Adventure Airwaves

Reflections and field recordings from my first 100 mile run, the Cloudsplitter 100 in Norton, Virginia. This episode is not about how to run a hundred miles, but it is about why I ran and what I experienced. Music during the story played by me. The song played during the intro and outro is Benevolence by Seeking Madras.  

Drinking a cup of coffee, the host delivers an unscripted update on the summer, discusses a climbing gym experience, and shares a new song called 5 Panel Hat. The song played during the intro and outro is Benevolence by Seeking Madras.

The Art Loeb Trail is one of the premier backpacking and running trails in Western North Carolina. It begins (or ends) at a Boy Scout Camp near Black Balsam Knob, crosses the Blue Ridge Parkway, traverses a prominent ridge in Pisgah National Forest, and terminates near the small town of Brevard. On Spring Equinox, I set out to run the length of the Art Loeb Trail with no goal other than to finish before dark. The next day, while picking up my car from the trailhead, I crossed paths with a friend who was breaking his own record to establish the fastest known time.    Music on this episode by Seeking Madras, Jason Shaw, Wesley Davis, Figure Ground (I could not find contact info for Figure Ground, but many of us loved their tunes as they appeared in skate and snowboard soundtracks back in the day. Please don't sue me, Figure Ground.), and Blue Dot Sessions. Find the new album “One Goes Forward” at http://SeekingMadras.bandcamp.com.

Sometimes one sets out to go for a reluctant run and, along the way, discovers something they knew all along. Location: Pisgah National Forest - Brevard, NC Music attribution at end of episode. 

“5 Stages of Whitewater Kayaking” is a story about moving from the coast to the mountains, trading flip flops for Chacos, letting go of what was, and accepting what is. Adventure Airwaves Episode 9 was written and recorded in Transylvania County North Carolina in September of 2020. This episode and my acceptance of adult-onset whitewater enjoyment would not have been possible without my friends in the Brevard radius who have shared their knowledge and time with me.  Especially Jason.  Music on this Episode: Benevolence - Seeking Madras Rain Cloud Ghost - Instrumental by Me, Wes Davis In the Box & Copely Beat by Blue Dot Sessions  Drone by Silicon Transmitter Gravy by Poddington Bear - soundofpicture.com Music tracks (except for Benevolence and Rain Cloud Ghost) were sourced from the Free Music Archive under a Creative Commons License. If you enjoyed this episode please leave a positive review, tell a friend, or yell it out the window!  Thank you for listening. Cheers!

Brevard, North Carolina is a unique little mountain town. This episode will not tell you anything about Brevard, unless you listen closely. Do you hear the rain? The birds? The wind rustling through the trees? During these strange times, we have found solace in the simple joy of two wheeled gallivanting and strumming guitar on the porch. The song Pump Track was written on a rainy day and recorded by me and Russell on a different rainy day four months later. Thank you for tuning in.  Acoustic guitar & Pump Track by me, Wes. Benevolence by Seeking Madras

An Untraditional Ballad of the John Muir Trail A 7-minute folk song about an unplanned backpacking adventure on the John Muir Trail.  The story begins when bad-weather bailing leads to a cup of coffee with strangers in a Yosemite Backcountry Permit Station parking lot. Come along for a verbose and musical adventure on the JMT from Tuolumne Meadows to Mount Whitney.  Benevolence - Seeking Madras available at http://seekingmadras.bandcamp.com  adventureairwaves@gmail.com

Episode 6:  A few years back, I took an unplanned solo bike tour through Washington, Oregon and most of California. The trip crossed  rivers - like the Columbia, the Rogue and the Klamath, visited breweries - seventeen of them to be exact - and ended abruptly in the worst campsite on earth. This episode provides a glimpse into the quirky calamity of solo cycling and the understated joy of moments in between.  Music by Seeking Madras, Blue Dot Sessions, Scott Gratton, AA Aalto, Podington Bear, me, and a live recording of a Jessica Lea Mayfield show that I caught in San Francisco. The train sounds, rain sounds and plane sounds were either recorded during the trip or borrowed from FreeSound.Org Coffee by Mountain Air Roasting contact me: AdventureAirwaves@gmail.com      

Summer Road Trip Part 2: Wild and Scenic Rogue River Beyond Grave Creek A crew of Californians and Carolinians converge on Oregon’s Rogue River during the peak of summer. “Summer Road Trip Part 2: Wild and Scenic Rogue River Beyond Grave Creek” is the second part of the adventure and our first day on the river. Here's the Rogue River Float Guide! Music Attribution Benevolence - Seeking Madras available at http://seekingmadras.bandcamp.com  Morchata - Seeking Madras available at http://seekingmadras.bandcamp.com  Banjo PFlanagan http://freesound.org Honolulu - Wes Davis - Western Plains Follow - Wes Davis - Western Plains The Water Leads Me to Itself - Wes Davis - Western Plains Big East Ivy Wes Davis - Western Plains Ambient Sounds used on this episode can be found at FreeSound.org This episode of Adventure Airwaves was written and produced by Wes Davis, September 2019   Rogue River, Road Trip, Driving Across the USA, Transylvania County, Oregon, Kansas, North Carolina, Kayaking, Whitewater, Camping

A crew of Californians and Carolinians converge on Oregon’s Rogue River during the peak of summer. “Summer Road Trip Part 1: Going Rogue” is the first part of the adventure. This episode is a quick snapshot of the first 2,000 miles of driving in a mechanically challenged van full of kayaks and surfing gear.  The crux comes early in Topeka, Kansas. During the episode introduction, Russell and I discuss bike riding with friends on the Upper Davidson River and the controversy surrounding the skipping of rocks in a place that is home to hellbender salamanders. He quickly loses interest after I tell him that we can’t touch the microphone. We agree to call a Pisgah National Forest Ranger to ask about the rock skipping.    Producer Notes: I hope to release episodes on a regular basis. At least twice a month. Weekly?  So, I am trying a new format that will make it easier for me to publish Adventure Airwaves. The first two episodes - as short as they are - took a long time to make. Russell is a good co-host but he doesn’t help with production, writing, editing, graphics, or all the Internet stuff. To speed up the process, I created Episode 3 from previous recordings while on a two hour flight (a self imposed time limit).  On Episode 4, the story was kept short and perhaps pointless. I did my best to ad-lib an introduction (with Russell’s help) and used the first take. I hope you enjoy this summertime snap-shot.   Music Attribution Benevolence - Seeking Madras available at http://seekingmadras.bandcamp.com  Banjo PFlanagan http://freesound.org Honolulu - Wes Davis - Western Plains Other Songs by Wes Davis Ambient Sounds used on this episode can be found at FreeSound.org This episode of Adventure Airwaves was written and produced by Wes Davis, September 2019

Grab a cup of coffee, sharpen your pencil, and sit on a rock by the river. You are far from home. Write down what comes to mind. Edit the words occasionally over the next decade (or two) and finally read them into a microphone. This episode of Adventure Airwaves was constructed from past recordings while flying from Denver to Des Moines in July 2019.    A Morning Walk in Ely, NV Columbia 30  Building the Perfect Day in 5-Minute Increments Lost Coast 1997 Ryan Campground   Music: Seeking Madras; acoustic blues interlude by Wes  Written and Produced without fancy equipment by your friend, Wes 

Adventure Airwaves Episode 2 - Preventer: A salty tale of a 1972 Columbia 30, two novice sailors, and a ludicrous journey from Los Angeles to San Diego Sometimes the best plan is to hoist your sails and fake it. Music (in order) Seeking Madras  - Raincoat Seeking Madras  - Morchata Young Kartz - Misfit  Seeking Madras - In the Afternoon Young Kartz - Fiji - Seeking Madras - Long Days Seeking Madras - My Raincoat

In an era of two-hour Nose ascents and El Capitan Free Solos here is a story about two middle-aged friends who climbed an intermediate route and it took all day. In fact, this story isn’t about climbing in as much as it is about life itself. The crux comes early when a drunk stranger poses a question, makes a prediction, and then walks away. This story relates to anybody who has ever wondered if they would spend their silver years camping alone. Author’s Note: The East Buttress is technically part of El Capitan but it makes up the shoulder of the formation. Therefore, if you climb the East Buttress of El Cap the only folks who will say that you climbed “El Capitan” will be your parents. Unless your parents are rock climbers. In this story, the protagonist urinates on a belay tree covered in ants and is subsequently punished by Mother Nature. The protagonist must have felt that he was not in a position to hold it or move. I am sure he regrets it now and would never do that again. The moral -  Don’t whizz at the belay because it disrespects the other beings - like rock climbers and ants.   To read about this route from the legend, please see the article titled John Long’s Favorite 5.10.   Music Attribution (in order) Benevolence - Seeking Madras available at http://seekingmadras.bandcamp.com Taodella - Blue Dot Sessions (Creative Commons) Closet Interlude - Blue Dot Sessions (Creative Commons) Lakeside Path - Blue Dot Sessions(Creative Commons) Acid Jazz - Kevin MacLeod (Creative Commons) Slamming On The Brakes - Spencer Radclifffe (Creative Commons) In The Afternoon - Seeking Madras   Peeking into the Kingdom was written and produced by Wes Davis for Adventure Airwaves Podcast, December 2018 Ambient Sounds used on this episode can be found at FreeSound.org

Adventure Airwaves is a short-form podcast featuring joyful journeys, place-based predicaments, and adventures of questionable significance. Two episodes coming in 2019 are Peeking into the Kingdom - a story about stumbling into the next chapter of life while rock climbing El Capitan's East Buttress in Yosemite Valley - and Preventer - a salty tale of a novice sailor stealing his own boat to sail from Los Angeles to San Diego. Music = "Benevolence" by Seeking Madras http://seekingmadras.bandcamp.com Adventure Airwaves http://adventureairwaves.com Email Us!  adventureairwaves@gmail.com