Jeepin' to the Mountains

I have never blogged before, and I have no idea where I am going to go with this. Read at your own risk. I make no guarantees that this will be interesting, clever, witty or logically sound. I have a short attention span and I am willing to bet that my writing will be the same.

In the next few days I am going to embark on a solo road trip out West. Me, a Jeep, sleeping bag, tent and assorted other junk. Why am I doing this? I have the time. I have been a self-employed consultant for almost 13 years and for the first time I have no contracts. My plan was to take a few weeks off to travel and get some projects done around the house before I start looking for more work. I made it about 5 days before Darcy suggested I take the road trip I have been talking about for 25 years. Darcy also suggested I keep a blog during the trip so she and the boys can keep in touch with where I am and what I am experiencing. So here it is.

My Plan -

I am taking the Jeep Wrangler and wandering around whichever way the moment takes me. The trip would be MUCH simpler if I took the Denali, but it would be much more sterile. The Denali has power everything, a long wheel base with a smooth ride, tremendous power, very comfortable seating, a navigation system, On Star, satellite radio and tons of room. The Jeep has none of these things. I could easily clip off 700-800 miles of interstate a day in the Denali. With the Jeep a 500 mile day will be exhausting. The beauty of the Jeep is having the top down. It's hard to drive it without smiling. The plains and mountains will be much more "real" from the Jeep. I plan to stay off of the interstates and drive back roads and highways as much as possible. It won't be as comfortable, but I think it will be a better experience.

I really don't have too much of a plan. There are a number of places I have always wanted to see. I am heading out to Mount Rushmore to begin the trip. I am guessing I will spend a day or two in the black Hills and then move on. Other places I may (or may not) get to are Devil's Tower, Yellowstone National Part, Grand Tetons National Park, and Glacier National Park. I'll see how things develop once I get out there.

My intention is to camp along the way. I have a small tent, a cot and a sleeping bag. I have no reservations anywhere but I shouldn't have too much issue finding a place to park the Jeep and pitch the tent. The forecast in the Yellowstone area is for low to mid 30's at night, so it may be cooler than I would like. Good sleeping weather.

When I find a place to camp and explore I plan to drive and hike throughout the parks. I am bringing a backpack and a couple of cameras. I'm in no hurry and will take my time walking trails and photographing whatever I may find interesting. I really don't know what to expect, but I'll go with whatever I find and keep myself busy as much as I can.

I have no idea what I will find for wi-fi access and power to charge my laptop (and cameras and phone) but I will try to keep semi-regular updates as utilities allow. My updates may be short or long-winded (like this one). I really won't know until I get out there and see what happens. I can understand my wife and kids keeping up on my blogs, but I don't know what would be in it for anyone else. If you are reading this and choose to continue reading my posts, I hope there is something interesting for you and it isn't a complete waste of time.

Thanks for taking the time to read this and I will update this before I go with more news on the exhausting task of preparing for this trip.

Tom