want to do well there to press up that GPA after a ok spring semester.
My arm is at about 90% now enough now that I can sleep an lie on it with no pain. I don't baby it as much so I should make the effort to go ride a couple of times a week. I'll remedy that soon. I have plans in a few weeks to head up to WNC again this time to spend a week up at NOC and Tsali then back over to Psigah and Bryson City for the Burning Can. Camping and the event are not cheap so I am currently trying to shuffle funds around to afford gas and bills off my paltry EMT check.
Yeah...yeah I know the imiginary girlfriend thing should be on Thursdays. I gotta work thursday so i moved it to wednesday. Besides I could not hold back with this incredible woman. Monica Bellucci:
Oh and just to make my point further she's the oldest Bond Woman ever at 50.
Any who that's what I got for ya today. Thanks for reading
The trouble with a sweet spot that is not so legal is that you run the chance of rousing suspicion of a local if you stay too long. After 3-4 nights in this really nice spot I was rousted by the USFS Ranger. It was actually pretty funny because I was doing nothing illegal and had nothing illegal in the truck or no my person. The only REAL thing I had done wrong was park in front of a gate to a grown over FS road that dead ended (I know because I hiked it to make sure.)
The USFS Ranger was HIGHLY suspicious. Apparently a local. I'll call him Hoyt (this was the sticker in this dudes truck window) Saw me hanging out in this spot during a down pour of rain. I suppose he thought I was doing something illegal since I am tattooed up and have a fabulous beard. I had gotten up early that morning and rode Bennett's Gap. Which let me say is a hoot on the sections I did ride the rest was big hit bike dare devil shit I'd only attempt if there was a trauma team on stand by and a rescue chopper flying over head.
The climb back up to the truck was a small challenge but not a total lung or leg buster. I washed off ate a late b-feast and swilled the beer left over in my growler (Backwoods Blonde). All done before 11am (and on a sunday morning...oh my!) which was when the bottom dropped out and it rained like hell for about an hour. During that time "Hoyt" drove by in his pick up truck not once but twice both times I smiled big and waved as I do with most folks out in the back woods. "Hoyt" slowed WAY down the second time and gave me the stink eye. About an hour later the ranger shows up.
Now I don't care I had already bathed and brushed my teeth. I was sitting in the drivers side of the truck with the engine running to charge some electronics and so the battery won't die on the truck. Besides it's been on and off raining so i'm not making the effort to sit at or on the tailgate and eat.
The Ranger was nice but naturally a bit suspicious. He was sniffing all around the truck and I was honest with him. I was hanging out staying out of the rain. It was a good spot, I had ridden Bennett's gap and just wanted to enjoy the day out in the woods. I gave him my ID and told him I had been all over WNC the last few days camping here and there. Mountain Biking and Hiking and enjoying the area. Now I did not tell him I had been in this same spot for the last few days. He asked me if I was cultivating natural products which got a big laugh out of me because I had never dreamed of such a thing. He also asked me if I planned on setting up residence there in the area.
Interesting question that. I had noticed at least 4-5 other sites that were semi-perm in the area. The rules are you can spend 14 days in a site in a particular area then move on. Never leaving your gear for more than 24 hours. Understandable. I have seen and heard about a lot of climbers and semi-perm outdoorsy types bending and outright breaking this rule. Meh to each their own. I was (and still am) considering this very thing because of certain family tensions.
I laughed and told him no again and offered to move on ASAP because truly I did not want any trouble. The Ranger says move on when you're ready but I should b/c of access issues with the gate (which again blocks a overgrown road that dead ends) I said alright and wished him well and to have a safe day. I gave him 10 minutes then loaded the bike and split.
The Ranger was looking for something highly illegal. The worst I was doing was "camping" in a illegal site blocking an access gate. I would have gotten a ticket at the worst. I was just glad he did not catch me doing the shower in the rain earlier. That would have been hard to explain.
I saw "Hoyt" on the way out and smailed and waved real big to him. My feeling was that I was in a spot he wanted to be in he was prob a poacher or a small marijuana patch cultivator freaked out that I was there and used the ranger (smartly I must add) to move me away.
I did not mind because it led me to a better site YG 13 over on another FS road several miles down the road. There I stayed another couple of nights and split for the ATL this morning I was back in the 404 area code by noon.
I was going to ride Dupont this morning and my arm was giving me probs when I got up and decided against it. I got in 3 rides and a few hikes so I am happy. I REALLY don't want nor need more right arm probs. Frankly I am relieved that my arm lasted 10 days on the road sleeping in the back of the truck with hardly any pain.
The trip for June is over. I got work on Thursday and Friday then I have to start studying for my summer class final at the end of the month. The good news is that I HAVE to go back up to WNC in a few weeks for a CE EMT class and it just so happens that the day the class ends is when "The Burning Can" revs up in Brevard, NC.
I'm going to try to talk a buddy of mine into going cause he LOVES Oskar Blues (and what's not to like?) we'll see. That's about it for the trip. Stay tuned more to come. Thanks for reading.
I gotta say that modern wireless technology amazes me sometimes. I would have never imagined that I would have gotten to blog from a remote area such as this. I will make it a point NOT to name the spot because I would'nt want people to get ideas and want to set up in the same spot.
I did some small loops over in dupont state forest a couple of days ago. A lot of my time was spent route finding because I did not have a map and I had to keep pulling out my cell phone to make sure I was going in the right direction according to the MTB project app from the IMBA. Dupont is a great MTB area. Wildly popular in the fall months with the covered bridges waterfalls and turning leaves. Nice area.
Pisgah well it's awesome too. I have done some hiking over there as well not near the challenge of the AT in GSMNP fun in it's own right because I did not see one single person the whole time I was on this unnamed trail in pisgah.
I've woken up to sore calves and been happy with the aches and pains as of late because I've earned them. Tomorrow is going to be a jaunt down Bennetts pass and a climb back up to the truck. I need to tell myself EARLY START...EARLY START! Because it's the weekend and the trails tend to get crowded here fast.
I've done my laundry and did a little grocery shopping for necessary items (I ran out of coffee) I admit it I like the area. Mountain towns are the best! I do dread going back to Atlanta. I left from there like a jail break because if I did not get away fast my family situations would have hampered if not stopped my trip from happening. I digress I won't even start down that emotional hole.
I've been very happy and content sitting in my little FS roadside spot drinking beer and mulling life over while reading or the occasional podcast when reception is JUST right. If the FS rangers did not mind I'd live right here no problem.
I'll be back up this way in a little over a month which is good enough for me. In the mean time I got 3-4 more days of mountain time which will include the fore mentioned mountain biking, hiking, beer swilling and enjoying the pleasant mountain weather in the Pisgah National Forest. Well the battery is getting low on the old lap top and there is another cold beer waiting for me in the cooler. Now it is the time to dream of beautiful mountain women and the wonder they behold. Thanks for reading.
Well I'm on the road sweet road. Been so since Saturday. I'm sitting in the oskar blues brewery in Brevard, NC. The bar tender has been kind enough to let me set up and finish my paper for my summer class and use their internets to do so. It helps to have great beer and have a feeling of the mountains and Colorado.
I'm starting this with the knowledge of having a break to do the brewery tour and get a bite to eat. I'm taking a day off from activity because I knew after a day of MTB and hiking I was pushing my luck with my right arm. My right arm I THINK is doing well not the mind searing pain of a few (now) months ago. I was able to do the RH loop at Tsali (appox 14 miles) with no problem. The exception being that I got caught in a huge down pour that rivaled anything I encountered on Guam. In fact there has been so much rain on sunday and monday I have considered doing this:
I've done that in the past with about the same result. I'll stop here for the brew tour. Be back in a few.
So this is back in a few. Did the tour of the Oskar Blues brewery at Brevard NC. Often I'm like this in life:
Right now I'm about to stand up in a chair and clap and yell until my hands bleed. I've toured a few breweries in the past but this by far shows the Colorado attitude I left behind years ago. I'm usually outwardly reserved right now I'm about to jump out of my skin!
We'll leave that for another post the tour and all. I'll make it simple I'm impressed. It would not be a stretch to see me moving up this way in the future. it's fucking better than the ATL by a long shot.
So lets get to the last few days.
I left the ATL like a jail break. In fact my leaving so fast has left me at a loss in some spots and cost me nearly 50 bucks. I forgot my North Carolina atlas and my various guides to the area. This has left me floundering at certain points. Last night would be a great case in point.
Leaving GSMNP I knew I wanted to get to pisgah national forest from the park. My landmark was the very opulent and dare I say amazing ingles in Mills river NC. Which I thought was in Hendersonville.
Insert face palm
In this day and age you should never get 'lost' with GPS yet I did. I got to the ingles in hendersonville no prob. Trouble it was not the one I needed. So I GPS the ingles in Pisgah national forest. That sent me an 90 minutes away in a horrible down pour in the totally wrong direction.
I blame noone except myself. I did not double check anything and besides I did not have my trusty NC road atlas with me. I damn near ended up in Boone NC before I caught my mistake. In my defense I was exhausted after spending over 8 hrs hiking part of the AT in GSMNP over some fairly rough terrain. I admit I was not thinking clearly. My right knee was hurting I ran out of water and I had a small fall onto my right arm which shook me a little.
I wound up a long ways away from where I needed to be at nearly 2300 at night (11pm for you regular types out there) I was almost in newland NC. I was angry and embarrassed with myself. I knew where I needed to be and that because of the nature and weather of the area I wanted to be in the mountain roads maybe blocked by blow down and snags.
Once I caught my mistake I retraced my route and ended back up where I intended in the first place. Which was only 20 minutes from my original fuck up. I went up the familiar forest service road beside the said awesome Mills River ingles. Seriously I could live in that place. At 0100 (1am) I was up on the mountain looking for a parking spot. Which is a challenge because all the good spots are taken and the better one are blocked by the snags and road debris further up the FS road.
I ended up saying "Fuck It" and parking in front of a forest service gate where I should not park in the first place. I could have cared less. my FS sin was not noticed and after a very restful 8 hrs sleep awoke to a dry morning.
I have "poached" sleeping sites for the last two nights. Tsali was great because noone checked the lot on a end of the weekend night and I got left in peace. I should have stayed in the tsali area and parked down by the water.
Anywho I ended up in a ok spot and tonight I'll try to find a place that is semi-level so I can at least turn on the lights that I bought that I wanted to go with my yeti 150. the yeti 150 was bought because I wanted power to run my electronics and maybe a fan when it got balls hot in the bed of the truck. The portable fan works AMAZING and keeps me VERY comfy through the night not draining the yeti 150 past 60 %. Gone are the worries of a dead battery to the truck in the AM.
I have spent my day at the oskar blues brewery (Brevard) to wrap up a paper for my summer class respond to posts for that class. I also made in roads into maybe getting into the brewing industry in the future since I have a decent since back ground and don't care about leaving the medical industry much any more.
The riding and hiking out here has been great despite the weather. I plan on going into dupont forest on thursday giving my body an extra day of rest. The people here are wonderful esp to a curmudgeon like me. Money is tight I figure I can prob make it back to ATL after the weekend if need be. I have enough food. As with all dirt bags on the road gas is always a concern.
Here are some pics from the road. I apologize from the lack of photos I tend to want to live the moment rather than record it:
More to follow I gotta bail get some food in me at the truck and find a spot to sleep in tonight. Thanks for reading.
