Advertisement
Published: September 16th 2009
Edit Blog Post
We've now left Canada and entered the United States. The welcome party included digital fingerprinting, photo for their face recognition system and a bunch of grumpy power crazy cowboys who I'm pretty sure didn't want you in their country. But since then everything has been brilliant.
First up was Olympia - the capital of Washington state (NW US). We went to visit our friends Kevin and Julia (from the Haute Route) and among other things enjoyed the Olympic Mountains (when it wasn't raining) and going for dinner with David Pond, the world renowned Astronomer and author. A 35 hour train journey to California followed - and along the way I managed to befriend the snack car manager who started our conversation by telling me that one of the next station stops had the best gentlemens washroom in Oregan. I though that was a bit weird but nothing twigged. Then he asked if I was a triathlete and after a couple of minutes more conversation this brute behind me in the queue ended our chit chat with the words "Can you two just exchange numbers and move on"! But it took Lindsay to inform me that this was border-line homosexual behaviour
to realise. I then used 'Aaron' for free cups of tea for the rest of our journey.
In LA, we had a morning to kill before picking up our hire car so we strolled down from our hostel in West Hollywood to Beverley Hills. We got a lot of strange looks when photographing all the mansions as to a suspicious onlooker we could well have appeared to be casing the joint. Arriving at LAX to pick up our rental car should always ring alarm bells. Has anyone ever picked up a car and not had at least one nasty surprise on the day of collection? Well this time we were told that despite their website allowing us to book the car for 5 weeks their maximum rental period was only 4 weeks so we would have to return it to LAX after 4 and start a new rental deal for one. Idiots. They had at least 3 different couples in tears at the counter and others beyond despair. We managed to make it out of LA at rush hour without any damage to our miniature car by American standards.
We made it to the Sierra Nevada Mountain range
by nightfall and set our tent in a camp site used solely it seemed for nightime rendevous between couples and drugs meets with gangs in SUVs. We hid effectively until Lindsay got the willies beyond control and relocated to a campsite with more than just our tent in it. From here we started our ascent of Mt Whitney, the highest mountain in mainland USA at 4421m, or over four times the height of Snowdon. Many hikers suffer from altitue sickness at this height so we opted to acclimatise at trail camp 850m below the summit. The next day we rose at 4:45am and made a push for the top (I make myself sound like Hillary) and after some plodding made it at 9am. The view from the top was breath-taking - above everything in the 48 contiginous states. See video and photos for evidence of our victory - we beat everyone from our campsite up - overtaking eight on route. Am I competitive? For those of a sensitive disposition please skip to the next paragraph. I should also mention that in the State Park you have to "pack out your own waste". I gloated to Lindsay before starting that I
wouldn't need to use the poo packs such was my bowel control. I then suffered from a bout of diahrea which is not what you want when the nearest toilet is 2 vertical km below you.
From Whitney set off for Las Vegas via Death Valley. We visited Badwater - the lowest point of the USA at 86m below sea level. As we passed through here it reached 47c - a touch on the warm side and for anyone who knows me well too much for my sweat glands to handle. Lindsay fared better but we couldn't only poke our heads out of the air-conditioned car for a few minutes ata time. People actually live here! How I know not but they do - and most of them in RV parks or in little shacks on the side of the road with no shade.
Next was Vegas with a gambling budget of $10 each! I lost mine in two spins of the roulette wheel while Lindsay shrudely played the one cent slots for enternity eventually losing hers too but forbidding me anymore. All was forgiven later when I had a photo with Elvis. Having been to Vegas 10
Badwater, Death Valley
86m below sea level and a steamy 47c! years ago with my parents I thought I would know all about it, but so much has changed. It has become even more ridiculous. You need only to look at the gold plated Trump Tower, the 1/2 scale replica Eiffel Tower or the entire New York skyline t name but three. Our hotel was downtown and was as cheap as some of the campsites we've stayed in but featured two queen size beds. A buffet breakfast was my our downfall - we didn't learn from you Kirsty and Paul - in no particular order I had the following:
Pancakes with syrup, eggs, bacon, whipped cream, strawberries, glazed jam dognuts, danish pastries, omlettes, french toast, sausage and coffee. We felt sick all day.
Now we're in Zion National Park to witness the red rock canyons. We're off on a back country trail tomorrow and then canyoning on Saturday. More to follow soon. Hope you're all well and thanks for all your emails.
George and Linz
Advertisement
Tot: 0.244s; Tpl: 0.012s; cc: 9; qc: 46; dbt: 0.055s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.2mb
San Sharma
non-member comment
All-you-can-stomach
Really enjoying the blog, mate. Looks like you're having an amazing time! Go easy on the buffet.