(Best on Desktop. It’s a long one, jump to what you find most interesting or just look at the photos)
It was finally time.
My last meeting at Microsoft ended, I sprayed the champagne (thank you Renata) and 4 hours later I was heading to the airport for the first adventure of the Gap Year. A weekend trip to San Diego with Madison and Matt down to see Madison’s friend Amanda!
San Diego
Airport, Flight, A round of tequila shots (sorry, not sorry, Madison & Matt), Landing.
With us arriving at 11pm and being utterly exhausted there wasn’t much else to do, so we got settled in at Amanda’s apartment and crash hard. A good amount of resting up for the adventures of the weekend (and the next 11 days)!
Day 1 was jam packed. Cabrillo National Monument, Cliff Jumping at Sunset Cliffs, Oktoberfest (although the lack of lederhosen was exceptionally disappointing), sunsets, tacos, and ending it all with a Michigan football win and a hot tub at Amanda’s parents house! Couldn’t have asked for a better start to the trip.
Day 2 picked up where we left off. Snorkeling with some awesome Sea Lions (that did get a bit too close for comfort) and then boating for a couple hours accompanied by Amanda’s maniacal laughter and some good White Claws.
We then headed to the beach for some Corn Hole & Boogie boarding (after a few ices were handed out) before heading back, grabbing my rental car for the national park trip and having some amazing Japanese fusion for dinner. We played some games to end the night and learned that some people call a wolf a “woof” (Amanda)
And just like that it was the last half day of San Diego before a late drive to Joshua Tree National Park!
Madison and I got up early and went for a beautiful hike in Torrey Pines after a quick stop for coffee. (Something I am slowly learning is a requirement in this non-single life of mine) We then met up with Matt & Amanda for some Mexican food (SO MUCH BETTER THAN SEATTLE) in old San Diego before starting my long drive out to Joshua Tree!
San Diego was absolutely the perfect way to start both this trip and the 14 month gap year. I have to be honest. I was not looking forward to sleeping in my car for most of the next week.
Joshua Tree National Park
After a 4 hour drive from San Diego I arrived at Joshua Tree. The itinerary for the day was a couple quick 1-mile hikes and a drive through the park!
Mother Nature had other ideas. What started as a sunny day quickly descended into darkness as a storm approached between the two hikes. I stupidly thought I could finish the hike in time before the rain & wind hit.
I was wrong.
Luckily I got back just before the full downpour started and was able to get warm and mostly dry in the car as I made my way out of the park.
I booked it to a local restaurant for a nice steak dinner before finding a secluded street for my first night sleeping in the car this trip! Other than a few bumps in the night (and a house blasting music) it was a success.
The next day was the first real hike! Despite starting at the wrong spot and having to do some trail finding, it was a fun trek with some great views of the Joshua Trees as well as a small summit that had sights of the local So-Cal Mountains.
https://www.strava.com/activities/6103604268
All in all for a stopover park on the way to Utah, Joshua Tree surprised me and was a pretty enjoyable park. I wouldn’t go out of my way to go again but if you’re in the area it’s worth a stop!
I headed to a grocery store to pick up a bunch of hiking food and snacks that didn’t have to be refrigerated, grabbed a quick bite to eat and finally started the long drive to Las Vegas!
Vegas
Ben. Why would you go to Vegas on this National Park Trip?
1. The Kraken were playing their first ever NHL game
2. It was a middle stopping place and I figured the hotels were the best bet (wrong)
Why was I wrong?
Because Vegas has the longest walk from the car to the room of any location, and when you are carrying enough gear to stay a week in your car, that is a pretty miserable walk!
After a half mile walking with stupid amounts of gear, I was in Vegas and ready for the game! But first… Gambling
I’m not going to lie, before this trip I thought I enjoyed gambling. The truth is, I just enjoy gambling with friends. Gambling alone is sad. Gambling alone on a Tuesday is worse. Don’t do it.
So I lost some money and went to go see the Kraken play in a slightly more sour mood. Fortunately, that quickly changed. The Vegas arena was absolutely hyped for in person viewership and the game was amazing. The Kraken went down 3-0, came back to make it 3-3 before surrendering the game winning goal in the 3rd. It was an enthralling game and an absolute blast!
I did have the world’s most pessimistic Kraken fan next to me during the game. With how the season is going I often worry about his mental health.
I walked back to the hotel room, got packed up to leave hella early to Zion and hit the hay (with some slight stomach bug to keep me company)!
Zion National Park
And so the Utah National Park part of the trip really begins… with a flat tire half way through Zion
Luckily I was literally across the street from a repair place when I got the low tire pressure warning and 30 minutes later I was back on the road. I got into Zion and was immediately searching for any spot within two miles of the visitor center to park. If you visit Zion, get there early. Parking is extremely scarce, even in the off season.
Somehow after searching all the restaurant parking lots, I decided to try the visitor center itself, and lo and behold somebody pulled out right in front of me.
Insanely lucky.
I hopped on the bus to access the park and headed to the very last stop on the route to hike the Narrows. (the famous trek up the Virgin river in knee deep water) Without anything but hiking boots and pants (You can rent proper gear in the town) it was wet, freezing cold, and one of the coolest hikes I’ve ever done. Once you get past the first couple of bends the number of people drastically decreases and it become much more enjoyable.
https://www.strava.com/activities/6109571174 – bad gps data
After the hike I booked it back to the Visitor center, had a nice dinner in town and drove to the local BLM (Bureau of Land Management) land to camp for the night for free.
The next day started with a 5am wake up call to get to Zion and catch the first bus into the park. It was time for the famous Angels Landing!
Waking up early was a success and I begin the trek, trying to pass as many people as possible to get to the top. Eventually I joined with two other people booking it up the hike and we made it to the top, enjoying sunrise on a nearly empty summit. 100% worth the early wake up.
https://www.strava.com/activities/6113176245
The three of us hiked down together and I decided to jump over to see the Emerald Pools as well before calling it a day. Honestly these were a bit overrated but I’ve heard they are much better earlier in the year. I finished the hike, got back to the car, and bid adieu to Zion!
Moab (Mountain Biking/Arches & Canyonlands National Parks)
After a much less eventful 5 hour drive I made it to Moab! (With a stop at In-n-out on the way of course) I arrived at 7pm time and the Giants were playing the Dodgers in Game 7 so I of course went to a good sports bar for dinner.
Good food, fun strangers, and a bad game. All in all a solid start to my time in Moab. A late night tour looking for parking later and I was falling asleep in the back of my car, ready for the insanity of the next day.
The next morning began with the search for a bathroom. One of the negatives of sleeping in your car is limited resources and I learned the hard way to know the nearest bathroom before you need it. Luckily everything worked out and it was time for the stupidest decision of the trip: The Whole Enchilada
Joined by my buddy Ryan Stewart who did the half Ironman with me, we rented bikes and set out on one of the most famous mountain bike rides in the world.
It was brutal. Fucking brutal.
Ryan went over his handlebars and took an early exit halfway down and I mostly walked the last half mile mentally checked out. It’s honestly the first time I finished an activity and wished I hadn’t done it. The 4 mile uphill ride back to the bike rental place didn’t help.
https://www.strava.com/activities/6117983756
We regrouped for beers and burgers, then a nap, followed by dinner and a few drinks before bed, both of us ready for a much easier day in Arches National Park in the morning.
The next day we headed to Arches to do a morning hike at 7 AM, with the goal of beating the National Park traffic (We found out later this was a great call as the park closes once full)
We decided to do the longest non-backcountry hike in the park: The Devils Garden Primative Loop. With views of over a dozen different arches including the Panorama arch, it was a fantastic (albeit cold and rainy) way to see a good chunk of Arches in a short time.
https://www.strava.com/activities/6122732533
We heading back to Moab for lunch, then a little downtime before the big event of Arches: Delicate Arch.
We went at sunset, hoping for a lesser crowd; but were met with an absolute Disneyland-esque scene with Instragammers lined up for hours for a single photo.
We enjoyed the view, chilled and hung out for a bit before heading back to Moab and grabbing some BBQ for dinner. We said goodbye as Ryan was heading back to Taos and I returned to my car for a final night sleeping in Moab.
On the last day, I swung by a local coffee shop to grab a maple, bacon, blueberry muffin (it was delicious) and then drove down to Canyonlands National Park to hike the Chesler Park Loop
https://www.strava.com/activities/6129178532
The hike was recommended by a fellow Seattlite I met in Zion who had been living in her car for the last 6 months. If you ever see this blog, thank you. It was sick.
The hike started with a decent climb uphill into the main area, but once you finish the climb, you explore this amazing hidden valley hiking between incredible stone pillars and through narrow long For anyone that goes to this area I would 100% recommend this hike. I finished the trail up, and spent 15 minutes trying to take photo of myself next to the Canyonlands sign before a stranger helped and I could be on my way.
The only sad part of my time in Canyonlands was that the Visitor Center was closed so I couldn’t get my pin (I collect one from everywhere I go)
Capitol Reef National Park
After another long drive I made it to Capitol Reef in time for dinner. All that was missing was a cellular signal to find an actual place to eat in the small town.
After a few minutes of circling, I managed to snag a couple of bars and found a small hotel eatery with amazing pizza and brownies and ate my days worth of calories in the meal.
I headed to the local BLM land to sleep and awoke the next morning to a beautiful sunrise. It was going to be a great day.
I jumped in my car and begin the exploration by driving up and down the main road for Capitol Reef, running into a couple of deer on the way and seeing some of the amazing landscapes Capitol Reef had to offer. I also swung by and saw some petroglyphs and an old school from back in the day, both of which offered some cool pieces of history unique to the park.
Then it was time for the most surprising hike of the trip: The Navajo Nobs. This hike was completely empty and had sweeping panoramas of the Capitol Reef landscapes and jagged edges/massive cliffs that you hike along for the majority of the second half of the hike. It culminated with climbing up the nobs themselves and getting blasted with 40 mph winds. So worth it.
https://www.strava.com/activities/6133210499
The trek ended with a loop back onto the main trail and added on a viewpoint at Hickman Bridge. Just as I finished the trek rain started coming down. Perfect Timing!
I would 100% recommend a stop at Capitol Reef to anyone doing the Utah National Parks. With exceptionally close BLM lands, being between Bryce/Zion and Moab, and the way less crowded park features (you don’t even need to pay an entrance fee for the Navajo Nobs) it is a gem!
The other funny note – Driving away from Capitol Reef I crossed some farmers that were herding their cattle in the road. It was absolutely wild to drive through a full cattle run.
Bryce Canyon National Park
It was finally time for the last National Park: Bryce Canyon. And that meant only one more night sleeping in the car. Thank god!
I made my way out to Tropic, a small neighboring town, and grabbed dinner at a local BBQ place that was raved about online. It was a 45 minute wait and it was good, but definitely not worth that long of a wait in my opinion.
Then the fun started… Snow. A lot of snow.
My original plan to park at a free camping spot went out the window as there was no traction and I ended up spending the night sleeping in a motel parking lot. Not ideal.
Fortunately, I didn’t freeze to death! I woke up early to go watch sunrise from the Canyon. It was fucking spectacular.
Bryce in snow is a beautiful contrast of colors and seeing the sun crest over the pillared landscape was amazing. I talked with a few people who were as stupid as I was to be up & freezing and snagged some pics before heading down for my first of two hikes.
https://www.strava.com/activities/6138099022
It was a beautiful 3 mile loop and since it was so early (and freezing) there was nearly no one else on the trail.
I went back, grabbed my pin from the visitor center, and got ready for my long hike of the day…. except I forgot to refill water. And all the pipes for public fountains were off due to freezing. After asking a ranger I walked the mile+ round trip to resupply, not what I was hoping for with my legs rapidly declining from constant trekking.
I had just enough left in them to do the 8 mile Fairyland loop and enjoy some of the best views Zion had to offer.
https://www.strava.com/activities/6138099577
After practically limping to the finish I made it back to my car breathed a deep sigh of relief that I could finally rest my legs. I ended the trip with a drive up and down the main road to check out all the viewpoints along the way.
Returning Home
It was time to start the long journey home: One night in Vegas and then flying out of San Diego.
Except Vegas didn’t change from my first trip and getting to my room was the single most painful and frustrating experience ever. I went straight to bed. No gambling for me.
I woke up early, drove down to San Diego and grabbed some food with my friend Simona at our high school classmate’s husbands restaurant EE Nami in San Diego. If you are out there you have to go. So fucking good and amazing sake.
Finally, flight time. 4 hours later I was back in Seattle! What a great start to the adventure.