Traveling West from Washington D.C. to Glacier National Park

Starlit Rambler - Adventure Travel Our Way

Lets Get Back West - Part 1

9/8/2015

The date is July 22, 2015 and so far our entire journey has kept an eastern heading on our compass. Nearly two months with the setting sun at our backs, today was the glorious moment when we rotate 180 degrees and turn the Rambler to the West for our long trek back to the mountains. Glacier National Park in northwest Montana is where we are heading…the only problem is Google Maps says it is 33 hours and 2,227 miles from D.C.! 33 hours of straight driving is that even possible?!? Your telling me we could drive for an entire day without stopping and still not be there? This can’t be right…well looks like we are going to be making some stops along the way as we spend the next 19 days slowly making our way back West!

Overlooking Launch

Paragliding Woodstock Tower

The morning of July 22nd we headed off from Meagan’s home in Arlington, VA in route to Ohiopyle, PA in order to meet up with Rachelle’s old friends Brynn, Eric, and their two year old son, Avie. This was the plan until we received a call from Tom, a paraglider in the D.C. area letting us know a group was planning to fly at Woodstock Tower, VA around 1pm. As Rachelle let me know our options we immediately turned the Rambler towards Woodstock Tower in hopes we would get up in the air. So now you might be asking yourself, “Who is this Tom guy and how do you know a paraglider in D.C.?” Tom is a friend of our good friend Laszlo, who retired to Park City after heading up the World Bank in Washington D.C. for many years. Laszlo linked us up with Tom who invited us to go flying while in the area. In any event we were both eager since our paragliders were collecting dust and feeling ignored since we left Utah.

Woodstock Tower Paraglide - Starlit Rambler

Jeremy up in the air

Woodstock Tower Paragliding - Starlit Rambler

Wading through the River

We met Tom, George, Drew and Thomas at the landing zone of Woodstock Tower to exchange greetings before jumping in a car, scoping out the landing options (its always good to know where you plan to land), and heading up the bumpy dirt road to launch. For me, and I imagine a decent number of other pilots, the first time launching at a new site carries a bit of suspense. While the launch looked great (besides the large boulders trying to trip you) the first flight at a new site usually gets my nerves up slightly, but in a good way. Tom was the first pilot to launch as the rest of us watch intently in order to gain any clues as to how the air is behaving. Tom, a very experienced pilot, launched without incident and proceeded to go up…always a good sign in the paragliding world. However no one else rushed to launch since we could tell there was a strong crosswind/headwind just above launch that Tom pushed through. After watching a few more pilots launch it was my turn to brave the skies as I took off without incident. However unlike Tom I missed a couple thermals and found myself slowly descending to the valley below making a safe landing in the farm pasture. Rachelle was up next as she graced the sky going the opposite direction as I; up. Disappointed with my effort I packed up my glider and made the walk back to the Rambler fording the river separating me from the dirt bike on the van. Once back at the van I quickly started up the dirt bike, sped to the top of the hill, set up for launch getting back up in the air with Rachelle and others. After about 2 hours we decided to set our feet back on the ground next to the Rambler and gave everyone a ride back up to launch. George and Thomas invited us for another flight but we had to get to our original destination of Ohiopyle.

Getting a lift to launch

Kayaking in Ohiopyle

Ohiopyle, PA reminded me of Mountain Rest, SC where Rachelle was raised. Beautiful trees lined the country roads as we made our late arrival into Brynn and Eric’s home in Ohiopyle. Both were gracious enough to leave us some dinner, even though it was late into the night since our last minute paragliding trip caused us to miss supper. I have heard a lot about Brynn and Eric so it was a joy to finally put a face to the names. Brynn, Eric and Rachelle all guided together on the Chattooga River back in South Carolina and now Brynn had come back to her childhood home of Ohiopyle, PA where the famous Youghiogheny River flowed through. Ohiopyle is about an hour drive south from Pittsburg and the town is all about kayaking and rafting with some other outdoor activities mixed in. Growing up in Park City I know intimately what a ski town feels like but never have I seen a “kayak town.” For example in the public park the town has permanently affixed kayaks in various locations including using them as obstacles in the mini golf course.
There other small member of the family, Brynn and Eric’s beautiful 2 year old son, Avie, possesses eyes of steel. When Avie looks at you it feels as if he knows exactly what you are thinking and lets you know about it. He obviously runs the show!

Brynn, Avie, and Rachelle

Ohiopyle Falls

The next morning on July 23 we headed into Ohiopyle with Brynn and Avie to see the town. Based on the size maybe I should call it a village since if you blink twice you might miss it. Clearly this town thrives on tourism and the lure of the river. After checking out the 15 ft Ohiopyle waterfall directly in the middle of town, which kayakers can run but only at certain water levels, Brynn and Avie headed off for a run as Rachelle and I went for a bike ride. The plan was to go bike, then meet up with Brynn for a quick kayak loop, followed by Yoga at the town center. Our short bike ride turned into a 16 mile ride which then pushed time too late to kayak so we just went to yoga with the promise to run the river tomorrow.

July 24, 2015 is a special day in my native land of Utah, it is known as Pioneer Day, which represents the day when the Mormon Pioneers first reached the Salt Lake Valley. Those non-Mormom residents of Utah better know the 24th of July as “Pie and Beer Day,” an excuse to have the day off. On this day in Ohiopyle we decided to run the Lower Youghiogheny River which is a mostly class 3 with a few class 4 rapids mixed in. Did I mention this river is famous, especially the Upper class 4/5 section? I think 50% of the entire town square is occupied by commercial rafting companies all taking as many customers as possible down the river. This makes things very exciting as first time novice rafters direct their own boat down river while guides in kayaks yell out commands. The best way I can describe the situation in one word is “shit-show!” Fortunately for us we could watch the guides in kayaks hit the rapids so we knew which lines to take through some of the technical sections. After following a commercial trip down half the river we met a couple kayakers who graciously allowed us to join their party. Brandon and Stefan were friends from Virginia/D.C. area who had paddled this section of river and helped us through the bigger more technical rapids. Stefan and Brandon were both great paddlers tackling large play holes and waves with grace and skill. Meeting the two of them really made the second half of the river much more enjoyable as we did not have to guess at which lines would get us through each rapid. The day ended with a beer back at their car discussing plans for the following day. Stefan was down to paddle again with us in the morning as Brandon was heading to a mushroom convention with his girlfriend. I think secretly Rachelle wanted to attend the convention but we opted to paddle with Stefan and Brynn first thing the next morning.

Jeremy after paddling the Loop

While our first trip down the river was relatively un-eventful, the next morning our paddle with Brynn and Stefan was a little more exciting! To start off the section Brynn flipped in a rocky shallow section with so little water she was actually able to flip back over by pushing off the bottom of the river. Now let me preface this by saying Brynn is an experienced boater, paddling a “River Runner” boat while the rest of use were in “Creek” boats. While the boats are defined for their use by their names, the biggest difference is a creek boat has much more volume and stability while river runners are meant for speed and agility, which in turn makes them less stable. Even though Brynn was now missing a chunk of flesh from her finger, she still had a huge smile on her face…she was fine. Further down the river we came to another rapid I had gone through perfectly the day before so did not think twice about it. Misjudging the river as the levels were up, I ran too far right hitting the edge of a shallow pillow rock, flipped, and quickly set up to roll back over. Upon flipping, I got a fistful of rock into my right jaw bone which stunned me as I floated upside down traveling further down river attempting to set up my roll. After somewhat regaining my underwater composure I tried a few more failed rolls before pulling the ejection handle escaping from my capsized 40 lb red plastic burrito strapped to my navel. I had lost this battle as the river threw a hard right hook to my jaw and my only defense had left my right hand bloody and swollen.

Punched the rock and lost

The drama was not done yet. As we came up to the last rapid Brynn took an aggressive line boofing off a rock and got flipped in a hole causing her to go for a swim. Stefan quickly went down river in pursuit of the ghost-paddled kayak catching it just in time. After exchanging contact info with Stefan and saying farewell we left Ohiopyle and set our sights on Grand Ledges, Michigan.

Stefan, Rachelle and Jeremy

Todd hanging on for dear life...oh wait he is on top rope

Climbing in Grand Ledges, MI

Our stop in Grand Ledges was a central location to meet our friend Todd Stone who lived in Chicago. Rachelle and I met Todd (aka Rodd Bone) about 4 years ago at “Wall Street” a famous climbing wall in Moab.
After Todd realized how awesome we were he kept in contact and ever since we usually meet up for a rad adventure every year. We had planned to meet up with him in Chicago but wanted to do something adventurous so we climbed in Grand Ledges. Dental school classmates, Harlean and Ryan Baxter, also joined for the fun as we scaled these "massive" 40-foot Midwest climbing walls. As the sun began to set we inquired as to where we were camping and as usual with Todd (and us, I guess) he had no idea. Searching Google I found something which caught my eye, a RV park/campsite 20 mins away that happened to be celebrating “Christmas in July” this weekend. It was meant to be and we proceeded to the RV park where the year round tenants were cruising around in golf carts decorated in Christmas lights. It was a special night hanging out with new and old friends as this seemed to be the first time we had guest that we hosted in the Rambler and our first stay in a RV park. Harlean and Rachelle were busy in the kitchen preparing dinner as Ryan, Todd and I had a beer while taking in the sights of Christmas in July at this RV Park in rural Michigan.

Todd, Harley (the dog), and Harlean

Ryan Baxter crushing it!

Chilling at Christmas in July!

Roadkill...I didn't mean to!

Rachelle enjoying a beer and deep dish pizza!

Chicago

The morning of July 27th we woke up in Todd’s bed in a suburb of Chicago. Todd and Ryan was gone early to dental school labs as we arose and headed to the train to begin exploring Chicago. In dire need of a haircut I noticed a barbershop at the train station and inquired with the barber as to the speed and accuracy of his craft. The train into the city was arriving in 18 minutes and he was up to the challenge. As the sweat dripped off his brow he cut my hair with speed and decent accuracy as I verbally counted down the minutes to be sure I was not left with one uneven side as we raced to catch the inbound train to the city.

Arriving into the heart of Chicago with a fresh haircut we planned to rent bikes for the day to explore. As we headed toward a the bike station I saw a man, riding a bike, who resembled my old college friend Mark Kowalik. Mark grew up in Chicago and currently lives downtown with his fiancé Brittany. We had planned to meet up the following day to explore Chicago, as he was busy with his new career in real estate. Now Rachelle always makes fun of me because I seem to know someone (or think I know someone) in most locations we visit. Often times I see someone and believe it is someone I already know but many times it is just another stranger. Not this time however! “Mark,” I yell at the passing bicyclist. As he turns both of our faces filled with shock and happiness once we discovered the randomness of the situation. Here we stand in one of the largest cities in the country only to nearly run into each other a day before we planned to meet. Mark was my travel companion for a 40 day backpack trip through Australia and Southeast Asia so we know each other well but had not seen each other since college. After a short greeting we planned out the next day as he had to bike off to catch the train for dinner with his family.

The rest of the afternoon was spent biking along Lake Michigan and a Chicago Cubs game that evening.

Friends at the Cubs Game!

The following morning we got going early to catch the train back to the city to meet up with Mark. With a side trip through Millennium Park we arrived at Mark’s high-rise condo overlooking Lake Michigan and enjoyed some beverages at his pool. Todd also joined us at the pool after labs along with Brittany, Mark’s finance. The rest of the afternoon was spent biking around the city and dinner with the five of us. Mark and Brittany will be wed September 12th and unfortunately Rachelle and I will not be able to make it since we will be in Canada but want to wish them the best for a long future together!

Todd, Jeremy, Rachelle, Brittany, and Mark

Wedding in Long Island, NY

The morning of July 29th Todd, being the great friend he is, drove us to the airport at 4am in the morning in order to fly back east. Wait a second wasn’t the rest of the journey west bound? I lied as we were once again heading east but this time without the comfort of the Rambler. Lindsey Nick and James Stevenson, friends of ours from Park City had invited us to their first wedding in Long Island on July 31st. I say first because the motto of this couples wedding planning was “You only get married once, so why not do it twice?” Not for selfish reasons but more for logistics. James is from England and Lindsey is from Long Island so in order to appease each country they decided it would be better to get married twice. When asking Lindsey if this means she will be having two honeymoons she responded with an emphatic “YES,” acting as if I asked a stupid question.

Sunset on Fire Island

After an early arrival into JFK we picked up our rental car and headed to the ferry terminal in route to Fire Island. Lindsey’s aunt and uncle have a beach house on Fire Island and graciously hosted a fantastic afternoon with beach, food, and drinks. Here we met most of Lindsey and James’s extended family as we seemed to be the only ones not in the family. The families welcomed us with open arms as the British family asked if we were the ones planning on sleeping in the backyard? So lets backup a few weeks when we decided and booked a flight to JFK in order to attend the wedding. Realizing we would not have the Rambler with us we had to figure out where we were going to sleep. Lindsey informed us her house was going to be packed full but they had rented a large home in Belmont for the British family. Even though this home was large all the rooms where accounted for so she suggested we could set up a tent and sleep in the backyard…perfect! Not wanting to intrude but still be involved in all the events surrounding the wedding we packed our tent and therm-a-rest planning on spending the nights in the backyard of the British families home, a little unconventional.

Lindsey and Rachelle on Fire Island

Wakeboarding Fire Island - Starlit Rambler

Rachelle killing it on the wakeboard!

After a rough night sleep with the humidity index high into the red we took the invitation from the family to sleep in the living room as opposed to the beautiful yet muggy lawn for the remainder of the trip. Our time spent with James’s family was so much fun as everyone warmed up to each other quickly sharing stories and experiences. One thing was constant throughout our stay with the Brits; the kettle was always on with the offering of tea at nearly every time of the day. I fancied a good cup of English tea at every opportunity

Simon, Laura, and Rachelle in the Hamptons

With the Hamptons only a short drive away we figured we had to check out this famed spot with Simon and Laura (James’s sister) joining us in our small rental car. Personally I was less than impressed with the Hamptons but I did have an amazing Ruben at an outdated German restaurant that we kind of stumbled into. Everyone has had the experience when they read the menu outside, decide it looks good, continue into the establishment only to be turned off by the décor mentally deciding the food must be crappy too, quickly being greeted by the host so it feels awkward to walk out, and finally being sat because no one put forth the effort to walk out. I guess this was my experience as we entered but it ended up being a good choice. “Don’t judge a restaurant by its {old, dusty, musky, dark, outdated} cover.”

July 31st 2015, the big wedding day for Lindsey and James. Both had decided to do something I really appreciated which was taking wedding photos before the wedding so they would not have to miss out on cocktail hour. Great idea since I always thought it was awkward for a bride and groom to be married then ushered off for an hour to take pictures when really they want to be greeted by friends and family. Ill let the photos speak for themselves: