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Missing the mountains


cynicalwoodsman

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i did the exact opposite - so hated the crowds and bullshit of the east coast i left it and all my family behind (save the wife of course) at age 28 and have seriously been back for a grand total of maybe a week's worht of time in the 10 years since then

 

adventure and somethign like wilderness can still be found out there though - huge hikes on the AT - seneca and the new - caving - rivers - but nothing like out here. what can ya do? move back! take long vacations?

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i did the exact opposite - so hated the crowds and bullshit of the east coast i left it and all my family behind (save the wife of course) at age 28 and have seriously been back for a grand total of maybe a week's worht of time in the 10 years since then

I began ditchin the family at 18. Whether it was off to philly with my guitar and "silly" dreams, or years later off to leavenworth for a volunteer FS internship fresh out of college in my mid 30's with no more than enuf cash to get me there and my own inspiration to see me through, I've been solo for most of it. I always chose my goals over social constraints or yet another woman who wouldn't ditch with me.

 

But damn it gets hard out there away from peeps 'n family when you're alone.

 

So I met a girl who floats my boat and lives in Cleveland. With her, there's hope of a life in the mtns but not havin' to do it stag. She's into it. She's just got a lot more going on here than she can just ditch over night. She couldn't come out there to be with me, just yet anyway, so I came here to be with her. I also have aging parents and my pops has alzheimers. They live in 'cuse so having been closer to them the last few years has been huge!

adventure and somethign like wilderness can still be found out there though - huge hikes on the AT - seneca and the new - caving - rivers - but nothing like out here. what can ya do? move back! take long vacations?

Eventually I'll move back. I'm here cultivating the strong possibility I can bring my girl with me. But it's not gonna happen this year.

We get out camping not far away where there's a cool campground right on some sweet singletrack. We go backpacking every summer in N Central PA. THere's real good backcountry in those parts. I've gotten to the daks for some good ice a cpl winters ago and I'm planning to get back in a few weeks. IT's a brutal 10 hour drive though.

The year b'fore last I made it back out to crag at smith with friends there and then up to l'worth for a few days. I'm planning another trip back to the enchantments this summer with a friend from 'snatchee.

With that trip happening, I'm now planning at least two trips this summer to the Red and to the New for crags 'n trails. I'll probably get to the gym for some plastic pull-down at least once a week in prep for the wash. trip.

I actually manage to will myself off the couch to put some miles on the roadbike durin' the winter on the rare occasion it's dry, over 20, and the wind's not too bad.

 

The biggest bitch of it all is havin to commit so much time and cash just to get back to what used to be out my front door.

 

A lot of it's perspective. I got laid off, hit by the times, was out of work for 2 years, and had to "re-invent" my own career path. When I think about how tuff times are for so many others, I'm pretty lucky to have a job doin' something I dig doin, and that I have the option to plan trips at all. Combine that with not being alone 'n I'm in pretty good shape. I'll get back.

 

 

 

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I moved to GA last year and boy do I miss the cascades.

 

Where in GA? Are you close to any crags?

What do ya do?

have you tried caving? pretty much that whole half of the country is riddled w/ limestone caves - i only did a few but found it pretty damn adventerous - don't know of any in ohio but there's gotta be some.

I've done some caves in pa. And yeah, the length of the nittany anticline from PA down thru w va is karst city! Carbonate valleys out the ying yang. Caves are super scary to me!

Everytime I was squeezin thru somethin' tiny all I could think was, "fuck dude... I gotta crawl back thru all 3 of these again to get out! I sure as hell hope it doesn't start raining!" lol

[video:youtube]tpGEIf_rcTg

You're mocking me, aren't you?

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  • 1 month later...

So after 3+ years of living in the wind-swept flats, I'm finally movin' out. I even got a job offer in Redmond, Wa!

 

But I'm gonna head to Syracuse to help my mom deal with my alzheimers-stricken pops and take care of the house.

 

Duty calls. Hurts turnin' down the washington gig, but at least I'll be closer to the hills, trails, 'n ice!

 

Maybe next year.

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cynicalwoodsman,

Sorry I don't have time for more thoughtful replies, but I empathize. I'm also from the Philly suburbs and moved "out west" when I was 18 to ski powder and "climb big mountains." After 10 years of that, I started to miss my family, and moved to Western New York near my wife's family, and a half-day's drive from home. I miss the mountains a lot, and don't get out as much as I'd want to. I've tried racing bikes to fill the void, but I've never been much of a competitive athlete, and I hate "training". There's no silver lining I can put on it, the ache never goes away.

 

Actually re-reading your posts, it seems our situations are very similar. Met my wife at the end of grad school through her sister (a roommate in Seattle), and already afflicted with the ache of being away from people who truly love you for too many years, I chose to take a chance on a girl and find work where I am now. I've got a beautiful daughter, a great house, and the cost of living can't be beat. All-in-all, I just wish I could ski a 2,000' fall-line shot in 10" of fresh top-to-bottom every week, like I once did. I don't even miss the climbing so much. Sounds like you've done a much better job of staying on the horse than I have, but we go the 'Daks as much as we can, and I skied Mt. Washinton a couple weeks ago.

 

All I can add, is make the move back to the mountains before you have kids.

Edited by E-rock
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E-rock, where 'bouts in WNY u at, 'n what phily 'burb you from?

 

We do have some common ground. It's refreshing. But the big diff is u got a girl worth hangin' for. I don't. Things aren't great. Usually they kinda suck. Point is it ain't worth livin' here.

 

My pops has alzheimers in ROchester. My mom was june cleaver for almost 50 years and the real world has kicked her ass with my dad bein' unable to make decisions anymore.

 

My self-serving brother lives nearby and has been in her ear more than I'd like. It's hard to have an impact from 6 hours away. The lake front house south of 'cuse my folks were forced to move out of lays empty and starting to look unkept. And I have a standing offer to wrench bikes in Syracuse.

 

My gf, may or may not come with me. I'd like to see the effort, but it's probably for the best if we just cut our losses 'n call it quits. At least syr is do-able for her. Seattle, where I have another standing offer to wrench bikes, is not do-able for her. I just couldn't bring myself to tell moms I'm gonna bail that far away when she needs me to be around 'n lend a hand, so I haven't really considered the cascades, but it sure as hell is knockin' 'round my noggin'!

 

To thicken the plot, I have a potential opportunity for a job that's actually in my field that pays good moncy, but it's here in Cleveland. Tempting! But I'd be prolonging my bad relationship, still too far from the 'rents, and still not anywhere close to the hills.

 

I have a few days to make my final decision.

I'm gonna be drinkin' a lotta beer.

 

Anyway, thanks for the thoughts, dude. GOod stuff.

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