My Journey

[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

It didn't take me long to figure out why most people didn't take the route we took.....the volcanic ash was deep.....the incline was super steep.....it was challenging to say the least.....



But we finally made it.....I think it was only about one thousand feet in elevation gain.....



We found a jar on the summit that contained a summit log.....



And I signed it as I typically do.....



We hung out there for awhile.....took in the stunning views.....



Later that day we were back in the rig driving north.....





Miles and miles of sandy track.....





We even passed by a very tiny lake.....sadly things are oh so very dry in Utah....

 

[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

We spent yet one more night camped along a highway.....a herd of sheep grazed nearby.....



Early the next morning sitting there with my hot mug of black coffee, I got onto Google Maps to see if there was anything interesting to visit as we traveled north.....



I remember that morning well even now as I post this early this morning.....it was somewhat of a nostalgic morning as I looked back at my years of living in a truck camper and wondering what laid ahead....



Google Maps hilighted this old Sinclair service station.....less than a mile from our roadside pull out.....



It was July, 2005 when I picked up my first truck camper in Bozeman, Montana and went up into the mountains to climb and become one with nature.....



Life on the road has changed so much over the years.....fortunately there are still places to find solitude.....places to totally escape mankind.....



The sun was just beginning to rise as we left this place.....and I was thinking what's next for the three of us.....beyond just driving north.....



Had our time finally come.....



There was a lot on my mind that morning.....



A big decision needed to be made.....

 

[ITTOG]

That old gas station is pretty cool. Thanks for the pics.

Do you have any idea of miles driven, miles walked, peaks bagged, etc since you have been doing this? Almost at 20 years, you may need to plan a big vacation/celebration in Nepal or one of your other beloved places.

 

[Sierra Valley]

Cool pics of the old gas station had to look up the location! Hope your big decision is to keep traveling and sharing with us.

 

[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

ITTOG.....I do have some accurate and some inaccurate miles, peaks, etc. to share. I'll do that in my upcoming last post. I'm hopeful that a return to Nepal or Tibet is in my future.....possibly in the fall although maybe not until the Spring of 2023.....but time will only tell.....

Sierra Valley.....thanks and understood.....



We turned onto Highway 68 and now we were driving directly to the north.....the western shores of Utah Lake were just to the east of our roadway.....







It was still early in the morning and we stopped often to admire the beauty of Mother Nature as we passed by the shores of Utah Lake.....







Somewhere along that highway.....somewhere along that shoreline.....we stopped for a short hike.....more to just simply stretch our legs than anything else. After a short, brisk walk, I brewed myself up a hot mug of coffee and began to think right then and there.....





At this point in our travels, we had made very little progress north since leaving southeast Nevada.....I checked the weather forecast for southwest Montana.....the next few days looked nearly perfect.....the 30 day outlook was fairly good as well.....

 

[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

And so it was that we continued north.....leaving Utah Lake behind.....



Now the highway took us into the suburban sprawl of Provo, Utah .....and I was not quite prepared for this.....



So at this point I decided that we'd get onto the interstate.....the lesser of the two evils.....and before I knew it we had passed through Salt Lake City, Utah and we were still driving north. Soon enough we left Utah behind, and continued north along the interstate.....and the day was still young.....



We just kept on driving that day.....it was just one of those days.....not sure what else to say. Eventually we left the interstate and just kept driving north.....





I felt as if I had left one Heaven behind.....and had entered yet another.....



Snowcapped mountains.....



Frozen rivers as well.....



Eventually we were back in Montana late it was that day.....we continued to stop often.....enjoying a bit of playtime in the snow.....



......and just as nightfall was about to prevail over the skies, we arrived at that tiny Montana cabin that we now call home.....

 

[ITTOG]

Welcome home!!!!!

 

[chet6.7]

Home
Home again
I like to be here
When I can

When I come home
Cold and tired
It's good to warm my bones
Beside the fire

 

[Arjan]

Welkom Thuis ! (Welcome Home)

Sounds like you're a bit travel tired..

Loved the pics.

Dogs are looking goods and happy.

Thank You.

 

[Ace Brown]

I hope everything is in good order in the cabin. Now rest up a bit. Those chores can wait.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[longhorn1]

Later that afternoon we arrived at the Parowan Gap Petroglyphs.....it was a short drive from the dinosaur tracks.....

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These petroglyphs are found at the base of the small mountain to the north (the right side in the photo below) .....

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.....and could possibly be the finest petroglyphs that I've ever seen.....

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I looked around this place and immediately knew that I'd need to spend at least one night here.....so we set up camp in a grassy area that once was a shallow pond.....

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.....and we set out to explore.....

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Beautiful, We have always found these to be very special

 

[longhorn1]

The one in the last panel is easy to translate: "Your car's warranty is about to expire".

You're welcome.

?

 

[longhorn1]

And so it was that we continued north.....leaving Utah Lake behind.....

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Now the highway took us into the suburban sprawl of Provo, Utah .....and I was not quite prepared for this.....

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So at this point I decided that we'd get onto the interstate.....the lesser of the two evils.....and before I knew it we had passed through Salt Lake City, Utah and we were still driving north. Soon enough we left Utah behind, and continued north along the interstate.....and the day was still young.....

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We just kept on driving that day.....it was just one of those days.....not sure what else to say. Eventually we left the interstate and just kept driving north.....

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I felt as if I had left one Heaven behind.....and had entered yet another.....

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Snowcapped mountains.....

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Frozen rivers as well.....

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Eventually we were back in Montana late it was that day.....we continued to stop often.....enjoying a bit of playtime in the snow.....

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......and just as nightfall was about to prevail over the skies, we arrived at that tiny Montana cabin that we now call home.....

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Yes, Welcome Home

 

[tgil]

Welcome home! Sticking with the theme of a couple previous posts, I'll add what popped into my head.

"Home, home on the range
Where the deer and the antelope play
Where seldom is heard, a discouragin' word
And the skies are not cloudy all day"

We visited family in the Texas hill country over the weekend. During one conversation with a neighbor, the southern border came up. He spoke of how both sides used to travel freely back and forth between two towns, specifically to seek medical care. It reminded me of your posts about "Molar City".
Rest up, but don't forget about those of us that really enjoy your writing!
Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

 

[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

ITTOG / chet6.7 / Arjan / Ace / JD / tgil.....thanks guys.....much appreciated.....



"When I got home the sky was not yet dark, but a luminous blue, the color and quality of neither day nor night. A few stars, a planet, were shining." (A Map of the World.....by Jane Hamilton).....





It was on March 25th of 2022.....the date that we had returned to southwest Montana.....





.....and now that we were finally back in southwest Montana.....and back at the cabin.....we were faced with yet one more big decision.....



Should we move into the cabin.....or should we maybe just come for a visit.....and continue on with our travels.....





It was a huge decision that I struggled with.....nearly 5 years on the road can certainly change a man.....there is no debating that fact.....



And so it was that the following day we didn't move into the cabin as I thought we might do.....and we continued to live in the truck camper.....that decision would be made another day.....