Van-Tramp adventures 2017

[rvpopeye]

Skuh kuh kuh kuh kuh
Some of my patches are starting to wear away, I had them all on a fleece jacket but it finally wore out so I cut them off and put them back in a ziploc bag for protection.
(They weighed quite a bit too !)

OH yeah , anyone reading this going to the Grand Canyon?
I went there back in '81 before I started collecting the patches . I'd be happy to send payment and postage if someone could pick one up and send it to me.
I'm sure I'll be happy to go there again but when????
It "Ain't Right" I tell ya!
Maybe I need to start a thread instead of hijacking this one???
I'm done now , peace out!

 

[Van-Tramp]

I have always wondered if there is a place online to order these things... just never checked.

 

[rvpopeye]

I thought that too but figured I didn't earn it till I went there,,,, but GC was the only one I missed.
I also try to get one for every place I workamp if they have one.
A couple places I bought a hat or shirt with embroidered logo and cut it off to "make" my own!

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

I have always wondered if there is a place online to order these things... just never checked.

Of course there is.

http://www.eparks.com/store/category/24/266/Patches/

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

Here's an idea for you collectors.  Velcro the patches to your headliner.

 

[Van-Tramp]

Yak-packing in Voyaguers Ntnl Park
http://www.van-tramp.com/wp/yak-packing-in-voyaguers-ntnl-park/


[size=large]This past weekend was our second big adventure of the year; the three-day, two-night, yak-packing trip into Voyageurs National Park. Even though we had planned a few months ahead on this one, reservations were scarce for any of the boat-in camping. Only a few sites remained at the time we were booking, so our choices were heavily limited. When it was all booked, our first night’s stay would be about 9 miles from our put-in point at Ash River Visitor’s Center. That’s a pretty long paddle for us, and even more so when we throw in all the extra weight of camping supplies in the kayaks. The second night would bring us half-way back, breaking up the return trip into two shorter paddles.[/size]
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We watched the weather the week leading up to the trip, knowing that only high winds or torrential rainfall would keep us from going. At times, both appeared to be in our way, but the weather lightened in the days before, to just rain chances on all three days. We felt good about our rain-camping ability after our rough weekend in the tent, and fixes made, not far back. Rain was not going to keep us away, and the wind was forecast in the high single digits on all three days, although we would have a head wind for our return.

The dogs went to a kennel the day before we set out. Waking early on Saturday, Kerri and I were at our launch point well before 7 am. We hoped to be on the water by 7, but just as we arrived, so did the rain. Kerri double checked her weather app which stated as a fact, “no rain” as it continued to fall. Not heavy, but enough  to put us into jackets and load up under fire from the sky above. By 7:30 we pushed off from land and started paddling. The rain continued to fall but our rain jackets and home-made kayak skirts (simple garbage bags draped over our cockpit openings) were working perfectly.

We paddled for an hour under the company of the rain, but were all smiles anyway. We slithered around islands and kept mindful of the local in their motor-boats just starting their day of fishing. Midway through our paddle, the rain was lightening, and the sky was opening up small patches of blue. The temperatures began to rise as well, making the final two miles pretty hot under the rain coats which we were too un-trusting to remove.
As we approached the island we would call home on the first night, the skies opened up with bright white clouds to our left and right, and full blue above us. I pointed to my left to the land only a few hundred yards away and exclaimed, “that is Canada”. And it most definitely was. We were – in the most literal sense – kayaking on the Canadian-American border.  We stayed state-side and got the first glimpse of our campsite after just under 9 miles of kayaking. My back was killing me, as is usual after only 3 or 4 miles, but we made it unscathed. Looking out from our camp, directly across the water, still stood Canada.

Our camp was quickly erected, and Kerri went straight to work finding a cell signal. I mocked her until the phone was turned off and the books came out instead. We read for hours, ate our re-hydrated meals, tinkered about a few more islands in the kayaks, and burned off a bundle of firewood (less to carry tomorrow) well before sunset. As much as we wanted, we were not going to see the darkness this night. Kerri put me to sleep (thanks in part to my trusty sleeping pills) with a wrist-rub warranted due to a wrist-pain that sprung up from the long paddle.[/size]
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I must be getting accustomed to sleeping in a tent (finally) as I woke at 5:30 am refreshed and ready to start the day. We took it slow and easy, with coffee and breakfast at a leisurely pace before starting the process of packing everything back up and loading it all back into the kayaks. We were actually ready to hit the water by 9 am, not that we tried to get moving that early. We didn’t want to arrive at our next site too early, as it may still have occupants.

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continued...

 

[Van-Tramp]

... continued

Luckily, we had a stop to make on our path back to the next night’s camp. After 3 miles of paddling, we docked on the island that once housed the I.W. Steven’s Resort. Mr Stevens purchased the island back in the 30’s and built a few structures himself. He ran it as an exclusive resort for decades and then lived there by himself until 1979. He left the island at 94 years old, having lived more than 4 decades alone on it. The buildings still stand today… thankfully, as a rain storm came in on us just as we started exploring the resort buildings (all left open for visitors). We ran back to the kayaks to seal up the cockpits and grab our bag of food. We would take refuge in Mr Stevens’ home and eat tuna sandwiches while the rain blew past.



Two more miles of kayaking got us to our new home. Just in time too, as my wrist was getting much worse. Once again, we were in place by mid-day and had the entirety of the afternoon to setup, eat, and explore our 500 foot by 1000 foot island. It didn’t take long. So, once again the books came out and we read while the peace of the lake surrounded us. I eventually laid down in the tent and took an I-have-no-idea-how-long nap. Kerri joined.



We were up just in time for dinner preparations and yet another bundle of firewood to burn, again lightening our load for the remainder of the trip back to the truck. A cocktail and a few cookies around the fire rounded out the night before we settled in for some sleep. This time it was Kerri who got the wrist rub, as now one of hers was in pain as well. She zonked, and I soon followed.

We slept in on the final morning. The winds were high and we were in no mood to paddle the final four miles in it so feet were being dragged in our eating and packing up. We did not set out until nearly 11 am, just as the wind died to to just a whisper. We lucked out. Normally the wind is mellow early, kicking up around this time. Although there was still a good breeze, we had it fairly easy all the way back, until the final quarter mile or so. There, the wind howled at us as if in some attempt to keep us from making land. With wrists screaming out in pain, and shoulders and backs tired of the kayaks and paddling, we pulled back into the launch point after 18 miles of kayaking.



We both agreed, multiple times through out the weekend, that it was a long weekend. Not that we did not enjoy ourselves, we did, big time. I was constantly reminding myself just where I was, and the scenery around me, and just how amazing it all was. But once again I fear that I am growing accustomed to the amazing. What would have blown my mind five years ago, now brings a quick smile to my face and appreciation to my heart. I fear that living this amazing life is slowly degrading that amazement over time.  Not that I am going to stop!

We left Voyageurs already (a few days early) and have begun the long awaited Southern push to get back “home”. Home being the West, of course. With Cumberland Island being the South-Eastern precipice of this year’s trip, Voyageurs was our Northern precipice. Within just a few short weeks I will be in my home state of Colorado, to see my son and take care of some paperwork so I can keep living the life on the road.

Many more embedded Instagram images at http://www.van-tramp.com/wp/yak-packing-in-voyaguers-ntnl-park/[/SIZE]

 

[AbuelaLoca]

Quote: I fear that I am growing accustomed to the amazing. What would have blown my mind five years ago, now brings a quick smile to my face and appreciation to my heart. I fear that living this amazing life is slowly degrading that amazement over time. Not that I am going to stop!

I think because you're aware of that, it's probably not gonna happen!

 

[Van-Tramp]

Final days in Minnesota
http://www.van-tramp.com/wp/final-days-in-minnesota/

[size=large]We left Voyageurs National Park early to drop a couple hours off our next weekend’s drive. If not, we would have had well over 8 hours of driving to get to our next week-long destination. Anyone that knows the ways of RV travel, 8 hours really means 12+ hours on the road. So we opted to break it up into more manageable chunks, driving 2 hours of it on Wednesday morning and arriving at Knutson Dam Campground on Cass Lake, not too far out of Bemidji, Minnesota. There we stayed the remainder of the work week, traveling into Bemidji two of the mornings to work at a coffee shop.  Ive been looking forward to passing through Bemidji for a few weeks now, ever since binge-watching season 1 of Fargo (much of the show takes place in the town). A cute town it was, and it holds one very important thing in it’s pocket; Lake Bimidji is the start of the Mississippi River, literally. WIthout Lake Bimidji there is no Mississippi River. And wouldn’t you know it, our very own campsite was right on the banks of the only 30-mile old (at that point) Mississippi River, and what a view it was.[/size]
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[size=large]Of course, we took the time to hang out with Paul Buyan and his Ox. Even ran into him again in another town down the road. That man sure gets around.[/size]
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[size=large]Three days later were left to resume our drive into North Dakota. It still required another overnight stop before we reached our destination, but in the end we had two good days of exploring in Theodore Roosevelt National Park once we arrived. More on that later…[/size]
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[size=large]more embedded Instagram images at http://www.van-tramp.com/wp/final-days-in-minnesota/[/SIZE][/size]

 

[Van-Tramp]

Penetrating North Dakota
http://www.van-tramp.com/wp/penetrating-north-dakota/

[size=large]We finally made it to what I consider “Officially West”. Originally I thought it would be once we crossed into North Dakota, but Fargo still has very much a Northern and Mid-West feel to it. We decided to drop the week long stay in Fargo and keep driving West with a single overnight to get us across the state. We are in a bit of a time-crunch so another week buffer is helping ease that stress.[/size]
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It took another few hours of driving to get to our overnight spot, and our first proper boondocking in months, and even though it was not an exceptional spot, it sure seemed over the top at the time. The dogs fully agreed. It felt so good to just pull down a dirt road and find a place to free-camp, and a view always helps as well.[/size]
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[size=large]We got back on the road the following morning, and a few more hours passed before we reached that magical line; Mountain Time zone. It is here, and I think all will agree, that the West begins. Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado are all icons of the West, and all in Mountain Time zone, and now so am I. I’ve got to dust off my cowboy hat. It is good to be home. Initially we pulled into a State Park (below image) just south of Medora, ND which happens to be the gateway to the Theodore Roosevelt National Park, which we had plans to visit. After a single night, and a bit of scouting the following day, we decided to leave our week-long paid-and-reserved site for another dispersed camping spot a few miles out of town.[/size]
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[size=large]And it was surely the right decision! Peace and quiet, and the place all to ourselves for the week was just what the doctor ordered. Kerri and I both agree that the weight of the East has been lifted, and we both feel more relaxed and happier out here. Life is good.[/size]
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[Ballenxj]

Final days in Minnesota
http://www.van-tramp.com/wp/final-days-in-minnesota/

[size=large]Of course, we took the time to hang out with Paul Buyan and his Ox. Even ran into him again in another town down the road. That man sure gets around.[/size]

He sure does seem to get around. I swear I've seen him in multiple towns out West too. Then again, his stride is a bit longer than average.  
Again, love the photos and posts of your travels.

 

[rvpopeye]

"You chose......wisely !"
Nice spot , I think you've developed some kind of radar for this!

 

[SoulRaven]

Always a pleasure to follow your travels.

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

So it turns out that a photogbrapher for the NY Daily News spent 8 days kayaking down the Hudson River from Albany to NYC (179 miles)

Given your beautiful photography and passion for kayaking, I thought of you when I saw them.  You ought to consider doing something like this, maybe one end of the Mississippi to the other, or something.

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york...manhattan-gallery-1.3294240?pmSlide=1.3294214

 

[Van-Tramp]

So it turns out that a photogbrapher for the NY Daily News spent 8 days kayaking down the Hudson River from Albany to NYC (179 miles)

Given your beautiful photography and passion for kayaking, I thought of you when I saw them.  You ought to consider doing something like this, maybe one end of the Mississippi to the other, or something.

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york...manhattan-gallery-1.3294240?pmSlide=1.3294214

Funny you should say that, we have a 4 day trip in the "Labyrinth" in October. Nearly 50 miles paddling down the Green River in Utah. 
http://moab-rafting.com/green-river/self-guided-multi-day-canoe-trips-labyrinth-canyon/
Thanks for the article

 

[Van-Tramp]

Theodore Roosevelt National Park
http://www.van-tramp.com/wp/theodore-roosevelt-national-park/

[size=large]Theodore Roosevelt National Park was the reason we drove all the way through North Dakota.  A long time I have wanted to drop in on Teddy, but North Dakota has always been so far off my route. I knew this may be the last opportunity (at least for many years) so noting was going to stop us from this truly “west” National Park. So much so that the park is in three sections spread out over 40 miles as the crow flies. The largest section – the one we were camped just outside boundary – has a 38 miles scenic driving loop that brought us through and over much of the badlands inside the park, and back to the Little Missouri River where it all began. Along the way more than a few prairie dogs, a few buffalo, and a small gathering of wild horses kept us company. We also made the 25 mile gravel-road drive to the Elkhorn Ranch Unit of the park, scouting a few campgrounds along the way – including where we ended up staying – and hoping to see Teddy’s Ranch from his day. As it turned out, nothing is left standing of the ranch today, not that there is any warning of that by the NPS. Just a short trail through some of the badlands to the River and back is all that there was for us to do after the nearly hour and a half drive out there. And of course, I collected a few ticks along the walk just for fun.



In the end we opted out of doing the hours of driving to go out to the North Unit, instead using up our final full day in the area doing – literally – nothing all day. It is rare that we go a “do nothing day” and it was needed.

By the time we left North Dakota, the summer heat was in full force. During our week’s stay here, we had only a single day that got into the 90’s (too hot to be boondocking), and all next week was to be in the high 90’s and 100’s. The timing was good since we were moving to an RV park in South Dakota to get Kerri’s residency done. At least we would have the air conditioner there.[/size]
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Since I forgot to bring my phone with me this day, all photos taken by Kerri.[/size]

 

[Van-Tramp]

Rapid City Redux
http://www.van-tramp.com/wp/rapid-city-redux/

[size=large]We had returned to Black Hills area of South Dakota with a single purpose in mind; moving Kerri out of California. Even when you do not set foot in that state, they make sure to tax you to the max. What Kerri paid in California taxes and vehicle registration over the past six years would have bought a nice used car, or trailer, or two years living in a van exploring the country. It’s a lot of money to give a state when one doesn’t actually live in it. Add to the mix of just how poorly the government operates the state with the money  provided by the tax payers, and it is another kick in the face. I am happy to report that it is all resolved now. Within just a few hours of coming back to South Dakota Kerri had all the vehicles registered in South Dakota and a valid residential address in the state. Minutes after the local DMV opened for business (after the 4th of July holiday) she had a finished driver’s license in hand. It was all that simple, and I am super-happy to report she is no longer a Californian (whew!). Not only is she saving thousands each year in taxes, her auto insurance will drop significantly, and she has regained the right to vote (and carry a gun for that matter). It is a win-win all around.

For this to happen though, meant spending the week in an asphalt parking lot, feet away from Interstate traffic, in summer temperatures. The RV park was far from scenic of luxurious, but it was 50 feet from Kerri’s new residential address where professionals were there to help her through the process of becoming a South Dakotan. With the 100’s hitting the thermometer this past week, it was a good time to be connected to shore-power and running the air conditioner. Even that didn’t really keep the heat away though as the tin can I live in works like an oven when the sun us beating down on it all day. The AC simply can’t keep up the heat radiating through the skin and insulation, so many uncomfortable days took place.

I spent most of the week running errands in the city. Laundry, truck fix-em-up-stuff, downloading large files at coffee shops, etc… You know, all the fun stuff of daily life in a high-heat environment. We did take one evening to get out to a local speak-easy for some  underground drinks and Blues.
 
embedded Instagram images at http://www.van-tramp.com/wp/rapid-city-redux/

And once again we have decided to leave a day early to get a jump start on the long haul to get into Colorado this weekend. A six hour drive (which will take eight with a trailer in tow) will be broken up into two manageable bites with an overnight stop in between. By Saturday evening, I will be able to see my Son for the first time since Thanksgiving. Then it is my turn to deal with a bunch of state-issued paperwork in my home state.
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[Van-Tramp]

[font=Arial, Georgia, sans-serif]Back on the front range[/font]
http://www.van-tramp.com/wp/back-on-the-front-range/

[font=Arial, Georgia, sans-serif][size=large][size=large]It took over six hours of driving, with an overnight stay in Wyoming, to make it from Rapid City to my home town in Colorado. We arrived a  week and a day early thanks to Kerri’s South Dakota’s residency being so easy to resolve. This allowed me to start the long list of things I need to do while in Colorado. Visiting my son was vital, and so was a visit to a hospital for a checkup. Renewing drivers and concealed weapons licenses were top on this list as well, both of which were done within a single hour, with 45 minutes of that hour being drive-time. Then, we have more than a few projects to do on the truck and trailer. It was all very overwhelming so an early start was nice.[/size][/font][/size]
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[size=large]However, before all that began, and with a non-work-day available, Kerri and I took off for a day of exploring the Eastern Rockies above Boulder and Lyons. First was a stop, and hike, at [size=large]Caribou Ranch Open Spacehttps://www.bouldercounty.org/open-space/parks-and-trails/caribou-ranch/ to see the newly sprouting wildflowers at 9000 ft elevation. Not a long hike, it was a good starter-hike for us at this elevation for the first time since July of last year. I hiked here back in 2013 and wanted to show Kerri the wild flower bloom. As it turns out, we were too early for most of the flowers, but it was still just what we needed to kick off our next few-weeks in Colorado.[/size]
[size=large] http://www.van-tramp.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/IMGP5606.jpg [/size]
Then the work week began… the AC basting from 9am to 9pm while parked in a county fairgrounds RV park. Bleh

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[masterplumber]

Hey Van Tramp, I know you and Kerri have nothing else to do. you should come out to the Colorado Get Together this weekend. Love the pictures!

 

[Van-Tramp]

Hey Van Tramp, I know you and Kerri have nothing else to do. you should come out to the Colorado Get Together this weekend. Love the pictures!

I was thinking about that too, but we have to spend another week nearby the Boulder area (her Apple computer being repaired) and we have to pick it up when it is done. Not sure what we are doing after that though, so anything is possible.

You have a location that I can lookup? A dates? Maybe we can pop in after our business is done here.