Blog

  • New Moon
    It’s been 4 years since Spirit first called me to make this journey and 3 weeks since the doe collapsed out front. It seems like an eternity and the blink of an eye. Time… The moon is new, ripe for intention setting. I publish this web site as a way of formalizing my intentions aroundContinue reading “New Moon”
  • Who am I?
    My name is Wyetta Bontempo. Somewhere in northern West Virginia or Southwestern Pennsylvania, a woman by the name of Waetta (pronounced Wai eeta) saved my great grandmother’s life when she fell into a river. My grandmother, the oldest child of my great grandmother, was given the name Waetta. My grandmother never used the name preferringContinue reading “Who am I?”
  • Why were the Cherokee removed from their native lands?
    There’s a brief article by Tim Alan Garrison called Cherokee Removal that summarizes what happened. There’s also a large volume of books and websites on this subject. I encourage you to visit these for more authority and detail. Here’s my rendition of the story. Essentially, the white lawmakers in Georgia wanted the Cherokee lands forContinue reading “Why were the Cherokee removed from their native lands?”
  • Chicks & Tiggers
    Over the past few weeks, I have been busy preparing and humbly building excitement for the upcoming journey. With each new project, I have felt open, patient, and optimistic about the outcomes. The silver steed now has a new cassette, chain, motorcycle style center stand, front rack, panniers, dynamo hub, tires, tubes, USB charger, andContinue reading “Chicks & Tiggers”
  • Packed
    My flight departs in about 6 hours. I am pleased to report that I am now packed, pretty much right on schedule, at least for me. The bike fit snuggly in the bike box that transported her from Santiago de Compostella, Esp in 2014. It was a little bit tighter this time because the silverContinue reading “Packed”
  • Prayer posted
    I posted my prayer for this journey.
  • New Echota, GA -The Starting Point
    New Echota was the capital of the Cherokee prior to the removal. Here are a few interesting things that I learned… Many Cherokee integrated with the white colonists. I’ll make the claim that they were more integrated than the other tribes. They had very colonial looking houses made of hewn wood.  They were also aContinue reading “New Echota, GA -The Starting Point”
  • Red Clay State Park
    Towards the end of my first day of cycling, I arrived at Red Clay State Park, just over the border into Tennessee. I was struck by the beauty of the trees and undulating landscape of the park. Back in the 1800s, the Georgia state government became more and more intent on seizing the Cherokee lands.Continue reading “Red Clay State Park”
  • Brainerd Missionary Cemetery
    Currently, I sit on the bluff above the confluence of the Tennessee and Hiawassee Rivers. For the Cherokee, South of here is the old homeland, north of here is not.   Before coming on this trip, I had read of the Brainerd Missionary. The Brainerd Missionary was a place where many preachers were dedicated to helpingContinue reading “Brainerd Missionary Cemetery”
  • Blythe Ferry
    My second day of riding concluded at the southern banks of the confluence of the Tennessee and Hiawassee Rivers. The Blythe Ferry was the way in which many of the detachments crossed these mighty rivers. Getting 1,000 people, several hundred horses, and a few hundred wagons across the river was no easy matter and oftenContinue reading “Blythe Ferry”
  • There’s dogs in them there hills!
    After a short 5-10 mile ride from Blythe Ferry to Dayton, TN, I ducked into the Huddle House for some breakfast. I hadn’t even set down my helmet when a woman at the bar exclaimed, “Bless your heart. I saw you peddling down the road all weighted down. Your breakfast is on me.” Bless herContinue reading “There’s dogs in them there hills!”
  • The Last Stand of Virgin Forest East of the Mississippi
    The night before, I was so exhausted that I collapsed into bed without consideration for making a proper camp. And of course, a gopher visited me after I fell asleep and ran off with most of my breakfast. So for breakfast, I ate almond butter straight and headed to visit the main attraction, Fall CreekContinue reading “The Last Stand of Virgin Forest East of the Mississippi”
  • Tolls
    No sights yesterday, just a grueling day of biking about 70 miles from Woodbury through Murfreesboro, Smyrna, downtown Nashville, and stopping in a small town called Joelton.  I reached a breaking point today. With temps over 90, high humidity, and waffle house as my best option for breakfast, my body gave out before Smyrna. MyContinue reading “Tolls”
  • Hopkinsville, KY
    Although the sky has been rumbling for days, the rain didn’t begin to fall until I was about 2 miles south of Hopkinsville, KY. Despite a moderate rain, I biked straight to the Cherokee Trail of Tears Commemorative Park. Upon entry, I discovered that Chief Whitepath and Fly Smith were buried here. I was veryContinue reading “Hopkinsville, KY”
  • Port Royal State Park
    I arrived to Port Royal at around 1 PM today. I had a chance to see the old roadbed for the Trail, which is far more visceral than the paved version that I had experienced so far. The site is where the detachments rested and refilled supplies. It’s along the banks of the Red RiverContinue reading “Port Royal State Park”
  • Big Springs
    Yesterday was a grueling and beautiful day. I got a late start and spent the first leg of my day biking 30 miles through a consistent headwind, 2 hours of a medium rain and an hour of a full on down pour. During the downpour, I arrived in Princeton, KY, home of the Big SpringsContinue reading “Big Springs”
  • Mantle Rock
    The rain had subsided by the time I left Princeton, KY and headed through some really old back roads. At one point along the big hill on Edd Sopp Rd, I pulled up exhausted and noticed a whole flight of wild turkey feathers in the road exactly where I had stopped. Instinctively, I knew thatContinue reading “Mantle Rock”
  • A Two River Crossing
    I began my day yesyerday at Berry’s Ferry, KY, a short downhill ride from Mantle Rock, looking out across the Ohio River, the same Ohio River that my namesake’s family has known for several generations residing in Pittsburgh, West Virginia, and Ohio. I noticed a family, that somewhat resembled my hillbilly West Virginia relatives, campingContinue reading “A Two River Crossing”
  • Another Deer
    In Cape Girardeau, I was hosted by a hard-core bicyclist that was a sweet elderly woman with a sweet old house. Right before sunset, she insisted on showing me the bike route out of town and also the trail of tears state park on the north east edge of town. The Trail of Tears StateContinue reading “Another Deer”
  • Dead Animals
    Biking over long distances often requires one to ride on the berm of the road. In many ways, the berm is nature’s modern day morgue. Some animals that get hit by a car die in the middle of the road. Others hobble off to to die in the grass just off of the berm. But,Continue reading “Dead Animals”
  • False Freedom For the Fourth
    I headed west out of Farmington with Caledonia as my lunch destination. It was the Fourth of July, Independence Day, to many Americans. I biked through a few state parks, passed several campers, travel trailers, and groups of motorcyclists and found the holiday vibrations to be completely undeniable. I was the first one to enterContinue reading “False Freedom For the Fourth”
  • Meramac Springs and Uranus
    In the 1830s, Missouri was the wild west. Rev. Daniel Butrick makes reference to it being “barren land.” There weren’t really many towns, and houses were few and far between. I guess that this was a mixed blessing for the Cherokee. It probably meant that there were fewer opportunities for the locals to stir upContinue reading “Meramac Springs and Uranus”
  • Roubidoux Springs and Gasconade Crossing
    After a pair of lovely morning health shakes courtesy of Michelle at Healthy Avenue Nutrition, I biked a few miles west to Roubidoux Springs, which Rev Butrick spelled as Robidoo in his journal. The Canon detachment, mentioned above, was the first detachment to traverse the trail of tears and was comprised of those Cherokee peopleContinue reading “Roubidoux Springs and Gasconade Crossing”
  • Sewers?
    I had an uneventful day biking from Lebanon to Springfield. Seriously, no photos and nothing interesting to report. However, the day from Springfield to Cassville was filled with discoveries. On my way out of Springfield, I discovered a little known landmark. Here, the Trail of Tears passes through a Wal-Mart and then is exposed forContinue reading “Sewers?”
  • Bell’s Tavern & a River Fording
    Upon seeing the map of the Trail of Tears landmarks in the Springfield area, I got a wild hair and decided to head south and try to find the location where Bell’s Tavern used to be, near the confluence of Wilson Creek and the James River. Although the back roads had more hills than theContinue reading “Bell’s Tavern & a River Fording”
  • All Kinds of People
    Being 6 feet tall with a long brown ponytail, wearing a bright yellow biking shirt with a bright teal helmet peddling around on a bike loaded down with 4 panniers worth of gear, I stand out pretty quickly, especially in small towns like Cassville, MO. Often times, locals approached me out of sheer curiosity. “WhereContinue reading “All Kinds of People”
  • Arkansas Trail of Tears Sites
    I passed three Trail of Tears sites in Arkansas: Fitzgerald Station and Farmhouse (one of the campsites mentioned primarily by the Canon detachment), the site where William Ruddick’s (Reddix) house used to be in Pea Ridge (a campsite and supply station for the detachments), and the Latta House in Prairie Grove which was moved toContinue reading “Arkansas Trail of Tears Sites”
  • The End but not really
    My heart filled with anticipation as I saddled up for the final stretch before reaching the detachment depots. Although more centralized, the end of the Trail of Tears was similar to the beginning, a series of ending spots which differed by detachment. According to Laurenda Joenks’ article, The Trail of Tears Marches On, “The BengeContinue reading “The End but not really”
  • Denouement
    I awoke Sunday morning to a beautiful cool, sunny day. I loaded up and was about to pedal out of Stilwell when I noticed a flat on my rear tire, the first flat of the entire 950 mile journey. I patched her up, thanked the silver turkey, my bike, for being so steadfast and peddledContinue reading “Denouement”
  • Forgiveness
    In Tahlequah, at the entrance to Northeastern State University, resides a sculpture that really moved me. “Transformation Through Forgiveness” was sculpted by Dutch born artist Francis Jansen and donated in 2016. There were some other quotes on it that moved me. I’d like to share one here. “May the creator bless us each and everyContinue reading “Forgiveness”
  • How can I support the Atonement of the Removal of the Cherokee from their Native Lands?
    As mentioned elsewhere in this site, each year, the Cherokee Nation and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians sponsor and facilitate a bicycle ride of the removal route called Remember the Removal. For the Cherokee Nation, this program is specifically targeted to young adults. On Tuesday, I had the opportunity to meet with one ofContinue reading “How can I support the Atonement of the Removal of the Cherokee from their Native Lands?”

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