Road Trip: a Sierra Special

Travel is one of the greatest forms of adventure. One of the simplest forms of travel is a road trip. And, a road trip is one of the most rewarding types of journey.
It is not always that easy to get out the door. But, once you commit and do it, the life experience gained is rarely regretted. Though there are always things that need to get done, when you let go and go with the flow, the journey finds you—even if it is just for a little while.
I’m always glad to hit the road. Living in a beautiful but remote, isolated box canyon in Southwestern Colorado, I treasure the time outside its walls, seeing new places, discovering other scenery, and developing new friendships. When I decided to road trip for three weeks this past August, my plans changed completely mid-trip and I followed the path of least resistance and that of the most invitations.
After a mandatory start in Salt Lake City for the Outdoor Retailer Show, I thought I was headed to Jackson Hole and Montana for some high alpine climbing and mountaineering. With a last minute change of plan, instead of heading North, I drove to the mountains on the Eastside of the Sierra and Tuolumne Meadows from where my friends in California beckoned.
The culture of climbers in the Sierra affects me as much as the actual rock and its impressive peaks. There is a spirit of integrity, generosity, and kindness in the typical crew of hearty traditional climbers. When I woke up at the Tuolumne/Yosemite Search & Rescue (YOSAR) campsite on my first day back visiting SAR friends from the previous summer, I was instantly greeted with an offer of pancakes, coffee, and a myriad of climbing partners and suggested adventures.
The site is a small shanty town that goes up every May and comes down each October. Tents and vans are scattered across this compound and the guests can often outnumber the ten official team members. With friends, family, and significant others frequently visiting the enclave, it is rarely quiet and there is usually a dinner or dance party to attend at a neighboring tent spot. The team self-monitors and each day half are signed up on the schedule to be on call. It is simple living but a rich environment. They get paid when they rescue and otherwise they live for free and are free to climb.
Every person on site and every climber I have met up there is a well-developed character, a defined individual that blends together with a common passion. The group is filled with folks like Rob who wears five finger shoes around camp and drinks whiskey with a dash of pepper, avocado, and whatever else is lying around the table. One of my climbing partners, Sara, freesolos routes with the graceful moves of a ballerina in Swan Lake and completes her Masters at night in a 23 foot staff cabin alongside her Climbing Ranger rock master boyfriend, Ben. Then there’s Dave who links two monster routes on El Capitan and Half Dome in a day, and returns to his van at the SAR site to finish making jewelry and respond to life-saving rescue pages. There is always a good story to be heard at their nightly roaring campfires.
This road led me from long, aesthetic alpine routes in the High Eastern Sierra, to beautiful, exposed ridge climbs in Yosemite National Park, ending up in scenic spots at single pitch buttresses near Lake Tahoe and Tahoe City. With each day that passed, I saw extraordinary new corners of the mountains, met fascinating outdoors people, and let go a bit of where I’m from and enjoyed more of where I found myself.
Everywhere I went, the people defined the adventure. Being on the road without an agenda, I was open to any opportunity that presented itself. This is pure freedom.
So, the next time an offer is out there, find a way to take it. Choose the “why not” route. You won’t regret it and along the way some of things may change you, and for the better. As Dr. Seuss says, “the more that you learn, the more places you’ll go” and the more places you go, the more you’ll grow.

Writer’s Note:
Check out this fantastic film “23 Feet” that explores the art of simple living ~ www.23feet.org