Wade's Big Adventure

The peonies, too heavy with their beauty,
slump to the ground. I had hoped
they would live forever but ever so slowly
day by day they're becoming the soil of their birth
with a faint tang of deliquescence around them.
Next June they'll somehow remember to come alive again,
a little trick we have or have not learned.
-Jim Harrison

We will see you all in 2021!

Stay safe and stay healthy.

WBA

Trail cleanup has begun. We at Wade's Big Adventure apologize in advance for the fact that all foliage over 4 feet tall has not been cleared.

It's seems a lifetime ago. Yet the memory of that day remains as vivid as my typing these words right now. Memories and images emblazoned on my mind as if they were simply always there. Since the beginning. And maybe they were.

He had no inkling then nor would he ever know the impact he would have on my life. I had run and raced with him on the roads several times. His use of 60's Beat vernacular and his seemingly contradictory love of speed Metal records always made me chuckle. He was older and without any effort on his part became one of my heroes. I sought him out at races in hopes that his cool would rub off on me. To this skinny, awkward 15 year old runner from Mississippi he was the most unique and genuine person quite possibly in the entire universe. And he introduced me to the trails. And the trajectory of everything in my world changed.

In October of 1991 I joined Wally for what would be the first of innumerable trail runs in my lifetime. We met at Walnut Grove and ran the Yellow Trail to Germantown Road and then returned to Walnut Grove on the Blue Trail. I will forever remember the late afternoon light streaking through the fall colors and the hint of cold in the crisp air. Wally talked of running, mountain biking, climbing, and a life lived well. Long before technology encroached into every corner of our lives, Wally was espousing a life lived simply. A life of running, jumping, laughing, loving, and breathing in this wondrous earth that we inhabit. A life of friendships and kindness towards one another. You see, Wally did not just introduce me to the trails. The trails were the vehicle to introduce me to myself. The trails formed and informed me over time. Because my dear, late friend Wally took the time to share them with me.

Who is your Wally? Who have you been Wally to?

Come out and celebrate the little moments and the relationships and the personalities born and cultivated on the trails. You will never forget. I can promise you that.

Wade’s Big Adventure! Register Now!

'I learned that the soul of a trail - its TRAIL-NESS - is not bound up in dirt and rocks; it is immaterial, evanescent, as fluid as air. The essence lies in its function: how it continually evolves to serve the needs of its users. We tend to glorify trailblazers - those hardy souls who strive out across uncharted territory, both figurative and physical - but followers play an equally important role in creating a trail. They shave off the unnecessary bends and brush away obstructions, improving the trail with each trip. It is thanks to the actions of these that the trail becomes, in the words of Wendell Berry, "the perfect adaptation, through experience and familiarity, of movement to place." In bewildering times - when the old ways seem to be dissolving into mire - it serves us well to turn our eyes earthward and study the oft-overlooked wisdom beneath our feet.'
-Robert Moor

Wisdom awaits. Register now.

Wade’s Big Adventure! Register Now!

Our little trail run did not happen this past year. A world replete with stress, overwhelming schedules, and abundant expectations robbed us of the time and of the energy to see it come to life in October once again.

And the world did not relent in the absence of this utopian gathering we call Wade's Big Adventure. The stress at times was amplified. The schedules cruelly remained absolutely full. Expectations in every arena of life beckoned without ceasing. In other words, life went on. And despite its bursting at the seams, something was missing. An opportunity to slow down time. To escape the stress, the schedule, and the expectations. A place to just be. To be in that one single moment and to share that moment with others.

See you all on October 26th...

Wade’s Big Adventure! - October 26, 2019 Join us this year for the 18th running of Wade's Big Adventure! Enjoy 8 or 18 miles of trails along the Wolf River. In true WBA fashion there may be a few surprises along the way and a post-race cookout perfect for swapping tall tales of adventure and sharing a few cold beverages!

"I guess the definition of a lunatic is a man surrounded
by them."
Ezra Pound

Good morning all!

My hope is that this finds you having a fantastic 2018 full of adventures, happiness, and rest.

Life can be funny sometimes. And by funny I mean overwhelming. And chaotic. Did I mention overwhelming? We are getting hit from every direction in 2018 and it is showing no signs of slowing. With that...

Wade's Big Adventure WILL NOT be happening this year. I hope you all understand how much it pains me to type that. This is by no means the end of WBA. Rest assured, WBA will be back. And in true WBA fashion, that could be anytime. Anywhere.

Thank you all for your continued support of this totally irreverent event that Wade R Lewis started some many years ago.

Stay tuned for future adventures...

In the meantime, stay out of trouble and be good.

See you on the trails,

Feb

I WANT MY WBA!

We'd like to take a moment and introduce you all to Gnomercy. He's in charge of course marking this year. Or not. We'll find out on Saturday morning.

Alright, alright, alright...

We are less than a week out and the weather for this weekend is looking incredible!!!

For those of you who prefer to do your due diligence and actually prepare your mental faculties for an event like this, course maps are linked as follows...

8 Mile - http://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/898339283

18 Mile - http://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/898376847

The rest of you can show up on Saturday and follow the pink tape. Or not. Totally up to you. It is an adventure after all.

Not registered yet? Shame on you.

https://ultrasignup.com/register.aspx?did=49669