Reflection

First off, for those who have been following the blog, thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed it. I wasn't sure about this whole blog thing at first, but I am glad I followed through with it. If anything, it will help me remember the experience and how I felt when I re-visit in years to come. Below are some Reflections/Comments on the journey.

When Joe and I pulled into my parent's driveway two days ago, I thought of something very obvious, yet a bit strange. Think about this: Your driveway is connected to every single road in the United States. From your driveway you can get to the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia, Monument Valley Road in Utah, and the Pacific Coast Highway in California. The United States is technically one massive loop that you have access to if you have a car, bike, and/or shoes. I might be making this up, but the USA is probably the easiest country to explore at your leisure. If you decide to drive across this country, you can pick up and go at any time. I think this was the true pull for me. My driveway was literally right in front of me. How could I not follow it and see where it took me?

When I told friends and family of my road trip plans a few years back I heard a recurring question. "If you have a month, why wouldn't you go to Europe?" Besides monetary reasons, my response was always something like this: "Why see another country if I haven't even seen my own?" I have also heard the argument that by going over seas you can experience different cultures & pace of life. Let me fill you in on something. There is so much diversity / cultural difference in the United States, that I'm still trying to wrap my head around it. (Although the one thing each state had in common was an abundance of Subway Sandwiches...I'm not complaining). The reality is that we didn't spend too much time in each location to really soak in the people and culture, but I think Joe and I have a better understanding of the fact that priorities, passions, opportunities, & accents differ from one location to another within the Country. For me personally, I always heard about job loss & home foreclosures in this country, but never understood the impact because it didn't touch my life. I am not saying that I completely understand and feel the impact simply because I have driven through places hit the hardest, but I can now visually attest to what I've heard so many times on the news. Seeing is believing for me, so by driving around this country for 20 days, I now believe.

On the same note, one thing I learned is that despite differences in beliefs, appearance, and culture, people are generally the same. They care for their friends, family, and want to have a fun time. "Judging books by their cover" was a common theme in my posts. One takeaway from this trip is to talk to random people more often. You never know what you might learn from someone or even yourself. Despite what you might experience in big cities, people ARE very kind. I think working high pressured jobs in big cities can sometimes bring out the worst in people due to stress & other factors. It's just a reality, but deep down, everyone just wants to eat, drink, and be merry. I will be returning to work in a few weeks, so lets see how long I keep this attitude :) It doesn't matter because I never stress about anything anyway... That's a joke for people who don't know me.

Since we are on the topic of people, let's talk about animals. I am fairly certain that evolution is widely accepted throughout the world, but if for some reason you don't buy it, you can take what I have to say as my own opinion or just skip it all together. After viewing wildlife in the various parks (Bears, Bison, Birds, Deer, Elk, ect...) Joe and I have a better appreciation for life in general. Watching the bears and bison care for their young proved to me that we are all part of the same natural order. On our way back to New Jersey (After visiting all the national parks and seeing animals in the wild) it really made me think more about these animals that live on farms which eventually end up between wheat buns drooping in ketchup. I know I am being hypocritical (I ate an Elk Burger in Yellowstone and it was awesome), but we are essentially raising and killing animals to satisfy our taste buds at McDonald's, Wendy's and all the other places out there. I guess it made me a little more conscious of what I am eating when I order a "burger". I am not hear to ruin anyone's dinner (I had Pork for Lunch & planning on chicken for dinner), but I am just commenting on something we usually don't think about.

After being back Joe and I have been asked a slue of questions. What was your favorite part of the trip? Were you scared at any point? Did you guys try killing each other? Below I will answer some of these questions, spit out some stats of the trip, and then conclude the final post.


Ghost Towns: We wanted to see a famous ghost town in Bodie CA, but most of the roads to get there were closed due to weather. We looked up some other ghost towns on the way back from Yellowstone but they were off the path and many didn't have roads to get there so we would have had to hike to get to these towns. We decided to leave the ghost towns for the next trip....


Favorite Location: Grand Canyon
The sheer size of the Canyon was literally breathtaking. When we first arrived to the Canyon there was a spot with railings so people wouldn't fall 3600 feet to the bottom. I ventured away from that area and found a spot where you could walk to the edge of the cliff. I am not a huge fan of heights but I slowly tip toed to the edge and looked down. It was an uneasy, yet cool experience, knowing that it only took one small mistake to fall thousands of feet. Joe and I hiked the Canyon to the bottom so I had a chance to experience it from the top looking down and the bottom looking up. The hike took about 10 hours. The GC was my favorite spot because I feel like I fully experienced it and as a result gained a solid respect for it.

Greatest Fear: Grizzly Bear
On the last day of Yellowstone we encountered the Grizzly Bear. Although there were other people around, at one point a guy drove by the nearby trail and warned the gathering people to get back to their cars because they were too close. More people started gathering to take pictures and seemed to disregard the danger they were truly in. Grizzlies can hit 40-50 mph in a heartbeat. We were so close that if it decided to attack, there was literally nothing we could have done. At the time I wasn't too fearful because it seemed so calm and uninterested, but after reviewing the pictures and video, we realized we were in harms way.

Did Joe and I get along?
Yes, we got along for almost all of the trip. You have to understand that we are cousins. Joe is 30 years old (5 years older than myself) and we were very close as kids (We lived down the block from each other). Of course we had arguments and there were times we wanted to strangle each other, but that's what family is all about, so we were used to it. I would say that after the trip we are even closer considering we have 100s of inside jokes that nobody will ever understand. Now that I think about it more, if it was anyone else, it might have jeopardized friendships. It was perfectly normal for Joe and I to sit in the car for 10 hours and not say a word to each other. Not that it happened for any particular reason, but we have the same social character trait when it comes to things like that. We felt no obligation to entertain one another. When we wanted to listen to our own music and zone out for a few hours, it was usually encouraged.

Did I get everything I wanted out of the Journey?
I got this question a few times from friends and family. This is difficult to answer at this point, because I wasn't sure exactly what I was looking for in the first place. As my experience tells me (At the wise age of 25) I probably won't fully appreciate the trip until some time has passed. Maybe when I am back to a normal schedule after a few months and I start thinking back on the long drives and hikes. We shall see.


Stats:
Miles Driven: Roughly 8200
States Driven Through: 24 : (In Order) NJ, PA, MD, WV, VA, TN, AR, OK, TX, NM, CO, UT, AZ, CA, NV, ID, MT, WY, SD, MN, WI, IL, IN, OH
Total Cash Spent on Gas: Roughly $1700

In Closing...

So this is it for now. Born in the USA 2011 Road Trip across America is complete and it's time to check it off on the old bucket list. I have to say that I am happy to be home, but part of me wishes I was still out there because there is so much more to see. I am definitely thankful for the people we met along the way and all the help, stories they shared. A HUGE THANK YOU goes out to family and friends who provided advice & tips for our journey and a SUPER THANK YOU to Joe's Wife Lauren, who gave Joe permission to take the 20 day adventure. Talk about a good catch huh? (Joe will be in debt to her for a good 20 years.... (1 day away = 1 year of debt)... You're awesome Lauren.

In closing, I leave you with a quote from Christopher McCandless from "Into the Wild" a book I read when I was in high school (Recently made into a movie... I suggest reading or watching it). This quote stuck with me for a long time and I was re-introduced to it again by my friend Christina maybe a year or so ago.

"So many people live within unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned to a life of security, conformity, and conservatism, all of which may appear to give one peace of mind, but in reality nothing is more dangerous to the adventurous spirit within a man than a secure future. The very basic core of a man's living spirit is his passion for adventure. The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun."
— Chris McCandless

Feel free to reach out to me at cocito.vincent@gmail.com. If you have any questions about planning a trip like this or have any advice for a new adventure, I am all ears.

Thanks again for reading... Signing off until the next journey.

Vin

Days 18, 19, & 20: Old Faithful, Mt. Rushmore, Badlands & Back to New Jersey

Before we left Yellowstone National Park we obviously needed to see Old Faithful. Below is a picture of the Geyser. It goes off every 20-30 minutes or so. Joe and I arrived right as it was erupting, so we didn't have to wait long. It was a reminder that we were standing on one giant volcano. This is not the best shot, but I think you get the point.

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After our Grizzly Bear encounter, we hit the road en route to South Dakota to see Mount Rushmore & the Badlands. On Rt. 90 in Wyoming the speed limit is 75 mph. I was driving roughly 12 miles over the speed limit and a Wyoming State Trooper made sure to let me know about it. He gave me a ticket for 87 in a 75 (120 Bones). Hey, if I was a trooper and spotted an out of state license plate going more than 10 over the speed limit, it's a no brainer. Everyone and their mother was driving 85-90 on the road, but out of state vehicle speeding is easy picking. Also, what's a road trip without getting pulled over anyway? I did it on purpose.

We didn't arrive to Mt. Rushmore until 9:30pm but from calling ahead of time we knew the park would be open until 11:00pm. Joe and I were literally the only people in the park at 9:30. Originally we were stopping there because it was on the way to the badlands, but after seeing it we were glad we went. At night they shine a massive light on the mountain and leading up to the memorial you walk through an outdoor hallway of state flags which gave a sense of unity & nostalgia consider we experienced about half of them while on the road. The Monument consists of 4 presidents: Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt, & Lincoln (Someday Obama. Just kidding... but I'm probably not). As I mentioned in past posts, it was under Roosevelt, that some places of natural beauty would be conserved within nationally administered parks. There are more National Park Service units dedicated to Roosevelt's life and memory than any other American. As we looked up at the monument, I guess you could say we thanked Roosevelt for taking the initiative to conserve natural beauty in this country. In essence, it was the purpose of our journey, and he made sure places like the Grand Canyon, Yosemite & Yellowstone, stayed relatively untouched and preserved.

After Mt Rushmore, we pressed on and broke our "no night driving rule". We arrived at our Badlands campground around 12:30am Central Time and went to bed. In the morning we woke up and drove the badlands loop for an hour or two. The Badlands are interesting because of the rock formations and the randomness of there placement in the grasslands. It almost seemed like the badlands were a miniature Grand Canyon. Billions of years ago the "badlands" was covered by ocean. Over time the ocean dried out and the land became a rain forest where many prehistoric animals thrived (Saber tooth tigers). The surrounding area of the badlands is lush with greenery, hence the randomness of the rigid hills.

After the Badlands, it was time to press on to our next location. The plan was originally to stop in Chicago and then drive from Chi-Town to New Jersey. That was the original plan, but since we had both been to Chicago, it wasn't like we would be missing anything if we skipped it, so we made the decision to go straight home. South Dakota to New Jersey: 1600 miles roughly 29 hours of driving. We each took turns driving in 3 - 4 hour shifts and forced each other to sleep when we were the passenger. We left the Badlands around 10:00am Central time on Friday May 13 (Day 19) and arrived in New Jersey at 2:00pm Eastern Time on Saturday May 14th. We were greeted by our parents/aunts and uncles banging pots and pans on the front lawn of my parent's house in Freehold NJ. It was a funny sight to see. As Joe and I pulled into my parent's development we felt a sense of excitement, slight depression (since we were back to reality), and a sense of accomplishment. When we reached the top of the driveway we shook hands pridefully and sealed the bottle cap of an epic journey across our great Country. I'll have more to say/reflect upon in my final post of the blog.

Stay tuned for the final post...

Vin

The Grizzly

Like I said, if we encountered a Grizzly on our last day I would post. Well, after 4 days of searching we got our Grizzly, I'll be the first to admit we were a little too close for comfort, but we made it out safe. As Joe and I were leaving the park early in the morning we decided to venture onto one of the few open trails by "Lamar Valley" and we got what we wanted. The bear must have been 200-300 pounds (Young Male Bear). It was a big bear, but small relative to the 800-900 pound Grizzlies usually found up in Alaska and Canada. There were a few other people on the trail when we spotted the bear (We seemed to all see it at the same time) which was a good thing because the typical rule is that Bears/Mountain Lions are intimidated by groups of 5 or more and we were at the minimum. Park regulations demand that people stay at least 100 yards from Bears/Wolves, but at some points were about 15-20 yards. Joe had his Bear spray locked and loaded and I had a blow horn ready to go in the case he got too close. He stuck around for a while and we got over 500 pictures. Below are a few good ones. He minded his own business digging holes, eating roots, and field mice. Eventually he peacefully walked off into the woods. He never gave us any real scare other than his presence. He knew we were there, but since he wasn't startled and didn't see us as a threat, he kept to himself.

It was quite an experience and it gave us a true appreciation of these animals and what they are capable of. Before we left, Joe bought a book about Grizzly Bear attacks in Yellowstone. He finished most of it during last night's long drive to the badlands. Let's just say he was glad he read it after our bear encounter.

Day 14, 15, 16, 17: Yellowstone National Park

85 degrees and sunny to 35 degrees and snowing in a matter of hours. We arrived at Yellowstone National Park around 4pm on Mother's Day, May 8th. Upon entering the park we were introduced to wildlife immediately and often. Bison flooded the open valleys and crowded the narrow streets. Cars had no choice but to wait as the Bison casually scuffled out of the car paths but not by curtsey, rather by chance, allowing the metal beasts to pass. Bison (with their young) were everywhere and grazing very close to the roads which made for great pictures below. Bison are usually tame and gentle, but when their young are "threatened" in any way, Bison will not hesitate to use their horns. In fact, Bison are the most dangerous animal in Yellowstone because people misread their calm and passive behavior as an invitation to get too close. While talking to some locals at the lodge bar, they told us stories of people trying to put their children on top of the Bison for a picture. They may look harmless like Clifford the Big Red Dog, but they are wild animals conditioned by the harsh realities of nature. Fun fact we learned at the bar: Female Bison stick together and raise their young while males are usually out of the picture in terms of protecting and raising young. Check out pictures of Bison Below.

At one point we watched a Coyote try to snatch Young Bison. The mother bluffed a rush and the Coyote scrammed. The Coyote was looking for a quick and easy kill but the massive Bison mother wasn't having it. It was like watching the discovery channel except we were the photographers/commentators without cool Australian accents.

After our first two days at Yellowstone we had seen Bison and Coyote but were still in search of Grizzlies and Wolves. Joe and I talked to some Yellowstone Rangers and lodge bartenders to know the best locations and times to see Bears and Wolves. By the end of our second day, we had our game plan ready for the reminder of the stay. We were lodging at a place called Old Faithful Inn located in the southwest portion of the park. Below was our location.

A : See Details(Google Map)

The Old Faithful Inn is an old but well maintained hotel/cabin in Yellowstone and I would recommend anyone to stay there when visiting the park. The place is purposely kept dark and cosey and there are no televisions or Internet access in the lodge. Luckily there was a bar and a few restaurants that had fantastic food. On the first day, Joe and I immediately hit the bar upon arrival and met some very cool and interesting people. Most of the people in the bar were off duty employees (bartenders) enjoying their day off. For the few people we spoke with, they live what seems to be very cool lives. They come up to Yellowstone during the summer to work as a bartender and when the summer ends they travel the world until they run out of cash. To most people I know, this lifestyle would seem risky and dangerous (Including myself in some respect) but I didn't hear any complaints from the employees I talked to. They joked that friends and family constantly tell them "it's time to grow up and enter the real world", but they made the argument that they are surviving and seeing the world. To me, they were truly living their lives. They are experiencing this incredible glowing ball floating in a solar system which floats in a galaxy, which floats in a space filled with billions and billions of other galaxies. The point is this: It's amazing that we are even here regardless of your beliefs. It's hard to argue against seeing the world as much as you can, if you can make it work. I know they don't have it all figured out. There is no official right or wrong way to live your life, but I think the take-away is recognizing the importance of making sure you truly "live" it.

Along with meeting employees we met an older man from Australia who flew over with his wife and son to drive around the USA for 3 or 4 weeks. I loved their plan because there was no plan. When Joe and I walked into the bar, we saw this guy sporting a long grey beard and tattoos on his arms. (Before we knew he was from Australia and was with his family). Since there wasn't much space at the bar I sat next to him. I immediately thought this guy must be in a biker gang and was someone I would stay clear from strictly due to appearance (Just being honest). The guy turned out to be hilarious and a good drinking partner for a few hours. Conversation started with him when the rest of us (Off Duty Employees) were talking about work. He eventually chimed in and said something close to "Ehh enough of the work chatter, lets get another round." We all agreed and started talking. His family came in and he introduced us all. His son (around age of 25-27) showed me pictures he took from a ride around Yellowstone. As he left for the night we slapped hands and wished each other safe and fun travels. Yet another example of judging books by their cover.

One last story. As Joe and I finished up breakfast one morning, I stepped outside to grab the car and Joe stuck around to pay the bill. I was waiting a good 15 minutes and started wondering what the hell was taking so long. Joe eventually made his way to the car shaking his head and smiling. Joe jumped in the car and said "I wish you were there to hear the conversation I had with the waiter" I never understood how the conversation started but it turned out that our waiter (mid 60s) found out he had cancer about 4 or 5 months ago and it was too late for treatment. A few months before being diagnosed, he lost almost everything he had financially and was literally living on the streets. Once he found out about his condition, he decided to pack whatever belongings he had and visit all the places he had always wanted to see as a kid. So that's what he did. For the past 5 months he has been traveling Europe and seeing those places. When he returned to the US, he applied to the waiter position in Yellowstone and got the job. He plans to work as a waiter for the summer, save up cash, and then fly to Thailand. Joe couldn't believe what he heard. Joe said the best part of the conversation was that the man said, "Even though I know I don't have much time, I have lived more in 5 months than most people have in their entire lives. I have never felt so free in my entire life." Joe said the man continued with tears in his eyes, "My two daughters will continue my lineage in this world" When Joe told me this story, we just sat there with wide eyes and slacked jaws. If that doesn't put things into perspective, I don't know what could. You never know what life will throw at you, and this man grabbed it by the horns.

On the last two days of Yellowstone, Joe and I were on a mission to see Grizzly Bears and Wolves. It took a great deal of time, driving, and patience, but we did see both. Unfortunately the Grizzly pictures didn't come out so great due to how far away they were. Joe had a decent one that I will add to this post sometime tomorrow on the way to Mount Rushmore/Badlands. I must say, even from far distances, these Grizzlies were massive. Besides Bears and Wolves, we were also lucky enough to get up close and personal with Rams. We were literally standing within 5 feet from 10 rams as they were passing through. In retrospect it was probably dangerous, but it was quite a rush being very close to powerful and unpredictable wild animals.

Above is a shot of a wolf who was part of a pack traveling along the crest of the mountain. There were about 5-6 wolves in the pack.

As we left "Lamar Valley" in Yellowstone last night, we stumbled across an amazing view of the sunset over mountains. There was no editing done to these pictures. This was exactly how it looked. We sat there freezing for about 30 minutes just looking at the sky. As the sun sank deeper behind the mountains the sky changed different colors. There was no one else around on the road (about 8:30-9:00pm Mountain Time). It was a nice moment of peace especially after a day of chasing/searching for wildlife.

Tomorrow morning Joe and I leave Yellowstone National Park and will make our way to Mt Rushmore and the Badlands in South Dakota. We were supposed to take the east exit out of Yellowstone but we learned it will be closed for a week due to an avalanch that covered the area. We haven't had the best of luck with road closures, but it's something to expect after the crazy winter we just had. That being said, we will have to drive through the northern section of the park to exist which means we will have one final shot to see Bears and maybe even a Moose. If we see anything tomorrow, I I'll be sure to post from the road barring Internet access. (FYI: I am able to submit this post tonight because I somehow caught decent signal from ATT)

In summary, Yellowstone is an amazing place. It is like no other park we visisted thus far. It is a very rugged and natural place. It doesn't compare to the scenery of Grand Canyon and Yosemite, but I have never seen so many animals living in their natural environment. (Deer in jersey does not count. We replaced their natural environment with houses/developments and for some reason cant believe why there are 11 deer in the backyard). This is a must visit place. You don't even need to be a hiker to enjoy it. Joe and I didn't do any hiking here due to closed trails because of snow and bear danger. You could drive the roads of Yellowstone and still experience it the same. We would have liked to hike the park but when the Park Rangers close trails, they close them for good reason. If we get a good picture of a bear/moose, I will make sure to submit a new post from the road. You should hear from me tomorrow or Friday night. The Badlands is our final big stop. After South Dakota, we will make our way to Chicago and then back to NYC. Can't believe the trip is almost finished. It has been quite a journey, but it's not finished yet. Talk soon.

Vin

Day 10,11,12, & 13: Pacific Coast Highway & Yosemite National Park

Apologies again, bad service up in the mountains.

We were able to get a decent night sleep at the hotel in Bakersfield, CA and made our way to the Pacific Coast Highway/Big Sur the next morning (Wed, May 4th). It took us about 2 hours to get to the highway and when we arrived, we noticed a sign that read "route 1 closed in 23 miles". Joe and I read it out loud as we passed by but brushed it off completely. Who closes roads in perfect weather anyway? Well, we learned roads aren't closed for nice weather but they are closed for landslides. When we arrived at the 23 mile marker, the remainder of the Pacific Coast Highway was closed due to massive landslides. Our plan was to take the coastal highway north to the Big Sur, but instead had to turn around and drive an hour and 30 min. back the way we came. We made the executive decision to skip the Big Sur so that we could arrive in Yosemite at a reasonable hour (One of our rules is to not drive at night). Although we were bummed about skipping Big Sur, we did get some great photos of the Highway, Pacific Ocean, and Seals. Everyone should drive this road one time in their life. It's the windiest road I have ever been on, and considering the altitude/expansive views, I experienced a bit of Vertigo (luckily I wasn't driving). Below are pictures from the highway.

We arrived at Yosemite around 6:30 - 7:00pm and checked into our Cabin. Yosemite National Park is about 30 minutes from our campground so we decided to take a ride to the park with hopes of viewing wildlife in Yosemite Valley. We didn't see anything noteworthy so we turned around to head back to our campsite. By the time we turned around the sun had lowered it's head and day had turned to dark. While leaving the park I must have been trailing a dude from California pretty closely so he pulled over, got behind us, and shined his brights for what he thought would be the remainder of the long road out of the park, but It didn't last long. He had trouble keeping up. The next morning Joe and I went back to the Park and checked out the sites in daylight. This place is unreal. Everywhere you turn there is a waterfall or massive mountain. You can literally close your eyes, point and shoot your camera, and sell your photo to National Geographic. That's an exaggeration, but you get my point. The place is Disney World for photographers, adventurers, and nature lovers, but the park was lacking a "Small World" ride. There should be one of those rides in every town in the world. If you don't know what I'm talking about then google "Small World, Disney" and you will nod your head in agreement.

During the day, Joe and I hiked up to a waterfall called "Vernal" which was a short but wet journey. Below are the pictures from our hike.

Above is a giant Sequoia tree. I promise I am not that lanky. Joe's camera is so good it makes you look thinner.

On the way down the hike we met Carmen. Carmen lives in the town of Yosemite and knows the area very well. She was very helpful in answering questions like "how we could get to the giant Sequoia Trees and where did we park our car?" Trust me, for two people who had no idea where we were, Carmen hooked us up with some great info. It seems to be a reoccurring theme in this blog, but everyone we have met on this trip has been super nice. Earlier in the hike, Carmen (before we all formally introduced ourselves) asked if we would like her to take our picture in front of the waterfall. Joe and I respectfully declined because men don't do those things? I'm not sure why we declined, considering we only have 3 or 4 pictures with ourselves somewhere in the background. I digress, but I immediately thought Carmen must work in the park to be so nice. It turned out she was actually just a great person. Imagine that. It must be an East Coast thing to ignore everyone around you. I'm not sure, but know I am guilty of it. Anyway, I gave Carmen the URL for the blog to follow along which means I can't lie about the altitudes of mountains we didn't climb. Carmen, if you are reading, thanks again for the help and it was great to meet you.

Day 2 in the Park, Joe and I split up and did different things. We both agreed it was time to break away for a little and go on our own adventures. Joe wanted to spend the day taking photos of wildlife/scenery but for some reason I was in the mood to climb North America's tallest waterfall. So that's what we did. I told a Joe to expect me back in the parking lot around 5:30pm and off I went. The Hike was a total of 7.2 miles round trip and was a climb of about 2700 feet. This was not as long as the Grand Canyon hike, but the journey up to the waterfall was more difficult than the hike back up the Canyon. The hike was tough but well worth it. Below are some photos I took of the hike and some of Joe's pictures from today as well. (You shouldn't have a tough time distinguishing iPhone from good camera)

Above are two pictures of Yosemite Falls, the one I conquered yesterday. (There was a group of old ladies who climbed it ahead of me)... Just wanted to ground myself.

This is Half Dome. This is probably the most difficult climb in the park. There are cables that park services installs so people can safely reach the summit. The cables have not yet been implemented for 2011, so climbing Half Dome was not an option.

The above 2 photos I took from the top of Yosemite Falls.

Joe and I are currently on our way to somewhere in Nevada which will be our midway point to Yellowstone. We had planned on visiting Bodie Ghost Town in CA, but many of the roads to get there we closed due to bad conditions/snow so we had to skip it to ensure we made significant progress towards Wyoming. We may be able to see a different ghost town off rt. 80 in Nevada, so we may not need to skip the ghost town element completely.

There is a great deal of snow on the ground as we progress north on rt. 80 and the temperature is dropping. Hopefully we stay clear of inclement weather, otherwise we could lose precious time. I don't want to make any promises, but the next post should be from Yellowstone in a few days, Internet permitting. That is all for now.

Vin

Day 7, 8, & 9: Monument Valley, Grand Canyon, & California

It's been awhile. Apologies for lack of posting. Internet access in our Grand Canyon campground was weak. I am currently writing this next post from a hotel in Central California (Bakersfield, CA). A lot has happened since Mesa Verde so here we go.

Joe and I woke up around 5:30am (Mountain Time) at our campground near Mesa Verde and hit the road to see Monument Valley in Utah. We initially wanted to see the valley at sunrise but that would have implied waking up at 3:30am, which was agreed to before going to bed, but was obviously dismissed as we "overslept" two hours. We missed seeing Monument Valley during sunrise, but got over it quickly, packed up the car, and hit the road. After about 3 hours of driving we eventually hit rt. 163 and this is what we saw.

At this moment we were the only car on the road. It didn't last long...

Some of my friends have been poking fun at the fact they have yet to see pictures of Joe and I on this trip. They say I have been posting random photos from google images while I sit at home watching Opra and Jerry Springer. I guess they do have a point. Well, I serve you proof my friends... I serve you proof.

Monument Valley was well worth the trip and after an hour of pictures/relaxing, we jumped back in the SUV and made our way to the Grand Canyon. It took about 4 hours to reach the Grand Canyon from Monument Valley. After we paid to get into the park (25 bucks), we drove 500 feet into the park and had our first view of the Grand Canyon.

We arrived Mather Campground around 3:30 pm which gave us ample time to setup our tent, cook BBQ chicken on an open fire (picked up some tenders and BBQ sauce), and planned out our hike for the following morning. We finished eating and planning by 5pm and decided to head into the Grand Canyon Village where we could see the Canyon from a different perspective. We were also patient enough to hang around for the sunset which was well worth it.

We went to bed relatively early and braced ourselves for a cold night. Cold is an understatement. I slept in huge winter jacket and wore thermal shirt/pants and woke up at 3am in an intense shiver. It was about 15-19 degrees that night, and now I understand the importance of having a good sleeping bag. Joe and I were out of the tent and in the heated car by 5:30am and figured since we were already up, we should check out the sunrise in the Canyon. We were cold and tired, but again it was worth the effort.

After viewing the incredible sunrise, Joe and I stumbled back to the car and blasted the heat on high. During our planning session the previous day, we decided to take "Bright Angel Trail" which was the longest trail possible for a day hike into the canyon and back out. (aprox 9 hours round trip) The trail would bring us from the top of the Canyon (7,000 ft) to "Plateau Point" which was at an altitude of 3400 ft and overlooked the Colorado river. While sitting in the car, which was now a comfortable 85 degrees, Joe and I looked at the trail map and then at each other. We shook our heads with uncertainty. Anyone could tell from the 10 pound bags under each of our eyes that we didn't get much sleep (maybe 3-4 hours). The thought of a 3600 ft decent and the following 3600 ft climb seemed damn near impossible considering our tired minds and bodies. It would have been easy to sleep for a few more hours in the car and take more pictures from the South Rim of the canyon for the remainder of the day... but since when was the easy way out rewarding? The hardest part of any daunting task is getting off your ass and showing up, so we sucked it up, packed our backpacks with food/water/extra clothing... and showed up. Below is a picture of the grand Canyon from the South Rim. In the picture I point out where our trail ended before we turned around to hike all the way back up. It should give you perspective on the sheer size of the canyon, and how far down we hiked. "Plateau Point" is marked in "Green" and it is 3600 feet from the top of the Canyon.

The hike down to Plateau Point was relatively easy and took us about 3 hours. "Bright Angel Trail" is a popular day hike, but not easy by any means. There are no "guard rails" or "safety nets" on these trails. In some areas, if you are careless and trip, you fall hundreds of feat into the canyon. Hiking back up the canyon was much more difficult and was a true challenge. It took us 3 hours to get to the bottom of the canyon (techncally you could go down further another 1000 feet to the colorado river, but it not possible to do in a day hike) and it took us almost 6 hours to get back up. Some parts of the trail were very steep and required us to take many food/water breaks to rest and refuel. Below are a few pictures from our hike.

A few iPhone pictures showing our trail. As you can see, if you fall off the trail, you fall into the canyon. (kudos to iPhone camera. Quality is pretty good)

This is the Colorado river from "Plateau Point". The river was another 1000 feet below us but we were close enough to hear the rapids.

Apparently cactus also comes in grape flavor.

We also encountered some wildlife along the hike. Luckily no rattlesnakes.

As Joe and I reached our last mile back to the top of the canyon, we decided to take our last food/water break before our final push. While resting, an older man probably in his mid to late 70s, who was also hiking back up the canyon, stopped to rest along side of us. We had seen him at the bottom of the canyon and passed him a few times (and vice versa) while we each took our respective breaks. Throughout the hike Joe and I were impressed by the man's physical ability despite his age. While at the final resting spot, Joe had asked the man if it was his first time hiking the canyon. The man admitted it was. In the process of caching his breath, he started to verbally reflect on how "hiking the canyon creates a type of kinship between the hiker and the canyon. It unveils a certain respect that can't be understood or appreciated until experienced first hand. When you take pictures from the canyon rim, you feel as if you own the natural wonder, but when you venture inside, you quickly learn that it owns you." These were wise words from a wise man. He took the feeling of physical and mental fatigue and turned it into purpose and understanding. This guy was "The Man" (double pun intended because he was very cool, and we never caught his name). When Joe and I reached the top of the Canyon, we shook hands in a short celebration (Joe was hoping for a mass standing ovation which unfortunately never came) and recognized a pretty damn cool accomplishment. For some people the hike was routine, but for two guys from Jersey, it was an awesome challenge. I joked with Joe afterwords that we earned the photos we took of the Canyon. I said it jokingly at the time, but as I think about it more, now the photos mean more than just pretty scenery.

After the hike, Joe and I ate dinner at one of the restaurants and decided to sleep in the car so we wouldn't freeze again. It was not the most comfortable sleep, but it was much warmer than the previous night. Below are some pictures of our tent (Which we named "Limpy" based off how it handles strong winds...I'll eventually show you what I mean)

Well, it's time for bed in Bakersfield California. Like I said, tonight we are sleeping in a hotel to catch up on much needed sleep. We were initially planning on staying in the Mojave National Preserve or Death Valley National Park, but decided to drive past them and get good sleep to be ready for the remainder of the trip. Tomorrow morning we will be driving up the Pacific Coast Highway to the Big Sur, hang out there for an hour or two, and then drive to Yosemite National Park. This is a slight change in our itinerary that allows us to gain an extra day for either Yosemite or Yellowstone. (We originally planned to sleep at the Big Sur). Tomorrow's journey should be roughly 9 hours. Expect the next post to be Wed night as I am sure I'll be too tired to post tomorrow night. We shall see.

Note: Forgive any grammatical errors, I am posting this from iPad and don't have the energy to go back and spell check. Time to pass out.

Cheers,
Vin