The first few weeks of May I will be posting the weeks of April to play catch up. I have been on the island for 33 days now, so there will be two posts a week, each containing a week to encompass the first month on the island. I planned ahead of time to keep the first month to myself. There are very few pictures, and only video from the first day of exploration. I spent the first month isolated a lot.....just how I wanted it. There were many rumors about me swinging through the trees wielding a machete (nope), talking crazy (possibly), and just plain losing it (most likely). But in reality, there was a lot of work. I dropped 12 pounds in the first few weeks, not from lack of eating, but from burning three to four times the amount of carbs, and from removing 2 percent milk from my diet. (I ate a lot of cereal) I have since gained it back, and am probably healthier right now than I have been in years. The story of how I got to Day 33 begins here, in a five bedroom, two bath house with a bullet hole in the front door and chicken coop in the back yard......just the everyday life at Brooklyn Park Blvd. and Fourth Ave.
"The Minus Days"
"Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it. The river was cut by the world's great flood and runs over rocks from the basement of time. On some of the rocks are timeless raindrops. Under the rocks are the words, and some of the words are theirs. I am haunted by waters.”
~Norman Maclean A River Runs Through It
This quote has always stuck with me, and will always define my love for the rivers of this planet.
I started writing my journal on March Twenty Fourth, even though I did not leave my house until April 1st. The Minus Week was spent planning, prepping gear, packing my house, taking daily trips to the island, and cleaning up a lot of messes in life. It was good to take paddling trips to the island during this week. I mostly went in the evening during sunsets, and found myself wanting to stay whenever it was time to leave.
I determined that the biggest challenges I would face would be transporting gear to and from the island, communication, transporting weekly groceries and water, and tools for projects. Transporting gear could be solved by minimizing, and by using a raft. Communication could be solved by using email and Facebook, which would allow me to fully control who to communicate with, and who not to. Transporting my computer to and from the island is a pain, and battery power is limited, so I usually don't bother taking it out with me. If I do then the Venture Richmond signal from Brown's Island is clear....who would have thought. Transporting groceries and water is where I had to bite the bullet and just hike and paddle a lot of weight once a week. Doing this has gotten me in shape....quick. Tools were solved with the help of some very good friends, but I did a good job of minimizing those as well and making up for it in solo man power (hence the weight drop of 12 pounds).
I organized in advance by creating a listing of all gear going to the island, creating a plan and logistical map of how to get there, as well as all possible paddling routes to and from the island. I created a weekly grocery list and water ration, created a daily schedule while spending full days on the island, created a list of projects that would be necessary for comfort and survival (both at the campsite and around the island), planned a full mission statement, and developed a journal. This is the point when all overly trained, certified up the ass, know-it-all wilderness field instructor assholes say, "he is really under prepared. No way he can do this"..........seriously. Get over yourselves and wake up. People survived outdoors for thousands of years before the invention of "certifications", and experience will always trump sitting in a classroom. After 33 days on the island, this has been more than enough prep. So to all the VCU OAP kids who think they are the shit......go paddle to an island and live on it. Classroom certifications make you soft. You wouldn't make it a week out here......and on that note, if you are swimming Class III rapids on the Lower James then you shouldn't be teaching kayaking, so stop before you fucking kill someone!
After fully packing and storing all my supplies, NOT tying up fifty percent of my lose ends, and minimizing my life, I paddled my gear out to the island on April 1st, with a team of five people, one raft, and three kayaks. The middle of the island contains a giant, truck sized steel pipe that is half buried in the ground, but is opened at both ends. The pipe is probably two inches thick and provides enough shelter to survive an atomic bomb blast, so thunderstorm shelter was solved. (the pipe will be described in detail later) I stored and camouflaged all of my gear inside the pipe for the night and headed out to a friends house for one final night of showers, heat, cable, internet, and a nice warm and soft bed. Then, on April 2nd, I woke up and paddled out to my new home. Here is a great pic of the island in the morning. It is the land mass behind the train, stretching up towards the city and Manchester bridge. It looks like it connects to the Norfolk Southern Train Bridge, but it doesn't.
"Week 1"
I organized in advance by creating a listing of all gear going to the island, creating a plan and logistical map of how to get there, as well as all possible paddling routes to and from the island. I created a weekly grocery list and water ration, created a daily schedule while spending full days on the island, created a list of projects that would be necessary for comfort and survival (both at the campsite and around the island), planned a full mission statement, and developed a journal. This is the point when all overly trained, certified up the ass, know-it-all wilderness field instructor assholes say, "he is really under prepared. No way he can do this"..........seriously. Get over yourselves and wake up. People survived outdoors for thousands of years before the invention of "certifications", and experience will always trump sitting in a classroom. After 33 days on the island, this has been more than enough prep. So to all the VCU OAP kids who think they are the shit......go paddle to an island and live on it. Classroom certifications make you soft. You wouldn't make it a week out here......and on that note, if you are swimming Class III rapids on the Lower James then you shouldn't be teaching kayaking, so stop before you fucking kill someone!
After fully packing and storing all my supplies, NOT tying up fifty percent of my lose ends, and minimizing my life, I paddled my gear out to the island on April 1st, with a team of five people, one raft, and three kayaks. The middle of the island contains a giant, truck sized steel pipe that is half buried in the ground, but is opened at both ends. The pipe is probably two inches thick and provides enough shelter to survive an atomic bomb blast, so thunderstorm shelter was solved. (the pipe will be described in detail later) I stored and camouflaged all of my gear inside the pipe for the night and headed out to a friends house for one final night of showers, heat, cable, internet, and a nice warm and soft bed. Then, on April 2nd, I woke up and paddled out to my new home. Here is a great pic of the island in the morning. It is the land mass behind the train, stretching up towards the city and Manchester bridge. It looks like it connects to the Norfolk Southern Train Bridge, but it doesn't.
"Week 1"
“We must begin thinking like a river if we are to leave a legacy of beauty and life for future generations.”
~David Brower~
The first night on the island was magical.......and cold as shit! The first two nights saw temps in the 20's, and after 33 days out here, they are still the two coldest nights I have had. However, I was very comfortable. After spending many nights camping in the mountains of Western North Carolina, West 'By God' Virginia, and Western Virginia; and being trained for years on proper cold weather camping by a wife who was much more hard core and experienced than me, I knew what I was doing. Long underwear, lots of fleece, a nice warm fire with plenty of wood, and eating and drinking warm liquids does the trick. While reviewing my journal, I found that the first night of writing explained my environment perfectly:
"Last night was the first night I have spent on the island. I was alone, except for the geese and the sound of whitewater. The last 72 hours have been busy, and last night was a welcome reprieve from life. The island is magical at night. I have cleared a beach by the water, and I sat on top of the hillside watching the lights from the city. There, right in front of me, was the best view of RVa. The Greater Richmond area is a city of 1.2 million people, but as I sat looking at the skyline, I felt completely isolated from the world around me. I ate my dinner and enjoyed the solitude of the James. "
Although I could see the city, and could still smell the city, I could not hear it. The whitewater drowns out every sound away from the island, and it makes you feel very alone. Below is a satellite image of the Lower James from the Manchester Bridge to the Interstate. The island I live on is the crescent shaped island on the southwestern side of the river located within the last set of islands on the map.
The next day, and the 3 days following it were spent working my ass off. Manual labor has always made me feel good. I truly believe I am a blue collar soul raised to be forced into a white collar world. I come from generations of Newport News shipbuilders, and I think their blood flows strong in me. Here are the jobs completed in the first week.
1. Cleared all brush from camp to beach
2. Built Central Camp Fire Circle
3. Cleared the brush on the Western side of the pipe
(Four). Collected Firewood.......A LOT of firewood.....it filled the pipe.
(Five). Cut the trail from Central Camp moving west to BFR (Big Fucking Rock)
6. Completed "Northern Camp".....my home camp.
~David Brower~
The first night on the island was magical.......and cold as shit! The first two nights saw temps in the 20's, and after 33 days out here, they are still the two coldest nights I have had. However, I was very comfortable. After spending many nights camping in the mountains of Western North Carolina, West 'By God' Virginia, and Western Virginia; and being trained for years on proper cold weather camping by a wife who was much more hard core and experienced than me, I knew what I was doing. Long underwear, lots of fleece, a nice warm fire with plenty of wood, and eating and drinking warm liquids does the trick. While reviewing my journal, I found that the first night of writing explained my environment perfectly:
"Last night was the first night I have spent on the island. I was alone, except for the geese and the sound of whitewater. The last 72 hours have been busy, and last night was a welcome reprieve from life. The island is magical at night. I have cleared a beach by the water, and I sat on top of the hillside watching the lights from the city. There, right in front of me, was the best view of RVa. The Greater Richmond area is a city of 1.2 million people, but as I sat looking at the skyline, I felt completely isolated from the world around me. I ate my dinner and enjoyed the solitude of the James. "
Although I could see the city, and could still smell the city, I could not hear it. The whitewater drowns out every sound away from the island, and it makes you feel very alone. Below is a satellite image of the Lower James from the Manchester Bridge to the Interstate. The island I live on is the crescent shaped island on the southwestern side of the river located within the last set of islands on the map.
The next day, and the 3 days following it were spent working my ass off. Manual labor has always made me feel good. I truly believe I am a blue collar soul raised to be forced into a white collar world. I come from generations of Newport News shipbuilders, and I think their blood flows strong in me. Here are the jobs completed in the first week.
1. Cleared all brush from camp to beach
2. Built Central Camp Fire Circle
3. Cleared the brush on the Western side of the pipe
(Four). Collected Firewood.......A LOT of firewood.....it filled the pipe.
(Five). Cut the trail from Central Camp moving west to BFR (Big Fucking Rock)
6. Completed "Northern Camp".....my home camp.
7. Moved all gear from Central Camp to Northern Camp
8. Cut trail from Central Camp moving East to South Beach
9. Explored Eastern end of Island to plan trails and garden.
10. Cleared all the brush around Northern Camp to give a clear view of the skyline and Middle Lines while sitting in camp. (Clearing a hillside for a view is the small amount of Republican coming out in me.....like those assholes in WNC that cut the entire side of the mountain down so their view from the breakfast table won't be obstructed......and then they gate the community.)
11. Cut a trail to the climbing tree behind Northern Camp.
There are a lot of names that I have developed of features on the island (i.e. "BFR", Northern Camp, The climbing Tree). The following is the hand drawn map I made in my journal during week 1.
I am severely ADD, and not like one of those people who use it as an excuse, but the real ADD. Anyone who knows me well will confirm this. I am ok with it, because it is what makes me who I am. Because of the disorder, I get off task very easily, especially when boredom and monotany kick in. In order to try and counter this problem, I created a very simple schedule for days I am fully on the island.
DAILY SCHEDULE
*no clocks on the island and I don't want one. Time is estimated by the sun*
-Wake up
-Build fire if it's cold and write in journal
-Cook and eat breakfast
-Morning chores
-Start morning jobs
-Break for lunch
-Nap in hammock then kayaking and journal writing
-Snack
-Start afternoon task
-Afternoon hike (always hike the trail to help wear it down)
-Kayak (Middle Lines or do a lap)
-Re-supply at car (if needed)
-Hike back to Manchester Bridge (tiring as hell, but good daily workout)
-Paddle back to island (usually in the dark)
-Build Fire
-Cook dinner and eat
-Night Hike (great hikes at night)
-Write Journal
-Bed
This schedule actually works well and has helped me accomplish a lot in the first month. I spent a large amount of time on the island during the first week. It helped me adjust well to the life and helped me complete tasks that would make my life comfortable. After a few days of work I was able to easily move around the island and have a very comfortable camp with one of the best views in the city. After one week I felt very confident about the project and knew that this life was the right decision for me.
Finally, my very first journal entry was written while still at home, but it does a good job of helping me see where I was at the beginning and where I am now.
Written on March Twenty Fourth, 2013
"Two years ago today I took a kayaking trip to Nelson County, Virginia. It was a one day trip to paddle the Cascades of the Piney. At the time I was the Sports and Aquatics Director for the YMCA, had a growing kayak camp that I had created, two wonderful little boys who were ages 1 and 3, and an amazing wife who had very high expectations of me as a father. Life was good. That was March 20th, 2011.
Today I am sitting on my couch in an empty house that I am going to lose in 6 days. I am divorced and do not ever see my kids. I have no job, no kayaking camp, I am broke and in debt up to my eyeballs, and have lost a majority of my friends. My ex-wife calls me a drug addict for smoking weed, and she tells me weekly how terrible of a father I am. I was also accused by her of being crazy, and was forced by her to take a psych eval just to see my children. I was diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder. (told you I was crazy) I will be homeless in six days. Life is not so good. It is March Twenty Fourth, 2013.
There is a story to be told here, but the ending has not yet been written. Life has a gap, and I am right in the middle of my life gap. The story I plan to tell is what happened to get me from where I was to where I am, and more importantly, where I go from here.
I hope that this story is important for many people in many ways and helps us all to see the reality of our current society, and why we need to change in order to save our children and future generations. I hope that young fathers all across this city can learn from this story. I hope it can help them see the importance and beauty of family, no matter how hard it can be. I hope it can help young mothers and wives better understand the men that they married. I hope it can help all people better understand that there are many different ways to live, work, play, and love, and judging others only hurts us all. I hope it brings awareness to the James and other rivers, and helps our city understand the importance of this gift from Mother Nature. I hope it allows my wife to understand how sorry I am, and that she truly is and always will be the love of my life. But most of all, I hope that this story allows my sons to understand the story of what happened to our family.....and why. I hope all these things can happen, because it is hope that has gotten me this far, and it is hope that will help me find an ending."
Stay safe, and enjoy the high water. See ya on the river!
8. Cut trail from Central Camp moving East to South Beach
9. Explored Eastern end of Island to plan trails and garden.
10. Cleared all the brush around Northern Camp to give a clear view of the skyline and Middle Lines while sitting in camp. (Clearing a hillside for a view is the small amount of Republican coming out in me.....like those assholes in WNC that cut the entire side of the mountain down so their view from the breakfast table won't be obstructed......and then they gate the community.)
11. Cut a trail to the climbing tree behind Northern Camp.
There are a lot of names that I have developed of features on the island (i.e. "BFR", Northern Camp, The climbing Tree). The following is the hand drawn map I made in my journal during week 1.
I am severely ADD, and not like one of those people who use it as an excuse, but the real ADD. Anyone who knows me well will confirm this. I am ok with it, because it is what makes me who I am. Because of the disorder, I get off task very easily, especially when boredom and monotany kick in. In order to try and counter this problem, I created a very simple schedule for days I am fully on the island.
DAILY SCHEDULE
*no clocks on the island and I don't want one. Time is estimated by the sun*
-Wake up
-Build fire if it's cold and write in journal
-Cook and eat breakfast
-Morning chores
-Start morning jobs
-Break for lunch
-Nap in hammock then kayaking and journal writing
-Snack
-Start afternoon task
-Afternoon hike (always hike the trail to help wear it down)
-Kayak (Middle Lines or do a lap)
-Re-supply at car (if needed)
-Hike back to Manchester Bridge (tiring as hell, but good daily workout)
-Paddle back to island (usually in the dark)
-Build Fire
-Cook dinner and eat
-Night Hike (great hikes at night)
-Write Journal
-Bed
This schedule actually works well and has helped me accomplish a lot in the first month. I spent a large amount of time on the island during the first week. It helped me adjust well to the life and helped me complete tasks that would make my life comfortable. After a few days of work I was able to easily move around the island and have a very comfortable camp with one of the best views in the city. After one week I felt very confident about the project and knew that this life was the right decision for me.
Finally, my very first journal entry was written while still at home, but it does a good job of helping me see where I was at the beginning and where I am now.
Written on March Twenty Fourth, 2013
"Two years ago today I took a kayaking trip to Nelson County, Virginia. It was a one day trip to paddle the Cascades of the Piney. At the time I was the Sports and Aquatics Director for the YMCA, had a growing kayak camp that I had created, two wonderful little boys who were ages 1 and 3, and an amazing wife who had very high expectations of me as a father. Life was good. That was March 20th, 2011.
Today I am sitting on my couch in an empty house that I am going to lose in 6 days. I am divorced and do not ever see my kids. I have no job, no kayaking camp, I am broke and in debt up to my eyeballs, and have lost a majority of my friends. My ex-wife calls me a drug addict for smoking weed, and she tells me weekly how terrible of a father I am. I was also accused by her of being crazy, and was forced by her to take a psych eval just to see my children. I was diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder. (told you I was crazy) I will be homeless in six days. Life is not so good. It is March Twenty Fourth, 2013.
There is a story to be told here, but the ending has not yet been written. Life has a gap, and I am right in the middle of my life gap. The story I plan to tell is what happened to get me from where I was to where I am, and more importantly, where I go from here.
I hope that this story is important for many people in many ways and helps us all to see the reality of our current society, and why we need to change in order to save our children and future generations. I hope that young fathers all across this city can learn from this story. I hope it can help them see the importance and beauty of family, no matter how hard it can be. I hope it can help young mothers and wives better understand the men that they married. I hope it can help all people better understand that there are many different ways to live, work, play, and love, and judging others only hurts us all. I hope it brings awareness to the James and other rivers, and helps our city understand the importance of this gift from Mother Nature. I hope it allows my wife to understand how sorry I am, and that she truly is and always will be the love of my life. But most of all, I hope that this story allows my sons to understand the story of what happened to our family.....and why. I hope all these things can happen, because it is hope that has gotten me this far, and it is hope that will help me find an ending."
Stay safe, and enjoy the high water. See ya on the river!
