Posts in Outdoors
Glacier National Park: Gunsight Pass Trail
Glacier National Park: Gunsight Pass Trail

Trying to go backpacking at a national park while living on the road with two dogs is hard to do. Restricting dogs to just paved roads and parking lots in national parks limits where we can go inside parks and for how long. We aren’t comfortable leaving Tybee and Tyki with a Craigslist dog-sitter or even at a kennel. So when our friend Barbara, who also lives in an RV full-time with her partner Mary, offered to watch the dogs for us so we could visit Glacier National Park, we took her up on it.

Read More
OutdoorsChingGlacier National Park, Backpacking, Montana, Gunsight Pass Trail, Lake Ellen Wilson, Gunsight Lake, Wildflowers, Hiking, National Parks
Garnet Ghost Town
Garnet Ghost Town

We’re staying outside Missoula, MT at Niff’s place (Barbara’s friend), parked on her 24 acres of land at the top of a mountain. Turns out that Garnet Ghost Town is pretty close by, only 19 miles from Niff’s (one way). Jerud and I decided that it would be a great way to spend the day on our bikes.

Read More
OutdoorsChingGarnet Ghost Town, Montana, Garnet Range Backcountry Byway, Lubrecht Experimental Forest, Hwy 200, Garnet Preservation Association, Ghost town, Wildflowers, Cycling
Giving Back By Getting Dirty
Giving Back By Getting Dirty

Our previous involvement with non-profit organizations that do trail work has shown us first-hand how important and invaluable volunteers are.  As we all know, trails don’t build themselves, and forest services have very limited funding and manpower to be able to maintain all the existing trails within their management realm. Volunteers are not only vital to trails being maintained and built, but they also add credibility and value to the non-profit organizations.

Read More
OutdoorsChingTrail Work, Service Project, Volunteer, National Trails Day, National Public Lands Day, Conservation, Salida Mountain Trails, MTB Missoula, ACA, Access Fund, IMBA, Get Dirty
Late Night Musings At Valley Of The Gods
Late Night Musings At Valley Of The Gods

It was a moonless night. The sky was cloudy and I could only see the patch of hazy stars that were directly above me. The horizon was almost pitch black, something rare, to have so little amount of light pollution. My eyes could barely pick out the dark outlines of the buttes and spires that during the daylight resemble seven sailors, a sitting hen, a battleship, and a castle. 

Read More
OutdoorsChingUtah, Valley of the Gods
The Great Sand Dunes: Tips For A Great Time
The Great Sand Dunes: Tips For A Great Time

The Great Sand Dunes look so out of place sitting in the middle of the San Luis Valley with the snow covered Sangre de Cristo Mountains as its backdrop on the eastern side.  On our drive from Salida to Crestone, Jerud pointed out the sand dunes to me; from afar you could see the land turn smooth at the foot of the mountains. I was very excited to see the Great Sand Dunes and knew it would be a unique experience. But I wasn’t prepared for how spellbound I would be by them.

Read More
OutdoorsChingColorado, Great Sand Dunes National Park, Dogs, Hiking, Campground, Boondocking, National Parks
Salida - Part 2: Dirt, Snow & Water
Salida - Part 2: Dirt, Snow & Water

After walking out of Salida Mountain Sports and Absolute Bikes with maps and a list of trails to check out, Jerud and I felt eager, excited and overwhelmed. Salida has so many trails that it would take years to complete any large portion of them. I have to remind myself that it’s ok that we won’t be able to see and do all trails, and that we’re living on the road now which means coming back will be a lot easier than traveling in our previous lifestyle.

Read More
OutdoorsChingSalida, Salida East Recreation Area, Colorado, Snowshoeing, Mountain Biking, Hiking, Arkansas River, Dogs
Manitou Springs: It's OK You Can't Breathe
Manitou Springs: It's OK You Can't Breathe

On our last day in Salida, CO we had decided that because of the snow and muddy roads we had to leave town. Our 14-day stay limit was up at Salida East Recreation Area and our other boondocking options weren’t viable because of the road conditions. The plan was that we would head to Great Sand Dunes National Park the next day. Early the next morning Jerud got a text from his grandmother. Turned out his grandmother and grandfather were in Colorado Springs until the next day staying with his aunt and uncle. They hadn’t seen Jerud in a long time and wanted to see the RV, so we headed to Colorado Springs for the next two days.

Read More
OutdoorsChingManitou Springs, Colorado Springs, Hiking
Salida - Part 1: Snowcapped Peaks & The Arkansas River
Salida - Part 1: Snowcapped Peaks & The Arkansas River

Before we arrived Salida, we said to each other, “We’ll only be here for three or so days before we head onto Durango.” Salida wasn’t even on our radar until Andrew insisted that we stop and check out the town. Andrew, Reid and Brant (two brothers he met) rode through and stopped in Salida during his Great Divide tour last summer. Him and Reid randomly decided to ride the Backbone Trail on S Mountain (Arkansas Mountain Trail System) to get into town from the Great Divide route. I remember him calling me to tell me about this incredible piece of singletrack that brought him into a cool town.

Read More
Outdoors, Life On The RoadChingSalida, Colorado, Boondocking, Salida East Recreation Area, Brewery, Snow
Denver: Parking Lots, Dinosaurs, Mesas and Prairie Dogs
Denver: Parking Lots, Dinosaurs, Mesas and Prairie Dogs

In Denver we experienced what it would be like to live in a shopping center parking lot. Jay, our friend we went to visit, let us stay in the parking lot of his retail store while we were in town. It worked out really nicely because it was conveniently located to all the errands we had to run while in town. The spot Jay picked out for us was actually pretty nice - we were parked away from all the other cars and essentially had our own little section of the parking lot.

Read More
OutdoorsChingDenver, Dinosaur Ridge, North Table Mountain Park, Centennial Cone, Bear Creek Greenbelt, Mountain Biking, Hiking
Pisgah Mountain Bike Adventure Race (PMBAR)
Pisgah Mountain Bike Adventure Race (PMBAR)

PMBAR (Pisgah Mountain Bike Adventure Race) is this super popular race put on by Pisgah Productions. So popular, it sells out in less than a day (update: it sold out in 16 hours in 2014 and a record of 5 hours in 2015). The race is a checkpoint format with teams of two riders. But the highlight of the race (aside from spending an entire day in Pisgah on a bike) is that you don't know any details of the race until the morning of.

Read More
OutdoorsChingPMBAR, Pisgah Mountain Bike Adventure Race, Pisgah National Forest, Brevard, North Carolina, Mountain Biking, Race, Mountain Bike Race