07-30-09

It was 42 degrees when I woke up, inside and outside. My bed was nice and warm with many blankets. I managed to force myself out from under the covers, shivered my way to the thermostat and turned on the heater. I had had it on the evening before, but turned it off not expecting it to get that cold.
When the sun came out it heated the outside faster then my furnace heated the inside, so I turned it off and opened up some windows.
I packed up, drove the bus into town to get diesel fuel, then back up the mountain to hitch up the Jeep.
I had thought I would drive over the Beartooth Pass on the second, or third day of my journey. Thirty days later I headed up the mountains.
It was an epic drive through the Custer National Forest into the Beartooth Mountains crossing from Montana into Wyoming. I rose above the tree line to 10,400’. It was cold, there was snow. The road was narrow and windy with steep drop offs. The scenery is indescribable.
Please watch the video I shot from my dash cam.

07-29-09

It kept raining all night. At about 4:00am I started to worry that the river would rise and wash out the bank that my back tires were sitting on. The tires were actually over the peak of the bank and sloping toward the river. I had big rocks chocking the wheels, but thought even those could be washed away. I got up and went outside in the rain to have a look It was dark. The only light was from my flashlight. I shined it in the woods in all directions. It barely pierced through the thick trees. The river was still well out of sight and the rain hadn’t been moving the dirt around the tires. Even still I moved the bus forward 3’ if nothing else for peace of mind.
We went into town in the morning. By afternoon the sun came out. We went on a bike ride and hike by the front creek. There is a creek on both sides of the campground. They join together down the mountain.
Even after the rain had soaked all of the fire wood I was able to make a fire. There was no reason to make a fire, I just wanted to. I was planning on leaving tomorrow and just wanted to enjoy the spot one last night.

07-28-09

Noting but sunshine in the morning. It felt great after all of the rain the day before.
The soaked front door rug dried quickly in the sun. It’s very muddy here when wet. The rug makes a great landing pad for keeping mud out of the bus, but it soaks up the rain. I’ve seen other RVrs with larger, outdoor rugs making a patio area. I’m going to get one eventually, until then I have to dry out the rug when it rains.
I was also anxious for the rug to dry because I use it to lie on while working under the bus. Since the rain had stopped I could finally add hydraulic fluid to and work on my leveling jacks.
The leveling jacks were a process. One side was hard to get to under the bus, the other I could easily get to, but the reservoir was hard to pour into. I could get a small funnel in it, but there was no room above it to tilt the can. I thought a turkey baster would work, but I don’t have one. After some brainstorming I build a hydraulic fluid piping bag, like for frosting cake. A zip-top bag, bendy straw and duct tape. The bendy straw even made an adjustable spout. It worked great. I pumped three bags worth of fluid into the reservoir. The jacks didn’t all work right away. I bleed the lines and with some coercion eventually for the first time ever had all four of the jacks working…at the same time.
It was a day of small home improvement projects. Ones I had never seemed to find the time for. I found that the bus “car stereo’s” antenna was not plugged in, a quick fix. I took apart an old camera tripod of my dad’s and rigged up a dashboard camera mount. The tripod had a broken leg, so this was a great use for its good parts. I ran an experiment to determine if the electrical “cigarette” plug on the dash and the one in the cabinet ran off different systems. They do. The dash plug runs off of the engine battery. The one in the cabinet runs off of the house deep cycle batteries. This is important to me because I want to run a boom box off the house batteries and not drain the engine battery.
Trinity made apple oatmeal. The apples were really the star as she sautéed them in butter and added brown sugar so they got all caramely. Plus she used up the left over steel cut oats and blueberries.
We had a nice morning in the sun with double headphones on. I had two pair of headphones split out of my MP3 player, a big pair and a little pair. They keep us tethered together, or if one of us wants to leave, then the other one wears both pair. The little ones fit inside the big ones. It creates an extra intimate yet somehow claustrophobic music listening experience.
I rode my bike up the highway to a national campground. The low oxygen content is more obvious than I thought it would be. It was a tough climb, always climbing. When I came back down I didn’t peddle once. The Yin and Yang of the mountains; you must go up to go down. I was home in minutes with a new found curiosity of what was up the road around the bend.
Clouds rolled in and it started to rain. We snuck in a long hike between rain showers in the evening and then it started to rain and didn’t stop all night.
We watched a movie and went to bed. The rain on the rooftop was becoming deafening.

07-27-09

Cloudy and rainy.
The clouds were so low you couldn’t see the mountain tops. I watched one little cloud stay in the same place, stuck in our valley for over an hour. It’s a different view and vibe of the mountains. It felt cozy at first, but then it started to put a damper on the afternoon, by evening I was starting to go a little crazy. We broke up the monotony with a trip to the Laundromat in the afternoon and a spontaneous trip in for dinner in the evening. I figured after being together for ten days it was about time we went on a date. We went to a place called Bogart’s, with a Humphrey theme. I had local beer and the fish tacos. The tacos were excellent and loaded with fish.
It kept raining into the night. We passed the time doing what people do in the rain…

07-26-09

Trinity ate all of the cereal In the middle of the night, but remembered nothing. Apparently this is a side effect of Ambien. Oh well, you’re supposed to eat as much whole grains as you can.
I went outside with Sebastian to see the world. He chased a cute little chipmunk up a tree. I tried to get my camera, but the chipmunk escaped from tree to tree and got away from both of us.
I was organizing the overhead compartments in the bus when Sebastian barked at something outside. I figured it was a chipmunk, or a squirrel, so I flung open the door and shouted, “Go get it Sebastian!” He ran out barking and I followed. Suddenly, I saw a huge brown head moving through the trees. For a split second l thought it was a horse, then realized it was a moose. “Oh my God, it’s a moose!” I shouted, “Get your dog, get your dog”. Trinity got Sebastian inside and I grabbed my camera. It was a mamma moose and her baby only about 50’ from our camp site. I kept my distance for safety, especially with the baby. They grazed for about 5 minutes, and then slowly walked away and disappeared into the woods.
It was later when I realized that I had let the dog out to attack what he was barking at without knowing what it was. New rule; know what the dog is barking at before you send him to attack.
I now have a kitchen sink sprayer. It had always been tucked away up under the sink in a mason jar. I guess the old couple who owned the bus before me didn’t use it. I unraveled the hose and it works great. It feels like a mini kitchen upgrade.
Trinity made whole wheat silver dollar strawberry crème pancakes. They were hearty and delectable, with fresh strawberries in and on them.
A ranger truck pulled up with two rangers in it. They talked to the kids camping nearby, and then headed in our direction. I was worried they were going to kick us out, or school us with some rules. I went out to great them with a smile. As they meandered up, they too both had smiles. “Do you want a free map”, one said, “It’s not very good, but it’s free”. “Sure, I love maps”, I said. We had a nice talk about the area and all it had to offer. They were both grinning ear to ear, like they were high. I think they just loved their jobs. It would be a dream job for the right person, drive around in the beautiful scenery chatting with travelers and nature lovers. He apologized again, “sorry the map isn’t very good, but it’s free”. I said, “Hey, I’ll take what I can get. Thanks for the map”. “Free map”, he said. They moseyed back to their truck and slowly drove away. “What a friendly place”, I thought. The rangers come around to check up on you, give you a map…free map and apologies for its lack of quality.
I finally had time to look at my leveling jacks. I found a small hydraulic fluid reservoir near each front jack. They seem low on fluid. My theory now is that they were a bit low. When I would open and bleed the lines I made the problem worse by losing more hydraulic fluid. Hopefully adding fluid will be a quick and easy fix. There’s a hardware store in town that probably has what I need.
It rained heavy in the afternoon. The camping kids packed up and left. We were now alone again in our neck of the woods.
We went into town to the coffee shop for another 2 hour internet/phone session…and to get cereal.
That evening I made spaghetti with the Italian sausage and onion from the farmers market. I also cooked the beets. It was one of those cooking sessions where it felt like my brain was off and some Godly force was using me as a tool and cooking through me. I did a bunch of little tricks and it turned out amazing. It was one of the rare times I called a meal, “Perfecto”!

07-25-09

We sputtered our way through the night with the empty water tank then got up and went to the farmers market. It was small, a dozen booths at most, but great local stuff, elk sausages, organic pork ribs and bacon. There was a woman cooking chicken legs and a mix of peppers and onions on a huge piaya pan over a flame. We got some grass fed Italian pork sausage to make spaghetti, some beets and an onion. You can cook down the leaves of the beats like spinach and the onion still had long green onion stems.
We went to the coffee shop for internet, coffee and this time a pound of their fresh roasted beans.
We went back to the bus and got it ready to drive a couple of miles to dump and fill the water tanks.
Last time I got the idea to shower at the dump station to get a “free shower”; a shower while hooked up to their water while the drains are all open too. This time I was going in with a plan. Trinity would shower and I’d start the dishes, then I could shower quickly and she could finish the dishes. Two free showers and free dishes. I know it’s stingy, but the last tank of water didn’t last very long.
The plan was working. We had both showered and the dishes were mostly done. I was still filling the fresh water, watching the level get closer to the top of the tank when I realized the bus happened to be leaning toward me pretty far. “That would make the tank look full when it’s not”, I thought. I felt a little silly, but I had to unhook, turn the bus around and see. While I was jimmying the bus back and forth in the tight lot the owner, an older man watched and looked perplexed and frustrated with me.
The tank was full facing the original way, but turned around in the same spot the water level was nearly 3” from the top of the tank. I ran the hose under the bus, hooked it up, got it filling and went to explain to the old man. I told him the wondrous amazement of what I had just discovered. He seemed deaf, but maybe it was just my content. He said, “You’re gonna’ run my well dry” and drove off on his golf cart. I left happy to have figured out the water supply problem and with a full tank, not knowing if he was kidding.
When we got back Jack and Beverly were gone. We now had the back woods all to ourselves. It did seem lonely without them. I always feel safer with good neighbors.
I backed in without Jack. There is really only one spot where the coach is truly level. All four tires must be within inches of their spot. It takes awhile to get it right, but when you do it’s remarkably level considering the terrain.
After I spent too much time backing in the bus I remembered that I wanted to finish rearranging the underneath compartments while they weren’t blocked by trees. I pulled the bus forward 3’ anyway and reorganized my stuff.
As the sun was setting an early ‘90s white ford pickup pulled up and backed into Jack’s vacant spot. Two young men got out and started running through the woods. They gathered wood and started a fire. I was worried they might want to ravage my glorious wood pile. One of them had a long machete that he was swinging at the rocks of their fire pit and making sparks. It was Saturday night and we were worried that they were going to have a big party. We remembered what people did at big parties in the woods when we were in high school and laughed that that is why we were worried.
As I watched them interact around the fire and struggle to put up their tent I realized that they were only about 15 years old. They seemed like good kids. It was starting to look like a Norman Rockwell painting to me. Now felt like giving them some of the fire wood that I was so protective of earlier. I pictured me and Trinity approaching them with fire wood and realized that in this scenario we are Jack and Beverly.
They were quiet kids. We thought it would be funny if we crawled up just inches from the tent late at night and made angry animal noises, but then figured we might get shot.
We finished watching a movie on DVD on my laptop and went to bed.

07-24-09

The days seem to fly by on the mountain. I feel like I’ve been here for three or four days, but it’s been eleven. No matter how much I do, or don’t do the days go by. The nothingness is good for now. I feel like I’m still decompressing. I am embracing the simple tasks of life, like cooking, eating, sleeping and roaming the countryside.
We had coffee right away in the morning, then again later in the morning.
In the afternoon we went for an aggressive hike where I had climbed up days earlier while waiting in cell phone range. Then we went for a drive up the mountain past our campsite. There’s a nice state park hiking trail at the top that we’d like to check out.
I cooked brunch in the bus, blueberry pancakes, sausage links and country potatoes. The light over the stove is on the bottom of the microwave, so it only works when the generator is running if you’re off of the grid. I cook with my flashlight if it’s too dark.
We had coffee for a third time then spontaneously decided to drive into town. Trinity wanted to bake monkey bread and I wanted wine.
We talked to Jack and Beverly. They told us they were leaving in the morning. Trinity got advice on convection oven cooking at high altitude from Beverly. I learned about driving over Beartooth Pass and through Yellowstone and Jackson. He’d been over those roads dozens of times. They were headed to Jackson again next.
The convection oven worked great. The monkey bread was heavenly. We struggled to not eat all of it.
We had accumulated a great deal of dishes from brunch, monkey bread and three coffees. I was in desperate need of a shower. The faucet sputtered. It seemed too soon to be out of water. I checked the gauge. I went outside and thumped on the tank. We’re empty. It would have to wait until tomorrow.

07-23-09

We went for a short hike in the morning. Just up the trail, then it’s a short climb to a good view of the valley. It’s the high point of the low point. We’re surrounded by mountains, but we’re on the tallest hill in the valley. It’s where I had originally planned to meet Trinity. There are lots of different mountain flowers and boulders to climb and sit on. Sebastian liked the mountain too, he ran some happy circles.
Back at the bus Trinity made steal cut oats with toasted walnuts, flax seeds, blueberries and bananas. It was great, and stuck with me for what seemed like 40 days and 40 nights.
I rearranged the underneath bus storage. As time goes on I seem to make it more efficient. I was unable to complete the stuff swap though because I’m parked too close to a tree to lift the door open. I could move 3’ forward, but that seems like a bit of work.
We went into town to a coffee shop for some human interaction, free internet and of course coffee. The only coffee I had had at home for the last two days was pre-ground can coffee. At the shop I had a latte and gazed in awe at the wall of coffee beans roasted daily in 5lb batches. We got a lot of things done and had a relaxing time at the coffee shop, then wandered the shops on the main street. The vibe of the city had changed since the bikers left town, mostly families and couples traveling.
I found an amazing pair of sandals at a bead store for $16, old world handmade, right out of the bible. The sole was thin layers of leather, tied together with leather strips and braided leather. They look perhaps to be Middle Eastern. One woman guessed they were Belize, another told me I looked like King Tut. The only thing the woman minding the store was sure of was that you are supposed to soak them in water and wear them to break them in.
I christened them in the creek behind the campsite, and then proceeded to beat them up pretty bad, on the rocks, in the woods and on gravel. They were tight and stiff, but definitely loosening up. I dipped them again and wore them that afternoon around as I got my bike out for the first time since I left Rochester.
I had crashed it in the rain and had to put it away wet for awhile. I cleaned it, lubed it and pronounced it, “ready to ride”. I rode around the camp ground, out and up the Beartooth highway, just a mile or so.
It was good to be back on my bike. I remembered my broken collar bone when I felt my scuffed up handlebar tape and realized it didn’t hurt at all.
That night we went on a walk. I dipped my Jesus boots in the creek one more time and wore them to break them in more. We walked far up a rocky trail by the creek on the other side of the campground. The rocks poked at my feet through the thin leather sandals. It hurt some, but they were breaking in quickly and taking the shape of my feet.
It was a long walk back. My feet suffered greatly. I thought of the great people from biblical times who wandered the dessert in shoes just like these. No wonder they had so much passion for their beliefs, their feet hurt.
It became a quest of biblical proportion to make it home in the sandals. I was expecting an epiphany of great enlightenment for my suffering at the end of my quest. I was able to put my feet up. It was heavenly.

07-22-09

I’m starting to tell time by the sun. My clock radio has no power unless the generator is running. I normally use my phone as a backup, but it doesn’t get a signal and so is turned off. I can roll over and squint from bed at the clock in the front of the bus, but it’s much easier to open one eye, see the angel of the sun in the bedroom window and guess.

I find myself wanting to just sit around out here.
I never seem to find the time to just sit around out here.
There are things I must do before I can just sit around out here.
I don’t ever seem to get those things done because I just keep sitting around out here.

There were only a couple of campers in the area. I walked around scouting unoccupied fire pits for fire wood. I double checked each spot to make sure it wasn’t better than mine. None of them were. They were nice, but I’m in the best spot. I realized why none of the 5th wheel and travel trailers come back into the woods. They don’t have the room to turn them around and back in. It’s tight in the 35’ motorhome, but doable. I pull in and make a tight circle to the left and almost touch Jack’s motor coach nose to nose. He or Beverly is usually right there, just feet away, living room window to living room window. We wave and Jack comes out to guide me back in.
I did get a big pile of wood. I made a fire and we had a S’moregasbord. Yeah that’s right, a gourmet s’more feast with an array of unique chocolate. I made a hoagie with 2 full graham crackers, 4 marshmallows, a full size Recess Peanut Buttercup on one side and chunks of Caramello on the other. Trinity had 2 peanut butter cup s’mores. For some reason a full Take 5 candy bar was missing. It’s empty rapper lay in the carnage that followed S’morgasbord.
Trinity believes that a bear may have broken in and eaten it…or Jack…or Beverly.

07-21-09

I woke on the floor, rolled over and immediately grabbed my laptop. I wanted to charge it and -especially wanted take advantage of the internet signal to download some big pod casts. I let it download all morning.
We went on a drive with Jeffery to Manhattan Montana and then he took us to the hot springs spa. It has an indoor and outdoor pool, seven different Jacuzzis of varying temperature from way too cold to way too hot, plus two saunas, one wet and one dry. It all sits atop a hot spring and uses the water and heat naturally from it. It was an amazingly relaxing and cleansing experience.
Before we left Jeremy bought us lunch at Café Fresco, a delightful Italian deli with outdoor seating.
Well rested, relaxed and fed we headed for Billings to pick up Trinity’s car.
It was a long but pleasant drive. We were getting close when we did a way overdue time check. It was 5:30. They close at 6:00. We were about 30 miles away and surprised to find out that we’re cutting it close. I sped up to about 80mph. It had to put my foot into it. That’s about all I could get out of my Jeep going into a strong wind in the heat, on the hills. If we didn’t get the car, then we would most likely have to drive back to Red lodge tonight, an hour away, and then back again another hour tomorrow. This trip had been way longer that we had anticipated and we were all (Sebastian too) getting tired of riding in the car.
Time check; 5:43, 21 miles to go, it was still going to be tight. I pushed the Jeep to as fast as it would go up and down the big hills. She called to try to let them know we’re coming, but no one answered.
We hit the Exit 446 at about 5 minutes to 6:00. Archie Cochrane Ford was only a couple of blocks off of the interstate. As we rounded the corner the place looked baron, but then noticed the garage doors weren’t totally closed, they were 6 inches off of the ground. I stopped and she ran over. We made it. Just in time.
We took a break, and then headed back to Red Lodge, Finally everything would be together.
It was great to be back home on the mountain. We had a great sense of accomplishment and unwound before bed listening to Trinity’s band, “Sister Gin”. I was very impressed and glad she shared it with me. I was relieved that it was good, so I could be sincere with my compliments. Between meeting her brother and cousin, getting lost in the car and hearing music and lyrics she wrote I was quickly learning what made her tick.

07-20-09

It was Monday, so we could finally get more LP gas. While in town we took advantage of the cell/internet signal and spent about an hour taking care of business. With life caught up by noon, we decided to go visit Trinity’s brother in Bozeman Montana and pick up her car in Billings a day early.
We packed our back packs, locked up the bus, left it under the watchful eye of Jack and headed to Bozeman.
We took a different road back to the Interstate that went more towards Bozeman.
Highway 78 was a fun drive, hilly, banked curves, and 70mph 2-lanes. Nice small towns. “Like that double-wide?” I said and pointed at a somewhat rundown Crayola blue trailer. It had two hitches, one on each half of the front. It was deliciously tacky. Trinity replied, “I could be happy in a double wide” and we laughed and laughed.
We found the small road, 420 that we were looking for and turned left. The scenery got exquisite; hilly ranch land, with towering rock walls framing a clear flowing mountain stream. Old rickety steel bridges often spanned the gap. As the road went on and on the extremes seemed to grow. The pavement turned to gravel which made us question our route, but we forged on. I said, “At least there are still a lot of homes and cabins around, we know were close to civilization. The road got really bumpy, so we had to go slow. It was hot, dusty and dry. Now there were no buildings around and no cell signal. The road was unbearably bumpy, but we had no choice but to keep going. We came to a fork in the road and decided to scrap the 420 plan and just get to the interstate. We found a roadhouse bar standing all by itself in the middle of nowhere. There was a car or two and a bunch of Harleys were parked in the gravel lot. It was dark inside when we came out from the afternoon sun. There were eight to ten bikers scattered about and one woman behind the bar. All eyes locked on us as we entered and crossed across the floor. The bar tender was very helpful with directions. She asked, “Do you want gravel, or pavement?” The gravel route went back exactly the way we had come. We said, “Pavement” in unison without hesitation.
The pavement route brought us back to Highway 78, full circle back to where we had been almost an hour ago. Neither of us cared. In fact we were thankful. The drive had been so beautiful. It was a blessing we got lost.
We headed to Highway 78 and had a 3 to 4 mile dejavue moment as we re-drove part of it for a second time. “Like that double-wide”, I said and pointed at a somewhat rundown trailer. It had two hitches, one on each half of the front. It was deliciously tacky. Trinity replied, “I could be happy in a double wide” and we laughed and laughed.
It was a long ride to Bozeman. We’d logged 200 miles, 40 extra for getting lost. We easily found Trinity’s brother Jeremy’s house. Their cousin, Jeff lived there too. They were very welcoming. Jeremy is 31, recently divorced, moving out of his house and unemployed, so we had instant insight into each other’s potential mental climate.
They were good guys. We hung out in the back yard. The view was spectacular, mountains surround the town in all directions. They had a perfect view of Sacajawea. The mountain peaks look like her lying on her back. Jeremy had built a mound to stand on and ponder. So we did and the afternoon slipped away.
Jeremy and Jeff had the oldies channel on the radio while they cooked in the kitchen. It was obvious that they listened to it often. At certain points in certain songs they would burst into full on dance moves at the exact same time. They cooked a fabulous meal for us on the neighbors grill. The back yard scene was communal. Neighbors wandered in and out very casually and shared hospitality all day long. We had a raging fire and stayed up late. It was fun to hear all of the childhood stories from the siblings and cousin. I showed Trinity Sacajawea and Bartholamule while we sat by the fire. Sacajawea was real, but Bartholamule I made up.
Before we crashed early in the morning Jeremy sang and played his guitar. I was the only other person in the room. It was like it was my own personal concert. The music truly added to a great vibe.
I slept like a princess that night, even though I was on the floor. The window was open above my head, but there were no bugs so there was no screen. The mountain air was cool and fresh.

07-19-09

Coffee was the first thing on my mind when I woke. I have a well thought out coffee routine that produces the best cup of coffee in the world. There are many subtleties to the procedure, but the highlights are grinding the beans myself and using a French press.
Moving into the motorhome had forced me to reinvent certain parts of my coffee routine. If I heat the water in the microwave while off of the grid, then I have to turn on the generator. It was an early morning and I didn’t want to bother Jack and Beverly, so I figured I would heat up the water on the gas stove top. I poured the right amount of beans in my grinder and hit the button…nothing happened. I hadn’t factored that the grinder is electric. Jack and Beverly are nice, but coffee is highly addictive, so I fired up the generator.
We were getting low on LP, for the generator, refrigerator, water heater, stovetop etc. We knew where to get more in town but I wanted to wait another day. The place was probably closed on Sunday and I didn’t want to drive the bus into town for nothing.
I was in dire need of a shower. When I turned on the water it started to sputter. I knew we were low on water, but didn’t think we were empty. The gauge said empty, but I went outside to thump on the tank for a second opinion. Hollow and empty.
Being two days into a blossoming love fest I felt it was in my best interest to bathe.
We packed up the bus and headed toward a campground near town. For $10 we dumped and filled the tanks. Trinity was excited to observe this delightful task for the first time. In the middle of the procedure I had the brilliant, yet almost inefficiently too frugal idea of taking a shower while hooked up to the campsites water. That way I’d get a shower and the fresh water tank would still be full and the grey water tank would still be empty. “It’s like a free shower”, I thought. We we’re near civilization, so Trinity was able to be on-line while I showered.
We went into town just to check, but the LP place was closed. It was a nice drive through the mountains and Red Lodge. The bikers were packing up. Most were gone and the town was returning to it’s normal laid back routine.
Back at the site, Jack came out to help me back into my space. I said, “I want my back wheels right there on that rock”. He said, “Alright” and waved me back perfectly into my spot.
There was a beautiful thunderstorm rumbling through the mountains and we spent a quiet evening at home.

07-18-09

My microwave had had some cracks in the outer plastic of the door for a long time. I tried to glue them together once, but it didn’t work. When I opened the door this morning to heat water for coffee the bottom of the door fell off and the glass fell out.
At first I was angry, “What next?” I thought. This is an expensive convection oven / microwave. I don’t have money to replace it. “Maybe I could do without it”, I thought. I could, but it is very handy. The main inside part of the door that seals in the radiation was still solid and intact. I assumed it was safe. It’s not the kind of thing you feel comfortable just assuming though. Do I start the microwave and run outside every time to avoid radiation exposure? I contemplated just getting rid of the outer glass, but that looked really unsafe. “Where in the world can I get a Geiger counter?” I thought. On the plus side, now that it had broken further I was able to take it more apart and do a better job gluing it. The problem was clamping and bracing it all together tightly. In time I was able to improvise enough odds and ends to make it work.
I used my mag flashlight on the counter. I took the bottom cap off so the spring would push up on the bottom of the door in the middle. I cut two sticks to help support it on either side. They were a bit short, so I shimmed them with magazines. I stuck magazines in the cracks of the doors along with a ruler, butter knives and a nail file to hold it tight from the sides. It was a sight to behold. It held everything perfectly in place.
We went into town to get some supplies. The Beartooth Biker Rally was in full swing. 2000 motorcycles were in town lining the streets and zooming around. We walked up and down the main street checking out the bikes and doing some good people watching. Trinity told me, “Look at THAT biker with the beard”. “Which one?” I replied, “That’s like saying look at that pine tree on the mountain”.
We went back home to sit around a fire and cook.
While preparing food inside I noticed Jack and Beverly each dragging a log toward our site. I went out to talk to them. They had seen me foraging around for wood and thought we could use them. They knew Trinity and I had just reacquainted after 17 years and I think they had been enjoying observing our love story from a far. Retired people always seem to like a good love story. Jack showed me that sometimes you can break a log over a big rock. Beverly laughed at him and said, “He’s an old mountain man”. Later I used a combination of a saw and his trick to split wood. It worked great.
I cooked pork chops on the charcoal grill and cooked sliced up potatoes in tin foil right on the camp fire. Trinity used to be a fire fighter and I used to by a pyromaniac, so we both enjoyed a good fire.

07-17-09

You have to notice routines quickly while on the road. It was the second morning of the mountain bedroom window sunrise. I was already liking this routine.
By now I was well settled in and could enjoy the free time I had been looking for. I spent much of the morning sitting by the fire ring drinking coffee and enjoying the outdoors.
I drove my Jeep into cell range for a 5 minute call to check on Trinity’s progress. I’ve learned to turn my phone on when I get close to the signal, wait and let it grab new voicemail, texts then pictures. After being off for a night it sometimes has some catching up to do. I had noticed one text flash by that said something about “battery light on”. I called and Trinity was at another shop. I had hoped to go home, but had to wait in phone service range to see what happened.
The place I often parked at to get a signal is a hiking trail parking area with a big red rock cliff rising high into the air, flanked by tall steep green hills. I man had just pulled up in a van from Texas and headed to the rocky area. He had a lot of good gear and looked like he knew what he was doing. I had time to kill, so I figured I’d hike around a little. I didn’t head for the rocky wall. I set my sites on one of the more practical green hills. Part of the problem was that I had only been planning on being there for a few minutes and wasn’t prepared. All I had for footwear was a pair of leather flip flops. I had about 4 inches of warm water in a bottle from days ago. I had on “big pants” and didn’t put on a belt. To top it off I left my camera at home too. At least I had my cowboy hat and sunglasses.
I climbed up through the brush and over rocks. It was hot and I was quickly out of breath I was at about 6000 feet. The flip flops were slippery and I was watching out for snakes, so I tried to plan out every step. As I climbed higher it got steeper. I’d pick a place a ways ahead, get to it, catch my breath and cool down, then pick another short term goal. The cowboy hat actually did a very good job keeping the sun off of my face. “I guess that’s why the cow boys wear them”, I thought. Eventually I was up fairly high. I was at an even height with a ledge high up on the rock cliff. I saw the man from the van standing on it. There must be a path around back, I thought. Someday, with better shoes, I’d like to come back and try to find my way up.
I was close to one of the rock faces that you could see from the parking area below. I made that my final goal of the day. It got steeper and slipperier, now with a dangerous drop off below. I was concerned, but made it across the rock face to the scenic ledge. It was a beautiful view point. Too bad I didn’t have my camera. It’s okay though. I think sometimes I get so caught up in taking pictures that I don’t soak in the moment. I’m trying to remember to put the camera away sometimes and enjoy. It was too bad I left it though. It was an incredible place to find myself in. Once again I was on top of the world due to mechanical breakdown.
While climbing down I had to hold my pants up by their belt loops. I was sweaty and they were sagging in the heat. Trinity was given a clean bill of health by the mechanic. He said, “I could sell you something, but you don’t need it”. How often have you ever heard that from a mechanic?
I went back home to relax.
Later I took another 5 minute ride in to see where Trinity was, she should be getting close. This time I saw a text flash, “Getting towed to Billings”. The one time a mechanic doesn’t sell you something, he should have. Trinity was waiting on the side of the interstate for the truck. It was her third call to AAA in three days. She was hot and frustrated. Billings was only about an hour from me, so I went to pick her up. Once again I was Ill prepared. I was not doing a very good job following my Cub Scout motto. I still had 2 ½ inches of warm water, flip flops, my phone and wallet, so I figured I had what I needed and headed directly to Billings. Another 5 minute call run amuck.
So much for my “mountain flower meadow” moment. I found it silly that I was now going to meet her at a garage all dirty. I needed to brush my teeth. I had taken the mints out of my Jeep for fear a bear would rip through my top. My feet were coated by dirt soaked sweat. The clothes I was wearing I had specifically put on to use up before I met her. My cowboy hat was still smashing down my sweaty hair. I hadn’t planned on breaking that out for a couple of days. It was supposed to be sarcastic.
I beat the tow truck to Billing and found Archie Cochran Ford, a very romantic place. It was much hotter in Billings then it was on the mountain. Even still I took advantage of the free hot coffee in the waiting area.
I walked outside and saw a tow truck with what had to be Trinity’s car hooked on back. Around the corner I saw her for the first time. She was facing away talking to a man at a desk, Sebastian, was next to her on a leash. I didn’t want to meet her at the desk in the garage, so I leaned on a brick wall and waited for her to notice me. I whistled lightly at Sebastian, he looked over and after several minutes she did to. Her jaw dropped, she gasped and ran toward me. She never slowed down, jumped and crashed into me, swinging her arms and legs around me and hugged me super tight. It was hot! No literally. Hot coffee was now burning my entire left fore-arm. No big deal. It was a priceless moment. The coffee, Archie Cochrane Ford, my orange shorts, bad breath and cowboy hat, it was perfect. Better than on a mountain top. Symbolically it fit with the struggles that we had both overcome and had learned to laugh about.
The three of us, exhausted, drove back to Red Lodge. Bikers were getting thicker as we got closer for the big rally. We breezed through Red Lodge and up the mountain. It got cooler as we climbed.
That night we had a wonderful time getting reacquainted and stayed up late listening loudly together, for the first time the songs we had emailed back and forth. We had a lot of catching up to do. The conversation went it many directions. Trinity showed me her chimpanzee call. It was loud! I found it realistic and wondered what the other campers might think was in the woods. I told her that I saw our neighbors Jack and Beverly “jumped down” when they heard it. I was kidding, but we laughed and laughed. We ran the generator probably too late into the night and fell asleep.

07-16-09

I woke to the sun shining brightly on my face. It had risen on the horizon at the low point of the valley in-between two mountains and shined right into my bedroom window. It was a welcoming greeting to the day.
The bus and I had the same multi layers of dirt and grime as we had been on the same long journey together. I spent much of the day cleaning myself and the bus in preparation for Trinity, perhaps as soon as tomorrow.
I went into town to call and check up on her. She had been set back due to mechanical problems as did I on the beginning of my journey. In many ways our journeys were similar. We both had to struggle, but the struggle had made us both stronger and wiser. Now we were literally on the same path. I was on the phone with her when she passed the Badlands Travel Center that I had limped into and stayed at when I broke down on my first day. I followed along with her on my map as she retraced the same course I had been on a week and a half earlier.
I sat on the main street in Red Lodge and worked on my computer as travelers and bikers explored the town’s shops. More and more motorcycles were arriving for the Breartooth Rally that weekend.
I went back to the mountain and planned for Trinity’s arrival. We hadn’t spoken face to face for 17 years and I wanted the moment to be perfect. I planned to leave a walkie talkie on the step with a note to call me. I wanted to meet her in a meadow on the mountain up the trail. I went up the mountain and picked out a good spot. I would pick some wild flowers and make a bouquet. I knew I shouldn’t mess with nature, but the flowers were abundant and this would be a special moment worthy of the cause. I would pick flowers from a different area to leave the ones growing in the meadow, they added greatly to the scene. I wasn’t planning anything too intense, just a relaxing beautiful moment. I’m not hoping for a fairy tale ending. I’m hoping for a fairy tale beginning. I want this moment to be the start of our, “happily ever after”.
Sebastian, her dog was coming too. I foraged through the woods looking for sticks that I thought he might like. I busted them down to size and smoothed them down on the big rocks of my fire pit. As I rubbed them on the coarse granite stones I remembered sharpening sticks on rocks as a boy. I hadn’t done, or thought about that in probably 25 years. It was great to be in nature working on such a primitive task. One stick was perfect, but way too long and too hard to break. I grabbed a hand saw out of the bus that my parents had given me years ago. It was a good saw and came in very handy from time to time. I never envisioned I would be here using it for this.
I realized I was using many tools that I had had for awhile that I rarely used. I had a great pair of binoculars (also a gift from my parents) that had gotten more action in the last week than they had seen in their lifetime. I have two altimeters. One belonged to the previous owner of the bus. The other had been in the family for years. It was my grandfather’s on my mother’s side. I got them out and attempted to calibrate them. I wasn’t sure of my exact altitude, but guessed based on nearby locations on maps. I had a “Worst Case Scenario” survival book from my sister, that was always a fun read, but now the topics were things that I may actually encounter. My favorite was the, “how to jump from a moving vehicle”. Just the night before I was envisioning what I would do if my bus brakes failed while driving down the Beartooth pass. I made it protocol to jump out before the bus careened over the edge. The book had some good advice; jump away from the vehicle, look for a soft landing spot, roll when you hit the ground…God I hope this doesn’t become a tragically ironic journal entry.

07-15-09

I got up for awhile in the middle of the night to see what it was like on the mountain. It was cold, 50 degrees, much different from the heat that I had experienced everywhere since I left had home. It was quiet. There was no noise except for the river flowing heavily down the mountain. It was dark. Small lights I hadn’t really noticed before guided my way through the bus. A tiny red light for the water pump, a green light on the refrigerator and another little green light on the carbon monoxide detector where the only glimpses of light inside. Outside there were no lights what so ever. The moon lit the mountains and valley and cast shadows in the trees. If it weren’t for the moon it would have been completely black.
The next morning the sun climbed over the mountain horizon and shone brightly into the valley. The temperature warmed quickly to a very pleasant mid 60s. I grabbed my camera and went for a hike. There is a trail head climbing up right by my campsite. I took it and found many interesting rocks and wild flowers. I climbed up to the highest point in the area. It was indescribably beautiful. Mountains towered above in all directions. Far off in the distance I saw a snow capped mountain. I took many pictures and soaked in the moment.
In the afternoon I went to check out Red Lodge. It is a nice little town. A former mining town that had a very diverse population from all over the world even at it’s early beginnings. Now it is a destination for travelers looking for all sorts of different types of recreation. This weekend is Beartooth Rally, a big biker festival.
The main street is lined with small shops in historic buildings. There are many gift shops, restaurants and taverns.
I found a grocery store and picked up some supplies. Most importantly; chicken wings, potatoes and some Hefeweizen beer locally brewed by Red Lodge Ales. I was hungry and felt like cooking over a fire.
Before I left Red Lodge and my phone signal behind I wanted to check in with Trinity, who at last checked was in Minnesota. She wouldn’t pick up, or answer texts. I sat on the edge of town and my signal while my raw chicken wings heated up. Usually she picked up right away, so I was a bit worried. I couldn’t head back up the mountain not knowing how she was.
Finally she picked up and shouted, “I locked my keys in my car and AAA just got me in”. I was relieved and we had a good laugh. Apparently she could hear her phone beeping from outside the car.
Relieved, I went home, cooked my wings to God like perfection and enjoyed the fire.
I drove back in toward town to check on Trinity one last time before going to bed.
While I was out of range her car had broken down in Worthington Minnesotan. The serpentine belt was bad. She for the second time that day called AAA. They towed her car to a garage to get it fixed. She had driven from Akron, Ohio to Worthington, Minnesota, an amazing accomplishment and it was time to get some sleep. I tried to help her find a motel room on my laptop. Some motels were full, others don’t take pets. It was looking grim, but she found a room. Relieved, again, I drove up the mountain and went to sleep.

07-14-09

I was up at 7:00 and got the bus to the shop by 8:00. I drove my Jeep to IHOP. I tipped Meredith an extra dollar because she corrected my grammar. When I said, “Can I get a glass of water”, she said, “Yes you may”. I figured, “spread the wealth to the educated to help with the evolution of human kind”. Traveling alone was causing my mind to wander into uncharted territory, this time trivial, but sometimes I’d think up a gem.
I got a call from the RV shop. A bad connection near the battery was casing all nine electrical problems. They also discovered that my house batteries were not being charged while my diesel engine was running. A new solenoid would fix that. They’d get to work and call me soon.
I went and got a haircut then headed to Borders book store to kill time. While driving there I passed the corner to the shop and thought, “If they called right now it would be perfect”.
At the book store I checked out the local travel section and then found myself in the biography section.
I stood staring, wondering, “What do all of these people have in common, what makes them famous?” John Lennon, Lincoln, Malcolm X, FDR, Michael Jackson, Hitler…on and on and on.
They were all just humans. They were born, they did things and they died. Good, or bad they changed the world. We are just the same as them, just humans. We’ve been blessed with life, we’re doing things. “Let’s dream big”, I thought. “There are no limits. We too can change the world”. It was a wonderful and powerful realization. Then the shop called. Now they were done. Compounding my new wonderful take on existence I realized that if they had called before I went to the book store I never would have had that moment. What may seem like a problem, nuisance, or set back might turn into something wonderful. I was learning to let go and trust and to just let things happen.
When I walked to the bus I saw the window was up. When I opened the door the step dropped down for the first time in three states. I checked and everything indeed worked.
I hitched up my Jeep and headed for Red Lodge, Montana.
I stopped at the Travel Info. Center in Red Lodge. I was able to dump and fill my water tanks. I asked them, “where is the cheapest place I can park this thing tonight?” The people behind the counter didn’t have many good ideas. There was a big biker rally starting tomorrow and all of the campgrounds were full. A local couple knew of three places 10 to 12 miles down the road where people camped for free. They grabbed a map, flipped it upside down to orient me and drew me directions.
Excited, I headed to find a spot.
Now I was really getting into the mountains and the scenery was getting beautiful.
I found the turn off to the first site, but missed the turn into the camping area. I was now climbing up a steep narrow mountain road. I needed to turn around, but there was no where nearly large enough. I had no idea how far I would have to climb, or even if there would be a place. I decided it would be quicker to stop, unhitch the Jeep, and turn the bus around and re hitch. When I found a space big enough to do that I did. I learned that it’s difficult to unhitch on a steep grade. The hitch pins bind. I also learned, almost the hard way, to set the Jeep’s brakes before unhooking, or it would roll away and over the cliff.
Turning around the bus was tense as there was an abrupt drop of that I had to get close to to complete the maneuver. It all worked out and I was soon headed back down toward the camp site.
The campsite was treacherous to get into, but doable; narrow bridge, mud, big rocks. There were several campers there. I spotted a big motor coach way back in the woods. I stopped and hiked up to inquire. A man was working underneath an old Volks Wagen 4 wheeler. I couldn’t see his face. I shouted, “Hey buddy, is it okay if I pull into this spot?” He never looked out, but replied, “Yeah, sure, go ahead.
I unhitched the Jeep and carefully drove the bus back into the woods. I turned it around and backed it in tight between the trees and close to a small drop off in back. I had to level it based on where I parked, so I backed it just over the peak of the drop off and used big rocks to chock the wheels.
Mountains towered above me in all directions. I was surrounded by trees. A river raged down the mountain only 75 feet behind my site. It was by far the most beautiful space I had stayed at and it was free. It was what I had always been dreaming of and searching for. I had finally found it. “I’m finally here”, I thought.
I was hungry and need to eat. My mustard bottles had been squirting a bit lately when I opened them. I thought it was from the refrigerator running a bit warm. This time they exploded like I had struck oil. Then it dawned on me that it was due to the high altitude and air pressure. I grabbed another mustard bottle and cautiously opened it at the base of the cap. It slowly hissed and de-pressurized. Another problem solved.
I had no phone signal, no internet and no TV. I was finally off of the grid. I felt free.
I wanted to up-load some pictures and check in with my parents and Trinity, so I drove my Jeep into town. I started getting a hint of a phone signal just 3 miles from the campsite. Red Lodge was only a 10 minute drive. I parked by what I assumed was the same raging river and worked on my laptop and made my calls.
Trinity and I had fallen madly in love very quickly and she was driving from New Hampshire with everything she owned to join me. We were close friends in high school, but hadn’t talked for at least 15 years until facebook brought us back together. We hadn’t actually seen each other since we were kids, but had been calling, texting and sharing things on-line.
I had been dawdling, but it would still take several days for her to catch me, even if I stood still.
She and Sebastian, her dog, were now in Ohio. She rerouted herself down I-90 instead of I-80 to catch me more quickly and begged me to wait. I was going to leave in the morning and attempt to drive the Bear Tooth Pass. Taking I-90 would put her 40 miles from Red Lodge. I was in my dream location and it was free, so I decided to stop, wait and meet her there. We had wanted to meet for the first time in a special spot. This indeed would be a beautiful back drop for a beautiful moment.

07-13-09

I had a great night sleep knowing my new friend was on patrol all night.
I cracked an egg into my frying pan over my LP stovetop. Nothing came out. The egg was frozen. I thought my refrigerator was running warm, but the eggs were touching the cold element, for lack of the proper term. Two eggs were still liquidy enough to cook. Another lesson learned.
A pretty quiet day; I stayed in Billings waiting for my appointment the next day to have my nine electrical problems looked at. In order of appearance; driver’s power window, leveling jack control panel, rear view monitor, trailer break control panel, windshield fans, power step, accessory (cigarette) outlet and last, but most important for heading into the mountains, engine break.
It was nice to sit and relax. I’d been exhausted from the excitement of everything.
I did get a lot of “house-keeping” caught up. I got my first round of unemployment since my extension. I got up at 5:00am to request it right away on line at 6:00am central time. I was relieved that it went through. I called Olmsted Medical Center back home in Rochester and made a payment for my collar bone break services. I used my Health Savings Account credit card that I had built up $2000 of credit while working at KROC radio. I went on-line and set my new Verizon air card account to be paperless.
I tried the shower with the generator running to further my experimenting into the hot/cold torture issue. It seemed better, but at the time I was sitting on blacktop and it was 90 degrees. I was so hot. I kept the shower cold, so the test could probably be considered invalid. I’m sure more scientific testing will come.
I went for a drive around Billings to check out the sites and got lost. By the time I found my way back I was frustrated and just decided to stay home.
I did my dishes, cleaned the toilet and did my toe nails.
My friend Charlie called from Rochester. It was great to hear from him, he’s a funny guy. He is a great friend and offered some very generous assistance if I ever should need it. I’m thankful for modern technology keeping him and others close.

07-12-09

I had a theory that the torture shower might be caused by not enough power to the water pump. As an experiment I took a shower immediately after the generator had been charging the batteries for an hour, or so. It seemed to be better.
I was literally wearing my last pair of clean underwear. I found a laundry mat and within 45 minutes had everything I owned clean. It was less time than I had thought it would take. Commercial dryers are fast.
I left Sheridan around noon and headed to the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument.
I had been there on a family vacation when I was much younger and remembered the intense vibe I felt even then.
I was able to get in with the National Park pass I had purchased at The Badlands.
Before I went to explore I ate lunch in my kitchen in the parking area. I’m finding traveling in a motorhome to be very convenient. In fact since I left Minnesota one week earlier I hadn’t paid to stay anywhere and I had only eaten out once. The buffalo burger in Wall South Dakota was a must. My mother informed me yesterday that there are two “L”s in “Wall, South Dakota”. I guess I’ve been staying at too many Wal Marts.
I saw the national cemetery, and then went into the visitor center to learn what I could.
It was a hot day and I walked up the hill where Custer’s Last Stand actually happened. I looked closely at it and tried to empathies with the US soldiers. I found the hill where the Dakota Indians eventually over ran them from. It’s powerful to say the least to imagine being surrounded and pinned down, so desperate that you shoot your own horse to have something to hide behind, then arrows raining down. The bow and arrow could do what the riffles couldn’t. The Indians shot them into the air up and over the horse barricades. Eventually the Indians over-ran the hill and killed everyone.
I looked far on the horizon in every direction. The distance is vast and there are many places where enemies could hide.
Then I imagined the great Indian leaders, organizing and rising up to save their land, their families and their way of life. They were truly great with their passion and honor. They were superior warriors too. They had learned to hunt as children and knew the land. The US soldiers were hastily trained. Some were literally firing their guns for the first time. 249 US Soldiers, over a 1000 Indian warriors, with a camp of 7000 people. Custer was a fool to engage them. He made many tactical mistakes, some his fault, some due to circumstance. A company of soldiers that was there three days earlier was defeated and had left. Custer didn’t know how badly they had been beaten and he didn’t know they wouldn’t be there to help. He split his forces and sent one company to attack from the south. They were completely overwhelmed and retreated, so they never showed up. Scouts had told him how big the Indian force was, but he brashly attracted anyway.
To me what puts Custer in the most negative light is he was going to attack from the north to take women and children hostages. True warriors fight. If they are superior they are victorious. If they are inferior they die with honor defending their beliefs. To take women and children hostage is not the way of the warrior. It is cowardice and dishonorable.
The battlefield has an eerie gloom still hanging over it in the hot summer sun. I did what I had learned in the Badlands. I sat quietly for 20 minutes to absorb, contemplate and see what else I could notice. The heat, the dirt, the grass, the hills, I saw what must have been a wild horse way down in a valley. I felt the dirt with my bare feet and tried to connect with the energy of this sacred piece of earth. Humans have come a long way, but we have much farther to go.
I drove my bus with Jeep in toe over the 5 mile road that winds through the battle field. It was another good warm-up for mountain driving. The road is hilly, windy and extremely narrow.
I found a secluded pull-off with a good view and decided to reflect further with a nice dark porter beer from my refrigerator. I was sitting low in the doorway when suddenly a park ranger truck pulled in with it’s flashing lights. I got up quickly and rushed in back and set down my beer. When I came out the US Park Ranger said, “You can’t have that beer here, I saw you holding it”. I was very courteous and explained that I was just having one to soak in the moment. He was about my age and I think he too appreciated a good beer once and awhile. He was being very understanding. I offered to pour it out. He agreed that that was a good idea since “technically this constitutes an open container”. I poured out my beer, thanked him and he drove off.
I headed toward Billings Montana about an hour away. I watched a small rain cloud pouring down in the distance for much of the drive. It had intense lightning.
When I got to Billings the storm hit me. It was pouring and blowing hard from the left. My window was still stuck down half way, so I was being pelted by rain like I was outside. The storms radius was small. It was sunny everywhere else. Everything was white and bright. I could barely see. The wind was pushing me all over the road. I thought several times the wind would topple me over. I knew my exit was 446. I saw 447 and thought about pulling off. It was just one 1 more mile, so I slowly went for it. As soon as I got off of the highway the rain stopped.
I found Wal Mart and a great parking spot.
Several hours later it started storming again. There was a security guard going from camper to camper in his truck and all of the campers were moving. I waved him over from my windshield and invited him in out of the rain. He was surprised and thankful I invited him in. He wanted the RVs to line up facing the store so he could see in-between us as he patrolled at night. He was watching out for us. It was comforting and welcoming. He sat and we chatted for awhile about all sorts of trivial stuff before he went back to work.
I really felt at home here. I’m learning that although Wal Mart parking lots look alike, they can have a very different feel.

07-11-09

Sleeping at Wal Mart was pretty good. Other than the music from the car dealership it was fairly quiet.
I took a shower and have a new problem. It’s not a huge thing, but quite annoying. The water temperature drifts from too hot to too cold about every three seconds. If it was a bit too hot my body could adjust. It if was too cold I could adjust, but back and forth is borderline torture. “Ouch!...bur!...ouch!...bur!” but I did get clean.
I fueled up and washed my windows at the Flying J. It was very busy and a tight fit, but I got in and out easily. It was almost fun. My truck driver training is helping me immensely.
I headed west. Snow capped mountains slowly came into view on the horizon. I was excited and they were beautiful. It was fun to see them get bigger and bigger as I drove closer. The terrain started to get hilly and I to adjust my driving. I now watch my temperature gauge like a hawk. It would go up when I would climb larger hills. When I go up, it goes up. When I go down, it goes down. It was a hot day; 91 degrees.
I pulled in to Sheridan Wyoming in the afternoon. I spotted a car wash. I still needed to wash the coolant off of my Jeep. There was a Wal Mart right there, so I pulled in and found a nice spot with a grassy field on one side.
When I unhooked my Jeep I remembered that the locking hitch pin that I had was bent and I had switched to the original non-locking pin. The tow bar cost $900 so I didn’t want to leave it unlocked. I went into Wal Mart and bought a new, better locking hitch pin and installed it.
I drove my Jeep to the car wash and all around Sheridan. It was nice to cruise about easily in a small vehicle.
Sheridan is a fun western city. It was Rodeo Weekend. Many businesses had signs welcoming cowboys and fans. I found it fun that the Perkins was open 24 hours a day for 3 days only special for the rodeo.
It was nice to finally have a day with not much to do. I was looking forward to relaxing back at the bus.
While running the generator I blew a circuit breaker running too much stuff at once. This was an often occurrence. I was learning what things I could run at the same time. I opened the fuse box panel, but none of the circuit breakers had tripped. I tried and failed to figure out what was wrong. I now had no 120volt power, no regular plug ins, microwave, air conditioners, TV and no way of charging my laptop, camera, or MP3 player. It was hot and I was frustrated. I just wanted to relax.
I’m learning to cope with problems and kept fighting. Eventually I found a circuit breaker right on the generator, outside in the front compartment of the bus.
The bad times make the good times all that much better. Happy, I turned on the air, watched TV, and worked on my laptop as it charged.

07-10-09

I needed a shower, but was running low on fresh water. There is a gauge inside that simply has four lights on it and I was on the last one. I’ve learned that you can see the actual water level through the white plastic tank from outside if you look really close. It’s a square 40 gallon tank, about 10 inches tall. It had about 1 inch left, so I decided to take a quick shower.
I was all soaped up when I heard the faucet start to spurt and sputter. I rinsed off quickly before the water ran out. It was nice to learn that I get a last minute warning and time to do an emergency rinse.
I called an RV place in Billings Montana and scheduled an appointment to have my electrical problems looked at. They could get me in Tuesday morning which was good. That gave me four days to wander there. I felt better, having a plan to deal with the problems. The step was still clicking; click click, click, click click, click. It had been talking to me for three days.
Badlands National Park was just up the road. I splurged for the Annual National Parks pass for $80. It’s good for a calendar year for most national parks. I hoped I could make back my money as I traveled.
The Badlands are stunning. I stood out in the crowd of families as I walked barefoot and shirtless off of the boardwalk. My feet curved with the earth and stuck to the sand. I felt sure-footed. I heard a little girl on the boardwalk yell to her mother, “look at that boy, he’s barefoot!” It is recommended that you wear shoes. There are rattle snakes in the area. I was very cautious of my surroundings. Two ladies in their fifties were taking each other’s picture by the “Be Ware of Rattle Snakes” sign. A photo opportunity must. I asked if they wanted me to take their picture. They returned the favor. I said, “This one’s for my mom, she’s always telling me to put some shoes on”. They liked my painted toe nails. We walked together toward the scenic overlook. Oddly the safe, man-made boardwalk was too hot for my feet. I balanced on the edge board that was lighter in color and not so hot. I walked some of the time next to the board walk on the sand. It was much more comfortable.
At the scenic overlook people were commenting to one another about the historical plaque. I said jokingly, “someone should just read it allowed”. One of the women I was walking with said enthusiastically, “I will, I was a teacher” and she began to read, she traded off each sentence with her friend. Everyone laughed and laughed. I’m finding that it’s easy to make friends with strangers while traveling alone. Anytime I’m trying to take my own picture someone will ask if they can do it for me. It’s a great conversation starter.
I wondered off of the boardwalk and out as far as I could safely get on a ledge. All of my new friends headed back to their cars. I noticed that people walk to the overlook, snap some pictures, then leave. I decided to stay awhile and sat down on the ledge. In time I started to notice things I hadn’t seen before; plants, birds and rings in the layers of sediment. It was a wonderful moment that only took about twenty minutes. I decided that I would make it part of my routine to stop, sit and really try to connect with places like this in the future.
As I walked back, I heard another girl shout, “look at that boy, way over there, he’s barefoot!”
I drove the scenic roadway through the Badlands. I found a place to dump and fill my water tanks. It cost $1 and was the honor system. I was so happy to fill my tank. I decided to give them $2, a very reasonable price, plus it’s money for the park to help preserve nature.
The drive was a good warm-up for the mountains I had coming up. It was windy, narrow and steep.
I stopped at many of the scenic overlooks. At Fossil Exhibit Trail I walked around again barefoot and cautious. I felt like I was on a vision quest in the dessert. The sun beamed down. It was very hot and dry. I studied the rocks, looking for fossils.
Wal, South Dakota was right at the end of the scenic drive. I’d been wanting to get a cowboy hat there for days. I was hungry to and wanted an authentic buffalo burger. I found my burger and a great hat. The place was very familiar as I had been there several times on family vacations. When I walked onto the street, women of all ages smiled at me and my hat. I knew I had picked a winner.
While taking my own picture again I was offered assistance. One woman said, “That’s a good photo-op” and took a picture of me for herself.
I left Wal and headed west. I wasn’t sure how far I’d go. I pulled of off the interstate at Sundance, Wyoming, but had no phone service, so decided to push on. Oddly in the middle of nowhere I had a great phone signal. I called my mom while headed west into the sun set. She looked and found that there was a Wal Mart in Gillette, 58 miles ahead. She even gave me the exit number. It was comforting to know where I would stay that night.
The Wal Mart had about ten other RVs staying at it. I needed some basic supplies and a good night sleep, so this was ideal.
There was a car dealership about one hundred feet away that for some reason had Hot AC music playing over their loudspeakers. I used my rubber ear bud headphones as earplugs. It worked great and I slept well.

07-09-09

I developed a sense of noticing when the bus was being touched from the outside. I’d feel a vibration, or hear a slight noise. It was a pleasant sensation because it meant to me that progress was being made. If I thought I sensed something, I’d perk up and tilt me head to the side like a dog listening. I was usually right and could detect the slightest tinkering.
The engine is under the bed, so I knew right away that morning the moment they went to work.
I got up and went out to chat. They needed to access the engine from the inside, so I tilted up the bed. They worked for several hours inside and out, while I worked on my computer at my kitchen booth. They joked quite a bit about how difficult it was to get into the engine compartment. They had to lie down and crawl in head first to reach anything.
After lunch I felt them working. The radiator hose had finally shown up. They put it back together and we started it up to check. Things looked good. I now had a flushed cooling system, new antifreeze, lower radiator hose, thermostat, radiator cap, serpentine belt and they installed a new air filter that I had with me.
I took the bus for a test drive over the Missouri River and back. I pushed it hard up the hill and it ran nice and cool. I forgot to check where I was when I left the shop and didn’t know my exit. I guessed right and went in to pay.
I was freaking out inside at how much this might cost. They worked many hours usually two guys at a time and they are a commercial diesel garage. I squinted to see the total from several feet away as the woman walked toward me with the bill. $586. I’ll take it. I paid and left.
I stopped to get fuel before going immediately to rescue my Jeep. While fueling I reviewed my repair bill and was surprised to find that they only charged me for four hours labor. I know they did at least eight hours, again usually two at a time. I’ll never know why they did that. Maybe they just felt sorry for me.
I cruised along happy to be free at 75mph, sometimes 80. I was very anxious to get back to my Jeep.
I entered Mountain Time and got my hour back. When I got close to where I had stayed Monday night I could see the huge “Badlands Travel Center” sign towering far off on the horizon, just as it did when I was breaking down. As I got closer I looked intensely for the first sign of my Jeep. Finally it came into view. I was so happy and relieved. I pulled in and parked where I did before. Ten feet before I stopped I hit a pot hole and heard my glasses crashing in the cupboard. I found it funny that I drove that far only to knock them over that close to my stop. I tipped the glasses over a lot. This time one actually broke. It was just an old shot glass I didn’t care about. I’m thinking about perhaps pre-knocking stuff over before I travel. The same stuff just keeps falling over.
I bought a car charger for my phone at the truck stop so I wouldn’t have to run my generator just to charge my phone and spent a quiet evening at home.

07-08-09

I wasn’t sure when the shop opened, or how soon they’d start to work on my bus. I woke to the sound of a garage door going up early at about 7:30. Most people rolled in around 8:00 and they were working on my problems by 9:00.
I was excited to get on the road, so I decided that I wouldn’t have them look at my electrical problems, I’d just have them get me running and take care of those issues up the road. I found an RV place on-line that might be good in Billings Montana. These guys are grease monkeys who specialize in big rig diesel trucks. They’ll fix my engine, but might not be too familiar with motorhome accessories.
I was hoping to get on the road by noon. I got the bus ready to roll; curtains open, belongings secured, TV antenna down, etc.
The mechanics tended to mumble and I really wasn’t sure what my situation was. I asked a guy lying under the bus, “How’s it going?” He said, “fhrm on good”. I wasn’t sure if he said, “Not so good”, or something like, “Pretty good”. Later, Bob told me, “wrtfng om radiator hose”. I think he said, “Waiting on a radiator hose”.
I proceeded to wait while all work had stopped. I assumed a radiator hose was on its way. I watched each truck as it drove into the lot to see if it looked like it might be carrying my parts. Nothing looked right and I was let down each time.
When it got to be 1:00 I thought, “If I make it to the Mountain Time Zone, I’ll get an hour back and it will still be like I left at noon.
It got later and later and later. I hate waiting. I started to re-plan my day and now just hoped to get on the road and rescue my Jeep. I now regretted leaving it. I could use it to get around while I’m stranded and I was just worried about it. Hind sight is 20 20. To Jeep, or not to Jeep? Jeep. New rule; always bring it. Lesson learned.
Around 3:00 a mechanic with good diction told me, “We’re just waiting on that radiator hose.” I asked, “Think I’ll get outa here today”, expecting a “Sure!”, but was floored when he simply said, “Nope”…he went on to tell me that the parts were coming via Fed Ex and should be here tomorrow around noon.
I crawled up into the bus, closed the curtains and turned on the air conditioner. I couldn’t believe I was stuck there for at least another night.
Still, I was in my home, so I had things I could do. I’d been meaning to try to figure out how to edit video on my computer. I had shot some clips at the Judas Priest show and wanted to clean them up and post them on the internet. I started to mess around with my video editing program and quickly figured it out. It was very similar, yet simpler than many of the audio editing programs I had used in radio production. I had a blast and felt great that I could now edit video on my lap-top. I made a pretty good montage of the concert, but was unable to up-load it yet due to my weak internet signal.
After that my mood was great. I realized I now had time to do the things I never seemed to get around to.
The day slipped by and before I knew it it was evening. I had some vodka, but nothing to mix it with. I smashed some watermelon chunks and grapes left over from my mom and dad’s picnic supplies through a wire strainer into a bowl with a metal soup ladle to make juice. I made a huge mess, but it worked great. My broken collar bone hurt as I smashed the fruit. I had forgotten about it. It was getting better. I was now four weeks into the six week healing process.
There were storm warnings scrolling on TV. I wasn’t sure what county I was in, but it was getting active outside. My driver’s window was still stuck down, so I taped a garbage bag over it. My TV antenna was rocking in the wind, so I put it down.
There was no one there. It was perfect isolation. I cranked up my tunes louder than I had ever felt comfortable before. When the storm passed and was in the distance I grabbed my big radio headphones and my laptop and climbed up onto my roof to try to get a better internet signal. There was lightning constantly flashing in the distance. It was unbelievably beautiful. I felt like I was on top of the world, like God watching from on high.

07-07-09

First thing was to take a shower. I was filthy and too tired to do it the night before.
Then, call Progressive Insurance as I had roadside assistance. The call took about twenty minutes, but they took excellent care of me. At first she wanted to have me towed to Pierre, South Dakota. It was Monday and they wouldn’t be able to work on it until Friday. I pretended like I was in a hurry, even though my future was completely wide open. She found a place that could tow me and work on my problem and the tow would be covered by my insurance. A&R Towing & Recovery was about two hours back the direction I had just come from in Chamberlain, South Dakota, on the Missouri River.
I ate breakfast and waited. I contemplated; To Jeep, or not to Jeep, that’s the question. Should I drive behind, or leave it at the truck stop. I was headed right by it on the way back…hopefully. I gambled and decided to leave it to save the gas money. Hopefully it would be okay.
I wondered, “What sort of tow truck could possibly tow a 35’ motorhome?”
Progressive kept checking in with me on the phone. I also got a call from Bob, the tow truck driver, when he was about 15 minutes away.
It was about 10:30 when I saw my hero pulling off-of the highway. It was a huge blue Western Star semi tow truck. It was an awesome and comforting sight. Bob was a good looking young man with long, rock and roll hair. I watched curiously as he hooked everything up. It took almost 2 hours to get ready to roll. The whole procedure was very interesting to me.
I rode in the cab of “Blue Star” with Bob. He was a very skilled driver, I asked probably too many questions, but was intrigued by everything that surrounded me. I said, “Good thing I have roadside assistance, how much does this cost?” He said, “This is about a thousand dollar tow”.
When we stopped so he could pick up some tires at a shop I asked “Is it cool if I ride in the motorhome while you tow it?” “Sure” he said, so I jumped in the back. There was a warning beep constantly going off as the bus was in neutral and the parking brake was released.
As we pulled-out, a storage compartment on the back of the wrecker swung open wildly. I had his number in my phone from when he called me before, so I called him right away. He stopped, secured the door and I gave him a big thumbs up.
Riding in the bus at 70mph while in tow was interesting to say the least. I ate, went to the bathroom and talked on my phone. I wondered if I it was safe to be up and about. Bob was such a good driver I felt confident we’d be okay. He dragged me back into the central time-zone which unfortunately moved the clock ahead an hour. The ride was 2 hours long. I took the opportunity to chase down thumps and rattles that I never could find while driving. Eventually I fell sound asleep on my bed.
When I woke I looked out the window and saw a sign; Chamberlain 12 Miles. I got up and got ready.
The place was a big machine shed on a gravel lot surrounded by old trucks, cars and tractors like a junk yard. I sat for a long time before anyone did anything. It was a hot afternoon, about 87 degrees. I’d been hearing the warning beep for hours now. I was anxious, but patient. I knew this was not a scheduled appointment, but was worried as it was already about 3:30 central time.
They finally did go to work. It was a very casual atmosphere and I was able to hang out with them while we pondered what went wrong. They didn’t find much wrong. Old antifreeze, perhaps a slipping belt, dirt packed in the radiator. They blew dirt out of the radiator with compressed air. I was inside on my computer when my bedroom smoke detector suddenly started loudly beeping. I went back to silence it thinking it was from work they were doing in the shop, but found the bedroom was engulfed in a cloud of dirt. The engine is under the bed and we left the bed and hatch tilted up from when they were looking in there before. I silenced the alarm, closed the hatch, turned on the bedside fan and turned the roof fan to blow out on high. There was no harm done and we had a good laugh.
They worked until about 6:30, and then called it quits. I’d have to wait until tomorrow morning for them to work more.
I was happy to stay there, they had a 30 amp electrical hook-up, it was level and quiet. I had a weak, but functional internet signal, good phone signal, 8 TV channels and my entire home.
I noticed that the malfunctioning step was making an electric, servo type clicking. I tried to disable it by turning it off. That didn’t work, so I pulled the fuse. That didn’t work either.
I snuck out and tried to find a hose faucet to fill my water holding tank in the cover of darkness, but found nothing.
I talked to Trinity in New Hampshire late into the night. I’m drawn to her lately so much that I joked that I’m trying to go west, but I’m literally being dragged east.
I drifted to sleep to the sound of my step clicking; click click, click, click click, click.

07-06-09

It was finally the day I would leave for the real journey I had been planning for for so long. I was more nervous than usual about getting busted for not paying to stay. I hadn’t paid for the last two nights. If I left right then I’d be in the free and clear, but I raced around all morning getting ready to leave. I wanted to stay hooked up to the electricity because I needed to charge my camera and I wanted to vacuum. There was river sand and were cotton wood tree seeds everywhere. I also went to the court house to get new license tabs for my Jeep so it would be good to go for a year potentially out of the state. I managed to get everything done and got out of the park for free. I wound up paying for three nights. I had been there for eight.
Before I left I dumped my holding tanks, but was unable to fill my fresh water tank. The pump handle had been removed, I assumed it had broken.
I rolled out of Saint Peter around 1:00pm, bought $100 of diesel fuel for $2.58 a gallon next to Happy Chef in Mankato.
It was several hours until I hit Interstate 90 which would take me east through South Dakota. Everything was running great. It was a beautiful drive. I flew my hand out the window on the wind like the wing of a plane. I made South Dakota, then hit Mountain Time. My dad was right; when you cross the Missouri River the landscape changes from farmland and begins to roll into the foothills of cattle country. The miles ticked off like seconds on a clock. I was shooting for the Badlands, the Black Hills, or the Wall Drug area to stop for the night. I wanted to buy a straw hat to wear sarcastically as I drove through the mountains.
I hit the window button to bump up my window a bit and nothing happened, then I saw my back-up monitor flicker. It went dead. I started checking systems and found I had a major electrical malfunction, but only with non-essential equipment. There was no power to the leveling jacks control panel, or the trailer brakes, which I weren’t using. The windshield fans wouldn’t turn either. I saw a sign for a rest stop, so I pulled in to see if it was something obvious like fuses, or a wire shorting out. I tried, but failed to notice anything obvious. “No big deal”, I thought again as these were not primary systems. While I was stopped I figured I should check on the Jeep, even though I really never knew what I was looking for when I did my walk around.
When I opened the door the automatic step failed to deploy. I hit the on-off switch, but nothing. It had also become a casualty of my electrical problem. I jumped out like a para-trooper and landed safely on the ground even without a shoot.
As I walked to the Jeep I saw it was all brown and red like the space ship from “Space Oddesy 2010”. Sorry for the obscure reference, but it’s true. “What is this?” I thought. I rounded the back of the buss and saw that it too was covered in it. It had come bursting out of the engine compartment of the bus. It was obviously the coolant from the radiator and a very bad color for antifreeze. I thought, “This could be a major malfunction of a primary system”, I always did want to work for NASA. I had lost a lot of coolant, but the overflow reservoir still had a good amount, so I started to drive.
I watched the temperature gauge more than the road. My bus had always run very cool. It was higher than normal and climbing, climbing quickly. It was headed into the red. I had to pull over. I know from previous experience that you can kill an engine that way. I pulled the bus over, para-jumped into the ditch and went back to investigate. I decided to fill up the antifreeze reservoir and try driving. The gauge immediately went red and the temperature warning light came on. I stopped again, but this time rolled on the shoulder as far as I could. I could see what looked like a truck stop sign way up ahead on the horizon and wanted to get every foot closer as I could.
When I checked, none of the coolant had been sucked into the system form the reservoir. The radiator was so empty I could actually open the cap without it exploding. I put the remaining antifreeze directly into the radiator. The engine is so tightly tucked into the motorhome that the only way I could figure out how to pour in the antifreeze was to put it in a bicycle water bottle, then squirt it in. I’d just throw the water bottle away later, it was made out of the plastic that was supposed to cause cancer anyway.
I drove and again it didn’t work. This time as I coasted to a stop I was rather aggressive. I turned the engine off still rolling at about 35 mph on the shoulder. I had my hazard flashers on and just kept the momentum going. That truck stop was slowly getting closer.
The overflow reservoir was still full. I needed to get that antifreeze into the radiator, besides I had time to kill. Each time I stopped I waited a half an hour to forty five minutes to let the engine cool. It didn’t cool much at all in that amount of time. I had a cheap siphoning hose and tried to siphon the antifreeze from the reservoir to the radiator. It didn’t work, so I proceeded to do it the old fashioned way, with my mouth. I knew antifreeze was poisonous, so I tried to limit the amount that went into my mouth. I still got a good shot every once in a while. I now know why pets lick it, it is sweet. I also know they die from it, so I was spitting sweet antifreeze all over the asphalt. I got it all over myself too. I was a mess.
A truck slowly pulled over on the shoulder behind me. A big man in a cowboy hat climbed out like he was climbing down from a stage coach. I ran to the bus to get my shoes to hide my painted toe nails. I saw from his badge that he was a sheriff. “Got a problem”, he said. I showed him my situation and told him that I was just trying to limp it to the truck stop. He gave me some good directions. I said, “I think I can make it”. He said, “Okay, if you don’t we’ll be along later”.
Eventually I did make it the five miles to the truck stop. It was a perfect place to call home for the night. It was in the middle of nowhere on the plains, but had a huge back gravel lot for truckers to sleep, there was plenty of room for me too. I talked to a man with a pickup camper who was staying there. He had a thick accent. I believe he was from somewhere in the Middle East, but had long hair and seemed have been Americanized. Middle Eastern mullet, can you believe it? I asked him if they minded if we stayed here. He said, “No, I go all over the country this way”. I felt comforted by his words, not only for tonight, but also for future nights on the road.
I climbed back up into my bus and enjoyed a wonderful night at home. I had internet, phone, 10 TV channels, wine and my own bed. My window was still stuck half way open, but I have an alarm that will sound if the door is opened and a gun if I need it. I was patient and would rest and work on the problems tomorrow.