Coachella Trading Company - recent posts from Outdoor Adventure community

San Diego Rock and Roll Marathon

2010-06-06T21:04:42-07:00

A special Congrats to all who participated today in the Rock and Roll Marathon!!A special YAHOOO to my niece Jenn and our neighbors Curtis and Stacey! Way to go!!! You all ROCK :)

Free Freight

2010-04-13T15:53:36-07:00

We appreciate your business and are here for you 24/7.

Mike Kohn earns spot on Winter Olympics Team

2010-01-21T08:40:03-08:00

From the Huffington Post:

Mike Kohn of the United States has secured a four-man bobsled spot at the Vancouver Olympics, after finishing sixth in a World Cup race Sunday at St. Moritz, Switzerland.

Kohn’s result means the Americans will have three sleds in the Olympic four-man competition, with Steven Holcomb and John Napier having already secured enough points to mathematically wrap up bids that were to be formally announced later Sunday by the U.S. Bobsled and Skeleton Federation.

Kohn earned a spot in the two-man Olympic competition on Saturday, also giving the U.S. the maximum allotment of three sleds in that discipline. The USBSF took 14 of a possible 15 Olympic start positions in bobsled and skeleton.

Kohn won a bronze medal at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics as a push athlete in Brian Shimer’s four-man sled.

“Winning an Olympic medal was amazing, but it doesn’t compare to the team camaraderie felt over these last few weeks,” Kohn said. “The Olympics is about more than winning medals, and this experience is one I’ll remember for the rest of my life.”

Indeed, getting a third sled into the Olympics for the U.S. was a team effort.

Kohn contemplated retirement when he wasn’t on the World Cup team to begin the season. He was summoned back to the top international circuit midway through the schedule, after veteran and Olympic hopeful Todd Hays retired following a training crash that left him with bleeding within his brain.

So Kohn was in a race against time, trying to get the world ranking points needed to qualify in both two- and four-man competitions. Getting plenty of help from other U.S. bobsledders – Hays included – along the way, Kohn climbed far enough in the standings to reach Vancouver.

“I can’t thank Todd enough for his help and support over the last few weeks in helping our team,” Kohn said. “He’s been a huge part of my success.”

Holcomb’s USA-1 four-man sled will be pushed by Justin Olsen, Steve Mesler and Curt Tomasevicz. Napier’s USA-2 will carry Chuck Berkeley, Steve Langton and Chris Fogt, while Kohn’s USA-3 will have Jamie Moriarty, Bill Schuffenhauer and Nick Cunningham aboard.

In two-man, Holcomb will be with Tomasevicz (who was with Kohn for his final World Cup push), Napier will partner with Langton, and Kohn’s push athlete will be selected later by the USBSF.

“We had a very difficult decision to make regarding our men’s Olympic team because of the depth of our push athletes,” USBSF CEO Darrin Steele said. “In the end we went with the teams that pushed together (Sunday). You can’t argue with the results because Holcomb’s team is ranked first in the world, Napier’s team is ranked second in the world and Kohn’s team finished sixth.”

Two-time defending Olympic four-man champion Andre Lange of Germany drove to his third straight World Cup gold medal Sunday, winning the two-run event at St. Moritz in 2 minutes, 10.13 seconds. Karl Angerer drove another German sled to second, just ahead of the Russian sled piloted by Alexsandr Zubkov.

Holcomb’s team was fourth, and Napier’s sled was 11th on Sunday, January 10th.

Brain injury inspiration!

2009-12-27T22:01:21-08:00

http://rostxusa.com

The first time I met Michael Rost I was sitting on the sidewalk at the Sprinter Station waiting rather impatiently for the train to the beach. I saw him walking towards me for what seemed like several minutes before he was close enough to give what I now consider a characteristic Mike greeting. I remember reacting hesitantly to his statement that we should “hang out sometime,” but luckily hesitancy gave way to uncertain acquiescence. Over time my acquiescence has given way to a hesitant enthusiasm. For Mike though, “everything is possible!”

Ten years ago Michael Rost was in a car crash causing him to endure the consequences of a traumatic brain injury. In a coma for a month, he had to relearn even the most basic of everyday movements. Now, his speech is slowed, his balance is off, his walking is labored and his hands shake, but despite these difficulties, Michael Rost has asked himself, “Self, what can you still do that is crazy and extreme?”

The answer, as it turns out, is not only extreme, but also inspirational.

On March 27 2010, Michael Rost begins the adventure of a lifetime. After taking a swim in the Pacific Ocean, Mike will jump on his recumbent trike and begin his self powered cross country journey to the Atlantic Ocean. Simply stated, Mike wants to show the world and himself that “everything is possible!”

As he travels , he is seeking to raise money to donate to the Brain Injury Foundation in New York. Once I asked him, “How much money do you want to raise?” and jokingly he answered, “a million dollars.” What he raised were a million doubts and questions in my mind, but I’ve decided to opt for Mike’s”everything is possible” slogan. I’ve decided to disregard my previous experiences with what reality is and create space in my mind for the awesome potential of manifesting the adventure of a lifetime.

I know a million dollars is a lot of money to raise. I know that there are many obstacles to be overcome in the achievement of a cross country bike ride by even a person in perfect health with no physical handicaps. I know it won’t be easy. I know there will be flat tires, pelting rain storms, angry drivers, potholes and dead ends, but I also know that Michael Rost has already overcome obstacles in his life that have been way more extreme than any of that. He continues to live his life from the moment he is in. He reminds me that, no, my life might not be exactly the way I would like it to be, and yes, I do have my own obstacles to overcome, but most importantly, he reminds me that not bothering to try would be the only real failure.

So, the New Year not yet arrived, I’ve begun incorporating my resolutions into life a little early. Overcoming fear and doubt are perhaps rather ambiguous goals, but if living with a generalized anxiety of failure is possible, I assume the opposite, living with a generalized sense of purpose and accomplishment, is also possible. Yes, anything and everything is possible!

If you or anyone you know would like to ride with Mike for all or part of his trip, donate a million dollars, be Mike’s bike mechanic, would like to set up a helmet cam for his journey, would like to make phone calls to potential sponsors, arrange educational events at schools, or even be a cheerleader complete with pom-poms as Mike departs on March 27th 2010 please be in touch. Talents and creative insights of all kinds are welcome.

Http://rostxusa.com
rostxusa@gmail.com

Vacation Favorite Pic and Story

2009-10-30T21:11:10-07:00

Being born and raised here in San Diego, I really do not know anything about hunting!!! Now I have to admit my Dad lived in upstate New York and hunted all the time, he also raised pigs, chickens, etc all to be killed to be eaten. My Mom lived in Pennsylvania and also raised chickens not only for eggs but also for the Chicken and Dumplings!! So I have heard the stories!!! I on the other hand have always had my meals come from the grocery store! I have never killed anything in my life, I even try to save bugs in my house and send them outdoors where I think they will have a better chance to survive! But I must admit I am not the least bit bothered by hunting for food!!

So on our trip to New Hampshire I was surprised to hear there was a 9 day hunting season for Moose! As we were driving into the state I saw all the signs Moose Crossing, Watch for Moose etc… It really stands out when you are from San Deigo and all you see is the “Watch for People Crossing” So anyway I am thinking there is no way I can spend 7 days here and not see a moose!!!

Well truth be told, I did not see a single Moose crossing the road (ok I have to admit I have never seen a person crossing the freeway in San Diego either). But here comes the real story, it is the part where you completely embarrass your spouse and father in law!

We were on a road trip heading up to Canada (we had gotten our passport cards and just had to put them to use) We were just passing the Mount Washington Resort very picturesque and we had stopped a day before to get pics. But while we are passing I notice A pickup with 3 guys in camo taking pics, it is then that I do the double take, and I notice the Moose in the back! That is the moment I tell my husband to stop and turn around!! He in all logic says why??? And I respond because there is a Moose in the back of the truck that I want to get a picture of!! ( please really) He looks at his Dad who is sitting in the front passenger seat, no words were spoken but the look just said it all!! After that he said are you going to embarrass me??? Really like in the last 27 years he has not embarrassed me!! So I say absolutely not I just want to get a pic!!! To his defense he made a u-turn and drove back to the turnout where the moose and truck were located! As I got out of the car he said please don’t embarrass me! (I am going to remember that in the years to come). So I get out of the car, the guys made sure the windows were rolled up and I think they were ready to make a run for it!!! I immediately introduce myself and say I am from San Diego and that this is just something we never see at home. I said that I would love to get a pic with them and the moose, they thought it would be a much better pic if I had my pic with the Moose! I got there pic first, and asked all the questions that had been building up since I had first heard it was Moose hunting time!

How long did it take you to find this Moose? They had been hunting for 3 days and this was the first Moose they saw!

How much did the Moose weight? 718#s and they were expecting to get about 500# of meat!

How did you get it into the truck? They shot it at 5p.m. it took them till 11 p.m. to get it hauled out to the truck ( they were lucky there was a rail track and they made a sling and hauled it on the track) when the got to the truck it took 10 guys to get it on to the truck ( I guess people are willing to help back there).

What does Moose taste like? It is the best of all wild game!! (I tried to find moose at any of the places we ate and no such luck, so I am going to have to take there word on this) At least they did not say it tasted like chicken!!

Is it easy to get on the Moose Hunting List?? Not at all, it is done by lottery and they had been trying for several years. The last time anyone had gotten into the lottery was 5 years ago and it was one of the guys wife and she and her girlfriends went hunting and got a moose! ( how cool is that)!

So my questions were done and they said really you have to get your pic with the moose, ok!!! At this point my husband rolls down the car window and apologizes for me! (men) They said they were just going to take my pic with the Moose and would he not like to join me! He says “oh sure why not”!! (men, at this point I want to kill my own husband, it may be ok in New Hampshire)!

Anyway I have attached the pics. Really an incredible and beautiful animal! I wish I could share a pic of a live Moose, but I really did not see one while I was there. The season is only 9 days long and they seem to manage very well!

Congrats to all who got there Moose this year!!! I am guessing there will be lots of meals enjoyed and a special thanks to the 3 guys in the photo, who were so willing to share and educate a So. Cal girl on Moose hunting!!!

New pictures and new uses for the Pelican 9500SLS Shelter Lighting System

2009-10-27T13:40:18-07:00

We might have sold the first Pelican 9500 Shelter Lighting System in the entire country. Either way definitely have the newest pictures outside of Pelican’s official marketing. Take a look at this amazing lighting system with more uses than just the military.

As you can see from the comparison pictures above, the Pelican 9500 gives off a lot of light with very low power consumption. The flexible chainable interconnections of the lamp heads, with the inline switch, and multiple power options offers useful, workable, pleasing light in the most remote locations.

What do you mean “useful, workable, pleasing light”?

We were most surprises by the warmness of the light. Don’t misunderstand, it IS a BRIGHT WHITE light, but it is a few degrees warmer than we expected. I’m not going to try and guess Kelvin temperatures here, but suffice it to say this isn’t just a utility light, you wouldn’t mind sitting, reading, having dinner, and just hanging out in the light the 9500SLS gives off.

By comparison the other Pelican Remote Area Lighting System lights in the Advanced Area Lighting Group line so far have a much bluer light which is perfect when you just need bright crisp light to work by, especially for fine detail work. But honestly having used the 9430 single head light while camping recently, you don’t exactly want to read a light in it’s brightness. Need to setup a tent or something utile around the campsite it’s perfect. But had I had the 9500 with me I could have hung that on my shelter and been relaxed running it all evening during dinner (until you had to turn it off just to enjoy the fire and stars!).

More than just a military light

Pelican is pushing the 9500 lighting system for the military, and in that it will excel. But after playing with the 9500 for just a few minutes it was obvious this had myriad possbilities.

Own an RV? The 9500 is ideal for hanging on the awning on your motorhome. Run it right off your 12volt system no problem.

Hunters. That remote cabin you love to get away to with no power or a generator? Bring a battery pack, one of the other Pelican RALS lights (for power and more light), or a generator and you’ve got light in your own private hunting lodge just like home.

Emergency shelters. Have low wattage light during an emergency or disaster.

The real advantage to this system is how easy it is to hang. With the included straps you just hook the lampheads where you need them, string them together with the color coded military grade interconnects and tie in to either a 12vdc source (battery system or Pelican AALG lights) or AC power and you are good to go.

And it has a red mode!

Keep that night vision. What’s good for the military is certainly good for hunters at night, whether it’s with a camera or a gun. I felt like I had to mention it’s red light mode which is switchable from the inline power switch. But since I’m stressing the non-military applications here I won’t go into details about it.

Check it out in the CoTradeCo store

See and buy the Pelican 9500SLS Shelter Lighting system as well as the other amazing lighting products from Pelican

Take care and happy a traveling and outdoor adventures!

Kleen kanteen

2009-09-30T08:28:40-07:00

I have a 40 oz. Kleen Kanteen and I love it. However, It would be even better if there was a cup with folding handles that would nest over the bottle.
Can Cotradeco carry the holsters for these canteens?
Baddog

Don't fall into the trail or you'll be all wet (prank)

2009-09-11T18:46:15-07:00

I just want to know do the people who pull these pranks have to pay for damaged property?

How to protect food from animals when camping (HowCast)

2009-09-09T20:01:10-07:00

The best tip was don’t keep food in your tent, “or it and you might be the next meal.” Keeping your food away from you and away from animals is big deal.

Recently while camping in Missouri it sounded like night of the living dead outside my tent as raccoons attempted and partially succeeded in getting my food.

Tips from the video

Never store food in your tent
Keep food in a locked cooler or in a trunk if you car is nearby
Put food in a sack and store it slung with a rope over a tree branch
Use a bear resistant canister
Use waterproof bags and store the food in a mesh nylon bag in a nearby stream
Always keep your campsite clean

Did you know? A bear’s sense of smell is 7 times stronger than a bloodhound’s.

From the description at Youtube:

Getting back to nature can be an incredibly rewarding experience unless critters come along and ruin it! Here’s how to keep your food from being plundered.

Easy Care System in Adventure Medical Kits make the difference

2009-09-08T02:22:55-07:00

There are many first aid kits out there. While most first aid kits will come with the supplies you need when an emergency, injury, or disaster occurs if you are not properly trained in basic first aid you may not realize what everything in the kit is for, much less how to actually treat the situation at hand.

A good medical kit should not only have the supplies needed, but it should help reduce stress. Old fashioned kits don’t help enable a rapid response because they lack organization and instruction. And when you are in the middle of an emergency you don’t know want to be wondering what to do next fumbling through the kit.

To prevent this worst case scenario all Adventure Medical Kits come with what they call the Easy Care System.

This unique and simple system enables fast efficient response by organizing compartments with the tools and supplies you need along with the Easy Care Treatment Card that highlights treatment suggestions based on the particular injury you are faced with.

Individual compartments are labeled for specific situations: wound care, burns, cpr, bleeding, fractures, medications, and instruments. These compartments are directly referenced in the Easy Care Treatment Card.

Adventure Medical Kits with the Easy Care System is like having a doctor on the scene who puts his hand on your shoulder and says, “Calm down. We’re going to get through this. Start here,” and proceeds to walk you through each step of the treatment. As important as telling you what to do, the Easy Care System tells you what NOT to do.

When it comes to first aid treatment stress and panic are major obstacles to successful treatment. Adventure Medical Kits help take the panic out of emergency medical treatment.

Post Script to my last and I mean last big road trip!

2009-07-27T08:52:01-07:00

WOOF. A STRETCH, AND A BIG YAWN, How ya Doing!

Took me a little while to recover fully from my people dragging my tail around this state.
I will forgive them though, I mean I love my people!

As I have had time to lie around, take up space, and produce my best Lazy Dog Production; I was able to look back at my travel log, my people have been very busy so there was plenty of computer time available to read what I had written. with out them knowing, of course. Us Goldens are a secretive type.

Back to the main point; I realize my people were out showing the Fire and Police Departments; the fine, and I do mean fine, products this site can provide to them to help there communities be safe and help others in rescue situations.

We had the Nitex Helmet lite for the fire men people.

You can click on the link to get a full description of this fine product. I can say when they say bright; whoa! You had better believe it! My people were playing with the sample and I was not were they thought I was, when, wam! RIGHT BETWEEN THE EYES! I thought I would never see again!

I recovered, hours later; THANKS GUYS! Yep, this baby is a power house, and small enough to be conveniently clipped to the brim of there helmets. It makes it like a hands free light, that follows were you look. Genius! Pure Genius!

For you police types they have another light that is really powerful; I know, yep, nailed again, GEEZ!

The Pelican 8060 Flashlight

This Golden doesn’t want to bore you to much with all the details, but I have to tell ya, this light has rechargeable staying power. A tail wagging, 6 hrs. of brilliant illumination time. I think that may be the best time in the market place today!

They also had this strange looking thing, I heard them call it a remote lighting system, or some such thing.
Lucky for me I didn’t suffer being blinded by the light, learned my lesson with these 2 people, but when they pulled this thing out and set it up. Man! I was able to see a lot of stuff, LIKE THE SQUIRREL! I AM GOING FOR THE SQUIRREL!

Well nice try on my part, short leash ya, know.

Any-who, you get the idea, this light can help any rescue situation were light is needed to help find, say a lost Golden at night. It lights up a large area, that any Golden could find his way back too, and the companionship of his people.

The Pelican 9430 Remote Area Lighting System

Yes sir! We went out there to show these fine products to the fine people of this state just what we could do, to hopefully make there jobs safer and brighter.

YEP! Made a lot of new friends along the way, and when I think about it; I had some big adventures. Did I mention REALLY Good eats along the way as well? Only thing I am still miffed about is the fact I did not get one FROSTY PAWS, the whole darn trip! I think I need to talk to Trader Dan about this, see what he can do!

While I,m at it, another sore point…............

This is the Postscript of MAX the Golden Retriever’s First and Hopefully Last, Road Trip. Max is the fun loving companion to Stacy and Buddy, proud members of the CoTradeCo family.

Read more of MAX’s adventures:

You might also be interested in:

Cliff jumping like flying squirrels-crazy video

2009-07-26T20:37:27-07:00

I wouldn’t do that. But I would race my NSX at 150mph.

DiCAPac Waterproof case for digital devices (commercial)

2009-07-25T20:04:00-07:00

You’ve just got to see it yourself. These DiCAPac clear flexible underwater camera bags are just something else. Take pictures underwater with your non-waterproof digital camera.

The video above is an official commercial for the DiCAPac waterproof underwater camera bags

Of course we carry them in the store . But we’re also busy adding useful DiCAPac resources like the Camera Compatibility Guide and the Waterproof test

Oh and I almost forgot we also carry the AquaPac line of waterproof accessory cases and the famous OtterBox cases and waterproof accessories

So enjoy the video of these amazing bags, and then Dive over to DiCAPac underwater camera bags , OtterBox , and AquaPac brands in the CoTradeCo store.

Trail camera (Reconyx RC55) catches bobcat, elk, buck, coyote and bears

2009-07-23T19:01:49-07:00

Amazing look at animals in the wild as the amble down the trail when they think no one is looking. The Elk and the deer are the only animals that seem to notice the camera. According to the comments at YouTube the deer hear the click of the camera and have to check it out.

Somehow the forest doesn’t seem quite that busy when I’m in it. And in a way I am thankful for that.

This video was posted by TWayDreamin

From the video at YouTube :

Reconyx RC55 remote trail camera captured individual images at a rate of about one per second as long as something warm was in motion in the field of view. Software was then used to string the images together into a video.

Music is shorter than video because Bloc Party claimed copyright infringement on the original song attached to video. Unfortunately for Bloc Party, tens of thousands of viewers won’t be exposed to their music via this video anymore.

New song is Lotus Eaters by The Shiffers.

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DAY 8 OF MAXS FIRST AND HOPEFULLY LAST ROAD TRIP

2009-07-21T08:53:28-07:00

Woof, woof, YES! We are headed home!
Land of plush doggie couches, 10th floor views of the coolest city ever! I can’t get there soon enough!
OK, you other people on the road don’t get in my way!

Uh, oh my people are taking a side trip! Side trips never work out for me. It usually means a long time in the rig, or me staying in the rig for awhile.

Where we stop is kind of nice, rose bushes, grape vines, HAY! Wait just a minuet here. Does this mean more sharing my space with stuff? “Maybe.” “We, can let you be with us for a picnic lunch; but dude, you gotta behave.”
I never cause any trouble! I am a good guy! A real cutie! I’ll just be cool and lay here till y’all get back.

There back! Just like they said, I’m with my people for lunch! YES! I just love being with my people, especially when there is good eats around.

Where is this place? “Ganey winery, outside Solvang.” Well, I like it!

We are now headed home, only we are going via the Santa Ynez mountain highway into Santa Barbara. Cool views and sucky traffic. GET OUTTA THE WAY!

There up ahead the 101; now will get this rig moving! Nope; sucky traffic. Man we will never get Home!

After what seams like an eternity; the traffic starts to move. Through, cough, my eyes are watering, L.A.

There it is! San Diego County line! Oh baby! I can smell downtown all-ready!
Traffic is moving; and pay dirt is right around the bend!

We made it! Home, sweet Home at last! I really don’t care about the unpacking of the rig; JUST GET ME UP THERE TO MY SOFA BED!

Ah; that is more like it! My bed, my patio, my smells, my city sounds; that I so dearly, LOVE!
My people too, seem happy to be home.
The best part of home for me, I DO NOT HAVE TO SHARE MY BED WITH ANYTHING!

I fall into my bed, and man you don’t have to wake me up for a long, long, time. I am tired of the road and; sorry eyes are heavy and I…..need…..my….rest……..

This is part 8 of MAX the Golden Retriever’s First and Hopefully Last, Road Trip. Max is the fun loving companion to Stacy and Buddy, proud members of the CoTradeCo family.

Read more of MAX’s adventures:

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DAY 7 OF MAXS FIRST AND HOPEFULLY LAST ROAD TRIP

2009-07-20T17:56:56-07:00

Up early for some kind of breakfast this place we stayed serves up. I, of course am in the rig. At least they moved it up front so we can see each other, big whoopee!
We are driving down highway 1 to Monterey, just so we can have lunch on the pier. Something about a shrimp cocktail, what ever that is, me just give me some good eats.
Why we went this way, I don’t know; I’m not to impressed, nice time for a snooze.
Sniff, sniff, can I have my window down please I need to check out what I’m smelling here. Yes, a little salt, some seaweed, YA HOO! I can see the ocean, and lots of sandy beach. This is going to be, SWEET!
Out of this rig I go! Hurry up guys; I gotta get to the water!
Not so fast there speedy, my people say. I have to stay in the car. No dogs in the restaurant. Good thing the wind is howling, and it’s down right cold here, otherwise I might have to take a bite out of one you guys. Just joking.

Back my people come and we are off to God knows wear! We pass what looks like a nice place for a Golden to play, Los Lobos State preserve. (What’s a preserve?) Nope no time to stop! My people want to get to someplace called Cambria. They keep talking about this being one of there favorite places, on the central Ca. coast. They are saying some stuff about a beach, Moonstone? How did stones from the Moon get here? I still don’t know to this day.

Woof! Woof! Woof! The scenery is fantastic! Redwood trees, Pinion Pines, shear cliffs down to the ocean. I think I could learn to like a place like this. Big Sur is what they keep saying. Are we talking about this place or some really big sir?
The road is twisty and switch backy(huh?) The views are spectacular!

We finally head down, out of the coastal foot hills, towards San Simeon with Cambria just a few miles further down the road, further.

Hey! You pinhead You just past up Cambria! Oh! It’s on to Harmony; Pop. 3?
This is my people’s favorite winery in this area. I’ll just go in and impress the pants off these strangers. “Sorry Max. If you were more sociable around other dogs, then yes, they would let you come in.”
“Doggie, world war 3 does not sound all that much fun. Sorry old pal.”
Man my reputation is shot! Oh, Well.

My people are back in a short while, with what is this? More stuff I have to share may space with! Are you kidding me! What, were going to are motel now? Good, I hope its close!

Not great, but its all-right; the place we are staying tonight.
No penthouse here. Playing with my treat ball will be accommodated very nicely.

Man! I am tired! Glad its quite here. See you guys in the morning.

This is part 7 of MAX the Golden Retriever’s First and Hopefully Last, Road Trip. Max is the fun loving companion to Stacy and Buddy, proud members of the CoTradeCo family.

Read more of MAX’s adventures:

You might also be interested in:

DAY 6 OF MAXS FIRST AND HOPEFULLY LAST ROAD TRIP

2009-07-17T10:02:53-07:00

Well day six is here, when does this trip end? I am missing my sofa bed.
We get in the rig and head to the old Napa general store; my people are going for breakfast. BIG WHOOPIE! I HAVE TO STAY IN THE CAR AGAIN!
Well lookie here there getting me out of the rig! Don’t get too excited. Just a pit stop, for me, and then back in the rig, I’m sure.

There is some hesitation by my people; I don’t know what is going down. My lady person just left us outside this joint; for what?
She comes back and tells my male person, that YES! I can sit on the patio with my people at breakfast; YES! SCORE!
Oh, yes I would like a California omelet with extra Bacon on the side; please and thank you very much.

“Max.” “You get to be with us, not eat with us.” Doggone sanitation concerns protocol!

OK, so I get to, be with you, COOL!

Patio is not too crowded, so were are the other people to tell me what a beautiful Golden I am? I need my adoration fix! (Were do I get these 2 cent dime store words!)

“Max, lie down and behave your self.” “We do regard you as part of the family, so we let you come along, so we could all be together.”
Ah, gee, thanks guys, I would still like that omelet. That’s it just ignore me! There is a nice spot of shade to lie in.

Breakfast finally arrives, my people give me a very, I repeat, very small morsel to eat. Yea, I can see my pecking order in this family!

Now what plans do we have for this day, hum? “Wine tasting.” What’s that? They won’t tell me and I just don’t know. I hate not knowing! Oh, yea, I’m a dog, I wouldn’t know, nor understand.

I can tell you that from my perspective, this just sucks!
Stopping every 5 min. so my people can do what! “Wine tasting.”
I don’t get it! My people keep coming back with stuff, every time we stop. I mean I get potty breaks, and water, and a chance to stretch my legs, but they are filling up the storage area in back pretty darn fast! They better not think what I think there thinking!

All-right! That’s it! I have put up with the inconvenience of moving from room to room, town to town, strange place after strange place! BUT I WILL NOT SHARE MY BACK SEAT SPACE WITH THIS STUFF! They put stuff in, I push it out!
“MAX! STOP IT, RIGHT NOW, OR IT WILL NOT BE PRETTY FOR YOU!” Well I don’t like to share! “To bad.”
“Max, why don’t you lie in the shady area of the back seat; instead of in the hot sun? You just want to give us that pathetic look; and hopefully someone will feel sorry for you. Your People are so mean to you.”
“The stuff is on the floor board, not on your seat.” I don’t care! Sharing, of any kind, is not my strong suit.

Well my people knew I would get over it, and move on to other adventures. They were right.

We are finally done in this Napa valley place; thank God and greyhound, we are leaving this place behind!

Were to now, people? More stuff that I must share with! Well WHAT!

San Francisco, never heard of the place, but I will hold my judgment till later.
It sure took us while, but I sure don’t see what is so great about this San Francisco place. OH, this is Sausalito. Nice view of the WATER! I spy WATER; I like this place all of a sudden a new appreciation for this place grows within! Darn! They didn’t stop!

Over the bridge and Bingo! We are in San Francisco. Were from the tune I just heard someone left there heart here. Poor guy that must hurt, no heart!
Looks like my male person is not too fond of this place; Rush hour in downtown Frisco; does not make him happy at all.

We haul out of that place like it was on fire, or something.
Daley city sure came up fast. We are thru Daily city and headed for the coast route.
The clouds are starting to move in, and it is getting late, very late in the day. Are we going to find another place to stay, or drive all night back to my home? My bed, My view, My world that I love.

We reserved a room in a place they call Half Moon bay.
Looks to me that we should be mooning this place. What a dive!
From some of the signs, my people have seen, this is supposed to be a vacation paradise. I don’t think so!
Yes we are on the beach, but the wind is howling off the water, and it feels damp, and really cold. Nice motel, but this feels more like not such a fun place for my people.

People, I say people, I’m hungry, feeling faint, and you don’t want me to faint?
Man! I must be good with that trick, cause the next thing I know, we are off to find food!
No place open, hope someone finds our malnourished bodies.
Oh, good, a fast food chicken place. Eureka! My people won’t let me have chicken bones, but I sure love the meat! Let’s get back to the room while this here stuff is warm!

Oh, man! Let me tell ya; that had to have been some of the best good eats I have had on this journey; I vaguely recall something about a Lake Tahoe, but I can’t remember.
Ah! Time for a rest. One more night and then we are home SWEET home, BABY!

This is part 6 of MAX the Golden Retriever’s First and Hopefully Last, Road Trip. Max is the fun loving companion to Stacy and Buddy, proud members of the CoTradeCo family.

Read more of MAX’s adventures:

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Yermo Yaccht Club

2009-07-16T16:43:27-07:00

The Yaemo Yacht Club would like to introduce our mascot “Chucky” to Max.
A photo of Chucky attached.
baddog

DAY 5 OF MAX'S FIRST AND HOPEFULLY LAST ROAD TRIP!

2009-07-16T09:09:56-07:00

Man I slept GOOD last night! I’m ready to roll, as soon as we are packed up; this here Golden is good to go! Sacramento.

I think I heard some one say Sacramento? You have got to be kidding me!
We are going to leave this wonderful, beautiful place for Suckramento, I mean Sacramento? “Yep” OK, let’s get the prison sentence over with!

Into the car I go, not happy about this, but I am with my people.
First, things first; Breakfast at the casino buffet! Let’s GO!
Car? I got’ta stay in this rig while you chow down! “Yes”. OK, it was worth a shot.
My people park in the parking garage at the casino. Good thing, wind is pretty darn stiff this morning. Garage is nice and COLD! I love the cold!
Any-who, what seamed like an eternity, there back and off we, GO!
Huh? Seams like my guys are not to sure about the short cut through town, so we can get on US50. WE stop get directions; then we are finally off!

Nice scenery we got here; trees lots and lots and lots of beautiful trees. Lots of rural homes here too; hum? Do they need a cool, low mileage, high maintenance Golden? Ah, guys can I knock on somebody’s door and ask? NO! A doggie fart will fix um. Never mind, it could be bad for me as well, now that I think about it.

We are at the T junction (what ever that is); make a left and Sacramento is, yuk, just that much closer.

The scenery through here is absolutely GORGEOUS! Following the banks of the American river; I have never before felt so one with my surroundings. I guess I’m having a rapture moment with the trees. (Oh, man is that overboard!)

We arrive in Placerville in good time. My lady person is calling ahead to check on her 1:30PM appointment at Caltrans; it’s still on.

Hey! Dude slow down will get there to early! Then what? We sit in a hot car and then, have to spend the night in Suckramento, er, Sacramento? What did you just say? We aren’t staying in Sacramento for the night? OH BE STILL MY HEART! THERE IS A GOD!

My people tell me we are going to stay in Napa, who? I’m not taking a nap! Oh, were here, Caltrans. It is warm, but we find some nice shade to park in. My male person even gets me out to stretch my four legs, nice. Take in a little water, a snack, and my Lady person is back in no time at all! Good! Now we can blow this joint!

A little side trip first. We are heading for the Sacramento river and old town Sacramento. BIG WHOOPY!

To tell the truth it was not a bad place to go. We got to walk under the draw bridge on the river dock, this is where houseboats on the river can tie up and take on supplies. There are lots of shops located in the historic buildings; and a nice green area to do my business on.

The streets leading in and out of the area were very nice and clean, and well maintained historic homes lined the streets on both sides.
We were told that we had just seen the best Sacramento has to offer; the rest of it not so good. Lets GO, PEOPLE, while the get’n is GOOD! Interstate 80 get me out o here!

Now where are we headed? “Napa” I say I ain’t takin no stinking nap! “You’ll like it there.” Oh, it’s a place. Sorry about that.

We get to are turn off and I only have one thing to say, YIKS! Where in the tarnation did all this slow poke traffic come from?
Man! Will never get there at this rate! Besides I need a pit stop.

We pull over into a deserted old building parking lot, do my thing that I do; and when we get back on the road, all of a sudden the traffic is easing up. Ah, divided highway, cool. Let’s make some tracks.

Man, this here Napa place is a thriving, regular big city! I mean you know you’re a big place when there is a Target center here!

Over the freeway, a left turn, and there she is, are abode (huh?) for the night. A nice little Motel, with another fine spacious room; why even the inn keeper was nice to me, another bag of goodies for me. There was even a news letter to tell my people where the dog friendly areas of town were. Now that’s the kind of customer service, this here pooch is talking about! Sort of makes you feel special.

My people head out for dinner, with me in tow. The sun is low in the sky and before they head to the fancy Napa restaurant (Brix) For dinner we take a little trip of discovery around the Napa valley.

Vineyards all around, tree lined dirt road streets, little babbling creeks, stately homes, and wineries; it is quite the styling place for a Golden to be! Then my people go to dinner, excuse me if I don’t get to excited. I’m the one who has to stay in the car; alone; fine see if I care!
They didn’t even bring back anything for me in a doggie bag, how can they snub me this way! It’s going to be a long silent ride back to the room.

Again this cuzzi thing has reared its ugly head and I’m home ALONE, again!
That wasn’t so bad just 20 min. and they came back and played with me! I just Love my people!

This is part 5 of MAX the Golden Retriever’s First and Hopefully Last, Road Trip. Max is the fun loving companion to Stacy and Buddy, proud members of the CoTradeCo family.

Read more of MAX’s adventures:

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DAY 4 OF MAX'S FIRST AND HOPEFULLY LAST ROAD TRIP!

2009-07-15T10:47:14-07:00

Our next destination was to back track to Virginia City. Oh, how I ignored them all the way there!

What? Since I had been in a snit, ever since last night in Reno, you guys are going to leave me in kennel while we are in Virginia City!? No, no please, I’m A-OK now! No, really!
Whew! That was a close one! I’m not missing one coconut Telegraph opportunity on this trip!

Nice, nice, old wooden sidewalks to walk on, feels real good underneath these old paws. Window shopping is way cool, my people won’t go inside because that would mean being tied up to the Ol hitching post outside; now don’t that just tell you how special I am!

Any-way’s, we come upon this here tractor rig, and it has some kind of shuttle, people moving, what-cha-ma-call-it; Thingy behind it. No way am I getting on that!
My people are talking to the owners of this thing; He tells them that as soon as he gets enough tourists to get on this thing, he will honk his horn so we can run back to get our tour of the town.
Well Luck was on my side! We plum missed the horn blowing, from that Thing, and we would have to just miss out! We had to get on the road again, ya know!
Not so fast there, my four legged friend!! The owner says that in 15 min. he will have enough people to do another tour! Oh hell no, I won’t go!
But what is this? The owner likes Golden’s? Oh, he has one himself. This could turn out OK! He begins to pet me, and then, as if the God’s themselves had come down, He gives me a COOKIE!
This making friend’s thing, wherever I GO, is just way too COOL! Sweet!

Excuse me! What, it’s time to get on? Uh, I think I’ll just mosey over here to this really nice shady patch and wait for you guys to get back! Not gona happen is it? Dang!
Well I’m not going to be real cooperative about getting on this Thing!
All-right, all-right! The owner just happens to have some steps for people, yep even me, to get on board this thing safely.
Hey! Look at me I’m in the front row! Wow! Golden’s are special!
I lay down at the feet of my people and for 20 min. or so we got to see and hear about this town’s history.
Old buildings, a really COOL, old Church, picturesque scenery; (were did I get that there fancy word from!)
Any-who, when we got back to the little station, from wince we started, I was so HAPPY about my tour, I did’t want to get off; I was kind of thinking about becoming the official greeter here! People would Just Love me and pet me, give me cookies, oh what a beautiful time it would be!
Max, let’s go! Max! Huh? OK, can’t a dog have some Dreams too!

Well, we all had parched whistles, so we stopped at a watering hole, with this beautiful open covered porch; it had this remarkable vista of the high Desert. I reckon a 100 mile view! (I told ya we can’t judge long distances to good.) The best part was I got to go with them and sit with them on the porch! Be still my Heart!
Actually, this was a special place for yours truly; new friend’s, a unique little authentic Ol western mining town. Yep! It was a good place visit; but that official greeter gig was still playing in my brain! Just let me tell you right here and right now; if I had stayed here; the best part of this whole trip, for me, would have been missed!
I didn’t know where Lake Tahoe was; but my BIG adventure was just beginning!

Now this here, is the picture I want you to see; we are climbing out of the Reno basin; heading into the high Sierras. Cooler and cooler it becomes, GREAT! Then the snow starts showing up in patches on the side of the road. Then more patches of snow, till finally snow cover every where!

Let me out to play, please, oh please, oh please! What do I hear from the front “we will stop further up the road it’s getting late, and we need to book a room in South Lake Tahoe.”
Dag nab it! Foiled again! Past Mt. Rose ski area, past the North Shore area of Lake Tahoe; oh, oh, this is good, my people have phone service again.

Yea! We got a room! COOL! LET’S HAVE SOME FUN!

As we cruse by Emerald bay view point, it’s like when, people, when do we stop!
Oh! You had this planned all along, right? Who cares, we all hear rushing water. We pull into a small campground, still closed for the season; parking lot is open , and there is,snow; on the ground!
LET’S GO, LET’S GO! “OK” I hear; as my leash is put on, by my really cute lady person. Let’s take the wooden walking path, and see what there is to see! The water; we found the water! We can’t get down there though! This is a good idea; let’s get us to the other side of the road!

NOW THAT’S WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT! A pure snow melt stream splashing and flowing, and small pools abounding! PAY DIRT, BABY!

All-right so my, male ball and chain person, didn’t like his arm being pulled out of its socket; but hay there ain’t no way you are stopping this Golden from getting in to that water!
In I go; YES, OH YES, OH YES!

I drink that ICE COLD WATER as if I have never had water before in my life! I lie down in the stream look back at my people and give them my Na na, You can not do this look, aren’t I the coolest Dog ever! Well wettest! Whatever, I am king of the world!
Time to head back to the car, oops, maybe I shouldn’t have drank all that cold water so fast. I don’t feel too good. That’s OK, no problem we are still in the woods.

That’s better now let’s find some more fun stuff to do!

Back to the car I get toweled down, and paw’s cleaned, fun stuff, GRR.

Now I want you guys to know, I have some of the bests people working for me, ever! They feed me ( I’m talking some pretty GOOD eats too), play with me, take me to the vet’s when needed, talk to me, console me, give me Frosty paw’s ( hay! I haven’t got any this trip! What a rip off!) When I’m good, or it’s hot. Yep, even take me out for a car ride once in awhile. They don’t like to leave me in the car much, like when it is just too hot, but when they have to, they all-ways find shade to park in (or move on) for me and leave me lot’s of, cool clear water. Yep, a pretty lucky guy I am.

Now where was I, oh, yea? When my lady owner was on the phone with the motel hostess, she was kind enough to tell us to stop at a place called Tyler Creek. It was just outside South Lake Tahoe. She said “Max will Love it.” Well that is where we are headed now.

It did not take to long at all. WOOF, WOOF and a heck of a lot more WOOFS! What a spot! Tyler Creek is one of the many estuaries (again, where did I get that word?) that feed the lake.
The state of Calf; has put in a series of concrete and wooden platform walk ways, slightly elevated, so we could walk out and enjoy a living and breathing ecosystem that helps the Lake thrive.(Now you know for sure I am a really smart Golden)
Let me continue. As we make our way down the path what do I see? DUCKS! DUCKS ON THE WATER! ( Um, my apologies to Deep Purple) I’m going in, I’m GOING IN! “Not so fast my duck loving friend.” I hear. I flat forgot I was on a leash, and short one at that.
So much for that idea, but I did plead my case with pathetic whines and yelps. No dice!

We continued,ever so boringly, to a final view area. There you could see in all of its natural beauty, the end of the estuary, fanning out in a wide shallow bay that ended at the Lake. Even this Golden stood there and some how knew that this is the way our creator knew it had to be done; a natural, never ending cycle that creates habitat, not only for the creatures of the land, but the Lake, its life blood.
Sadly it was time to go, the angle of the sun telling us to move on to tonight’s rest stop.

When we pulled into our motel for that night; we were a little startled to find no one there. Ah! What’s this envelope taped to the office door with my peoples name on it? The Hostess had to leave to take care of some business; she left us the keys to our room and the note said we would do the check-in later; SCORE!
We got all settled in and the inn hostess was back. Let’s all go say howdy and get checked in. The inn hostess was sooooo nice; first she gave my people a bag with doggie treats and a way to cool new play toy, all for me, little Ol me? SCOOOOORE! Then she told us that there was a private beach were my people could enjoy a bottle of Champagne, and best of all, I could go and enjoy the Lake to! Did I mention it was within walking distance, I just did.

Nice little walk to. Passed some really spiffy fire hydrants, freshly painted; oh the thrill of it all! (All you dogs reading this know what I’m talking about!)

We got to the beach, and lo and behold, we were the only ones on the beach! I guess the stiff cool breeze kind of held the crowds down a bit. My people enjoyed there beverage and I lay calmly near by waiting my turn for fun. Finally they were done and now it was my turn, my turn had come at last. They took off my leash and off I went for a romp in Lake Tahoe! Oh, baby! The world is my oyster; and yes you, my blue lady are my destiny! It was Love, Love at first splash! I swam, I ran, my people played chase with me! Alas, I grew tired of my new found Love, as I retreated back to the room where the warmth of a BATH! BATH! WHAT DO YOU MEAN, A BATH! Oh the cruelty of it all! I was allowed to frolic and be free; yet life can be so cruel! OK, so it’s a little over the top! But I sure have fun!!!

My people felt like staying in the room tonight to eat, ALL-RIGHT! They ordered a pizza, YUM-O! While waiting for the pizza to arrive my people went to the Jacuzzi, they said they needed to unwind, RIGHT! Well, I suppose it is OK by me.
I’ll just chill here, by my Ol lonesome self. (ain’t I good at the guilt trip thing?)

Before I knew it, my people were back, and the Pizza was delivered, almost simultaneously. (Good, ain’t I?) The delivery person was really nice! He pets me and called me one heck of GOOD LOOKING GOLDEN! Ah! The life of a Star!
Star? My people think I’m self-centered and spoiled rotten!
I say, would not, the spoiled rotten thing, be your fault! EXCUSE ME!
Well now I didn’t want to be petty and start a ruckus. I mean we had more serious things to consider; like the PIZZA, DAH!

So, they sit there, stuffing there pie holes, while I sit and stare (I got the stare, baby) at them in a vain attempt to get some of there mouthwatering, smells, oh so good, PIZZA!
All I hear is, “not to GOOD for YOU to HAVE too much PIZZA.”
Ah, at last a morsel, a crumb of crust, gee thanks. All this hard work, staring at you guys and this is all I get!
That’s better a little larger piece, SWEET!

This is part 4 of MAX the Golden Retriever’s First and Hopefully Last, Road Trip. Max is the fun loving companion to Stacy and Buddy, proud members of the CoTradeCo family.

Read more of MAX’s adventures:

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1st Post for Vallas

2009-07-14T17:45:25-07:00

Hello Everyone

Vallas here and I look forward to contributing to the CotradeCo communtity. This is my first post here @ CotradeCo

Quick background:

Have lifelong interest in the outdoors ever since I was a young boyscout. Have been camping, skiing, hiking, BackPacking, caving and cliff jumping ever since. I have a lot of knowledge, experience and ideas that may be useful to you. I have been to nearly every major national park and monument in the west, from yosemite in California to Zion in Utah. I have skied every major resort starting with my home Mountain (Mammoth), to Utah Powder, Jackson Hole steeps, Montana isolation and one of my all time favorites, WHistler/Blackcomb in Canada.

If you need any ideas on gear, let me know. If you are planing a trip I can share some secret (off the beaten path) ideas for a quick weekend trip or a full vacation, please feel free to ask.

See you later
Vallas

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DAY 3 OF MAX'S FIRST AND HOPEFULLY LAST ROAD TRIP!

2009-07-14T10:39:11-07:00

Man, I mean like, we are on the road again! Can we not stay in one place for more than just a night? I mean, I liked that room, a lot! Oh, well it’s a dog’s life. We are headed for Reno Nevada (AND I’M FEELING LUCKY TODAY!)
My people tell me we have some cool stops along the way before reaching Reno. One can only hope! All this packing and unpacking is just not my thing, ya know what I mean?

Water! I see lot’s of water! Oh, what tail wagging fun to be had here! My people tell me it’s Mono Lake. Yes! A Golden jackpot!
With great tail dropping sadness, I must tell you, WE DID NOT STOP! WHAT IS THIS? SOME KIND OF DOGIE HELL! You promised cool stops! These guy’s are NUT’S! We could have stopped at the Mono Cone in Lee Vining for A burger or something; but noooo not my people! (I told them about it Baddog!)

Hey! This isn’t half bad. A winding narrow 2 lane road with whoop de dos; and, twist and turns, dude this here is COOL! I didn’t think it could get much cooler but the pavement just ended and we are eating a cars dust on an unpaved rutted dirt road (poor rig is sure get’n dusty); HIGH HO SILVER! I don’t know where we are going but this is one fun ride!
Then there it is, up ahead in the distance, a Ghost town, BODIE.
We climb up one last hill and we come to a sudden halt. There before us, still snow on the ground, picture postcard perfect, shot of Bodie; and than behind us the snow capped Sierras WOOF, WOOF, AND DOUBLE WOOF!
We make our way down to the self pay parking area; put on some walking shoes, I, my leash, and I drink a very cool bowl of water; and we were on our way!
I can’t tell y’all too much about the town, but I can tell you there were some ghostly Ol aromas coming in from, what I call the Coconut telegraph (sniffing around stuff). I’m not saying their where smells you humans can smell, but Bode is an old Ghost town, with some scary aroma tails to tell. There were also patches of snow still available for me to lie in for a lazy dog production moment. Which also means; there was some really extraordinaire fine muck to get into. My people were way ahead of me on this one, and as luck would have it, they spared themselves of having to give me a bath with baby wipes.
Well, time to move on; Reno beckons.

Next stop the Twilight Zone? Geez, all this moving hither and yon it is starting to take its toll.
These guys are into it; me? Not so much, just give me a chilling dog’s life and I’m snug as a bug in a rug. Although, getting to see the scenery going in the opposite direction is fun!
Hay! I think I just saw a DUCK! I like DUCK’S!

Next up, Bridgeport; This is what a Golden regards as Paradise!
Small town in the Sierras; rustic cabins for rent; Fly fishing; hunting Ducks of course! WATER, LOT’S O WATER TO SWIM IN!
Life is a little slower here, for sure; but if you ever find yourself traveling down this way and filling a little hungry, y’all stop at the little blue shack on the left on the way out of town going south; Best burgers & fries for miles around!
I must give Tail wagging kudos to the, Inyo county sheriff’s office in Bridgeport, for steering this pouch, and his people to it. It was the first time on this trip, so far that I was able to sit on the outdoor patio and eat with my people. I mean you would think people would be more sympathetic to dog owners, but I guess sanitation considerations come first, dang it!

Ever onward and northward we go, and I’m still feeling lucky, Reno is on tap next.
We are passing thru some beautiful country side here folks. Coming out of the Sierras, heading for the Nevada state line!
It is serene and with lots o water everywhere I choose to look. Hey! Look over there! I see a nice fishing lake over there. For the life of me I can’t remember its name! Sure nuf looks real pretty to me! I know, I know, we gota keep moving, Rolling on down the highway.

Rolling, rolling on down the road! What place is this? Bad Vibes!

Now we dogs are not a particularly picky group, just as so long as we are with our people! However this Golden is happy to say Carson Nev. is not my home. No offense to anyone dog there, but I personally did not care for the place. Why? I don’t know; I’m just a dog ya know.

Roll into Reno, its warm, 80 plus deg. Bright sun, rather nice, if you ask me. Staid at a nice motel, part of a high rise casino, the parking was a, excuse me, just a little bit of a zoo. First come, first serve situation. We had to walk for ever to get to our ground floor room. Well not for ever but a dog’s sense of distance stinks.
Then it took a while to get things situated just right. We were finally able to relax when one of people noticed that the car in front of our room just left. Oh how simple things make my people happy.
After what seamed like a short while to me, my people, and I still can’t believe this, had to leave me in the room alone so they could go to dinner! Now this is where it turns ugly, I have no sense of time! What were they thinking? 1hr, 5 hrs; it’s all the same to me!
I thought for sure I was a goner! They had left me high and dry!
Well let me tell ya, I was GOOD, but did I ever make sure they knew I WAS NOT HAPPPY about it either! All they saw of me, the rest of the night was my backside! Yes sir they for sure knew!
Next morning, why I was in that car even before they packed it up!
They weren’t messing with just anybody here! No sir! I’m there loyal companion and you are not doing that to me again, EVER, in a strange place!

This is part 3 of MAX the Golden Retriever’s First and Hopefully Last, Road Trip. Max is the fun loving companion to Stacy and Buddy, proud members of the CoTradeCo family.

Read more of MAX’s adventures:

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DAY 2 of MAXS FIRST AND LAST ROAD TRIP

2009-07-13T09:05:11-07:00

Ah, some kind o sunrise. Beautiful, just beautiful, I tell ya!
Even Golden Retrievers think there cool! Way Cool!

We were up early so we could eat breakfast, I mean they ate breakfast; me; I was in the car; waiting, dang it all!
After breakfast we made our first of many visits to the Policemen and Firemen of the Eastern Sierra. The last stop before we headed out of Ridgecrest was the Dolphin Fire Station; this is where it gets cool! They told my Mom to hit the Inyo-Kern fire station on the way out of town!! The landmark to look for was a Metallic Red Fire Hydrant, now that’s what I am talking about!! As far as I’m concerned all landmarks should be really cool looking fire hydrants! Dad even stopped so we could get a picture!

Did I mention this was a business road trip? No? I just did.

Any way’s the scenery was boring as we left Ridgecrest and headed up old US395. I lay in the back, chilling for a good while, when per chance I popped up, and demanded that my window be rolled down! There it was; the sight I had been waiting for, the snow capped Sierra Nevada Mountains. Believe me when I say, it is one of those majestic views that a Golden just lives for!

Water! The one thing this Golden Loves is, WATER, with lots of DUCKS on the WATER; but my people really short circuit my little ol noodle! Its like, someone just gave me a wedgey! They tell me,” Ducks, usually are not found in the snow! Besides the roads are closed and we can’t get up there”!

If this is what I must endure on this trip, well let’s just forget it! Lets just turn around and go back home! This Golden can stand just so much disappointment! I need a pit stop! Hear me! I need a pit stop! That will show um!

We pulled into the Lone Pine Sheriffs substation, paid them a short visit, and yours truly had his pit stop, (oh the simple pleasures of a dogs life) and we were on our way again.

Over the river and down the road we go! Were we stop nobody knows! If you ask me; I don’t think my people know EITHER!

Well I guess they do know!
Bishop, we are rolling into stately (snicker!); Bishop, the gateway to the Sierras. Another police and fire station stop. BIG WHOOPIE!
We then found our way to a Tastee Freeze, my people stopped for soft serve (uh, like, were is mine!), and a much needed stretch break for all, oh ya, some gas for the rig too. Then we began are climb to Mammoth Lakes and this nights sleep over.

Let this dog tell ya, the vistas are spectacular! You can see the Owens valley behind you, and breath taking views of snow capped Sierra peaks in front of us! Yep! it is getting colder as we climb, and I like it!

Hell-O Mammoth Lakes! Land of snow and ski slopes!
Oh, yea! This is what I’m barking about! Woof and another big ol Woof. This room is huge! I have got more then enough room to roll my treat ball around and have some fun! Better yet I get to make Yellow snow!

Yes sir, there is still snow on the ground and my people take me out to play in it! Snow plow with my face! Roll in it and shake it off all over them; Yea! This here Golden is in HEAVEN; and I may tell my people to take a hike and leave me here. Alas, they tell me this will soon all melt away and then what do I do? Um, going after DUCKS at the lake, comes to mind! OK, OK so I got carried away there for a moment! Gees! Give this dog a break! You take me away from dogie couch, and a patio with an awesome view of the city. Feels like we are going to be going from one strange place to another; we are; I have just about had enough of this all-ready….. On second thought, I would never be happy any were, without my people! NEVER MIND!

This is part 2 of MAX the Golden Retriever’s First and Hopefully Last, Road Trip. Max is the fun loving companion to Stacy and Buddy, proud members of the CoTradeCo family.

Read more of MAX’s adventures:

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My first and Hopefully last road trip! Day 1

2009-07-10T13:05:23-07:00

WOOF, WOOF AND A BIG SLOPPY KISS FROM YOUR’S TRULY THE ONE THE ONLY COOLEST AND GREATEST GOLDEN RETRIEVER ON THE PLANET MAX!

As I chill here, I think all Golden’s feel this way; and why should we not! Be that as it may, I have a travelogue to write; so get comfortable and get ready to give me a lot, and I mean a lot of your attention, cause of course I’m a Golden Retriever.

My adventure began in usual Golden fashion with lots of high, unnecessary, Drama.
Thinking my people were leaving me behind and such other useless clatter.
My people were cool though and got ME a cool ride to go on the road with. It was all decked out for me, with my nice and soft furry blanket, all nicely appointing a most luxurious in size, I must say; back seat. This was only befitting for a Golden of my stature and self-centered importance!

Anyway; we got on the road heading for who knows where!
My head out the window, ears flapping in the breeze, people laughing at me as they went by. OW! DANG BUG JUST POPPED ME IN THE MUG! NOT COOL!!!
So as I lay on the backseat chilling to tunes; I had to wonder what perilous journey awaited me down the road. Oh, cool! Pit stop!
Our journeys first stop was in Ridgecrest. It was early enough that all of us could chill in a nice cool pool. Well my people, not I.
I had to stay leashed outside the fence, looking in with my best pathetic look I could muster.
Until some really cool strangers came by and petted me and talked to me, wow! Making new friends every where I go; COOL!
I wasn’t to keen on going to sleep though, room was tight, no dog sofa, different smells, it just wasn’t right! Well my people straightened me out real quick; outside in the car all night was not what I had in mind!
( to be cont.) Check in on Monday for more of my excellent adventures!

This is part 1 of MAX the Golden Retriever’s First and Hopefully Last, Road Trip. Max is the fun loving companion to Stacy and Buddy, proud members of the CoTradeCo family.

Read more of MAX’s adventures:

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Day 1.5 (Friends, family, & head clearing in 30 days or less): Stuck

2009-06-14T15:38:28-07:00

In my previous travelogue I relayed what started out as a fairly mundane first day of travel across the desert and ended in a harrowing “I’m stuck in the desert and I can’t get up” near tragedy. This post is an overly melodramatic and only mildly fictionalized accounting of those hours in Lordsburg, New Mexico.

As I neared the bottom of the valley I saw my opportunity, and none too soon, the sand on the last 20 yards or so had left my car with “no traction warnings” as I slid helplessly in the sand, but at the bottom there was my chance, a fairly wide open spot on what looked like decently packed stone in the wash next to where the road headed sharply back up the other side. I came to a stop. The ground was mostly solid. So far so good. But I was going to have to do a three point turn as quick as possible through that insanely thick sand. I got out plotted my course of action, got back in, breathed heavily and gunned it. I managed to get mostly turned around on the first move. Now all that remained was another 90 degrees as I pulled forward and headed as fast I could into the same 20 yards of loose sand.

I took another deep breath and hit it. Vrroooom, KRKKGGGKKK. I was stopped with a loud dragging scraping noise. I hadn’t moved two feet. I slowly attempted to back up hoping to not dig myself into the sand. Nothing. Forward. Nothing. What the $*x%x?

I chuckled to myself. The thought of getting stuck had repeatedly crossed my mind over the previous dark mile, but I kept telling myself that only happened in the movies. I was not going to get stuck. And there I sat, stuck, and laughing. Unable to move my car, I still refused to believe I was actually in any serious predicament, and casually took a swig of water and ate some potato chips I had picked up at the gas station at that first exit just inside Lordsburg.

In retrospect, I should have thought better of staying in Lordsburg because of that gas station stop. As I entered Lordsburg I needed to use the restroom and wanted to take a moment to review the directions to my “free” campsite. The attendant at the station couldn’t have been anymore displeased to see me. When I asked where the restroom was he just grunted and scowled. Welcome to Lordsburg. I try to not to be judgmental (well not really, but I try not to hold my judgments very long ;) but in this case I came to realize he might have been an accurate ambassador for the town.

I would have asked him for directions and advice on finding my campsite but he was so unpleasant I just paid for my chips and ignored him, looking forward to sitting down in front of my tent with my Smirnoff Ice and having a snack before getting some much needed sleep. While I sat in my car he drug wet floor signs in front of the entrance, locked the doors, and wedged a hand scrawled closed sign into the door that fell down as he turned his back to go run an illegal dog fight in the back room or something. Determined in my clouded haze of sleepiness to find my temporary home, I reread the directions, plotted my course on Google maps, and headed off into the wilds north of Lordsburg.

And a half hour later I found myself stuck 20+ miles out of town.

I stepped out of the car to assess the situation. At worst, I thought, I had scraped a rock, gotten stuck in the loose sand at the bottom of the valley, and would simply need to do a little digging, stick a couple of rocks behind my tire and continue turning around thus freeing myself from the valley.

Walking around the car I could see nothing apparently wrong in the moonlight. I cursed my friend who failed to return my flashlight, but simply pulled out the Pelican 9430 remote area lighting unit from my car. I fired up the LED powerhouse and laughed again. I continued to refuse that the situation was severe despite the fact that my car was grounded atop a boulder sticking out of the ground. No fluids were leaking out, the car appeared to be resting undamaged on the frame, and I had nearly three gallons of water and a carful of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

So in true pioneer spirit I determined to free myself. I quickly planned to jack the car up far enough that I could rock the car and tip the jack over landing my car just free of the rock. At this point I was still finding the whole situation quite humorous talking out loud to myself as if the whole thing were some sort of amusing narrative being shared on my reality show.

I would raise the car a few inches, hunt the surrounding area for largish flat rocks to place under the front and behind the driver side tire, occasionally telling myself with confidence that ‘I could do this’, and repeated the process until I managed to get the car nearly to the extent of the cheap OEM jack’s maximum height some 45 minutes or so later. I was awash in blue light as dawn appeared over the horizon. I concluded that I could probably get a few more inches out of the jack, but before I made even a couple more cranks, I could see the jack starting to move slightly, and not in the direction I wanted it to go. That was it, now or never.

Scrambling quickly to the front of the car, glancing quickly to ensure the car was out of gear and parking break off, I got as good a footing I could achieve in the loose sand, took yet another deep breath, gave the car one small nudge forward to start the car rocking, and then PUSHED with all my might.

The car lurched backwards with two unpleasant resulting sounds. One was a shorter KKGRK sound not unlike the one I heard in the first place, and the second a strange metallic sound. Stepping back to the driver side it was immediately evident that I had bent the jack into an unusable twisted hunk of metal. Damn.

I stared dumbfounded at my car. Despite the unpleasant appearance of the jack I held out hope. Kneeling down and readjusting the light, I discovered that the car had indeed moved a decent distance but had not entirely cleared the rock. However, it looked as though the car was no longer entirely resting on the rock but just touching it. Save the jack breaking one more attempt of the same maneuver would have likely set me free and been a great ego boost.

Now I banked on the rock runway I had built behind my tires where my car now rested to give me enough traction to back out. Though I feared that just my weight getting back in the car would be too much. Before I could do anything though I had to remove the broken jack now firmly wedged in place, which fortunately still turned enough for me to loose it. Now I guessed that the best thing I could do was start the car, put it in reverse, and gun it.

Deep breath, and VVVRROOM…nothing but the sound of spinning tires, flying sand, and the feeling of my car lowering itself back onto the rock.

The car hadn’t moved at all and my rock runway was now tossed out in front the car. At this point I began to finally consider that my situation might be slightly more than a casual inconvenience.

Considering my exertions thus far I took a break for water and a relaxing cigarette while calculating my next move. Perhaps now it was loose enough that I could rock it off. No luck. Checked my cell phone. No service. I couldn’t remember exactly when I had lost service on the way out, but I guessed that it couldn’t have been more than a mile. So now with the early morning light fully upon me I decided gearing up and heading out on my mountain bike to find cell service and locate help was the only realistic solution.

I packed a backpack with a couple of sandwiches, a notebook and pen for notes while calling for help, my wallet, and cellphone. I refilled my water bottles and headed out. On the drive to my current situation between asking myself if this was such a smart idea, I had fantasized about sleeping under the stars, waking up, having brisk ride, and then moving on. Little did I know that was all going to happen excepting the sleeping part.

So I headed out on my ride, marveling at the view, but mostly the condition of the roads. As I began, I felt strong and oblivious to my lack of sleep. With each hill I climbed, I would pull out my cell phone and check…no service. Next hill, no service, and more tired. Next bend, no service, more tired. My checks became fewer and less frequent and concern for my stamina increasing. Finally I made it to the first turn at the county road intersection convinced that this was it, I would call 411, get the number for the police, get a phone number for the local guy who is always pulling visitors out of the desert, and return to my car to sit in air conditioning and relax while help arrived.

No service.

It became evident I was going all the way back to the main road. The only saving grace being that the next road was much more level and consisted of fully solid ground if a little wind rutted. Four and a half miles later I arrived back at route 264, about 18 miles from where I started hours before, but now in a far more delirious state.

I pulled out the phone. No Service.

Here I found myself frustrated and exhausted. After a short break, and not feeling quite right, I decided to walk for a bit before getting back on the bike. Less than a mile and who knows how long later I heard a car coming up behind me. This was it. Help had arrived. I turned and began waving. The car didn’t even slow down. I wondered if I hadn’t waved seriously enough, frenetically enough, concerned enough. I was so tired I wondered if I just didn’t want to find help enough.

Now what? I was really beginning to hate Lordsburg. Committed to my cause I climbed back onto the bike with renewed determination imagining the Hallmark Channel true story made-for-tv movie that would be made describing my bravery in the face of death. I passed another mile marker. Check…no service. Another…check…and another…check…another…no service. Frustration at my stupidity growing with every mile marker. Why didn’t I just camp with the cattle on that nice flat spot? Why didn’t I just find a pay campground earlier? Why did I wait till the last minute to try and find hosts on CouchSurfing? Why did I leave on this entire trip with such haste?

A house. There it was, a house, some kind of ranch I hadn’t seen in the dark the night before. Six miles later, exhausted, and really not thinking clearly I sheepishly made my way to the driveway. What time is it? Would they be awake? Would they have a phone? Were they a crazed family of murderers from a Rob Zombie film?

I stopped to rest for a moment while I pondered somehow getting past their locked gate. They clearly weren’t expecting random visitors. I pulled out my phone.

SERVICE! Woohoo! I was saved.

Then I noticed for the first time I was down to one bar of battery, with memories of not charging the phone for the last couple hours of driving, and the painful realization that I must have left Google maps running on the phone constantly attempting to reconnect for data and had completely drained my batteries. It was a pleasant irony that I did not fully appreciate at the time, reaching cell coverage, running out battery, but right in front of a house.

Attempting to maximize whatever use my cell phone might offer before bothering the folks at the ranch I immediately dialed 411, wondering how much that would cost, beating myself up for not adding Google 411 to my contact list, unwilling to dial several guesses before I got it right. I asked for the non-emergency number to the Lordsburg police, wondering if my situation could be considered an emergency to speed things up. I dialed the police station to no avail, endless ringing. They were probably enjoying the dog fights at the gas station.

Yet I stood there dumbfounded and paranoid staring at the locked gate that stood between me and escaping the desert. By then the heat was rising, the sun more direct, and me aware that I wasn’t going to die out there, but beginning to get a sense of what it might feel like had I been a little less prepared.

Then a car appeared on the horizon. This time I wasn’t about to let them pass. I stood in the road waving both arms madly. A little old lady pulled up in a slightly rusted Oldsmobile from a previous decade. The woman nervously stopped a few yards before my position, clearly nervous, cracking her window open.

“Excuse me ma’am, I am a little embarrassed to say this, but I’ve gotten my car stuck over on the BLM land,” with a gesture back where I had come. As I spoke I realized I was far less coherent than I would have liked to deal with this situation, unsure if the words were coming out in complete sentences.

She wringed her hand s on the steering wheel, occasionally throwing them in the air. She spoke slow and nervous, “Well, I don’t know what…I’m late to get this car into the shop. I’m on my way there now. We’ve got to be there fifteen minutes ago. I don’t know what you want me to do.”

“I apologize ma’am but my car is stuck, I don’t know who to call. I tried the police and there was no answer.”

“I don’t know, I mean I’m on my way to the mechanic, and I’m late and I don’t know what I could do.

Seriously? Was she serious? Not exactly the small town helpful attitude I was hoping for. Where were Andy Griffen and Aunt Bea? Exhausted, it took an awkward moment for me to make sense of what was happening. “Mechanic…you are going to a garage? Can I give you my phone number and you can give it to the mechanic. Just tell him my car is stuck and I need him to call me.”

“I don’t know…I guess…” I couldn’t believe it, she was honestly hemming and hawing over something as basic as accepting a piece of paper and handing it to someone, “I’m late and I don’t know what I could do,” despite the fact that I just told her what she could do, ”...well alright, but you better hurry up I’m late.”

I scrambled for my backback and notebook like a cast away who discovered fresh water on a deserted island. She accepted the note through her cracked window as if it were a dead animal. “I don’t know what he’s going to do with this, but alright,” now she was having doubts about whether other people would want or care to help me, and as I thought we were done she started up again as if she weren’t going to deliver it, “I don’t know. Aren’t these people home,” pointing at the ranch behind the locked gate that I was beginning to have serious doubts about approaching after this unpleasant experience. But as she made that statement I turned to look at the ranch, and as if on cue an all terrain multi-wheeled vehicle crept down the long driveway with several people in the open cab. Well I’ll be damned.

As the driver unlocked the gate and pulled toward us the woman in the car thrust the piece of paper back at me through the window, “Here give this to them. They might know what to do with it. Them’s the Miller’s and they are good people, you tell ‘em Kate Cooperson says to help you. I don’t know what I’d do with this,” and she drove off obviously grateful to be free of the dirty stranger on the side of the road.

With no other choice I timidly approached the dune buggy like vehicle. In the bench seat sat a man in his mid-forties cowboy hat and casual ranch attire topped off with mirrored sunglasses, next to him a young boy dressed the same but with a bolo tie instead of the sunglasses and a slightly more formal western outfit, and a younger girl who sat in her mother’s lap. The family stared straight ahead avoiding eye contact except for the father.

I explained the situation just as I had to Kate who was pulling away and returning a curt nod and wave from the man with a pleasant smile I wouldn’t have guessed her capable. The man listened, saying nothing, his family staring forward deadpan, taking in every word with a grim seriousness.

He nodded his head slightly as his face contorted in a subtle grimace. “What were you doing out there?” Accusing and matter of fact.

“I was looking for a campsite in a book my sister gave me,” why did I say that? You were just looking for a campsite, regardless of how or why.

“When was that?” As if it somehow made a difference.

“Around 4 in the morning. A real dumb maneuver,” again with too much information, but I noticed I had begun speaking slowly with an accent on top of all else.

The man nodded again this time with a slight smile that could have meant anything. “Well…,” oh no, not again, “I’ve got some stuff to take care of right now,” seriously about to blow me off, “but I guess if you are around when I get back I could maybe help you out.”

“I don’t mean to put you all out. I just need an idea of who to call and my cellphone is dying and I haven’t slept in 24 hours,” rambling and aware of it I had begun to feel like the dirty hippy and possible pedophile the blank stares on the family face in front of me seemed to accuse.

“Well, I guess you could call Mark down at the Chevy place,” in a slow metered pace like there was a metronome clicking off at 60 beats per second in his head, “At least I think it’s still a Chevy dealer, things what they are who knows these days.”

He gave me the number that he knew off the top of his head and then offered his cell number just in case. I thanked them and they pulled away heading down the road in the direction of Kate, the town, and hopefully a tow truck.

As I began to dial the maybe Chevy dealer, I saw that my battery was flashing red and I began to panic. The phone rang several times, “Yep, Mark speaking,” extremely professional in the same slow drawl of Mr. Miller. I began spitting out the entirety of my story for the third time desperation in every broken phrase and description. “I am at mile marker ten…my car is stuck…between two hills out CRA0124 I think…battery running low…unsure of water supply…might be dinosaurs hunting me…”

“Woah, woah, slow down sir. So you say you are where?”

“Out route 264 I believe,” I honestly couldn’t remember exactly and my patience was wearing thin from the anxiety rising in me as fast as my batteries power was falling.

“So you were on your way to Duncan and your car broke down.”

“I don’t know where Dugan is, and no my car is fine, just stuck on a rock out CRA0127 and down CRA014 I think it is, the turnoff from 264 said Fuller road.”

“Woah, I’m trying to figure out exactly where you are so we can find you,” which I thought I was describing fairly accurately, “So you say you are on your way to Deacon?”

I was unsure what was happening, what the man was saying, or how knowing my proximity to Dover mattered, but with every passing second and every woah he said I became more and more stressed out.

“Alright, I’ve got to talk to the boss. I’ll call you back when we’ve figured something out.”

“Sir my phone is dying and I’m not sure how much longer the battery is going to last, I am at mile marker 10 on the 264…”

“Woah, alright, turn your phone off and I’ll call you back in ten minutes exactly.”

So I did. I then realized I had no other time keeping device besides the phone, so I lit a cigarette to time out 5 to 7 minutes before powering the phone back up, hoping beyond hope that it would last. Instead of going back to the main screen the phone came up to an alert for a new voice message. Damnit, the guy had called back way before 10 minutes had elapsed.

His message indicated that it would cost $85 to pull me out and to call him to let him know I wanted to do it. As I dialed the number the phone went blank and I felt defeated. Great. That was it. I was going to die out there. Somewhere around mile marker 12 or 13 I had seen a complete cow skeleton bleached perfect white in the sun almost cartoonish in it’s dimensions and arrangement. I imagined my fate would be similar. The Miller’s driving by bare bones everyday for years to come as they headed out down the road to do whatever it was they did as a family in their 12 wheeled dune buggy tank thing.

I stared into space and then noticed a small stray herd of cattle had appeared across and down the road a hundred yards or so. I recall talking to them a bit, probably about dying or where the nearest wifi spot was when I spotted a vehicle returning up the road from where the Miller’s and Kate had vanished leaving me to die.

It was the Miller’s returned probably from checking up on the other stranded drivers they had found and keep in a shed somewhere. They cruised slowly into view, the boy now standing in the back of the vehicle hanging onto the roll bar and all I could think was how there was no way you could do that in California without getting a ticket. They pulled off the road before they reached me to visit the cattle I had just been talking with. I could hear them in friendly overjoyed voiced, “Hey Bessie. Hey Frankie. How are you? What are you doing,” with lilted tones like you would use with the family pet. Then they headed back towards their ranch. I met them in the road in case they decided to drive by without saying hello.

The family now stared forward, zombie cowboys that wanted to eat my brain, while the father looked at me only slightly less suspicious than before. “Well, did you get a hold of Mark?”

“Yes sir, I sure did, but unfortunately my phone died before we could make arrangements. He said it would be $85 and I should call him back,” attempting to keep the unintentionally affected drawl from my voice.

”$85,” incredulous. “You sure that’s what you want to do?”

What I wanted to do? What I wanted? None of this was what I wanted. What I wanted was to stumble upon the Miller ranch where they would invite me in, offer me a shower and I would step out to discover my very own cowboy outfit with cowboy boots and 10 gallon cowboy hat and they would invite me down to a massive cowboy breakfast and take me horseback riding and maybe do some shooting out on the far side of the ranch where the deer were plentiful and beautiful natives threw themselves at you begging for you to take them away to your steel teepee in the city.

What I wanted to do? What hell kind of question was that? As if Mr. Miller’s weak half offer to help me sounded like a serious one. If you want to help me, say so, and help me.

“Well sir, I’m sure you all have better things to do than worry someone like me. I don’t mind paying, but my phone died and I sure would appreciate it if you all could let me use your phone or if you could just call Mark and let him know that I would like to accept his offer.”

Stoic, Mr. Miller pulled a cellphone from his breast pocket and dialed. “Hey Mark, it’s Larry…Larry…out…yeah Larry. I’ve got that fella here that called you and he wants you to send a guy out. He’s right at the entrance where you turn in…to my place…”

I looked on helpless, the mom broke form and looked directly at me without smiling for at least half a second before Mr. Miller broke in, “They’re gonna send a man out. They’re good people and they will treat you right, well apart from charging you $85.”

Well thank you for making me feel like an idiot and making your offer to help me for me so clear and inviting. Not to mention based on the half of the conversation I could hear I wondered if anybody at the Chevy dealer even knew who this guy was.

“Thank you all very much. I much appreciate your help and hope you find your day well.” And with that they were off in the direction of CRA0127 and my car.

The sun was getting high now and it finally occurred to me that I hadn’t put sunscreen on since Yuma what seemed like a week before. I looked around for shade and headed for my best choice, a spindly bush 3 feet tall, and I plunked myself down like a refugee in the meager approximation of shade. I ate a sandwich and made sure to stay hydrated, wishing I had worn my hat.

Less than a half hour later I watched as a pickup truck zoomed by and then turned around a few hundred yards away. A Mexican fellow pulled up and said, “My boss said you had a dirt bike,” making revving gestures with his hands.

“If I had a dirt bike I would have rode all the way into town,” trying not to sound like a jerk mimicking the revving hand gesture as if that would prove that I was welcome in the local tribe. I threw my bike in the back of the truck and we were off.

Within no time we were down the first dirt road coming up on the storage tank acting as landmark to the crossroad onto CRA0124. The storage tank was actually part of the directions in the free camping book my sister had given me. An hour earlier when I had rolled by on my back I saw that someone had spray painted, ‘you will be missed,’ on the side of the tank. I relayed my thoughts of feeling as though I was in a horror movie when I saw that the first time on my bike. I’m not sure if he was amused or not.

The driver was friendly enough however, he kept telling me how beautiful it was out there, that there was a lake and I would have loved it. Making our way farther and farther out, riding in the pickup truck somehow made the road seem even more ridiculous and treacherous, every clang, crash, bang, and bumping jolt over rocks, divots, deep ruts, wash banks, and small canyons reinforcing how absurd my attempt to drive out there was. But the driver kept saying how I almost made it, you were probably almost there, if you hadn’t stopped there you would have made it, I’ve never seen a car come out this far, you would have loved the lake, we usually park the cars there by the cattle guard and everybody gets into the back of a pickup.

And as my car came into sight, even the massive pickup truck struggled and I wondered if it would even be able to pull me out. But the driver, though casual and mellow, hooked me up with a spanset and chain in no time flat like a real pro. He told me to get in the car start it up and have it in reverse ready to help him as soon it came off the rock.

Seconds and one last awful scraping noise later my car was free and part way up the opposite hill to give some runway before attempting the return trip. He unhooked and drove up to turn around. I gunned it and slipped and slid with my traction system blinking “no traction” off and on.

But I made it past the worst of it, to the top of the biggest hill I would have to contend with. From here it was just a question of whether my suspension could withstand the beating of the remainder of the road. I did my best to choose the best line down the road, better than I did on the way in, plants occasionally scraping down the side of my car as I avoided large ruts and rocks.

And ultimately we made it out and I followed the guy back to the Chevy dealer in town to pay and say thank you. I walked into the lobby of the dealership that appeared somewhat abandoned and pulled myself a glass of water from the dispenser into one of those nifty cone shaped cups when I saw a man smoking behind a parts counter farther back. No one greeted me or even looked at me as best I could tell.

I made my way to the counter and the smoking man, who still didn’t look at me, but mumbled out of the corner of his mouth not holding the dangling cigarette, “This the guy?”

He pushed a piece of paper across the counter toward me. I said hello with no response. I looked down at the paper. As I did so the man started mumbling something that was presumably directed at me.

“It was 11 miles. Yeah. Thought it was 10. Grunt grunt…”

The paper on the counter, the invoice, my bill, had a total of $141. “I’m sorry but you said it would be $85.”

“11 miles, both ways. You said 10.”

Like this guy doesn’t live around here and doesn’t know where route 264 is, that if I am at mile marker 10 I am over 10 miles out of town, that my car wasn’t where I was, that it was farther.

“It’s just that we agreed to $85,” though I began to remember that I never actually agreed to anything, Mr. Miller did it for me, but they could have been in collusion, speaking in code, conspiring to split the money. And he said these were good people. We hadn’t agreed to anything.

“Yeah well, the boss said I had to do this,” still mumbling indirectly and smoking a cigarette he never removed from his mouth. “You want to talk to the boss?”

I reviewed the invoice. Hookup fee $77. Mileage fee $99. Gas surcharge fee $999. Screw the non-local fee $1999. Plus tax. $5. The bill didn’t make any sense. I mean the numbers that were there added up, but I just saw very odd numbers that didn’t seem to apply to anything.

“I’m sorry but I don’t even see with a different mileage how this could have ever come to a total of $85.” The man pulled the paper back across the counter continuing to mumble while scribbling in tiny print more random numbers @ 11 with equal signs pointing at the stuff he had already written.

I was becoming more and more furious exacerbating my already exhausted frustrated frame of mind. I made some more incoherent and steadily more aggressive arguments that this bill made no sense, but never really connected that the number 11 was what made no sense. I know he said 11 miles both ways. But that is absurd. My car was more than 20 miles out. Just getting to me at mile marker 10 was probably 12 miles from the shop. There was no number 11 at any point in my entire escapade, and yet he kept mumbling it and did obscure math in Cuneiform on my invoice to back it up.

Reaching final exhaustion and fearful of what might happen to me in this town if I fully expressed what I thought about the situation I just handed over my credit card, scribbled my signature in violent swirls onto dotted lines the man indicated with shrugs of his cigarette and stormed angrily out the door. I didn’t say thank you. That would show him.

I got into my car furious, now resolved to get out of that town as quickly as possible. As I located a gas station to use the restroom and wash-up a bit, I came across many cheap motels, in fact every motel regardless of how nice or shabby appeared to be in the same $20 to $30 a night price range, but there was no way in hell I was spending another day in this town even if it were free. Finally just before the freeway entrance I found a gas station.

I washed up as best I could for quite some time and sort of stumbled out of the bathroom back through the store back to my car. The rational part of my brain warned me that I shouldn’t be driving. But I responded to myself, “I just need to brush my teeth and I will be fine.” So I pulled out my Sonicare, a water bottle and my toothpaste and proceeded to brush right there in the parking lot like a madman. While brushing I saw the broken jack sitting in my back seat sticking its broken foot out at me and laughing so I yanked it from the front seat and stumbled to the trash can at the entrance to the store and threw it away with a flourish, families staring on wide-eyed as I stumble back to my car spitting and rinsing as I made my back to the car.

All freshened up and unburdened from bad breath, a broken jack, or any new-found healthy relationships I might regret leaving behind, I pulled onto the interstate, turned on cruise control and spent the next two hours loathing everything about Lordsburg.

Day 1 & 2 (Friends, family, & head clearing in 30 days or less): 3:10 to Yuma

2009-06-12T12:02:13-07:00

This is the first of many musings for this journey, affectionately dubbed (by necessity for my registration with CouchSurfing.org), “Friends, family, & head clearing in 30 days or less.” Many updates to my trip will be posted to various social networks throughout each day but every so often I will be posting these longer updates. I write this first installment from a dump of motel in Las Cruces, NM. As I am a day behind and in a hurry to get to White Sands this first update will be brief. You can follow the sporadic updates on Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Tumblr, BlogSpot, Bebo, Friendster, and other random socialized networks (need Jason to help get a custom URL setup so I can use ping.fm with CoTradeCo). I am beingzoe on all networks.

Key stops planned for my trip:

Santa Fe, NM to visit with Smick and Ily
Omaha, NE to visit with K
Dubuque, IA to visit with Dad and Step-mom

Planned in-between stops:

Mountain biking anywhere the opportunity strikes
White Sands, NM
LIberal, KS (location in my novel I may never finish)
Newton, KS (location in my novel)
Lucas, KS Grassroots Arts Center (location in my novel)

DAY 1 & 2

3:10 to Yuma

Left with much haste considering this is a vacation, albiet a working vacation. Though I had been “planning” the trip since my visit with Alan in San Francisco n April, I had not actually done any planning as it was unclear when I would realistically be able to get away from the theater long enough. Then the first week of June it became clear that if I didn’t simply decide to go it wasn’t going to happen. So in a flurry of activity on Tuesday I prepared myself to leave for a month long journey.

I left Wednesday morning heading out the 8, which turns into the 10, listening to the Dirty Three all the way through. The Dirty Three were perfect for the first leg of the journey. Brian had made me a disc with new music just before I left after whimsically complaining that since Alan had left I no longer learned about new music.

I basically drove straight through to Yuma where I was lulled in from the scene of a small river/creek below the freeway. I pulled off and explored a native museum for a bit (which was closed, but I enjoy abandonded buildings as much as thriving ones). Then headed down to the river to cool off walking in the shallow river. Pretty neat little spot actually. A few miles of trails along the river, public “beaches” for the locals to relax on a hot day. It looked like the river got deep enough in spots to almost swim. I bough a couple of cups of lemonade from a young man, maybe six years old, who had his operation setup with his mom near the water.

After the beach I decided I neede a bike rack. Though I don’t have that much stuff in my car, it isn’t easy to get my bike in and out normally. So I asked Google maps to find me a bike shop, thinking I could pick up a cheap bike rack and get directions to some good trails. Mr. B’s bike shop in Yuma didn’t have any cheap racks. I’m looking to eventually get a hitch style rack, so for now I just wanted a $40 trunk style which they didn’t have. Though I did get directions to some supposedly nice single track just North of town. Following the directions I found a Target and picked up a rack that awkwardly holds my odd shaped Specialized frame. Like a true nomad I repacked my entire car in the parking lot and headed on to the trail. Except the directions didn’t quite work and I ended up near Yuma Lakes where it looked like it was BLM land at least. I parked and rolled out, quite easily with new rack. Within minutes I came across a young boy at a make shift wooden table, dirty, shirtless and cutting up what looked like a rabbit. I asked him if this was public land and he responded wide eyed like he didn’t see folks very often, “Yeah, down here and over that way, but not over there.” I thanked him and headed on. I didn’t get much of a ride in though. Instead of exciting single track it was nothing but loose gravel fire roads most likely for hunters. After a maybe a mile of miserable riding I headed back to the car thinking I’d spent too long in Yuma.

Back on the 10 with tentative plans to camp somewhere between Tuscon and the border of Arizona and New Mexico I had apparently played through the entire discography of the Dirty Three, on came some more rock/punk/gypsy something that I will probably enjoy but not after hours of the lulling rock ambient Dirty Three. I restarted the Dirty Three and pondered my next move.

Anyone who knows me, knows I’m not exactly a camper. I am an urban type who enjoys warm showers and espresso every morning. However, this trip is intended as a big routine breaker, a chance to branch out and prepare for a new phase in my life. To that end I came prepared with camping gear I borrowed from my sister, and fully intended to use it. Though for this first leg of my journey I had hoped to try out the CouchSurfing.org service. On Tuesday night I had sent out to CouchSurfing requests in Vail, AZ and Wilcox, AZ both putting me not too far from the New Mexico border and only a few hours from White Sands where I hoped to spend the next day before meeting up with Smick and Ily in Santa Fe.

Because of the short notice and the fact that even driving straight through (which I never do) I wouldn’t make Tuscon until later evening, I mentioned in my requests that I might camp near my CouchSurfing contacts and even just meeting for a conversation and some coffee as well as a chance to washup the following day would be nice.

However, as I made my way across Arizona I became a bit depressed that my CouchSurfing requests found no response. That is my fault for waiting until the last minute I am sure. Considering my situation I should have contacted people in Tuscon as well just to be sure, but this was my first time using CouchSurfing and wasn’t sure the protocols. In retrospect I really wish I had.

Somewhere past Tuscon I needed a break just to stand up and maybe grab some warm food. I had eaten only 1 1/2 PBJ’s that I had made that morning. Actually I had made about 10 PBJ’s thinking I could doubly hand out sandwiches to weary travelers or people down on their luck I might come across as part of the “Give A Sandwich” movement. Much later into the next day I would be glad I didn’t find anyone to hand them out to.

I stopped at a TA travel center and had a cheeseburger and salad. My server Della was a wonderful older lady who made me feel right at home, calling me Hon a lot. When I hemmed over whether to get a salad or fries she offered both, saying she was in charge right now. I ended up staying there for a while trying to login to CouchSurfing.org and/or find a campground online, but unfortunately I had to use my Storm since the TA only offers paid wifi. The CouchSurfing.org site was unusable due to limited javascript functionality (note to ask CS to look into some unobtrusive JS). I found a great website that lists many free camping areas, or at least I think it is great, as you can only search the database by latitude and longitude. This led to discovering other ridiculous limitations of the Storm and Google maps. I could find no way to simply look up my current coordinates. So the ideal campsite may have slipped through my tired fingers. In the end I decided to go old school and use the “Free Campgrounds” book my sister lent me. I mainly refrained from using it originally because it was published in 2002 and I wasn’t sure how accurate it would be.

I located a spot in Bowie, AZ which just felt right and headed back out on the road. Arriving in Bowie though, my fears of outdated information proved real. The Texaco I was to find for the first turn didn’t seem to exist and the town was long shut down for the night. I made one more pass down the main street just to be sure, and sure enough found an abandoned service station what looked like it may have once been a Texaco sometime in the 50’s. I am not sure which is more sad, the fact that I recognized the shape of the painted over sign as a Texaco or that I actually turned up the road unsure if this was even the right place. I attempted to follow the directions, but where I should have found a simple graded dirt county road I found houses and many graded dirt roads, none of which had any signs. I made my most intelligent guess using intuition and Google maps as my guide. From what I could see on Google maps the route being described to the free campsite was obfuscated by what must have been newer development and roads. That or the directions were just terrible. At any rate, after driving for a bit on what seemed like might be the right way, getting stuck in a mini cattle herd, and ultimately hittng a dead end, I stopped to evaluate my situation.

By now it was getting pretty late, but my spirits were still high. I was truly on an adventure now. Instead of just finding a pay campground (much discussion later on how absurd it is that is illegal to camp any old place in a place with as much open land as New Mexico or anywhere else for that matter) I decided to find the next logical stop in the book for a free campsite. I was determined to break my routine. I decided on Lordsburg, NM and moved on.

Arriving in Lordsburg and checking with Google maps I could actually see my route to the campsite on the map. I felt good. It was really late now, getting close to 4am but I felt alive, tired, but alive. The only part that concerned me was that the campsite was more than 20 miles N of Lordsburg and it was unclear the state of the roads. I could already see the next day hinting over the horizon and really wanted to be setup before daylight so I could get enough sleep before the heat of the day.

Heading out of town the road was fine and I made decent speed the first 16 miles of country roads. Then came the last two turns. First onto CRAO27. This was a classic graded dirt road with serious rutting from the weather which cut my speed in half. This went on for nearly 5 miles. Somewhere along here I lost data connection and had to follow the directions blindly. As I neared the next turn at the “storage tank” onto CRAO124 the road became practically one lane and hardly a road at all for the first mile or so. Then it became much worse.

I now found myself on what seemed like little more than a car wide stone and sand/gravel path, pushing my poor Saturn Ion’s suspension to the limit. There were brief spots, where it became smoother more firmly packed dirt again that I used to convince myself that this wasn’t crazy. But honestly at this point I was so excited about setting up a tent and watching the last of the stars before dawn, drinking the Smirnoff Ice I had purchased at my last gas stop, and then enjoying some coffee and a bike ride in the morning, that my judgment was probably a little off.

Despite the occasional reprieve in the ridiculous road conditions, overall the state of the road continued to decline as anything you would even call a road. Getting windier, hillier, and criss-crossing deeply rutted and sandy washes I began to seriously consider how wise this was. I asked myself if despite camping legality if I should just find a flat spot to park and setup camp. I did find a spot and was about to setup but I when I got up I realized there was a herd of cattle right there hiding in the darkness, so decided to move on. Continuing at my snails pace over the ever enlarging rocks and poor traction I only had another couple of miles to go to the “official” camp site, but I was seriously wondering if I was going to make it.

Then I came around a sharp bend which then begain a sharp switchbacking descent between two hills, winding like a helix in opposite directions back and forth across a deep wash. The rocks became looser, and the traction worse and worse. By now I was repeated scraping bottom over and over on mounds of earth and the occasional small boulder. I knew I needed to turn around, but now that was impossible I determined that I would turn around and refigure my plans at the next opportunity.

As I neared the bottom of the valley I saw my opportunity, and none too soon, the sand on the last 20 yards or so had left my car with “no taction warnings” as I slid helplessly in the sand, but at the bottom there was my chance, a fairly wide open spot on what looked like decently packed stone in the wash next to where the road headed sharply back up the other side. I came to a stop. The ground was mostly solid. So far so good. But I was going to have to do a three point turn as quick as possible through that insanely thick sand. I got out plotted my course of action, got back in, breathed heavily and gunned it. I managed to get mostly turned around on the first move. Now all that remained was another 90 degrees as I pulled forward and headed as fast I could into the same 20 yards of loose sand.

I took another deep breath and hit it. Vrroooom, KRKKGGGKKK. I was stopped with a loud dragging scraping noise. I hadn’t moved two feet. I slowly attempted to back up hoping to not dig myself into the sand. Nothing. Forward. Nothing. What the $*x%x?

I got out and couldn’t see anything. My good flashlight (the Pelican 7060) was back with a friend I had lent it to who had failed to return it to me before I left (I hope he see’s this and feels guilty ;)

Luckily I came prepared with various CoTradeCo products to demo if the chance arose. I got the 9430 out of the trunk, necessitating removing my bike. However with the Pelican 9430 (shameless plug: which can be found on my website at http://cotradeco.com/products/648-9430-remote-area-lighting) it was like daylight and it was painfully clear that my car was teeter-tottering on large boulder long buried in the sand with just an iceberg tip sticking out far enough to grab my car and laugh at me.

I did attempt to free myself to no avail and will be posting an entire separate post about how I saved myself after I arrive in Santa Fe. For now suffice it to say after a broken jack and an 11 mile bike ride back to cell phone coverage I did manage to escape Lordsburg around 1pm the next day.

By the time I was free I was so exhausted all I could think about was sleep. But I was so frustrated with Lordsburg I was determined to head farther down the road and find a motel to stay in. While not outrageously hot, something with air conditioning seemed necessary and a campground just wasn’t going to cut it. In the end I manged to make it as far as Las Cruces, putting me about an hour from White Sands. I considered posting to let everyone know I was alright, but I was so tired and poopy I just went straight to sleep.

I took a five or six hour nap, then woke up, biked around Las Cruces for a bit, got a sandwich and headed back to my room where I took a shower, channel surfed all 12 stations, drank my Smirnoff Ice, ate half my sandwich, and smoke lot’s of cigarettes in my underwear feeling a bit like Tom Waits in that song, “Going out West”:

Well I kno karate, voodoo too
Im gonna make myself available to you
I dont need no make up
I got real scars
I got hair on my chest
I look good without a shirt

Though I really just felt like a bloated slightly overweight dork.

Morning came, I showered again, just cause it seemed refreshing, and prudent considering the adventures I had so far. I walked down to the lobby for my requisite continental breakfast which consisted exclusively of coffee (with caffeine only thank you very much), chocolate chip cookies, and some kind of breakfast bar/cake like thing obviously baked by someone who worked there. As I fingered the cellophane wrapped breakfast cakes wondering if should, a large man, obviously part of the Coachlight Inn indigident population, bellowed out, “Those are good. One of those and you are set. You’ll love it.” Perhaps he was reading my mind, or he was more savvy than he appeared, and interpretted my poking at the stack of irregularly sized “bars” correctly. I replied, “What kind are they?” He responded less confidently, “Oh, carrot, and, uh, cocunut…well all sorts of good stuff.” Just then the matronly clerk who had checked me in the night before, poked her head out and said, “Those are breakfast bars. Oatmeal.” I said my thanks, grabbed a large one and headed back to my room with coffee and possibly breakfast.

I started this post, but quickly had to leave when I received a phone call asking if I was staying another night.

“I thought checkout was at 11.”
“It is. It’s about 5 after.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t realized I was in another time zone.”
“Oh that’s right, you are from California. Yup, you are definitely in another time zone. I’m originally from Minneapolis and I had to go through different time zones too.”
“Well I apologize for the inconvenience. I will be out in about 15 minutes.”
“Take your time.”

So I packed up and headed out to the closest Starbucks for my usual espresso, where I am finishing this post.

Heading to White Sands now, and then on to Santa Fe. My public apologies to Colleen and Nathan for not letting you know I was alive. I forgot that though you could see where I was on Google maps, it doesn’t tell you if I’ve been murdered and drug off somewhere. I will be more aware next time. I was just so tired.

Okay, you can get the rest of the updates throughout the day via the social networks. Take and find your day well. I sure will.

Read the amazing perilous and astoundingly hilarious next installment of my journey, Day 1.5 (Friends, family, & head clearing in 30 days or less): Stuck on a rock

State Parks

2009-06-06T10:50:01-07:00

The weight lifter in the Governor’s office is going to close 220 out of 279 California State Parks. So for those of us who were looking for a cheap close to home vacation can forget it. I have a feeling that this is blackmail so He can raise taxes. Note the story in the L.A.Times where Arnold states He is seeking radical new ways to raise taxes.
Stand by, Prop 13 is the target.
baddog

refuel

2009-05-21T17:56:03-07:00

Next time you are out and about and just messing around in boats, Be Sure to stop at the Yermo Yacht Club fuel dock. Fees slightly higher for non members.
Baddog

The news is coming late and at the last minute!

2009-02-27T00:22:37-08:00

Oh My Goodness Gracious!

Happy Camper Bus has been dead on the wire (massive apologies) BUT we do have huge amounts of news to update you all on!

Time has been scarce, we have been living in a work for trade for rent situation (NEVER do that again!) and so we have worked an inhumane amount of hours to get us ready for our next rite of passage.

First, we are leaving beautiful Santa Fe, New Mexico to see a childhood friend of mine whom now lives in Sedona, AZ, we grew up like Sisters! Then, we are heading to the Grand Canyon….and then to Mt Zion, UT…and finally ending in Eugene, OR.

I can not wait to get to it!

I have noticed everyone has seemed quite quiet these days ‘round here (myself included!) I hope to get back to it ya’ll!!

Time to get ready for spring.

2009-02-10T17:15:24-08:00

As a founding member of the Yermo Yacht Club,I would like to take the time to tell you all to get your boats together for the annual regatta, reglia pageant and tumble weed chasing contest. I am building the worlds biggest kayak.
See you there!
Elliot Decker