happy b-day momma Johnson

Update!!!

WE APOLOGIZE FOR THE WAIT!  Apparently water isn't the only scarce item in the desert.  We've finally found some Wifi in Springdale, Utah and are able to update!  We should have greater access in the near future and will try to update daily from now on!  Thanks for all who follow and cheers!

-The Road Gang

"Eagles may soar, but weasels never get sucked into jet engines." - Unknown

P.S.  The order of these updates is in reverse order.  The newest is at the top!

Zion National Park

About an hour away is Zion National Park, our next destination.  Upon arrival we found a nice little spot along the Virgin River to cool from the 100+ degree weather.  After the dip, some epic views were in order.  We came across the Angel's Landing trail, a 5 mile RT that took us to the summit of the Zion Canyon rim.  This hike is not for the weak, about a mile of knife edge traversing near the summit tests both balance and fear of heights.  We quickly forgot the tough hike up as we dangled our feet from 1000 ft. cliff on the top of Angels Landing.  Another dip in the evening, some dinner and ZZZZZZZZZZ..........!

In a small cave towards Angels Landing

There's Proctor, but can you find Joel

Walter's Wiggles from the top

Chain hand rail near the summit

The picture says a thousand words.

A 26 switch-back section known as Walter's Wiggles

Summit view of Zion Canyon

Lush canyon view half way up

North Rim, Grand Canyon

After Moab, we trekked to the North Rim of the famous Grand Canyon.  Little do some know, the North Rim sets 1000 feet above the South Rim and hosts a multitude of wild flora and fauna.  We felt close to home due to the 9000+ ft. elevation on the North Rim.  We camped near Ponderosa, Aspen and Fur trees and saw many Kaibab Squirrels and White Tail Deer. Luckily, a little advice from back in summit landed us in a BLM (Bureau of Land Management) camp site which was free.99!  We woke, and set out on a 10 mile round trip down the Kaibab N. Rim trail.  Little did we know how magnificent and exhausting the trek would be.  None the less, well worth it in the long run as cascading water falls and ice-cold water refreshed us at the bottom.  Following is a little preview...

Supai Tunnel (notice the amazing color on the wall through the tunnel)

Brock trekking up the exhausting canyon trail built into the wall.

H2O!

Descending

Amazing cut-outs in the wall during our hike down. Good break spot!

Don't fall!

Near the top.  Safety meeting area.

North Rim camp first night (BLM Land)

Home!

Arches National Park

Sunday night July 26 we hit the road for Moab, Utah where we had a celebratory drink for our first night on the road. We sought some advice on where to camp from some local yocals. We posted up just outside of town and started the 27th off with a bit of climbing and a scenic hike. We drove in late the night before, so to wake up with towering red rock faces all around us was pretty rad. We headed for Arches National Park and spent the afternoon in awe of turret, double arch, and the north and south windows. 

After that, we were back on the road through Monument Valley, bound for our 400 mile destination just outside the Grand Canyon...

Back on the open road through Monument Valley

Mexican Hat!

Climbing the South Window Arch (L-Dude R-Proctor)

Proctor's native indian heritage coming out

you gellin'?

The Zissou- North and South Windows

Blue Skies and Red Rocks

Team Cheese @ Turret arch

Morning View

building a bus. . .

0riginally the cool bus had a maximum capacity of 16 passengers plus one driver.  which worked out to 8 total seats in back, each seating 2, with 4 seats on each side of the isle. there was no way to keep all of the seats and fit everything necessary for the trip. it was decided that all of the original seats would be pulled out, and we would fabricate our own. some ideas were debated rather hastily and sometimes we saw eye to eye. in the end all of the ideas help mold the cool bus into something we all are proud to say we are a part of. here is how our golden summer began. . .
the first step was to tear out all 8 passenger seats, which left a cabin much the size of most college dorm rooms.  

We had to maximize functionality, given the scale of the trip and had to have the support and comfort that we so sorely need.  Keeping in mind the money we saved for the trip must last us, this all had to be done within monetary reason. In keeping the aisle and both doors accessible, we also needed room to sleep. We constructed a bench in the back on the passenger side 3 ft. wide and. 7 ft. long. In front we fabricated a co-pilot seat so the driver has a wing man. Behind the driver we have a food pantry, area for bag storage, a two seat bench with a table that drops down to create another full bed. All our seats have storage below them, and we built in a cooler and a 6 gal. water jug in as well.

For our upholstery we have to give a personal thanks to our good friends, Brandon Smith and Mandi Pratt. They donated two quality pieces of furniture which we then skinned for upholstery materials and foam which I’m currently lounging on as I type this and gaze out the windows at Monument Valley, Utah. Mandi, Brandon thank you i‘m very comfortable. It provided enough to outfit our whole rig. 

 For power, we mounted two marine grade gel celled batteries with a trickle flow from the alternator. A switch is wired in to isolate these batteries from our engine batteries, so we can blast the stereo we have all night and still start the bus in the morning. 

Everything thus far seems to be stable and rides well. As we go down the road we can modify and add as we see fit. We all admit that for what we did, with what we had, in the time we had: it could not have turned out any better. What can we say other than...sometimes, its just in the cards. -Dude

(pictures in reverse order)

packed an ready to roll .  .

seats fabricated, upholstered, stained and ready for road. . . 

upholstering seats late into the night, trying to hit the road!

katy helping paint website on bus

back deck. . . 

figuring out seat padding, upholstery, etc

all seats built 

co-pilot seat finished, 

1000 watt power inverter, hard wired to the batteries

building the co-pilot seat

the first bench made, now a couch

dual batteries mounted under bus entrance that give us constant juice

arches n.p.

the cool bus has left arches np/moab areas, heading south towards the north rim of the grand canyon. tonight we will camp several hours away from the beginning of tomorrows hike in the gc, we will post pictures from arches on next stop. .we have some good pictures and vids of arches np, a very beautiful area. 

earlier on todays drive proctor spotted the perfect cliff we could jump off into a big beautiful lake, of course we had to stop and go for a short swim.

short vid of bus leaving summit county colorado, 7/26

video of arrival to arches

the cool bus

i guess thats the way the whole darned human comedy keeps perpetuatin’ itself down through the generations, westward the wagons, across the sands a time until - - -aw, look at me, i’m a ramblin’ again. (the stranger)

the making of dude's golden summer and the (s)cool bus

joel 'dude' richards purchased the 1984 gmc vandura 3500 short bus from dave 'tuna' tunnison, late in the summer of 08.  prior to the purchase, the cool bus was used to shuttle patrons interested in white water rafting to an fro during summer seasons in colorado, and sat idle in the winter dreaming of warmer weather. . .

it was also late in that great summer of 08 dude began dreaming up the ultimate road trip. a trip that anyone in their right mind would want to be a part of. a voyage beginning in summit county, co and heading west exploring many of america's great western wonders such as; arches national park, the grand canyon, zion national park, yosemite, crater lake, the pacific ocean, mt hood, sequoia national park, yellowstone and the list goes on.  

after all of the preplanning, phone conversations, emails, invites, commitments, cancellations, and changes in itinerary; dude assembled his posse, (all who would be able to citizen cope with life on the road), and agreed that late in july of 09 they would begin the point in their life that you could call, their lives 'on the road' (jk).

the time has come to head west. . .

"buy the ticket, take the ride" h.s.t.

after days of relentless work on the cool bus it is time to head west.  watch the video to see the bus and stay tuned for more as we get on the road.  pictures of the bus transforming from a normal short bus (if there ever was such a thing) to road trip machine should be posted shortly! 

If anyone has advice for us on our travels, i.e., where a good hike is, or kayake here, or don't go here because. . . . please share your knowledge. Wish us luck!

(in video; chris proctor in the captains seat, ben staley at table seat, narrated by brock johnson)

more of willow falls hike. . .

Other pics of willow falls hike, summit county co; biej and staley. . . 

if only ron could come with. . . . .high winds @ loveland pass, colorado

first gas donation, thanks!!

a special thanks to mr ralston for being the first to donate to our gas fund.  you have helped extend our voyage. we leave for the moab, ut and arches national park areas first thing sunday; the first stop, one of many to come.

Road Trip Itinerary Amended Dates

Due to certain circumstances beyond our control, we have been forced to push back our start date for the westward travels.  The updated road trip itinerary is as follows;

July 26, leave early am, Arrive in Moab/Arches Np, do devils garden, 7.2m rt. PM set camp in Canyonlands. 800-522-6848 canyonlandsrv.com

July 27, leave for jacobs lake, Az, Camp,

July 28, leave early a.m. for North Rim, hike north kaibab trail, 10 miles rt.  explore canyons/springs, hike out, drive to bryce canyon np, setup camp

July 29, hike fairyland loop trail, The Fairyland Point Trailhead access road is located just north of the Park Visitor Center and Entrance Station. The access road is located 3 miles south of Ruby's Inn on Highway 63. Turn left on the Fairyland Point access road- it's one mile long and terminates at the trailhead.

camp, 8 miles rt

july 30,  drive to zion, camp

july 31, drive to meade, camp

Aug 1, drive to vegas,  arrive by 2pm, check in, 

poolside drinking singapore slings with mezcow on the side,

aug 2, relax

aug 3, leave for drive to Tehachapi Montain Park, California, camp

Aug 4, leave early am for Sequoia National park

Aug 5, SNP

Aug 6, leave early am for bakersfield, pickup katy, hea d to san luis obispo, ca

Aug 7-8 explore Pacific coast, camp, have a good time, surf??

aug 9, drop off katy sf airport, camp on coast,

aug 10 explore san fran, dodgers/giants 7pm

see where we stand, plan next travels.

Aug 27th Seattle vs Kansas City Royals

________________________________________________________

We have been camping the past 2 nights and plan to continue the next couple nights, and have also been working on the bus, hiking, frolfing, long boarding, and generally having a good time.  The Breckenridge beer festivus was this past Saturday.  We were fortunate enough to sample over 30 breweries finest beers!!  We will hit the road for Utah this Sunday morning bright and early.