Driving a Wide Road
"Szerokiej drogi" for 2000 miles to Southern California
After an eventful YAL Conference in Pittsburgh, it’s back to Montana to resume the road trip!
I was seated next to a Polish woman on the westward flight; we struck up a conversation about our travels and realized we’d both be passing through Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons. In parting, she wished me "Szerokiej drogi" - a salutation in Polish that translates literally to “Have a wide road”. It was much appreciated as Andrew and I set off for Wyoming!
Andrew and I have been good buddies since 2018. Since then, we’ve done trips to Cleveland, Columbus, Stamford, and NYC. He’s a very well-traveled guy with plenty of car camping experience under his belt.
Finding campsites has become much more impromptu. Andrew located a spot in Moran, WY in an attempt to set up shop right outside the Tetons so that we could have an early start to the next morning’s hike.
Grand Tetons NP was spectacular! I’m particularly partial to the icy mountains. The park is dotted with lakes and we were there early enough to watch the sun rise and illuminate the peaks.
The hike we selected was an 8 mile out-and-back trail that reached an elevation over 7,500 feet at the highest point. Views were unparalleled! It was a long day, but not too strenuous as most of the paths weren’t rocky or uneven.
In the visitor’s center, we learned that bears currently eat 20,000 calories per day and are experiencing “hyperphagia” - extreme, insatiable hunger. There was a booth where guests could calculate and post how much bears need to eat to prepare for hibernation. Andrew suggested an off-menu option (orange sticky note).
After 8 miles of hiking and 8 hours of driving, we stopped at a site outside of Elko, Nevada around 10PM. It was pitch black and all we could hear was running water somewhere nearby. I’ve learned that it’s more comfortable to sleep when the temperature is between 30-40 degrees outside; it can get a little toasty when it’s warmer than that outside. We had a very comfortable 35 degree evening!
I am chronically forgetful; every morning, I neglect to start the car ahead of time to defrost the windshield. There’s usually a pretty good buildup of ice on the glass when it’s 40 degrees or less, which is funny/ironic when driving through the desert after sunrise. Something for me to work on!
On to California, where the $6/gallon gas flows plentifully! Lake Tahoe measures 22 miles long and 12 miles wide, which is surprising because we had a crystal clear view to the other side from any vantage point. The water is as crisp and clear as the air. Andrew and I swam within the Nevada portion of the park and drove around the northern shore to park on the California edge for the night.
We struck out at the first campsite we tried (closed for the season), but asked some other car campers descending from an unmarked road if there were spots to park for the night. They gave us the thumbs up and we drove up and down a bumpy road with craters that the undercarriage of my car did not care for!
@Ford, sponsor me!
The next stop was San Francisco for a night - we approached from the north so that we could drive over the Golden Gate Bridge. It’s much larger than what I am used to while crossing the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers back home!
Andrew and I attended a vespers service at the Cathedral of the Most Holy Theotokos and venerated the incorrupt relics of St. John Maximovitch, a 20th century Orthodox saint.
We stayed the night at the home of my friend Faris; he reached out after I had posted my map and offered to host! The rumors I had heard of car break-ins in SF were true. Faris told me that drivers always remove valuables and leave their windows open while parking so that would-be-thieves can look in rather than having to break the windows. The window shades I have for my car are helpful for privacy and have been great in other areas, but Faris said that I’d be asking for a break-in if I parked on the street and insisted that I leave my car in his garage. While we were looking for a spot for his car, I noticed signs indicating street sweeping occurs 3 times per week. I like to think Adrian Monk had something to do with that!
Entering Yosemite, we received a pamphlet with some information about how far to keep away from wildlife. We were to remain 5 bus-lengths from bears. “Americans will use anything but the metric system” - Andrew.
I’ve changed my tune about bears. I want absolutely no smoke with the grizzlies in Montana and Wyoming, but I thought it would be exciting to see a smaller black bear (from inside my car) in Yosemite.
Andrew and I were ready to begin the most grueling hike of our trip (Upper Yosemite Falls). We hit the trailhead by 7AM after loading up with a good breakfast and packing snacks. According to AllTrails, the hike is meant to be about 6 hours and requires 3/4 of a mile of elevation gain over 5 miles of distance on the ascent. That sucker was STEEP and ROCKY the whole way.
We made it up in time to watch the first half of the OSU-PSU game from the top. I don’t understand how, but the cell reception was terrific! I can confirm that watching Big Ten football from California at 9AM is strange and I continue to grieve the realignment of college football.
We stumbled off trail and did some cliff scrambling to take a dip in a series of ice cold pools that catch the waterfall. It was icing on the cake of the coolest hike I’ve done to date!
In a first for parking/camping/cooking, we did not have cell service. Andrew and I cooked some Mexican food with the ingredients we bought in Escalon and celebrated the last night of our leg of the road trip with a few Pacificos. My trunk opens up to reveal a bottle opener by the taillight, which was put to good use!
In a two-day span, we had driven from sea level to 6,000 feet in elevation and back to sea level again. Most of the roads in Death Valley National Park were closed due to flooding, so I had a little extra time to spend with local friends in SoCal!
The word is starting to get out among the rodents that I am feeling at one with nature. Last week I had a nice interaction with a chipmunk and this week I befriended a squirrel.
I’m off to St. George to pick up Lucas and continue through Southern Utah for the next leg!
On the aux this past week: Jack Johnson, Mazzy Star, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Fiona Apple, The Milk Carton Kids, The Brook & The Bluff, Simon & Garfunkel, and Tyler Childers.
Amazing trip that I was glad to be a part of!
Love the squirrel interaction- too funny! Those views are AMAZING! Seems like great music, too!