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!
Sunday, January 14, 2018
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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