suntinez
Explorer
Getting started
Folks keep telling me to write a trip report for this one. Write a trip report?? I’m still not really sure how it happened. 12,000 miles and 24 states later and I’m just now sorting it out, kinda. If I HAD had a plan, I don’t think it could have been a better trip. Plans mean expectations, no plans mean surprises.
I enjoy the trip reports on this site the most, so I’ll share some pics and a few stories. It may take awhile. Some of ya’ll were involved in this trip, and lots of others influenced where I went from their trip reports – thanks to all. But somehow my list of “must see” places is now longer than when I left. Hmmm.
So no real plan. But there’s almost always the itch to go, and the itch was getting bad. We had a reasonably rough winter here and a bunch of snow. Commitments kept me near home thru much of the spring, with only a few jaunts out to keep the itch at bay. Not cutting it. Hello, stir crazy.
I’d been going back and forth between San Diego and a little town west of the Sierras near Yosemite helping a friend move after 30 years in the same house. Now that’s a lot of stuff, and it took a few trips. I wanted to spend some time on the east side of those mountains without packing tape or boxes, babysitting movers or hardware store runs. So the Sierras were calling.
Last March after reading HMR’s build thread, I noticed that my Tiger was having some itches of its own. It wanted a 4” Overland Vans lift, and it wanted new shoes too. First things first, right? Do the lift, then get the tires, keep the Tiger happy. As we all know, keeping the vehicle happy is important. Uhhh, right.
After some PMs with T.Low and talking to Dan at Overland Vans in April, I’m waffling about exactly how much I want to keep the Tiger happy. And what the heck am I thinking – this is an RV after all. No lockers, no winch, no lights – not even AWD. It’s never gonna be an offroad beast. But it sure is comfy, and it’s in the driveway. So fine Tiger, here’s your new shoes (BFG ATs) - let’s see what you can do for me now. Maybe after a bit, we’ll talk about a lift. Or our future together.
As luck would have it, right after the new shoes was this gathering in AZ. On a last minute whim off I go to Overland Expo, just gonna break in the leather, camp and gawk at the goodies, see some friends and hang out. Woah!!! Major sensory overload, and the itch got WAY worse than before. I almost left directly from there for points north and east, but had some things to take care of at home.
Early July, commitments mostly complete, but something always comes up to delay my starting. A good friend in town who’d agreed to watch my house and recently planted vegetable garden said “Linda, if you wait until everything’s done, you’ll never go.” Now I know wise words when they’re beaten over my head with a stick, really I do.
So the next day I printed a few things about the eastern Sierras, packed some clothes and tools, threw all the tech toys in a backpack, changed the oil, and tossed my dog in.
Off we go up 395, east of the Sierra Nevadas.
Folks keep telling me to write a trip report for this one. Write a trip report?? I’m still not really sure how it happened. 12,000 miles and 24 states later and I’m just now sorting it out, kinda. If I HAD had a plan, I don’t think it could have been a better trip. Plans mean expectations, no plans mean surprises.
I enjoy the trip reports on this site the most, so I’ll share some pics and a few stories. It may take awhile. Some of ya’ll were involved in this trip, and lots of others influenced where I went from their trip reports – thanks to all. But somehow my list of “must see” places is now longer than when I left. Hmmm.
So no real plan. But there’s almost always the itch to go, and the itch was getting bad. We had a reasonably rough winter here and a bunch of snow. Commitments kept me near home thru much of the spring, with only a few jaunts out to keep the itch at bay. Not cutting it. Hello, stir crazy.
I’d been going back and forth between San Diego and a little town west of the Sierras near Yosemite helping a friend move after 30 years in the same house. Now that’s a lot of stuff, and it took a few trips. I wanted to spend some time on the east side of those mountains without packing tape or boxes, babysitting movers or hardware store runs. So the Sierras were calling.
Last March after reading HMR’s build thread, I noticed that my Tiger was having some itches of its own. It wanted a 4” Overland Vans lift, and it wanted new shoes too. First things first, right? Do the lift, then get the tires, keep the Tiger happy. As we all know, keeping the vehicle happy is important. Uhhh, right.
After some PMs with T.Low and talking to Dan at Overland Vans in April, I’m waffling about exactly how much I want to keep the Tiger happy. And what the heck am I thinking – this is an RV after all. No lockers, no winch, no lights – not even AWD. It’s never gonna be an offroad beast. But it sure is comfy, and it’s in the driveway. So fine Tiger, here’s your new shoes (BFG ATs) - let’s see what you can do for me now. Maybe after a bit, we’ll talk about a lift. Or our future together.
As luck would have it, right after the new shoes was this gathering in AZ. On a last minute whim off I go to Overland Expo, just gonna break in the leather, camp and gawk at the goodies, see some friends and hang out. Woah!!! Major sensory overload, and the itch got WAY worse than before. I almost left directly from there for points north and east, but had some things to take care of at home.
Early July, commitments mostly complete, but something always comes up to delay my starting. A good friend in town who’d agreed to watch my house and recently planted vegetable garden said “Linda, if you wait until everything’s done, you’ll never go.” Now I know wise words when they’re beaten over my head with a stick, really I do.
So the next day I printed a few things about the eastern Sierras, packed some clothes and tools, threw all the tech toys in a backpack, changed the oil, and tossed my dog in.
Off we go up 395, east of the Sierra Nevadas.