Monday, January 29th
Today is the day Catalina leaves.
It has been so fun adventuring with my partner! We shared laughs, frustrations, beautiful sights, cold nights, powder filled mountains, questionable roads, animal sightings, and way too many parking lots. I believe it is a testament to our love for each other to be able to not only to survive two weeks in a van with each other, but to be able to have such a great time doing it! We talked about how we would not want to do this trip with anyone else besides each other. I love that girl so much!
Alright, enough of that gushy emotional stuff. We got up early, packed and double checked everything, and got in the van. We stopped at HashTAG restaurant outside Denver for breakfast and headed to Denver International Airport. After some wrong turns, both inside and outside the airport, Cat got checked in and I walked her down to security. This would be goodbye for a week or so.
Well, I needed to clear my head. I headed to Eldora Mountain for a short day at the mountains. My hip was still swollen and mildly painful, but when in Rome. I wore my ridiculous snow onesie and enjoyed a pretty empty, but icy mountain. I was extra careful-no jumps, not fast- and just enjoyed the fresh air. It was an exceptionally warm day, which was a blessing since it allowed me to change out of my snow stuff outside my van!
Next stop: Castle Rock. I was planning on meeting up with my good friend from Westminster College, Logan Ray. It had been a few years since we have caught up. We met up for a couple of beers and food at Rockyard Brewing Company. Logan and I have both made some big moves and some big resets in our lives since we saw each other last. It is so nice when you can meet up with someone and instantly click up like no time has passed at all. Logan just moved to Colorado less than a month ago. We talked about mountains and the beautiful scenery out here. Logan mentioned that he wanted to learn how to snowboard or ski, but didn't have any gear. Instantly, I knew what I needed to do. I had two boards and two pairs of boots in my van. Logan is a proud owner of a snowboard and boots that are over a decade old. It was an easy decision for me: I already had a great board and boots, and rarely used the other board and boots. We said our goodbyes and parted ways.
I headed back to the lodge at Avon and called Catalina to make sure she got back to Portland safely. All is good.
Be Kind and Run Wild.
Wednesday, January 31, 2018
Tuesday, January 30, 2018
End of #Vanlife / Lots of Beer
Friday, January 26th
In the morning we headed towards the edge of Boulder and were blessed with a fantastic view of the city from the Flat Irons. What a great way to start the day! Afterwards, we headed down to Denver! We had a great vegetarian breakfast at City O' City, just a few blocks down from my brother's old flat. We walked around the city a bit while we waited for the Public Library to open. We both had some computer things to do today, and didn't want to pay for coffee in order to use the internet. After we had enough of free wifi, we headed back out towards the mountains.
I told Catalina I wanted to head back to the mountains tomorrow to see how my hip/butt felt. It's been bothering me and I wanted to make sure everything was groovy before we had a full day on Sunday.
We stopped at Lookout Mountain in Golden, Colorado for great views, camp cooking, and of course to use the restroom facilities. Today's lunch was lavish. We had a packet of dehydrated "Cuban Coconut Rice and Black Beans" from Backpackers Pantry (so good!), a packet of shrimp ramen, and COFFEE! it was really nice to enjoy this last #vanlife meal with Catalina before we met up with my father and brothers tomorrow in Avon.
Next stop was Frisco! We found free overnight parking and headed to a local watering hole, Moose Jaw, for some cheap beer and reflections on our journey.
Saturday, January 27th
I woke up this morning colder than any other morning this trip, to the sound of snow plows. I started the car to get some heat and start the windshield de-condensation process. While this was happening, I found a nice snow bank to sneak behind to relieve myself of the cheap water beer consumed last night.
It was possible the lodge we were going to be staying at the next few days would allow us to check in early, so that was going to be the first stop. But first, BREAKFAST! Cat stayed sleeping in the back as I drove back through the mountain passes on the way to Christie Lodge in Avon. We stopped for a nice warm meal at Northside Kitchen just as the sun was peeking out and making the mountains glow.
Unfortunately, the room wasn't ready so we headed to Copper Mountain for a short day. I knew if I fell, I would irritate my injury again, but I wanted to see how comfortable I would be still riding down. I was fine. I would be alright tomorrow for a full day. That's a relief.
We stopped by the store on the way back to get essentials for the room while we waited for my father and brothers to arrive. As we all know, the essentials include beer, bread, chips, salsa, and guacamole.
It was so nice to get everything unloaded out of the van and into the room. It was amazing to actually see all of our belongings at once. After showers (last shower was Wednesday...), I organized while Cat did homework, and we both cracked upon a beer and relaxed.
The family came and hugs were exchanged and we headed out for dinner at a local mexican restaurant. Tomorrow was going to be a big day!
Sunday, January 28th
It was such a blessing to be able to wake up in a large, warm bed! We prepped some peanut butter sandwiches for the afternoon while cooking oatmeal for breakfast. Catalina, my brothers, and I loaded up the van and headed to Copper Mountain! We played on the backside of the mountain and ran into my buddy Alex again! It was a wonderful and uneventful day, until a had a lapse and fell straight down onto my butt, while doing nothing at all. Oh boy did that hurt! I told the squad that I was going to the bottom of the mountain for a beer. It is so frustrating to keep injuring the same area over and over again. We had a long lunch and headed back up the mountain for a few more runs.
Not a bad day!
Trying to heal up so I can Run Wild!
In the morning we headed towards the edge of Boulder and were blessed with a fantastic view of the city from the Flat Irons. What a great way to start the day! Afterwards, we headed down to Denver! We had a great vegetarian breakfast at City O' City, just a few blocks down from my brother's old flat. We walked around the city a bit while we waited for the Public Library to open. We both had some computer things to do today, and didn't want to pay for coffee in order to use the internet. After we had enough of free wifi, we headed back out towards the mountains.
I told Catalina I wanted to head back to the mountains tomorrow to see how my hip/butt felt. It's been bothering me and I wanted to make sure everything was groovy before we had a full day on Sunday.
We stopped at Lookout Mountain in Golden, Colorado for great views, camp cooking, and of course to use the restroom facilities. Today's lunch was lavish. We had a packet of dehydrated "Cuban Coconut Rice and Black Beans" from Backpackers Pantry (so good!), a packet of shrimp ramen, and COFFEE! it was really nice to enjoy this last #vanlife meal with Catalina before we met up with my father and brothers tomorrow in Avon.
Next stop was Frisco! We found free overnight parking and headed to a local watering hole, Moose Jaw, for some cheap beer and reflections on our journey.
Saturday, January 27th
I woke up this morning colder than any other morning this trip, to the sound of snow plows. I started the car to get some heat and start the windshield de-condensation process. While this was happening, I found a nice snow bank to sneak behind to relieve myself of the cheap water beer consumed last night.
It was possible the lodge we were going to be staying at the next few days would allow us to check in early, so that was going to be the first stop. But first, BREAKFAST! Cat stayed sleeping in the back as I drove back through the mountain passes on the way to Christie Lodge in Avon. We stopped for a nice warm meal at Northside Kitchen just as the sun was peeking out and making the mountains glow.
Unfortunately, the room wasn't ready so we headed to Copper Mountain for a short day. I knew if I fell, I would irritate my injury again, but I wanted to see how comfortable I would be still riding down. I was fine. I would be alright tomorrow for a full day. That's a relief.
We stopped by the store on the way back to get essentials for the room while we waited for my father and brothers to arrive. As we all know, the essentials include beer, bread, chips, salsa, and guacamole.
It was so nice to get everything unloaded out of the van and into the room. It was amazing to actually see all of our belongings at once. After showers (last shower was Wednesday...), I organized while Cat did homework, and we both cracked upon a beer and relaxed.
The family came and hugs were exchanged and we headed out for dinner at a local mexican restaurant. Tomorrow was going to be a big day!
Sunday, January 28th
It was such a blessing to be able to wake up in a large, warm bed! We prepped some peanut butter sandwiches for the afternoon while cooking oatmeal for breakfast. Catalina, my brothers, and I loaded up the van and headed to Copper Mountain! We played on the backside of the mountain and ran into my buddy Alex again! It was a wonderful and uneventful day, until a had a lapse and fell straight down onto my butt, while doing nothing at all. Oh boy did that hurt! I told the squad that I was going to the bottom of the mountain for a beer. It is so frustrating to keep injuring the same area over and over again. We had a long lunch and headed back up the mountain for a few more runs.
Not a bad day!
Trying to heal up so I can Run Wild!
Friday, January 26, 2018
Day 4 of Swollen Butt/ 3 inconveniences of #Vanlife
Thursday, January 25th
I woke up to a sore, swollen, and stiff butt/hip. Today was going to be another day of recovering, which meant no running or snowboarding. However, there would be lots of stretching and rubbing. After we got everything packed back into the van and said farewell to friends and modern luxuries such as heat, showers, and a real bed, we headed back onto the road. Next stop Boulder. Catalina has never been to Boulder so we parked the van in a parking garage on a slope (this would be discovered to be a poor decision when it came time for bed), and explored Pearl Street. We found a nice bar with a good happy hour and had a beer before finding a coffee shop to sit down and get some work done.
Catalina has been superhuman this trip! Whether it is feeding me food while I drive, finding great places to stop and eat, entertaining me with spanish music, laughing at me while I'm falling down a mountain of powder, or just knowing how I'm feeling. And, she is doing all this while staying on top of grad school homework. She's AWESOME!
We spent the rest of the day wandering around and just being grateful to have each other on this adventure. We climbed into the van on the sloped parking and had another night of no incidents, until I woke up with all my weight on my swollen hip, due to the slant.
This adventure has been great, but there are some major inconveniences of #vanlife that I'm listing below:
1. Waking up and having to use the restroom immediately. Not an issue in regular life--walk down the hall, turn on the light, enter restroom, take care of business, leave restroom, turn off light, go back to bed. This is what usually happens most mornings: wake up, "I really need to pee", realize the business you parked in front of is closed and no restrooms available, start the car and the defroster, move all the bags from the front seat into the back seat, wait for the car to defrost, frantically find the nearest open gas station, drive to gas station, enter restroom, take care of business, leave restroom, feel weird about not buying anything at gas station, figure out the plan for the day.
2. Lack of cleanliness. Whether it's going a few days without a shower, going a few meals without washing the camping stove pot (cinnamon flavored shrimp ramen is much better than shrimp flavored cinnamon oatmeal), or the dirty clothes bag being 3 feet from my head when I sleep. They are all reminders that I'm not living the most sanitary lifestyle and I probably smell worse than I imagine.
3. Being stuck in box. For those that don't already know, I tend to get pretty antsy and have to move around every so often. Driving hours on end during the winter doesn't help that feeling. In the summertime, taking long drives and road trips has never been a problem. I just pull over wherever and go for a run. It's not the hassle of layering up, packing nutrition, sharing my location, and hope I don't get lost or eaten by a bear.
Those are the 3 major inconveniences, but they in no way outweigh the joy and feeling of freedom of being on the road and making your own destinations.
Stay Free and Run Wild
I woke up to a sore, swollen, and stiff butt/hip. Today was going to be another day of recovering, which meant no running or snowboarding. However, there would be lots of stretching and rubbing. After we got everything packed back into the van and said farewell to friends and modern luxuries such as heat, showers, and a real bed, we headed back onto the road. Next stop Boulder. Catalina has never been to Boulder so we parked the van in a parking garage on a slope (this would be discovered to be a poor decision when it came time for bed), and explored Pearl Street. We found a nice bar with a good happy hour and had a beer before finding a coffee shop to sit down and get some work done.
Catalina has been superhuman this trip! Whether it is feeding me food while I drive, finding great places to stop and eat, entertaining me with spanish music, laughing at me while I'm falling down a mountain of powder, or just knowing how I'm feeling. And, she is doing all this while staying on top of grad school homework. She's AWESOME!
We spent the rest of the day wandering around and just being grateful to have each other on this adventure. We climbed into the van on the sloped parking and had another night of no incidents, until I woke up with all my weight on my swollen hip, due to the slant.
This adventure has been great, but there are some major inconveniences of #vanlife that I'm listing below:
1. Waking up and having to use the restroom immediately. Not an issue in regular life--walk down the hall, turn on the light, enter restroom, take care of business, leave restroom, turn off light, go back to bed. This is what usually happens most mornings: wake up, "I really need to pee", realize the business you parked in front of is closed and no restrooms available, start the car and the defroster, move all the bags from the front seat into the back seat, wait for the car to defrost, frantically find the nearest open gas station, drive to gas station, enter restroom, take care of business, leave restroom, feel weird about not buying anything at gas station, figure out the plan for the day.
2. Lack of cleanliness. Whether it's going a few days without a shower, going a few meals without washing the camping stove pot (cinnamon flavored shrimp ramen is much better than shrimp flavored cinnamon oatmeal), or the dirty clothes bag being 3 feet from my head when I sleep. They are all reminders that I'm not living the most sanitary lifestyle and I probably smell worse than I imagine.
3. Being stuck in box. For those that don't already know, I tend to get pretty antsy and have to move around every so often. Driving hours on end during the winter doesn't help that feeling. In the summertime, taking long drives and road trips has never been a problem. I just pull over wherever and go for a run. It's not the hassle of layering up, packing nutrition, sharing my location, and hope I don't get lost or eaten by a bear.
Those are the 3 major inconveniences, but they in no way outweigh the joy and feeling of freedom of being on the road and making your own destinations.
Stay Free and Run Wild
Thursday, January 25, 2018
A Baby Hiccup / Humpday
Tuesday January 23
Let's recover and not make the injury worse.
Woke up at the Travel Transit Center in Steamboat Springs next to a couple different vans and RVs that also illegally "camped" overnight. I am still finding it difficult to wake up to a bright outside world after sleeping in complete darkness. I was going to take the day off, due to the swelling in my hip/butt. However, my partner in adventure shouldn't have to be affected. I dropped Catalina off at the base of Steamboat, told her to have a great time, and headed down to take care of some cleaning and organizing that was long overdue. I knew we would have a washer and dryer at our disposal along with a dishwasher tonight and wanted to take advantage of all these amenities in the most practical fashion. I also wanted to make another duplicate of my keys, just in case. Catalina had a short day on the mountain and I had a productive day making phone calls to family and sorting out the van. After a day on the mountains, I knew Cat would need some revitalization. We went to a small local mexican restaurant, "Taco Cabo", in Steamboat Springs and sampled some beers at Storm Peak Brewery. We then picked up some beer and pizzas from Papa Murphy's when Alex and his friend crew met us that night at our airbnb right off the mountain.
It was so nice to have a bedroom, shower, fireplace, and all the space to lay around and walk! It is the small things that make the experience. It was a great night full of smiles, laughs, and beer.
Stay Fun and Run Wild!
Wednesday January 24th
How nice to wake up and not have to worry about ice crystals inside the van! Did I mention free underground parking? Yeah. I got the van a carwash and parked it in the free underground garage at "The Village at Steamboat Springs." I was trying my best to treat the new van as well as I possibly could. This guy has taken me 4,000 miles with no problems. I am thankful.
First thing I did when I woke up was to try and see how bad my hip was by running on the treadmill. I could not even maintain a 10 minute pace without the pain becoming too much. Just the bouncing motion was rough and had to slow down to about a 12 minute pace. I found the pain manageable, but too much for me to do more than a mile and a bit. Oh well. I was going to try to get back on the mountain today. I could tell I was sore and things were tight, but manageable. That was until my loving girlfriend got a bit overzealous in wanting to "dust me." Alex, Bradley, and I were all on snowboards and due to a limitation of going uphill, we cut through a few runs to get to our destination. The girls, Cat and Heather, on skis managed the uphill just fine. We were sitting at the aptly named "Rendezvous" Lodge waiting for them as they kindly waited for us. It was at this point I saw Catalina flying down the mountain at an impressive speed. She was headed right towards us. "She's going to try and dust me", I meagerly said to Alex and Bradley. I popped up on my board and tried to avoid the powder cloud. Unfortunately, I ended up right in Catalina's path and her brazen speed was too much for us to handle. She crashed right into me and I ended up landing on the swollen part of my body. Well that hurt.
I was done. My mission for the rest of the day was to get down to the base, numb the pain, and sleep it off. Not the most ideal start to being told you are running 100 miles in July!!!
The rest of the day I accomplished those goals. The rest of the group finished the mountain for the day and headed off to Strawberry Hot Springs. I heard it was beautiful, but I was content laying in bed and not moving.
Know Your Body and Run Wild!
Let's recover and not make the injury worse.
Woke up at the Travel Transit Center in Steamboat Springs next to a couple different vans and RVs that also illegally "camped" overnight. I am still finding it difficult to wake up to a bright outside world after sleeping in complete darkness. I was going to take the day off, due to the swelling in my hip/butt. However, my partner in adventure shouldn't have to be affected. I dropped Catalina off at the base of Steamboat, told her to have a great time, and headed down to take care of some cleaning and organizing that was long overdue. I knew we would have a washer and dryer at our disposal along with a dishwasher tonight and wanted to take advantage of all these amenities in the most practical fashion. I also wanted to make another duplicate of my keys, just in case. Catalina had a short day on the mountain and I had a productive day making phone calls to family and sorting out the van. After a day on the mountains, I knew Cat would need some revitalization. We went to a small local mexican restaurant, "Taco Cabo", in Steamboat Springs and sampled some beers at Storm Peak Brewery. We then picked up some beer and pizzas from Papa Murphy's when Alex and his friend crew met us that night at our airbnb right off the mountain.
It was so nice to have a bedroom, shower, fireplace, and all the space to lay around and walk! It is the small things that make the experience. It was a great night full of smiles, laughs, and beer.
Stay Fun and Run Wild!
Wednesday January 24th
How nice to wake up and not have to worry about ice crystals inside the van! Did I mention free underground parking? Yeah. I got the van a carwash and parked it in the free underground garage at "The Village at Steamboat Springs." I was trying my best to treat the new van as well as I possibly could. This guy has taken me 4,000 miles with no problems. I am thankful.
First thing I did when I woke up was to try and see how bad my hip was by running on the treadmill. I could not even maintain a 10 minute pace without the pain becoming too much. Just the bouncing motion was rough and had to slow down to about a 12 minute pace. I found the pain manageable, but too much for me to do more than a mile and a bit. Oh well. I was going to try to get back on the mountain today. I could tell I was sore and things were tight, but manageable. That was until my loving girlfriend got a bit overzealous in wanting to "dust me." Alex, Bradley, and I were all on snowboards and due to a limitation of going uphill, we cut through a few runs to get to our destination. The girls, Cat and Heather, on skis managed the uphill just fine. We were sitting at the aptly named "Rendezvous" Lodge waiting for them as they kindly waited for us. It was at this point I saw Catalina flying down the mountain at an impressive speed. She was headed right towards us. "She's going to try and dust me", I meagerly said to Alex and Bradley. I popped up on my board and tried to avoid the powder cloud. Unfortunately, I ended up right in Catalina's path and her brazen speed was too much for us to handle. She crashed right into me and I ended up landing on the swollen part of my body. Well that hurt.
I was done. My mission for the rest of the day was to get down to the base, numb the pain, and sleep it off. Not the most ideal start to being told you are running 100 miles in July!!!
The rest of the day I accomplished those goals. The rest of the group finished the mountain for the day and headed off to Strawberry Hot Springs. I heard it was beautiful, but I was content laying in bed and not moving.
Know Your Body and Run Wild!
Tuesday, January 23, 2018
Sometimes You Win, Sometimes the Tree Wins
Monday, January 22nd
Well after the generator fiasco, we woke up a bit chilly and in no mood to stove cook in the freezing snow. So, we decided to treat ourselves with a breakfast burrito and coffee at the Whole Foods half a mile away. It was nice sitting down to a warm meal in a warm building. Most of our time has been spent either driving the van, sleeping in the van, or on cold snow mountains. This was a nice change of pace. After the burritos were scarfed down, we headed to the base of Copper Mountain, just a short 15 minute drive away!
The process of getting dressed in the van for snowboarding has started to become an art form. However, living in the van for the past few weeks has reassured me that the world does in fact tend towards entropy. "Where are my goggles?" "Do you have any clean socks?" "Have you seen my keys?" These are a few of the things uttered by me to my travel partner this trip and I'm sure there will be more questions like this asked as our adventure continues.
Today was going to be a great day! Fresh powder, not too cold, not too sore. We get off the first lift and I see a little kicker at the top that I know I have to jump off. I do. "Yeah, today is going to be perfect!" This was the case for the next few runs...and then I got cocky.
I'm flying down the mountain and see a tree run that is calling my name. As soon as I duck into the trees I realize I am going far too fast. I couldn't turn fast enough and see a small tree that I'm about to have an informal meeting with. BANG! I make direct contact with it, hip and forearm first. I'm knocked down with my breath knocked out of me.
Shit! I can't catch my breathe. My forearm and hip hurt so much! I sit in the trees for a second and look around. I took out the tree! It was laying in the middle of the trail right behind me.
The following is my thought process during the next few minutes:
"Alright, I can breathe again. Great. My forearm hurts so bad. Is it broken? No, great! My hip/butt though? No? Great! My ribs alright? Cool. Am I really going to have ski patrol take me down? Let's strap back in and see if I can ride. Catalina is trying to find me, I should probably yell at her that I'm fine and that I just need a minute. I really need to get down this mountain before the adrenaline wears off. Yepp, starting to get a bit shaky. This could have ended horribly if my forearm wasn't protecting my ribs. Good thing I bought the extra insurance for Vermont 100. Yeah, I can ride down. This could've ended poorly. I'll be alright. I'm done for the day. Let's be thankful."
After making it down the mountain, I walked down to the van, assessed the damage again (just gnarly scratches and swelling), grabbed my computer to blog, and headed to the bar for $2 PBRs.
Today was not perfect, but I wasn't going to let one bad thing ruin the day. We stopped at Breckenridge brewery for a beer and ended up catching the end of the Djokovic/Chung tennis match then headed to Steamboat Springs for some happy hour Mexican food at Salt & Lime and bowling at Snow Bowl.
Catalina beat me every single game.
Be Careful and Run Wild (but not too wild)
Well after the generator fiasco, we woke up a bit chilly and in no mood to stove cook in the freezing snow. So, we decided to treat ourselves with a breakfast burrito and coffee at the Whole Foods half a mile away. It was nice sitting down to a warm meal in a warm building. Most of our time has been spent either driving the van, sleeping in the van, or on cold snow mountains. This was a nice change of pace. After the burritos were scarfed down, we headed to the base of Copper Mountain, just a short 15 minute drive away!
The process of getting dressed in the van for snowboarding has started to become an art form. However, living in the van for the past few weeks has reassured me that the world does in fact tend towards entropy. "Where are my goggles?" "Do you have any clean socks?" "Have you seen my keys?" These are a few of the things uttered by me to my travel partner this trip and I'm sure there will be more questions like this asked as our adventure continues.
Today was going to be a great day! Fresh powder, not too cold, not too sore. We get off the first lift and I see a little kicker at the top that I know I have to jump off. I do. "Yeah, today is going to be perfect!" This was the case for the next few runs...and then I got cocky.
I'm flying down the mountain and see a tree run that is calling my name. As soon as I duck into the trees I realize I am going far too fast. I couldn't turn fast enough and see a small tree that I'm about to have an informal meeting with. BANG! I make direct contact with it, hip and forearm first. I'm knocked down with my breath knocked out of me.
Shit! I can't catch my breathe. My forearm and hip hurt so much! I sit in the trees for a second and look around. I took out the tree! It was laying in the middle of the trail right behind me.
The following is my thought process during the next few minutes:
"Alright, I can breathe again. Great. My forearm hurts so bad. Is it broken? No, great! My hip/butt though? No? Great! My ribs alright? Cool. Am I really going to have ski patrol take me down? Let's strap back in and see if I can ride. Catalina is trying to find me, I should probably yell at her that I'm fine and that I just need a minute. I really need to get down this mountain before the adrenaline wears off. Yepp, starting to get a bit shaky. This could have ended horribly if my forearm wasn't protecting my ribs. Good thing I bought the extra insurance for Vermont 100. Yeah, I can ride down. This could've ended poorly. I'll be alright. I'm done for the day. Let's be thankful."
After making it down the mountain, I walked down to the van, assessed the damage again (just gnarly scratches and swelling), grabbed my computer to blog, and headed to the bar for $2 PBRs.
Today was not perfect, but I wasn't going to let one bad thing ruin the day. We stopped at Breckenridge brewery for a beer and ended up catching the end of the Djokovic/Chung tennis match then headed to Steamboat Springs for some happy hour Mexican food at Salt & Lime and bowling at Snow Bowl.
Catalina beat me every single game.
Be Careful and Run Wild (but not too wild)
Monday, January 22, 2018
Fresh Powder, Mexican Food, and One Cold Night
Saturday, January 20th
Waking up in an empty underground parking garage at 5:30am was a bizarre feeling. We decided to splurge and head to IHOP for all you can eat pancakes for $4.99 (this has been a blessing, thanks IHOP!). After witnessing some interesting interactions and eating my weight in pancakes (Cat only had 2.5, weak!), we headed up to Brighton to for some fresh powder from the storm that started the night before and was still continuing. We parked in a park and ride lot at the base of Big Cottonwood Canyon around 8am. We thought that would be the smart decision and it ended up paying off. Less than 5 dollars a piece to have someone else drive us up a snowy mountain seemed like a no brainer. Due to traffic, since it was a weekend and the first storm of the year for Salt Lake, it took us almost 2 hours on the bus to reach Brighton. I grabbed my subpar board that I left at the repair shop a few days ago and we were ready to rock and roll and enjoy a wonderful powder day!
After our legs were toast, we headed to our next stop: Grand Junction, Colorado!
I have been in touch with my buddy Tony the last few months about meeting up somewhere on our travels. A little background on Tony; during my first trail ultra, Orcas Island 50k last year, he ended up by my side at a section called powerline. This was the hardest section of the course for me (and many others). It is a 2.5 mile climb at a 16 percent grade. My heart rate was way too high and I was entering a dark spot in my head, even contemplating quitting, when he showed up. He graciously decided to hike the section with me and was the moral boost I needed. After summiting Mount Constitution, we ran the downhills for a bit, saw some wildlife, and he took off to finish a few minutes in front of me. If it wasn't for him I don't know if I would still be pursuing the running thing.
Alright, enough background. We ended up meeting at a small authentic mexican restaurant and caught up with life, work, and running. Also, got to see his doggos! After some good hugs, we parted ways. He was headed back home to LA, and Cat and I and some more mountains to explore. But first, I needed to get a run and a shower. So we went to Planet Fitness, did the things, and got back on the road reenergized.
We made it to Gunnison, right outside Crested Butte, around 2:30am and set up for van sleeping at the visitor center in town. It was snowing, but we were at our destination. Tomorrow was going to be a great day!
Sunday, January 21st
Another night of sleep without being harassed, winning!
We woke up after only 5 hours of sleep and headed to the base of the mountain. We parked at the day parking lot, made some oatmeal, and took a wonderful 2 hour nap!
We were so refreshed after waking up and ready to take on another powder day! It was another beautiful day without incident...until I got a little too airborne on a tree run and got stuck on a branch. This tricky little nub coming off a tree got stuck between my boot and my binding. I was literally stuck upside down!!! It was a bit scary for about 20 seconds, until I realized I could use my arms to push up the rest of my body and get unstuck. It then became super comical as I caught up to Cat and told her of my woes. No more than 3 minutes later, we got stuck in powder past our knees. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. The other highlight of the day was Catalina becoming much more confident jumping around on small hills. She is a jumpin' fool!
Once again, our legs were jell-o and we headed to our next stop: Copper Mountain!
But first, I had something important to take care of: Vermont 100 registration! Luckily, I registered and got accepted within minutes of registration opening. I was going to do the damn thing in July!
The drive was, for lack of a better word, crappy. We got stuck in a storm and had to go through three different mountain passes through the night, but we made it! Seriously, so thankful for snow tires. No slipping, no scares, just slow speeds.
We made it to the parking lot in Frisco, CO and shamelessly used their restroom and made shrimp ramen in the parking lot. It looked like tomorrow was going to be another wonderful powder day! We couldn't ask for much more! Except for a charged generator. CRAP! I made the mistake of not charging it enough earlier that day and now we were going to suffer because of it. No power=no electric blanket!
Cat and I both cocooned up in our individual negative degree rating sleeping bags and made it through the night. I woke up around 4am and checked the real feel temperature on my watch. IT WAS NEGATIVE 10 DEGREES! Hopefully, this will be the coldest we will have to deal with. I will not forget to charge the generator ever again!
Stay Warm and Run Wild!
Waking up in an empty underground parking garage at 5:30am was a bizarre feeling. We decided to splurge and head to IHOP for all you can eat pancakes for $4.99 (this has been a blessing, thanks IHOP!). After witnessing some interesting interactions and eating my weight in pancakes (Cat only had 2.5, weak!), we headed up to Brighton to for some fresh powder from the storm that started the night before and was still continuing. We parked in a park and ride lot at the base of Big Cottonwood Canyon around 8am. We thought that would be the smart decision and it ended up paying off. Less than 5 dollars a piece to have someone else drive us up a snowy mountain seemed like a no brainer. Due to traffic, since it was a weekend and the first storm of the year for Salt Lake, it took us almost 2 hours on the bus to reach Brighton. I grabbed my subpar board that I left at the repair shop a few days ago and we were ready to rock and roll and enjoy a wonderful powder day!
After our legs were toast, we headed to our next stop: Grand Junction, Colorado!
I have been in touch with my buddy Tony the last few months about meeting up somewhere on our travels. A little background on Tony; during my first trail ultra, Orcas Island 50k last year, he ended up by my side at a section called powerline. This was the hardest section of the course for me (and many others). It is a 2.5 mile climb at a 16 percent grade. My heart rate was way too high and I was entering a dark spot in my head, even contemplating quitting, when he showed up. He graciously decided to hike the section with me and was the moral boost I needed. After summiting Mount Constitution, we ran the downhills for a bit, saw some wildlife, and he took off to finish a few minutes in front of me. If it wasn't for him I don't know if I would still be pursuing the running thing.
Alright, enough background. We ended up meeting at a small authentic mexican restaurant and caught up with life, work, and running. Also, got to see his doggos! After some good hugs, we parted ways. He was headed back home to LA, and Cat and I and some more mountains to explore. But first, I needed to get a run and a shower. So we went to Planet Fitness, did the things, and got back on the road reenergized.
We made it to Gunnison, right outside Crested Butte, around 2:30am and set up for van sleeping at the visitor center in town. It was snowing, but we were at our destination. Tomorrow was going to be a great day!
Sunday, January 21st
Another night of sleep without being harassed, winning!
We woke up after only 5 hours of sleep and headed to the base of the mountain. We parked at the day parking lot, made some oatmeal, and took a wonderful 2 hour nap!
We were so refreshed after waking up and ready to take on another powder day! It was another beautiful day without incident...until I got a little too airborne on a tree run and got stuck on a branch. This tricky little nub coming off a tree got stuck between my boot and my binding. I was literally stuck upside down!!! It was a bit scary for about 20 seconds, until I realized I could use my arms to push up the rest of my body and get unstuck. It then became super comical as I caught up to Cat and told her of my woes. No more than 3 minutes later, we got stuck in powder past our knees. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. The other highlight of the day was Catalina becoming much more confident jumping around on small hills. She is a jumpin' fool!
Once again, our legs were jell-o and we headed to our next stop: Copper Mountain!
But first, I had something important to take care of: Vermont 100 registration! Luckily, I registered and got accepted within minutes of registration opening. I was going to do the damn thing in July!
The drive was, for lack of a better word, crappy. We got stuck in a storm and had to go through three different mountain passes through the night, but we made it! Seriously, so thankful for snow tires. No slipping, no scares, just slow speeds.
We made it to the parking lot in Frisco, CO and shamelessly used their restroom and made shrimp ramen in the parking lot. It looked like tomorrow was going to be another wonderful powder day! We couldn't ask for much more! Except for a charged generator. CRAP! I made the mistake of not charging it enough earlier that day and now we were going to suffer because of it. No power=no electric blanket!
Cat and I both cocooned up in our individual negative degree rating sleeping bags and made it through the night. I woke up around 4am and checked the real feel temperature on my watch. IT WAS NEGATIVE 10 DEGREES! Hopefully, this will be the coldest we will have to deal with. I will not forget to charge the generator ever again!
Stay Warm and Run Wild!
Saturday, January 20, 2018
Montana, Beers, and Questionable Ethics
Wednesday January 17th
Cat arrived(!) and we drove straight to Big Sky, Montana minus a quick 90 minute nap in some hotel parking lot in some town somewhere. However, we did make it to Big Sky only 17 minutes after the lifts started! We had a great day of the best skiing at North America's largest ski resort! After we finished up, we headed to the REI in Bozeman so Cat could get a new pair of snow goggles and some toe warmers! We then headed to my friend Hope's house to see our room for the next couple of days. We are so thankful to have great, welcoming friends in our lives that provide for us!!! We met her parents (so lovely), and headed to Bridger Brewery for some beer and pizza and conversation and headed back for some much needed sleep after such a long day.
Thursday January 18th
After some toast, eggs, and coffee (Thanks Marie!), the three of us (Cat, Hope, and myself) loaded into the van for a full day at Big Sky! We are so lucky that Hope was able to show us the best spots and the best powder! Highlights included having moonlight basin basically to ourselves, Cat getting in her first real jump, zipping through the glades, and me crashing right into a wall of powder! I seriously cannot recommend Big Sky enough! Such a big mountain with such a varied amount of terrain for all levels!
After riding first chair to last chair and our legs feeling like jelly, we went back to Hope's to change real quick and her father joined us for some beers at MAP brewery and some great conversation. We then headed to Bozeman Hot Springs for some relaxation. There are a few different outdoor pools with different temperatures, live music, and extra hot pools, freezing pool, and saunas inside. Boy did my body feel good after!
Friday January 19th
We had a tough decision to make in the morning. It had snowed more than 8 inches up in the mountains around Bozeman, but there was a storm system coming into Salt Lake City by 5pm that day. So, if we wanted to make it to Salt Lake that day we would have to pass on the fresh powder. We decided safety first. We said our gracious goodbyes to our kind hosts and headed out back on the road.
Yellowstone was under a snowstorm and we ended up in the middle of it. It took us about 90 minutes to go our first 35 miles after passing Big Sky. Thank goodness for studded snow tires! After that it was clear sailing and uneventful. We made it to the planet fitness in Taylorsville, Utah and proceeded to cook some shrimp ramen in the parking lot. Yes, I am shameless. Afterwards, I got on the dreadmill for an hour while Cat did some grad school work. Next order of business was to figure out where to sleep that night while it stormed! In our experience, the best solutions to pressing problems are solved with a beer. We headed down Bayou Bar after unsuccessfully trying to get a seat at the tapless taproom at Epic Brewing. The beer did the trick and we found where we would be stealth sleeping for the night. Without being too specific, we parked in a very large underground parking garage in SLC.
Luckily, the night was uneventful and we were well rested for the next day's adventures!
Be Thankful and Run Wild!
Cat arrived(!) and we drove straight to Big Sky, Montana minus a quick 90 minute nap in some hotel parking lot in some town somewhere. However, we did make it to Big Sky only 17 minutes after the lifts started! We had a great day of the best skiing at North America's largest ski resort! After we finished up, we headed to the REI in Bozeman so Cat could get a new pair of snow goggles and some toe warmers! We then headed to my friend Hope's house to see our room for the next couple of days. We are so thankful to have great, welcoming friends in our lives that provide for us!!! We met her parents (so lovely), and headed to Bridger Brewery for some beer and pizza and conversation and headed back for some much needed sleep after such a long day.
Thursday January 18th
After some toast, eggs, and coffee (Thanks Marie!), the three of us (Cat, Hope, and myself) loaded into the van for a full day at Big Sky! We are so lucky that Hope was able to show us the best spots and the best powder! Highlights included having moonlight basin basically to ourselves, Cat getting in her first real jump, zipping through the glades, and me crashing right into a wall of powder! I seriously cannot recommend Big Sky enough! Such a big mountain with such a varied amount of terrain for all levels!
After riding first chair to last chair and our legs feeling like jelly, we went back to Hope's to change real quick and her father joined us for some beers at MAP brewery and some great conversation. We then headed to Bozeman Hot Springs for some relaxation. There are a few different outdoor pools with different temperatures, live music, and extra hot pools, freezing pool, and saunas inside. Boy did my body feel good after!
Friday January 19th
We had a tough decision to make in the morning. It had snowed more than 8 inches up in the mountains around Bozeman, but there was a storm system coming into Salt Lake City by 5pm that day. So, if we wanted to make it to Salt Lake that day we would have to pass on the fresh powder. We decided safety first. We said our gracious goodbyes to our kind hosts and headed out back on the road.
Yellowstone was under a snowstorm and we ended up in the middle of it. It took us about 90 minutes to go our first 35 miles after passing Big Sky. Thank goodness for studded snow tires! After that it was clear sailing and uneventful. We made it to the planet fitness in Taylorsville, Utah and proceeded to cook some shrimp ramen in the parking lot. Yes, I am shameless. Afterwards, I got on the dreadmill for an hour while Cat did some grad school work. Next order of business was to figure out where to sleep that night while it stormed! In our experience, the best solutions to pressing problems are solved with a beer. We headed down Bayou Bar after unsuccessfully trying to get a seat at the tapless taproom at Epic Brewing. The beer did the trick and we found where we would be stealth sleeping for the night. Without being too specific, we parked in a very large underground parking garage in SLC.
Luckily, the night was uneventful and we were well rested for the next day's adventures!
Be Thankful and Run Wild!
Tuesday, January 16, 2018
Pancakes (again), Dreadmill, and Catalina's Arrival!
Tuesday January 16th
Well that was a longest I have ever slept in the van, 13 hours! I stayed warm the whole night due to the electric blanket, two 0 degree sleeping bags, a couple blankets, and a couple of sheets. However, there was quite a large amount of condensation on the ceiling and the windshield was pretty frosty. I planned on only sleeping a few hours then doing a long run at planet fitness during the evening then going back to sleep. However, plans changed and I was starving. So I headed to IHOP for all you can eat pancakes for five dollars. I was going to get my money's worth.
I ate 15 pancakes.
I headed to walmart, again, to grab a hot water bottle to use in colder climates to keep the bed warm and gorilla tape to secure the privacy curtain that has now sense fallen down. The velcro sticks well, but the sticky back did not stay stuck to the fabric. I also headed to autozone to get a windshield UV reflector with one side black to hopefully prevent further condensation and frost buildup while sleeping. I headed back to Planet Fitness parking lot to relax a bit and make some phone calls.
I started a treadmill run when Catalina called to let me know she was boarding shortly! I can't believe I get to see her in a few hours! This is the longest her and I have been apart in two years! I have definitely started to miss her. After we chatted, I got back on the dreadmill for an hour. After a shower, I convinced the nice folks at PF to let me charge my generator while I made shrimp ramen in the parking lot. What a fabulous life!
It was around this time I received some great news! My friend Hope volunteered a spare bedroom for Cat and I in Bozeman! A little background: I met Hope back in 2013 when she was studying abroad in Australia at the same university as my friend Noah. I went down under to visit Noah for two weeks, with one of those weeks travelling up the western Coast of Australia from Perth to Exmouth in a van, oddly enough. There was 6 of us in a van for a week, so we got to know each other pretty well. Anyway, I am so grateful for this unexpected gift of being able to sleep somewhere warm!
Today I also chatted to my buddy Alex who I've known since freshman year of college back in 2009. He currently lives in Colorado and we have been trying to work out when we would meet up. Well, today we solved it. We will be meeting up in Steamboat next week for a couple of days and renting out a cheap AirBnB. Looks like I wont be spending every waking (and sleeping) moment in the van this trip!
Did I mention Catalina flies in tonight?!?!?!
We plan on driving straight through the night and making it Big Sky for first chair tomorrow morning.
Wish us luck.
Stay Friendly and Run Wild!
Well that was a longest I have ever slept in the van, 13 hours! I stayed warm the whole night due to the electric blanket, two 0 degree sleeping bags, a couple blankets, and a couple of sheets. However, there was quite a large amount of condensation on the ceiling and the windshield was pretty frosty. I planned on only sleeping a few hours then doing a long run at planet fitness during the evening then going back to sleep. However, plans changed and I was starving. So I headed to IHOP for all you can eat pancakes for five dollars. I was going to get my money's worth.
I ate 15 pancakes.
I headed to walmart, again, to grab a hot water bottle to use in colder climates to keep the bed warm and gorilla tape to secure the privacy curtain that has now sense fallen down. The velcro sticks well, but the sticky back did not stay stuck to the fabric. I also headed to autozone to get a windshield UV reflector with one side black to hopefully prevent further condensation and frost buildup while sleeping. I headed back to Planet Fitness parking lot to relax a bit and make some phone calls.
I started a treadmill run when Catalina called to let me know she was boarding shortly! I can't believe I get to see her in a few hours! This is the longest her and I have been apart in two years! I have definitely started to miss her. After we chatted, I got back on the dreadmill for an hour. After a shower, I convinced the nice folks at PF to let me charge my generator while I made shrimp ramen in the parking lot. What a fabulous life!
It was around this time I received some great news! My friend Hope volunteered a spare bedroom for Cat and I in Bozeman! A little background: I met Hope back in 2013 when she was studying abroad in Australia at the same university as my friend Noah. I went down under to visit Noah for two weeks, with one of those weeks travelling up the western Coast of Australia from Perth to Exmouth in a van, oddly enough. There was 6 of us in a van for a week, so we got to know each other pretty well. Anyway, I am so grateful for this unexpected gift of being able to sleep somewhere warm!
Today I also chatted to my buddy Alex who I've known since freshman year of college back in 2009. He currently lives in Colorado and we have been trying to work out when we would meet up. Well, today we solved it. We will be meeting up in Steamboat next week for a couple of days and renting out a cheap AirBnB. Looks like I wont be spending every waking (and sleeping) moment in the van this trip!
Did I mention Catalina flies in tonight?!?!?!
We plan on driving straight through the night and making it Big Sky for first chair tomorrow morning.
Wish us luck.
Stay Friendly and Run Wild!
Winter Tires, Snowboarding, Laundry
Monday January 15th
Woke up this morning in a Planet Fitness parking lot nice and warm, despite accidently leaving a side door ajar. Last night I made up the futon with all the bedding, including the electric blanket, to make sure it would be warm enough once I got to colder climates. I also realized I left the electric generator on last night as well, whoops! I walked into planet fitness, took a shower, headed across the street to get my studded winter tires put on, had my all season tires put in the van, and was on my way to the mountains for some snowboarding.
I only spent a couple of hours at Brighton today because it was so crowded and I landed hard on my left butt cheek. I ended up going to the repair and tuning shop to get my other board edged and waxed. I told them I was traveling to Montana in the next few days and wondered if I could just leave my board at the shop until I returned in a few days time. They said no problem and I now I had one less thing to lug around in the van, at least for a few days.
The next item on the docket was to find a home for the 4 tires currently taking up all the space on my bed. Luckily, I found a small tire shop that was willing to give me a decent price on them. Crisis averted! Shout out to Diamond Tires in Salt Lake City for being so awesome!
Ran a slow 5k at the Planet Fitness, showered, and cooked some shrimp ramen and enjoyed the view of the mountains from the parking lot. Now that's fine dining!
Currently sitting at the laundromat waiting for all my sweaty, smelly, wet clothes to wash. Sometimes life on the road isn't all adventure. Sometimes it is mundane, but that is still a beautiful thing.
After laundry, I headed to Epic Brewing to grab a beer for Cat's arrival tomorrow evening and planned on tasting a few brews, but their tiny "tapless taproom" (Utah still has some weird alcohol laws, including not being able to have high ABV on tap, but allowed to serve it from cans and bottles) was at capacity. So, I headed to Uinta Brewing and sampled some beers there. I tried the Peach Hop Nosh, the winter seasonal Yardsale, and finished with a 2oz tasting of Baba. I also had a wonderful veggie sandwich and called it a day. I headed back into Murray and proceeded to sleep 13 hours in the van.
Stay Rested and Run Wild.
Woke up this morning in a Planet Fitness parking lot nice and warm, despite accidently leaving a side door ajar. Last night I made up the futon with all the bedding, including the electric blanket, to make sure it would be warm enough once I got to colder climates. I also realized I left the electric generator on last night as well, whoops! I walked into planet fitness, took a shower, headed across the street to get my studded winter tires put on, had my all season tires put in the van, and was on my way to the mountains for some snowboarding.
I only spent a couple of hours at Brighton today because it was so crowded and I landed hard on my left butt cheek. I ended up going to the repair and tuning shop to get my other board edged and waxed. I told them I was traveling to Montana in the next few days and wondered if I could just leave my board at the shop until I returned in a few days time. They said no problem and I now I had one less thing to lug around in the van, at least for a few days.
The next item on the docket was to find a home for the 4 tires currently taking up all the space on my bed. Luckily, I found a small tire shop that was willing to give me a decent price on them. Crisis averted! Shout out to Diamond Tires in Salt Lake City for being so awesome!
Ran a slow 5k at the Planet Fitness, showered, and cooked some shrimp ramen and enjoyed the view of the mountains from the parking lot. Now that's fine dining!
Currently sitting at the laundromat waiting for all my sweaty, smelly, wet clothes to wash. Sometimes life on the road isn't all adventure. Sometimes it is mundane, but that is still a beautiful thing.
After laundry, I headed to Epic Brewing to grab a beer for Cat's arrival tomorrow evening and planned on tasting a few brews, but their tiny "tapless taproom" (Utah still has some weird alcohol laws, including not being able to have high ABV on tap, but allowed to serve it from cans and bottles) was at capacity. So, I headed to Uinta Brewing and sampled some beers there. I tried the Peach Hop Nosh, the winter seasonal Yardsale, and finished with a 2oz tasting of Baba. I also had a wonderful veggie sandwich and called it a day. I headed back into Murray and proceeded to sleep 13 hours in the van.
Stay Rested and Run Wild.
Sunday, January 14, 2018
Amarillo, Albuquerque, Flagstaff, Salt Lake City
Thursday January 11th
After too much coffee and pancakes, it was time to run. After looking at the weather and the trails in Amarillo (there are none!) I decided to do a quick out and back on the paved Soncy Rail Trail. Winds were a constant 25-35 mph with gusts 45-55mph! The wind is real powerful when there is nothing to stop it. The out 2 miles felt like somebody was lifting me and pushing me with every step It almost felt effortless. The back 2 miles was a boxing match and the wind won. Every step felt like I was working twice as hard for half the reward. The run got done and I was ready for Albuquerque.
First thing I did when I got to albuquerque was head to REI. I knew I wanted a small solar generator/battery pack for a small light in the van at night and to use the heat blanket in an emergency if I needed it. They were super helpful and even let me charge it up at the store while I went out and took care of some other things.
(Other things:
Went to Planet Fitness to get a membership. This allowed me showers, treadmill, and somewhere indoors no matter where in the country I was at. It also allows me to bring a guest everytime I go, aka Catalina can shower too! I took a shower and walked out.
Stopped by the Fleet Feet in Albuquerque and asked for some advice about running La Luz trail and what to expect as far as conditions go.
Stopped at walmart and Lowes in order to make a privacy curtain for sleeping in the van. Ended up using industrial strength velcro and a blackout curtain.
I returned to REI to pick up the Goal Zero Yeti 150 generator and proceeded to take a nap.
I woke up past 10pm confused.
Friday January 12th
Today's mission: run La Luz to the top and back down. Unfortunately that did not happen today. My heart rate was all over the place. I tried switching off between hiking and running and couldn't get my breathing to slow. This left me with two choices: quit and walk back down after only 2 miles in or swallow my pride and hike. I chose hike!
La Luz is such a magical trail. You see so much cacti and dirt to start off with. Then the trail starts with the switchbacks which force you to turn around and see Albuquerque from afar. Then the next minute you are in ice and snow in the shadows of the mountains. It has a wonderful mystic about it.
At about mile 4ish of hiking I lost the trail. The snow had covered all traces of where the trail should've been. I spent about 20 minutes looking around trying to find it, but couldn't. These things happen, Well, I guess this is when I turn around and start flying downhill. A couple miles later, I took a misstep and fell. it was easily one of the worst falls I've taken while running in a very long time and definitely the most dangerous. I recovered and finish the run up, although at a slower pace.
Next stop: Flagstaff!
Saturday January 13th
What a fantastic day this ended up being! I woke up, started driving and realized if I was willing to change my plans I could hit the Grand Canyon by sunrise. Lets do it! I was stiff and sore so I thought it best to do some stretching before I even attempt a run. When I arrived it was still dark, so i took a quick nap and ended up doing about an hour's worth of stretching on the edge of the canyon wall at sunrise. That was exactly what my body and head needed! I decided I would take it easier today. This means slower pace, less elevation gains and no long runs. With that in mind and a hydration vest prepped, I was out and running.
The Grand Canyon is my favorite spot I have ever ran. I have only ran there once before in 2014 as a training run on my way to Burning Man and Black Rock City 50k, but I instantly fell in love. There is something about that place that humbles you and makes you realize how small and insignificant we all are and how powerful of an existence nature is.
After my run I headed into flagstaff to get some advice from the local running store, Run Flagstaff. I wanted to run some flat trails and figured they would know better than anyone. I was instantly shown a giant topographical map of greater flagstaff and all the trails in the area. I was recommended a few loop trails in the coconino forest and how to get there. It was a short 15 minute drive from the running store. I ate a can of green beans and took a quick power nap in order to guarantee I would be running at the hottest part of the day. My right knee started talking to me for a bit, so no matter how much I wanted to go fast down this flat single track trails, I thought better of it. After the run I loaded back in and headed off to my next destination: Salt Lake City!
Sunday January 14th
After waking up after a few more hours of sleep it was finally light outside! I got back on Interstate towards my destination, the mountains!!! But first, let's figure out this winter tire situation! One of the major draws of my previous van was that it had some new hefty studded snow tires. It managed a pretty bad storm in New Hampshire near the end of December that required me to drive through a few inches of unplowed slush. It handled it with no problem. I know Montana and Colorado can be unpredictable at times and they will be an absolute necessity when I get back to Maine for more snowboard trips. I stopped at a few shops that were open (Sunday in Utah), and got a couple of estimates, and should be set to get that taken care of at 7:30 tomorrow morning (still early enough to get to the mountains before first chair). Now, I just have to find a buyer for the tires currently on my van.
I got up to the mountains around noon. My pass includes both Brighton and Solitude in Salt Lake City, literally right next to each other. I naturally looked up which mountain had a higher price for a daily lift ticket (Brighton) and headed that way. Well, it is a holiday weekend and everyone decided a sunny day with a high of 42 would be a great day to go skiing. There were no parking spots at Brighton so I headed back down the road towards Solitude. From me leaving the full lot at Brighton to parking at Solitude took me less than 10 minutes. They literally share a mountain. For my East coast friends, imagine Wildcat and Attatash, but closer.
I could feel that I was a bit sore and tired, after all I have had a pretty jam packed schedule, but I really needed to get back on the snow. It was a beautiful day full of slow turns instead of my usual go fast and jump as much as you can attitude. The fact it was a bit thin and therefore a bit icy probably contributed to the changed style as well. I was able to spend a good 3 hours on the mountain before heading back down to lower elevation (4,266').
Catalina arrives in two days! It was time to get the futon from couch mode to bed mode. I must have looked like a damn fool in the parking lot of planet fitness taking everything out of my car! oh well. Folding the futon out not only took up more space, but gave me a lot of useless storage underneath. The clearance is only about 5 inches or so. I don't know about you, but I don't have many bags that are less than 5 inches in height. And the way the legs are setup, it makes it a pain to stack my snowboards on top of each other. It got done. Everything fits. I packed way too many clothes; I had grand illusions of showering everyday; HA! Good news is I get to feel what its like to sleep on a bed and not a couch tonight.
After I reloaded everything I realized I was starving. Lucky for me, I had a case of shrimp flavored ramen and my camp stove. I also set that up in the parking lot. So good! The only other major thing on my to do list was to grab a snow shovel, clothes bar and a pair gloves. Boom in and out of walmart. I grabbed some more water and filled up with gas and was set for tomorrows adventures.
See the world and Run Wild!
After too much coffee and pancakes, it was time to run. After looking at the weather and the trails in Amarillo (there are none!) I decided to do a quick out and back on the paved Soncy Rail Trail. Winds were a constant 25-35 mph with gusts 45-55mph! The wind is real powerful when there is nothing to stop it. The out 2 miles felt like somebody was lifting me and pushing me with every step It almost felt effortless. The back 2 miles was a boxing match and the wind won. Every step felt like I was working twice as hard for half the reward. The run got done and I was ready for Albuquerque.
First thing I did when I got to albuquerque was head to REI. I knew I wanted a small solar generator/battery pack for a small light in the van at night and to use the heat blanket in an emergency if I needed it. They were super helpful and even let me charge it up at the store while I went out and took care of some other things.
(Other things:
Went to Planet Fitness to get a membership. This allowed me showers, treadmill, and somewhere indoors no matter where in the country I was at. It also allows me to bring a guest everytime I go, aka Catalina can shower too! I took a shower and walked out.
Stopped by the Fleet Feet in Albuquerque and asked for some advice about running La Luz trail and what to expect as far as conditions go.
Stopped at walmart and Lowes in order to make a privacy curtain for sleeping in the van. Ended up using industrial strength velcro and a blackout curtain.
I returned to REI to pick up the Goal Zero Yeti 150 generator and proceeded to take a nap.
I woke up past 10pm confused.
Friday January 12th
Today's mission: run La Luz to the top and back down. Unfortunately that did not happen today. My heart rate was all over the place. I tried switching off between hiking and running and couldn't get my breathing to slow. This left me with two choices: quit and walk back down after only 2 miles in or swallow my pride and hike. I chose hike!
La Luz is such a magical trail. You see so much cacti and dirt to start off with. Then the trail starts with the switchbacks which force you to turn around and see Albuquerque from afar. Then the next minute you are in ice and snow in the shadows of the mountains. It has a wonderful mystic about it.
At about mile 4ish of hiking I lost the trail. The snow had covered all traces of where the trail should've been. I spent about 20 minutes looking around trying to find it, but couldn't. These things happen, Well, I guess this is when I turn around and start flying downhill. A couple miles later, I took a misstep and fell. it was easily one of the worst falls I've taken while running in a very long time and definitely the most dangerous. I recovered and finish the run up, although at a slower pace.
Next stop: Flagstaff!
Saturday January 13th
What a fantastic day this ended up being! I woke up, started driving and realized if I was willing to change my plans I could hit the Grand Canyon by sunrise. Lets do it! I was stiff and sore so I thought it best to do some stretching before I even attempt a run. When I arrived it was still dark, so i took a quick nap and ended up doing about an hour's worth of stretching on the edge of the canyon wall at sunrise. That was exactly what my body and head needed! I decided I would take it easier today. This means slower pace, less elevation gains and no long runs. With that in mind and a hydration vest prepped, I was out and running.
The Grand Canyon is my favorite spot I have ever ran. I have only ran there once before in 2014 as a training run on my way to Burning Man and Black Rock City 50k, but I instantly fell in love. There is something about that place that humbles you and makes you realize how small and insignificant we all are and how powerful of an existence nature is.
After my run I headed into flagstaff to get some advice from the local running store, Run Flagstaff. I wanted to run some flat trails and figured they would know better than anyone. I was instantly shown a giant topographical map of greater flagstaff and all the trails in the area. I was recommended a few loop trails in the coconino forest and how to get there. It was a short 15 minute drive from the running store. I ate a can of green beans and took a quick power nap in order to guarantee I would be running at the hottest part of the day. My right knee started talking to me for a bit, so no matter how much I wanted to go fast down this flat single track trails, I thought better of it. After the run I loaded back in and headed off to my next destination: Salt Lake City!
Sunday January 14th
After waking up after a few more hours of sleep it was finally light outside! I got back on Interstate towards my destination, the mountains!!! But first, let's figure out this winter tire situation! One of the major draws of my previous van was that it had some new hefty studded snow tires. It managed a pretty bad storm in New Hampshire near the end of December that required me to drive through a few inches of unplowed slush. It handled it with no problem. I know Montana and Colorado can be unpredictable at times and they will be an absolute necessity when I get back to Maine for more snowboard trips. I stopped at a few shops that were open (Sunday in Utah), and got a couple of estimates, and should be set to get that taken care of at 7:30 tomorrow morning (still early enough to get to the mountains before first chair). Now, I just have to find a buyer for the tires currently on my van.
I got up to the mountains around noon. My pass includes both Brighton and Solitude in Salt Lake City, literally right next to each other. I naturally looked up which mountain had a higher price for a daily lift ticket (Brighton) and headed that way. Well, it is a holiday weekend and everyone decided a sunny day with a high of 42 would be a great day to go skiing. There were no parking spots at Brighton so I headed back down the road towards Solitude. From me leaving the full lot at Brighton to parking at Solitude took me less than 10 minutes. They literally share a mountain. For my East coast friends, imagine Wildcat and Attatash, but closer.
I could feel that I was a bit sore and tired, after all I have had a pretty jam packed schedule, but I really needed to get back on the snow. It was a beautiful day full of slow turns instead of my usual go fast and jump as much as you can attitude. The fact it was a bit thin and therefore a bit icy probably contributed to the changed style as well. I was able to spend a good 3 hours on the mountain before heading back down to lower elevation (4,266').
Catalina arrives in two days! It was time to get the futon from couch mode to bed mode. I must have looked like a damn fool in the parking lot of planet fitness taking everything out of my car! oh well. Folding the futon out not only took up more space, but gave me a lot of useless storage underneath. The clearance is only about 5 inches or so. I don't know about you, but I don't have many bags that are less than 5 inches in height. And the way the legs are setup, it makes it a pain to stack my snowboards on top of each other. It got done. Everything fits. I packed way too many clothes; I had grand illusions of showering everyday; HA! Good news is I get to feel what its like to sleep on a bed and not a couch tonight.
After I reloaded everything I realized I was starving. Lucky for me, I had a case of shrimp flavored ramen and my camp stove. I also set that up in the parking lot. So good! The only other major thing on my to do list was to grab a snow shovel, clothes bar and a pair gloves. Boom in and out of walmart. I grabbed some more water and filled up with gas and was set for tomorrows adventures.
See the world and Run Wild!
Thursday, January 11, 2018
A New Van, a New Plan, Warm Run
Tuesday January 9th
Today is finally the day, but first, we run!
I ran a nice 4 miles on a trail I had never been on, nor knew existed.
I met up with my friend Sophia whom I’ve known from middle school.
She is currently attending graduate school at Brown and it has been
YEARS since we saw each other last. It was a beautiful day in the 40s
along a beautiful trail along the Arkansas River in Ft. Gibson, Oklahoma.
We went at a nice conversational pace in order for us to have a nice conversation.
It was a gentle reminder that I don’t have to push myself every single run :P
As soon I was done, I received a call from the dealership that my vehicle was ready!
Let’s do the damn thing! My dad helped me load the futon into the van on his lunch break
and after saying goodbye to my parents, I was on my way.
First stop was to see my grandma down in the Dallas area. The short four hour drive was
uneventful, thankfully. I called my grandma when I was about two hours away and surprised
her by telling her I was dropping by. She seemed thrilled!
My girlfriend told me I have to get my grandma flowers from her, so I stopped by the grocery
store and picked up a small bouquet and dinner for myself since grandma had already eaten.
(Shout out to Amy’s vegan veggie pizza!)
We spent the evening catching up and just enjoying each others company.
Family First and Run Wild
Wednesday January 10th
This was a great day!
After grandma made me two eggs on toast, we got our athletic gear on and headed to the indoor
pickleball courts down the road.
This is where I brag on my grandma:
Ever since I could remember, she has been super active. If she wasn’t at the tennis courts,
she was at the swimming pool. A couple of years ago she had double knee replacement surgery
and conquered the physical therapy and rehabilitation that went with it. She is the bionic woman!
She fell in love with Pickleball and helped grow a community around it. I wanted to see this part of
her life that made her so happy.
We got there early and helped to set up the nets and folks started pouring through the doors.
We had three full courts of doubles plus folks waiting to play. I am not ashamed to say that folks
over twice my age mopped the floor with me, including my grandma! She was ecstatic I got to
see this part of her life, and I was pleased that I got to see part of her community.
After Pickleball, we went home. I filled up on coffee and grandma sent me on the road with some
gas money, a bag of apples, and some chocolates. Thanks Nanny!
Next stop: Wichita Falls, Texas
Another uneventful two hour drive and the first time putting on the AC in the van.
I was definitely going the right direction! I stopped at Endurance House (what a great name) in
Wichita Falls and asked for recommendations on some technical trails to run.
The staff was super helpful and interested in my adventures, plus they had a shop puppy!
I bought two cliff bars and was on my way to Wee-Chi-Tah Trail about a 10 minute drive away.
This was a singletrack mountain bike trail with lots of small dramatic ups and downs,
wooden bridges, switchbacks, and some river views. Oh, and red dirt! It was also a nice 65 degrees F.
I ran without looking at pace or distance, just the elapsed time displayed on my watch.
It was great to run by myself, in a new place, in the heat.
Only encountered two mountain bikes during the hour run, without incident.
Distance: 6.9 miles
Time: 1 hour
Pace: 8:38
Nutrition: 6 salted watermelon Cliff Bloks, 16oz Nuun water, 16oz water
After a week of disaster, I finally felt like I was back in my groove and in my happy place.
After all the nonsense that occured, I was finally starting the adventure I had envisioned.
I drank a can of coke (new thing I’m trying) and headed to Amarillo.
I stopped at an info center outside Amarillo for the night.
I planned on getting dinner in town, but I was tired and my legs were sore.
Before laying down, I looked up breakfast for tomorrow, where to run, and my driving route for tomorrow.
This is the first night of sleeping in the new van.
Go new places and Run Wild
Thursday January 11th
After a decent sleep, not great, not bad, I woke up and immediately checked the weather.
This has been something I’ve been doing every day this year.
I saw that the real feel was in the teens! What happened to 65 degrees yesterday?
I put in my contacts, threw on some socks and shoes and headed to IHOP.
This is my current location.
I’m waiting for the real feel to get out of the single digits and for the sun to come out.
And also, unlimited coffee and pancakes for 10 dollars!!!
Be frugal and Run Wild
Tuesday, January 9, 2018
A decision has been made
Monday January 8th
Started the morning with a nice 5k around one of my favorite loops in Muskogee, OK. Its a shared flat bike path that that starts right off the highway but nicely ducks into trees, laps around the sports complex I played soccer at growing up, opens up a bit and allows a few glimpses of my parents' land and barn, and passes by my dad's old office. I can't tell if it was the nostalgia or the fact the temps were close to 40 degrees F, but it felt great! My legs wanted to go fast and I let them! Strava link is below:
https://www.strava.com/athletes/Todd_Reutlinger
After the run I spent the rest of the day trying to get the best possible deal I could on a Nissan NV200 (shout out to Momma Bear for calling every dealer in Oklahoma and Texas!). Pictures will be posted soon on my instagram, @toddrunswild/
I spent the evening catching up with some friends from high school, doing laundry, and repacking and organizing my belongings. Tuesday I get back on the road and head to a warmer climate!
Stay Warm and Run Wild!
Started the morning with a nice 5k around one of my favorite loops in Muskogee, OK. Its a shared flat bike path that that starts right off the highway but nicely ducks into trees, laps around the sports complex I played soccer at growing up, opens up a bit and allows a few glimpses of my parents' land and barn, and passes by my dad's old office. I can't tell if it was the nostalgia or the fact the temps were close to 40 degrees F, but it felt great! My legs wanted to go fast and I let them! Strava link is below:
https://www.strava.com/athletes/Todd_Reutlinger
After the run I spent the rest of the day trying to get the best possible deal I could on a Nissan NV200 (shout out to Momma Bear for calling every dealer in Oklahoma and Texas!). Pictures will be posted soon on my instagram, @toddrunswild/
I spent the evening catching up with some friends from high school, doing laundry, and repacking and organizing my belongings. Tuesday I get back on the road and head to a warmer climate!
Stay Warm and Run Wild!
Monday, January 8, 2018
Sunday January 7th
After looking at different adventure vehicles all day yesterday, it was time to clear my head and think about. The best place for me to think? On my feet, running fast. Started the day running a couple of laps on a .8 mi loop in my hometown. After being stuck in a car, traveling across half the country, my legs needed to let go. I planned on a long run, but I started to get a nagging pain in my left glute. It is way too early in the training plan to hurt myself, so I cut the run short. Despite it being a shorter run, I was still satisfied with my speed on the run (2 miles @ sub 7 min). I spent the rest of the day visiting with a couple of friends in Tulsa and Muskogee and doing a bunch of research on a few specific compact cargo vans and conversions.
The plan for Monday is to get a new vehicle, repack, and get ready to continue my adventure.
Be Patient and Run Wild!
After looking at different adventure vehicles all day yesterday, it was time to clear my head and think about. The best place for me to think? On my feet, running fast. Started the day running a couple of laps on a .8 mi loop in my hometown. After being stuck in a car, traveling across half the country, my legs needed to let go. I planned on a long run, but I started to get a nagging pain in my left glute. It is way too early in the training plan to hurt myself, so I cut the run short. Despite it being a shorter run, I was still satisfied with my speed on the run (2 miles @ sub 7 min). I spent the rest of the day visiting with a couple of friends in Tulsa and Muskogee and doing a bunch of research on a few specific compact cargo vans and conversions.
The plan for Monday is to get a new vehicle, repack, and get ready to continue my adventure.
Be Patient and Run Wild!
Sunday, January 7, 2018
From St. Louis to Oklahoma
January 6th
After a few days of rest and relaxation I was back on the road. This time it was a quick 6 hour drive. It was 6 degrees when I left St. Louis and I was layered up and ready for a drive with no heat. Was I shocked when the heat started in my car? Yes. Was I going to question it or assume it was going to work the whole drive? No. I plugged in the electric blanket, placed it on my lap and was off and moving.
The heater stayed on the whole time and so did all my layers, mostly because I was scared my car may not start back up if I stopped to remove layers. This was the point in which I realized this car would not make it the planned trip the rest of this month and that I needed to develop another plan. More on that next time.
I made it safely to my parent's house in Muskogee around 3pm and unloaded everything out of the vehicle that tried to kill me and started to figure out what my vehicle plan was going to be. Regardless, it was good to be home and be out of freezing temperatures and snow, at least for now.
Stay Positive and Run Wild
After a few days of rest and relaxation I was back on the road. This time it was a quick 6 hour drive. It was 6 degrees when I left St. Louis and I was layered up and ready for a drive with no heat. Was I shocked when the heat started in my car? Yes. Was I going to question it or assume it was going to work the whole drive? No. I plugged in the electric blanket, placed it on my lap and was off and moving.
The heater stayed on the whole time and so did all my layers, mostly because I was scared my car may not start back up if I stopped to remove layers. This was the point in which I realized this car would not make it the planned trip the rest of this month and that I needed to develop another plan. More on that next time.
I made it safely to my parent's house in Muskogee around 3pm and unloaded everything out of the vehicle that tried to kill me and started to figure out what my vehicle plan was going to be. Regardless, it was good to be home and be out of freezing temperatures and snow, at least for now.
Stay Positive and Run Wild
Thursday, January 4, 2018
Northeast to St. Louis
January 3rd
Let's try again! After a short 3.6mi run, Catalina and I drove back over to Massachusetts to pick up my van, move all my belongings back into the death machine, and I was on my way. Car was running, but not running great. Regardless, I had to get off the East Coast before the Blizzard came while still trying to avoid the lake effect around Erie, PA (both my girlfriend and I have had terrible winter driving stories around that area). It looked like once I got to Columbus, Ohio (12hr drive) I could stop for a short nap before continuing on to St. Louis (6hr drive from Ohio).
Once again, things did not go as planned. I ended up driving in snow for 3 hours from western Pennsylvania to central Ohio. That was fine, I live in Maine. I can handle a light dusting. What I couldn't handle was my heat going out at 6am. This normally would not be a big issue, except this happens to be the week the whole country is experiencing a deep freeze and the real feel was -10F outside. Looks like I have no choice but to just drive straight to St. Louis and sleep at Adam's place when I get there. The rest of the trip was relatively uneventful, minus me spilling coffee all over the coffee station at 4am. Whoops!
Made it safe around 1pm EST and I immediately took a (much needed) shower, grabbed some fish and chips and a beer-Amra IPA by Destihl. It was nice to be out of the vehicle and catching up with a familiar face. But now, I nap!
I've included a timetable of events below:
6am - Wakeup
3pm - Cat and I drive 2.5 hours to grab the van from the shop
5:45pm - Get the van loaded and start driving
4am - I spill coffee in the petrol station
6am - No more heat. This was also the time I planned to stop to nap. Guess not!
1pm - Arrive safe in St. Louis
Total of 22 hours of driving, over 30 hours awake.
Nutrition: 5 Lara bars, 6(?) cups of coffee, 500ml of Coca-cola, 1 redbull, and a lot of Orbit bubblegum.
Stay warm and run wild!
Let's try again! After a short 3.6mi run, Catalina and I drove back over to Massachusetts to pick up my van, move all my belongings back into the death machine, and I was on my way. Car was running, but not running great. Regardless, I had to get off the East Coast before the Blizzard came while still trying to avoid the lake effect around Erie, PA (both my girlfriend and I have had terrible winter driving stories around that area). It looked like once I got to Columbus, Ohio (12hr drive) I could stop for a short nap before continuing on to St. Louis (6hr drive from Ohio).
Once again, things did not go as planned. I ended up driving in snow for 3 hours from western Pennsylvania to central Ohio. That was fine, I live in Maine. I can handle a light dusting. What I couldn't handle was my heat going out at 6am. This normally would not be a big issue, except this happens to be the week the whole country is experiencing a deep freeze and the real feel was -10F outside. Looks like I have no choice but to just drive straight to St. Louis and sleep at Adam's place when I get there. The rest of the trip was relatively uneventful, minus me spilling coffee all over the coffee station at 4am. Whoops!
Made it safe around 1pm EST and I immediately took a (much needed) shower, grabbed some fish and chips and a beer-Amra IPA by Destihl. It was nice to be out of the vehicle and catching up with a familiar face. But now, I nap!
I've included a timetable of events below:
6am - Wakeup
3pm - Cat and I drive 2.5 hours to grab the van from the shop
5:45pm - Get the van loaded and start driving
4am - I spill coffee in the petrol station
6am - No more heat. This was also the time I planned to stop to nap. Guess not!
1pm - Arrive safe in St. Louis
Total of 22 hours of driving, over 30 hours awake.
Nutrition: 5 Lara bars, 6(?) cups of coffee, 500ml of Coca-cola, 1 redbull, and a lot of Orbit bubblegum.
Stay warm and run wild!
Wednesday, January 3, 2018
Off on a Great Adventure...then not!
So the last few weeks have been a frantic mess, to say the least. However, it has all been hopefully resolved.
THE BUILDUP
The last few months I have been planning a super awesome adventure that was prompted last winter while snowboarding with my partner, Catalina. We rediscovered that we love skiing and snowboarding and, even more, we discovered that we loved doing these activities with each other. So we set out to find the best season pass to maximize mountain time without killing our wallets. After weighing some options and looking at blackout dates other passes had, we decided on the MAX Pass. It allows us 5 days each at 44 different mountains across United States and Canada, with no blackout dates. Our favorite local mountains were on it (Sugarloaf and Sunday River), along with some noteworthy mountains in Colorado, and glorious Big Sky in Montana. If we wanted to have a great snow season and maximize the pass, we were going to go out west.
A PLAN TAKES SHAPE
So we are going to ski bum it for a few weeks? Do nothing besides ski, drive, and camp out of a van? And do it cheaply? We started researching and looking into different camper van rental companies out west and soon found out how expensive this trip might actually become. At some point we realized that it would be cheaper just to buy a used van, rather than renting one for a few weeks. So that's what I did. I BOUGHT A VAN!
THE DETAILS
Alright, so we are doing the thing! But, when? We figured it out: I would drive out with the van and the gear and Catalina would fly out to meet me in Salt Lake City (considerably cheaper than flying into Bozeman). Catalina put her time off request in for 2 weeks and I confirmed with my job that talking off all of January was alright with them.
*Shoutout to Fleet Feet Sports Maine Running Company for supporting my ambitions and goals!!!*
I called some friends and sorted out some running and meetup dates:
Monday January 1-Run with the store and drive to Troy, NY and meet up with Kenny
Tuesday January 2-Morning Run, Snowboard, drive to Pittsburgh and meet up with Katie
Wednesday January 3-Morning Run, Snowboard, Drive to St. Louis and meet up with Adam
Thursday January 4-Long Run in Forest Park
Friday January 5- Run Downtown STL and drive to Minneapolis and meet up with Ethan
Saturday January 6- Work an event for The Seatery (www.theSeaterymn.com) with Ethan
Sunday January 7-Snowboard,???
Jan 8- jan 15 ???????????
Tuesday January 16-Catalina flies into Salt Lake City
Jan 17- Jan 28- Snowboard, Run, Appreciate
Monday January 29- Catalina flies out of Denver
THE DEPARTURE
The van is loaded with all my gear and a futon. I have everything I need for snowboarding, running, cooking, and staying warm. I am ready and excited. The van has already been to a couple of mountains already, so I know it is road ready. I give Catalina a goodbye and I'm off and running.
Two hours go by with no problem.
And then it happened.
My car starts accelerating like crazy. I apply the brakes, but the engine is still revving. I realize how bad this situation can become real quick. I have a runaway car. Some quick thinking allowed me throw it into neutral, apply the brakes, come to a stop, and turn the car off. At this point I'm experiencing a rollercoaster of emotions: "Shit, my trip is over." "This could've ended poorly." "I'm so glad I'm safe." "How am I going to get out west?" "What do I do tonight?"
I call my insurance and they send a tow truck. Catalina suggests I contact our neighbor who was driving back from Connecticut to Portland. He had just left Connecticut and would be driving right past where I broke down. What a great coincidence! So my car broke down, but I get a warm ride home with my neighbor and a DOGGO! Given the circumstances, it wasn't all bad.
January 2nd
I had planned on snowboarding in New York, but obviously that wasn't going to happen. I was still hellbent on getting on my board that day. I drove to the repair shop and they told me they would look at it later that day. I spent the rest of the day at Wachusett Mountain with only a few other people on the mountain and it was glorious. I had time to clear my head and think about all the possibilities for the trip. Ideally, its a quick and cheap fix and I get back on the road. If my car is ruined, I take out a loan and buy a Nissan NV200. That put me at ease. Upon returning to Portland that night, I got a call from the shop saying my van is good to go. All they had to do was clean up the throttle body. I'll be picking it up and trying again on the night of the third.
To be continued...
THE BUILDUP
The last few months I have been planning a super awesome adventure that was prompted last winter while snowboarding with my partner, Catalina. We rediscovered that we love skiing and snowboarding and, even more, we discovered that we loved doing these activities with each other. So we set out to find the best season pass to maximize mountain time without killing our wallets. After weighing some options and looking at blackout dates other passes had, we decided on the MAX Pass. It allows us 5 days each at 44 different mountains across United States and Canada, with no blackout dates. Our favorite local mountains were on it (Sugarloaf and Sunday River), along with some noteworthy mountains in Colorado, and glorious Big Sky in Montana. If we wanted to have a great snow season and maximize the pass, we were going to go out west.
A PLAN TAKES SHAPE
So we are going to ski bum it for a few weeks? Do nothing besides ski, drive, and camp out of a van? And do it cheaply? We started researching and looking into different camper van rental companies out west and soon found out how expensive this trip might actually become. At some point we realized that it would be cheaper just to buy a used van, rather than renting one for a few weeks. So that's what I did. I BOUGHT A VAN!
THE DETAILS
Alright, so we are doing the thing! But, when? We figured it out: I would drive out with the van and the gear and Catalina would fly out to meet me in Salt Lake City (considerably cheaper than flying into Bozeman). Catalina put her time off request in for 2 weeks and I confirmed with my job that talking off all of January was alright with them.
*Shoutout to Fleet Feet Sports Maine Running Company for supporting my ambitions and goals!!!*
I called some friends and sorted out some running and meetup dates:
Monday January 1-Run with the store and drive to Troy, NY and meet up with Kenny
Tuesday January 2-Morning Run, Snowboard, drive to Pittsburgh and meet up with Katie
Wednesday January 3-Morning Run, Snowboard, Drive to St. Louis and meet up with Adam
Thursday January 4-Long Run in Forest Park
Friday January 5- Run Downtown STL and drive to Minneapolis and meet up with Ethan
Saturday January 6- Work an event for The Seatery (www.theSeaterymn.com) with Ethan
Sunday January 7-Snowboard,???
Jan 8- jan 15 ???????????
Tuesday January 16-Catalina flies into Salt Lake City
Jan 17- Jan 28- Snowboard, Run, Appreciate
Monday January 29- Catalina flies out of Denver
THE DEPARTURE
The van is loaded with all my gear and a futon. I have everything I need for snowboarding, running, cooking, and staying warm. I am ready and excited. The van has already been to a couple of mountains already, so I know it is road ready. I give Catalina a goodbye and I'm off and running.
Two hours go by with no problem.
And then it happened.
My car starts accelerating like crazy. I apply the brakes, but the engine is still revving. I realize how bad this situation can become real quick. I have a runaway car. Some quick thinking allowed me throw it into neutral, apply the brakes, come to a stop, and turn the car off. At this point I'm experiencing a rollercoaster of emotions: "Shit, my trip is over." "This could've ended poorly." "I'm so glad I'm safe." "How am I going to get out west?" "What do I do tonight?"
I call my insurance and they send a tow truck. Catalina suggests I contact our neighbor who was driving back from Connecticut to Portland. He had just left Connecticut and would be driving right past where I broke down. What a great coincidence! So my car broke down, but I get a warm ride home with my neighbor and a DOGGO! Given the circumstances, it wasn't all bad.
January 2nd
I had planned on snowboarding in New York, but obviously that wasn't going to happen. I was still hellbent on getting on my board that day. I drove to the repair shop and they told me they would look at it later that day. I spent the rest of the day at Wachusett Mountain with only a few other people on the mountain and it was glorious. I had time to clear my head and think about all the possibilities for the trip. Ideally, its a quick and cheap fix and I get back on the road. If my car is ruined, I take out a loan and buy a Nissan NV200. That put me at ease. Upon returning to Portland that night, I got a call from the shop saying my van is good to go. All they had to do was clean up the throttle body. I'll be picking it up and trying again on the night of the third.
To be continued...
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