No Hands!

     Dinner and a movie. Skip the movie, who needs it. Tom showed me around the town. We went out and to a local place called the Industry public house. Who can deny a burger and beer? Certainly not I. The place was cool and had an extremely comfortable feel about it. I felt at ease, home almost. Maybe due to my gracious host. I got the "Blast Pig Burgher" which is described as "candied jalapeno/candied bacon/caramelized onion/fried zucchini/garlic aioli." Lubricated with a stout and of course Lagunitas, which I still can't pronounce properly. I guess I just need to order more to practice the pronunciation, right?

     I laid around throughout the time I was there and Tom was at work. The most I did was going to the library to fill out some applications to send in.

     We had also went to a hookah bar, KiKu sushi restaurant, Mad Mex, and a pizza joint. Good grub, yay.

  On Saturday we went to Ohiopyle State Park in southern PA and biked around on the Great Allegheny Passage trail. A trail that leads all the way into MD. The park was packed, with the main attraction seeming to be white water rafting. A cool place to attend overall. We took a swim in the cold water of the river. After getting out the muscles were tense from the chill.

     Early Sunday I left the humble abode to head to my own.  

Pause

      I came back home yesterday for a break between the long days for a little while. Time not yet determined, haha. After saying hello to the family I took a shower and napped all day. No feeling like sleeping in your own bed. It's hot here, what gives.

     I plan on finishing out the NE of the states sooner than later.

Flickr

     Not sure if you all were able to see new pictures as I went along or not? When I clicked on the link it only showed 162 pictures available. Well have I got a surprise for you. A lot more pictures. I updated the link so all YOU have to do is click on "ROAD TRIPPIN'" and the browser should open a new window for you to take a peek! Looks like I have to update the link every so often.

A State of Independence

     Made it to PA earlier today and am staying with a friend near Pittsburgh. Going to hangout for a few days and relax for the most part.

     

     Yesterday I had went to Wayne National Forest in Ohio. I planned on hiking a trail, but when I arrived at the trail-head it was overgrown. The office for the rangers showed me how to get up there. Luckily, on the map they had GPS coordinates of the area, because I got turned around. No signs anywhere! After a few moments of stepping out of the car the sneezing came, watering eyes, and shortly after an itchy throat. I miss the dry desert of the West already. At camp the day before I cut my foot by stepping on the tent stake. I decided not to hike the trail and continued to drive through the forest.

    

     Later in the day I ended up at the New River Gorge National River and checked out the visitor center. The area was gorgeous. Looking from the viewpoint near the visitor center you can see a long arch bridge, which starts and ends in what appears to be the trees.

     

     I plugged manual spot into the GPS which turned out to be an adventure. The spot I chose, which was supposed to be near the primitive camping sight. I just pressed on the map of the GPS that looked to be about where the site was. I ..was..wrong. I ended up on a 4-5 mile rock road that was not taken care of. Bottoming out the Subaru on loose rocks as well as dirt. I get to about .5 miles away from the destination and approach a "Private Area" sign with rope blocking the way. I had to turn around and go back through the zone. Listening to the plastic skid plate on the bottom being pounded evoked some emotional words out of me like "#(*#&$ and even $*#@(*&$*) I know, to harsh to even read. Relieved after making it out I decided to head towards the camping area again with a more precise method ....zooming in.

     As I'm driving along US 60 I notice a dog running alongside the highway. So, round two begins. The last dog I tried to help ran into the woods. This one bolted across the highway to where I had been standing. I just said "Hey, come here!". She was a cutie. A sheriff drove by and I waved him down. Said he would get me some help. While waiting I notified ODL (Obsessive-Dog-Lover) which is my Mom. She had posts on facebook, contacted dog rescue individuals, and had people searching within an hour. But when I ask about dinner I am chastised (kidding of course). Without doing any work myself I found the owner. He drove by and saw her. Crisis adverted. I almost had a new dog. All this lasted about two hours. Oh, by the way the Sheriff that stopped to help never returned. He said he was going to call a few different places to help me out.

     Once arriving I was greeted by a few friendly guys. One was attempting to get the fire going at a site before I even walked up to it. He couldn't get it going, but I did for a little while. I showed him the basics of how I do it.

     

     I talked with a couple of them for a while and headed to bed.  When getting up they had offered some eggs and bacon. John, the gentleman I showed how to get a fire going had started one by my methods to cook breakfast. They grow up so fast. They were a cool group of guys who were going whitewater rafting later on.

     

     A couple of days ago I had hiked the Leatherman Loop trail in the Daniel Boone National Forest. The area is in the northern section of the forest in the Cumberland county area, if I remember correctly. The trail was around 4 miles long and harder than I anticipated, cool though.

     

     I ate, grabbed a bath, and camped out at a primitive site. The other camper had an RV and had the generator thumping all night. So much for falling asleep to the sound of creek water flowing.

    

School is out

   An odd scenario that I am becoming all too familiar with is urban car sleeping. I still become uneasy when picking a spot but it matters less and less each time. I pulled into a spot last night after searching for a dispersed campsite. It was midnight and I was driving parallel to the river. The sites i found were taken, from what i could see,  short of walking up to them. Possibly scaring those attempting to sleep.

     I woke up to the sound of a car door close as the sound of footsteps becoming faint. I sat up and had vehicles surrounding me,  but I slept through it.

     I shoved a couple granola bars into the pit of despair I call my stomach. The growls roar and can't fill it unless I cook two meals.

     I quickly checked out the river. The usual passage of turning the GPS on, waiting for the signal, and plugging in the destination commenced. It's almost comforting once I begin.

     Six hours later and I arrive at a closed visitor center at the Picture Cliffs National Lakeshore, MI. A terribly boring drive. Wisconsin is as flat as Minnesota. No fun roads have been encountered for the last few days.

     I got to the area and decided to find a campsite. Six hours is enough for the day. Finished reading "The Short Drop" by Matthew Fitzsimmons. Meh, a three star rating could be used. The reading of Hunter S. never dissapoint though. Laying here about to sleep as the sun hasn't even set.

     I'd say I'm homesick,  but I don't know if I really am. I miss everyone, but its a normal feeling. I miss nothing of the location. The longing to ride the moto and hug Sage however are not. Hah, the bachelor life is tough...right.

     I touched, for the first time, a great lake. The water cool. The sight cool. The air cool. Skipping rocks at Lake Superior can be checked off.

Fast food, ehh

     Past few days have been quickly paced. An iissue arose with the car. Got that solved but it put me a day behind. I was in Bismark ND. I caved and bought a hotel room. First lodging expense of the trip!

      I checked out the state library and the heritage center. Both very cool places to check out.

     I checked out Theodore Roosevelt National Park and made the all night drive to get close to the next one.

     Slept in a parking lot, then later in a picnic area of a national forest. Im exhausted.

     Today I was at the Voyagures National Park in Minnesota. I couldnt get to the peninsula because I didnt have a canoe or boat. I did hike along a trail totalling 2.9 miles. The mosquitoes are back. I havent had issues in weeks! Ahh.

     Heading into Wisconsin for the night and to check out a National Scenic River tomorrow.

     The days are long but fast.

Day of sights

     I covered three different protected lands by the NPS today. A long day indeed: Devils Tower, Mount Rushmore, and The Badlands.

     What a cool day. Devils tower is flat out cool. The native americans have issue with those who climb it. As it is a part of their past and held sacred to its meaningful history. Of course we dont give a shit and continue to defy them. So odd that they have a prarie dog area near the tower. Those buggers were everywhere. Goofy looking little things.

     Mount Rushmore was cool. I didn't have a lot of interest prior to arriving, but the history of how it was built was cool to learn about. They had a walkway of all the state flags. Ive been wanting to get a PA flag for years. Watched the movie as well as checked out the exhibits and found out how much work goes into maintaining the formation.

     The Badlands is an awesome area. They had some cool fosils in the visitor center that had been found at the park. Cool short hikes. I hiked the "Notch" trail which was a mile loop. It had a narrow pass, ladder, and scenic viewpoint. I hiked another trail but I didint write down the name. That was short but cool. Its right off of I-90 and should not be skipped if youre in the area.

     Ive grown fond of the smaller parks. The big ones have too much tourism that really kills it for me. Im here for the nature not to look at stores surrounding it with a mall like feeling, I digress.

      Tonight I pulled off to a lake recreation area. Its too dark and I looked for like 20 minutes for a camp site but couldnt find one. Just going to sleep in an open area, seems good enough. No one around for miles. Pretty sure a coyote passed infront of me while driving up. Larger than a fox, but just as quick.

     I need a shower badly.

Devils Tower

     For half the trip one thought that keeps reoccuring are the names of certain areas. Specifically the use of the word "devil" or "hell". Ive seen "Devils Backbone"; " Devils Tower"; " Hells Gultch"; "Devils camp", as some examples. However I have not see anything related to the opposite faction, if you will, nothing called "Angels Halo"; " Gods Hand" for names of peaks or trails. I wonder why that is? Ive seen "enchanted" but nothing relating to the heavens. Interestingly enough it may be that because of translations, although the trail names would be excluded from that. Native American translations refer to nature more or less iw what I'm getting at.

     Anyway, I hiked the "Red River Beds" trail that was of moderate difficulty according to NPS. A 2.8 mile trail. Cool trail. They have a section of Prarie dogs popping out everywhere! No bears here, woo!

     Time to head to Mount Rushmore!

Geysers

     Only after a few miles of entering the Yellowstone NP did I see cool wildlife. A few bison laying close to the road. A ton of cars were pulled over and people just blocking access...pfft tourists *cough*.

     Another 15 minutes passed and I came upon another group of them this time I got out and snapped a few pictures.

     Just driving around not having looked at the park map yet and I saw a sign "Old Faithful". Yep. I just found my goal for thr day. I stopped along the way at painted fountains area. Lots of cool geysers and other types of geothermal anomalies.

     After checking out old faithful I just decided to drive around to see where that would take me. I wouldn't be hiking because of the off and on rain with a lower temperature and higher elevation. Too many ways for something to go wrong.

     I came out of the main Lake attraction and saw a youngman with a cardboard sign. So, I gave him a lift. I got out, greeted, and moved all my stuff in the backseat over. I had too many things in the front.

     A cool guy. He apparently worked in Yellowstone and we seemed to bond over the next 15-20 minutes. Had a lot in common. He told me of a story or two, about the area, and a little background of himself. We parted ways and I drove towards the East entrance..to exit. I had checked out a couple of visitor centers within the park. Not really much else that spoke to me. I'm here to wander and hike.

     The east entrance was distinctly different from the west entrance. Large mountains spanning at least 9k in elevation created a twisty road, my favorite. The temperature dropped even more as the car struggled to climb.

     When exiting the park I had decided to head towards the next destination. Having plans a few days in advance makes me want to get to the next area. I'm not sure if it's excitement or anxiety that pushes me on. Ive become a road stallion.

     The Bighorn National Forest had a cool section of roaf I enjoyed playing with the gears on. After about 5 hours of driving I felt no fatigue. I took a break anyway to get my mind off the striped lines.

Odometer Noooo

     I accidently reset the odometer. Damnit. Damnit...damnit.

     I slept without issue last night as my plan worked, mwhahah. Rose early and was the first one on the trail. After seeing about five NPS posters warning of bears I became nervous. One sign said "never hike alone". Thanks sign, thats reassuring.   Grocery list item added, bear mace.

     Anyway I hiked up the "trail of cedars" and continued onto the "Avalance Lake" trail. About a 5 mile hike in total. Elevation gain 500 feet. Not a hard hike but it did reward. The lake was phenomenal. Truly breathtaking.

     I met Bret, a gentleman out on his own adventure. We talked for quite a while and even exhanged numbers. Was keen to show me some cool spots around his living area back in Oregon. The westerners really love the outdoors. I may have to join them.

    I stopped at a picnic site in the park and ate lunch, yum. As you may of guessed lots of roads closed here due to snow.  I'm upbeat and in the mood to take on some roads. Yellowstone here I come.

Glacier

     Arrived at the Glacier National Park in Montana . I destroyed a sandwich and some granola bars. I didnt expect the trip to take as long as it did. Anyway, its already after 2pm. Wait...no 3pm. I passed a time zone!

     This park deserves an all day exploration. A few hour sample won't cut it. 

      They have quick wifi at this visitor center, which is cool. I'llbe able to upload some pictures.

     The thought of finding a place to camp early on because it is Saturday came to mind. Hopping back into the car to backtrack 30 minutes to a National Park site was a learning experience.

     As I turned off the highway to the National forest access road the signage made me uneasy. It read something like "Bear food storage required". Not good, not good at all. This is the real deal. Not pansy timid black bears. This sign was, in my opinion, a path to keeping it real; forest edition.

     I drove around contemplating whether or not to risk it. I only found a couple of campsites while driving along the rocky path. I decided to backout. When the decision was made the tight space to turn the car was a challenge. Almost over the edge of about a 20 foot drop. Mmm, burned clutch smell with a hint of "holy shit". 

     Why bail? mainly because I have a small bear container meant for backpacking. I hear those grizzlies can smell a food wrapper from a distance. Me bundled up in my mummy bag may be the best treat the lucky bear finds; the taste of human. Sprinkle some salt on myself before going to sleep to satisfy the bear. I'm not a gun maniac, but a mounted 12 gauge on the roof would bring a peaceful mind, 'Merica.

     Time to work on my resume. Under the skills section I can hopefully add "hiding in plain sight". All my schooling ( and..other experiences of course ) has granted me limited sight into what an officer/ranger looks for. That diploma finally paying its worth, maybe.

     Highway driving is taking its toll. At 10,000 miles in I grow bored of pavement. A testament to the enourmous ammount of work that went in to creating the US road system.

I-5 interstate champion

     I had a great time with the family. We went out to eat, explored, and chilled.

      A couple days of getting rest did wonders. I explored the beach, Cabrillo National Monument, USS Midway , In and Out (haha), and various other areas.

      Seeing the family was needed. Watching the kids play and having a sleeping buddy (Burt) helped take the fatigue away.

      It's always sad leaving, but I had to be there for me to be sad, so It's a good thing!

     I made the decision to grind out miles. I ended up driving from San Diego to the Plumas National Forest near Orobillo, CA. An estimated 600 mile day. The trip up was 90% dull, 10% fun. The Plumas area was gorgeous. I didn't bother setting up camp due to arriving at the campsite around 9pm. I slept at the featherfall trailhead. The town of Orobillo seemed like a cool place to walk around.

     The next day I headed to the Lassen Volcanic National Park. The ride up was a few hours, but hanging out in the park was short. A lot of the park roads were closed due to snow. Something I should have predicted. I checked out the visitor center and tried my luck by driving another 1hr45min to the Northern entrance, which had roughly 10 miles of road before it was closed. I didnt even bother going back into the park. I couldnt hike any trails and getting any decent pictures seemed out of reach.

     I drove into Oregon and reached the campsite, which was closed. The campsite was up a large mountain not too far from the Oregon/California border. I just ended crashing in the car outside the locked gates. I had driven roughly 1000 miles in two days and wasnt looking for another place.

     Woke early as usual and turned on the GPS. The GPS is acting funny lately. Just a few more weeks buddy. You can make it!

     Crater Lake National Park, if you can guess, has the same problem with closed roads due to snow. Only 8 miles of roads within the park were opened. Although they had a section of road opened for bicyclists, hikers, and dog walkers. Not my cup of tea. The one view I had from the lake is cool. Apparently this was once a volcano 7700 years ago. It erupted and collapsed. With the annual snowfall of 44 feet, in the area, the melt eventually filled the basin. A deep blue color contrast with the snow laying upon the rocks is a sight to see.

     The book I have does not list anymore national protected lands within Oregon (book does not include forests).

     I stayed in a National Forest last night in Oregon. I shouldve written it down because I completely forget the name of it. Anyway I woke up at 2am to my cooking pot being tampered with. I scared away whatever creature was causing the issue but the bugger kept coming back. I ended up just leaving the area at 3am because I couldnt fall back to sleep.

     Mt. Rainer National Park, WA. Cool as hell. The mountain can be seen from miles way. Miles upon miles. Sitting at a little over 14k feet the structure towers over everything in the area. I hiked the crater falls trail about 3-4 miles total. Checked out the visitor center and am headed towards Montanna.

     I couldnt pump my own gas in Oregon. Didnt know that wasnt a self serve state, haha. Washington and Oregon are beautiful states. I forget to stop driving to take pictures. I have so few of the areas.

Pacific Coast

     Well, I've made it to the Golden State. Yesterday I rose from slumber in the Hotel Subaru from a "mooo". A few cows standing within 50ft of the car decided it was a good time to talk amongst themselves. I threw a couple "moo's" back their way to show my dissatisfaction of their language. No need for that that early on.

   I stayed in the Mojave Natural Preserve, CA. A primitive site with a trail right next too it. The previous night I walked along the "Rim Loop Trail" and it was cool. A section had loop rings to use for climbing up a small section of rocks.

     Once leaving the preserve I went to Joshua Tree National Park, CA. A cool place that wasn't cool. It was hot. I checked out the exhibits and decided on a place to explore.  The "Mastadon Peak Loop Trail" an easy enough 3 mile trail that led up to a peak. The problem was dealing with the 90+ degree heat. The last week or so I had come from waking up in the frost or snow to now hiking in the heat.

   "Why would anyone preserve this wasteland of heat?" Is what I asked myself. Many others must've said the same thing. However, the area is living. Such an abundance of creatures and plants that have adapted to the area. We could learn a thing or two from how the animals conserve resources.

     After my hike I decided to head on uo to San Diego to visit Uncle Mike and family. A few days of relaxing on the beach should be refreshing.

     

" COWS NEXT 15 MILES"

      The West has some peculiar singnage. As well as " Caution steep, curves, next 85 miles"

     Another cold morning to wake up in. Id rather wake in the cold than the hot though. Pulled off the road to catch some Z's in the Dixie National Forest.

   Today I  checked out the Bryce National Park as well as Zion national park. Bryce had some good hiking trails and scenic viewpoints, but I just wasn't in the mood to hike. I checked out the vistas. The exhibits were closed, which bothered me quite a bit. How am I going to know what to look for while exploring when I have no idea what to look for?

     I got down to Zion East entrance and the park was packed. The 14 mile trekk to the visitor center took well over an hour. The sites from the car were good enough for me at this point. The mood fell worse as I got to the visitor center and a sign reads "park in Springvale" ..really? I have to walk a couple of miles just to check out the visitor center? Oh they have a shuttle..that I have to wait for with all the traffic.

     So, I resupplied from the grocery store. Then went and ate at a local diner. After eating I promtly left the area to venture somewhere less crowded.

    I had planned to spend the entire day there. At the moment I am just trying to make plans for the next few days.

     Highway 12 was a great route. I fear routes like those will become scarce in the next couple of weeks of the journey. I don't want a repeat of the last road trip. Day upon day of traveling on flat roads with nothing but corn and barns (on the way back from CA).

Natural Bridge Monument

April 30, 2016.

     Waking up to a car completely frosted over only pleases me due to my decision to sleep in the car. I found a camp site right off the road in the San Juan National Forest, CO. Bringing the 20 degree sleeping bag was a great decision. I've used it enough times to justify lugging it around.

     I was too cold and my body too creaky to start up the stove to warm up breakfast. Drinking water to suppress the hunger for another halfhour was my choice.
    
     After the car warmed up I left to visit the much anticipated Mesa Verde National Park. Nothing beats a long road day like a short one. The park was only 20 minutes away.

     The usual checking out the visitor center, grabbing a brochure, and chatting with a couple rangers commenced. I traveled to the musem on the opposite side of the park. Wfter checking the exhibits out for a while I then headed for a 6 mile loop in which you could get out and check out the vistas/sites. The area, history, and scenery lived up to the hype.

     After only few hours I had finished what I wanted to check out from the park. I grabbed a brunch PB &Nutella sandwhich. Pointing my finger towards the Natural Bridges National Monument I decided to take a drive. Only a few hours away and leaving Colorado I entered Utah.

     Last time I was here I was in awe from the large monolith natural walls that surrounded the nearby highway. I checked out Moab and was happy about it. This time I would be checking out a few more places, since Utah is abundant with naturally protected areas.

     Once I arrived and checked out the visitor cente I was kind of let down. They had onlu three bridges and it would take maybe an hour to check them all out by vista. The mood changed when I checked out the first bridge. They had a trail that went to the river. Only .6 mi down? That should not take me the suggested time of 1.5hrs as the sign states.

     It took an hour, haha. The trail was steep and it made looking up at the bridge from the bottom that much more satisfying. The view was cool, but Ill admit I enjoyed the hike more. The trail was maintained, but had pipes sticking out of rocks to help guide your way down some sections. Pipes and..my favorite...ladders. The ladders were neat. I couldnt get over using a wooden ladder as a part of a hike (get it..wordplay..). The way back up was exhausting and I had to take a few breathers.

     After that display of fun I checked out the other two bridges. This time I didnt downplay trails and decided to just check out the viewpoints. If it wasn't as late in the day I would have done one more trail.

     A short road day indeed. My destination to camp was right next door I found out. At the National Forest adjacent to the Natural Monument area. I drove down a muddy road snd found a site. These western states make it easy to find a gorgeous and free way to camp. The sun is making its way to set, but the large rock mountain will be blocking the rays out much sooner than the horizon. The site is muddy, but if thats the only problem of the day I am ok with it.

May 1st 2016

     Today I drove from the Natural Bridges Natural Monument area to the Capitol Reef National Park. The park was cool, but the weather is still bad. Dealing with rain and snow off and on with possibilities of thunderstorms for a few days.

     The park was cool, but the drive along highway 95 was awe inspiring. After a while along 95 I forgot a had a soundtrack for the moment. I pulled over to the side of the road and put "Scale the Summit - Carving Desert Canyons" album in. The drive was nothing like the last time I was in Utah.

     At an overlook I walked up to read the information on a board. The person in front of me near the cliffs edge turned around and asked "Amazing, isnt it?". I relplied "Not sure if that word describes it". He laughed and said, " Yeah, I dont think any word can describe it" to which I agreed. Unreal is the closest term in my vocabulary that best describes it.

     I'm sitting in a visitor center uploading a bunch of pictures. I will probably hangout here until they are all up, which will be a while. Hangin out listening to the gentlmen that works here tell his experiences of the area to all of the visitors coming in. Which is cool as well.