New and experienced climbers over 50 #30

Oh goody I get to kick this one off… 

This is the way, Hwy 58 is your friend… or go north on Hwy 14 when you get to Mojave…. The Mountains start about 2.5 hours north.

Guy Keeseewrote:

Oh goody I get to kick this one off… 

This is the way, Hwy 58 is your friend… or go north on Hwy 14 when you get to Mojave…. The Mountains start about 2.5 hours north.

Sometimes there are other good reasons for one route rather than another.  When Brandt and Jay do the JT to CoR trip, they go up the 93, which is shorter.  When I drive, solo, I go up the 15.  Yes it's 90 miles longer (but only 30 minutes slower).  But it has much more "cilivilization" than the route that goes thru Ely.  Good cell signal almost the whole way. Many more towns, more poplulated. If I have an emergency, I feel a lot more comfortable going that route.

Phylp… I find the traffic, construction, on the I15 to be crazy. I love the 93 but yeah not much along that Route. That holds true for all of Nevada I figure.
One time I was with Jan going to Idaho and the fuel gauge was showing E … !!!
We spotted a building in the distance with Motorcycles parked. In desperation we went thier- this “bar” did have gas! 1 grade from a pump, old school with a handle to reset it.
Yes you need to change your habit's when driving in the real West and you need to be prepared for everything but you get to see wild Mustangs running free.
AAA is your friend if you have cell service.

Once in North Arizona, on the Reservation, my Honda’s radiator exploded. With no service, and AZ has no roadside emergency phones, I had to rely on my Thumb.
At Apache Junction I found a landline and a AAA truck parked that had just dropped off a tow. So back down the road 20 miles and on to a mechanic a motel room and an extra night traveling. AAA Plus is the only way to go.

Safe travels to all.

Edit- Todd, it’s easy to run out when you’re out in the wild of Nevada, my rule now is to never pass a station if 1/2 or less and even then look how far it is to a real town. You sort of need the mentality of someone on a motorcycle. See gas buy gas. 

Got an email from Summit Journal today which included some ads for merch. 

Treated myself to a "fine art" print of the Summit Magazine cover from 1983.

That's me on the top of Headstone Rock at Joshua Tree, guiding my very first real client, back in the swami belt and hip belay era. Hard to believe this is my 40th season as a pro guide. Time flies!

Lori, you should buy a van with solar power and a 12v dometic fridge to keep your insulin at the right temp. 

Lori posted:  "It became clear that all the insulin in my car had gone bad in the heat, all my duplicate bottles were also inactive, and I was in a dire emergency."

Nick has the best idea. But I have a family member who travels with a med that needs refrigeration. She uses these. Even TSA approved (so long as the gel is frozen).

https://4allfamily.com/

What a fantastic legacy shot, Bob. Must have been a very nice surprise to see that come up.

Nick Goldsmithwrote:

Lori, you should buy a van with solar power and a 12v dometic fridge to keep your insulin at the right temp. 

I’ll get right on that Nick!  BTW my insulin was in a cold pack, I don’t know what happened. Point is, it happened and I got in trouble.  My destination was Glendale for a pit stop, else I wouldn’t have been on that freeway. I was born and raised in Glendale so it was a great relief to drive in and feel somewhat at home.

Like Phylp said, it is more comfortable to be with steady cell service and civilization. I like the 99 freeway… lots of little towns and orchards.  

I miss carefree days of hitchhiking and not caring where we would wind up. Zuma Beach, Santa Barbara, San Diego. Wherever.  And other than the jeans and top I was wearing, maybe not even a purse?  

Got stranded in a monsoon at Lake Havasu when I was 17, hopped in a VW Bus with some cool looking people, parked off road and listened to music and smoked a lot of dope while waiting for it to pass.  Never once did it occur to me to be afraid.  Things change.    

Phyl's reasons for taking the interstate (more towns, more populated) are exactly why I don't go that way. The part through Salt Lake City is especially awful.

Driving up through the middle of Nevada is a very peaceful and low-stress day of travel.

Brandt Allenwrote:

Phyl's reasons for taking the interstate (more towns, more populated) are exactly why I don't go that way. The part through Salt Lake City is especially awful.

Driving up through the middle of Nevada is a very peaceful and low-stress day of travel.

Don’t tell people because if 3 more people go this way the traffic will double! 

Went to Palm Springs to do some errands.  ONE HUNDRED TWENTY TWO DEGREES.     Really scary to be driving, especially up the 62.  What happens if the car breaks down?  That’s a kind of hot I’ve never felt before.  

phylp phylpwrote:

Sometimes there are other good reasons for one route rather than another.  When Brandt and Jay do the JT to CoR trip, they go up the 93, which is shorter.  When I drive, solo, I go up the 15.

Nevada has brothels, Utah doesn't. 

Jay Goodwinwrote:

Nevada has brothels, Utah doesn't. 

Jay, we can always count on you for flawless logic. 

Home gym feels, homey.  

Pull-ups, weighted with 70 pounds. Shoulder shrugs 50 pounds 10 by 3. Still working 3 5.12- climbs and a couple 5.11 and two 5.10+. V4 to V6 range.

Shoulder still sore, but recovering well enough.

Lori Milaswrote:

I’ll get right on that Nick!  BTW my insulin was in a cold pack, ……

Got stranded in a monsoon at Lake Havasu when I was 17, hopped in a VW Bus with some cool looking people, parked off road and listened to music and smoked a lot of dope while waiting for it to pass.  Never once did it occur to me to be afraid.  Things change.    

So that was you!!
Goodtimes !

Lori, they make chest style fridges that plug into you power source in your car but they will kill your battery if the rig is not running.  All the adventuring you do a 4x4 sprinter or Transit with a camper build with solar power and a fridge is a no brainier . Regardless of what rig you have a lithium booster pack and the knowledge of how to use it and keep it charged is mandatory. I have two in the work truck and one in the van but bring two in the van for long road trips. 

Nick Goldsmithwrote:

Lori, they make chest style fridges that plug into you power source in your car but they will kill your battery if the rig is not running.  All the adventuring you do a 4x4 sprinter or Transit with a camper build with solar power and a fridge is a no brainier . Regardless of what rig you have a lithium booster pack and the knowledge of how to use it and keep it charged is mandatory. I have two in the work truck and one in the van but bring two in the van for long road trips. 

Thank you so much Nick!  I really appreciate this.  

I’ve learned so much about how I tick the last five years. Maybe this is something you all have figured out about yourselves… it’s taken me a while. The single thing that helps stave off anxiety and allows me to venture forth is preparation— planning ahead, having redundant back up of everything, keeping my Garmin charged, having some kind of battery back up for Cell Phones and insulin pumps (so far none have worked).  Even when hiking and scrambling, it helps me to have total orientation of where I am and where the dangers are. Repetition helps me a lot.

Guy warned me about moving here.    It’s not just the psychotic neighbors. It’s a lizards and snakes that find their way into the house. It’s being aware that scorpions like to get into bedding. It’s knowing that rocks are wobbly, and you can slip into a chasm where no one can find you. Right now, we are having blackouts with the extreme high heat, and thinking ahead of what we will do when the electricity goes out. I am now wondering if we need a back up generator.

I expected to be traveling a lot more.  I will check out a sprinter.  What a wonderful adventure this has been and more than ever I feel gratitude for just being here and being alive.

—-

I’ve been meaning to ask this gross question. Maybe 10,000 posts ago someone mentioned some kind of spreading itchy thing here, I know we don’t have chiggers. But we have something and it’s not the little blue flowers.

124 in Palm Springs yesterday!  

Lori Milaswrote:

Guy warned me about moving here.    It’s not just the psychotic neighbors. It’s a lizards and snakes that find their way into the house. It’s being aware that scorpions like to get into bedding. It’s knowing that rocks are wobbly, and you can slip into a chasm where no one can find you. Right now, we are having blackouts with the extreme high heat, and thinking ahead of what we will do when the electricity goes out. I am now wondering if we need a back up generator.

I expected to be traveling a lot more.  I will check out a sprinter.  What a wonderful adventure this has been and more than ever I feel gratitude for just being here and being 

124 in Palm Springs yesterday!  

There’s a lot of wind and sun in your area, seems like a good idea to take advantage of that?

Nick is spot on with the 4x4 Sprinter Van Camper. Would be cool to read about and see pictures of you with one!

I’m super sore from yesterday. Every muscle in my legs, core, shoulders are roasting. Going cherry picking. Have to pick and choose today’s activities.   

At 5300 ft. it's already in the mid-80s 7 am. It'll get near 100 today. Saw a doe and fawn walking through this property just at daybreak . Bear was going through trash the other night and my neighbor spotted a lion walking across the road headed for my place not long ago.  They are looking for water.

Everyone's on edge due to fire danger. The longer this heat persists the more you think about it and the more you sniff the air. 

Traveling vehicles…. I don’t see Lori in a 4x4 sprinter. Those things are pretty humongous and the 4x4 is made to get it up mild dirt roads- not off roading. You certainly can’t side hill or cross ditches or go over logs or anything you face when properly 4x4ing.
I do see her in a small pickup with 4x4 and a pop up aluminum camper- those seem to be the favorite rig for people not into the Van Life. You get all the comforts of home without the bulky vehicle. Sort of like what Jan has- 2017 Tacoma 4x4 - we have pushed that pretty far into the bush on our hunts for the elusive Trout and it’s easy to set up and camp, with all the comforts of home.
And Lori - a generator is a great idea. Do you have “temperature tags” for your insulin? At my last job we had these tags you would stick on the Control's. We shipped this stuff in cold packs and if the label turned RED the control somehow got to warm to use.
Anyway enjoy the hot weather.

Guy Keeseewrote:

Traveling vehicles…. I don’t see Lori in a 4x4 sprinter. Those things are pretty humongous and the 4x4 is made to get it up mild dirt roads- not off roading. You certainly can’t side hill or cross ditches or go over logs or anything you face when properly 4x4ing.
I do see her in a small pickup with 4x4 and a pop up aluminum camper- those seem to be the favorite rig for people not into the Van Life. You get all the comforts of home without the bulky vehicle. Sort of like what Jan has- 2017 Tacoma 4x4 - we have pushed that pretty far into the bush on our hunts for the elusive Trout and it’s easy to set up and camp, with all the comforts of home.
And Lori - a generator is a great idea. Do you have “temperature tags” for your insulin? At my last job we had these tags you would stick on the Control's. We shipped this stuff in cold packs and if the label turned RED the control somehow got to warm to use.
Anyway enjoy the hot weather.

Plus they don’t make them these days. AWD only as of 2023.  Not to mention the $$$ you’d need to drop to get one.  By far the most expensive RVs per square foot. Of course we love ours