We’ve had a lot of new friends and followers ask us how we are able to afford our lifestyle or maintain any sort of career, for that matter. Frankly, we are big believers in building relationships, with individuals and companies alike. This trip wouldn’t be possible without our sponsor, Airstream, and the other brands that have signed on to support us. We are incredibly grateful for Burton, who provided us with hard and soft goods to keep us active and warm during our cold adventures, and for Tubbs Snowshoes, for their gear to keep us exploring the untracked backcountry. We’ve found that there is an art to conducting business without exchanging money, and that the act of barter trading is not a dying currency. We encourage everyone we meet to think outside the box and to realize that you have so much more to offer than a dollar (or many.)
Being surrounded by so much beauty, it can be overwhelming to balance work and play. It is critical for us to constantly stay on top of our work, allowing us the opportunity to be fully present in the moment. Being in the wild wilderness is the ultimate reset button. Nature has an unparalleled capability of alleviating life’s complications with it’s beauty. Step outside and within a short period of time, your mind clears and you can focus on what really matters.
We were fortunate to connect with old friends and family during our time in Utah. Ryan’s cousin, Damian, met us for dinner and drinks at Wasatch Brewery and came along for our mountain adventure the following day. We spent our last day in Utah at Snowbird, and while it might have been one of our favorite mountains to explore, we were even more stoked to spend time with our friends at Tribal West Lacrosse. A frequent local of Alta and Snowbird, Fish Bartlett, the patriarch of Utah lacrosse, was our private guide to the hidden corners of the mountain.
We knew we had to be more cognizant of our schedule, as we only have two weeks left of this journey. We cut our visit shorter than we’d like and began making our way to Colorado for a planned shoot with The Public Works. We drove to Dead Horse Point State Park (Moab) and spent the night under the stars, completely alone. Unfortunately, we ran out of propane – apparently they don’t fill propane after dark in Utah. With cold feet and kind hearts, we curled up to our handy space heater. It was so quiet and incredibly dark, that you almost felt like you lost your hearing. With the sunrise as our alarm clock, we awoke to an incredible setting that we didn’t know existed when we arrived the night before.
Fast forward to our arrival in Keystone, Colorado, later that day. We linked up with Mike of The Public Works and some of his crew for a backcountry photoshoot. After setting up shop at the trailhead, we lit a fire and shared stories of our adventure so far. Rested and ready, we woke up to the sound of roaring snowmobiles and the scent of fresh coffee. After being interviewed for their video documentary of our trip, we all hit the backcountry for some fresh lines in a snow covered basin.
The day was exhausting, but we were fortunate that the US Open was taking place at the same time in Vail, Colorado. We drove to Vail just in time to do what we do best: eat and drink. We spent some time connecting with locals at 10th Mountain Distillery and grabbed some grub at Vendettas Pizza. Vail Brewing Co pulled at our heart strings and reminded us of home (Vermont) with their New England Style DIPA. While Vail might not be our cup of tea (or pint of beer), we thoroughly enjoyed supporting Burton and the US Open. Leaving as quickly as we arrived, we hit the road again for Telluride, CO.
Telluride is tucked away within the San Juan Mountains and from research, we knew we couldn’t stay too close to town with the rig. We also knew we REALLY needed to shower, do laundry, and re-organize our lives after our time in Utah and Colorado. Oasis was found at the local Chili’s in Montrose, CO, followed by a picturesque Walmart parking lot. We’re pretty sure we were the only patrons in Chili’s that night who were outside of the gossip circles.
With our laundry pile getting quite large and a serious need for a long hot shower, we spent the day “spring” cleaning and pampering ourselves at Jellystone RV Resort, before heading to the neighboring mountain town of Ouray, where we of course hit the local brewery and western style cowboy saloon. This famous watering hole was a frequent spot for John Wayne while filming True Grit. Refreshed and ready, we drove into (as close as we could) to downtown Telluride and explored town. The beauty about National Forests is the ability to disperse camp – and we did just that. We found a gorgeous overlook high in the mountains and slept amongst tall trees and steep gorges.
We have just over one week to go and we are going to take some much needed R&R in warmer temperatures. We’ll be making our way south to Santa Fe and across Texas to New Orleans for some window-down driving and crawfish. Heck, we might even turn the AC on.
The Guiding Lens 