The first part of my trip

Glacier National Park

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This is now the 3rd time that I have driven back and forth the country. This time was more of a journey of exploration then any thing else. All the other trips where shooting across to get some where by a certain time. It is a nice change of pace to travel across this great country with little to no rush of time. The only thing that would hold us up was the flow of cash to the car.

photo: matt

We ended up leaving Big sky montana with the intention of heading to South Dakota, where my unsuspecting girl friend was flying back to. She grew up in the great metropolis of Pierre. Course I had never made it out there and since we were in the general area it was going to be my christmas gift to her, to show up on here door step. Matt and I headed out with the first intension of going from Bozeman to Pierre all in one shot. So we drove and drove, after about 10 hours of driving we made it as far as Rapid City and matt spoke out about going to check out Mount Rushmore. Having blasted out here from the east I was all for slowing down the pace and trying to see some land marks. So we darted off the highway and headed into the black hills in search of the carved faces.

By this time it was well under the cover of darkness and we found the site of the faces and pulled into the gate. It soon became clear that they were going to charge us to park. But as we pulled up to gate we realized that everybody had gone home and the gate was left open to whom every wanted to enter. We pulled up and around the gate parked at the top of the ramp and got out. Now I do not know what I was expecting to see when we got there, but we were greeted with what appeared to be an entrance to a plaice. The flags of all the states and provinces were hung high all illuminated. Walking through this gate way felt a little awkward and bizarre. We walked up to the deck were one was to see the faces and expecting them to be lit up as well as the flag were, disappointedly we looked at a dark wall. We headed back to the car, and drove down the road looking for a camp site. We stumbled upon a forest service camp site a couple of miles down the road from the faces. There was some cool pillars in the camp site that I climbed up and down. We ran around like fools for a little organized the truck and then laid out all our sleeping stuff. Cause we are super lazy sometimes we just slapped our sleeping rolls under some trees, with no tent and called it good. We could see stars so there was little to no worries about weather hitting us. Peace and quiet create peaceful dreams.

We awoke to the rise of the sun, cooked some good old cream of wheat,yum yum, and headed back to the faces. This time when we pulled up to the gate there was a nice gentlemen there asking us for 10 dollars. We asked him if there was an way we could see it for free. He directed us to a parking area that was a 1/4 mile down the road. We parked there and walked up the road through the security entrance and found our selves at the deck to look at the carvings. They were pretty cool, defiantly glad that I did not have to pay the stupid parking fee.

Photo:goose

We headed out of the black hills, 10 dollars still in our pocket. From there we drove east on highway 90. Looking for signs for Pierre. As we drove we saw what seemed like five thousand signs for this place called Wall Drug. They had advertisements from 5 cent coffee to fresh ice cream and a bunch of other random stuff. A couple were even themed. stop at wall drug its awesome. Not that direct but more or less the same point. We stopped here and found an little interesting town that was very much still in the western era. We continued on and made our way to Pierre. We met up with Ana’s parents and plotted how we were going to surprise here at the airport.  The surprise was super fun. Bold face lying for the enjoyment to all parties is a whole lot of excitement!

The following day Ana showed us the Missouri River dam, witch till recently was the largest in the world of its kind. This dam was just a bunch of fill that was placed in the river bed in order to make the power for all the state of South Dakota and then some. After that little venture we met up with Ana’s mom for lunch. For the afternoon, we played with her dads tractors. Drove them around her yard like little kids playing in a sand box, only better! We made a fire in the snow filled pit and used the fire to cook a bunch of antelope sausage and other kinds of meat. It was yum yum in the tum. I always find it interesting that i can see to the horizon, in new england, we got them trees.

The following day matt and I headed out and started the trek to Colorado. Our destination was the town of Silverthorn, my Aunt and uncle have a condo in that area. We left around 10 am in and started due south. We drove through the barren lands of a Nebraska and the eastern side of colorado, witch is all rancher country. Very barren land to say the least.  Along this road there is a very unfortunate site. There is a factory farm along this road that you can smell for many miles before you even come close to it. When you finally do see it, is just a site for soar eyes, cows packed into tiny little pens, thousands of them. In the space that should be given for just one cow. Its a nasty site and all morals are broken for those who eat and support this type of treatment to animals.

Anyways, we continued to drive to and through denver area, as we approached the  front range of the rockies we started to see the flakes fly. We had been in contact with my family and they had relayed to us that the main tunnel that gets you through the mountains and to the town of Sliverthorn was closed due to a hazardous waste spill. We found out later that it was some sort of explosive chemical truck that a car had rear ended into on the highway. In order to bypass this mess we had to go over rout 6, loveland pass. Its a nice and windy road that takes us up to about eleven thousand feet. With this snow and all the traffic it was going to be an awesomely annoying ride. The traffic was bumper to bumper most of the way. It was even at a stand still for a good while. As we crept our way forward we realized that a truck had not payed attention to the chain law that was in effect and had tried to get over the road with no chains, he was stuck. Another trucker had stopped because he was stuck behind this dimwit. He was angrily helping this guy put on his chains when we had passed. After we got passed this mess we finally were able to make up some time. We ended up getting to families house about an hour and a half later then we had expected. Welcomed with warm arms and warm food we unpacked and prepared for the snow play days to fallow.

The next day we as a family headed to Arapaho Basin ski area. My family and I all skied the lift access runs that were there for our use, while Matt hiked. He was hiking to see if he could get up high enough and see some sweet views. The sun was shinning and the people were smiling. This was the first day where I had a whole hard core day of tele skiing. After all of us had grown tired and week we grabbed a beer at the base and then started to make the trek back to the cars. Tim jumped on the back of my skis in hope of getting a ride all the way down to the truck. But when we hit the parking lot, who knows what happened, we skidded around and crashed hard into the ice. It was a site worth seeing I am sure. We all piled into the car and headed back to the house, ate a great meal of elk and salad and coos coos. All fat and happy we slowed trickled into our food coma for the evening. The next day we spent the day at Breckenridge, skiing again until we could not stand, at least I was barely on the verge of standing that is. Thighs again burning with the journey into the land of thousand lunges.

Photo:goose

The next day my family was headed back to Tennessee and matt and I were going to head somewhere in the colorado backcountry to camp. We decided to head to a spot where I had been with my outward bound program many years ago. Mayflower Gulch is the name of the place. It is a location of some old mining operations. There are a couple sweet cabins and a bunch of old mining shafts. We set up our camp off in the distance on the other side of the bowel from the trail. This was a sweet campsite, were we could over look anything that was happening in the bowel area.  The sun was shinning giving us nice warmth upon the skin on our face. Over the next couple of days we explored this area as much as we could.

Photo:matt

On one of these days matt was walking access a slop where earlier he had made a trail below. All of a sudden I head matt “Foo”ing a whole bunch I skied over to where he is. White faced and paled matt explained to me that as he had been walking all of a sudden the snow under neither he feet had started to move and crack. At the beginning of this trip, I was very hesitant to go out into the avalanche terrain. The risk was rated at considerable for all sides and altitudes, I kept on trying to relay the severity in that scale. Matt was sorta listening to me but sometimes I was not really sure. But after this little incident  matt gained little more respect for the snow pack. We had done a bunch of snowpack test and learned about how the snow was playing with it self. We identified a higher weak layer and a deep instability that existed within the snow pack. And now all parties of the trip understood the danger that actually existed with in the snow. The next day we ended up headed out out the woods, spooked and running away with our tails between our legs. But we are still breathing so still smiling.

photo:matt

We continued on highway 70 all the way to utah, headed to the Mohab area. Our destination is Arches National Park. We drove some sweet old back roads and found some really cool land features that were carved with the hand of rain. We made into big bend area and camped in a national forest somewhere out side of Mohab.

Ok time to write honestly, cause I feel as though my writing gets boring less I am actually writing about something that I want to be writing about, makes sense. I cant go one with this play by play of my trip, to drawn out for all those who read these things and boring as sin for me to write. Onward.  Let me pass the torch to and let my good friend matt, tell you about some desert times to remember.

Photo:matt

“By the time we where crossing the Colorado Utah border I am dancing in my seat with excitement and anticipation. The landscape has made some dramatic and sudden changes as if just turning a bend on the interstate was all it took to hold back winter. Up until now the norm was snow ice and cold but recently the snow vanished and the soil went from a dark black and pebbly brown to a red and light brown sandy and soft. The desert is throwing its charm my way as we drive threw are first canyon only building on my enthusiasm for arches national park. The walls of this canyon are steep barley even room for the road way that we are on in fact the road workers had to make several tunnels to even pass there this canyon carved by the great Colorado river. Soon after the road plains off and the cliffs and platos are off in the distance allowing us to gain a broader understanding of how this magical land was formed.

The book case shelf was the next major fixture in are journey, vivid layers of colors dissected the cliff into unique time zones twisted and bent showing us the forces of the tectonic plates in a way that one cant help but enjoy learning. But we must keep going for the park is calling are names. We went by so dose many different land features including hollowed out bowls and small spires and drainages or washes. Fisher canyons suddenly appeared in front of us and like a magnet we where drown t there mystique and beauty. I never thought something as grand and fragile as fisher canyons could exist they tower 300-600 feet over us but cant be more than 30-60 thick at the base and they are everywhere we get as close as the road will let us and start on foot. The trail is sandy and smooth sand stone weaving twisting and switch backing in out up and down the canyon but ultimately around the fishers themselves. We are exploring all around the canyon admiring the trail work and laughing about the experience we are gaining, soon, almost to soon we come to a point where we must turn back, we only brought day gear and it is rapidly becoming dark.

Photo:matt

We decided to push on in the truck for a more financially understanding camp site then the one next to fisher canyons. Next thing I know we are parked down a wash and i am asleep in the bed of the pick up. The next morning we drive into Moab to get water and other provisions and we take the short drive to the park entrance after the park ranger / gate keeper hit us for the fee we went to the visitor station to enquire about a back country permit. Are dear friend Mr. ranger tells us all about how we don’t want to camp in the back country and that there is nothing back there and its so limited and ultimately that he had never been there before at that we where really antsy to get out into the desert or at least I was I think gooses mind was on climbing somewhere els but I just had to feel these rock formations for myself. So we obtained the much-needed permit and parked once again at the end of the road and set off. At first it was a very popular trail in the park passing many tourists with DSLRs and almost as many natural rock arches we came to the dark angle the spot where we must leave the trail and venture at least mile into the desert per order of the park regulations before we can camp. We end up going 2 or more and find a fantastic fin to set up my bag and the cooking area and goose goses about 300 feet off to the side where he feels he is a bit more protected (he was right).

Photo:goose

That night we decide that the raw chicken must be eaten so we boil it up add it to pasta and choke it down unfortunately for me I dropped a large portion of mine into the sand so I was forced to pack it out. Luckily we also had some ground venison so we cooked and ate that with out adding a thing to it I really liked that. In no time we started to play and talk and explore until the sun dropped down low and we retreated to are respected sleeping arrangements. Gooses had thought to bring a biv sack and I chose to not bring a thing seeing as though we where in the desert. Well that was my mistake because before I even got in the bag the evening dew was soaking the outside of the bag and before long right to my skin so I yelled out the goose that it was raining and he responded with, in a laugh, “I can see the stars”. So I boiled up several bottles of water and put them with me in the bag to warn and dry me off o man that did the trick except for the humidity I was sleeping soundly until early the next morning when the bottles lost some of there potency and I began to freeze. So I just put on some cloths and toughed it for the next couple houers until the sun made a much-appreciated appearance. I can still remember as soon as the rays from the sun made it over the horizon, spontaneously is was 30 degrees warmer and in 2 hours it was 65-70 in the sun. I was happy. So after some tasty breakfast I hinted at going into the heart of the fins that where just east of us.

Now the best way I can describe the fins are by saying imagine your finger print is 1 by 2 miles large and the ridges of the print are 100-300 feet tall but still just as close to one another that’s the maze that goose with out telling me wanted to play hide and seek in. so I looked and looked and searched for him with no luck just after I gave up and started taking pictures I was heading the way I had come I saw goose looking around perplexed playing with some rocks like a small child would. I fooed he looked and we started exploring together he showed me the places he had gone and then I showed him some caves I found together we came upon a series of pictogliffs from native American Indians and stone carvings (in the rock) dating back as far as 1844, way cool right.

photo:goose

As we went back to are camp we traveled threw more fins and canyons and some unstable soil till we came over the backside of where are cooking area was luckily to because I was starving. After we ate it didn’t take long for us to realize that we explored this particular area and even though are permit was for two nights we decided to head back. This decision was also encouraged by the encroaching storm that was forecasted. so we packed up and started heading for the truck. When we reached the point where we had left the trail we traveled a short ways, to the first junction on that trail and decided that we would take the difficult primitive trail back, oh joy, I was happy. I would say that the trail was easy except for three small exposed and slick spots do to the sand on the rock.

photo:matt

At one of these places goose and I had to get around this infamous puddle (we herd the ranger describing it to another guest who was complaining about it). So I took the low and apparently more challenging route and goose went high but still dangerous route. Now that we where across I started encouraging a group of three visitors on how they could accomplish the feature and goose helped them up the fist hard part of it. The people where thankful and we went are separate ways the rest of the hike out was uneventful except for the picture of me at the truck holding my poop bag close to my face with a huge smile to go with it priceless. A short time in the park told me I must go back so I know some day ill return until then ill just dream about it.”

photo:matt

Thanks matt, times to remember for sure. After Mohab we started our sprint around the southwest, were we ended up running away from blizzards, pricey entrance fees and crappy food. Did you know to just go and see the grand canyon, gods creation, its $25, crazy! Anyway we made our way through arizona. We saw on the map, Petrified forest national park, drove to it, $10, lame. We headed into new mexico and started fallowing highway 40, back east. We camped in new mexico at some trail head with the snow dancing its way onto the truck. By the time we woke up the truck was covered in at least 8 inches of fresh stuff. Matt was making claims that he was seeing red, witch means we boxed our selves in so well and with the snow, he was rather oxygen deprived. We packed our stuff and started to run again from the snow. Sprinting on the highway, after about 4 hours we managed to get ahead of the storm.

Photo:goose

Darting into Texas, we finally found some sun shine and warmth. We kept on heading toward memphis, driving through texas and oklahoma and into Arkansas. In Oklahoma city we found a super large display of christmas lights, many different displays for the public to enjoy. Right before we got to Arkansas there was a very intense thunder storm that we had to drive though, heavy rain and tons of lightning. We drove out of the rain and headed to a national forest property that was in the boston mountains. Sweet name, not much to the mountains, barley even a hill or two. With the flashes of lightning and the rumble of thunder we drifted off into a peaceful sleep. The next morning we jetted to my aunts and uncles house in memphis.

When we got there, they asked us about are trip and told us that 30 miles away from were we had been camping 3 people died in a tornado. Crazy weather everywhere! We spent the day with them playing with nice cars and doing some real red neck things. Well sorta, tried to build a fort in the woods before the rain came. We were here when it was time to ring in the new years. Thought about going to beal street, party capital of memphis, but being in the woods makes it hard to just get up and run and get silly drunk. We ended up just hanging out at the house chilled and rang in the new year.

The next day matt and I headed to north carolina to attack Mt Mitchell. Camped around the base of the mountain that night. The next day we went looking for a trail head to go the summit of the mountain. What we ended up finding was just a road that took you to with in stones throw of the summit. This place was built up more then the whites, ewe! Thats right think about that lama. We stood on the summit and got sick with the bullshit of humanities mat over the land. We peaced out of there and then headed north into Virginia and got ready to make our way into Washington D.C.

The fallowing day we headed into the capital. This is the weirdest city that I have ever seen, filled with federal buildings and no houses, at least by the fed. First stop on this city tour was the capital building. We had to walk around the whole building to just find the entrance were we could get the free tour. We signed up for the tour and preceded to walk around the building and see a bunch of random rooms. I was actually very disappointed in the tour.  They talked about god almost just as much as the building it self. We did not even get to the meeting rooms of the Senate and the house. It was probable the lamest tour of an epic building I have ever been on. After the tour we went to the library of congress and got our readers card, because we could. This library had exhibits all about gods and different bibles and religions. What ever happened to separation of church and state?

After this we headed to the air and space smithsonian. I guess I had been here as a kid before, but I do not really remember much. But walking through this building I felt like a kid again. We ran around looking at all sorts of wicked sweet plane things, from engines to wings and really old plans. We also participated in a flight simulator witch allowed us to flip up and around wile pretending to shoot down bad guys. We spent about 4 hours in this building acting like little kids. I think the exhibit that caught my eye the most was an exhibit about how the air traffic controller system works.   There was a TV that had a little dot move around the country to represent a plan and showed all the plan fights through-out the day. Thousand and thousands of flights every day, pumping their fumes out in the megatons. A rather tough exhibit to look at in the eyes of this goose.  They also had an exhibit that is near one of the airports, it is a hanger filled to brim with tons and tons of airplanes, WICKED COOL! We saw the Blackhalk and a space shuttle, planes packed in like sardines.

photo:goose

From here we headed out, back to the northeast, matt dropped me off in New York City so I could visit my friend Celeste. Her and I romped around the city, went to a climbing gym, some bars and such. It had been snowing there a ton before hand, and there was crazy piles of trash every where to be found, cause all the trash trucks where delayed. While I was there I walked from middle of manhattan to the Museum of Nature Science, pretty cool exhibits, all the way past the empire state, down 5th Ave. To world trade center I walked, by the plaques of those who had passed in 9/11, the feeling that was in the air around this part of the city was rather ere compared the spots that had a more booming effect to them. I tried to see if I could see ground Zero. That plan was foiled but I was standing less the 40 yards away from where the towers were once. But a fence now surrounds the whole place as they build the memorial.

It was not until I arrived in the city that I came to a huge realization. I had never been to new york before and seeing it, in all its dirty glory really showed me something. Over the course of the trip I had been reading the book “Unsettling America” by Wendell Berry, this book is about how we have set our selves up for some major failure if we do act soon in the fields of agriculture and Business. What started as a trip into the wild turned into a slow transformation. From the wildest of wilds to the city of all cities, while reading about the pain we are putting our selves and planet thorough. Incredibly eye opening.

When I go back and look on this trip it will sting in my brain as the trip that really set my mind apart from the normal ideas of society. It really make me understand that if there was ever a time to act, it is now! I mean I literally saw the world get run over by man. From a place of peace and tranquility, to a monolithic cesspool. We have greatly under estimated our capacity to fill and over run this planet. We think that we world is so big, but really its not. We are all the same we have friends everywhere, and there are a shit load of us. We are blind to the fact that we are destroying the planet, due largely I believe, to the fact that even though we feel connected to the world,with internet, we cannot see far beyond our own yard. No person can really grasp what is happening in any other place then where we choose to put our selves.

It was great to be able to talk with people from all around the country, everyone seems to want to end in the same goal. Not much government intervention with the locals, curb the giants, do not remove rights, stop fucking the planet. We all just need to come together and revolutionize how we go about our lives. Work together not against. Great trip, I recommend to anyone, drive around the country, cause there is an adventure around every corner. Peace, be good all!

photo:matt