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September 11, 2001...Never forget!
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Hi! My name is David "Dave" Brock and although I grew up in "sweet home" Alabama, the mountains of North Carolina have been my home for about 30 years. My adventures probably started as a youngster when my Grandpa Grady sent me into the woods to hunt a rabbit for supper. Since then my unyielding curiosity and love for the outdoors has reached far from my grandfather's 100 acre farm in Shelby County to all corners of North America where I have hiked, paddled, and bicycled for many thousands of miles. Even after completing college in 1977 I knew that the traditional sense of "career" meant |
Along the way I have found happiness to be an overall contentment resulting from having the courage to follow my own dreams, and as Henry David Thoreau once said, "If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away."
So when folks ask, "Why did you hike the Appalachian Trail for 5 months, or paddle the Yukon River 1,800 miles across Alaska?", it can be summed up easily into four simple words...freedom of the trail. Life is short so where better than the wilderness can a person explore the mysteries of what it means to be human? And besides, I don't have any other choice... just like eating and breathing, to enter the wilderness is something that I can't seem to live without.
It is my hope that this website will serve as a resource for planning your own outdoor adventures and as an inspiration to live your own dreams, whatever they might be.
This website is lovingly dedicated to my late grandparents, Henry & Elizabeth Grady who made my childhood truely complete... the stuff that fairy tales are made from.
Be sure to visit WHAT'S NEW to find the most recent updates!
For more information on my current activities please visit My Blog
For a look at my videos please visit My YouTube page
| APPALACHIAN TRAIL 2002 "open" | In mid April I once again returned to theAppalachian Trail for my second thru-hike, however after 52 days and 1,400 miles I had to cut my hike slightly short in New York when I got a dose of the west nile virus. As usual I kept a thorough journal and took plenty of pictures that I hope you will enjoy. |
| PACIFIC CREST TRAIL 2001 "open" | I thru-hiked the 2,658 mile Pacific Crest Trail begining at the Mexican border on April 26th and finishing on the Canadian border on August 12th. This was my first ultralight long distance trip with a base weight of under 10 pounds which was a complete success, so check out my gear list too. |
| COLORADO TRAIL 2000 "open" | High on the Colorado Trail! Come hike with me on the 475 mile Colorado Trail for a month from Denver to Durango! This high altitude trail is fast becoming the jewel of Colorado, a secret that can no longer be kept. |
| APPALACHIAN TRAIL_1994 "open" | Hike 2,153 miles and 5 months on the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine! Definitely the most physical/ mental challenge of my life to date! |
| BICYCLE NORTH CAROLINA 1990 | 15 days on the Mountains to Sea Trail across North Carolina! |
| BICYCLE NEW ENGLAND_1989 "open" | Bicycling 1,800 miles across Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont! |
| ATHABASCA RIVER 1987 | Paddling the Athabasca river across northern Alberta, Canada! |
| BICYCLE ALASKA 1987 "open" | I once again returned to Alaska to bicycle 1,600 miles up the Alaska Highway, including living on a U.S. Geological Survey boat off the base of Columbia glacier in Prince William Sound for a week! |
| NORTH CASCADES 1986 | Join me on a 28 day expedition deep into the North Cascade mountains of Washington state... mountain climbing, ice climbing, and traversing some rugged terrain! |
| SOUTHEAST ALASKA_1986 "open" | This is the story of my "hobo" summer spent backpacking, fishing, and exploring southeast Alaska via the Inside Passage, including a thru-hike of the historic Chilkoot Trail and living off the land for 5 weeks near Haines. This is a summer that I will always treasure! |
| YUKON RIVER 1984 "open" | Join me as I paddle alone for seven weeks and 1,800 miles down the mighty Yukon River... from the headwater lakes on the northwestern tip of British Columbia, across the historic Yukon Territory to the heart of the Klondike goldrush at Dawson City , then across the expansive wilderness of Alaska to the Bering Sea. |
| NORTH CAROLINA LOG CABIN 1982 "open" | When I moved to work at a North Carolina wilderness camp I once again needed a place to live so here is the log cabin that I built in the Croatan National Forest. It was smaller than my Alabama cabin but it served me well as "home" for over four years! |
| ALABAMA LOG CABIN_1979 "open" | Between my seasonal migrations to Alaska I lived in a log cabin homestead that I built on my parents land in Alabama. The entire cabin including a stone open hearth fireplace, original homemade furniture, and wood heater cost less than $200.00 to build and was featured in Backhome Magazine. It really doesn't take a million dollar's to have true wealth, but I suppose my idea of "wealth" is a little different from most folks! |
| ALABAMA TRAPLINE 1978-1982 "open" | I learned from the pro's about how not only to make a living by running a fulltime trapline, but how to do it in the most humane way possible. The National Trapper's Association and Fur Taker's of America played a big part in helping me to do it right. |
| ALASKAN OUTFITTER_1979-80 "open" | For two seasons I worked for an Alaskan outfitter in the Chugach & Talkeetna mountains! Pack horses, bush planes, grizzly bears, dall sheep, log cabins...it's all here. |
| ALASKA HIGHWAY 1977 | My first trip to Alaska! During the summer of '77 I drove my '68 Falcon up the Alaska Highway, but all I have is 8mm film and no photos so this link may take some time to activate. |
| MY FAVORITE LINKS "open" | A few of my favorite links are here. |
This website is lovingly dedicated to my late grandparents, Henry & Elizabeth Grady who made my childhood truely complete... the stuff that fairy tales are made from.
Thanks for visiting my website and PLEASE do sign my guest book!
View
My Guestbook
| My website is now part of the Peak to Peak links page: | I also participate under the name of "Lightningbolt" in the Backpacking Light e-group which is a great forum for lightening up your load!
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Click above to board the train!
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© 1999 - 2009 photos and text by Dave Brock. All rights reserved. Website design handcrafted by Lightningbolt. |
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