We’re On The Road And Off The Grid

A White Van and a Black Dog

Raven’s Point (Blue Ridge, Virginia)

Dear friends and readers – my apologies for not posting this note sooner, but extraordinary events have sapped my focus, time, and energy.

As most of you already know, Bouy and I  left our Bordentown home on Easter Sunday – under Obama HUD mortgage insurance policy and Wall Street Hedge Fund rules – to set forth on an epic adventure. We’re bound away!:

Oh, Shenandoah, I long to hear you
Look away, you rollin’ river
Oh, Shenandoah, I long to hear you
Look away, we’re bound away
Across the wide Missouri. ~~~ Shenandoah, Paul Robeson version

We camped in the Pinelands on Sunday night to begin our voyage, a great symbolic and spirit boost.

Since then:

I’ve been flyin’
down the road,
And I’ve been starvin’ to be alone,
And independent from the scene
that I’ve known.

So I’ll stop when I can,
Find some fried eggs
and country ham.
I’ll find somewhere where
they don’t care who I am. ~~~ Albuquerque, Neil Young

Compton Peak, Shenandoah National Park

We hope to post every now and then, when we can find the motivation, WiFi and time to do so.

Frankly, I haven’t felt much like reading or writing lately, being pretty much overwhelmed by the landscape and challenges of living on the road.

I’ve been day hiking and camping in Shenandoah NP, St. Mary’s Wilderness Area in George Washington National Forest, and Pisgah National Forest. SNP Rangers were reluctant to give me a wilderness camping pass because I basically have been using AT trailheads as base camps.

The mountain weather has been harsh (cold, windy, fog, rain). Elevation drives the leaf out – lower elevation trees are leafed out – white dogwoods abound – but its like winter at the top. I’m maybe 2 weeks from prime bloom of wildflowers and walls of rhododendron, tulip, and dogwood that dominate. I’ve see lots of wild turkey, deer and came across a black bear cub in a tree (photo not downloaded yet, still working out the kinks of charging and using all the electronics).

Update – here’s that black bear cub up the tree:

Shenandoah NP Big Meadows had a wonderful history of the CCC and the Park at the visitor center. (and I have incredible shots I haven’t downloaded yet and will post in future).

Update – here’s some park photos:

Right now I’m in Asheville, NC – after visiting the Southern Highlands Craft Guild (superb!!) and the Thomas Wolfe museum, I’m writing from a funky old bar called The Southern.

Update – photos:

If you’d like to support our epic toad trip, or if you’ve enjoyed or benefited from our work, please consider providing a financial contribution – you can make a non-tax deductable contribution to [deleted Paypay beaus they blocked funds]. Or, shoot me an email and we can arrange something different: bill_wolfe at comcast.net

Until then:

Then take me disappearin’ through the smoke rings of my mind
Down the foggy ruins of time, far past the frozen leaves
The haunted, frightened trees, out to the windy beach
Far from the twisted reach of crazy sorrow
Yes, to dance beneath the diamond sky with one hand waving free
Silhouetted by the sea, circled by the circus sands
With all memory and fate driven deep beneath the waves
Let me forget about today until tomorrow.

Hey ! Mr Tambourine Man, play a song for me
I’m not sleepy and there is no place I’m going to
Hey ! Mr Tambourine Man, play a song for me
In the jingle jangle morning I’ll come followin’ you.  ~~~~ Mr. Tambourine Man, Bob Dylan