Driving across the country can be a daunting task involving
long days, lots of sitting and inevitable boredom, especially if you’re alone
driving through Kansas. To make a cross country venture more exciting, I highly
recommend taking the time for some extended stops along the way and enjoy
some of the beautiful places our country has to offer. This past April, I
loaded up everything I owned and moved from California back to North Carolina and visited some old friends and new places
along the way.
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| Locked and Loaded |
My drive started in a snow storm. And not just any snow
storm, the biggest storm Tahoe had had all season. Why you ask did I decide to
start driving in a blizzard? Good question. I was asking that myself while I
was driving 30mph for the first two hours of my 50 hour trip. I had been
planning to leave for days, but couldn’t help getting sucked in by the
rain and running rivers. Saying goodbye (or rather “see you later”) to
California with a run from Purdons to Bridgeport on the South Yuba was just too
enticing. So I pushed it back and pushed it back until I had to get on the
road, which just happened to be the day of the blizzard.
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| Blizzard Driving in Tahoe |
Eventually I did make it out of California where the snow
stopped and I finally felt like I was on my way. 15 hours later I was pulling
up to my friend Riley’s house in Moab, UT ready to spend a few days mountain
biking. I had been to Moab once before for only a day, on another amazing cross-country
road trip years ago, so I was excited to explore more. Along with Riley, I met
up with Elvis, an old friend from my rafting days, who I hadn’t seen in years.
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| Elvis and Riley- Two of My Favorite Guys! |
The next three days were filled with some of the best riding
Moab has to offer (or so I am told). We rode Captain Ahab (a relatively new trail to the area),
Porcupine Rim (a sweet downhill ride) and Slick Rock (probably the most well
known trail in Moab). Porcupine Rim was the one trail I had ridden in Moab
before, and at the time, was definitely the most technical ride I’d ever done
(and the site of my first endo) so I was excited to see it again and *hopefully * see how far I’d progressed as a
rider. It was just as awesome as I’d remembered it. Beyond the riding, it was
wonderful to take some time to catch up with old friends and explore a new place.
If you haven’t spent much time in Moab, you should definitely check it out!
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| Riley Rolling It on Captain Ahab |
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| Me Riding Through the Spectacular Scenery of Captain Ahab (Photo by Riley) |
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Enjoying a View on Porcupine Rim
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| Elvis Catching Air on Porcupine Rim |
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| Elvis Riding the Slick Rock Trail |
As much as I wanted
to stay longer, I had to leave Moab to continue my drive east to Durango, CO to
see my good friend Brett. Brett was my boss at the University of Tennessee
Outdoor Program and now runs the Fort Lewis College Outdoor Program. We have
stayed in touch since my graduation five years ago, but had not had the chance to adventure together since then. He and some of his staff from
the college were headed to the Wolf Creek Yurt for three days of backcountry
skiing and had invited my along. I warned them that I was not the most
proficient skier just yet, but they weren’t too concerned and alas the next
morning we were loaded up and skiing into the wilderness.
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| Brett Loaded Up His Sled with All Kinds of Goodies |
The ski into the hut was not too difficult, though my limited skiing this year (I had only been one day because of Tahoe’s less than ideal snow conditions) and blisters on my feet, made sure to keep it from being too easy. By early afternoon we were having lunch at the yurt and getting ready to “make some turns” on the “fresh pow” that had fallen the day before. We spent the afternoon doing short laps on the slope just outside the yurt. Going from biking Moab one day and skiing the CO mountains the next was awesome!
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| The Skin In |
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| A View of the Yurt |
We spent the next
day climbing up every slope within sight of the yurt. By the end of the day we had skied up and down five or six
different slopes, and they weren’t exactly the “short” laps of the day
prior. My limited experience with backcountry skiing definitely gave me some
challenges throughout the day. I was skiing with people with way
more experience and in way better shape than me, but I was determined to keep
up as best I could. I was exhausted on the uphills and scared on the downhills.... I will admit, more than once I considered quitting, thinking about reading my book on the yurt porch drinking a cold
Colorado beer. But alas I pushed on and found my zone and actually started to enjoy it!
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| Heading Uphill |
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| Brett Finding Some Fresh Snow |
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| So fun! |
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| My Typical Stance! |
After an amazing night of good food, drinks, music and friends, we had to load up and begin our journey back to the car. The skin out was pleasant and peaceful as we took our time taking in the last moments of the snowy Colorado wilderness. On our way back to Durango, we rested our bodies with a PBR and a soak in some local hot springs.
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| The Team! |
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| Hot Springs and PBR after Three Days of Back Country Skiing. Does Life Get Much Better?? |
After one final night in Durango, it was time for me to hit the road once again, next stop North Carolina! Before leaving however, I picked up two more boats that were donated to the Nantahala Racing Club. Now I was really loaded to the max!
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| Brett and me before I hit the road |
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| A Sunset Over Oklahoma |
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| Things Are Starting to Look Familiar- Ocoee River, Tennessee! |
26 hours later and I was back in the Appalachian mountains I love. It was sad leaving my wonderful friends and the epic mountains of the West though I know I'll be back for lots of visits and maybe even to live again one day. But for now, theres no place like home.
