2203 - Monthly March update

 



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Dag,
   Iris (Mammoth, 2203 miles)

2021 - Death Valley

One of the things that stroke me in America is the fact that everybody is suppose to be equal. That some are more equal then others is very obvious. Age is not a topic you talk about. The word nigger is not allowed. Don't make jokes about gay people, old people or other nationalities. Don't talk politics, don't talk religion. Don't write your sex on your resume. Woman and man are equal. In general, don't categorize people. For me it was something to learn fast, but I think I never managed.

Let me explain the reason why I am talking about all this. Yesterday I drove from Red Rocks into Death Valley. I have visited Death Valley a couple times before, but never made it to the race tracks area. I have heard about it and it always fascinated me. So today after leaving my Silicon Valley friends, Z and T behind I feel a bit lonely and treat myself on a side trip to the race tracks. The road leading to the area is not paved, but my Oto handles it with ease. Maybe I got to comfortable, but the fact is I blow out my rear tire. Not just a leak, no its kind of gone.


There is still day light, so I set myself to work. Get all the tools out and unscrew the spare tire. But hold on, what the hack is this. All my tires have an lock bolt, so people can't steal the tire with a normal wrench from the Oto. I am not stealing my own tire, but I do not posses the special unlocking wrench either. Hmmm, I am pretty stuck. I try screw driver, wrench, pliers but nothing seems to unscrew this damm lock bolt. After 15 minutes 2 bikers (Z and D) come down the road. They are useless when it comes to my situation, but very interesting to talk too.


Most of the people I met so far are Biologists, Geographers or Teachers. And mapping is one of the returning topics in this trip. I made maps before in my life (people even bike on my maps) (irisentoreopreis.nl), and the most precious item I posses is the world map my dad once gave me.


Mapping is however something different, and D who works for the biggest mapping software company ESRI can finally explain me what it is. As I have asked the only car who past us, to call the rangers and tell about my situation, help is on the way and nothing else can be done then hang out. We talk for more then an hr and the sun is long set when Z and D finally take off. I cook myself a dinner and go to bed. In the middle of the night I am woken up by ranger C. He can not do much, but will come back in the morning with the special tool. When I ask him why he made it out this late to find me, his answer is striking: Because you are a single woman its mandatory for me to come and check on you. This night I am more equal then others, sorry guys !!!


But to finish the story. I wake up an make myself a coffee, no ranger yet. I make myself breakfast, no ranger yet. D bikes back up to check on me, no ranger yet. I am making myself comfortable and start reading, no ranger yet. When I start wondering whats next, an Australian hottie, pulls over. Nine years on the road and knowledge about cars. A tries to fit a socket over my locking bolt, but non of the sockets we have is the right size. After fixing As flat tire and tying down his battery, we pop open a beer. What else to do and its after 12 anyway. A is however on it, and stops cars until he finds the right size socket. It becomes quite a scene, and as A is in total charge, I just start making pictures. A does the job (I make up for it the next time we meet) and I can continue my way to the race tracks.


The race tracks are magic, and I totally enjoy the stroll around the plain. The theory is that the rocks are moving over the plain by wind, when either water or ice breaks the surface friction. Its totally worth the trouble to check this out. Without a spare tire, the journey continues slow, very slow, and I spend the night in the middle of nowhere. I enjoy these moments by myself. Another 30 miles brings me back to pavement and to J and K in Mammoth Lakes.






Dag,
   Iris (Death Valley, 2021 miles)

1670 - Red Rocks, where cultures meet

 

A shower, a bed...who cares to wake up at 5:30 to go climbing. Jep, life is back on the Bay Area schedule. After 1 month of living with the sun, living the day as it comes, enjoy the moment and not plan anything, the rat race is far behind me. But my friends and even T are here, and I so enjoy their company that nothing matters. And so we climb for 3 days together according plan. It takes a while to get use to each other, to get use to each other gear but 24 hrs around each other, sleeping with 5 of us in a room, and climbing multi pitch climbs does the trick. Its good to have friends around which I have cared for so long already.






Dag,
   Iris (Red Rocks, 1670 miles)

1347 - Just a random day.

 

I love contrast. Contrast in all sorts of ways. Biking from the rain forest in Chile to the pampa in Argentina. Cycling through poor areas all over the world and experience the too rich life style in America. Working the Silicon Valley life during the week, and being an outdoor weekend worrier in the weekend. Loving the busy city life in San Francisco, but only in contrast with hanging a couple pitches up in a belay alone. Contrast is what I seek and contrast is what keeps me exploring.


Today is such a day of contrast.
I wake up sleeping outdoors on top of a picnic table. Its warm (about 15C), the sky is clear and the stars are twinkling above me. Its 6 o'clock in the morning and in 13 hrs my friends from Silicon Valley are arriving at the airport in Las Vegas. The plan is to climb together for a couple days in Red Rocks. But before I will meet them, there are some challenges to overcome. The biggest one, hiking back to the South Rim. Indeed, I am waking up at the bottom of the Grand Canyon, 200 meters away from the Colorado River, 1500 meters below my Oto.


Three days ago, when I entered the Grand Canyon NP, I headed straight to the back country office, to see if I could still get a permit. I was lucky and the last permit (camping site at the bottom of the Canyon) for the next day was mine. As it felt wrong to occupy such a permit by myself, I offer 2 Canadians to share the site with me, which they eagerly agreed on. The rest of the day I hiked along the rim trail. The air is incredible clear and the Grand Canyon is stretching out in front of me. Would be so good to go down into it.


The next day I am lingering around and drink coffee with my British neighbors. They are retired and on the road since 2005 (Australia, New Zealand, China, Japan, Africa, America). Lots of stories are shared and the life style and politics of the Americans are discussed. When I finally pack my stuff its 12:00 already. As the hike down will take between 4-6 hrs, I am far from concerned. And right I am. It only takes me 3 hrs to arrive at the bottom of the Canyon. I guess the hiking and scrambling around in JTree did me some good (thanks dudes). Most of the way down I do not meet anybody, and I enjoy the amazing views from inside the Canyon. Its so immense, to big to comprehend, to impressive, but its good to be here.


The Canadians are arriving an hr after me, and we go together to the rangers talk in the evening. The talk is about the geology of the Grand Canyon, but with an geography teacher as a dad, I am not learning much. If only I wasn't born in NL, I probably would have followed in the foot steps of my dad... I like geography and the Grand Canyon is all about that.



The next morning When finally daylight appears in the sky, I start hiking in just a tank top. The rim of the Canyon is high high above me but the walk goes smooth. As the trail starts climbing the air cools off and I put on an extra shirt. An hr later the wind picks up and clouds are drifting by. However another jacket keeps me warm and the going is still smooth. Only a little later hail falls, and I have to put on my rain jacket to keep me from cooling of. Didn't I start of in Tank top? After 5 hrs of hiking, I reach the rim, and the temperature is just above freezing point. I am tired, I am sore, but I better keep going...in a couple hrs my friends are arriving. So after 3 minutes hanging around my Oto, I jump in and drive the 4.5 hrs to Las Vegas. These are the times I allow myself to use the gift of K, a Starbucks coffee card (thanks girl). And with wide open eyes I arrive safely in the most crazy town around.


And here I am now, sitting on the ground in the airport of Las Vegas. Waiting for my friends...well... waiting for their hotel, waiting for a shower, waiting for some food, maybe waiting for a massage, and maybe maybe waiting for a bed.

Dag,
  Iris (Grand Canyon, 1347 miles)

624 - Dirtbags and town anxiety

 

So for more then a week now I am living in JTree and am pretty much adapted to the life style here. As campsites are scars, I moved in with my neighbors, climbers from Alaska. Short days and bad weather drove them down to the sun. We cook together (I had some amazing dinners, and tonight Nasi is on the menu), climb together and share stories over the campfire. It feels like home. It is home.

The contrast is large with the life I used to live. Here we live with the day, without a plan, we wake up when the sun comes up, and we go to bed when we are getting to cold. Over coffee in the morning we make plans for where to climb, what to bring and what to wear. Its easy, simple and amazingly relax.

The only time we all get nervous is when we have Town Anxiety, the plan to make it into town. As JTree has no water (no shower), no store or any other facility, now and then we have to make it into town to keep our lives on track. Lists are made, computers are found at the bottom of our cars and we lay awake at night to think over what else we should do in town. After living in nature for a week, town feels like an aliened place. Cars are soaring by, people are yelling and we have to force our selves to stay and do what we have to do. One thing is great though…a shower and clean clothes is on the todo list.

And that is something the real dirtbags will excuse themselves from. Most of them are drop outs from school/society, and live to climb. Camping is done in the back country while the budget they live on is low to not existing. They stop by for food, a little chat or some heat from the campfire. They are annoying, fun and weird, but always full of stories and an interesting bunch of people.

The fact is that I am still easing into this trip, and don't climb much. As we do a lot of "away from the crowed" climbing, we are walking quite a bit. It feels good after sitting for 3 months in the city, and its good to have time to see the nature all around us. Every day we see coyotes and the mouses, rabbits and chipmunks are running away when we approach. I have however finally lead the climb, I had for a while on my agenda. Its just all good and a place I don't wanne leave right now. It feels too good.

Dag,
   Iris (JTree, 624 miles)

35 - Total Freedom

 
Done!
 
And that's how it feels. Moving my belongings to storage, saying goodbye to my friends (picnic, dancing, breakfast, dinner, lunch, coffee for the last time with the people I love) and fitting everything in my Oto is what kept me busy the last days in the city. But now its all done. Just done...Finally time to focus my view into the future. And in front of me is laying America, with all its nature to be seen, cities to be explored, people to be met, experiences to be made. Its really happening and it feels amazing. Life is good
 



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Dag,
    Iris (Redwood city, 35 miles)