My Journey

[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

The following morning we drove a bit west, left New Mexico, and crossed into northwest Texas on Route 62/180.....headed to Guadalupe Mountains National Park.....



They have a small campground with approximately 20 sites available for RVs and approximately the same number of sites for tents. It's easily one of the worst campground experiences you'll ever have.....it's simply an asphalt lot with paint lines to depict your space.....Walmarts provide better privacy.....






Our plan was to hike to the summit of Guadalupe Peak (8,751').....the highest peak in the state of Texas. With 3,000' of climb from the trailhead to the summit, it was a real challenge. Initially the trail is incredibly steep but the views were well worth the effort.....





We spotted a Whip snake (non poisonous) along the trail.....it had a small mouse clinched within it's jaws.....and I felt sad for that little guy.....





We got into the whole idea of doing the 8.5 mile round trip hike in record time (not sure what's up with the record times).....4 hours and 7 minutes is what we clocked.....I have no idea what the record is but I'd guess half that maybe.....



It kicked our butts and we slept well that night in spite of the generators which hummed all evening.....

The following morning we were back on the highway driving west (and thinking we should be driving east).....

 

[longhorn1]

Driving from Indiana to pick up an off road trailer and spending 4/18-19 at Caprock Canyon SP and 4/20-22 at Palo Duro Canyon SP both a Parks are SE of Amarillo. Would have been great if our paths could have crossed. Another time. jd

 

[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

JD.....yep, maybe another day during my travels. I'm curious what you bought ? Pics ?

As I said in my last post, we drove west and landed in El Paso, Texas.....





We splurged on a dinner at a nice restaurant, the Jeep got a new set of BF Goodrich KO front tires, and we found a recreation center that gave us free private showers.....





And we messed around the old town section of El Paso. Really nice place.....



One of the many bridges crossing the Rio Grande River into Mexico.....



It was getting hot in El Paso.....the dogs hit the fountain.....



And after a few days it was back on Interstate 10 and headed east once again.....

 

[longhorn1]

Small off road trailer company in Amarillo.
www.buytrekmate.com
Dwight Buckles

Mine is the Cragger HD with off road suspension. Be I'll post pictures when I get back.
jd

 

[Ashton]

I saw your post in the how to post pictures thread,have you asked how to post pictures in this thread? Hope you can figure it out as I enjoy your posts.
https://expeditionportal.com/forum/...ests-about-the-new-forum-version-here.191394/

Thanks for pointing that out. I went and checked in there and it looks like they were just in the midst of transferring files. I'm no computer whiz, so I probably didn't consider that when i was whining. The big post that I was most worried about loosing is there in all it's glory.

 

[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

And our route east out of El Paso, Texas was on Interstate 10, driving in a southeastern direction towards Big Bend National Park. I've mentioned a few times lately that I'm tiring of the desert life, and with increasing day time temperatures the feeling has just intensified. Looking at the thermometer in my truck that afternoon.....it read 100 degrees for an outside temperature.....I passed on the turn off for Big Bend and continued east. Now it was pedal to the metal driving.....



It felt good to be back on the road and putting some miles behind us.....



We crossed the Mississippi River just as the sun had set.....



Now temperatures were really dropping and the landscape was turning green again.....and I was loving the changes.....





The beautiful stone walls that you see in the east.....l love them.....





And sunsets with tall oak trees.....



Interstate 10 turned into 20 which turned into 30 and then into 40.....after I don't know how many hours that I drove, I finally ended up on the east coast.....and now we will start to explore the east and soon we will head north.....

 

[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

Our first stop on the east coast would be in Virginia to visit with family and friends, to drop off my traveling friend, and to take care of a multitude of things that needed to be taken care of. I decided that I liked the new front tires so much, that I stopped in at a garage and replaced the rear ones as well. While stopped at a service station I noticed that the bracket that holds the shock to the "new" rear axle had broke. Further investigation showed that it had been broke before and the weld broke driving cross country.....my Baja mechanic strikes again.....



I took it to a friend's shop and while it was there he attached a High Lift jack to the hood for me (remember how the Jeep jack wouldn't work when the rear wheel fell off.....I needed something better).....



I got quite a bit accomplished including some emergency dental work. It was nice seeing family and friends after being gone so long, but after a week I was back on the road.....




We crossed the Potomac River as we left Virginia and entered Maryland.....looking to the west we could see Washington D.C. from a distance.....



Later in the day we crossed the Chesapeake Bay.....



I wanted to complete a coast to coast trip.....last fall I walked along the Pacific Ocean, so now it was time to walk the shores of the Atlantic Ocean. The dogs will choose to swim no doubt.....

Tanner continues to be all that I can handle.....



Great companions.....

 

[shellbackcva59]

You are in my neck of the woods now. Looks like you crossed the Woodrow Wilson bridge near DC, and the Bay bridge by Annapolis. Lots of white knuckle driving in those areas! You won't find much free remote camping on the east coast unfortunately! I'm in the Amish country of S.E. PA. Beautiful area, but nothing like the west.

 

[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

Shellbackcva59.....yes that's exactly right on the bridges and I'd agree with you about the driving. In general, I always find that east coast drivers are really uptight and unforgiving. I roll with it.....

After leaving the suburbs of Washington, D.C. everything changes quickly. We passed through miles and miles of flat, wide open farmland surrounded by stunning pine forests. In the afternoon we arrived at Assateague Island National Seashore Park where we of course, landed in a campground. I chose to be on the bayside, as opposed to oceanside.....less wind, less sand, and most importantly, less people. I chose to be in the "no generator" section.....once again.....less people.....actually no people ! Just the way we like it.....



The weather was great on day one.....maybe a tad cool but nothing that couldn't be dealt with.....a light jacket was perfect. And so it was time to walk.....time to explore.....that's what we do.....



We walked to Chincoteague Bay to check things out. Really beautiful looking west back to the mainland.....



There's an incredible amount of waterfowl around here. It's a really, really chill place to hang out.....



I bought epoxy and patched the holes in the kayaks. Hopefully I'll get out and explore many of the inland waterways.....



We had a great sunset on out first night. These pictures are looking across Chincoteague Bay.....






The sun set.....all became quiet.....except for the constant sound of the nearby Atlantic Ocean's waves crashing on the shoreline......



It was perfect.....

 

[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

Without a doubt, the main attraction at Assateague Island are the wild horses. Here, the horses are treated by the masses no differently than what you might see when someone spots a grizzly bear or a grey wolf in Yellowstone National Park. Cars stop in the center of the travel lanes, people jump out with cameras ready, people spend hours just watching the wild horses.....



So this got me thinking (I have a lot of time to think.....and look at wild horses).....what is our fascination with these guys.....



They're not particularly beautiful compared to many of the horses that you'd see along any roadway or some of the magnificent race horses that I see on television.....



And from what I can tell, they're not really all that wild. You can easily walk right up to them (if you don't mind the risk of being bit or kicked). They wander along the roadways and spend much of the day in the campground munching on grass.....



But there is something special, magnificent, magical that surrounds these guys. And that got me to thinking that maybe it's not actually the wild horse, but it's the "wild" that fascinates all of us.....



It's what they symbolize that really strikes a chord within each one of us. They roam and wander the island at will.....



As each of us takes in the beauty of the scenery, it touches our inner soul that also desires to be wild and free.....



I don't know.....I see a parallel between their lives and my own.....not wanting to be penned up, to be free, and just to wander.....

 

[Hal43]

But there is something special, magnificent, magical that surrounds these guys. And that got me to thinking that maybe it's not actually the wild horse, but it's the "wild" that fascinates all of us.....
It's what they symbolize that really strikes a chord within each one of us. They roam and wander the island at will.....
As each of us takes in the beauty of the scenery, it touches our inner soul that also desires to be wild and free.....
I don't know.....I see a parallel between their lives and my own.....not wanting to be penned up, to be free, and just to wander.....

And the fact that they have been roaming wild there since the 1600's adds to that feeling.

 

[longhorn1]

Without a doubt, the main attraction at Assateague Island are the wild horses. Here, the horses are treated by the masses no differently than what you might see when someone spots a grizzly bear or a grey wolf in Yellowstone National Park. Cars stop in the center of the travel lanes, people jump out with cameras ready, people spend hours just watching the wild horses.....

View attachment 445252

So this got me thinking (I have a lot of time to think.....and look at wild horses).....what is our fascination with these guys.....

View attachment 445253

They're not particularly beautiful compared to many of the horses that you'd see along any roadway or some of the magnificent race horses that I see on television.....

View attachment 445254

And from what I can tell, they're not really all that wild. You can easily walk right up to them (if you don't mind the risk of being bit or kicked). They wander along the roadways and spend much of the day in the campground munching on grass.....

View attachment 445255

But there is something special, magnificent, magical that surrounds these guys. And that got me to thinking that maybe it's not actually the wild horse, but it's the "wild" that fascinates all of us.....

View attachment 445256

It's what they symbolize that really strikes a chord within each one of us. They roam and wander the island at will.....

View attachment 445257

As each of us takes in the beauty of the scenery, it touches our inner soul that also desires to be wild and free.....

View attachment 445258

I don't know.....I see a parallel between their lives and my own.....not wanting to be penned up, to be free, and just to wander.....

View attachment 445259

Well stated Jerry. Looking forward to reading more about this area in future posts. Regards, JD

 

[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

Hal43.....yes that's right. And maybe these guys are even wilder than I gave them credit for. The park service gives them zero assistance (no veterinary care, food when its sparse, etc.).....I've been checking these guys out.....

JD.....thanks and how's the new trailer working out ? It looked pretty solid.....

So.....there are 3 rather short, maintained walking trails within the park. I've walked them all of course (multiple times). Each trail highlights a certain aspect of the park's flora and fauna, which shows the diversity of life in such a small area.....



My least favorite of the trails is the.....



It's a 10 minute walk through the sand dunes and maybe what was most interesting about it were the remains of an old, abandoned highway that once ran the length of the Maryland side of the island. I would have never guessed that Assateague Island was once completely platted into thousands of lots and had it not been for a giant storm, today it would be totally developed.....



Close to our campground is the.....



It's another short walk, most of it elevated above the actual marsh. From the boardwalk you can get pretty nice views of Chincoteague Bay.....



I've noticed that the band of horses that frequents the campground also enjoys this area, and it's also where I've seen the most deer in the park. I had no idea that the Eastern Shore had 2 species of deer.....the White Tail and the Sika.....



My favorite trail by far is.....



This short hike within a small forest is what I would like to call.....the super chill area. I love the pine forest as it's just amazingly serene in there.....



The trail and forest end right at the shoreline of Chincoteague Bay and it's here that there's a merger of the forest song birds and the waterfowl of the bay. I swear to you that it's like a symphony.....I just love this spot and I'm here daily......sometimes I'm overwhelmed at how beautiful nature is and can be.....

 

[Ashton]

i love that you can still find the beauty of being in and around nature, after these years of your travels. I guess you'll know when it's time to stop when you get sick of the places that used to make you happy.

 

[Mccaf]

Great description of the area and horses. I never could imagine....sounds like a great place to end the chapter? Can’t wait until the next one begins Jerry!