This is going to be ongoing updates...

5/1/2019 (update 1)

Let's examine how this trip came to be. Up until today my best friend, Cameron (left) and I (right) are fully planning on hiking Mt. Shasta on May 15th.  Today we get a call from our friend who is also our guide saying he can't due to new job obligations, which is totally understandable. However, this puts Cameron and myself in a predicament because we have already requested the time off.  Throwing ideas back and forth we decide on a trip we have been talking about for a couple years.  We have always wanted to hike THE via ferrata in Telluride, CO so that would be our destination.  Our steed would be a truck that a we both purchased a few months ago for $900 in Seattle (that's another story).

I already planned on getting a Tepui Roof Top Tent in a couple days and we have a weekend to Pismo to test out the truck in 2 days.  We will see how those go.

5/3/2019 (update 2)

Yesterday I purchased the tent for the truck and had no issues on the 45 minute drive to the Tepui storefront and made home again too.  Confidence is high right now I won't lie.  I also built a rack for the back of the truck to hold said tent.  Built it in 1.5 hours with cheap spare metal...confidence on the rack is not as high.  We also got new rims and tires for the truck because the old ones had more age cracks in them than your teenage daughters iphone.  We leave tomorrow after work for Pismo which is 3 hours away. *crosses fingers*

5/5/2019 (Update 3)

This weekend has been great!!!...but incredibly exhausting.  100 feet on the beach I got the truck stuck which embarrassingly is user error.  I thought I'd make it further in 2WD.  Once I threw it in 4WD and lowered the air pressure I went to start the truck up again. Turned the key to hear the beautiful sound of waves crashing on the beach...but no engine start. It had died too. (not good).  Fortunately everyone in Pismo wants to help and an hour later I had been jumped and was on the roll again. Arrived at camp around midnight.  Took the truck on the dunes (after jumping it AGAIN) and it did great! The real trouble hit when trying to get home again.  Every 15 miles the truck needed to be jumped which could only mean the alternator went bad.  After 50 miles of this I finally limped it to an Autozone and Cameron and I told our support truck to just leave. We couldn't take the embarrassment anymore.  After an hour we had a new alternator and battery in it.  Then no issue for the remaining 1.5 hour drive. Confidence is still there for the CO trip.

5/6/2019 (Update 4)

Regrettably I checked the weather for our route...rain and snow expected.  The issue being that $900 didn't get us working windshield wipers.   After an hour I finally got the linkage fixed which was the issue originally but since putting it back together there is now an electrical problem with the wiper motor.  A thorough and serious discussion over many beers led us to one conclusion...windshield wipers or not, we go.

4/10/2018 - Oregon

Usually when I travel, like most I'm sure, I do my homework, hours of it and maybe even days. I come up with a list of things I want to go out of my way to see and I plan my route accordingly. The issue I have found with this is that no one knows what the hell they are talking about and most people don't go off the beaten path. So all these websites and photos you look to for inspiration may be beautiful but it doesn’t leave much to the mind. Furthermore when we plan trips like this its easy to forget to leave that 'mystery day'. That should be an extra day with no plans…because if you have no idea what is going to happen then anything can happen. What if you stumble upon something and you wouldn't have some time to see it without leaving a little extra time to explore that mystery (hence my rather uncreative name 'mystery day').

With that, grab a cup of warm coffee imagine a fire crackling next to you and lets chat Oregon. Some of the immediate and unfiltered words that likely come to mind when you hear the word Oregon: rain, green, trees, rain, nudity (if that wasn't one…you may be in for some shock), hipsters, coffee, and waterfalls. I won't lie…that’s a pretty accurate list, but before you click over to "Getting that Coppertone Tan in the Bahamas" let me explain that there is more than naked hipsters and trees. The fact of the matter is it will likely rain but if you can dust off your more than capable Northface rain jacket and can accept that your hiking boots are going to get a little muddy then Oregon must be on your list. There is something for everyone there. You want to see waterfalls? There are over 240 waterfalls in the state and we aren't talking little California trickles that pass as 'Falls'. We are talking huge, powerful waterfalls! Salt Creek falls offers a 286 foot fall to the river below. Silver State Falls offers 9 waterfalls within an 8 mile hike. And on the opposite end of the popularity spectrum you have Sweet Creek Falls (as seen above) which you can stand right next to without getting a drop on you and this (in my opinion) is one of the most underrated waterfalls I have ever had the pleasure of visiting.

"Waterfalls can get a little tiring though. I want to relax in the woods without getting cold." I totally understand. There are Hot Springs scattered all over this wooded state. That being said I must warn you…I mentioned nudity before. This is where it shines through. So if you can stand the visual of more bushes, berries and wood than you intended to see then you must find some of the springs. Cougar springs ($7 entrance fee) and Umpqua hot springs ($free) are both hidden in the woods and allow you to escape the day to day with some relaxing naturally heated pools. Whether you get…stark in the wild with the naturalists or you just kick back in your shorts this is one of the most freeing and relaxing things you can do in Oregon.

I mentioned hipsters earlier…and though I am right there with you in the "not to crazy about the well groomed mustaches" boat I must admit when it comes to coffee and beer they tend to know what they are on about. Oregon has some of the best micro-breweries, dare I say it, in the world…and this is coming from a guy who lived in San Diego for a few years. You are especially in for a treat if you are an IPA enthusiast. The coffee is also usually pretty good and you can find a craft coffee shop on almost every street corner. If you think you know good coffee most of Oregon will have you stumped. Or you can go to the PNW version of Starbucks which is the Drive through coffee shop Dutch Brothers which is always something I like to go out of my way to do at least once when I visit.