Road Trip! Me, River, Skye and the Big Yellow Van

[Cort]

Big scenery. This is what the West is all about. Lots and lots of geology. We have coastal plates colliding, volocanos and faults - they create some spectacular landscapes. Then dry climate across almost the entire West really allows the rocks to stand out.

Massive geological processes at work. The Canyon land areas were in part formed when the Pacific plate I think it was slammed into continental plate on the West coast. That helped push up Colorado plateau hundreds of miles away! Then at some point the Basin and Range province to the west started stretching apart - creating more geological distortions.

Some big walls from Zion National Park - the Yosemite of the Southwest

 

[Cort]

Life is tenacious and it will find a way. A Juniper finds a hold on a rock face in Zion

From there it was over to Bryce National Park - with its novel rock faces. It's the strangest looking of the parks. No more massive chunky rocks. These rocks look really aged and contorted into strange shapes

I was just there briefly - to pick something up for my partner and to take a few shots. I was pretty wiped out This is pre-Park actually.

 

[Cort]

Bryce is really high up 8,000 feet - it sits at the top of the Colorado Plateau - very different rocks from Zion. It looks aged. No more big muscular rocks. Check out this old weathered outcropping just off the trail.

Many weird rock formations in Bryce...

White topping....

 

[Cort]

More Bryce....I just saw two outlooks - many more are available. Next time....

 

[Cort]

Utah also has some great forests. Here we were camped at about 7,000 fit - with nothing but forest on the horizon...

An old friend from California - manzanita

 

[Cort]

We woke up early on the eastern side of the mountains in Utah - too cold and windy to do anything but leave but a great Sunrise

 

[Cort]

Feeling rather fragile we sped through Capitol Reef. It's quite a bit lower but with some stunning, and once again very different rocks. Every park is different.

 

[Cort]

Glen Canyon had big vista's and lots of intricate rock formations. Very impressive....

 

[Cort]

And the big muscular rock formations

 

[Cort]

From there it was as close as we were going to get to the Rockies for now. The Manti-sal National Forest in Utah. That light green in the background is a solid stand of aspens. The light green in the foreground are Gambel's Oaks, I think they were - just leafing out.

Aspens are incredibly beautiful. They have these flexible leaves that twist and turn in the wind. When they turn color in the fall it's magical. They are abundant in the Rockies - not nearly so much in the Sierra Nevada.

 

[Forebearance]

Thanks for all the pictures! I really enjoyed them.
Happy camping to you!

 

[ritasheart]

Amazing. Talking about making lemons into lemonade. Lots of lessons in this, Cort.

 

[Cort]

Amazing. Talking about making lemons into lemonade. Lots of lessons in this, Cort.

 

[Cort]

From Utah it was down into New Mexico. Few pics from there - just driving. At first it was devastation - a desert-like environment apparently from over-grazing in the Navajo reservation but then things picked up. I didn't realize New Mexico was so high up - generally over 5,000 ft. We camped in high Mojave desert type environment that would have fit just fine in Nevada..

The cows with their young were not happy with us there. Instead of leaving though they just gathered off to the side and moo'ed at us. At one point I went over to the other side of the van there they all were about 30 ft away mooing away. The dogs took affront at that and chased us away. Never seen cows act like this!

On the way out of New Mexico we came across some lava beds with these beautiful cactii.

 

[Cort]

Then it was onto Texas - a state I feel some trepidation about after reading a New Yorker article about small time police shaking down travellers from out of state. Before getting to the border I checked on marijuana laws given the small amount of medical marijuana I was carrying for sleep - and when I found what they were I dumped it. That stuff could have served me well in a hotel where it helps with my chemical sensitivities....

Texas was different. Lower in elevation with obviously much richer soil its obviously a much richer state. Not far in we saw our first oil wells :

 

[Cort]

Then after a long day we used freecampsites.com to score, thankfully, our first campsite from that site as the sun was going down. Except for the little ants which chased me into the van in the middle of the night it was beautiful. Nice warm breeze, nice dense scrub woodland. In fact across the drive - past Dallas and into Louisiana - except for the towns and all the agriculture- it was all green woodlands - not what I expected.

That night we used freecampsites.com on a spit into a beautiful lake lined with houses. On a memorial day weekend it was a bit crowded but we found a spot where little ants chased me in to the van again (lol)

 

[Cort]

From there it was fairly short drive into Lousiana where we will wait a bit for the tropical to pass to the east.

Free campsites.com scored again as we found a deserted spot near a swamp, really - with mangroves or whatever they are with their big trunks growing out of the water. It was too musty down there so we camped up a bit. A dense green and beautiful forest. Hot and humid! But nice during the night.

Skye is a bigger swimmer than River but River to my shock jumped in a took a swim

 

[tatt]

An ME friend tells me I'm lucky I can still travel - doesnt feel lucky when you sit in a car when your family are talking a walk you can no longer manage. But I'm also off to see the Rockies this year - did Vancouver Island one September to see brown and black bears. Have to do what you can.

Couldnt camp, my bank wouldnt like it - but I do think air conditioning is bad and being out in fresh air good. I find some places better than other - on Rhodes (that's Greece, btw) I felt almost well for the first week and even walked up some (low) hills. That might be a trip too far for you though.

Cows dont like dogs, especially when the cows have young. I'm surprised you havent had trouble with them before.

 

[kate brunton]

Love reading this and seeing the pics. As well as appreciating you, I'm a camper (well not anymore) and a dog lover. I'll be tuning in. Kate <3

 

[pat0814]

From there it was fairly short drive into Lousiana where we will wait a bit for the tropical to pass to the east.

Free campsites.com scored again as we found a deserted spot near a swamp, really - with mangroves or whatever they are with their big trunks growing out of the water. It was too musty down there so we camped up a bit. A dense green and beautiful forest. Hot and humid! But nice during the night.

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Skye is a bigger swimmer than River but River to my shock jumped in a took a swim

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I had no idea you were doing this, Cort, but am fascinated with your adventurous spirit, and I love that River and Skye are your traveling companions. I look forward to future posts and sharing your experiences along the journey. Never thought I'd have the opportunity to "see" the country again but grateful to be able to do so through your travels.