March 23, 2023

A quick getaway, Stopped at my brother’s Blowing Rock home and racked and cleaned gutters, went for a ride on the BRP, then headed to teh woods…. our favorite spot was taken, so this was the second choice. I like how without leaves you can see the mountains.

These are my cheap Walmart traction mats. I took my Maxtrax off the roof when I installed my solar panel and haven’t found a home for them yet, but right after, I helped a girl who drove over a curb and her wheel dropped into a hole and was sitting on her car’s frame. If I still had the MaxTrax, I would have had her free in minutes, instead I had to rummage through the woods for rocks and discarded wood chunks. I know it’s popular to make fun of trucks with all the “overland” gear strapped on, But if you know how to use it and willing to help people, it is useful and I was pissed I didn’t have mine that day. Anyway, I needed to raise the left front more than the height of this wood, so I ramped up for a level sleeping bed.

Oct. 20, 2022

A quick trip to the mountains, search for fall colors and peace.

The color near Boone was past peak, so we headed south…

A loved the beam of light

Found a campsite off Old NC 105, very peaceful, not one vehicle past us from 7pm till 9am

Is there a better camp meal than Cincinnati Chili?

June 10, 2022

Cycling loop, Blowing Rock to Granfather Mountain on 221 and back on the BRP.

June 9, 2022

A beautiful day to ride on the Blue Ridge Parkway

Tailgate dinners are best. Steak stroganoff over ramen noodles and zucchini seasoned with soy sauce.

Awesome campsite, deep in the Pisgah Forest

Sept. 18, 2021

A pretty sunrise

Even better with Pongo

Peak of Otter campground

GoCross UCI in Roanoke – the flyover!

This is how fast guys get over the barriers

Sept. 11, 2021

I finally made the time to get to Frying Pan fire tower.

An amazing view

I had planned to stay till dark and photograph the Milky Way behind the tower, but it doesn’t line up well.

When I got back to the trail head, another Tacoma had parked next to me – they are so cute stock ; )

I do like stickers

Bees sleeping

So I found a spot on the blue Ridge Parkway and waited, when it finally was dark enough, clouds rolled in and covered the Milky Way – just visible in middle of the sky.

Oct. 18, 2020

A quick trip to the mountains, the goal was to stay off the Blue Ridge Parkway, once I got on a dirt road, we only drove about 15 miles of pavement the rest of the day.

Our camp spot for the night off a rough forest service road, not one vehicle went by and we were next to a creek…. perfection!

Good night!

Aug. 8, 2020

Road trip to mountains for the night (after tennis match)

a beautiful evening for a walk

and pictures

 

May 2, 2020

Long ride and half was on a closed Blue Ridge Parkway

In fact it was so cool, after the ride I hiked back up just so I could walk the Linn Cove Viaduct

 

A quick macro of a poplar tulip

Oct. 27, 2019

I finally made a start (and finish) in the 2019 North Carolina Cyclocross season.

After a lot of overnight rain, the course in Boone was muddy again!

I had fun, didn’t race well, fell a couple of times, but it was great to be back on the start line this weekend!

After the race, I explored for fall colors

The light wasn’t great, so I went for a hike

Goshen Creek is a pretty little waterway

not much color on the trees

but fun to rock hop

a just enjoy the silence

then I tried another HDR of the sunset