Bargains, Good Luck and Two More National Parks

(No edit to this photo whatsoever in case you were wondering) 

I'm a sucker for a bargain, and I'm an extra sucker if it includes getting something for "free." This is why I have TWO airline credit cards..."60,000 air-mile points to join?! Where do I sign?"

Although, as we all know, something is only a good deal if you actually use it. Ever seen the old Monte Python "I bought a piston engine" routine? This was 100% my mother (we teased her unmercifully for it) but I have inherited the same disorder. So I decided it was time to cash in my points and fly somewhere for our new "see a National Park on Thanksgiving" tradition. But where?

 I've crowned myself the "Queen of the Complicated Plan" for a reason, and this trip proved no different.  Picking up a car in one city and dropping off in another, four different camps in four days, hours of driving with only prayers we'd actually find a site - but everything came together beautifully, with a cherry on top lucky win of over $200 in a Vegas nickle slot before flying home.

And now I have earned two new stickers on my National Park Thermos. I mean, if you are going to go to Joshua Tree, you really need to throw in Death Valley too. 

Poor Ken only earned two massive blisters - one on each foot. You can't always have perfect luck. But he's a good sport, so I think he'll still be in for next year's trip that I've already started planning. Do you happen to know any airline credit cards I need to sign up for? ;) Happy "deal or no deal, hiking is worth it" trails. My complicated itinerary is below for those interested.

TRAIL LOG: 

Day 1: Got our "free" flights out of Seattle to LAX on Frontier, though if you've flown with them you know you'll need to pay for EVERYTHING else. Well, except the 14" x 18" x 8" personal item; so it's always a "how much can I possibly shove in here" game...which of course if not enough if you're car camping for several days. 

So I bit the bullet and paid for one checked bag which somehow we managed to fit all our camping gear in. We originally had reserved an Escape Camper Van (which we've done a couple times before) but sadly they went out of business. So instead I rented a car I thought we could at least sleep in the back of. (Though we never needed to, thankfully.) After surviving the craziness that is LAX and picking up the car, we drove as far as we could and stayed at a random hotel.  

Day 2: Stopping at Walmart is not the way to start a vacation, but it had to be done. Word of advice: check to make sure the phone charging cords you brought are compatible with the car you rented BEFORE going shopping...ugh, but otherwise we got the supplies we needed. Ken even found a large cooler bag that got us through all four days for only $6! He's a pretty good bargain hunter in his own right. 

40 pounds of ice is too much even for a large cooler tote, haha

With a second stop to find the correct cord, I had given up the idea of doing our first planned hike; though because it was so close to our reserved campsite at the Cottonwood Campground on the south side of Joshua Tree, we were actually still able to make it happen. "Lost Palm Oasis Trail" is a 7.4 out and back with 1K gain. We added on a quick detour to Mastodon Peak for sunset which added another 2 miles and 500 feet. It was the perfect reset after surviving Walmart hell.

Ken on the peak--I was happy to stay down and take the pic

Day 3: You can actually get to the Lost Palm Trail straight from the campground by another route that takes you up Mastodon Peak first. I would recommend just going in and out this way, as there is nothing special about the first mile from the official trailhead. I decided to do this alternate one mile access to Mastodon as a sunrise hike and began in the dark with my headlamp. It is well marked and easy to follow (though I'd still recommend having GPS downloaded) and it takes you past a really cool old mining relic.  

When I got back we packed up quickly so we could make the hour drive to Hidden Valley Campground and get there hopefully just as people were leaving. It's the most popular campground, and it is first come first served. 

I really wanted to see Skull Rock, which was on the way and about a 2 mile hike. I figured 10 am would be the perfect timing for scoring a campsite, so I thought we'd have time. Turns out there is no hiking required to see Skull Rock (literally right off the road, though there is a trail you can do) so we skipped the hike. Thank God because we would have missed getting what I'm pretty sure was the only site available right at 9:30...lady luck was definitely on our side. 

We cowboy camped both nights in Joshua Tree - the stars were amazing!

As a former hard core climber, Ken was excited to revisit his old stomping grounds, so we spent this day exploring straight from our campsite; which is central to much of the major climbing routes.

I'd advise to stay off the popular trails - you don't need them. We made the mistake of walking to the official Hidden Valley Trail because we could, and Holy Moly! Trust me, you can see all the beauty around the park without having to wait in a hiking line. 

Not Ken's happy place

Day 4: After leaving our coveted spot to a cute climbing couple (we seriously must have had 30+ cars drive by looking for a site) we drove the nearly 5 hours to Death Valley with the plan to stay at the 106 site first come only campground of Texas Springs that "never fills up." 

After driving past the "road closed" turn off to said campground, we stopped at the Visitor Center where we learned they couldn't keep Texas Springs open because of the budget cuts. Uh oh. The ranger was very helpful and made a call to the Stovepipe Wells Campground to confirm they were not full...yet. Hurry!!!

We didn't see a lot of wildlife, but we sure loved the Ravens

True to our lucky theme, I think we got the last site. (There were a few RV sites left, but we were really wanting the picnic table and fire ring. Seems the camping sites are the ones that fill up first.) Even this last minute change of campground was advantageous for us, because it put us closer to where I had planned on hiking the next day. Plus it was only 5 minutes from the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes, so we hurried there after putting up our tent even though the sun had already set. The colors of the after glow were still so beautiful. You can wander wherever you want here; there is no trail, just a lot of sand.

Day 5: Another early pack up, and then just a 10 minute drive to Mosaic Canyon Trail. This is a 3.5 up and back with about 1K in gain. It's not as popular as some of the other places (a rough 2 mile road going up there may be part of the reason) and it was nice to have a less crowded experience. 

At about a half mile before getting back to the parking lot I noticed people hiking up the side of the canyon from where we originally came up. It looked impossibly hard, but the closer we got to it I could tell it wasn't so bad. I could see that this side trail showed up on my Alltrails map, so we decided to take it. I'm glad we did, as it was fun to look down into the canyon, along with the sweeping view into the valley. 

Thankfully we already had a reservation at Furnace Creek Campground for that night so we didn't have to rush or worry. After we set up our tent for the final time we took our sleeping pads out to sunbath in the last rays. It wasn't hot, but us Washingtonians appreciate any warmth with our much needed dose of vitamin D. 

Day 6: We had agreed Ken would sleep in and I'd take the car to do a sunrise hike at Zabriskie Point. This turned out to be my favorite views of the whole trip. My advice is start hiking as soon as you have light - you'll have plenty before the sun actually crests the horizon. I had the whole trail to myself because everyone is up at the point waiting for the official sunrise. It was pure magic. 

I did the full Badlands Loop, which is only about 3 miles, and I was back at camp around 8:30 am, so we still had time to explore more of the park. The Badwater Rd had just opened up after having been washed out, so we drove down to see the Devil's Golf Course and Golden Canyon. We discussed on the way how fun it would be to name all the roads and places here. We'd pick "Last Breath" or "No Hope to Live"...we agreed that Golden Canyon seemed far too upbeat. 

Many side roads are still closed

We only hiked about a mile of Golden Canyon, but there is a "secret" side trail about a quarter mile in that I really wished I could have explored further. (I only noticed it because someone was coming out - I have no idea how far it goes; I only went in about 20 feet.) 

That finally wraps it up! The only other thing to say is that a stop at the Area 51 tourist trap is worth it just for the stupid photo shot opportunity. Until next time! YouTube video of trip here.

Gotta get probed ;)

 

An Otrovert's Overnight on Lookout Mountain

Have you heard of the proposed new personality type named "otrovert?" Even though I hate labels, I have to say it describes me pretty well. I want to connect and be around people, but only meaningful one-on-one means much to me. I may appear like an extrovert, but in truth group settings and casual interactions are exhausting for me. 

So the thought of spending the night in a fire lookout with complete strangers was both thrilling and terrifying. If they liked me and we connected and had this mutual bonding experience -- heaven! If I could tell they didn't want me there and we had to fake at niceties and force small talk all night -- hell!  Such a risk...though I do crave terror and suffering for some odd reason.

Even so, when I got to the "register" at the beginning of the Lookout Mountain Trail and saw that nobody had claimed it yet, I was super relieved. I actually would have gone home if someone's name was there - not because I assumed they didn't want to share, but because I would have to make them share whether they wanted to or not. And of course, that's a bit asshole-ish.

I left work at noon on Columbus Day because I had found out a couple days earlier that I randomly had Tuesday off. A midweek outing with fantastic weather and having strong end of season legs, I knew this was a once in a lifetime opportunity. Except leaving that late in the day with a 6:30 pm sunset meant I had no plan B; so if someone was in the lookout even though they didn't write it on the register, they would be sharing with my asshole self regardless.

Staying in a lookout has been on my bucket list a very long time. I knew this particular one was my best best; far better than Hidden Lake, Park Butte, or of course Mount Pilchuck; all which are extremely popular and near impossible to get to before someone else. And even though hikers are some of the best sharers in the world, who wants to chance it? 

Though as an otrovert, I'm always hoping to find a soul sister (or brother) - so when I "claimed" the lookout I also wrote "don't mind sharing." I knew the lookout "fits 4 easily" from the previous person's note, and I didn't want anyone coming after me having the same stress I was having.

Also, "going to be crowded"...apparently some people aren't worried about assumptions

 

About half way up I met my first hikers and asked them if anyone was at the lookout. They told me there was a group of SIX (must have been because of the holiday) but only two planned on staying the night. At that point I was too committed to turn around, so I just prayed I'd be getting heaven instead of hell. 

I was so committed, in fact, that even a warning from the next descending group couldn't stop me. "Be careful, it's super slick and one of us had to grab onto branches to keep from falling," he cautioned. 

"Would I fall off an edge to my death?" was my question.

"I don't think so, but you could get really hurt...though you should be okay with your poles," was his not so reassuring answer. It was good enough for me, however. 

For the last half mile all I could do was kick myself for not bringing my micospikes or even my crampons. I had considered it, but I was too concerned with staying light because of the extreme elevation gain. Stupid. I kept imaging how the people up there would react to my appearance: "What is wrong with you coming up this late without proper gear and no plan B?" The other imaginations of spending the night crumpled up in the trees groaning in pain I refused to let in.

And you know that going up is one thing, and going down quite another, so I was also really worrying about what the next day was going to look like. Except I was all in; plus I knew I could wait until late morning when hopefully it wouldn't be as icy. 

To say I was relieved to finally make it to the lookout would be an understatement - but there's no word strong enough to describe the feeling of deliverance that came over me when I found nobody there. Confusion too...where the heck could they have gone? But whatever...I GOT THE PLACE TO MYSELF!!! 

Maybe I missed out on some heavenly bonding time, but avoiding a hellishly awkward night was a bigger desire. Plus, I love being alone - another sign of being an otovert. 

The next morning's descent was painfully slow and not pretty, but I got it done. (Butt sliding is bad form and terrible for anyone coming after me, but it didn't seem I had a choice.) And even though it was pretty terrifying and probably foolish and definitely cold AF, I really did love every minute. Happy "if it's October, just put the spikes in the pack" trails!

Things to Know About Lookout Mountain Lookout:

1) It's 4.5 miles to the top, with 4.5k elevation. Better have your trail legs. 

2) I had great cell phone reception inside the lookout with T-Mobile, which was nice to Face-Time with my husband and helped me not feel too alone. 

3) Though it's in the North Cascades, it's outside of the National Park, so you don't need a permit - not even any sort of parking pass. Though the other area you can camp at (Monogram Lake, about a mile off the main trail) you do need a permit for because it must just fall within the boundary.  

4) If you're uncomfortable using the pee container provided, you had better bring your own because I promise you that you will not be going down the stairs in the middle of the night. I do show you what it looks like in one of the video clips - I'm a little embarrassed to share this trip's movie, but I'm doing it anyway because I'm a otrovert who "needs no validation from others" bahahahaha. (I'm not actually showing myself peeing in it for heaven's sake if you are thinking that!)

5) At about 2.5 miles there's a good stream, and actually a place you could pitch a small tent - maybe even two. I'm assuming this is outside the boundary and okay to do, though I'm not positive. It could be a late night save though for sure.  

It's bigger than it looks here, plus there's a little space on the other side of the trail as well

 

 

Walking the Coltswold Way with My Sis

It's done! The big plan with my sister, Vicki, that I was so afraid I'd jinx by even talking about is now in our rear view. And what a trip it was! Near perfection. I'm so grateful for all the work Vicki put in pre-booking the buses and trains to get us from here to there; I commented several times that we'd surely be dead if we attempted to drive ourselves anywhere. (Have you seen the roundabouts in the UK?!)

But of course "on foot" travel was what we were there for. Vicki came up with this idea when she wanted to go on a hiking adventure with me...without all that backpacking nonsense. The British call this a Walking Holiday and you can book them through several different travel companies. 

We used Mickledore, which I was pleased with despite one encounter I'll expound on in my usual Trail Log below. They were more affordable than I expected, though if you have your mind set on luxury accommodations, this is not the holiday for you. 

For me, a quaint old B & B with a bed and shower is a huge step up from a sleeping bag and tent - even if the place does have sloping floors, crazy steep/skinny stairs, and low hanging beams you are continually bonking your head on. That all just adds to the rustic charm, right? ;)

Maybe it's a bit mushy or sappy to conclude by saying the best part about this whole escapade was getting to experience it together - but it's true! Having a sister that loves you and that you love back is one of the biggest blessings in life, and one that should never be taken for granted. Happy "family bonding" trails! 

Trail Log: (Or a video mash up here if you don't feel like reading.) 

Day One: Travel day, because getting across the pond is no easy task. We stayed at "Premier Inn Heathrow Airport Terminal 4" -- and though it took us a good 40 minutes of walking and train riding, you do get there without ever officially leaving the airport - which is the 5th largest in the world! 

Day Two: A pre-booked bus (that was completely full, so thank you Vicki) took us to Warwick where we planned on visiting the tomb of our distant relative, Warwick's 13th Earl, Richard Beauchamp. After our dad died, we found a book in his belongings that traced our lineage back here; which is the main reason we chose the Coltswold area. (We also toured The Lord Leycester, which I would highly recommend.)

One of the most elaborate tombs you'll find anywhere

The Lord Leycester felt like a movie set

Day Three: Castle day! Because of above stated ancestry, we claimed Warwick Castle as our own...though as hard as I tried to make jokes about getting a family discount, nobody was amused. It was totally worth the entrance fee though - it's like a Castle Disneyland! Maybe a little over the top touristy; but we ate it up - along with all the treats from our high tea splurge. 

Sammie thought booking the tea was worth the extra pounds

Day Four: More public transport to Chipping Campden where we would stay two nights. Ideally you would walk to each night's accommodations, but often this is not possible as many of the towns only have a handful of rooms to offer. Therefore it is common for the travel company to book two nights and then arrange transport back and forth from the trail.

I loved all the old towns, but I think Chipping Campden was my favorite

Day Five: (First hiking day) 10 miles from Chipping Campden to Stanton. A wonderful way to start off our walk - so beautiful. We walked the grounds around Broadway Tower, but didn't do the paid tour. 

I already ordered this as a new canvas for my work kitchen

Day Six: 7 miles from Stanton to the White Hart Inn in Winchcombe. Our shortest day, but whenever you have a mindset of "this will be easy" it always turns out harder than you expected. Stopped mid-day for our first ever Scotch Egg...can't say we were big fans. 

British food is not our fav

Huh?!? Thankfully we never saw him

Day Seven: 11 miles from Winchcombe to Dowdeswell. Our biggest mile day, though the large section of golf course walking was a good distraction. Not like any golf course you'd find in America, that's for sure! (The video explains.) We had to take a cab into Cheltenham for our night's stay, which was a crazy ride and more proof of why trying to drive ourselves would have probably proved deadly. 

Winchcombe...I couldn't get enough of the cute towns!

Day Eight: The best part about using a travel company is they transport all your luggage from place to place for you. Except we spaced and brought our luggage out to the curb while we waited for our cab...can you imagine if it hadn't clicked before he got there and we actually put it all in the car? Thankfully we didn't have to hike these 10 miles with our suitcases in tow, as this was a very hilly day. Met some really nice people on trail, and they even forgave me for convincing them to take a "cheat" to avoid some elevation...which actually resulted in even worse elevation.

Hard to appreciate steepness in a pic; but the railing is so you don't fall to your death ;)

You should follow the signs and not the Alltrails App...well, except for the last mile; which either one will guide you into Birdlip on a very dangerous road. We avoided this by going completely off trail and climbing a dangerous hill instead, ha ha. All around a pick your poison kind of day. 

After the "thrill hills" we were glad to have a real hotel this night...another crazy staircase would have done us in! ;) 

Day Nine: This was stated online as being a 9 mile day, but I'm pretty sure we didn't even hit 7.5. We got very fixated on finding our midday pint, and ended up going on a bit of a goose chase to get to the golf club (yes we were hiking through yet another course) only to find afterward that we would have basically ran into it if we would have just stayed on trail.

"A pint a day keeps the doctor away" was my motto for this trip

Eventually ending our walk in the quaintest town of Painswick at the adorable Saint Ann's B & B really seemed so perfect...until the proprietor made a rude comment about "right leaning" folks while checking us in. This made my sister feel unwelcome and a bit suspicious - so she checked his reviews and found two recent ones from Jewish people who had been refused lodging. We did bring this to the attention of Mickledore, who took it seriously and if proven true said they would stop using this establishment. I know we are living in extremely divisive times, and each side feels strongly they are standing on the higher ground. I personally am not following politics closely because I just can't - but even if I'm more "left leaning," I'm sure I could never grasp how discrimination like this is justified.  

I took a "beautiful church" pic in every single town - very hard to choose just one

Day Ten: The Cotswold Way ends in another 56 miles at the City of Bath, which we really wanted to see but were out of walking time - so we took the train. We spent our first day there pampering ourselves in it's famous ancient waters at the Thermae Bath Spa - an absolute must do if you are going there. (No cameras allowed inside...below is the Roman Baths, which nobody is going in obviously.)

Day Eleven: We had just enough time to tour the Roman Baths then stop for one last tea before catching our bus back to Heathrow where we would fly out the next day. I could write a whole blog entry on my nightmare travel day home of 34 hours - but instead I'll just be leaving some nasty reviews wherever I can about Icelandair.  

Our last tea, right on the famous Pulteney Bridge

One of only four bridges in the world to have shops across it's full span on both sides.