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Published: August 7th 2007
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A visit from the Blair Witch
In the year 1999, "The Blair Witch Project" was released to theaters across America. Chad and I caught its opening just before we left for our 4 day backcountry adventure through the Grand Teton Wilderness. We spent the next few days away from people and the likes of civilization...but we were not alone! The following is a journal of pictures that I have compiled from previous trips taken before the days of travelblog and before I was so internet savvy. I have documented most of these past adventures in my personal journal, but I really want to add these memories to my travelblog. They were the first of my big adventures and some of the most memorable times in my life.
After graduating from college in 1999, the guys and I starting taking trips that were a little different from our normal beach parties up and down the coast. Instead of looking for where the crowds were headed, we sought out places to escape the madness of the upbeat city and experience the nature that surrounds it. During our school years, we had been on many weekend camping trips around Tennessee, Kentucky, and North Carolina, but desired to expand out and see more of our great country. It was after graduating from the University of Tennessee and spending a second summer working on Hilton Head Island that Chad, Bobby, Mark, and I set off on what would be one of many great adventures to the west.
The following are the trips (in
chronological order) taken between 1999 and 2004.
The Trip out West I (23 days): In 1999, Chad, Bobby, Mark, and I, after flying into Denver, CO, rented a car and headed due south. For the next week, we traveled through 4 states (CO, AZ, NM and UT) and visited 5 National Parks (The Grand Canyon NP, Zion NP, Bryce Canyon NP, The Arches NP and the Rocky Mountain NP). Soon, we ended up back in Denver, where Bobby and Mark returned back to Tennessee and Chad and I headed north for another 2 weeks on the road. Over the next 14 days, we hit 3 more National Parks (Grand Teton NP, Yellowstone NP and Glacier NP), did some backcountry backpacking and got to see the countryside of two more states (WY, MT, and even a quick stop in Alberta, Canada). We spent 4 days hiking around the Grand Teton Mtn. Range and another 3 days in the backcountry of Glacier NP. In those 23 days out west, we never once stayed in a hotel (camping or sleeping in the car) and got to truly experience life on the open road.
Trip to Alaska (11 days): In 2001,
Chad, Bobby, Mark, Jimmy and I flew into Anchorage, Alaska and spent the next 11 days exploring the Denali NP wilderness and the Kenyi Fjords NP. Unlike the other NP's in the U.S., Denali has no trails or signs in the backcountry to assist navigation. We reserved a zone of the park ahead of time and had a whole section all to ourselves for 6 days. We navigated our way by topo map, compass, and the expertise of our USGS professional - Chad. This backcountry adventure was one of the most challenging things we had attempted and proved to be one of the most memorable. Following Denali, we headed south to the Kenyi Fjords NP where we stared out over glacier fields, slid down snow-covered slopes and took a scenic boat tour of the Alaskan waters (encountered a pair of Killer whales - really cool).
The Trip out West II (14 days): In 2004, on my relocation to Vail, CO, I took a detour to Dallas, TX where I visited my older brother Derek and his family and met up with Tucker, who was to accompany me on a 14 day trip through the parks and wilderness of Utah
and Arizona. Over the next two weeks, Tuck and I took a road trip through some of the areas I traveled before and to some new places that I missed on my first trip. We visited The Grand Canyon NP, Zion NP, Bryce Canyon NP, Capital Reef NP, Cayonlands NP, The Arches NP, and Moab (not a NP but still rocks). Some of the highlights were backpacking down into the Grand Canyon (camping near the CO river that runs through it), staring out off Angels Landing in Zion, NP and mountain biking the trails of Slickrock in Moab.
Trip to Europe (14 days): In 2004, directly following my trip with Tucker out west, Dad (who met me in CO) and I flew out of Denver with the Challenge Aspen team and headed to Europe. Six months prior to this trip, I had raised money (w/ help from all of my friends and family) and was going to Monaco to run in a race to sponsor handicap kids for the
Challenge Aspen program. The first 3 days of the trip were spent in Monaco where Dad and I showed the French what running was all about. The next 11 days were
spent traveling by Eurail across Italy, Switzerland, and France. Some of the highlights were running through the streets of Monaco with Challenge Aspen, touring all of Rome, staring out at the Matterhorn in Zermatt, Switzerland, and the entire train ride through the countrysides of France, Italy and Switzerland.
There were many other small trips taken during this time period and before, but these are the four that hold a special place in my memory. It was in these trips that I found a passion for traveling and a desire to learn more about the world around me. I had the pleasure of sharing these experiences with some of my closest friends, whom I consider family. I know the future holds many more adventures like these, just as long as the guy's wives will agree to it. I promise ladies, we'll behave - as much as possible. With that said, enjoy the 4 pages of pictures (most of which I had to scan b/c it was before I owned a digital camera) and give me a shout sometime and we'll hit trails. As my friends say - "Climb Every Mountain."
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melanie
non-member comment
oh my god
i came across this by chance. i am going there next year. im even more excited now the pics are mind blowing.