Hi everyone! We are Kat and Craig traveling in our 2002 4x4 Z71 Suburban, named Hooper. It's a poor man's Sportsmobile! Build thread HERE! The build thread says his name is Aberdeen, but after only a few weeks of owning him, we changed the name to Hooper. Craig just retired from his professional track & field career, so we thought he could use a year long road trip. I'm a photographer so the idea of living and playing outside for a year and capturing it all along the way sounded like a dream. We set off in late June from San Diego. Our course from from Baja to the Arctic isn't exactly linear or the most efficient route. It's all about chasing the best weather for our outdoor activities in each region, and meeting up with friends whenever possible. Check us out on Instagram at @katcarney & @craigasaurus.
LEG 1: Late June to Late July, 2016
The trip began with a beeline to Mt. Shasta on the way to Eugene, OR for the Olympic Trials where Craig was coaching his training partner in the javelin. After making the Olympic team in 2012 and being the top placing American javelin thrower at the London Olympics, Craig moved to the Olympic Training Center in San Diego, CA. In early 2016 he injured his elbow and was unable to vie for a spot this year, however, he stuck around to coach his training partner, Sean Furey, who made his 2nd Olympic team.
NOTE: Captions are written above the corresponding photos. Don't forget to go to page 2 after reading page 1 (it's not that obvious)
Craig and a hitchhiker we picked up in the Shasta area.
Our first night in the Suburban we had a killer view of Mt. Shasta.
This was Craig's first time in the Cascades and he is loving all the bodies of water he can jump into. Here he is jumping into Castle Lake.
If you haven't been to the Umpqua National Forest in Oregon add it to your list. This is a premiere United States destination. Epic waterfalls are a dime a dozen. I asked Craig to go nap on this log and he lay face down. Who naps face down? I told him he knew what was good for him he'd flip over. Now you know who wears the pants.
As a photographer I find it hard to be in front of the lens. Plus Craig is just a baby photographer. But sometimes (if I set up the shot, and I'm patient enough to stand still) he gets the shot.
Craig is a true canyon nerd, so when he sees a waterfall he usually is wondering, "What does the watercourse look like above? Are there more falls? Is it safe to rappel in the watercourse with this much flow?" Many canyon descents to come in Leg 2 of the trip.
Time to get naked in the outdoors! More Umpqua National forest spendor.
Tasteful nude #1
Crater Lake has some of the clearest water in the world. We threw a pebble in and watched it fall for what seemed like over a minute. Craig belly flopped on the landing. Just kidding.
Our live-in hippos from left to right, Hedgehog and Rufus. The cabinet down the side allowed us to make a low sleeping platform while still having enough room for our gear. The bed is 6'6" long and 49" wide and 56" wide at the top.
Quick stop in Medicine Lake via the backroads of Lava Beds National Monument. When the dirt turned to pavement we got the skateboards out for the downhills. Craig bit off more than he could chew and had an impressive wipeout. He seems to be doing a lot more of that since his retirement from track & field.
There is something wrong with Craig, whenever he sees cold water he feels the need to plunge. This may have been a personal record as he jumped through a hole in one of the icebergs floating around the lake. Helen Lake in Lassen Volcanic National Park.
We prefer National Forests and BLM land to National Parks because of the plentiful free campsites. When you are in most National Parks you have to drive out or get a permit and hike into the backcountry. We opted to hike in this night. We still need to get mosquito netting for the tarp. Bugs suck.
We headed south to Tahoe and ended up at Secret Beach. It was the best nude beach atmosphere we have experienced. 50/50 nude to clothed ratio and people of all ages, not just the creepy people. Sorry no tasteful nudes here though!
Craig's training partner Sean made his second Olympic Team, so we headed back down to San Diego for Craig to finalize logistics for his trip to Rio and to coach Sean for the last couple weeks before heading the the Games.
The trip picked back up when Craig returned from Rio.
Leg 2: August 26-Sept 11 San Diego to Moab via the Yosemite, Mammoth, and Escalante coming soon!
LEG 1: Late June to Late July, 2016
The trip began with a beeline to Mt. Shasta on the way to Eugene, OR for the Olympic Trials where Craig was coaching his training partner in the javelin. After making the Olympic team in 2012 and being the top placing American javelin thrower at the London Olympics, Craig moved to the Olympic Training Center in San Diego, CA. In early 2016 he injured his elbow and was unable to vie for a spot this year, however, he stuck around to coach his training partner, Sean Furey, who made his 2nd Olympic team.
NOTE: Captions are written above the corresponding photos. Don't forget to go to page 2 after reading page 1 (it's not that obvious)
Craig and a hitchhiker we picked up in the Shasta area.
Our first night in the Suburban we had a killer view of Mt. Shasta.
This was Craig's first time in the Cascades and he is loving all the bodies of water he can jump into. Here he is jumping into Castle Lake.
If you haven't been to the Umpqua National Forest in Oregon add it to your list. This is a premiere United States destination. Epic waterfalls are a dime a dozen. I asked Craig to go nap on this log and he lay face down. Who naps face down? I told him he knew what was good for him he'd flip over. Now you know who wears the pants.
As a photographer I find it hard to be in front of the lens. Plus Craig is just a baby photographer. But sometimes (if I set up the shot, and I'm patient enough to stand still) he gets the shot.
Craig is a true canyon nerd, so when he sees a waterfall he usually is wondering, "What does the watercourse look like above? Are there more falls? Is it safe to rappel in the watercourse with this much flow?" Many canyon descents to come in Leg 2 of the trip.
Time to get naked in the outdoors! More Umpqua National forest spendor.
Tasteful nude #1
Crater Lake has some of the clearest water in the world. We threw a pebble in and watched it fall for what seemed like over a minute. Craig belly flopped on the landing. Just kidding.
Our live-in hippos from left to right, Hedgehog and Rufus. The cabinet down the side allowed us to make a low sleeping platform while still having enough room for our gear. The bed is 6'6" long and 49" wide and 56" wide at the top.
Quick stop in Medicine Lake via the backroads of Lava Beds National Monument. When the dirt turned to pavement we got the skateboards out for the downhills. Craig bit off more than he could chew and had an impressive wipeout. He seems to be doing a lot more of that since his retirement from track & field.
There is something wrong with Craig, whenever he sees cold water he feels the need to plunge. This may have been a personal record as he jumped through a hole in one of the icebergs floating around the lake. Helen Lake in Lassen Volcanic National Park.
We prefer National Forests and BLM land to National Parks because of the plentiful free campsites. When you are in most National Parks you have to drive out or get a permit and hike into the backcountry. We opted to hike in this night. We still need to get mosquito netting for the tarp. Bugs suck.
We headed south to Tahoe and ended up at Secret Beach. It was the best nude beach atmosphere we have experienced. 50/50 nude to clothed ratio and people of all ages, not just the creepy people. Sorry no tasteful nudes here though!
Craig's training partner Sean made his second Olympic Team, so we headed back down to San Diego for Craig to finalize logistics for his trip to Rio and to coach Sean for the last couple weeks before heading the the Games.
The trip picked back up when Craig returned from Rio.
Leg 2: August 26-Sept 11 San Diego to Moab via the Yosemite, Mammoth, and Escalante coming soon!
Attachments
Last edited: