Searching for the Good Stuff

Even with rain in the valley theres still a bit to be found at elevation, it just forces us to work a little harder.

Above the clouds on Pyramid

Randy on the North chute off Pyramid

Sun poking through at bottom of Little Tucks

Left chute of the Claw

No Overnight Parking

ANYWHERE!  Jackson, and Wilson for that matter, are definitely not ideal spots to park a camper, that is unless you know someone specifically that has a spot where you can post up.  We've been on the hunt for a spot to park for the better part of a week.  Going from Gas station, to parking lot, to pull off and reaching out to every friend we know.  We were thinking of just skipping town, until yesterday when something finally came through.  Through our friend Mia Smith, we were able to connect with Grove who has an incredible spot at the top of heck-of-a-hill road.  Yes we made it up and am super grateful for the spot!  Now for some snow...

Although we couldn't stay for more than a night, this pull off was pretty picturesque.

First Taste

So after two weeks of of traveling, we have finally arrived in winter.  After traveling through 14 states, we have found roads that actually have snowbanks on them here in Jackson, Wyoming.  Well were actually right outside jackson in the small mountain town of Wilson, right at the base of Teton Pass.

Its pretty unreal here.  It feels like an alternate reality where the only thing that matters is when its going to snow, where the good skiing is and what days people have off of work to go skiing.  I have not yet met a person that does not prioritize skiing over everything else.  I feel like I'm living in a fantasy world.

We spent the last two days exploring the pass and have barely even scraped the surface of whats here.  It would take a lifetime to really learn this place.

In the mean time, I'll do the only thing I can.  Live here, now and take it day to day.



lack of pictures = dropped camera in the backcountry.
sad day for sure

Lessons Learned.

Risk vs Reward.  This idea is the assumption at the base of most every decision that one makes in their life.  From the smallest day to day choices, to where the outcome could mean life or death.  Risk vs Reward ideology is at the foundation of human psychology and is often the topic of discussion within the world of outdoor activities.  When taking risks in dangerous situations, the risks have to be meticulously calculated to see if the ‘reward’ is really worth it.  In the case of outdoor adventure, the rewards are often personal feelings of accomplishment or growth, while the risks are very real and tangible.  This makes for highly subjective decision making.

A situation we got into on Sunday had me reflecting on this idea of risk vs reward.  Looking back, the risks came to outweigh the rewards, leaving me feeling vulnerable and stupid.   My idea of risk was very low on Sunday due to a number of human factors.  In this case comfort in numbers and confidence from the day before served to mask signs that I would have normally paid more attention to.  This mistake brought us close to a disaster that we are all lucky to walk away from.

At the bottom I lay down to calm my high-strung nerves, feeling lucky to have made it down safely.  I was humbled into silence as I lay there, processing what had just unfolded.  Im not proud of the decisions I made on Sunday, but am grateful to have had the experience nonetheless.  Some lessons are really only learned the hard way, and here was no exception.

Finishing Touches

January 15th, 2015

We finally found some tires three days later on monday, but find that the wheel wells have collapsed in a bit over the years.  We start with some plywood and a car jack to push it back in, but once we get the new tires, find that they are wider and rubbing again...back to square one.

Fortunately, Chris’ Cousin Adam helps out in a friends garage and we are able to pull our trailer in for some problem solving help.  The enthusiasm from everyone there was immediate, and they all jumped in to see how they could help. 

Working in the garage
Photo: Chris 

Getting the wheel wells banged out to fit our wheels
Photo: Chris

We were there until midnight, but with their help we were able to get the wheels spinning freely, and pulled away feeling confident in every aspect of the camper.

We headed out mid morning Tuesday with an atlas of the US and a relatively unplanned route.  We missed an exit in New York and found ourselves headed straight into downtown Manhattan. 

Here was a true test of nerves!

I had little experience driving with a trailer, never mind in one of the craziest, most stressful cities in the US!  With white knuckles and high-strung nerves, we found our way out two hours later and heading into New Jersey with the setting sun.  I hope to never again drive in NYC and would be happy to never even set foot there again.

So with the first stressful situation out of the way were headed south and then west towards our first stop, Denver, CO.

Made it to Kansas, Can you tell?

The Adventure Begins

January 10th, 2015

I don’t think this dream will become a reality until I am driving into the setting sun, heading west with no idea where I will be sleeping that night.  We, Chris and I, left Burlington late afternoon yesterday on January 9th after a brief stop at the local RV store to buy a new propane regulator and hose - we decided even a minor propane leak was probably worth fixing.  So with $100 less in our joint bank account we headed south, back to our old stomping grounds, and Chris’ mother who has so selflessly re-upholstered our trailer’s cushions.  We arrived late, pulling in around 11 pm, to squeaking, burning rubber and smoke coming from our trailers’ tires.  Humph. 

After two months of rebuilding this trailer, we thought we were done with this.  I fell asleep in Chris’ parents driveway with doubts and fears, feeling trapped back in Mansfield.

After a little investigation the next morning it looked as if the issue was with the bearings.  I pulled the wheels off and proceeded to clean out the old grease.  I spent the day figuring out how the wheels went together as Chris bounced around town running last minute errands and getting parts that were needed.  When the bearings went, The tires ran into the aluminum siding making them look as if they had had a fight with a lawnmower, leaving us without wheels.  As we search for new tires, were still stuck in a driveway...

Below is the sequence of rebuilding the back of our trailer, from stripping out rotten wood, riveting street signs together to patch the aluminum floor, re-insulating floor and walls and laying a new floor down.

Below are a few shots of demo and rebuilding of the front of the camper.

Home Sweet Home:)