People

I was sitting in Meineke Auto Shop the day after my muffler rusted off the exhaust pipe. It dragged along the highway for 20 miles. I ripped it off entirely at a rest stop and drove to Casper on I-25 in Wyoming with no muffler - head out the window attempting to gasp air instead of exhaust fumes for 100 miles. It was Casper or bust. Anyways, this lady 60's - 70's, white stockings, kinda hobbled when she walked, hair had all kinds of crazy pins and fasteners - she went to the rest room at least 15 times in the hour. She was an old time cowgirl - man she was a riot. Asked for the spark plugs back that were being replaced in her truck - using liquid cement she makes a sculpture with all her old car parts - "I just put the old muffler right in the middle of it - oh its cute!" She used to be a bear hunter and a was once a hunting guide for lousy shot city folk. She even claimed to stick a shot gun in a mans mouth who stole from her. She was great. A Jersey girl moved country sat beside me and whispered "There's some real cowboys out here...".

I met an interesting fellow that worked at an Indian Shop. He was spouting "Little Field's Theory of Time" to me. I've heard it before and its true - its not a published theory, but it was established by my 9th grade World History teacher Mr. Littlefield. It essentially says time goes faster as you get older. It has a mathematical formula that checks out. I won't go into details - but it's absolutely all true as anybody can really attest - because we all have experience getting older - and how the days seem to slip by like they never happened.

After doing an incredibly grueling hike to Gannett Peak in Wyoming's Wind River range - 40 miles in 3 days - not sure why I push myself so hard sometimes - but I hike fast - especially when I'm solo - and sometimes to the brink of collapse. 17 miles on the last day left me beat. I ran into a group of three hiking out after their epic 8 night journey in the Wind River wilderness. After only a minute of brief conversation I was invited to dinner. My new friends were from Pennsylvania and recognized my east coast style immediately (who knew?). My plan was to head up to Jackson that night and eat at my favorite buffet salad restaurant. I said thanks but no thanks and I said good bye to some nice folks I'd never thought I'd see again. Turns out Jackson Hole was much further than I thought so I said hell I'll eat right here in Dubois. My newly acquired acquaintances where walking in the very same restaurant I decided on. This time I excepted their invitation to dine with them. Ohhh what a feast! It was the first time I had encountered some genuine hospitality on the trip! And they were from the east, Pennsylvania, the first state I really spent some time in on my journey. Maybe its because I'm opening myself up more too. Maybe projecting my energy out more and being more willing to let people in. A fault of mine that needs serious work is the tendency to keep bottled up or closed off. As the trip has gone on I have the urge just to talk to everyone. It's a great move because I learn so much from different people....things I would never even think about. I was treated to an incredible expensive meal that evening with virtually total strangers. It was a refreshing experience and so completely generous. I thank them from the bottom of my heart. And for filling me up for a good 12 hour period.

There have been several moments when I'm driving in my car by incredible scenery or hiking through a valley with towering cliffs on both sides of me when I cannot contain myself and my shoulders shudder and I let out a whooping WOOOOOOO HEEEEEEEE!! I love the road and I love the trail. Both give me absolute freedom. Is that what I'm after here? I'm not sure yet - and I'm not sure I'm ready to know. I'm going to keep moving. The Tetons sparked my love affair with the mountains when I was 18, but I'm going to bypass them and head into the Yellowstone backcountry. My 4th visit to Yellowstone and it will only be my first time camping in its massive interior. Bear spray is ready. All signs are a go - I'm off!

-Matt

"They have worries, they're counting the miles, they're thinking about where to sleep tonight, how much money for gas, the weather, how they'll get there--and all the time they'll get there anyway, you see." Dean Moriarty in Jack Kerouac's On the Road

My Wallets Gone!!! (and so are my trekking poles)

Chapter One - Rocky Mountains

Two equally dense slabs of of continental plates drove into each other for millions of years - each plate unwilling to give and thus they rose up higher and higher. The Rockies. Just driving west through the flat plains and approaching these things takes your breathe away. Their HUGE - and its such an incredible contrast from the flatness of the midwest. I'll never tire of seeing the first glimpse of these mountains. I never tire of seeing much of anything when it comes to nature. I feel pretty lucky actually to be so awe inspired by something that is so easily attained. The Rockies are mountains in their most intense form. Sharp, young, raw, and unforgiving. They spit lightning at will and rain hail down unexpectedly simply to let you know who's in control in the relationship of the mountain verse the climber. I have a huge amount of respect for the mountains. You don't climb a mountain the mountain lets you climb it. If the mountain tells me to get off when it throws lightning at me or hail I tend to listen.....but on my first of a six day back pack trip I opted to go head on against the mountain - ignore its fickle rumblings and push myself despite the obvious fact the mountain had no interest in me scrambling up its face.

Chapter 2 - Day One

Rocky Mountain National Park holds the 15th tallest mountain in Colorado - Long's Peak - a sharp notched mountain housed neatly around neighbors towering at slightly lower elevations. I planned a six day, five night, 50 mile back country trek that would having me standing on top of the 14,256 foot peak on the last day. In fact each night I slept at elevations higher than 9,400 feet. The last night I slept on a rocky grass spot all the way up at 11,500 feet.

The hike started with a bang with a climb over 12,354 foot Flattop Mountain - I started too late for a mountain climb in the Rockies. Warm moist air bubbles up from the hot earth in the afternoons causing currents of air to rise 30,000 feet in a matter of an hour to produce treacherous thunderstorms. With still 2,000 feet to climb I notice small pea sized hail balls pelting me against my paper thin rain shell. The mountain was talking. He said turn the hell around. My campsite for that first night was on the other side of the mountain. I pushed on. The sky all around me began to darken a deep shade of black. I pushed on. Echoes of thunder rumbled like the gurgle of a hungry stomach and I kept climbing. Why was I ignoring the mountain's obvious message? I wanted to do this hike. I was foolish and lucky. As I climbed over Flat Top I saw flashes of lightning off in the distance - thunder rumbled. The mountain let me live and I thank it. However, after nearing my campsite for the night I realized I didn't have my trekking poles. Despite a 2 hour desperate back track search. I could not find them. I concluded the mountain took them - for letting me live - I excepted the trade.

Chapter 3 - My wallets gone!!

The Rocky Mountains are home to black bears and in order to camp in the back country you are required to put all items with any type of smell in a hard plastic bear canister to keep the bear out of your stuff. This includes all things that have scent - obviously food...but also sunscreen, soap, toothpaste, bug spray, lip balm, sponge, and all things associated with your food - pot and spoon, etc. For a five night stay I couldn't fit all my food and other smellys in the bear canister - so I committed the sin of putting those other things in a nylon water proof bag. These items are to be left 70 paces away from your campsite so incase Yogi comes by to investigate - he's well away from you. This is to be done at every campsite - and those that backpack know all about it and its no big deal.

I woke up the next morning hoping to get a fast start on the day. The break down ritual begins - after getting the bear canister and starting hot water for coffee comes stuffing the sleeping bag, airing out the sleeping pad and rolling it up, emptying the tent and organizing gear by the pack, cooking breakfast, cleaning the pot, brushing teeth, taking down tent, folding up ground cloth, finishing coffee and then carefully reorganizing the pack to distribute the weight of the gear in the most energy efficient way. This process was halted from the start however when I came upon my bear canister and noticed the bright orange stuff sack containing the other smelly items missing. The spoon which was carefully placed in the sack last was laying curiously on some moss a couple feet into the woods from the canister. Something took the bag. I became nervous...then relaxed - fuck it. All those things can be replaced very easily - lets not worry about this on only the second day of your trip. Then I remembered. Don't ask why - because I could not tell you - but also in the orange sack was my money clip - in the money clip - $48, license, credit card, debit card, AAA card, and health card. The forrest began to suffocate me. Chris McCandless might rejoice at such a situation as this, but not me. I freaked out. How can I get a new license out of state, credit card on the road? The other cards? - not to mention I really liked that damn money clip and would have to buy another one. I had to search - but for all I knew this primordial beast took the sack into his cave and was devouring sunscreen and tooth paste heckling and fussing in glee. I began to comb the forrest - but what direction could it have gone?! - anywhere really - I'm fucked - why in hell would I have put the money clip in there? Why hadn't I hung the bag? Why am I such an asshole? I glimpsed yellow in the needles! My first aid kit! Forgot that was in there. I look around for other things...Nothing. I marked the spot of the first aid kit to have a reference and looked around from this new point. Then as if the mountain forrest parted and sweet Mozart music rained down on me I spotted the orange sack with the contents strewn out of the ground - money clip there! In fact all that was lost was my freeze dried coffee. Some crazed caffeine critter is reeking havoc right now in Colorado.

Chapter 4 - Long's Peak

This mountain scared me. It was huge and the trail was steep. When I viewed the trail from far it looked impossibly steep. And after reading "Into the Wild" (twice just on this hike) my anxiety deepened thinking about how easily and unthinkable someone can parish in the wilderness. I had good details of the climb from a magazine article but It wasn't the main trail - I was hiking up the far less traveled south side - up a steep long shoot of loose talus at a dizzying angle. I started my last's day hike only a mile from the summit - but needed to climb nearly 3,000 feet of vertical height. Half way up the shoot at 8 in the morning cold rain began dumping down on me...the rocks began to get as slick as...well...wet rocks. I hunched under a rock ledge which provided minimal protection. FUCK ME. What am I doing on this sickeningly sick rock shoot in the rain?? My altimeter said I still at 1500 feet to climb. Doubt crept all over me. To turn back now was barely an option. But here again the mountain was talking. It said get off me. I waited out the rain - patiently listening to water pitter off the rock ledge onto my shoulder. An hour and a half later I was standing on top of Rocky Mountain National Park! When I realized there was no more up to go - a grin formed out of my chapped lips. Being on top of this mountain after the most grueling 50 mile hike I've ever been on nearly tops out as my favorite back packing experience. Clouds were covering me in their white mist only to quickly part and give me clear views of the snow spotted mountains all around me. To a mountain climber Long's Peak isn't much of a mountain, but it was my toughest and most satisfying. I even had the summit to myself, a rare circumstance considering the obsession of people to climb all the 14er's. The more traditional "Keyhole" Route up the north side of the mountain is often a conga line of climbers hoping to summit before afternoon thunderstorms. I'm so happy to be climbing mountains for the next 3 months. You have no idea. Upon climbing down the 12 mile 5000' decent I immediately got a cheese burger and got the Triple S (SSS) treatment at the Holiday Inn in Estes, CO (spa, swim, shower). Currently in Cheyenne, Wyoming..heading to Casper, WY tonight then off to the Wind River Range south east of the Tetons.

Cheers all!

Rippled Black Glass

"The true education of a probing mind occurs unexpectedly and in surroundings that could have been neither anticipated nor provided" - The Drifters

I'm sitting in library in Stirling, CO - Northeast corner of the state - I've been on a whirlwind of driving and camping...

Minnesota - I rented a kayak and canoed around in the boundary waters of northern Minnesota. I'm an ocean guy at heart but being in those boundary waters - floating in probably the cleanest water in the world stirs up euphoria unmatched to other experiences I've had. Not necessarily better then say being on top of a mountain...but on a different sort of standard. I want to explore so much more of this place. I'll come back with my own canoe and take two weeks to paddle and portage all the way up to Canada.

North Dakota - I burst into Fargo, ND in triumph as a entered my 47th state (for my life time). Oklahoma, Alaska, and Hawaii and the remaining states to take down. I see no reason to ever go back to North Dakota. Theodore Roosevelt national park was pretty much the same as Badlands NP of S. Dakota. It was HOT, dry, and miserable actually. I camped out in the flatlands amidst the sand towers and grass mesas that make up the badlands of the Dakotas. I was told I needed to pack out my poop and toilet paper despite the fact that buffalo get to crap all over the trail. Should I eat that mushroom neatly poking up from the buffalo stool? At all times I was at high alert for rattle snakes, black widow spiders, and prickly pear cactus. Upon seeing my first rattle snake on the 4 mile hike to my 'out of sight from the trail' campsite I jumped 3 feet in the air and high stepped speedily away. I needed to get out of North Dakota and quick.

South Dakota - I needed to get on top of a mountain. So I opted for the highest point east of the Rockies and West of the Pyrenees of Europe - Harney Peak in Custer State Park - 7,242 feet high. Custer State park is a gem - as far as rock formations go it should be a National Park. Its far better then the scorching badlands if you ask me. Purposefully I avoided Rushmore and Crazy Horse and hiked my first state high peak of the trip - though high points are always a zoo in their own way too - everyone wants to be up at the highest point.

Nebraska - "the good life..." Just drove through - too damn hot

Colorado - OFF to Rocky Mountain National Park!!

Roll with it

Storm with possible hail was rolling into the upper peninsula of Michigan and northern Wisconsin so I decided to spend my first night in my car in a Walmart parking lot in Ashland, WI. Somehow I ended up partying pretty hard and staying up in Hurley, WI. Hurley was the place to get away and let loose for Al Capone and those gangsters back in the day. I acted like I had their bank roll for the night. Sleep in my car was terrible. In the morning when I was brushing my teeth in the Walmart restroom with heavy eyes that knew they didn't get sleep I was trying to remember how much cash I spent the night before.

It was at that point I entered my first low point of the trip.

As the day continued it didn't get better. My third continental breakfast was lousy and Apostle Islands National Lakeshore cost a fortune for ferry and kayak rentals (only ferry that could drop me off at an island to camp cost $50 and doesn't run Wednesdays and kayak rental was $50 for a mandatory safety class which I missed and then $79 for the night). After the previous evening I wanted to keep my wallet cinched so those options were hopeless. Plus the only backcountry camping not on an island was booked. AHHH....

I went to lay in the grass annoyed with the lack of options and thought about trying to fall asleep there - I snapped out of it and opted for a hike to some sea caves. The moment I started the hike my mood perked up...energy level rose and I felt good. Nature is my medicine. Could an hour walk in the woods everyday replace the Prozac millions use? Wouldn't that be a breakthrough - it worked for me - I felt great again...

But it was one of those days - I go to turn on my camera and there's a lens error - it won't turn on - busted camera. My camera luck is terrible - I spent the morning talking to customer service - going to the library in Superior, WI to print forms and then the post office to mail the camera off to Canon. Then I went to go buy another inexpensive camera which I will hope to return for a full refund after getting my use out of it. The fixed camera is being sent back to my mom's and we'll have to coordinate a way to get it to where ever I'll be in two weeks...

I was feeling productive after the new camera purchase so I decided to tackle the driver's window issue - it could only go down a couple inches before coming off track and creating havoc. With the help of a nice guy realizing I was in over my head the window is now fixed - screw back on the door panel and WALA!

Now I'm sitting in a StarBucks in Duluth, MN uploading all my pictures to PhotoBucket for free safe online storage. I'll be driving north to the Boundary Waters to see if I can get cheaper rates to do some kayak or canoeing. A good night sleep will hopefully wash away todays unpleasantness.

On a higher note I did a great full moon night hike in Porcupine State Park in Michigan to Lake Superior through a 400 year old untouched old growth forest - scary as shit actually solo hiking in the dark with a low full moon casting crazy shadows...magazine article said there would be some glow in the dark fungi or at least some fire flys..but nothing!

Now on Central Time.

-Matt

Northern Michigan

This blog was written while camping in "Picture Rock National Lakeshore"

Michigan reminds me of Maine. Visitors are looking for moose, mosquitos are loving you, same types of trees and similar climate. The difference of course are the huge fucking lakes surrounding Michigan on all sides.

I'm at a beach in Lake Superior where the only way to get here is to hike four miles or take a boat. Its enclose in rock cliffs on both sides with a 1/2 mile beach between the two...when I'm standing on the cliffs the rock is 500 million years old. During the last ice age the glaciers acted like the mother of all bull dozers and shaved off 500 million years of accumulated sediment and rock. The "Cambrian Explosion"!!......multicellular organisms were first forming on this planet and I'm standing on it!

I like Michigan immensely. I drove from Pennsylvania's north western corner straight to "Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore" on Lake Michigan. I camped two nights back country...skinny dipped at sunset on my private beach. I was the only back country camper that night and the next day I walked the beach for miles. I survived torrential rains that night. Had my tent collapse in the middle of the storm...had rough weather for a couple days...but spirits were never down.

I raided another continental breakfast - this time a Best Western and they had a waffle maker...JACK POT! I even got to take a hot shower when a nice couple checked out but left their door ajar with the door latch.

Picture Rocks National Lakeshore on Lake Superior is just as grand as the Dunes. Doing two nights along the Lakeshore Trail. About 19 miles round trip....When I was sitting on the beach the second day a small ferry boat disappeared into the cliff. It was pretty weird to see...It reminded me of "The Spy Who Loved Me" when the submarines were swallowed by the freighter ships or in "You Only Live Twice" when the space shuttles fit neatly inside volcanoes. I investigated by walking along the cliffs which led off the beach - eventually when the cliffs turned my ledge disappeared into the water and I was forced to take a plunge - The boat had snaked its way into a small channel between the cliffs about thirty feet across. Sand stone rock hung over my head fifty feet up and I thought that rock could fall in an instant or a million years and no one would be the wiser. I clung to the cliff while swimming back and came face to face with a conglomerate layer of rock nearly 550 million years old - with smooth round pebbles cemented into the rock having to be millions and millions of years older. This kind of shit gets me going man...I love it!

I often make a mental list of places which should be visited at least twice. Chapel Beach in Pictured Rocks National Lakeshre on Lake Superior in Michigan is on that list....

If I "came too" on this beach with no idea where I was my millionth guess would not be Northern Michigan!

I'm loving every minute of this....future blogs will be updated 1-2 times a week, but the SPOT google location is updated a couple times a day. My roughly current location can be found by clicking the link on the right. More photos are on facebook. Cheers everyone!

-Matt

Day 3

It's hard for me to say what has the been the best part of the infancy phase of my road trip: There was the first afternoon where I got on my Dahon (a conversation magnet), met some local youth and jumped 20 feet into a pool beside a waterfall; then that evening I didn't understand the bulletin board to direct me to a non-reserved campsite and scored a lake side spot (needing to be reserved 1 year in advance) lined with blueberry bushes. The people made reservations and didn't show up. Maybe it was passing a pack of 15 Lancaster, PA Amish girls dressed up traditionally speaking Pennsylvania Dutch while seeing 21 waterfalls on a 7.3 mile loop hike in Ricketts Glenn State Park. I think my personal favorite is walking into a Holiday Inn Express continental breakfast this morning at 7:30 a.m. Eat bacon, eggs, biscuits, cereal, yogurt, coffee, milk and bananas and walk back into my car and leave. Some may think me a scum bag for doing and admitting a juvenile move such as this but I feel it pretty genius. The one way to save serious money on this trip is in the food category and I'm going to exploit every resource I have. Today is one of my longer drives - about 8 hours 400+ miles to Great Sand Dunes National Lakeshore. Nearing 900 miles total. Car is running great, but the driver's window has come off track, cannot go down far and gets stuck often between up and down - if it makes it another month before totally falling threw the door and smashing consider a miracle has been performed. I'm excited to explore Northern Michigan and the peninsulas - I've never been up there and its driving my energy right now. Only good news to report!

-Matt

Westard

After much internal debate I decided it would be best not to drive off at 7 o'clock at night after a 2 hour night of sleep. East Lyme day was the culprit for me not getting a REM off but it was oh so worth it.

Since I went solo to Mexico last April 2008..I've been mentally planning this trip...I've told this story to many of my friends, but I'll tell it again because it's a strange and interesting coincidence which has ultimately led to a car filled with my possessions and a desire to become a nomad for a while...

Before I went down to Mexico I happened upon "Legend of the Fall" while watching TV...it's a pretty kick ass movie staring Brad Pitt and Anthony Hopkins. I was talking to a friend after the movie about a particular scene when Brad Pitt takes off and travels the world, figures himself out a bit and comes back a better man - its a rather minute scene, but always struck a cord in me. I didn't have the vision of making that happen in my life - in all honesty I didn't think I had the guts to just do it. I mean hell...I have a good paying secure teaching job, coach two sports, and still able to travel every summer. What kind of spoiled idiot am I to just quit all that? So I saw the movie...had the dream..but had no vision.

A couple days later I was flying coach down to Cancun. To quickly avoid that mob scene of tourists, Senior Frogs enthusiasts, and general unpleasantness of Cancun I headed straight to the bus station and went first class (woohoo - cheap in mexico) to Merida - about a four hour bus trip. The bus had TV's on it and the first movie that comes on..a movie that was made in 1994 and this trip was happening in 2008 was "Legend of the Fall". If you don't believe in signs man...well..I do. The seed was planted the vision was realized. I spent 13 months hashing out all the reasons NOT to quit my job and travel the world. Literally every day I thought about this trip. EVERY DAY. I wanted to stay silent about it but like pants too tight..I was bursting at all seams and leaking the information to people here and there....seeing how it would sound when it bounced back. I had to trust my vision and my dream - and I didn't want to look back regretful...

So here I am...ready to make it happen - 13 months of planning, of running through three years of Back Packer magazine, cutting out and organizing the best hikes, of buying camping gear, and $500 worth of topographic maps, of reading books about Mexico and South America and compiling a box worth of books I want to read. I have a plan, but because they change so much those interested in reading my blog will get the story after it happens. I'm no writer, never have been much of an English scholar but i'll do my best to accurately depict how my trip is going. Feel free to comment or not to....

Carpe Diem my friends!