day 5: Part 7: a beautiful end to a long day
so after hitting Colorado for the first time during my trip, i felt pretty good. i was heading north from Tierra Amarilla, NM to Pagosa Springs, CO when i crossed the state line. the driving was great and the scenery was better. i was tired, it had been a long day and i was ready to be finished. i still had hours to drive to reach Mesa Verde, my intended stop for the night.
day 5: Part 6: Are we there yet?
more mountains, lots of driving, and up up up i went, as i continued my drive across New Mexico. i am not sure of the elevation reached on this stretch, all i can say is that the temperature had dipped from 85 degrees in Raton to the low 40's up there.
yes it was still snowy. yes i stopped to play in it. can you blame me?
a few more hours of fun, winding mountain roads and i crossed over into Colorado for the first time.
day 5: Part 5: Taos
from eagle's nest you continue climbing and drive into taos canyon and an entirely different climate. as the scenery changes so does the wildlife... it was fairly rainy for most of this part of the drive, between that and the windy canyon roads i didn't take that many pictures. it's funny though, as you drive down into taos, you can easily pick out the mountain dwelling, beat-to-shit truck driving, locals and the oh-not-on-the-leather through traffic. of course, i'm pretty sure in this case i fell into the latter category.
taos is a small, low-lying collection of stucco houses and shops. the narrow streets were bustling with people and traffic even in the spring rain. i stopped for some pinon nuts at a road-side stand advertising theirs were the best in NM. they were good, but not having any basis on which to judge, i can't say if they held up to their vendors claims. so again, on i went with more miles left than i cared to ponder. again i headed up, climbing from taos into more uncharted territory.
day 5: Part 4: farther up and farther in
after leaving leaving capulin volcano i soon reached raton and the gateway to the mountains. it was exciting after seeing nothing but flat land for the last 5 days. so into the mountains i went. my route happened to take me through cimarron canyon on the way... i must admit it did make me think of that disney movie a little bit.
after reaching the top of the
canyon you're graced with
some beautiful views of
eagle's nest lake and
the surrounding mountains.
it was in eagle's nest that i
took what may be my fav-
orite picture of the entire trip.
again, i snapped it out the
passenger window as i drove
by and in looking at it all these
weeks later i find it really
amazing. here it is:
after reaching the top of the
canyon you're graced with
some beautiful views of
eagle's nest lake and
the surrounding mountains.
it was in eagle's nest that i
took what may be my fav-
orite picture of the entire trip.
again, i snapped it out the
passenger window as i drove
by and in looking at it all these
weeks later i find it really
amazing. here it is:
day 5: Part 3: my volcanic detour
since i was on the scenic route already, i figured a few extra unplanned stops couldn't hurt anything. so when i saw the signs declaring there was a volcano to be had for the handsome price of a three dollar park admission ticket, i couldn't pass it up. my only concern was that my car was on the big E and gas stations, not to mention towns, are few and far between in northern NM.
so below is the 'cone'... more like whats left of it. i was a little disappointed after reaching the top and seeing it. i wasn't expecting anything super exciting, but i guess a little more than a grassy hole.
it was a gorgeous day. the sky was blue and the clouds were puffy, again i lucked out with good weather on my trip.
i did get a super nice panorama of the view facing out form the top of the cone. you can see it here. blogger won't let me upload it... too big.
so below is the 'cone'... more like whats left of it. i was a little disappointed after reaching the top and seeing it. i wasn't expecting anything super exciting, but i guess a little more than a grassy hole.
it was a gorgeous day. the sky was blue and the clouds were puffy, again i lucked out with good weather on my trip.
i did get a super nice panorama of the view facing out form the top of the cone. you can see it here. blogger won't let me upload it... too big.
remember me?...
it's been a long time and i've been doing a great job of thoroughly ignoring the blog. admittedly, i have been busy and all over the place. i've been biking a lot and i am still not bringing the camera along... too risky. i think i need to get a little pocket sized camera on the cheap for biking and party pics. well i'm going to try to catch up and be better about keeping up from now on.
a few pics of some of the nicer moments this summer:
a few pics of some of the nicer moments this summer:
day 5: Part 2: Fast Food Nation
shortly after i crossed into new mexico, i drove by my first true 'feed-lot'. if you aren't familiar with feed-lots or the general process of cattle-raising/ beef production in America brace yourself, put down the burger and remove any meat from your immediate area, then check out what wikipedia has to say on the subject . i had just finished reading 'Fast Food Nation' before this trip and it's descriptions helped me to identify the atrocity i was looking at even before i was close enough to read the sign.
Day 5: Part 1: Wike and Bike? Opples and Bononos?
after the late night bullshitting and drinking with Doc Hollaway, i slept in till about 8, got up and hopped on my bike to see what Lake Meredith was all about. the biking was ok, lots of access roads (dirt/gravel) around and some seriously bumpy free-riding if you're up to it. i must've pulled into a not-so-popular spot on the lake... there was no one around and no formal campsites at all, it was kind of eerie. my only company the entire morning was the road runners that had no idea what to do with a human on a bike, rabbits, and rattlesnakes.
i hit the road around 11 knowing a had another big day ahead of me.
i had the suspicion that maybe meredith was a little low?.....
how to make a lake in texas:
step 1: find a big hole in the ground.
step 2: fill that shit up partner!
bam! big ass lake.
anyway, it was a little cooler and very sunny. i called and audible yet again and decided to drive north and take the scenic route rather than south and back to the interstate. i left texas shortly thereafter and texas left me with this view.
'oh texas you're so predictable!'
Day 4: OK is ok
shortly after logging the previous day, and after i finished chasing off the raccoon that came out on my site even before dusk, i got to bed and enjoyed a good night's rest. ( i think he could smell the cheddarwurst... and we all know how intoxicating and odiferous they are. nothing tempts the palate quite like the 'eau de searing fat, melting, cheesy, calorie-laden goodness $3 brauts put off. anyway, the little bastard would come right up to the opposite side of the table if i didn't scare him off. sorry no pics of that, i was too busy scrabbling for rocks and sticks to defend my dinner with.)
anyway, on with the show. after breakfast, a walk, and a chilly swim, i hit the road at about 10am. i knew this would be the longest day of driving yet. i had no stops scheduled so it was going to be a marathon of interstate driving. a regular ironman for my bladder.
i was met at the OK border by the likes of these guys.... ominous, dark, foreboding no? i wasn't too worried, my car and tires have proven to do pretty well in the wet stuff. this was also the first foul weather i had run into on the trip. well sure enough...
let's just say there was lots of rain. every asshole on the road went 30 mph, it sucked. it did only last about 45 min, so i was thankful for that. i didn't have too much trouble and was the idiot who was taking pictures while i slammed through puddles driving one-handed, passing everyone as i went.
the only other thing worth looking at in OK were these wind-generators. they were right near the TX border and you can see the bad weather had passed. it got me thinking about the recent turmoil over the possibility of wind farms in the Lake Champlain Valley in VT. i can't help but find the whole thing silly. i look at these and find them less offensive than a silo, and the slow, synchronized motion mesmerizing. rrrrroooouuuunnnndddd aaaannnndddd rrrrooouuunnnddd. it's kind of nice.
into texas i went. at this point i had been in the car more hours than i cared to take note of. it was a nice sight to see this sign and know i was approaching my destination.
my day ended with a beautiful panhandle sunset. i drove into lake meredith in the dark and setup my tent sometime after 10pm. i was exhausted. i did end up meeting a scab worker from a local refinery who was the only other person camping in that particular area. so after a few brief introductions we sat down to stogies and the rest of my bottle of wine. talk ranged from politics to faimly, motorcycles and women, weed and work, to life and everything in between. i finally crawled into my tent around 2am.
day 4 wasn't as picturesque as the previous day... here's the pictures in their entirety.
anyway, on with the show. after breakfast, a walk, and a chilly swim, i hit the road at about 10am. i knew this would be the longest day of driving yet. i had no stops scheduled so it was going to be a marathon of interstate driving. a regular ironman for my bladder.
i was met at the OK border by the likes of these guys.... ominous, dark, foreboding no? i wasn't too worried, my car and tires have proven to do pretty well in the wet stuff. this was also the first foul weather i had run into on the trip. well sure enough...
let's just say there was lots of rain. every asshole on the road went 30 mph, it sucked. it did only last about 45 min, so i was thankful for that. i didn't have too much trouble and was the idiot who was taking pictures while i slammed through puddles driving one-handed, passing everyone as i went.
the only other thing worth looking at in OK were these wind-generators. they were right near the TX border and you can see the bad weather had passed. it got me thinking about the recent turmoil over the possibility of wind farms in the Lake Champlain Valley in VT. i can't help but find the whole thing silly. i look at these and find them less offensive than a silo, and the slow, synchronized motion mesmerizing. rrrrroooouuuunnnndddd aaaannnndddd rrrrooouuunnnddd. it's kind of nice.
into texas i went. at this point i had been in the car more hours than i cared to take note of. it was a nice sight to see this sign and know i was approaching my destination.
my day ended with a beautiful panhandle sunset. i drove into lake meredith in the dark and setup my tent sometime after 10pm. i was exhausted. i did end up meeting a scab worker from a local refinery who was the only other person camping in that particular area. so after a few brief introductions we sat down to stogies and the rest of my bottle of wine. talk ranged from politics to faimly, motorcycles and women, weed and work, to life and everything in between. i finally crawled into my tent around 2am.
day 4 wasn't as picturesque as the previous day... here's the pictures in their entirety.
day 3: PART 4: Camp
after the caves i decided it was time to setup camp and enjoy what was left of the day.
i setup camp and got out on the bike for the remainder of the afternoon. it was nice and i found some good trails and small caves to explore. there aren't any pics of that because in my camera's best interests i didn't take it with me on the bike at any point during this trip. i missed some great photos of different places, but i also didn't fall on it or soak it with mud either so i'm going to call it a worthy sacrifice.
the campground was almost entirely empty save a few RV's at the other end.
in the absence of the computer i kept track in my journal. since i was about half way through the trip and halfway across the country i celebrated with wine and wurst.
it was hot and after i got all sweaty i went over for a swim. it was chilly, but refreshing. the meramec river runs right past the campground and was a minute walk from my site.
that's a wrap on day 3, which was a huge one. here's a link to all the photo's
i setup camp and got out on the bike for the remainder of the afternoon. it was nice and i found some good trails and small caves to explore. there aren't any pics of that because in my camera's best interests i didn't take it with me on the bike at any point during this trip. i missed some great photos of different places, but i also didn't fall on it or soak it with mud either so i'm going to call it a worthy sacrifice.
the campground was almost entirely empty save a few RV's at the other end.
in the absence of the computer i kept track in my journal. since i was about half way through the trip and halfway across the country i celebrated with wine and wurst.
it was hot and after i got all sweaty i went over for a swim. it was chilly, but refreshing. the meramec river runs right past the campground and was a minute walk from my site.
that's a wrap on day 3, which was a huge one. here's a link to all the photo's
day 3: PART 3: Meramec
Shortly after crossing into MO i started to see and drive into the ozark mountains.
finally, after three days of driving.... NOT FLAT. it was a nice change of scenery.
i drove straight to my next big stop of the trip: Meramec Caverns
if you find yourself in north-eastern MO with no major plans, might i suggest you stop at Meramec.
these caves are unbelievable. the tour takes an hour or so and i could've easily spent four. jesse james and his gang used to hide-out here and used the underground river to escape once... shibby. i don't have much else to say the pictures speak for themselves.
finally, after three days of driving.... NOT FLAT. it was a nice change of scenery.
i drove straight to my next big stop of the trip: Meramec Caverns
if you find yourself in north-eastern MO with no major plans, might i suggest you stop at Meramec.
these caves are unbelievable. the tour takes an hour or so and i could've easily spent four. jesse james and his gang used to hide-out here and used the underground river to escape once... shibby. i don't have much else to say the pictures speak for themselves.
yeah right.....
TravelCenters of America. yeah sure, that's the first thing that pops into my head when i see these signs. more like.........
hmmmm kind of makes me want to stop. that's much more appealing than gas and ho-hos.
Drafting: an Informative Series
stuck on the road? feeling the burn of high gas prices? bored out of your gord? well kids, it's fab, it's fresh, it's Nate's lessons on drafting. following along as we take our first peak at this exciting new sport.
Part 1: understanding the principles of drafting
it's simple: the larger the object the more air it must 'push' in order to move around. the area behind the vehicle is a 'void' of sorts.... put your finger in a sink full of water, move it real fast in a straight line, see how the water moves around your finger and the hollow spot right behind it. sweet huh? well, it's kind of like that. the goal in drafting is get as close as you can to the biggest shit you can and ride along in the void. par example:
regular cars tend to bring teh suck. they just aren't big enough.
hmmm... tow-behind RV, good size, nice wind break. problem is you're going to speed-up/slow-down constantly for this asshole cause his taurus can barely pull this thing downhill... my advice: skip it.
big-rig... fricken huge, massive void, great wind break. similar problem as the tow-behind if he's all loaded down with cargo. unless you have a car with the new 'traffic-sensitive' cruise, this guy is no good either. one plus, this guy has a shit-ton of extra lights and shiny chrome. you can zone out watching the light-show or be like a moth to the flame and chase the shiny shit all day.
and NOW, The Holy Mother of all Drafting Situations:
big rig in front, big rig behind, and even one on the side to block and cross-winds. best way to do this is find two trucks that are traveling together. keep an eye out, often if they're the same company they'll be sticking together. so find these guys, then comes the ballsy part. just put your blinker on and pull right in between them. chances are they're already drafting each other so you'll have to squeeze in and make a little room. you're going to piss them off, it's kind of a guarantee... at first. once they realize you're down for drafting they usually fit you right in. so just get as close as your 'pucker factor' allows and don't get worried when all you can see if a bunch of chrome and the word 'kenworth' in your rear-view. take solace in the fact that you can accelerate, turn, or break way faster than these guys. and poof, all of sudden you car gets like 50 miles to the gallon, it's the new hotness.
Part 1: understanding the principles of drafting
it's simple: the larger the object the more air it must 'push' in order to move around. the area behind the vehicle is a 'void' of sorts.... put your finger in a sink full of water, move it real fast in a straight line, see how the water moves around your finger and the hollow spot right behind it. sweet huh? well, it's kind of like that. the goal in drafting is get as close as you can to the biggest shit you can and ride along in the void. par example:
regular cars tend to bring teh suck. they just aren't big enough.
hmmm... tow-behind RV, good size, nice wind break. problem is you're going to speed-up/slow-down constantly for this asshole cause his taurus can barely pull this thing downhill... my advice: skip it.
big-rig... fricken huge, massive void, great wind break. similar problem as the tow-behind if he's all loaded down with cargo. unless you have a car with the new 'traffic-sensitive' cruise, this guy is no good either. one plus, this guy has a shit-ton of extra lights and shiny chrome. you can zone out watching the light-show or be like a moth to the flame and chase the shiny shit all day.
and NOW, The Holy Mother of all Drafting Situations:
big rig in front, big rig behind, and even one on the side to block and cross-winds. best way to do this is find two trucks that are traveling together. keep an eye out, often if they're the same company they'll be sticking together. so find these guys, then comes the ballsy part. just put your blinker on and pull right in between them. chances are they're already drafting each other so you'll have to squeeze in and make a little room. you're going to piss them off, it's kind of a guarantee... at first. once they realize you're down for drafting they usually fit you right in. so just get as close as your 'pucker factor' allows and don't get worried when all you can see if a bunch of chrome and the word 'kenworth' in your rear-view. take solace in the fact that you can accelerate, turn, or break way faster than these guys. and poof, all of sudden you car gets like 50 miles to the gallon, it's the new hotness.
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