Saturday eve, August 15 2015; Leaving Knoxville about 7:30 pm after playing a Sunshine Station show at Sawworks Brewery. Taking I-40 West, I make it several miles into Arkansas to stop at a rest stop for the night. Sleeping in my Honda Element, which is to be my camper for the duration of my two week trip to Colorado and back. I wake up Sunday morning just barely past sunset, slow to the reality that I have a long unknown adventure ahead of me. I'm Listening to a couple that seamlessly talk my ear off without taking a breath, they offered me coffee almost immediately upon the moment they caught eye contact with me. I finally get on the road about 8:45am. Driving Driving I'm going through Arkansas as well as Oklahoma not even a care in the world about stopping, however I do find myself fascinated with those massive windmill farms as I'm passing through Oklahoma. I end up making my way through that northern square panhandle of Texas. Making a couple of stops to see the massive high plains of Texas. This massive ocean of endless slightly rolling plains full of shrubbery and brush.
Finally I make it into New Mexico, just a few miles into the state I decide to stay at another I-40 rest stop for the night. I'm realizing that a storm seems to be headed my way and am awakened a few times during the night to a rocking vehicle and lots of rain and thundery rumbles. I'm up the next morning with the early rise to see that everything has been washed of its previous dusty days. There is a sense of newness that I've been so eager to experience. To see the sand and the desert like conditions of the old west. It takes me several hours but along the way I start to see mountains again. Quite different from the old stomping grounds of the southern Appalachians. I get goosebumps. And before I know it, I start to see a huge rainbow as I am dipping down into the higher plains of New Mexico. Almost as if I am being greeted with the wordless amazement that mother nature has to offer! I start heading north off of I-40 on 285. Soon to find myself in Santa Fe NM.
Wow what a city of its own independent topography and buildings from restaurants to banks and residential homes, they all had the look of sand and plaster to match the ground. Possibly a more upscale snobby-like city, but I managed to talk to a local that gave me excellent advice on local food joints. I must have had the best tacos of my life from some native locals out of a food truck. Awesome way to have my first true western meal!
Heading further north into NM, I found myself off the beaten path heading towards the Rio Grand Gorge, even heading back south a bit just to get there. With a few other surprise findings, I finally found my way over the huge deep Gorge and made an extended stop, soon to be headed back north and deeper into the Rocky Mountains. Viewing so much on the way to Colorado, my first official destination to be the Great Sand Dunes National Park. Wow what a relic of the west! But before heading into the dunes, I stay the night at a pull off just a few miles outside of the park boundary. Early rising, I've headed up to the Zapata Falls area for a quick trek to the falls and an icy brisk barefoot walk to the bottom of the falls. Awesome way to start the morning. Soon after, I'm back down the mountain before late morning to head into the Dunes. I just couldn't leave that place. It was quite close to late afternoon/early evening before I finally talked myself into leaving. Pictures didn't do quite the justice! Sand Sand Desert conditions and barefoot memories.
Next Destination, Leadville CO. But didn't quite make it as I found myself a wee bit off the path to check out Twin Lakes CO. Ended up finding a quite simple campground on the lake and stayed the night, just to delve into the beauty the next morning as I headed up the mountain to Independence Pass. Well above 12,000 ft elevation. I stumbled upon a road bike race that day that was to be starting in Leadville later that morning. It was to be Stage 3 of the USA Pro Challenge from Copper Mountain to Aspen CO. Later that morning/afternoon I found myself in Leadville to see that the downtown streets were blocked and crowds waiting to catch the start of the race. Hundreds of spectators and cow bells and cameras waiting to catch a glimpse of the peloton cruising by to start. Being a road bike enthusiast and avid rider, needless to say I was stoked and filled with goosebumps!
After an hour or so of visiting Leadville and lunch, I finally headed to one of the highlights of the two week trip, which was Jimmy and Lauren's wedding in Steamboat Springs CO. But before too long, I did realize I had started heading the wrong way, and towards Vail, CO. At the same time, noticing I had not filled up on gas as well. Not only that, but I had been relying on my GPS and Smart Phone to keep me on track, I was clueless as to how far the next gas stop was. So I ended up heading back to Leadville for fuel as well as an atlas. Finally, I equip myself with a physical paper atlas. It almost felt like home. Upon my out-of-the-way-wrong-turn adventure, I came across East Tennessee Pass, over 10,000 feet elevation before I decided to turn back to get back on track!
So, back on track, I was ready to meet up with Peter and Amy and the rest of their family from TN, due to arrive the eve of the 19th of August. I made it in Steamboat that same eve they were to arrive. Just a couple hrs early I met Jimmy at his Soccer game to watch him finish and win the game. We then headed to the campground that he had reserved for everyone for the next several days, picked up a load of camping equipment and then set up tents and prepared for every ones arrival later that evening. Quite a busy time and very exciting and adventurous at the same time, this wedding was awesome. Peter, his sister Anna and I prepared and rehearsed a couple of songs, as well as Peter Amy And I. We were to play a couple songs for the wedding ceremony. It was all so exciting and though I may have been a little nervous to play for such a perfect wedding, I was at the same time, so very excited an honored. This may be one of my favorite weddings I've ever attended and played part in! Right on top of a ski lodge that Jimmy and Lauren both have worked at. Beautiful morning, awesome people. We all went to the top on the ski lift to start the wedding. And then there was this alpine slide that most of us came back down after the wedding. What a day!
So, a few days have passed and we've all had a great time together, celebrating Jimmy and Lauren's monumental moment in history, such a lovely pair of human beings. So very perfect for each other.
Soon we'd all be waking up on the 24th of August to leave Steamboat Springs, Peter and Amy and the rest of their family to head back to Denver to fly back to east TN. I slept in a bit at the campground packed slowly. Jimmy and a friend came by to get the camping gear and we all met for a wonderful farewell breakfast. Totally loved every minute of my stay in the Springs! Even had a nice hike up to Fish Creek Falls and further up to Second Falls. I will be back, I'm sure of it!
I head further up north, with the intent of stopping by Steamboat Lake but end up taking just an auto tour around the northern part of the lake, wheeling through some wide open ranch-side property. Taking in the sights of the local rural prairie side. I have to turn around in order to finish my destination of the day, which is to be Medicine Bow National Forest, which is in southern Wyoming. It takes me nearly the rest of the day on into sundown to make it to where I feel comfortable stopping for the night and car camping once again in my Honda Element. Which by the way, this Honda has been an awesome little mini camper, recently purchased used last May. I've loaded up my kayak and mountain bike in it. Never once stopped for a hotel or hospice along this whole trip. Besides the 5 days of campground stay in Steamboat Springs, its all been quite a frugal camping delight.
I find myself at the foot of Medicine Bow Mountain range, at a Sugarloaf Picnic Ground parking lot. There, I stay for the night. I get up the next morning to make a cup of coffee and a hearty bagel and breakfast bar. Ready for the day ahead, I'm not quite sure how far I'll go, but I know I will at least summit the top of Medicine Bow Peak, about a 12,020 ft peak. 9 AM is approaching and I'm already on the trail , making my way around Lewis and Klondike Lakes. Getting closer to the first trail junction, I come across a lower altitude snow drift that looks as if it's already had a few visitors, both animal and human. Then some much steeper ascents start to come into view. As I am reaching the summit, I believe I have decided that I'd like to take on the whole mountain range that this peak resides on. A very rocky “bouldery” kind of terrain. Still a few stray snow drifts left from the previous winter, I get more and more excited about staying on this mountain range for the whole day. I'm even prepared to arrive back to my car after dark with plenty of headlamp lighting. Overall I think I may have done at least 10-11 miles of trekking after all the off-the-beaten-path exploring I've done on this range. Completely stoked and in the moment the whole way! There was rock hopping, boulder hopping, boulder climbing, ridge running, lake shore walking, touching snow, drinking spring water, starring down a 2000 foot drop with my heart beating faster. Complete awesomeness I declare!
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| On top of Medicine Bow Peak |
So I'm getting back to the car about 6:30 that evening, almost talking myself into feeling exhausted from the nine and a half our trek, yet ready for the road again. A couple more sight seeing stops along the way while I'm still in Medicine Bow, I'm heading back east towards Indiana, still daydreaming of the inconceivable day I've just had on an amazing rocky range. Soon I find myself closer to sundown, driving out of the national forest into the town of Centennial Wyoming. I've decided to find myself a local meal in this town of Centennial. This town of a population of 270 people. Not much going on, one gas station, a couple of local restaurants and saloons. I found myself a celebratory beer at a decent joint called The Trading Post Dinner House & Saloon. Had a few interesting conversations with some locals and even got a free beer out of it. Awesome buffalo burger and home fries to finish out my day. I was mentioning to the bartender, Chris, that I was hoping to find a decent place to pull off and car camp down the road for the night, but they had no good news to offer other than just to pull around back in the yard behind the saloon and I would find a perfect spot to camp for the night, even equipped with a detached bathroom that they mentioned. Set for the night I was! And quite a windy night it was. I was also starting to set up my camping mattress in the back and as soon as I turned my head, the other way to the dark half moonlit night, I heard a splashing sound. My first (and obscure) thought was; OK I'm in Elk territory, did a male elk just spray my mattress?! No sooner than I thought about it that second, I had just realized that there was a sprinkler that came on soon after I parked my Honda Element.
After a windy blustery evening and quite a bright moonlit night I finally found myself awakening early enough to get myself on the road by 7:30-8 am. Not far from Interstate 80, I was soon back on the highway. But no sooner than that, I found another section of Medicine Bow National Forest just a little further east, outside of Cheyenne WY. A section called Pole Mountain. Lots of interesting rock formations that could even be seen from I-80. Some even seemed to be balancing on top of each other. Of course I had to at least take the exit and explore for a couple hours.
After that stop in the last extension of Medicine Bow I found myself on the long slightly boring Interstate road again. Nebraska on the interstate gave me a few windmill farms, Iowa had me taking bets that it was the corn capital of the world. Illinois didn't have much to catch me either. I did spend the night in another rest stop in Illinois. Rather tired and pooped, I found myself passing out quite easy. Headed to Indiana the next day, I was determined to make it to Lake Michigan for a kayak ride along the lake shores of Indiana Dunes Lake Shore, a state park where I would finally paddle my kayak that I've only carried on the roof of my car this whole trip!
After a few hours on the lake, my next stop is to visit my good friend Jenny in Kokomo, just a couple hours south of Michigan Lake. From there, I'm in the passenger seat while Jenny takes me for a quick sight seeing tour to some pretty cool places. One would think Indiana doesn't have much to offer in the way of natural relics. Despite the visible tiredness within me, I was quite surprised and definitely not bored of what Indiana had to offer. We, Jenny and her two kids and I went camping for a couple of nights in France Park, just north of Kokomo IN. They had a very interesting old quarry turned into a swimming hole, along with some interesting species of fish called a spoonbill fish, also known as a paddle fish. They had a pretty cool scuba diving place there as well. Very clear water. Pretty fascinating place.
So this was my last weekend on the road, finishing off with Indiana for laid back way of ending this trip. My last night on the road took me back to one of my first nights with an amazing rain storm passing through. This time, I was in my "very minimal solo tent" that I use for backpacking. It took me a while to get to sleep, but slept great once I realized the tent was taking a beating to the buckets of rain.
Many photos and videos were taken. So many goosebumps and even some watery eyed moments. I will always want to travel, but for now, it's time to dream and plan for the next big adventure on the road!
Link below are to hundreds of photos from the trip. Please bare with me as I gradually add captions to each of them. Now Sit back and enjoy on a big screen!
