Hey y’all! Gosh, it’s been awhile. My summer has been really busy and hectic, but it’s finally starting to slow down a little bit. I just got back from a two week trip to Montana and Wyoming and the leaves are already changing up there. Football is back on the television and pumpkin-spiced everything is showing up in stores and on menus. That must mean fall has arrived. While I’m going to continue working through November, my trips will be more spread out and I’ll have a little bit more time to catch up with you guys and on some of my other projects. It’s been a busy summer, but a good one and it’s taken me to beautiful places with wonderful people.
When last I wrote, I was on my way to Northern California for a reunion with a bunch of my old tour guiding friends. It was a truly magical 5 days in the redwoods in a beautiful, secluded, private camp with a hundred really wonderful people. Some were old friends I haven’t seen in 20 years while others I knew only by reputation. We laughed a lot and shared stories of our similar but vastly different experiences on the roads of North America (and beyond, for some). It’s been rare that I’ve felt so much a part of something, and my 20 years of involvement with the company meant I could bridge a lot of gaps and fill in a lot of missing chapters to the story. The founders of the company were there, and they shared their story about the humble beginnings of TrekAmerica way back in 1972. It was fascinating to hear how it all began, and we had tour guides there from every season from the very start to the very end, when the company closed its doors during the pandemic. I’m glad we had a full five days out there as a weekend just wouldn’t have been enough.
I took an extra day after the reunion to make my way back down the coast and be sure that Shadow Catcher put some miles on. She handled like a dream and it was nice to be driving her down the Pacific coast. As far as I know, it was the first time she’d seen the Pacific and it meant that after 5 years we had finally made it all the way across the country together from sea to shining sea.
After the reunion, I returned to San Francisco and ran a quick little tour out to Yosemite. While on the trail, I ran into two friends I had taken on tour way back in 2015. It was great to see them and to catch up for a few minutes and reminisce about our trip together.
My next trip was an enjoyable San Francisco/Yosemite/Lake Tahoe combination with a fun group of British passengers in their 30s and 40s. The trip included a full day of sightseeing in the city, a great sunset cruise on Lake Tahoe and a stand-up paddleboard lesson up on the north shore which was a lot of fun. I’ve only been on a paddleboard twice before, so this was relatively new to me. I fell a lot and no part of my body went un-smacked by the board, but by the end I had gotten the hang of it. The water was unbelievably clear and the perfect temperature which really made for an enjoyable day out on the lake. It was a fun trip and it was nice to do some different activities in familiar places.
I did another short trip to Yosemite, and then did another Yosemite/Mammoth/Tahoe trip. This one brought me to Devil’s Postpile, an amazing columnar basalt formation that I haven’t been to in many years. It also brought me back to Bodie, an amazing old California ghost town high up in the Sierras. I used to go there a lot, but it’s been many years since my last visit and it was great to be back.
When I finished that trip, it was time for me to head north to Seattle to take one more pass through the Rockies before winter set in. We had several nights with temperatures below freezing and smoke from the wildfires, rain and hail made for a challenging two weeks. Thankfully the beauty of Glacier, Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons more than made up for it and made it all worthwhile. I really love that part of the world and it’s always a treat to be back there.
And that has brought me back to San Francisco for a few days. I’ve slept a lot this week, but also got out to a Giants’ baseball game with some of my colleagues and a comedy show. This Friday I’m off to Yosemite again for a 3 day camping tour which I’m really looking forward to. Then I’m taking a week off to go out camping with some friends of mine and our historic society The Ancient and Honorable Order of E Clampus Vitus. I still have five trips left on my schedule this season, and I’m looking forward to all of them.
Gas prices are still high, so I think I’m staying here in the west this winter. I will definitely fly home for Christmas, and then I’m thinking of heading over to Europe for a few weeks. It’s been a while since I’ve been out of the country and I’m hoping to go see some friends I haven’t seen in a while. The dollar is doing really well against the pound right now, so all indicators seem to be telling me it’s time to go. Then I’ll probably come on back here and spend the rest of the winter cruising around California, Nevada and hopefully a bit of Utah. I won’t be pushing too hard as I do plan on returning to guiding next summer, but there’s lots to see and do out here and I’m looking forward to hopping back in my van and just going.
Speaking of going, I really have to run. I promise you’ll hear from me sooner than later and hopefully soon enough we’ll be back to our regularly scheduled weekly posts. Have a great week or two out there and enjoy the beauty of fall while it lasts.
-Mike