Adventure Van, 1998-2009

By Paul

The world of adventure transportation lost a pioneer today as Adventure Van passed away at St. Darcars of the Diminishing Bank Account Hospital after a long battle against clunkeritis. After an early career as a family hauler, AV found his true calling in the formative days of adventure transport, and in his youth pioneered several first ascents, including the I-95 corridor route up










Mt. Washington and numerous expeditions into the wilderness of Shenandoah and Canaan Valley. Often underestimated due to his unassuming demeanor and low ground clearance, AV’s true abilities shown through with his ability to haul numerous clients with outdated, heavy gear over long distances, often over fire roads so rutted that vehicles of higher panache had previously deemed them unpassable. Perhaps one of AV’s more famous exploits in his younger days involved ferrying two clueless clients up and over Snowshoe Mountain in the middle of the infamous whiteout of 2004. Although the climb leader panicked and recommended bivouacking on the snow-covered slopes (a mistake that surely would have doomed the expedition) AV powered on and delivered all members to the safety of the mountain lodge. But AV truly came into his own during the golden years of ultra racing, during which he became the go-to member for support crews, and his exploits as a mobile aid station allowed countless Straggling Irregulars to achieve ultra racing glory. In later years, AV’s specialty of big expeditions with copious amounts of gear lost favor with the advent of the ultralight movement. Facing competition from more efficient transportation that focused on a low carbon footprint versus roomy comfort, AV soon found himself relegated to more mundane fare. This was further compounded by nagging transmissionitis – although numerous operations were attempted to alleviate his condition, most who knew him stated he never fully recovered, and the condition continually nagged him up until his passing. Eventually AV was forced to retire, hanging up his expedition swagger for adventures in baby sitting.

He will be sorely missed, as the new van has heated leather seats and might be too prissy to allow sweaty runners inside. The wake will be held at Dogfish at a date TBD. All willing to raise a pint to his honor are welcome. R.I.P.