In May I decided to take my mobile home down the west coast to Jamul, California to attend a Wilderness First Responder course. This solo adventure took me from 3 hours north of the Canadian/US boarder to the Mexican/US border. Sometimes the need to wander is too strong to be ignored.
Spokane, Washington
My journey south took me down through Alberta, the Crowsnest Pass, into BC, and through the boarder crossing in Yak into Idaho. With a quick stop in Spokane for fuel and food I continued west until I could no longer see straight.
Campsite #1
That night I was grateful to pull into my camp for the next two nights, a trailhead for a bouldering spot just east of Portland, Oregon. The road to the trail was not made for minivans, but Bodevan is nothing if not determined. The next day and a half were spent wandering aimlessly around Portland drinking too much coffee, hipster-watching, and checking out the local climbing gyms.
By the afternoon of day 3 it was time to continue on. I headed west until I hit the ocean. Slowly, I made my way south to my next campsite along the beach.
Campsite #2
The next morning was an early start to get to Thor's Well before high tide. Thor's Well is a large hole in the coastal rock that looks as though the sea is draining into it. If you ever find yourself along the Oregon coast, I highly recommend the stop.
Thor's Well
Carrying on down the coast, I found myself at the "Biggest Sea Caves in America." While the stop was a little touristy for my liking, complete with a gift shop and an elevator leading down to the cave, it was worth it. Getting to observe the sea lion colony with new pups and a juvenile whale was fascinating. After that it was a leisurely drive with plenty of beach stops before reaching the days destination in northern California, the redwood forest.
The Sea Cave
The end of this leisurely day ended up being a race against the clock to get a camping permit from the Redwood National Forest park office in Crescent City, California. Sneaking in 6 minutes before close, I managed to get the permit and find the trail head. I was able to make the short hike of about 45 minutes to the campsite and set up camp before dark. I could not have asked for a better end the the day than falling asleep to the sounds of waves crashing against the cliffs below the forest of ancient trees.
Campsite #3
The next day was spent hiking through the massive redwood forest, then it was on to San Francisco.
Redwood National Forest
Pretty sure this tree made a sound when it fell.
My next camping spot was definitely one to remember. It wasn't as quiet as the others, but it did have a spectacular view.
Campsite #4
Day 6 was another early morning for photos followed by breakfast with my parents in Sausalito.
San Francisco Bay
Alcatraz
Sausalito, California
After a quiet morning of wandering around, it was time to get some climbing in. Down by the water on the San Francisco side of the bridge there was a massive climbing gym called Planet Granite with some stellar route setting. If you're ever in the area it is definitely worth checking out.
That night it was off to Napa Valley to meet back up with my parents. The following three nights staying in a hotel were the weirdest part of my trip. I missed the coziness of my van-home. However, it was worth it to get to explore the outdoor bouldering found throughout the city of Berkley, wander the hills of San Francisco, and take in a Giants game.
On the ninth day, it was time to point the wheels south again and head for San Diego. My wilderness first responder course began the next day so time was beginning to get a little tight. Thanks to my mighty procrastination powers and lots of side stops, I arrived well after dark at what google maps was telling me was the campsite at which my course was taking place. After wasting about an hour driving around narrow dirt roads in the dark and nervously waving at the boarder patrol officers wandering the bushes with flashlights, I decided to postpone my search until the morning and headed back toward San Diego to find somewhere to sleep. The following morning was yet another early start as I drove the hour and a half back to where I thought the campsite would be. Luckily it was much easier to find in the daylight and I made it just in time for the start of my course. The next five days are what made every long hour of driving worth it. The only description that comes close to capturing the experience is adult summer camp.
Campsite #5
The neighbours
One of many scenarios.
The second night of Camp, several of us decided to embark on an adventure to Ocean Beach where we attempted to capture photos of the sunset through the overcast and ate some of the best Mexican food I had ever had.
Ocean Beach, San Diego
Once the course wrapped up I decided to take a couple of days to explore a bit more of San Diego (mostly the zoo). They were a blur of walking, beaches, 50's dinners, and zoo animals.
ITH Adventure Hostel, Little Italy
Spanish Village Art Center
Botanical Building
San Diego Zoo
On the sixteenth day it was time to head back north. Now the time crunch was on as I had three days to cover 3455 kilometers (2148 miles) to get to Worsley, Alberta for work. I spent one night at a truck stop just north of Las Vegas, one night at a trail head in Montana, and one day in Calgary frantically replacing my camping supplies with my work uniform.
The mountains outside of Las Vegas
The southern edge of Waterton National Park
“A person does not grow from a vine or a tree, one is not part of a plot of land. Mankind has legs so it can wander.”
