Broken and Forgotten: Route of the First 2 Weeks

Published April 26, 2019

Folks stop the mules and me and ask, “where did you come from?”
They never ask, “what did you break? What did you forget?”
I drew you this map to answer all 3 questions.

Bernie Harberts, mule, map

My first 2 weeks on the road. The mules and I set off from our farm outside Lenoir, NC. We’re now in Mosheim, TN. Don’t ask me how many miles that is.

Call this a mixed media trip. While I carry a laptop, phone and camera, I enjoy navigating by paper map. On days off, I write in my journal and doodle in the notebook I carry in my pack saddle. Here’s a few photos of where I drew this map.

Bernie Harberts, mule, map

The entrance of my tent where I drew you my map. Like any writer/doodler/mule traveler’s digs, it’s sort of a mess. I’ve just cooked breakfast. That’s my MSR camp stove, some egg shells and salt. I share the salt with my mules. That’s why I carry so much. It’s a mess but it’s a happy mess. Too much tidiness thickens the ink in your pen and the words and lines don’t flow.

Bernie Harberts, mule, map

Outside shot of my tent. It’s set up in a shelter on Ryan and Pam Crick’s McMillan Catfish Farm and Horse Camp. Luxury digs on what was a very rainy weekend. Thanks guys.

PostScript: As of April 24, I was in Tazewell, TN.

Rev Johannes Myors
2019-04-27 22:09:03

Bernie,

It’s great reading about your adventures. I’m writing this April 27. I’m glad that the mules didn’t travel far when they made their escape. I like the picture of your map.

I’ve had my senior moments forgetting stuff. Thursday (April 25) my friend in North Myrtle Beach, SC was going to transport me to Little River close to the NC state line because it would have been too dangerous to ride along US 17 north of Myrtle Beach. My concentration while loading up Allison and my gear got sidetracked and I didn’t realize that I had left my sleeping bag in his garage. My friend went back to get it so I had to wait around for about a half hour. The sleeping bag was on the bottom shelf of a storage unit out of sight. My friend had put it there without me seeing him do it. I don’t know why I didn’t count up to nine (the number of bags that I am carrying on Allison) before we left his house.

I’m writing to you from Davis, NC about 20 miles from the Cedar Island ferry terminal for the Outer Banks ferry. I haven’t been out to the Outer Banks since 2014.

Since last Sunday morning, I cycled an astonishing 296 miles from Moncks Corner, SC. That’s even with a day off with friends in North Myrtle Beach, SC. Yesterday, I cycled an astonishing 85 miles from Myrtle Grove (near Wilmington) so I could get through Marine Base Camp Lejuene and Jacksonville, NC. I was on the road for a little over 15 hours and I rode an hour or two after dark. It was about 10:30 pm when I crawled into my tent in some woods near Cape Carteret, NC. You are a brave man camping out in the open. I like to do stealth mode hidden in some woods.

Bernie Harberts
2019-04-29 21:43:21

Hans. Wow, you’re really moving along. You covered 296 miles in about a week. That’s way more than I’ve covered in a month on the road with my mules! Well done. Enjoy that North Carolina spring! Bernie / RiverEarth.com

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Broken and Forgotten: Route of the First 2 Weeks

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