Pilgrimage in the Mountains: Lessons from Virginia's "Triple Crown"

Part I

"Keep close to Nature's heart... and break clear away, once in a while, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean..."

~ John Muir ~

In Medias Res

We pass through a narrow, mountain corridor; the trail, barely visible under Autumn's crispy fronds, is laced with rows of fading grass blades that swish and sway against our thighs. Midday's harsh glare flares through the treetop canopy of chioanthus and draws the sweat from our pores like a leech to life blood. The forest rooftop glows radiant yellow as the sunlight spreads from one leaf to the next. We adjust our loads - tighten waist belts, yank on shoulder straps - and carry on through the ethereal mountain pass.

Welcome to the Appalachian Trail in Roanoke, Virginia. At 17 miles in, we are two men down and anxious to reach our destination. On this warm November day, my companions and I are backpacking across the "Triple Crown" of summits that border the Great Valley of Virginia in Roanoke. We have already been to Dragon's Tooth, a mighty rock monolith that reaches heavenward like a crippled, outstretched hand. McAfee Knob, renowned for "the anvil" rock outcropping that hangs some three-thousand feet above the valley surface, lies 2.5 miles behind us. The crowning achievement of our expedition, Tinker Cliffs - a half mile length of granite ledges overlooking the valley - is another 7 miles away. And we are already so tired.

Commence: Adventure

Friday, November 6, 2009

At 10 pm, the trail head is cold and vacant, a black hole to all who dare enter. We are six strong: Tim Bob, short but fearless; Matthew, eager to get underway; Sherwin, undaunted by the task at hand; Daryl, packing enough food to feed a small army; Robbie, his mighty "Moses" staff at the ready; and myself, anxious for adventure.

"Let's do this," mutters Tim Bob, his words oozing with concrete resolution. His L.E.D. headlight punches a funnel through the black of night, as he starts on the trail. We follow, in single file, up the Dragon's Tooth trail. Marked by rectangular, blue blazes every thirty yards, it is well maintained, and with our headlights illuminating the way, we have little trouble sticking to the path. In next to no time, we have arrived at the t-junction with the Appalachian Trail. "Where do we go from here?" someone asks. We go up.

From the intersection at "Lost Spectacles Gap," it is two and a half miles to the pointed peak of Cove Mountain, known to hikers as Dragon's Tooth. This section of the trail soon graduates from smooth to rocky, from gently sloped to precariously steep, from easy to strenuous in the same time it takes for our heart rates to surge and our blood to boil. We are no longer merely hiking, for the terrain before us demands our bodies' full attention. With each others' help, we jump over pitfalls, scale granite slabs, navigate hazardous ledges, clamber up rudimentary ladders hammered into the mountainside, and climb over one obstacle after another. Unhindered, we press on till midnight, when - at last - we approach the summit at 3,020 feet.

Ahead of us, the monolith rises to the star-splattered sky, its faint silhouette a sublime welcome to the great outdoors, our home and training ground for the next two days.


To Be Continued...

Photo of the Week # 15

"The Route"

Up to Dragon's Tooth... Down Dragon's Tooth... on to McAfee Knob and then Tinker Cliffs...

24 miles
(Click for Enhanced View)

Keep a watchful eye on the horizon... More to come.

Sir Evan's Top 10 Heroes of Movies and Television: Part II

Five More to Go... Thanks for Your Patience

(Remember, in no particular order...)

6) Frodo Baggins

This is a difficult one, simply because his portly companion, Samwise, is quite the hero himself, as is their bearded, pointed-hat adviser, Gandalf the White. But when it comes down to it, Frodo Baggins, a Hobbit from the imagination of writer, J.R.R. Tolkien, later translated to the screen by Peter Jackson, is the ultimate hero of The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Frodo, an unassuming simpleton with very few ties to the bigger world, takes it upon himself to deliver the One Ring to its fiery end in the pit of Mount Doom. No one forces him to shoulder this responsibility; he does it out of moral conscience. Over the course of his epic journey, Frodo (Elijah Wood) faces one life-threatening obstacle after another, and - by the story's end - he has given up practically everything but his very life, what little semblance of it remains... Frodo reminds us that heroism knows no greater definition than personal sacrifice.


7) Sir William Wallace

Speaking of personal sacrifice. How about giving your life? Sir William Wallace, portrayed by Mel Gibson in the film, Braveheart, is the ultimate "medieval hero," who leads his fellow Scotsmen in a rebellion against the tyrannical English during the Wars of Scottish Independence. A man who gives everything he has for the freedom of his country, Wallace is both a hero on screen as well as in reality. Whether wooing fair damsels or waging bloody combat on the battlefield, Wallace shows true passion, and he takes it with him to the film's tragic, yet heroic finale. You may not agree with all of my choices for best heroes, but you will never take "OUR FREEDOM!!!"


8) Luke Skywalker

As far as epic conflicts between good and evil go, Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) is my favorite good guy. Anxious for adventure, Luke is a young man at the start of his space odyssey. From the Star Wars saga's inception to its climactic conclusion, audiences witness young Luke emerge from his identity as a lonely farm boy to a brave and skillful hero of the Rebel Alliance. Unwavering in his quest to face the dark and mysterious Darth Vader, he embarks down the path of the Jedi Knight, learns to use the force, and confronts the Dark Lord of the Sith in a grueling lightsaber duel. Twice! And let's not forget he sort of saves the galaxy from the Dark Side and brings hope to humanity. Not bad for a whiny kid who just wanted to "go to the Toshi Station to pick up some power converters!"


9) John McClane

"Another basement, another elevator. How can the same sh** happen to the same guy twice?!" He's one of those guys who always happens to end up in the wrong place at the right time. The average cop with the mean streak and the independent fervor to kick some real a$$! With 4 movies under his belt (Die Hard, Die Harder, Die Hard with a Vengeance, & Live Free or Die Hard) and a potential fifth, Bruce Willis has proven that his hero, John McClane, is a good guy to have in a fight. A sort of cowboy or a loose cannon, he has a hard time restraining his aggressive impulses, but in the kinds of situations he often finds himself in (hijacked airport in a blizzard, hostage situation in a high-rise office building, etc.), these characteristics actually come in handy. And don't mess with his wife or kids; he's a family man.


10) Harry Potter

The ultimate kid hero, Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) of J.K. Rowling's famous novels, has faced the evil and nearly immortal, Voldemort, on numerous occasions, and lived to fight another day. And he isn't done yet. Six films down, two to go. The 7th installment in the series will be split into two, for sheer magnitude of content. Sounds good to me! Over the course of the Harry Potter books and films, readers and audiences have seen the boy wizard develop in maturity and skill. He shows courage in the face of great adversity and bears a load far greater than most teenagers... It isn't every day a 14 year old must face a fire breathing dragon, combat traitorous wizards, and duel the cruelest sorcerer in the world. He wields a wand and sports a nifty lightning bolt scar on his forehead. Let's face it. Scars are cool. And there is this prophesy that says he's "the chosen one" who must defeat the evil lord... Talk about responsibility...


Welp, that's it for now, folks. Sir Evan's top 10 heroes of movies and television. There are obviously many others, but I had to narrow it down to my personal favorites. Feel free to agree or disagree! Let me know what you think! And thanks for reading!

There and Back Again...

Adventure in the Mountains

JUST how epic was Manventure '09, you ask?

THIS EPIC!

Yes, yes. This is me in a hospital bed. The full story is on the way, but for now I will say our time in the mountains challenged us in unexpected ways! The terrain was tougher than predicted; the weather was warmer than one would expect in November; and water was scarce. But it would not be an adventure if we always knew what to expect, now would it? As always, God helped us to push through, and He might have even sent a guardian angel or two to join us... I believe this Manventure will find its home in the annals of legend! Stay tuned for the complete story with photos and videos. For now, I leave you with this teaser...

Manventure '09 Has Arrived!

ADVENTURE RETURNS!

On this brisk November weekend, I'll be backpacking Virginia's "Triple Crown" of views along the Appalachian Trail. Joining me are good friends. Team Adventure consists of the following:

Tim Bob, aka. Sleepy Time

Robbie, aka. Moses

Sherwin, aka. Asian Thunder


Matt, aka. Silent Fox


Sir Evan, aka. Dodge


and Daryl, who needs a trail name!

We'll be hiking 24 miles, from Dragon's Tooth to McAfee Knob to Tinker Cliffs, in Roanoke, VA! Stay tuned for an update when we return!

Sir Evan's Top 10 Heroes of Movies and Television: Part I

Who doesn't like a hero?

Sure, the bad guys are pretty interesting too. Sometimes more than their do-good counterparts (The Dark Knight, for example? Eh?), but when the going gets tough, everyone roots for the hero. I also happen to believe most men secretly want to be heroes. It's a boyhood longing that never goes away, rooted in our natural circuitry. Another post! And, clearly, hero status is not reserved for men alone. Anyhow, for no particular reason other than feeling inspired recently by epic music and a little too much TV, here are my top 10 heroes of movies and television! In no particular order...


1) Dr. Henry "Indiana" Jones

You all knew it was coming. With his trademark whip and fedora, archaeologist and grave robber, Indiana Jones (portrayed by Harrison Ford), is an every man who often finds himself in extraordinary circumstances. A world traveler and renowned academic, he is both rough and sophisticated. Whether he's slugging Nazis, searching for lost artifacts, or galloping on horseback, Indiana Jones always comes out on top, and he's also pretty good at rescuing the ladies. And why should anyone doubt him? After all, he did say, "Trust me."



2) The Man With No Name

Speaking of cool hats... Clint Eastwood as "The Man With No Name," of Sergio Leone's classic spaghetti westerns, "A Fistful of Dollars," "For a Few Dollars More," and "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly," is a man who walks the narrow line between light and dark. Brooding, mysterious, and skilled with a six-shooter, he is a force to be reckoned, especially if your name is Ramon... And whatever you do, don't hurt the ladies or insult his mule, or he will come for you with a vengeance! "I don't think it's nice, you laughin'. You see, my mule don't like people laughing..." Who else but Eastwood could pull off a line like that?



3) James Bond, 007

With 22 films and 12 novels under his belt, the world's most dependable secret agent is a given on any top 10 list, and if his track record so far says anything about his appeal, he won't be going anywhere any time soon... Created by British novelist, Ian Fleming, "Bond, James Bond," has been portrayed during various historical periods over the last half of the twentieth century and into the next decade. Sean Connery, the original Bond, set the bar for all Bonds to come, and Daniel Craig, the newest incarnation of 007, has put his own unique spin on the classic character. A larger than life character who always gets the job done, James Bond is the ultimate spy and a timeless hero.



4) MacGyver

Someone is bound to argue with me on this one, but who cares? MacGyver is awesome! A television hero of the 80s, Angus MacGyver is the chemistry-nerd/clever secret agent who can make a bomb with a toothpick, some chewing gum, and a Swiss Army Knife. He also hates guns and wears aviator shades. What is not to like? Oh, and he has a mullet... Portrayed by Richard Dean Anderson, MacGyver enjoyed a long run on television from 1985 to 1992, airing on ABC all seven seasons. Employed by "The Phoenix Foundation," MacGyver finds himself in one sticky situation after another, but he always manages to find a way out and save the day. For these reasons and more, he is the quintessential 80s hero.



5) Ellen Ripley

In "Alien," audiences are introduced to Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) when she becomes the sole survivor of an interstellar tragedy involving... you guessed it: an alien. One nasty alien, I might add. While she kicks some serious butt in this film, it pales in comparison to later butt-kicking... In "Aliens," the James Cameron directed follow up, moviegoers witness a whole new side to Ms. Ripley when she takes on an entire hive of acid-for-blood, life-sucking-and-parasitic-aliens! Hell hath no fury like a protective mother with deep scars... So that may not be the most politically correct statement, but when Ripley gets the chance to strike back at the creatures that killed her friends and robbed her of her daughter, stay clear of the flame throwers and pulse grenades!


Stay tuned for the last 5 heroes of movies and television!

And please comment! Disagree? Absolutely agree? Who are your favorite heroes? I want to hear from you!