A Lovely Memory | Squat the Planet

A Lovely Memory

Pipes

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Just thought I'd share one of my favorite road stories thus far.

Last fall in Tennesee my crew and I were camping in the mountains. Me and a 50 year old hippie went on a town run. At some point I took a wrong turn and ended up on this extremely windy single lane dirt road that just climbed ever higher.

I was relatively new to mountain driving at this point, and I have a fear of heights, so the further we went the higher my panic level raised. It took us a good few miles to find a decent place to turn around. The place was a very sharp turn with a drop off with no trees down the side of the mountain. Beautiful view, with no obstructions, but it made it easy to see how far we might could fall.

I got into the first point of my three point turn and froze. I couldn't back up, I was too filled with visions of plummeting to my doom. My friend offered to take over and put me in the passenger seat. He turned us around without issue.

The only problem was that we were still on a scary ass road and my fear of heights had reached an irrational peak.

Then he started singing Janis Joplin's "Me and Bobby McGee". Though I was shaking and tears were streaming down my face I started to sing along. We drove down the rest of the trail singing every word and inflection at the top of our lungs and he drove fast and it was so intense and beautiful.

That song saved my soul that day.
 

Tude

Sometimes traveler is traveling.
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Been on some nailbiters in mtns in NY, PA and CA some driving and some not - but I have to say the real nailbiters come from not driving and looking out the damn window and fa-reaking looking down the side of a mtn - wtf. and why are there no barriers on the road here!!!!!?? Oh yeah - those are the times I go play on my phone vs looking out at magnificant views!
 

Odin

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last couple of weeks I halve been using a hydraulic platform to do drywall and painting every time I start to get a hint of vertigo... I just focus on the task on hand.

Your recollection is beautiful... and coincidental... I had Janis on the radio earlier today and half hung over chillin at the forest preserve.
 
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creature

plastic wingnut in a microwave
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yah.. 200 feet straight down, milk jug sized rocks banging underneath..
singing to the almighty about how glad you are for taking that last fucking turn..
 
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