Pursuit of Bliss

Alaska Road Trip: Back to Reality

This post marks a sad moment in our trip: the end.  But the journey here has been more than we could ever ask for.  As usual, this final leg of our trip was filled with spontaneity and excitement.  Other than a stop to visit family in Colorado, we had no plans between Wyoming and a backpacking/climbing trip in California. Our first adventure came about a half hour outside of Jackson, Wyoming.  We had gotten some information about a limestone “shield” located right off the highway and decided to do some climbing on our way to Eagle, Colorado.  As with the other climbing we have been doing on limestone, the rock was featured and the moves very dynamic. Here’s Ryan leading Thousand Cranes (5.10a) and Lorin cruising up on top rope. 

Eagle, CO was as beautiful as ever.  It was great to see family after being away for so long.  Zahrah and Gry continue to grow like happy weeds.  Our next spur-of-the-moment stop was Mesa Verde National Park.  The cliff dwellings we saw in the park were mind blowing.  The architecture was great and the sites that were chosen sometimes seemed absolutely impossible to get to, especially a thousand years ago.  Pueblos built into shear rock faces and alcoves…it was epic.

After a hot day, we headed on toward the north rim of the Grand Canyon.  The desert was very different compared with the high elevation driving we had been doing.  Flat, hot, dry, lightning storms galore.  What better time of year to be going to the Grand Canyon (we write this sarcastically)?  Here’s Ryan doing too much multitasking while drinking a milkshake.

Despite the heat, dust, and mules, the Grand Canyon was nice.  After a quick hike on the North Kaibab Trail, we drove the North Rim and hit each of the overlooks.

After getting our fill at the Canyon, we drove through the desert and to Zion National Park.  Zion’s huge sandstone walls were so hypnotizing that we decided to stay the night nearby and hike the ever-popular Narrows the next day.  At this point, we would love to show you the wild, sculpted canyon we traveled through.  The pictures of us wading knee deep, neck deep, and even swimming up stream through the river are priceless.  Unfortunately, our trip took an unexpected turn for the worse in one of the deeper sections of the canyon when we lost our waterproof camera in the river.  As the water was extremely brown, our hours long search ended unsuccessfully and it was never recovered.  Despite our loss, we continued on our trip up river through impossible-to-escape-flash-flood zones until we were satisfied.

After leaving Zion, we drove on the Extraterrestrial Highway through Nevada to Bishop, California.  We made a base camp in Bishop for two days and spent time cleaning out and bearproofing our car, perusing gear stores, and getting ready for our upcoming alpine climbing trip in the Palisades.  When our friend, Ross, showed up, all stir craziness related to being stuck in the middle of the desert was alleviated. 

The entire climbing trip was unbelievably fun.  It felt great to be home once again in the Range of Light.  Though our packs were heavy due to the backpacking and climbing gear we were hauling, we put our Sherpa selves in high gear and had a blast the entire time up to our base camp.

Day two marked the beginning of the real climb.  The approach was loose at times and the snow/ice at the base of Temple Crag was the first crux of the day.  

Temple Crag towers above.

We had smiles on our faces throughout the entire day.

It’s amazing how cold it can be at 12,000’ when it is so warm in the desert.  The climbing was loose at times, but always fun.  As usual at this elevation, the views were expansive and breathtaking.

Lorin sitting comfortably on her 4’ wide belay bench.  Don’t mind the drops on either side.

Eventually, we finished the route.  The journey was not over, however, and we dawned our headlamps for the long trip down through talus, snow, and sand/boulders/scree that slid out from under us with each step.

After a restful night, we were greeted to the following morning with more beautiful weather.  Here’s more views of Temple Crag from camp and Second Lake.

Our hike out was, in some ways, difficult.  We knew that the end of our trip became closer with each step down the creek.  Now, we sit in Lake Isabella.  Our trip is over.  We can’t believe how much we have seen and done over the last 6 weeks.  In all, we spent 44 days in the car, mountains, and on rock.  It was a trip of a lifetime and we are so grateful that we could spend it with each other.  The world holds so many wondrous possibilities, and we both look forward to the memories our next great adventure will bring.  Thank you to all friends and family who took the time to support us.  We are eternally grateful.  

Alaska Road Trip: Back to the Lower 48

It has been two full weeks since we last wrote. Since our adventures at the Harding Icefield on the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska, we have travelled through the Denali area, Fairbanks, the North Pole (that’s right, Santa’s North Pole), and crossed the Canadian border. We then drove through the Yukon, hiked Mt. Robson Provincial Park, Jasper National Park, Banff National Park, and the Kootenay Rockies before crossing the border into the U.S.  And since that time we have been in Glacier National Park, Yellowstone, and the Grand Tetons. As you probably realize, trying to write two week’s worth of travelling, climbing, backpacking, and hiking blabber would take a couple of days. So instead, we present you with a string of photos from the last two weeks. Enjoy!

Denali National Park:

Circular rainbow around the sun:

North Pole, Alaska:

Signpost Forest, Watson Lake, Yukon Territory (over 71,500 signs from all over the world):

Northern British Columbia:

Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia:

Mt. Robson Provincial Park Dayhike (26 miles):

Mt. Robson’s Summit starting to show:

Climbing at the Rock Gardens, Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada (Puff Puff):

Jasper National Park:

Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada:

Glacier National Park, Montana, United States of America:

Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming:

Old Faithful finishing off his show:

Grand Tetons, Wyoming (backpacking trip to the Paintbrush Divide):

So as you can see, the last couple weeks were no less exciting than the previous ones. We even saw 3 BULL MOOSE! We are continuing to have a blast everywhere we go. We wish we could explain more of our time in greater detail, but time is ticking and we only have a week and a half left. Just the process of transferring images to our laptop, stitching panoramic, resizing, etc. was something that took us a greater part of nearly 3 days. Pictures. So, so, so many pictures. Pirating internet when we can (all the national park hopping made it pretty impossible to get internet at all), sleeping in turnouts, truck stops, and fairgrounds when we aren’t in the hills…it’s pretty much paradise. So, on we drive from Jackson, Wyoming, toward Eagle, Colorado, to visit family. Then on we go through Utah, Nevada, and into California where a 4 day backpacking/climbing trip awaits us in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. It’s likely that we won’t post again until we return to “regular” life. Something about this feels more regular. Living in the mountains, being in the woods, rock, and snow all day just feels like home. 

Alaska Road Trip: Alaska Continued

So as you are aware, up to our last post we had yet to see much wildlife on this trip. Well, we are glad to report that our luck has changed despite the fact that we were told moose are a myth made up by cunning locals to try and compete with the Sasquatch (which are very abundant in the California Redwood forests). When we say “wildlife,” we mean real animals. Not jackalope, but bear, goats, marmots, grouse, and much more.

So when we signed out last time we were in the cozy realms of the Juvenile Nonfiction section of the library in Valdez, Alaska.

It was raining. Hard. Well as it turned out, the rain continued through the night and into the next day. A flood warning in the area (and visible signs of the river taking out the road we were driving on) was enough for us to bail on our view-dependent trip up Thompson Pass and break on through to the other side toward Anchorage. But despite the rain, we were able to make our way to open meadows, Worthington glacier, and Horsetail Falls in Keystone Canyon.

Ironically, soon after we started driving, the skies cleared up, allowing us amazing views of the Wrangells that we had been unable to see a couple days earlier on our way to Root Glacier. If you look closely, you can see 4 of the taller mountains in the Wrangell St. Elias National Park in the photo below.

Like the rest of the driving we have done through Alaska, the drive to Anchorage is also great and includes countless meadows and big glaciers.

Along the way, we also stopped at Independence Mine and had a great time immersing ourselves in historic mining culture.

In Anchorage itself we were, finally, true tourists hiding from the rain, eating Chinese food, and watching movies in the third row of a Regal Cinema.

Although we slept at a trailhead out of town in preparation for a high-mileage backpacking trip that was to start the following morning, a multitude of factors affected our decision to skip out on our plans (once again) and spend the day exploring Anchorage. For one, it was rainy and windy. Second, the nights were cold and there was fresh snow in the hills where we were headed. Third, today marked the date of our anniversary. So rather than hiking into the snow, sleeping on a glacier, and freezing to death, we splurged at REI to upgrade our rainproof attire, walked along Cook Inlet, went to an Alaskan farmer’s market, saw a 20’ tall chocolate fountain that would make Willy Wonka jealous, and started it all off with reindeer sausage and eggs for breakfast. It was a day of pure relaxation, and we topped it all off with smores on the beach.

The next day, we rushed to the mountains in true Nevius style. Our destination: Raven Glacier. The hike up Crow Creek was very pretty and the clouds, though looming above us, held the rain. That is…at first. 

After miles of climbing we reached the top of the pass.

It started to rain. The cold set in, and we rushed to find a camp spot after standing transfixed on the glacier. It was hypnotizing, and if it weren’t for our noses and fingers almost falling off, we would have stayed for hours.

Due to the relentless talus, thick bushes, creeks abound, and snow patches, camp was difficult to find. Luckily, the rain broke long enough for us to pitch our tent and make it bomb proof. The rain and freezing wind continued through the night. The snow fell in the mountains. It was cold. We hid and played card games.

The next day made us extremely grateful for our REI splurge. Yay extra rain gear! It had saved us the day before and would continue to serve us well until we got off the trail. We waited patiently until 10:30 AM for the rain to slow. We had noticed a pattern over the last days that seemed to be consistent: the rain would let up eventually, but only for a short while. Once the weather broke, we quickly packed up camp and bushwhacked cross-country to the glacier’s toe. 

It was at the toe that the true destructive nature of glacial activity could be seen first hand. Calving ice, grinding rock, rushing sub-glacier rivers were constant sights.

Once we left the glacier, it started to sleet. We put our heads down, increased the pace, and spoke of heaters and dry clothes. After getting off the trail, we made our way to the Kenai Peninsula. Seward, Alaska was our hope for good food, clean water, and laundry facilities (at least some place to dry our wet gear). We were severely disappointed, however, and were met with little more than high parking rates, flavorless clam chowder, and sparing views.

The Kenai Fjords National Park is home to one of the most amazing landscapes either of us has ever seen. We set off the next day toward Harding Icefield via Exit Glacier. The trail itself was reminiscent of the Sierra (3000’ of elevation gain in 3.5 miles). But like the Sierra, the views and wildlife made up for the pain. Exit Glacier lured us in until we met its source atop the pass.

Oh, and remember we mentioned WILDLIFE!?!? Along the way, we encountered marmots, grouse (with babies), mountain goats, caterpillars, and plenty of bugs.

Upon reaching the pass, we proceeded cross-country down to the Harding Icefield. Once there, we were met with solitude, shelter from the insane winds, rushing creeks, and beyond huge walls of ice. The pictures below should be able to speak for themselves. As you can see, we went a little crazy with the panoramics.

After making camp, which included a short bout of tent flying, we continued to explore our surroundings which included a walk on the icefield itself. We had front-row views to what we claim to be one of the natural wonders of the world.

Though we had no real complaints about the partly-cloudy skies from the previous day, the morning’s crystal clear sky allowed for even more breathtaking views. After getting startled awake by the sounds of huge pieces of ice collapsing in on itself, this is what we woke up to.

We explored some more. We couldn’t help it.

After slowly (very slowly) packing up camp, we proceeded back up the pass. Though the cross-country route featured very loose footing and winds that pushed us over (Lorin almost flew away), we couldn’t help but take our eyes off where we were walking to look behind us at the place we were leaving behind.

You can see where we camped at the bottom right of this picture of Lorin.

The hike down beside Exit Glacier was equally as exciting today and brought a slightly different variety of wildlife including bear and moose. Yes, we said it…MOOSE. They do exist. Although the horns may be fake.

Did we mention we finally saw a moose?

To top the day off, we saw what seems to be not that rare of a sight in Alaska, a pair of bald eagles.

So we leave you again. Off to another adventure. As usual, we don’t know exactly where we are going, nor what we are doing. All we know is whatever we choose will lead us to home, or what feels like home. At home with the bear, moose, goats, caterpillars, bugs, marmots, grouse, eagles, ice, dirt, mountains, streams, lakes, and of course each other.

Alaska Road Trip: Canada to Alaska

One week ago, the two of us sat at midnight in a dimly-lit parking lot in Washington, bumming internet off of a closed Starbucks and dreaming of the experience that was ahead of us in British Columbia, Canada. Today, we sit in lime-green sofa chairs in the Juvenile Nonfiction section of a quiet and warm library. We’re in Valdez, Alaska. It took us a mere week to cruise through Canada. Some say that we take things too fast…that we should stop and smell the roses once in a while. When you travel by foot and car for 4500 miles though, the roses can be smelled constantly rather than sporadically, and the sites…well the sites are never forgotten. Pictures. Lots and lots of pictures and a handwritten trip log and memories. Memories, writing, pictures, cooking, sleeping, pictures, driving, running, climbing, pictures, hiking, even resting at times. Nothing is forgotten and nothing feels rushed.

After sleeping at a random rest stop in Washington, last Friday began with a new block of ice, a fresh tank of gas, and an angry Canadian border patrolman. We were in Canada.

Our first stop was Squamish, a Canadian climbing mecca surrounded by snow-capped Cascades, waterfalls, and healthy vegetation. Upon arriving in town, we were greeted by snow-fed Shannon waterfall.

Next, we made our way to the Chek, an easy-to-access climbing destination in Squamish that offered clean rock and a variety of routes. The most memorable climb of the day was the second pitch of “Master of My Domain,” a 10a finger crack that was well-protected and amazingly fun, not to mention the amazing views from the top. 

The only negative part of the trip so far: the bugs. Unlike the horror stories we have heard about bugs so big that they will pick you up and carry you away, the bugs here are small, sneaky, and painless…that is, until they finish their deed. When you look down and see a stream of blood coming out of your arm, leg, neck, or face, it’s too late. These bites seem innocent at first, but within a day, they swell to the size of erasers on a pencil and itch terribly. It has been over a week and they are still here.

After climbing, we headed off through random towns and backroads toward Wells-Gray Provincial Park. Along the way, we stopped at more waterfalls including Brandywine and Naim Falls.

Saturday brought more impressive scenery. Waterfalls and hiking galore. Below are Spahats, Dawson, and Helmcken Falls.

Moul Falls was definitely a highlight of the day. As Canadians seem less sue-happy than Americans, we were able to “Proceed at our own risk” to the base of the falls. The mist and wind caused by the heavy water was more intense than a shower. Ryan even managed to take a path behind the fall and to the other side. He was soaked. Sweet!

The rest of our day consisted of 360 degree panoramic views, finding the largest cross-country skis in the world, a beautiful (but rainy) lakeside dinner, and a seemingly endless search for a place to sleep for the night.

Sunday was pretty uneventful. Highlights included seeing the first bear of the trip and finding the world’s largest flyfishing rod. Other than that, Driftwood Provincial Park was a bust…fossil beds we could only see from 50’ away. We saw no fossils. More rain.

Monday was an odd day. We started in Terrace, BC with the intention of climbing at Copper Mountain (even after 2 days of rain). With very little beta, we scrambled up the talus-covered slopes and finally found an obvious climb. We only intended on doing a quick climb, but ended up on a very thin, hard trad/sport micro crack (the bolt spacing was misleading from the ground) that required pulling on some gear. In the end, Ryan took about a 13’ whipper on a #6 stopper and Lorin had a good one too. No deaths. It was a good morning.

After climbing, we headed on to some Lava Beds. While they were very beautiful, interesting, and huge, the 46 km drive back to the main highway was intense. Potholes, giant rocks, and one-lane bridges galore, not to mention the bears and no pavement to speak of. To say the least, it seems our car may be able to beat many vehicles in a rock-crawling competition.

After reaching pavement, the drive to Stewart, BC was glacierific and jaw dropping. We highly recommend it. 

After reaching Stewart, we drove another 3 miles to “the friendliest ghost town in Alaska” called Hyder. Hyder served as a basecamp for the next day’s adventures, as well as much-needed showers. Finally! 

The next morning made Hyder’s creepy atmosphere totally worth it. After getting up early, we drove on a bumpy mining road toward Salmon Glacier, the fourth largest glacier in North America. The glacier was HUGE and is definitely one of the most amazing sights of the trip so far. Unfortunately, due to avalanche blasting, we were unable to make it down to the glacier’s edge, but the views from the top of the ridge were more than enough.

The rest of our day consisted of driving to the Yukon Territory and was uneventful in comparison. Other than 13 bears, flying rocks, potholes, and dust clouds, there wasn’t much to speak of.

Wednesday was very, very uneventful. The drive was odd, long, lifeless, and barren. Other than the occasional chipmunk or raven, everything seemed as if it were dying, struggling to survive in the middle of nowhere. 

We crossed the “real” Alaskan border and set our clocks back an hour (although Hyder is in Alaska, it really seems like its own miserable entity in the middle of Pluto). After a full 16 hours of driving for the day, we stopped short of Wrangell Mt. Elias National Park, the largest (but perhaps one of the lesser known) national park in the United States.

Thursday was a long day in all respects. Although it rained most of the night, the clouds let up slightly and wind died down. The 62 mile road to McCarthy, AK was intense. Rocky, muddy, potholey, the road was actually a bed of dirt, sticks, and rocks that buried an old railroad. The railroad used to serve the towns of McCarthy and Kennecott as part of a mining operation in the early 1900s. So in addition to the rocks, holes and branches, resurrected ties, rusty spikes, and rails were also dodged.

The reason for travelling on such a road was Root Glacier. After reaching the end of it, we then proceeded to put on a high-mileage hiking day through old towns that can only be accessed via footbridges. If you think you live in the middle of nowhere, think again. These towns, which consist of a couple dozen people, pump their water straight out of a watering hole into a drum, and then transport it back to town. Once booming gold rush towns, they are now amazing historical points of interest.

The glacier itself was magnificent. It was a real chance to see a glacier working at its finest. It moved so much rock and dirt, that at first it appeared to be a jagged landscape of sand dunes at the toe. In reality, the glacier was literally bulldozing the valley in which it resides. The ice lays underneath the hills of dirt.

Our trip so far has been jam packed and awesome in all respects. We can hardly believe it has only been 2 weeks since we left our warm town of SLO. Luckily, the weather until now has been forgiving. Not so luckily, the 10 day forecast for the entire state seems to project rain, rain, and more rain. We will continue to push on into the rain; it hasn’t stopped us before.

Thanks to a good friend, we learned that car-camping can allow you to feast during meals. Stuffing with chicken, minestrone soup, garlic bread, etc…still not even close to the Joshua Tree clam alfredo that we were fed in Yosemite, but we are learning. 

Another point is that, despite all of the harping, we have still failed to see anything more than bears and deer on this trip. No moose, no elk, no caribou, no wolves, cougars, or lynx. We’re pretty convinced that moose are a thing of myth. The antlers hung on every single shack we pass are fake…all 1000 pairs.

Daylight hours are seemingly endless now. The sun goes below the horizon around 11:00ish, but it never gets truly dark, and it pops right back up before we wake. And don’t even get us started on gasoline prices. Although the “price per liter” advertisements in Canada seem good to the untrained liter vs. gallon interpreter, we eventually found out that we were paying a good $6 per gallon on average. To fill up our car takes over $60. It’s ok though, because even in Alaska it has been hanging around $4.30.

Now, after spending half a day hiding from the rain in Valdez, we venture back outside. Time to find a laundromat. Tomorrow we venture back into the mountains. Even in the rain, they are calling.

Alaska Road Trip: Before Canada

Our journey began on Saturday, July 23, after a hectic week for both of us. Ryan pulled two all-nighters and Lorin was as busy as ever. After somehow escaping the madness and managing to get things packed, we embarked on our way to our first stop, Redding, to visit a lonely friend. After getting some majorly good and “secret” climbing beta from a local outdoor shop employee, we set off on an intense 8 hour climbing spree the following day. The climbing was nothing short of awesome, and “The Shredding,” as it is called by locals, lived up to its name. The featured rock was absolutely full of amazing pockets and texture that allowed for hard pulling and steep/overhanging sends. 

After cleaning up, we quickly fled the central valley for Highway 1 and slept as a secret spot that we had been to before in the quaint little town of Trinidad, CA. Though the night was peaceful, the morning brought thick fog. Unfortunately, the drive up the Oregon coast was so socked in, that we decided we would be better off heading inland to the Columbia River Gorge. We got to the Gorge with enough time left in the day to hike to the top of Multnomah Falls, the second highest year-round waterfall in the United States. Though fairly crowded at the base, the crowds thinned drastically over the dozen long switchbacks to the top. After leaving the falls, we made our way to Eagle Creek, Oregon, made dinner, and found a new “secret” camping spot that featured clean grassy areas in the trees, picnic tables, bathrooms, and running water…all for free (at least as far as we know). 

Day 3 brought a new adventure. Our goal was to dayhike the Eagle Creek Trail and join up with the Pacific Crest Trail on our way to Tunnel Falls. This 13 mile out-and-back trail run (well, run for Ryan so that he could keep up with Lorin’s speedwalking) was nothing short of impressive and is highly recommended by us for anyone in the area. Though the entire hike is beautiful and full of wildlife including deer, giant slugs, and camouflaged snakes, two sites really stood out as being places we will not soon forget. Punchbowl Falls reminded us of our honeymoon on the Yucatan and the amazing cenotes we saw there. 

Tunnel Falls was by far one of the most impressive waterfalls we had ever seen. This huge freefall of water features a human engineered tunnel that allows the PCT to pass behind the waterfall and to the other side. The roar of the water hitting the bottom, the trickling of the droplets seeping through the roof of the cave, and sheer verticality of the landscape was absolutely awe-inspiring.

After stretching out from our half-a-day speed hike, we ate lunch and made our way across Bridge of the Gods to Mt. St Helens. Not knowing anything about where we were, we decided to follow the first interesting sign that caught our eye: Ape Cave. Ape cave is a 2,000 year old lava tube that can be explored for its 2.5 mile underground length. As there is no light inside (you have to descend about 60 feet to get to the bottom and it slopes down from there), we strapped on our headlamps and made our way through the freezing (upper 30 degrees) tunnel. 

After resurfacing, we continued to explore different areas of the mountain and forest and made our way to Elma, Washington, to visit some of Lorin’s family. After recuperating for a day, we made our way through the Olympic National Forest where we climbed Mt. Ellinor, ran to more waterfalls, and walked along crystal clear rivers. The end of our day featured a 30 minute car ferry across the Puget Sound to Edmonds, WA, where we went to REI and stuffed our faces full of good ol’ Italian food (we need a treat once in a while ay?).

Now, we sit in a Starbucks parking lot at 11:45 PM on Thursday, July 28, alive, well, and kickin. On our way to the border before it gets too late. Climbing in Squamish, British Columbia, tomorrow. The adventure is really about to begin.