Anita and I hitting the slopes at Monarch Mountain last year.
Monday, July 12, 2010
Mediocre adventurer chicks
Quick note for you readers that are not climbers before you read the rest of this post. This post includes climbing terms that I need to explain for non climbers to have any idea what I am talking about. So here is a quick lesson in climbing jargon.
Lead climbing basically means you are the person climbing the route first. The reason this is a big deal is because the person who climbs first takes on more risk. Once the first person climbs the route, that person sets up an anchor at the top of the route so that anyone else that climbs it afterwards can "top rope" the climb. That means that they will only fall as far as it takes the person on the ground holding the rope (which is called belaying the climber) to lower their arm which will put a brake on the rope. Normally if you have a person belaying you that knows what they are doing this only takes a second and the climber only falls a few inches. However, when you are the lead climber there is no anchor setup at the top of the climb yet. Which means as the lead climber ascends the route he or she must occasionally link the rope to points of protection or bolts as they climb (bolts are what you use when sport climbing, and they are already firmly placed in the wall for you). Now that means that when the lead climber falls they will fall 2 times the distance from where they are on the climb to the last bolt they linked into despite the belayer braking as soon as possible. This usually ends up being several feet instead of inches. This is why leading incorporates a bit more danger than top roping.
Also climbing routes have ratings that indicate their level of difficulty. A 5.12 is considered pretty difficult, and a 5.5 is considered pretty easy. While I will try and climb anything up to a 5.11 when I am top roping, I have not reached a level where I feel comfortable lead climbing anything above a 5.7.
Whew, OK clear as mud. Here is a review:
Lead climbing- Climbing when there is no rope setup from the top to break your fall, therefore the climber must occasionally link the rope to "protection" in the rock as they climb so that if they fall they do not fall all the way to the ground.
Protection- Bolts or other forms of climbing gear that are firmly placed in the rock that the rope can be linked to.
Sport climbing- Climbing when there are bolts already placed in the wall for the lead climber to connect the rope to.
Trad climbing- The lead climber must place their own protection into the wall as they climb because there are no bolts.
Belayer- The person on the ground that holds the rope the climber is connected to and stops the climber from falling by braking with the rope if needed.
Top roping- Climbing a route that already has an anchor setup at the top of the climb, that also has the rope the climber is connected to linked to the anchor during the climb.
OK never mind, I'm bad at explaining this. Go get a book about climbing. Then read the post below.
Well we made it back from our trip, and poor Tomme had to basically ship off to a training exercise only a couple of days later while I got to rest. But this gives me an opportunity to write about a rare thing, which is female mediocre adventurers. I mean lets face it, guys are basically expected to be adventure addicts, but girls are supposed to think bugs are gross. So finding friends of the same gender that love the outdoors is tough. Basically girls seem to think that they either have to stay completely away from all this stuff or they feel like they have to be experts at it to be accepted. So when I went on an ice climbing trip last year while Tomme was deployed, not knowing anyone else on the trip, I was not thinking there would be any other chicks there I could relate to. While there was only one other girl on the trip, luckily and surprisingly she was not an adventure snob. Finding another non adventure snob female who loves all of this stuff as much as I do is rare. Also doing a bunch of outdoor activities with guys while your husband is deployed is a really bad idea in the Army, not so much because anything insidious would happen, but because of the rumors that always follow friendships between people of the opposite sex in the Army. For these reasons I latched on to this girl, by the name of Anita, immediately. Ever since, we have gotten into all kinds of outdoor "shenanigans" as we like to call them, and this past Saturday we went climbing.
We had a great time, however we did have some issues on this outing. Now I don't lead climb stuff harder than a 5.7 for two reasons. One, I am a wuss. Two I only learned how to lead climb last summer. I had an awesome teacher named Kellen, and he was the most skilled adventurer I have ever met that was not an adventure snob. That is was made him such a great teacher. He was patient, and he never made you feel dumb for trying to learn something he knew so much about. Last winter Kellen passed away in an avalanche, and he is greatly missed. But every time I go lead climbing I know I'm out there because of him. So thanks Kellen, I appreciate it so much!!!
Kellen gave me some great advice last year which was to make sure I didn't do anything beyond what I was comfortable doing. I think his exact words were don't push it. So since this was my first time leading this season, I told Anita that I would only start out on a 5.5 or a 5.6. So we got out our trusty guide book of the area and found a section of climbs that would offer such a skill level. The problem comes when you think you have found the spot you are looking for until you are about halfway up the wall and realize you are not on the right route, and you are not starting out on a 5.5 or 5.6. In other words, a real feeling of "Oh shit" comes over you while you are already hanging on to a wall attached to a rope. Which resulted in my first fall on a lead climb ever, and I nearly peed my pants. But I didn't fall all the way to the ground and die, so that's the important thing. And despite the unintentional increase in difficulty we had a great day. Finishing it off with lunch at my favorite Colorado Springs Mexican restaurant.
However my mediocre tip today is to make sure you have the route you are looking for before you start climbing it.
Friday, July 9, 2010
OK now that we are back I can finally post pictures we took with the cameras that are actually good. But there are so many I'm not going to put captions on them, but if you have questions about any of the photos you can make a comment below and I will comment back, or you can email it to me at mediocreadventurer@gmail.com. Enjoy!
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Day 16
Day 16: 7/4/10
Start: Grand Junction, CO
End: Colorado Springs, CO
Today's miles: 347.6
Total mikes: 3,296.7
Marriage Status: It all worked out, we made it!
Today's notes:
Today was the last day of our long journey, and it went great. No rain, no hail, just sunny skies all day. We slept in, which felt great since we were on a real mattress for a change. Then we went out for breakfast with Jason and introduced him to The Egg and I, which is a breakfast place we love back in the Springs. After that we headed back home.
We drove through some beautiful places on our last drive of the trip, including Gunnison, CO. We also drove over Monarch Pass, Canon City, and Salida, CO, which is a great drive that takes you through beautiful canyons along the Arkansas River. Then finally we were back in Colorado Springs. Our trip was fantastic. Taking us to glaciers, lava fields, emerald lakes, snow capped mountains, green forrest, and beautiful desert, but we were happy still to pull into our driveway and know we were home. I think we were most excited about picking up our baby girl Pancake from the kennel the following morning (we couldn't do it right then because of the holiday). After that we picked up a pizza at Papa Murphy's, kissed on a great trip, and headed off to bed, to catch up on sleep after an exhausting two weeks. But it was an amazing two weeks. Our country has so much to offer and I hope everyone reading this gets to experience everything Tomme and I did.
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Start: Grand Junction, CO
End: Colorado Springs, CO
Today's miles: 347.6
Total mikes: 3,296.7
Marriage Status: It all worked out, we made it!
Today's notes:
Today was the last day of our long journey, and it went great. No rain, no hail, just sunny skies all day. We slept in, which felt great since we were on a real mattress for a change. Then we went out for breakfast with Jason and introduced him to The Egg and I, which is a breakfast place we love back in the Springs. After that we headed back home.
We drove through some beautiful places on our last drive of the trip, including Gunnison, CO. We also drove over Monarch Pass, Canon City, and Salida, CO, which is a great drive that takes you through beautiful canyons along the Arkansas River. Then finally we were back in Colorado Springs. Our trip was fantastic. Taking us to glaciers, lava fields, emerald lakes, snow capped mountains, green forrest, and beautiful desert, but we were happy still to pull into our driveway and know we were home. I think we were most excited about picking up our baby girl Pancake from the kennel the following morning (we couldn't do it right then because of the holiday). After that we picked up a pizza at Papa Murphy's, kissed on a great trip, and headed off to bed, to catch up on sleep after an exhausting two weeks. But it was an amazing two weeks. Our country has so much to offer and I hope everyone reading this gets to experience everything Tomme and I did.
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Day 15
Day 15: 7/3/10
Start: Moab, UT
End: Grand Junction, CO
Today's miles: 73.1 (this number is off somehow, but the total is correct)
Total miles: 2,949.1
Marriage Status: Good
Today's notes:
Today we got up early and packed up the campsite and headed to downtown Moab for breakfast. After that we went on a rafting trip with a company in downtown Moab. This was pretty much a float trip with only one and two class rapids, but we loved it. It was a beautiful day so we enjoyed the view on the river, plus we didn't go down in a guided raft. We followed them in an inflatable kayak, which was a pretty good time. There was another two guys that took a kayak, and since I'm not an adventure snob I won't make fun of them, but they had no idea how to paddle a boat or kayak. As a tip I would say that when you are in this situation take the guide's advice and stay between two of the guided rafts, and don't go in front of the entire group. That way you don't miss the turn off, and nobody has to come rescue you while you are trying to paddle upstream and the rest of the group is waiting on you to go home.
After rafting we ate Chinese for lunch and made our way back into Colorado. Soon after we crossed the border we stopped in Grand Junction to see my high school friend Jason and spend the night at his house. He cooked us a really good dinner, and then we just hung out talking and having some beer and KY whisky before going to bed.
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Start: Moab, UT
End: Grand Junction, CO
Today's miles: 73.1 (this number is off somehow, but the total is correct)
Total miles: 2,949.1
Marriage Status: Good
Today's notes:
Today we got up early and packed up the campsite and headed to downtown Moab for breakfast. After that we went on a rafting trip with a company in downtown Moab. This was pretty much a float trip with only one and two class rapids, but we loved it. It was a beautiful day so we enjoyed the view on the river, plus we didn't go down in a guided raft. We followed them in an inflatable kayak, which was a pretty good time. There was another two guys that took a kayak, and since I'm not an adventure snob I won't make fun of them, but they had no idea how to paddle a boat or kayak. As a tip I would say that when you are in this situation take the guide's advice and stay between two of the guided rafts, and don't go in front of the entire group. That way you don't miss the turn off, and nobody has to come rescue you while you are trying to paddle upstream and the rest of the group is waiting on you to go home.
After rafting we ate Chinese for lunch and made our way back into Colorado. Soon after we crossed the border we stopped in Grand Junction to see my high school friend Jason and spend the night at his house. He cooked us a really good dinner, and then we just hung out talking and having some beer and KY whisky before going to bed.
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Saturday, July 3, 2010
Day 14
Day 14: 7/2/10
Start: Moab, UT
End: Moab, UT
Today's miles: 128
Total miles: 2,876
Marriage status: Good.
Today's notes:
Well first of all I should say that whatever Tomme did to my bike seems to have worked. I had no problems with it heating up, even in 90 degree weather today. So we didn't have to drive it to Grand Junction, and we got to stick to our plan to stay in Moab.
So we spent our time in Moab today by starting off in Canyonlands National Park. There we took a look at Upheaval Dome, which was interesting in that the way this rock was formed. Scientist are not sure how it got to be the way it is. Think the mystery of stone henge, but it's not how people got it that way, but how nature did. Then we drove to a scenic overlook in the park that had a great view of the Colorado River and the surrounding canyon.
Then we headed out of the park drove downtown so we could spend the heat of the day in shops and in a restaurant for lunch. You have to love air conditioning. We did not have the best waiter at lunch (he was busy with the world cup on tv), but the food hit the spot.
In the evening we headed over to Arches National Park, where we took a short hike to see Landscape Arch. Finally night fell and we were at our campsite only to find that a decent amount of sand had made it's way into the tent, another thing I am familiar with in Moab. But we dusted stuff off, made dinner, and went to bed. We did try the brownie in a bag recipe again with our camp stove and apparently third time is a charm because it turned out perfect.
Also as a side note, Tomme and I both noticed bruising to our arms in the shower this morning secondary to yesterday's hail.
Mediocre tip: Don't drive a motorcycle at all in a hail storm.
Mediocre tip: if you are a server at a restaurant, not writing the orders done does not impress me, getting the order right does. I can say these things because I have been a server.
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Start: Moab, UT
End: Moab, UT
Today's miles: 128
Total miles: 2,876
Marriage status: Good.
Today's notes:
Well first of all I should say that whatever Tomme did to my bike seems to have worked. I had no problems with it heating up, even in 90 degree weather today. So we didn't have to drive it to Grand Junction, and we got to stick to our plan to stay in Moab.
So we spent our time in Moab today by starting off in Canyonlands National Park. There we took a look at Upheaval Dome, which was interesting in that the way this rock was formed. Scientist are not sure how it got to be the way it is. Think the mystery of stone henge, but it's not how people got it that way, but how nature did. Then we drove to a scenic overlook in the park that had a great view of the Colorado River and the surrounding canyon.
Then we headed out of the park drove downtown so we could spend the heat of the day in shops and in a restaurant for lunch. You have to love air conditioning. We did not have the best waiter at lunch (he was busy with the world cup on tv), but the food hit the spot.
In the evening we headed over to Arches National Park, where we took a short hike to see Landscape Arch. Finally night fell and we were at our campsite only to find that a decent amount of sand had made it's way into the tent, another thing I am familiar with in Moab. But we dusted stuff off, made dinner, and went to bed. We did try the brownie in a bag recipe again with our camp stove and apparently third time is a charm because it turned out perfect.
Also as a side note, Tomme and I both noticed bruising to our arms in the shower this morning secondary to yesterday's hail.
Mediocre tip: Don't drive a motorcycle at all in a hail storm.
Mediocre tip: if you are a server at a restaurant, not writing the orders done does not impress me, getting the order right does. I can say these things because I have been a server.
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Friday, July 2, 2010
Day 13
Day 13: 7/1/10
Start: Salt Lake City, UT
End: Moab, UT
Today's miles: 248
Total miles: 2,748
Marriage Status: Holding steady.
Passed through: Uinta National Forest, Price Canyon Recreational Area
Today's notes:
Today was both a good and bad day. It started off great with coffee brought to us in bed by aunt Sandy, and once again great talks with her over coffee and breakfast. Then we started packing up the bikes and took off in the afternoon towards Moab, UT. This is where things start to turn on us. First of all, I mentioned earlier that driving a motorcycle on a busy interstate is no fun, and that we try to avoid them as much as possible. So today we tried to leave Salt Lake without getting on the interstate. This was perhaps a mistake. It took us a good two hours before we finally made it to highway six and left the city traffic, and stop lights behind.
After that we thought we had the worst behind us and we were joyously on our way. However, about 45 minutes after getting on highway six the beautiful blue sky turned grey and all the sudden it starts, not to rain, but hail. Now I hope you can imagine how painful solid spheres of ice are when they are falling from the sky while you are moving 60 miles an hour. But Tomme for some reason found this amusing for I could here him laughing over the intercom as we were getting pelted. I did not find it so laughable, and what was coming over my intercom was not as innocent. So we pulled over to put on the rain gear and wait for the hail to subside, and the moment the rain gear is on the hail ceases and so does the rain. But we leave it on just in case things start back up again a little further down the road. Well within 20-30 minutes the sun is back out and the temperature rises back up into the 80s, so we pull over again and take the rain gear off.
Now you would think that would definitely be enough, right? Wrong. The last time I was in Moab I went with my friend Melanie, and as we were driving along I-70 my car started to violently shake while going downhill fast. This was not a comfortable feeling, and we pulled over, called a mechanic in Moab, who explained my rotors were probably warped, and during our stay in Moab I had my jeep fixed. Well apparently Moab curses all my vehicles because just as I was thinking how lucky we had been to not have had real bike issues during this journey, a large spray of fluid hits my visor on my helmet (and no it was not rainig again). At this point we are only about 50 miles from Moab, but this keeps occurring over and over again. Finally I get a warning signal on my dash indicating that my engine is getting too hot. But this only flashes for a moment and then it's gone. We actually make it to our camp site in Moab and then we take a look. We realize the fluid that was spraying at me was my coolant, and that the pump that delivers it to the engine did not seem to be working properly. So at that point it's too late take it anywhere, and the only place I can take it is a BMW dealer if I want them to fix it under my warranty, which the closest one is about two hours away. So Tomme fools with it a bit and seems to have gotten it under control, but we still plan to call the dealer in Grand Junction in the morning, hoping they are not closed for the fourth of July, to get their advice on what we should do. So I have decided I am never coming to Moab again unless I am in someone else's vehicle.
After all that we figured we deserved a fairly decent meal and some beer. So we went into town, and ate at an Italian restaurant and then picked up a couple of jugs at the local Brewery to enjoy before bedtime. Here is hoping tomorrow is a better day.
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Start: Salt Lake City, UT
End: Moab, UT
Today's miles: 248
Total miles: 2,748
Marriage Status: Holding steady.
Passed through: Uinta National Forest, Price Canyon Recreational Area
Today's notes:
Today was both a good and bad day. It started off great with coffee brought to us in bed by aunt Sandy, and once again great talks with her over coffee and breakfast. Then we started packing up the bikes and took off in the afternoon towards Moab, UT. This is where things start to turn on us. First of all, I mentioned earlier that driving a motorcycle on a busy interstate is no fun, and that we try to avoid them as much as possible. So today we tried to leave Salt Lake without getting on the interstate. This was perhaps a mistake. It took us a good two hours before we finally made it to highway six and left the city traffic, and stop lights behind.
After that we thought we had the worst behind us and we were joyously on our way. However, about 45 minutes after getting on highway six the beautiful blue sky turned grey and all the sudden it starts, not to rain, but hail. Now I hope you can imagine how painful solid spheres of ice are when they are falling from the sky while you are moving 60 miles an hour. But Tomme for some reason found this amusing for I could here him laughing over the intercom as we were getting pelted. I did not find it so laughable, and what was coming over my intercom was not as innocent. So we pulled over to put on the rain gear and wait for the hail to subside, and the moment the rain gear is on the hail ceases and so does the rain. But we leave it on just in case things start back up again a little further down the road. Well within 20-30 minutes the sun is back out and the temperature rises back up into the 80s, so we pull over again and take the rain gear off.
Now you would think that would definitely be enough, right? Wrong. The last time I was in Moab I went with my friend Melanie, and as we were driving along I-70 my car started to violently shake while going downhill fast. This was not a comfortable feeling, and we pulled over, called a mechanic in Moab, who explained my rotors were probably warped, and during our stay in Moab I had my jeep fixed. Well apparently Moab curses all my vehicles because just as I was thinking how lucky we had been to not have had real bike issues during this journey, a large spray of fluid hits my visor on my helmet (and no it was not rainig again). At this point we are only about 50 miles from Moab, but this keeps occurring over and over again. Finally I get a warning signal on my dash indicating that my engine is getting too hot. But this only flashes for a moment and then it's gone. We actually make it to our camp site in Moab and then we take a look. We realize the fluid that was spraying at me was my coolant, and that the pump that delivers it to the engine did not seem to be working properly. So at that point it's too late take it anywhere, and the only place I can take it is a BMW dealer if I want them to fix it under my warranty, which the closest one is about two hours away. So Tomme fools with it a bit and seems to have gotten it under control, but we still plan to call the dealer in Grand Junction in the morning, hoping they are not closed for the fourth of July, to get their advice on what we should do. So I have decided I am never coming to Moab again unless I am in someone else's vehicle.
After all that we figured we deserved a fairly decent meal and some beer. So we went into town, and ate at an Italian restaurant and then picked up a couple of jugs at the local Brewery to enjoy before bedtime. Here is hoping tomorrow is a better day.
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Thursday, July 1, 2010
Day 12 photo
Some of the delicious beer we have enjoyed over our awesome conversations with our aunt in Salt Lake City. We thought this was hilarious, but it was also pretty tasty.
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- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Day 12
Day 12: 6/31/10
Start and end in Salt Lake City Utah
Today's miles: 0
Total miles: 2,500
Marriage status: really good
Today's notes:
Today was a great day, we got to sleep in, which was greatly needed, and then had an awesome breakfast made by Tomme's aunt. After that we went to Wasatch National Forest and walked around for about four miles. Then we took a drive in downtown Salt Lake City and got a look at the Mormon temple, which was pretty interesting.
Eventually we headed back to Tomme's aunt's house and just hung out and played with her dog Max. We have had great conversations here with Tomme's aunt on all kinds of subjects. We have talked about religion, politics, healthcare, philosophy, and many other deep issues. It has been really wonderful. With all the craziness that is out there (24 hour "news" networks and pundits taking the place of journalists), you get scared that there are no sane people left in the world that are asking tough questions and having conversations of actual substance and not just talking points. So the relief that people such as Tomme's aunt exsist, and that we can still have real and interesting conversations about all these topics is a gift. When Tomme and I got married that was basically the first time I met his entire family because Tomme left for Korea soon after we started dating and stayed there all the way up to our wedding. So even though it's six years later I still have really only had the opportunity to get to know his mom and brother and no one else in the family. So this time with his aunt has been great, and we both really enjoyed it. Thank you aunt Sandy for the awesome conversations, food, and place to stay, we have loved our time in Salt Lake!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Start and end in Salt Lake City Utah
Today's miles: 0
Total miles: 2,500
Marriage status: really good
Today's notes:
Today was a great day, we got to sleep in, which was greatly needed, and then had an awesome breakfast made by Tomme's aunt. After that we went to Wasatch National Forest and walked around for about four miles. Then we took a drive in downtown Salt Lake City and got a look at the Mormon temple, which was pretty interesting.
Eventually we headed back to Tomme's aunt's house and just hung out and played with her dog Max. We have had great conversations here with Tomme's aunt on all kinds of subjects. We have talked about religion, politics, healthcare, philosophy, and many other deep issues. It has been really wonderful. With all the craziness that is out there (24 hour "news" networks and pundits taking the place of journalists), you get scared that there are no sane people left in the world that are asking tough questions and having conversations of actual substance and not just talking points. So the relief that people such as Tomme's aunt exsist, and that we can still have real and interesting conversations about all these topics is a gift. When Tomme and I got married that was basically the first time I met his entire family because Tomme left for Korea soon after we started dating and stayed there all the way up to our wedding. So even though it's six years later I still have really only had the opportunity to get to know his mom and brother and no one else in the family. So this time with his aunt has been great, and we both really enjoyed it. Thank you aunt Sandy for the awesome conversations, food, and place to stay, we have loved our time in Salt Lake!
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Day 11
Day 11: 6/30/10
Start: Craters of the Moon National Monument, ID
End: Salt Lake City, UT
Today's Miles: 263
Total Mikes: 2,500
Marriage status: Excellent
Passed through: Judging by the temperature, I would say hell.
Today's notes:
Today was a tiring, but really good day. However, it did not start out on such a good note. We didn't get much sleep last night because of the fighting over the pictures and then this morning we woke up early due to rain coming through and hitting us inside the tent. Last night we did not put the fly on the tent because it was so hot, and we didn't think it would rain. Obviously we were mistaken. The rain only lasted a few minutes, and was just a light drizzle, but when we looked west it appeared more was coming our way. So instead of catching up on the sleep we didn't get last night we got a quick start to the day by packing our stuff in a hurry and moving out. On our way out we stopped at the visitor's center, and we were able to look at some pretty cool exhibits before leaving Craters of the Moon.
We skipped breakfast for fear of the rain coming, but without much sleep we really needed some caffeine and food. So we did a GPS search for the nearest Denny's (50 miles away) and went straight there. We downed our food and coffee and then jumped on the interstate for really the first time on this trip. For those of you that do not ride motorcycles, riding on the interstate sucks. It's boring, windy, and crowded with crazy drivers. For these reasons and several others we have not been taking the interstate at all on this trip. But today we were going to Salt Lake City to visit Tomme's aunt, and there was no other real good way to get there. The ride was very hot, and with all our safety gear on I felt like I was doing yoga in one of those places that have you do it in a sauna.
Then we made it to Salt Lake, and had an incredibly wonderful evening with Tomme's aunt. We dicussed politics and philosophy over a great home cooked meal and wine. The meal was excellent. I'm one of those people who normally don't care for salmon, but this salmon Tomme's aunt made was great! She baked it with a layer of mayo and brown sugar on top, which sounds disgusting, but it was very tasty. Then her neighbors came over and we talked with them for awhile as well. It was a really good and relaxing evening, but I am so ready for bed. So goodnight!
Mediocre tip: Always prepare for rain, even if there isn't a cloud in the sky.
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Start: Craters of the Moon National Monument, ID
End: Salt Lake City, UT
Today's Miles: 263
Total Mikes: 2,500
Marriage status: Excellent
Passed through: Judging by the temperature, I would say hell.
Today's notes:
Today was a tiring, but really good day. However, it did not start out on such a good note. We didn't get much sleep last night because of the fighting over the pictures and then this morning we woke up early due to rain coming through and hitting us inside the tent. Last night we did not put the fly on the tent because it was so hot, and we didn't think it would rain. Obviously we were mistaken. The rain only lasted a few minutes, and was just a light drizzle, but when we looked west it appeared more was coming our way. So instead of catching up on the sleep we didn't get last night we got a quick start to the day by packing our stuff in a hurry and moving out. On our way out we stopped at the visitor's center, and we were able to look at some pretty cool exhibits before leaving Craters of the Moon.
We skipped breakfast for fear of the rain coming, but without much sleep we really needed some caffeine and food. So we did a GPS search for the nearest Denny's (50 miles away) and went straight there. We downed our food and coffee and then jumped on the interstate for really the first time on this trip. For those of you that do not ride motorcycles, riding on the interstate sucks. It's boring, windy, and crowded with crazy drivers. For these reasons and several others we have not been taking the interstate at all on this trip. But today we were going to Salt Lake City to visit Tomme's aunt, and there was no other real good way to get there. The ride was very hot, and with all our safety gear on I felt like I was doing yoga in one of those places that have you do it in a sauna.
Then we made it to Salt Lake, and had an incredibly wonderful evening with Tomme's aunt. We dicussed politics and philosophy over a great home cooked meal and wine. The meal was excellent. I'm one of those people who normally don't care for salmon, but this salmon Tomme's aunt made was great! She baked it with a layer of mayo and brown sugar on top, which sounds disgusting, but it was very tasty. Then her neighbors came over and we talked with them for awhile as well. It was a really good and relaxing evening, but I am so ready for bed. So goodnight!
Mediocre tip: Always prepare for rain, even if there isn't a cloud in the sky.
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Day 10 photo
Tomme crossing the border into Idaho. I'm only writing the next line because Tomme told me I should: "I-da-ho? No, u-da-ho."
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- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Day 10
Day 10: 6/29/10
Start: Missoula, MT
End : Craters of the Moon National Monument, ID
Today's Miles: 299
Total miles: 2,236
Marriage status: Fair
Passed through: Bitterroot National Forest, Challis National Forest
Today's notes:
Today was a long and productive day. We took our time eating breakfast and packing up the bikes in Missoula. And we made a quick stop at the local REI to pick up some more stove fuel and a foldable camping sink. Then we continued to head south toward Idaho.
The drive was really great. We went through a couple of national forests. The roads were great, curvy with beautiful views. Most people don't usually think mountains when they think of Idaho, but there are many, and it was a great backdrop for the drive.
Then we arrived at Craters of the Moon National Park. If you are like Tomme and I you had never heard of this place before, but when we planned this trip we realized on the map we passed by it and we looked it up on the internet. It is actually really cool. It is an area of three major lava fields, spanning 700 square miles from eruptions as recent as 2,000 years ago. When you first get there it looks pretty barren and boring, but at sunset it is beautiful.
When we first got there we went straight to the campground and found our site. After quickly setting up the tent we took off to explore the lava fields. It was sunset when we went to explore, which was perfect because it was really hot during the day. We went down into lava tunnels and tubes, and with our head lamps went into a lava cave. It is a very strange, but fascinating place.
When we got back to the campground we went to a program the rangers were having at the campground amphitheater about the wildlife in the park. The ranger was a great speaker and we really enjoyed it. Then we headed back to our tent and made some quick mac and cheese for dinner. Before going to bed we tried to take some cool night pictures of the lava fields and our tent, but this sparked a sizable disagreement between Tomme and I because we were trying to tell each other how to take the photo and neither one of us are good at accepting help or advice from the other. But eventually this was resolved and we were able to go to bed.
Mediocre tip: When going into a cave bring a flashlight AND extra batteries.
Mediocre tip: Pictures look better when you take the lens cap off.
Mediocre tip: Explore hot places in the evening and early morning.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Start: Missoula, MT
End : Craters of the Moon National Monument, ID
Today's Miles: 299
Total miles: 2,236
Marriage status: Fair
Passed through: Bitterroot National Forest, Challis National Forest
Today's notes:
Today was a long and productive day. We took our time eating breakfast and packing up the bikes in Missoula. And we made a quick stop at the local REI to pick up some more stove fuel and a foldable camping sink. Then we continued to head south toward Idaho.
The drive was really great. We went through a couple of national forests. The roads were great, curvy with beautiful views. Most people don't usually think mountains when they think of Idaho, but there are many, and it was a great backdrop for the drive.
Then we arrived at Craters of the Moon National Park. If you are like Tomme and I you had never heard of this place before, but when we planned this trip we realized on the map we passed by it and we looked it up on the internet. It is actually really cool. It is an area of three major lava fields, spanning 700 square miles from eruptions as recent as 2,000 years ago. When you first get there it looks pretty barren and boring, but at sunset it is beautiful.
When we first got there we went straight to the campground and found our site. After quickly setting up the tent we took off to explore the lava fields. It was sunset when we went to explore, which was perfect because it was really hot during the day. We went down into lava tunnels and tubes, and with our head lamps went into a lava cave. It is a very strange, but fascinating place.
When we got back to the campground we went to a program the rangers were having at the campground amphitheater about the wildlife in the park. The ranger was a great speaker and we really enjoyed it. Then we headed back to our tent and made some quick mac and cheese for dinner. Before going to bed we tried to take some cool night pictures of the lava fields and our tent, but this sparked a sizable disagreement between Tomme and I because we were trying to tell each other how to take the photo and neither one of us are good at accepting help or advice from the other. But eventually this was resolved and we were able to go to bed.
Mediocre tip: When going into a cave bring a flashlight AND extra batteries.
Mediocre tip: Pictures look better when you take the lens cap off.
Mediocre tip: Explore hot places in the evening and early morning.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
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