After 400 miles, the radiator blew up just south of Death Valley, and so we got stuck here in Baker, CA for 2 days. Population 350, and the "Mad Greek Restaurant" seems to be the place to hang out.
Here's the auto shop we were stuck at for 2 days. There's our van circled in red. Fortunately, the owner let us stay inside this "compound" at night. Like watch dogs we were fenced in overnight... but I guess we didn't par well since we were lazy asses sleeping most of the night. We did find a metal bucket to try to make a campfire at night... but it was lined with tar and so the smell was awefull. Oh well, back to bed...
The Chaw Vessel and Steve. It got boring really quick! The Mad Greek advertisement became annoying after awhile. We should have changed it to "Made Climbers."
We had to pass time. Found a beam, threw a webbing over it, and used an ice ax to make a pull up bar. Steve hard at work rigging it up.
Steve.
Me.
After 49 hours, the radiator was fixed -- took some time getting it from Barstow, the nearest city some 60 miles away. And here is proof that the van was back in action -- circled. Here is Badwater in Death Valley.
Badwater... elevation -282 feet. Nothing. Just nothing.
So far about 700 miles from point of origin! We made it into Lone Pine, CA... which is where Mt. Whitney is... almost halfway up California near the Neveda border. We camped out here and did some rock climbing before continuing. By this point, with the radiator working well... the engine crapped out. We were losing about 1 quart of oil every 20 miles. Bad, really bad. But we had to get to Bishop, the next "big" town 50 miles uproad.
Another view before we headed north towards Bishop, Ca. Beautiful.
Near Bishop, we found hot springs. Steve immersed in warm water. Also, this was where we took our first bath since leaving Arizona. Much needed...
The Vessel. Made it to Bishop, though smoking the whole way! Verdict: Oil pan gasket is crapped, will take 2 days to get the gasket from LA and replace. Ouch! Stuck again?! 2 days?! Again, we stayed in our van in the dirt parking lot waiting for the gasket to arrive and to be worked on. Living out of auto shops seems to be the theme of our trip.
The setup. Flaps open up for gear access, but when down, they made a huge bed. Very comfy.
Side view. Shelves behind driver seat for storage, cooking, etc... Note the cooler... that's where we keep beer.
We were so lucky to have been hooked up with someone who knew someone who knew someone who actually lived in Bishop! So they let up borrow their van so that we could pass time rock climbing or whatever. We are at the parking lot for Owen's River Gorge. Did some climbing there to pass time. Awesome.
They let us stay at their house. In their backyard, they had a slack line (taut line to practice balance by walking on it, kinda like tight-rope). Here is Steve.
Me. Oh, yeah, I still haven't had a change of clothes, yet. Perhaps will do so if and when we get to Seattle.
From email update...
From Bishop, CA, we got the van "fixed"... but 15 miles out of town, we get pulled over by an A-hole cop. Van was smoking galore... burning off all the oil that had spat onto the engine. The van oozed smoke, murder, drugs, and everything else that could make cops want to pull it over. Told him we were heading to Reno, NV... he just told us to "get the hell out of his county." Like it's really "his!" Seemed like one of those dudes who were pushed around as a kid... and now is an "authority" figure. Oh well. Have your county, dude, and shove it your a##.
5 miles later, again... get pulled over by another cop! As he walked up, he had his hand on his gun... "How many people in the van?" Ummm, just two? "You sure?" I wanted to say, ...we're just dirt bags, not killers. He looked inside to make sure we didn't have any dead bodies or kidnapped people. He told us, also, to get the hell out of his county. We left his county.. without any bodies.
Drove north on US395 ..a must drive road! Absolutely beautiful! Made it to Reno where we tried to find a casino with a buffet. All were closing up cuz it was 10pm. What's up with that? Vegas' buffets are 24 hrs! We drove by a place that advertised "Girls on Spring Break"... hmm... that'd be nice to see. Nay, probably too much $$. Oh well... this was a climbing trip... We ended up eating in some restaurant in a casino... that was above Chippendales. "Steve, you're not ...you know... into this are you?" hahaha. Pheewww! But hey, maybe we can do some dancing and work at Chippendales... that is, if we were studly enough. But next to us at the restaurant were 5 old women with necklaces around them... they had just come from Chippendales and were ecstatic. Loud, boisterous, and horny. "Nay, let's pass on that Chippendales idea." Off on the road again till 2am where we slept on the side of a road.
Up at 6 am and off towards the Oregon border. Made it ALLLLLLLLLLLLL the way through OR. Road through east OR is absolutely beautiful beautiful beatiful BEAUTIFUL BEAUTIFUL. Get the idea? Made it to Bend, OR then onward to Salem, OR.. then Portland, OR. Started to rain. And guess what? Wipers suck! Van started to smoke a little. Pulled over... and guess what? Hood release lever broke! FFFFFF**k!
Dude at the gas station was proud to help us, "OK, let's do this the easy way," he said as he put his jacket on and got this leatherman knife. He was the Wiper King! Onward we went after visiting his kingdom.
Just north of Portland, OR... van's smoking freaked us ...and tooo many cops on the highway. So we went off on smaller roads. Got to Whittaker Mountainerring, Inc (now in conjunction with RMI) around 8pm. AWESOMEEEEE!! The van made it! Made it! Made it!! Yes, yes, yes... oh baby. OK, no orgasm.. but close enough. :-)
We are hanging out at the mountaineering shop determining what to do. Liberty Ridge is on our thoughts.
On the road through eastern Oregon, we pulled over for a break. Here I am bouldering "climbing my van."
Made it to Ashford, WA, which is next to Mt. Rainier. We parked our van in the parking lot of Whittaker Mountaineering Inc for the night. Here I am trying to decide which "John" to use. Neither was labeled "Women" or "Men." Hmmm... two johns diverge... I hope to chose the one less taken.
After we got our climbing permits for Mt. Rainier's Liberty Ridge, we drove to the campsite at the trailhead -- Ipsut Creek Trailhead and Campsite. Elevation 2300 ft. Mt. Rainier's summit is 14,410 ft.
Early next morning (May 1, Monday) we hiked in around 5am.
Here I am happy to endure the next couple of days of hard work. 5 days, 9+ hr days of climbing 12,100 ft to the top carrying a 50lb pack. Yeah! (note: English sarcasm was used here.)
A peak of the route. Yelp, that'd be her and her fine line.
Steve ascending to Thumb Rock, which is at 10,800 ft. One slip and ...well, you can imagine...
A different angle of Steve ascending to Thumb Rock. You see, one slip and... well... Circled is the Carbon Glacier. I think it's the biggest glacier in North America. We hiked on it following it to the base of Liberty Ridge.
Next morning on Thumb Rock. Well, I figured that I can always try to be a "Climbing Elvis" and work in Vegas. Here I am with my Mango Mountain Man suit.
Ascending above Thumb Rock. Behind Steve is the Willis Wall. Not much you can do except keep going up.
Finally at the summit! Yeah! This is a photo of Steve. My lithium batteries died out in the cold... so no photos of me. Oh well.
From email update from Christi May 9th...
After finishing up some much needed burgers celebrating their successsful Liberty Ridge climb, they head off to clean up at a quality hotel located conveniently within walking distance of a fabulous sushi restaurant where they later get quite drunk. They awoke late Saturday to run some gear-purchasing errands and then start heading on northward.
They make it as far as Mt Vernon, WA - just south of the border, when they assess that the Chaw Vessel is on her very last legs and can't possibly go on. So they find the local pool/karaoke bar and decide to contemplate their next moves after a beer or ten. "Should we get a new van?" "How about we get a BOAT?" Eventually, such talk translated into some rounds of pool translated into turns at the karaoke mic. That's when Tauru calls Christi with no hello, just the raucus sounds of "My Girl" to the tune of I Think This Is My Eleventh Beer. He would later call to pass out in the back of the Vessel in a Walmart parking lot.
Sunday came late and still quite drunk upon waking. Such a slothen state made them come to their senses about the boat - it was too expensive. But lethargy also prompted the decision of, "what the hell, let's just keep driving." Somehow, they cross the border and drive. They drove Sunday. They drove Monday.
Tuesday, 3pm - still driving. They are now in White Horse, Yukon and don't know how the hell their luck turned out so good. Only issue was minor - their muffler suddenly exploded and fell out. But hey, who needs a muffler? Keep driving.
They should, if nothing else happened, be just now crossing the border and entering Canada. Cross your fingers, ladies and gents. Let the good kharma sing on.
From email update May 10th...
5pm Talkeetna, Alaska -- where we next catch flight onto glacier to climb Mt. McKinley (Denali)5pm Talkeetna, Alaska -- where we next catch flight onto glacier to climb Mt. McKinley (Denali)
May 10th
We have finally made it here! The van is blessed (or possessed), but she has brought us here. Noisy, rattling, clinking, heaving, puffing, etc... The whole ride through Canada was a shock at every mile she continued through.
We made it to Beaver Creek (AK/Canada border town) late yesterday (9pm, but still full of daylight) ...where I took a moment to go look for the drainage pipe that I had slept in when I hitch hiked through there 10 years ago. As some of you may know, I was a bum roaming through the world 10 years ago... and I hitched the Alaskan-Canadian HWY on the whim... I passed into Beaver Creek where I was stranded for the night. It started to drizzle, and with no money, I had to spend the night on "in the street.' Well, I found a drainage pipe under the road and crawled into it for the night. An immortal memory! So when I was in B-Creek, I found it. Awesome! 10 years later.. and I haven't changed! :-)
Onward to Alaska. Crossed the border and got beer ...ummm ...welll ...ummm ...that is ...for the road! Of course! Alaska, boon-dogs... gotta drive with a beer in hand! Hell yeah! Woohoo -- we are disciples of Homer. Only thing that sucked about doing this was... having to stop to pee. We saw moose on the side of road... well... we peed next to him. It's Alaska! Oh, we did see caribou, moose, buffaloes, deer, wild horses, girls, owls, bald eagles, etc..
We are currently in Talkeetna, the last stop before we get into a small plane on Friday morning to fly onto the glacier for Denali... and start our month long acclimatization and push for climbing the Cassin Ridge. Well see. Going to take my last bath tomorrow for a month.
Life is wonderful... it better be for YOU, too!
Tauru
With van problems in Mt. Vernon, WA, I ended up drinking and singing my heart out at some bar/karaoke. My cheeks are red ...from climbing Mt. Rainier, I swear!
The van comes to life and "fixes itself" ...and we move on! Here is one of the wild animals we saw. Would have posted a photo of one of this wild "girls"... but it'd probably be an "Adult Content."
Bambi...
In Watson Lake, in the Yukon, there's this place where ...there are tons of signs from all over the world. Strange. Here I am practicing slack lining.
Big frozen lake up near towards Alaska.
Drainage where I had slept in 10 years ago in Beaver Creek, Canada on the border of Alaska/Canada.
In Alaska! It's 11pm... still lots of light.
Bustling town of Talkeetna, where we will take a plane to the glacier at the base of Denali. To fly out Friday May 12th.
Proof that the van has made it! Talkeetna Ranger Station.
Me.. in my same clothes. Anyway... Standing in front of Statistics for this year: So far, 0 summit successes, 11 have come down the mountain unsuccessful, currently 184 on the mountain, and 1084 to be on the mountain this year.
Took a photo of a large photo at the ranger station. Green line is the West Buttress route where we will hope to use for acclimatization. The red line is the Cassin Ridge. Beautiful! It'll be difficult.
We camp at the bunk house in Talkeetna... getting ready to fly into the mountain in 2 days. Total weight for 4 wks to take onto the mountain is about 100 lbs each... which is light relative to others who take ~130+ lbs. Our food is pretty basic, so nothing fancy. Steve made a fire pit... not sure if it was allowed, but "heck, it's Alaska," Steve says.
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