Nomad Spring - Week 2.5 (Sedona-Tucson)

Part 4 of blog posts from my 7 week road trip!

On the road again, Brown Loaf purring, heading south for Sedona, Arizona!  Beautiful and vast desert, mesas, and mountains.  Such a wonderful drive.

Near Monticello, UT.

Brown Loaf and some of the many mesas of SE Utah.

First destination: Monument Valley, on the border of Utah and Arizona in Navajo Nation.  Seeing this famous vista was well worth the small entry fee to the tribe.

Monument Valley

Next stop was for gas in Kayenta, AZ and 20 mpg was further evidence that the Brown Loaf was running happier after the campsite repairs performed in Moab.

It was fun to drive through Flagstaff, AZ after having recently visited the town for Overland Expo with my friend David of Green Goat Outdoors.  

Stopping at the In-n-Out for lunch was its own experience altogether.  Two queues of traffic snaking through the parking lot, with dozens of employees directing traffic and working the kitchen.  Overwhelming at first, it turned out to be a well-oiled machine and a worthwhile stop.

From Flagstaff it was a serpentine drive down the Oak Creek Canyon into Sedona.  Stopping in the canyon to look for open campsites and a place to cool off in the creek, I was really striking out, however.  The campgrounds were full (despite being early afternoon on a Thursday) and the creek access all required a fee to park at.  Finally finding a free pull-off, I was able to refresh in the creek.

Oak Creek

Brown Loaf looking good and performing well.

Continuing a few miles into the town of Sedona, the busy and expensive theme continued.  Contrasted by mesmerizing natural beauty, I suppose it makes sense that a lot of people-myself included-want to visit this town.

Entering beautiful Sedona, AZ.

Overwhelmed by the traffic, I found the Rotary Park where I could rest, use a bathroom, and do some work from.  There were a few other vans and rigs in the parking lot, probably travelers in the same boat as me.  Scrounging for free parking and a public bathroom-the real truth about vanlife digital nomadism? 🙂

This theme would continue, albeit surrounded by amazing scenery, as I searched for a place to camp.  Heading northwest out of town, I traveled further and further until finally reaching the dispersed camping options on national forest land.  No doubt related to the covid explosion of recreation, the traditional dispersed camping had recently been concentrated into a handful of designated zones, much like campgrounds.  To the frustration of dirt bags like myself, this didn’t leave many places to camp, especially not spots that aren’t in a gravel parking lot resembling a dusty sardine can full of RVs.

What most of the free camping looked like in Sedona...

Fortunately, and thanks to the Brown Loaf’s small size and nimbleness, I was able to reach further back into the juniper forest and find a peaceful slice of my own.

Lucked out finding a slice of my own.

Complete with my own cactus.

Not a bad place to camp, in the end.

Not wanting to lose this spot, I mountain biked directly from camp to the West Sedona trails.  Contrary to being known to be more of the XC style trails of town, these trails were a blast!  So good, in fact, that I rode them again the next morning.

Interesting plant life and fun trails!

"Slickrock" and scenery abound!

It’s clear why Sedona is a mountain biking destination.  Stunning scenery with lush green forest filled with strange trees and cacti, and the distinctive red rocks jutting towards the sky.  Otherworldly for sure.  I will definitely return someday to explore more of the trails.

Hot air balloons Friday morning outside Sedona.

Day 2 riding West Sedona trails.

After my 20 hour stay and morning ride, I was on the road from Sedona downhill towards the town of Cottonwood in search of a swimming hole.  Like Sedona, Cottonwood and the adjacent town of Clarkdale also appeared to be destinations themselves.  There was a wine theme as they are in the Verde Valley AVA-news to me as I did not expect wine regions in Arizona.

Lunch in Cottonwood, AZ.

Trail through cottonwoods to access the Verde River.

Verde River where I cooled off and felt refreshed.

From Cottonwood and the Verde River at a low elevation of 3000-something feet above sea level, I was ready to escape the heat and head back into the mountains to a “sky island,” as Arizonans call them.

The Brown Loaf showed what they are capable of by making it up the biggest climb of the trip so far.  3000 to 8000 feet above sea level in one continuous grade!  Coolant temperature okay, everything the way it should be.

Mogollon Rim at 8000 feet above sea level.

This “sky island” is the Mogollon Rim, a geological feature that spans hundreds of miles and is the southern edge of the Colorado Plateau.  In the Coconino National Forest, the rim has plenty of forest service roads and dispersed camping.

You shall not pass!

The plan was to reach an epic camp spot with a view looking off the edge of the rim.  However, this plan wasn’t to be as there was still deep snow blocking the road on both route options.  Like wine regions, I was again ignorant of Arizona and was not expecting snow!

So close, I could hike in and check out my planned camp spot.

After driving the “rim road” for a few miles, meeting a friendly couple with the cutest teardrop trailer (sorry, no photos), I found a spot to set up camp for the night.

When things don't go as planned, they often work out for the better.

Brown Loaf looking good with Arizona mud.

Taking a look at my map, I was surprised to see a fire lookout indicated near my location.  After bushwhacking through the woods (the road was still snow-covered), I was blown away to find a shuttered fire lookout just above my camp spot!

Fire lookout on the Mogollon Rim!

Bench and viewpoint looking southeast off the rim.

Tribute to hotshot forest fire fighters.

That evening, I was treated to the most memorable sunset of my life as I sat on the lookout stairs under the locked hatch, looking out across the Sonoran Desert, 5000 feet below.

A sunset to remember for life.

On the walk down to camp, I found a large feather, possibly from a Red Tailed Hawk.  A perfect keepsake to remember the evening.

Feather keepsake and new dash ornament.

In the morning, I was pleased to run the Espar heater at 8000 feet while sipping coffee, having a hard time believing how far the Brown Loaf has come since its sad years infested with mice and rotting in the woods.

On the road again and dropping off the rim into beautiful forested communities below, it almost felt like being back in Washington State.  There were even herds of elk!  Yet again, Arizona continues to be full of surprises.

Lovely roads and countryside below the Mogollon Rim.

In the town of Payson, I was treated to a splendid backyard mountain bike ride, often my favorite kind of ride.

Stunning hills of Payson, AZ.

Sometimes the obscure trails are the best ones!

Stacked boulders reminiscent of Joshua Tree.

Great riding in Payson.

From Payson, the easy downhill driving continued on scenic highways.  Next stop Roosevelt Lake, not to be confused with Lake Roosevelt in WA.

Roosevelt Lake - where saguaros meet water.

After Roosevelt Lake was a spontaneous stop at Tonto Cave Dwelling, the first one of its kind that I’ve had the pleasure of seeing, a lunch stop in the town of Globe, and the final stretch of road to Tucson.

Impressive Tonto Cave Dwelling on Earth Day.

What a home!

Final stop of the day - the famous Biosphere 2!  Trees growing inside once tipped over due to lack of root-strengthening-wind.  A lesson for life!

After reaching Tucson and in comical vanagon fashion, the dashboard ventilation fan died in hot afternoon Tucson traffic, only a mile before my destination.

102 F in the van when the fan died!

Reaching the home of dear friends Jiri and Brianne was a surreal experience, having traveled so far from Bellingham in the Brown Loaf.  

Made it to Tucson after nearly 2000 miles!

Klinger was happy to greet a cat guy.

Friends Jiri and Bri who welcomed me into their home.

To be continued…

Nomad Spring - Week 2 (Moab)

Part 3 of blog posts from my 7 week road trip!

Now on the road to Moab, with the day’s goal of covering as much distance as reasonably possible.  In general, this wasn’t the way I wanted traveling on this trip to be, but after a last minute change of route, I was left with hundreds of miles of interstate after Prosser, SE to Boise, and then down through Salt Lake City.

Elkhorn Mountains of NE Oregon

My original route plan was to head south from Prosser, through Eastern Oregon to Alvord Desert, then southeast across Nevada to Ely, then finally Hurricane, UT.  That drive would have been done over three days on mostly backroad highways.  The problem was that Ely, one of the main riding destinations along the route, was still snowed-in.  Moab was my backup plan, and I wasn’t exactly disappointed, seeing as I’d never been there.  It just meant I’d be racing along interstates instead of taking my time driving backroads where the Brown Loaf is most happy.

The day’s drive was a big one with a total of 700 miles covered.  A proud achievement for the Brown Loaf!  The van was mostly running great, but was occasionally idling funny (while coasting downhill in neutral) and was a little low on MPG at between 17 and 19.  That would need to be monitored…

Sunday night was spent dispersed camping in a beautiful area near Soldier Summit, east of Provo, UT.  In the morning there was fresh snow on the hills just above camp and I enjoyed running the Espar heater while drinking coffee.

Dispersed camping near Soldier Summit, friendly neighbor nearby!

Back on the road and there were only a couple hours remaining to reach Moab.  Now traveling through canyons and mesas, I found myself mesmerized by the geology and vastness of the landscape.

New meaning to "the open road" expression.

Excited to reach Moab, I settled into a lovely campsite at Horsethief Campground.  Being Monday, and having not taken the entire week off work, I put in a few hours on the laptop.  Yes, I was one of those hated vanlifer nomads working from a campground.  Hopefully, doing it discreetly from an old VW redeemed me somewhat.

Horsethief Campground.

Many people have asked if I use Starlink for working from the road.  The answer is no.  You can read all about the pros and cons of different options, but I decided to go with cellular instead of Starlink.  With a dual modem router and multiple carriers, cellular gives me redundant connections and the reliability I need for working uninterrupted on design projects and Teams calls.  Starlink is also known for slow upload speeds versus cellular, and uploads are important to me for saving (uploading) large models.  Adding a directional MIMO antenna to my router was inexpensive and allows me to pull in usable data speeds in most cases, even in locations where there are only 0-1 bars showing on my phone.  The last reasons for me personally not opting for Starlink are space and time.  The Brown Loaf is small and carrying a somewhat large portable thing is less than ideal.  It also has to be set up outside, oriented, and initialized every time you need internet.  With cellular, it can quietly do its thing in the background and provide wifi to the van at all times, as long as there is a cellular connection available.  And that last comment is really the big selling point for Starlink.  Afterall, nothing can make a cellular connection out of no signal whatsoever.  Maybe someday I will invest in Starlink, but for now I’m finding that I have cell signal almost everywhere I spend time.

The Brown Loaf is a sleeper with tech hidden within its classic exterior.

After working a couple hours, I was anxious to troubleshoot the van and figure out the funny idle issue.  It had become more prevalent on the morning’s drive and I’m not one to ignore a problem solving opportunity.

Campsite auto repair shop.

Doing the standard electrical tests of the ancient Digijet fuel injection system, no issues were found.  Next up was the possibility of a vacuum leak. Removing the intake, I found the two screws securing the throttle body to the intake plenum were loose.  Ding ding ding!  This surely was the source of the problem.  More to come later…

Horsethief trail network.

Alas, it was time to go explore the mountain bike trails around camp!  One problem-a thunderstorm had rolled in.  Taking shelter in the van and working while watching and smelling the desert rain was a surreal moment.  After the storm subsided, I was out on the bike and exploring!  The novelty of riding Moab was incredible.  After decades of mountain biking, I had finally made it to this legendary destination.

Amasa Back trail network, also within riding distance from Horsethief CG.

Day 2 in Moab, I was back on the road but just to move campsites and explore the next area.  Moving from Horsethief CG over to Sand Flats Rec Area, I found a lovely campsite in a quiet spot between the rocks.  Sand Flats is a hectic place, with the epitome of Moab atmosphere.  Mountain bikes, dirt bikes, jeeps, RVs, you name it.  A paradise for recreation!  Despite that, I felt peaceful and relaxed in my little campspot.

Sand Flats campsite at night.

Unfortunately, the Brown Loaf had still idled funny on the drive across town.  It seemed better, but still wasn’t right.  I had to be on the right path to solving the problem.  Thanks to a couple Vanagon friends, Alika and Mat, for ideas, I found more vacuum leaks and added hose clamps from my emergency stash to the hoses between the intake plenum and intake runners.  Time would tell if this solved the issue…

Moab Slickrock trail - a unique riding experience!

The bike ride for the day was Moab Slickrock.  This is the most popular trail in Moab and one of those world famous rides.  To be honest, my expectations were low because of this.  However, the novelty of riding miles of continuous sandstone was well worth it.  Some of the climbs are incredibly steep, but the traction is practically limitless.  Get out of the saddle and sprint in the lowest gear!

Some of the climbs were incredibly steep but still rideable!

View from Slickrock across town to the Colorado River canyon.

That night, I took advantage of the old tripod that I’d lugged along in the van and captured some photos using my phone.  It’s no substitute for a true camera, but it was exciting to get some decent shots.

A rare shot of Brown Loaf and me together.

Day 3 in Moab and I was back on the road driving across town and through the Colorado River canyon to Captain Ahab, a more “new school” classic ride.  Good news, the Brown Loaf was purring like a kitten!  At the trailhead, I met another Washington resident named Ben Harris.  Turns out he works for Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance and has friends in common. At the trailhead, we watched base jumpers huck themselves into the canyon. Impressive!

Captain Ahab was a lot of fun, despite several comments regarding my TransAM hardtail not being enough bike.  Little did those folks know how much this bike shreds!

Captain Ahab Trail - hardtails are adequate.

Tasty quesadilla in Moab post-ride.

Cool off and cleaning off.  Refreshing!

Day 4 in Moab was an early wakeup and time to hit the road for Sedona!  To be continued…

Early start on the way to Sedona, AZ!

Nomad Spring 24 - Week 1 (Washington)

Part 2 of blogs from my 7 week road trip!

The trip started out with a simple drive from Bellingham to Renton where my wife, Whitney, and my mom, Liz, live.  Quick backstory: Whitney went back to school during Covid, earned her teaching certificate, and started a rewarding career as an elementary educator in the Kent School District.  She now lives with my mom in Renton in the house I grew up in.  

As you might imagine, this living situation is a little unconventional (being 2 hours apart and all).  It certainly has its challenges, but it also presents some benefits.  One of those is the autonomy to independently pursue our passions.  Whitney was supportive of my plan to road trip solo, and was even excited because it meant she would have our two (Bellingham) kittens in Renton while I was gone.

The first weekend away was highlighted by my good friend Toby’s annual birthday ride, the King County Classic.  He’s been organizing this ride for years and although we are now older and don’t ride as far as we used to, it’s always a rowdy fun good time.

Following the KCC group up "Hazy" trail, named after Toby's daughter, Hazel.

The birthday boy!

Classic conditions for King County Classic

Dick's burgers - thanks to Jess for generously providing!

After the ride, the Brown Loaf carried me through the rain over the Cascades, not to return to the lush green PNW for many weeks.  The next 5 days were spent in beautiful sunny Wenatchee, where Whitney’s parents, Rick and Laura, now live after recently moving from Palm Springs, CA.  We are very glad to have them nearby again.

The beautiful Wenatchee Valley

The week in Wenatchee was great.  Whitney was on her spring break, so it was a treat to be together everyday.  I did a couple excellent rides with my buddy Mike, who also lives in Wenatchee.  He showed me around Sage Hills and Ancient Lakes-two perfect places to mountain bike in the Spring.

Sage Hills with Mike

Ancient Lakes with Mike

Very nostalgic seeing this bike that Mike owns!  It won the pro Chuckanut Enduro in 2013 :)

Come Thursday, Whitney, her parents, and I departed Wenatchee for the Columbia River near Oregon for a weekend of wine tasting.  Whitney and I camped Thursday night in the Brown Loaf at Crow Butte State Park, which was a last minute idea and a real treat to be camping together.  

Whitney, "queen of cheese boards"

Rick, Laura, and friends Brenda and Troy were staying at the Alexandria Nicole tiny homes just up the hill from the campground and we would be joining them Friday and Saturday nights.  

Proper breakfast while working solo from the Brown Loaf

Whiley Whitney and them went off to enjoy the local wine tasting, I worked from the van.  That reminds me that I should probably provide some context…  After 9 rapid growth years as an engineer in aircraft cabin interiors at Heath Tecna/Zodiac/Safran, I spent 2 memorable years at Wood Stone in pizza ovens and gas appliances, and now work as an engineer-for-hire at LMI/Sonaca.  A key part of leaving Wood Stone and returning to aerospace is that I could work remotely and spend more time in Renton with Whitney.  A side benefit of working remotely is that I can travel while continuing to work.  Call it digital nomad, vanlife, or whatever.  It’s an interesting idea and a real possibility, thanks to having the key components of job and van.

View of the Columbia River from Crow Butte

Back to the campground story.  After working the morning from the Brown Loaf, then going for a lovely trail run up Crow Butte, I moved the van up the hill to the tiny homes in the vineyard where I finished the remainder of my workday.

Alexandria Nicole vineyard and our two tiny homes

Friday night, Saturday, and Saturday night were spent with family and friends.  A few different wineries (Alexandria Nicole, Fidélitas, and Frichette), great food, and even better company made it a perfect last weekend with Whitney and family (for the foreseeable future).

Whitney in the vineyard

Come early Sunday morning and Brown Loaf and I were on the road to adventure, heading south for Utah!  To be continued…

Nomad Spring 24 - Intro

Hello! It’s been a while and the world is a much different place now versus my previous blog posts a decade ago. Social media and instant gratification now dominate. The urge to write and document in a more lasting way has pulled me back in. So, here I am writing about what I’ve been up to recently.

Whitney and me at our family wedding reception

A lot has happened in my life. I’ve gotten married to my hard working wife, Whitney; enjoyed a challenging career as an engineer, stepped back from bike racing after making years of enduro memories, gotten passionate about restoring my old VW Vanagon, acquired another old VW Vanagon, survived the life doldrum that was the Covid pandemic, and gone on the biggest road trip of my life-literally, and maybe metaphorically too.

Not much racing but still passionate about riding.  PC: Oliver Parish

The event that changed me more than anything was the sudden loss of my father, Craig, in 2019. My dad was the quiet hero type. He raised my sister and me to become hard working, successful members of society who are loved and appreciated. In true Craig fashion, he worked selflessly for his family, saving for his family and retirement with my mom. Tragically, it was during his final year of work that he passed away at age 61. The retirement he had spent decades waiting and saving for was suddenly stolen from him.

Proud of my dad for the life he lived.

The loss to our family was monumental, and the message profound. Life is precious and is never guaranteed. It can end for any of us at any time. Reminded of this daily since that tragic day, I’ve been on a mission to make subtle but significant changes to my goals in life. The takeaway: make the most of life in the present moment.

One of the last things we did together-Boeing Everett tour.

Following 2019 were the Covid years and we all know how those went. Not a lot of memories were made during those years. The most significant thing for me personally was a couple months furloughed from work where I could make big strides on my “covid project” of restoring my 1983.5 VW Vanagon.

Brown Loaf in my high school yearbook!

Many will remember this van, the same one I’ve owned since high school. After driving it up through the first few years of college, it was simply too impractical for daily duty and was parked for storage on the side of my parent’s house. 7 years later, Whitney and I were finally in a place where we could address the old yard ornament. Decision: sell it or keep it (and restore it). Well, you know what we decided, and it was thanks to Whitney who reminisced of the days when we first dated in the van. Restoring “The Brown Loaf” was not going to happen overnight, and that was okay. Covid was the biggest opportunity to make great gains on the project, and improve my personal skills along the way.

Uncovering the Loaf from its long slumber.

Frozen brakes needed a bigger hammer.

After sitting in the woods for 7 years, Brown Loaf was infested.

Fast forward to 2024 and life has returned to normal-and it’s a different world post-covid. For the last 7 years, The Brown Loaf has been a work-in-progress and a book could be written about all the things that have been done to this van. Pretty much every system and component has been touched, inspected, rebuilt, or replaced. And, I am a different person now with a better understanding of my passion for problem solving.

Engine out of the van (for rebuild)!

But, here I was, having spent years restoring and building an adventure vehicle while simultaneously craving adventure in my post-2019 life. You know where this is going. In Spring 2024, I planned and executed the most grand road trip yet! 7 weeks away from home, living on the road, enjoying the fruits of my labor, and feeling alive and present again.

Nomad Spring '24 road trip!

Stay Tuned

It's 2023, over 7 years since my last blog post. A lot has changed in the world and in my life since last writing here in 2015. I hope to reflect on it with you soon.