Driving north, through the red rocks and further onward between the distinguished mountains of central and northern Utah, we bonded over talk of life plans and philosophies. When surrounded by the majesty of that type of nature, it is easy to drive for days. However, luckily, we only had about four hours to endure. 

After dropping Chloe off at the airport, I met up with my cousin, Travis, in southeast SLC for Vietnamese food. This was a great transition into my time in Salt Lake City. I hadn’t been to his hometown since I was only two years old, so arriving at their house was really cool. The house itself was phenomenal, and it’s location even better. They’re right at the base of Little Cottonwood Canyon, which leads east toward popular ski resorts, Snow Bird and Alta. The weather in late September there was phenomenal for almost anything you could want, save riding snow. Met my Uncle Tommy’s girlfriend and hung out for a bit, talking and hanging out. All-around stoke for the 5 days ahead! 

That night, Travis and I smoked a bit and drank a few beers while playing darts and catching up on life. Which was great. Just chillin’ with family. By the way, the liquor stores in Utah were surprisingly interesting and unique, in a good way. My first night, I went to one to buy a six-pack. Each bottle (of wine, liquor, or beer) is sold individually, which was awesome, because everything there was to offer was available for addition to your pick-your-own personal variety pack. 

The next morning, I got some much-needed work done at my uncle’s house before going out in the late afternoon to meet with my Aunt Diana with Travis, and his girlfriend Anna. It was my aunt’s boyfriend’s birthday, which was a cool excuse to go to a party, drink beer and eat great food together. My Aunt Diana was behind the operations of making food for the party, and each and every item on the table was delicious! We met at her place to finalize the food arrangements and head north into the mountains to the small house gathering. 

At the party, I met Howard’s (my aunt’s boyfriend’s) daughter and her boyfriend, who live in LA. It was refreshing to meet people based there, since that was essentially the final stop on my cross-country trip. I had questions for them as well as stories. We all enjoyed a good time. Mostly older people populated the party, which was also cool. I don’t remember the last time when I was at a party  consisting of only 10% under-30-year-olds. We rounded out the night with Cards Against Humanity with my Aunt Diana, Howard, and the “kids”. Which was hilarious. But I digress.

Headed back to my uncle’s house for bed time and woke up feeling rejuvenated for a day of more work on the lap top and a bit of skating as well. I worked from “home” in the morning and then drove into downtown SLC to tour my uncle’s new facility in progress. He started a company (one of the larger ones) that designs, creates, and stores trade show displays and experiences for some of the largest, most expensive displays at the largest trade shows in the business of outdoor gear, action sports, mountain and snow sports, etc. Not sure if I can name drop here, but probably one of your favorite companies is his client. The office space is amazing. The storefront and front section of the building were still very much under construction, but operations were fully moved in. It’s a really unique and very rad business to be in, and the level of both detail and manpower that goes into the displays is astounding. 

Really cool shit, Uncle Tom. 

After checking out the space, I went to a skatepark for a bit, because, well, duh. It was super fun. It’s always good to skate a new park and meet some new people who grew up skating a different area of the country. Culture experience through the stories of skate rats. Later on, I met up with Travis and Anna at an indoor climbing gym nearby. Climbing has become a “thing” for me again, and I’m really stoked on it! Gym climbing, however, seems so much more exhausting to me, if not only for the reason that there are more options at everyone’s disposal. I think I prefer natural bouldering, because an entire crew of people will solve a (much harder) problem together, solve one problem more deliberately, and bond throughout that process. Climbing at a gym is really sick for other reasons, though. There is a community there, there are people that can advise you on routes they already have experience with, and it’s a GREAT place to meet new friends. 

I’ve never met a climber that’s a real dick. Just my experience...

After the climbing gym, the three of us walked to a nearby pizza joint, Spadelli’s, which is run by skaters and snow bums. It’s a cool vibe, and they have tasty beer and pizza, So fuck yeah, it was enjoyable. Glad to spend quality time before heading back to my uncle’s house for more of it. This was a Friday night, so we proceeded to sit around the fire in   a(n) (awesome) fire pit in the backyard, drink whiskey, and share stories. It was all of us (my uncle, his girlfriend, my cousin, his girlfriend, and myself). Definitely a great night, to make a long story shorter, and I ended up sleeping on an air mattress in the backyard, under the stars and in the cool breeze of Utah’s autumn. 

The next morning, I was interested in doing some outdoorsy things, in pure interest and because I hadn’t done that since in the SLC area. Travis has just started driving for Lyft, so he wanted to make some money (I back it) and went driving. Meanwhile, my uncle and Christine, his girlfriend, went out with me for a nice hike to a good view (the city on one direction and the towering mountain and lake at its base on the other). Afterward, Christine brought us (as guests, thanks Christine!) to the spa she goes to. The main reason for this was that it has a rooftop pool, directly at the base of Alta resort’s mountain. The leaves were almost all yellow at that point, so wading through the (heated) pool and lounging in a hot tub on the (5th floor) rooftop of this building was amazing. The fall colors, sheer granite mountain faces, and bare ski slopes made for a great combination of views and a serene experience for a casual Saturday. 

We then went back to the house again, from where Uncle Tom and Christine went to dinner and I went to the nearby skatepark in Sandy, UT. I met some really cool dudes there, one originally from the northeast US and one from northeast Europe. The session was fun, despite the majority being scooters (don’t get me started). Lots of bowls that were really too mellow to shred (you have to see this place), but a pretty fun park nonetheless. That night, I went back to the house to have a really chill time, just catching up on skate videos, reading my book and smoking and drinking (just a bit) with family. Another beautiful night with family in Utah.

The next day, which was my final full day in Utah, I decided to do a half-day of work before departing solo with a tent, heading south. After getting work done early in the day, I went to Park City to hit up a couple of skateparks before meeting up with Travis and Anna in the mountains near there to view stars. I originally went to what I thought was the renowned Park City Skatepark. However, I went to Trailside Skatepark, which was actually REALLY fun. There were scattered obstacles that reminded me more of art sculptures with all types of shapes and sizes. They were situated, though, in a way that facilitated great flow in the park. The mini ramp was piece of shit, but manual pads, boxes, and banks galore made for a great session with one younger local kid. Perhaps the highlight of the park was the rare find of a concrete pump track, similar to those that BMX riders train on. It was definitely designed for skateboards, but those are not often produced. I was having a good time surfing that thing till my legs burned and I decided to continue to central Park City. The actual Park City park was really fun. Big flow bowl with hips and spines, complemented with a flow street section AND a plaza-style street section. Lots to choose from. Lots to do. I wish I’d had more time there. It was yet again, the type of park you could spend a full day at. 

I was late for meeting Travis and Anna. Shit. On the way south and uphill to some mountain peaks near Park City. From there,  the plan was to watch the “Super Moon” that was happening that night, from high altitude. And we were hoping for clear skies, which were looking questionable. The “Super Moon,” it turns out, is when a red moon overlaps with a full eclipse (in this case, lunar eclipse). The east coast got a better view of it, but it was possible to see where we were. As the sun was rising, clouds were still clearing out, so we unfortunately missed the red moon rise. After that though, the moon had risen to a decent height when the clouds cleared out, and we saw a beautiful orange moon. 

The traffic to the peaks of the mountains was hellacious, and so I was not able to meet with Anna and Travis. We were parked in far-away, different lots and on separate adventures/experiences. I found a group of people my age that were Park City locals and having a small mountain-top party for the Super Moon. I gladly joined them for a beer and some smoke while watching a natural wonder on a wonderful road trip. I found out from the one of the friends there that almost the entire group p had moved together from Vermont and had gone to St. Michael’s College in Burlington, VT - where my cousin Ben went for his undergraduate degree. Good times, good conversations, good people. 

Then started the half-hour drive back west to Granite. got there to join Anna and Trav in watching a few shows on Netflix while having a smoke and some food. Chill night. Leaving in the morning. Bittersweet. 

I was surprised at how much I thoroughly enjoyed Salt Lake City. As an area of our country, it has so much to offer, and I feel that the Mormon culture, its presence, and its stereotype has completely negated any good reputation that it should or would have to outsiders. But then again, good for them. Well kept secret. Sorry for sharing… 

The next morning, I would be departing solo from Salt Lake City to Capitol Reef State Park for a night of camping and a morning of exploration of even more beautiful red rock formations. 

Loving life in that moment. I again slept outside under the starry night and full moon. 

 - 7PlyEpic

I will resume the “epic” of my cross-country travel after this short, but I feel necessary, PSA. Since only mid-August, I have been in Pittsburgh, Toronto, Detroit, Chicago, Denver, Salt Lake City, Los Angeles, New York City, and San Diego. And these places, in many ways, are my sanctuaries. These cities are home to metropolises that are the ultimate playgrounds & canvases to the passionate skateboarder. There are social opportunities unmatched outside of big cities. And last but not least, cities (like these) are almost always the epicenters of our human race’s productivity. However… 

Some experiences disprove the need for interaction with these spectacular environments. One of these is my recent trip through Colorado and southern Utah, where I soaked in the complete beauty of the national parks “out west”. I’ve never seen red rocks. At least not at the magnitude that CO and UT (and beyond) have to offer… My friend who was with me literally cried in happiness at one view in particular. The sheer size and severity of shape of the landscapes are beautiful in a harmlessly intimidating way that is hard to convey. The power that exists in and on this earth is utterly mind-blowing, yet the result can be magnificently dormant and conveniently picturesque.

The photos in text books never do justice to how gorgeous some of those places are, and I saw many of the rocks that are staples in the text books I grew up studying. The geography in the parks is spectacular. It truly felt like we were witnessing mother nature at home, in her most majestic form.

It’s nice to be reminded of how small we are in the context of our Earth, never mind our solar system and beyond. It reminds you to chill out, because we are physically  and contextually ants in the grand scheme of the universe.

Soak in life. Don’t rush to the goal of the end. 

Appreciate. Be. 

 - 7PlyEpic

Being awoken to the smell of biscuits, bacon, and pancakes made it easier to not feel completely dead. After the drunken haze finally wore off, the hangover was very real. But hey,  we were all there still enjoying each others' presence. Although I knew I would be driving west (southwest) back to Vail, I indulged in a (quite tasty) Bloody Mary with the crew. “Here’s to a wonderful weekend in sunny Boulder, CO!” Or something like that.. After much procrastination (and bit of queasiness), Chloe and I decided to say farewell to the group. One by one, I said, “peace.” Wasn’t stoked to leave friends in Boulder but was quite excited to go drink beer (a bit later) in Vail. 

We hit the road. It’s a beautiful sunny day (which you couldn’t observe from the basement apartment we were in). It was also actually quite hot outside, which warranted windows down and a cool breeze in our hair. We decided to take the beautiful Highway 6 through Golden to Vail. When leaving Vail days before, I was looking at green foliage, but on the route back the trees were peppered heavily with gorgeous yellows and oranges. Drives through the Rocky Mountains are truly magical and relaxing in a very real way that made me think, “everything is going to turn out so well” with a big jolly smile on my face.

After having some (“bomb-ass”) barbecue at the base of Vail Resorts, Chloe and I arrived at Chrissy’s around 6:30 pm. Chloe was still feeling under par from the crazy night before, so the rest of the group leaves without her to go drink beer at Vail’s Oktoberfest in Vail Village/Lion’s Head area. Honestly, I was still feeling the aftermath of the previous night’s actions, but I still managed to put down a few beers, meet some new people and listen to some great live tunes on an outdoor stage. After the initial chilling outside at Oktoberfest, we all made our way to the local staple bar - Garfinkel’s. 

Garfinkel’s reminded me of Raleigh’s "Mitch’s Tavern", with a more renovated feel, bigger seating area and more of a ski bum drinking culture encouraged. Speaking of shots, Chrissy, Mitch, Brian and I spun the “shot wheel” as  group and proceeded to take a drink deciphered by Wheel-of-Fortune-style chance. In the case of that night, the drink was “moose piss,” and it was surprisingly great. Tequila, whiskey and something else mixed together to offer a shockingly smooth shot for our enjoyment. The rest of the night was predictable yet really fun. We took the free bus back to the house to meet with Chloe who had been napping. We did a bit of smoking and had another beer(s) to act as a night cap, and we all got some rest before a full day of the outdoors to follow. 

We woke up on that Sunday morning to a crisp fall day in Vail. Again, the colors in the trees were really starting to pop, and we were all ready to go on our hike. It was primarily a climbing day again. The group of us, Chrissy, Brian, Liz, Mitch, Chloe, and I, were stoked! I met Liz for the first time the night before. Great person for sure. Glad we got to meet during my second visit to Vail. 

We made our way (past Leadville again) to a trail head near Windsor Lake. Daisy, the dog, was with us as well, leading the way like the champ that she is. We came across an awesome bouldering spot for warming up on, promptly unloaded the pads and changed into our climbing shoes. It was really fun to climb again after only a short week away from it. Chloe was stoked, because she revisited her passion again! She was a really avid climber in college but had a serious injury that stopped her involvement for a while. The pins and screws discouraged climbing for her, but that day was her first back on the rock wall, trying to solve problems and find routes. Everyone had a blast, especially her. 

After a while of pursuing a few problems at the boulder, we moved on and transferred the stoke further up the mountain to Windsor Lake. This was the fly fishing spot for Brian and Mitch. While they were fishing, I just relaxed with Daisy, Liz, Chloe, and Chrissy, enjoying the sunlight and beautiful landscapes! After about an hour of relaxation and conversation in the beautiful mountains, we began our descent (which was actually quite challenging) and made our way to the vehicles. We drove back to make some awesome dinner and have a few brews before bedtime. 

Brian (and crew) made delicious pizzas to go with chips and dip. Some of us dabbled in a game of darts, Daisy continued to be ridiculously cute, and the good tunes kept on playing. I’m extraordinarily grateful to have spent time with this group of people on this trip, especially given how much time and how many good times we had the opportunity of having. Bedtime, and we all retire for the night. The next morning, everyone else would be off to work, but Chloe and I had plans to proceed (I-70 West) to our own mini national park tour. 

The morning came (again with its magnificent mountainous glory), and we got to it. Following a morning of work work, we went to the closest boutique weed store as well as the liquor store to pick some goodies/good-bye present/thank-you gift for the housemates. Afterward, we were on to packing up the car and getting outta dodge. 

Mad love to the Vail buds..

We’re off! I love that feeling. When you’re on your way to somewhere you’ve never before been, and all you have is all you have. Good tunes and good energy make for a pleasant departure. About an hour and a half or two hours later,  we decide to stop in an odd little town called Glenwood Springs, CO. What to do? Mexican restaurant for margaritas and tacos? Yes, please. Great tacos, shitty drinks. Whatever though. There was a nice waterfront (river) that we enjoyed, but then it was onward further west. 

The night’s darkness was beginning to creep into real time, so we decided to stop for camping early. Our original plan was to make it all the way to Arches National Park area, but we were still in CO when we stopped. Better to set up camp during daylight hours and get more sleep to get an earlier start to the next full day. Besides, we had beer to drink… We enjoyed some good conversation and tasty Oskar Blues beverages before getting rest for another day of adventure.

The next morning, we departed for a breakfast place and found one without any struggle at all. This place was straight out of a horror film, where the guy serving you your pancakes is the same one that lives in the kitchen and kills traveling tourists at camp sites nearby for fun. Creepy people with weird butter and weirder locals. However, everyone was nice (yet creepy), and the food was decent. Dr. Phil was playing on the televisions, and literally all (approx.) 20 customers were watching intently and silently. Weird. We’re outta there. 

Driving on the highway again, we saw a sign for Colorado National Monument. Not knowing what it was, we figured it would be a cool photo or overlook, taking 30 minutes of our time (tops). But we were pleasantly wrong. This ended up being THE Colorado National Monument Park, an amazing display of nature, and one of our first experiences seeing huge red rock out west. It was ultimately a 3.5-hour tour, and I’m personally very glad we wandered to this place. 

Afterward, we went into Grand Junction, CO for a tasty lunch/refuel. Big ups to Grand Junction for being a cool little hipster town. Will go back if possible, next time driving through UT and CO. shortly after our lunch stop, the landscape began to change from Colorado’s lush mountains to Utah’s vast orange desert. Stoked to see this for the first time! The driving was good in this environment, and the air was warm and dry, BEAUTIFUL. As we came closer to Arches, we noticed that Canyonlands is only an additional 30 miles or so. We’d both heard fantastic things about Canyonlands, so we decided to divert our route for some added spontaneity and beautiful earth forms. 

We got to the gate at Canyonlands, and entry was $20. However, the gate attendant convinced me to buy the annual National Parks pass for $80. "We’ll take the $10 from Colorado National Monument Park and credit it to your bill,” he said. So I went for it, and I now I have an annual pass - incentive to visit more rad parks within the next year! Canyon lands was truly amazing. At that point, I had never seen the Grand Canyon, so this was the largest canyon I’d ever seen, and the “Islands in the Sky” (huge mountainous spires) were incredible! Chloe almost came to tears from the sheer magnificence of the red rock earth before us. I couldn’t blame her. It was intense.

The formations in front of and below us emphasized how small we are as humans, which is intimidating and comforting at the same time. This is hard to explain but so worth experiencing, which is why I recommend that everyone see these things during their lifetime! 

We saw many parts of the park, hiked among tourists, and took photos (hopelessly trying to capture the moments for what they actually were). Our freedom of time that day was about as free as it gets. However, the sun was beginning to set, so we left in search of suitable camping. Tent set up, beers cracked, and deep conversation engaged. After a good buzz, we took some weed candies and went wandering into the open unmarked desert with no plans but to explore. Our exploration quickly turned into dancing wildly, praising plants and worshiping the beaming moon. Stoned yet energized, we fully let our positive energy out into Utah’s southern desert. And I’ll never forget that. This two-person dance party lasted for quite some time before we retired once again to rest up for another day of national park roaming.

The morning brought blue skies, dry heat, and traveler’s hope. Excited to see yet more unseen, we packed up the tent and headed toward Arches National Park. Getting there was easy. We refueled our bodies with some dried fruit and coffee at a local trading post. Driving into the park was mind-blowing, and views only got better and better as we went further and further into the park. We took a hike to the “Delicate Arch” (the one you see in all the text books growing up), but first, I got a skate clip of me doing a kick flip on a flat(ish) section of red rock. Bucket list —> CHECK. Not sure how legal that was, but we were feeling positive and spontaneous. Arches (especially the trip to Delicate Arch) was a bit more touristy than I prefer, but the formations and vastness of the park were truly impressive and humbling. We did some reading and talking, soaking in the landscape with the time that we had there. Unfortunately, Chloe had a flight out of Salt Lake City that evening, so we needed to leave. Because of that constraint, we didn’t have the time to see the “Devil’s Garden” (Google it) area from the trails, but that only gives me a damn good reason to return. 

So we must move on to make a flight… We left and headed north on State Route 6. And that leaves the story here. Until next week… 

 - 7PlyEpic

I approached that Monday morning ready for a change in pace, even though I had such an amazing experience in Vail! I knew I would soon return to the Rockies west of Denver. I had planned to skate this mini ramp that I heard was right at the base of the mountain at Vail Resort, so after packing the car, I headed down there. I was having a hard time finding the parking deck, so I went to a small café in one of the buildings. One of the craziest coincidences I’ve had in a while: the dude behind the counter was a guy I used to skate with at the Skate Barn near my hometown and who used to work at the same restaurant with me in 2010. Kris was just as shocked to see me as I was to see him. It was Crazy. But probably not so surprised to see that I was looking for the skatepark. He was forming a line of customers to help, so he wrote down his phone number for me, and I dipped out toward this cool skatepark. That was the second person (and also skater) I met in the neighborhood in Vail that was from NC. I was feeling the positive vibes for sure. 

Onward to the skatepark. The park was okay, some might say shitty. But the mini was a perfect little 3.5 foot halfpipe with 8 inch extensions on each side. Even though I was alone there, I enjoyed for about 30 minutes or so. The really special characteristic of this ramp was its beautiful backdrop of the mountain. I can only imagine how cool it is in the winter (if dry), when you watch the skiers and riders come down the mountain as you shred the ramp. Wish I had more time (as always), but then it was on the road to Boulder.

I was so stoked to see my friend from college, Anna, that I ended up going straight to visit her at work. Said what’s up for a minute before going next-door (in downtown Boulder) for a coffee a a hipster little place called Trident. Had a regular black coffee to go with my work. Two or three hours later, we met up outside, walked to the store, grabbed some smokes and headed back to her place. There, I met her boyfriend, Topher, and her other roommate, Chris. They were cool, chilling pretty hard for the night. Then Anna, Topher and I headed to the (walking distance) awesome, shitty local bar named Outback. I actually liked this bar a lot. A nice outdoor porch, a nice bar, plenty of space, and bar games for your enjoyment. Almost every night I was visiting in Boulder, we went to Outback. That’s what we did. It was awesome. I met Topher’s brother, Zack, and other friends as well. Had a fun night out, reminiscing with Anna about the irreplaceable freshman year at NC State. So many good times.

The next morning, I woke up and worked from her apartment for half the day. Then, I went for hike with Anna to this awesome overlook of the beginning of the continental divide. It was really impressive, and we met a couple of cool strangers/travelers at the outlook also. That night, we went to karaoke. I hadn’t done karaoke in a long, long, long time. I wasn’t scared though. Fuck it. It was awesome. I sang Earth, Wind, & Fire and Cake to the crowd, and I don’t think I blew that badly. It was a bar that was overpriced yet swanky, like C Grace in Raleigh. I like C Grace, so I kind of liked that bar. Especially for the context in which a group of (mostly) strangers were singing to each other (by the way, the theme of songs that night was “woes”). After that place we went to...

Outback. Drinks drinks. Another drink. Then home. Exhausted but having fun. Rest for the next day.

Worked from their place that morning again, and then I went out to one of the local skateparks. Scott Carpenter Park. A fun transition park that would have been more fun with more coping. Gritty concrete but smooth transitions (and mostly transition). After that, I went and did some research for buying camping gear. Because I hadn’t moved with any camping gear, I was going to score a new tent, sleeping bag and headlamp for obvious reasons. Stoked! Went back to the place and chilled for a bit before …. Outback. That night, I was super tired and stayed for a couple beers before going back to the empty place to write a blog post for this thing. Chill night before a big day...

Brought the car to the mechanic (for Miley’s check-up). More on Miley later… Also, I was leading a call for work that night. Stoked! Just a lot to take care of. Good news. The car is good to go. (She’s been a champion!) That evening, I go to the library at UC Boulder to take the call. It was funny how similar the interior of their library was to that of NC State’s D.H. Hill Library. Down to the furniture and arrangements, a lot of it was identical. It brought me back for sure, to the good days of undergrad. Ran the call, then met Anna, Topher, and Chris for a drink in downtown. Chris’ parents were in town visiting, so I met them too, and they were “mad cool”. Then … Outback. It was… karaoke at Outback. So obviously I sang a song. Karaoke is fun, and the group of people I was with were regulars. So … fuck yeah. Had a fun night for sure. 

The next day, a friend was coming in to join me on part of my journey, similar to Darnell from Pittsburgh to Chicago. Chloe got in at the Denver airport in the morning, and I was up in the morning, so I  drove to the airport to pick her up. Then went to a fancy, hipster coffee shop (had to) and chilled for a bit. Updated her on the trip so far, and she updated me on her plans to move to Portland within the month. Rad. We then drive back to Boulder to catch up with Anna and Topher for a late breakfast. After breakfast, we head back to Anna’s place, where we play with SnapChat, drink a beer, and proceed to chill (just Anna, Chloe, and I). At some point in the afternoon, I leave for plans to go skate with my friend Nathan. I know Nathan’s twin bother, Patrick, better, but I skated with both of them back in Wilmington as kids. I had seen Patrick this past April in the northeast during a road trip to New Hampshire. In CO, we had the “in” at a private indoor bowl in Denver (the Rosy Bowl). The connect was through a friend I met the previous spring in Denver.

We arrive at this warehouse, and our hopes of the craziest best ramp ever were pretty satisfied. So stoked on skating that thing!  A horse shoe bowl with 7-8 foot deep all around and high vert wall (with some oververt and a death box) in the bottom of the U. There were some other really cool features too. Check the Instagram for more on that bowl. The guys were really rad too and had built a full disco dance party room underneath this thing. You walk through a door of beads into dance party zone, and it’s unreal! (Thanks John!!) A couple beers and a donation later, we head to the “famous” Arvada skatepark. Apparently, this thing is the largest outdoor skatepark west of the Mississippi. And I don’t doubt it. Not only was it huge. It was incredible. For the skaters reading, it’s the outdoor Colorado park with the “Frito” chip ramp that you need to ollie onto and off of. Stayed there for a long while and could have spent an entire day there. So fun! But we must retreat.

I go to back to Boulder with Nathan, drop him off, shower off, and … Outback.

Nathan was going to meet us there. The crew was all there. And Chloe was also planning to join (had visited some friends in Longmont for the rest of that day). Was going to be a fun night. and…. it was. At Outback. Shots. Beers. Beers. Beers. Then we head back to Anna’s place, where Chris (and I) decided to all have straight bourbon drinks. Bad idea. Or good idea. We all end up with our shirts off somehow, outside smoking cigarettes and drinking good bourbon. At 3 am. Long night. We all pretended it was our birthday and got absurdly drunk as a group (about 8 of us at that point). Very fun times with some new and old friends. The next morning wouldn’t be AS much fun. The next day, we were leaving all of those wonderful people. 

The next morning, I awake to bacon, biscuits (good ones!), and bloody marys. The trip is still going pretty well...

To be continued...

 - 7PlyEpic

As a prelude, I apologize for lack of posting to 7PlyEpic.com. Much of the trip (especially the latter half) has been offline, living from Wi-Fi hotspot to Wi-Fi hotspot, gas station to gas station, and campground to campground. It's been a hell of a time, and I arrived in Long Beach, CA last night. So excited to be and start life here! But I digress. Here's the next chapter from the glorious road trip:

Leaving Madison was the most bitter sweet exit of the trip at that point. The times I had there were so fun and so varied. Skating, being DJ sidekick on the college radio station, drinking beer with cool people, playing intense drinking games and killing slip n’ slides with great people, and most of all hanging out with a college friend from Raleigh. Good times chilling and raging and everything in between, including experiencing (sober) the rich culture that the place had to offer. 

Despite the bitterness of leaving, I was craving the sweetness of being in the Rockies (for only the second time in my life). I departed around 1 pm for Vail, CO, with one planned stop in Omaha to avoid a sixteen-hour drive alone. It was a pleasant drive. Despite all the negative things I’d heard about driving through the mid-west plains, I found comfort and solace in the hundreds of miles of mellow, flat road. Also, it was nice to have peace, quiet, and Wi-Fi at a hotel room in Nebraska to get some good work done. 

Arriving in Colorado was a good feeling; however, it was a bit disappointing to see more plain for many more miles before Denver. I’d only ever flown into Denver, never driven in. So I was surprised to know that (north)east of Denver in CO was only more mid-west to be seen. Once passing Denver, the full day of driving under my belt melted away, and I felt like it was new day of driving. I was so stoked to be in the canyons of the mountains, weaving, coasting and climbing through the majestic American peaks.

For some reason, Google misled me off of I-70 East onto the “Famous Casino Parkway”, which led me down a few closed roads that I not only had to turn around on, but I thought would be the end of my station wagon. Nonetheless, the car and I survived. I arrived at my friend’s house safely, and it was nice to see her again. Chrissy and I studied abroad together in Perú in 2011, which was an amazing experience. She was actually in NC for my Going Away Party, so it had not been that long since I'd seen her. We went to the beer store after getting the house tour (she’s got a rad pad), and we proceeded to socialize. All the roommates were back that night, her boyfriend and two other dudes that were rad as well. 

I love the vibe of being around people that live for the mountain. Although not everyone was a “ski bum”, they were all climbers, snowboarders, fishermen, cyclists, you name it. They loved the wild, and that’s why they all relocated to Colorful Colorado from North Carolina, Michigan, and Illinois. 

My first full day in Vail was mellow. Went to a coffee shop to get more work in, but then visited an awesome skatepark in Edwards, CO and went back to the crash spot for a nice dinner with the “family” (shout-out to Brian’s tacos!). The next day, we were set to leave for an EPIC camping/climbing trip to Independence Pass. Got some work done in the morning. After lunch, Chrissy and I went to Minturn, a quaint little mountain town within a few exits of Vail. Took a little walk that ended at a little bar. Then we took a little drive to “my first weed store”. Although, I don’t smoke too much currently, having all of the tasty and potent options that CO has to offer was pretty sick. Picked up some chocolates for the weekend and then started supplies shopping for the rest of the essentials. Fast forward:

We’re on the road to Independence Pass (a well-known area for climbing) for a weekend of beautiful landscapes, hiking, and climbing. I had no clue I was going to have so much fun that weekend. All day, each day was happiness in nature. We’re on the way to meet with about 8 people at the campsite (1.5 hr drive), and we pass through Leadville, CO, which, for such a small town, has one of the coolest skateparks (their flow bowl tho…) I’ve been to. So much fun, but the elevation made it harder to get a full session in. Onward we go. We get to the campsite buzzed (tehe) and in the the dark. So granted my blindness at night, it wasn’t that much fun setting up camp. But that night was really cool. Everyone was very cool, accepting, and generous, ready for unburdened good time in the mountains. We were stoked for a good weekend and had many (many) beers in preparation for this (because that makes sense). There were two birthdays among the crew that weekend. Scott, a great friend of everyone at the house I was staying at, was the birthday boy that Friday. And Saturday was Jason’s birthday. Jason was a new friend to all of us but one, and he had a great positivity. Had a great tome partying with everyone and then woke up to a slight hangover, a smoky fire circle and a delicious breakfast (thanks everyone!).

We decided that we could find a bigger, better group campsite, so we packed up camp and marked a site for the following night. Then we headed to our first bouldering spot. It was great spot to go to (for my first time in years climbing). Had a lot of fun. Conquered one easy climb and was defeated by the other. Good climb by all, Chrissy killed it, and we met up with three more people that became part of our group for the rest of the weekend. 

Very near where our cars are parked, there was an awesome cliff jumping spot over a deep spot of water, so some of us took the plunge. That was a LOT of fun. But the water was VERY cold. I’m pretty sure that was the coldest water I’ve been submerged in. But it was a sunny 80 degrees outside, so it felt great to drip off. 

Onward to a second climbing spot. This one had harder climbs but also a couple mellow ones, including a fun crack climbing problem. The enders were two really difficult problems with lots of overhang and not so great grip opportunities. I had fun trying some, but I thoroughly enjoyed watching the killers kill it. After some really awesome climbing, we departed for a (late) lunch spot and refueled. From that parking lot, there was a nice fly fishing spot (Chrissy’s boyfriend is super into fly fishing), and a short walk to a really unique and amazing spot. The ice caves had been worked open and shaped over thousands of years, and you could climb inside, witnessing a truly awesome form of nature. The lighting came in so well, through narrow cracks in the ceiling (the ground above us), and the floor of the caves were curvaceous and smooth, as if someone had laid natural-looking concrete everywhere. There was a tough crack climb problem inside the cave, so it was even cooler watching the best guys (and girls) go for that. 

After leaving and checking out a cool nearby waterfall, we retreat to a new campsite for the night. We set up our tents, some took naps, and Mitch (Chrissy’s roommate) set up his slack line. We started a fire, cracked a few beers for Jason’s birthday and started planning and making dinner. One of the three additional to the crew that night was Brandon, a cool dude from Missouri that used to be a truck driver and member of a Tenacious D cover band. He had his guitar and jammed the night away. Seriously blew us away. Jack Black’s voice and charisma in a skinny guy’s body is the only way I can describe it. We had some weed chocolates and smoked and drank. Some of us (including yours truly) decided to get trippy on a couple levels if you know what I mean, and it was an awesome time. We all got so into the campfire circle, we did some pretty awesome a cappella. I stayed up a bit watching cool shit that wasn’t there, and closed down the night with birthday boy Jason. Shouts out to Jason and Scott for being truly great people.

The next morning we all wake up and walk (from the campsite) to a nearby spot (two of them) for more bouldering. I had bit more confidence at that point and tried everything, only not solving the hardest one. The one that rolled Scott’s ankle. :/ I think he’s mostly better by the time this is posted. :) 

We pack up camp. From there, we go to a separate place for one more bouldering spot. This was a highly-anticipated wall. There was a reason for it being at the end of the weekend. It’s name was “Sex Machine”, which made James Brown’s music a normal theme to the weekend. Brian (Chrissy’s bf) had tried the wall before but never conquered. He wanted it and prepared for it. After a little while there and some jams from a small speaker, the victory was not reached. Although he didn’t get it, he was a beast about it. Getting really into it, making progress, and generally killing it until his body was too tired to go further. Admiration to the guy’s determination. It kind of inspired me to take climbing back up as a regular hobby. If you keep up with this blog, I’m sure you’ll see climbing again. 

On the way back, the drive is fucking beautiful. This was Colorado in the photos, and the photos are never as good. Brian, Chrissy, and I were in one car. Played some music on the way back to the house, and that night, we had a great birthday dinner for Scott waiting for us (at his place). Tasty appetizers everywhere, and crab legs for days!! Beer as well, of course. Everyone had a great time (including me), but I was super tired from the beast of a weekend that we had. I was ready for a good night’s sleep before I woke up to drive to Boulder.

 - 7PlyEpic