America Clockwise

The End

2008-07-20T15:27:00.000-07:00

The end is no longer near. The end is here. The journey is over. CSW and I had a great video in which we are conversing and then CSW gets in his car and angrily drives away. It got lost somewhere in translation though. So instead you get this crappy last post, that in no way does the trip justice.

If you want to continue to follow us on our journey through life you can read CSW's, Alfy's, or my web log.

You Motorboating S.O.B.

2008-07-17T06:00:00.000-07:00

Class Is In Sesson

2008-07-16T06:00:00.000-07:00

Class is in session as CSW teaches a thing or two about Old Faithful....or maybe he doesn't.

Move Buf Get Out Da Way

2008-07-15T06:00:00.000-07:00

The bison control the streets of Yellowstone.

Night One At Yellowstone

2008-07-14T06:00:00.000-07:00

Our first night at Yellowstone wasn't what we would call....entertaining.

Recap of Glacier

2008-07-13T06:00:00.000-07:00

America Clockwise Arrives At Glacier

2008-07-12T12:31:00.000-07:00

Potlatch

2008-07-11T08:45:00.000-07:00

Potlatch is a 100-team ultimate frisbee tournament in Redmond, WA.

A New Traveler

2008-07-10T08:19:00.000-07:00

We have a new traveler onboard with us. Here is a video to introduce himself. His name is Alfred Tyrone Milton. We call him Alfy.

Recap of Pasadena

2008-07-05T06:00:00.000-07:00

The Fifth and Crazy Shoe go back in time to recap their trip to Pasadena. Modern miracles at work everyday. And it's so long we had to make it two videos. Sit right back and enjoy the show.

Elk

2008-07-04T09:00:00.000-07:00

We never see any wildlife......

Crater Lake

2008-07-03T06:00:00.000-07:00

Crater Lake was less than overwhelming.

2008-07-02T06:00:00.000-07:00

Bobby Flay ain't got nuttin' on Crazy Shoe Williams?

Our Yosemite Backcountry Trip

2008-07-01T16:57:00.000-07:00

Our long trip into the Yosemite backcountry didn't last so long. I wish Jake wouldn't buy cheap boots that only last 8 years. Well, you'll see....watch the video.

New Pictures Up

2008-06-30T11:14:00.000-07:00

New pictures up from Yosemite, Crater Lake, and Redwood at the link to the right. Hopefully, we'll have new videos up tomorrow when we get to Seattle. Portland is a great town. Thug love.

Out of Communication

2008-06-26T06:00:00.000-07:00

We're going to be out in the woods for a while, so don't expect anything until we get to Seattle at some point next week. Sorry to disappoint.

The Largest (by volume) Living Thing ON EARTH

2008-06-25T09:00:00.000-07:00

Please Quit Watching This Video

2008-06-24T06:00:00.000-07:00

Please don't watch this entire video.....really....nothing is going to happen....you're just wasting your time if you watch the entire thing.

Zion National Park

2008-06-23T06:00:00.000-07:00

The view from Angel's Landing was great, but the hike to the top was on the scary side (4' wide at some spots with 1300' drops on either side).

Life On The Road

2008-06-22T06:00:00.000-07:00

Grand Canyon Wrap-Up

2008-06-21T10:02:00.000-07:00

So, this video has been a bear to put online.....get it bear....and we're going to Yosemite.....and the bears eat everything in Yosemite. But this is about the Grand Canyon, so there aren't any bears.

Anyway, you better enjoy it.

The Things We (Shouldn't Have) Carried

2008-06-20T09:00:00.001-07:00

Playing In The Colorado River

2008-06-19T09:00:00.000-07:00

What else are we going to do with 20 hours at the bottom of the Grand Canyon?

Grand Canyon From The South Rim

2008-06-18T09:51:00.000-07:00

The camera is AWESOME at filming in Hi-Def!......That was sarcasm.

Petrified Forest National Park

2008-06-17T09:25:00.001-07:00

Petrified Forest ain't great, but it's better than a skunk in the camp at dinner.

Carlsbad Caverns National Park

2008-06-17T00:17:00.000-07:00

Guadalupe National Park

2008-06-10T15:13:00.000-07:00

Today we saw a sign that merely read “Drive Friendly.” The sign looked like it had hinges on the bottom. We suppose that this allows the sign to open and reveal “Drive Evil.” You never know when there might be a national crisis requiring a good dose of evil driving.

At about 3 pm we saw a storm growing in the distance. The clouds stretched to encompass the entire western horizon, blotting out the sun, reaching to snatch all of the sky into their grasp. Rain fell in dull gray lines, clouding out buildings, telephone polls, trees, hills, even mountains.

We saw six hundred miles of West Texas. Although that might sound daunting when you turn on the TomTom and realize that you have to drive 600 miles, it wasn’t all that unpleasant. Especially since the speed limit in this neck of the woods is a pedestrian 80 mph. Once we got off I-10 we drove a good 30 miles (without seeing another car) from the middle of nowhere even further into the middle of nowhere. We were in a place so far away from anything that you don’t build bridges. You just run the road through the dry creekbed and put a flood pole marked with water depth for when it rains.

And what do you put in middle of middle of nowhere. You put national parks. In this case, Guadalupe National Park. We arrived just as the sun was about to set with no reservations for a campsite. Luckily, the Sunday night camping crowd isn’t that large for obscure National Parks. We grabbed campsite six and put the tent up in the fleeting light.

The sole reason we stopped at Guadalupe was to summit Guadalupe Peak (the tallest point in Texas at 8,742 feet. From trailhead to peak, the vertical elevation we would have to cover was right at 2900 feet. We started out early in the morning (when camping, you wake up when it gets too hot or too bright to sleep) and hoped to avoid as much of the afternoon heat as possible. I always think the being of hikes are the hardest. Not only to you have to make the initial elevation change to actually get into the mountains, but you’re muscles/lungs aren’t ready for what they were getting themselves into. Guadalupe was no different, but we hiked through it. The middle section of the hike contained the only trees (and consequently the only shade) along the trail. The upper section was much like the lower section in that there was no shade and lots of switchbacks. We worked hard, made it to the top, and claimed our prizes. Views of Texas and an advertisement for American Airlines. That’s right. American Airlines. At the top of the peak was a metal triangular pyramid that was dedicated to the “airmen who built our nation’s airways, much like wagon drivers of a previous time”. One side of the pyramid had this plaque, another side had a Post Office Department plaque, and the third side had an American Airlines plaque. No explanation given.

On to Carlsbad to see those caverns.

Welcome To The Site

2008-05-05T19:00:00.000-07:00

Thanks for stopping by and joining us on our journey. More information to come soon.