When “Wild Bill Roussel” started Ashland Mtn Adventures home of the Ashland 12 mile Super D, and generally speaking home of beautiful must ride single track, his two options were Asheville North Carolina and Ashland Oregon. Long and short the woman he was dating at the time was from NC and encouraged him to go check it out. For one reason or another, Bill is no longer with that woman, and he chose Ashland as the home of his shuttle service. I could go on and on about the trails on Ashland mtn, but I am not going to.
We decided to take a day off the bike and lounge around Emigrant Lake in Ashland. It was a beautiful day of swimming, sunning, and much needed rest. One of the highlights of the trip came just after I got Casheva, our rolling home up on blocks and leveled. Eva, Ariel, and Abby had gone to pick up some firewood, and pay our fees. I turned on the fan, opened the door, queued up some tunes and lie down for a late afternoon rest. I chose a Lynyrd Skynyrd album to listen to, at a volume just slightly above the hum of the fan but low enough to rest. In my senior yearbook I quoted a Lynyrd Skynyrd song “Simple Man” along side pictures of Sasha, my truck, and perhaps some friends as I recall. I know one photo was of my lifelong friend Martin Wilkinson. We were in our first bike race ever, he beat by minutes (an eternity in bike racing) and I have been trying to put those minutes into him ever since. Funny thing, but unbeknownst to either of us, he had quoted the same lyric from the same song.
There have been times where I believe I did not follow my heart to the extent I possibly could have. I am certain we all do it at times as we find who we are. But now listening to that song again, I feel that I am truly living it, and it brings a sense of peace to my soul.
As I explore the beautiful wild nature of the North West feelings of home are constantly being conjured by some stretch of road, or some oiece of trail in a magnificent forest. I guess there’s just no place like my Carolina (or Colorado) home.
I am copying the lyrics to both songs, as well as the links to the songs so you may perhaps share in the experience.
“Simple Man”
Mama told me when I was young
Come sit beside me, my only son
And listen closely to what I say.
And if you do this
It’ll help you some sunny day.
Oh, take your time… Don’t live too fast,
Troubles will come and they will pass.
You’ll find a woman, you’ll find love,
And don’t forget son,
There is someone up above.
And be a simple, kind of man.
Oh be something, you love and understand.
Baby be a simple, kind of man.
Oh, won’t you do this for me son,
If you can?
Forget your lust, for the rich man’s gold
All that you need, is in your soul,
And you can do this, oh baby, if you try.
All that I want for you my son,
Is to be satisfied.
Boy, don’t you worry… you’ll find yourself.
Follow your heart, lord, and nothing else.
And you can do this, oh baby, if you try.
All that I want for you my son,
Is to be satisfied.
Simple Man (Original Version)
“All I Can Do Is Write About It”
Well this life that I’ve lead has took me everywhere
There ain’t no place I ain’t never gone
But it’s kind of like the saying that you heard so many times
Well there just ain’t no place like home
Did you ever see a she-gator protect her young
Or a fish in a river swimming free
Did you ever see the beauty of the hills of Carolina
Or the sweetness of the grass in Tennessee
And Lord I can’t make any changes
All I can do is write ’em in a song
I can see the concrete slowly creepin’
Lord take me and mine before that comes
Do you like to see a mountain stream a-flowin’
Do you like to see a youngun with his dog
Did you ever stop to think about, well, the air your breathin’
Well you better listen to my song
And Lord I can’t make any changes
All I can do is write ’em in a song
I can see the concrete slowly creepin’
Lord take me and mine before that comes
I’m not tryin’ to put down no big cities
But the things they write about us is just a bore
Well you can take a boy out of ol’ Dixieland
But you’ll never take ol’ Dixie from a boy
And Lord I can’t make any changes
All I can do is write ’em in a song
I can see the concrete slowly creepin’
Lord take me and mine before that comes
‘Cause I can see the concrete slowly creepin’
Lord take me and mine before that comes
All I Can Do Is Write About It (Acoustic Version)
Mountain Bike Farm 