LAS VEGAS!!!! June 10- June 13

We decided we earned a vacation from our vacation and headed down to the city of sin for some new adventures. Obviously ELan and I managed to get lost and ended up downtown Las Vegas instead of on the actual strip but oddly enough I happened to run into Bram Devine who pointed out my error---- small world. That night we realized the free campground we wanted to stay at was closed and ended up sleeping in the car (not our first or last time).

June 11
Upon waking up in the parking lot everyone got dressed and shaved and we decided we wanted to check out the shark reef at Mandalay Bay. After realizing it was $15 to get in we left and headed down to the pool. First great thing that happened to us was when we realized that there were showers in the pub;lic restrooms which meant we not only got to shower but that it was free. Next, Ryan pursuaed the pool attendant to let us in soo we all got to hang out at the Mandalay Bay pool. After swimming and showering we headed over to NYNY where we realized we could again get into the pool area for free (the key here was looking like yuou owned the place). Later on Elan and I treated ourselves to a real dinner as opposed to our usual peanut butter and jam sandwiches or macaroni and cheese entres. Then we went to catch the Cirque de Solei show at Treasure Island. After that we gambled a bit, lost our money, and I went up to the room (aka car) on floor six (aka parking level #6) while the boys went to hooters.

June 12
After waking up, again we all got dressed and changed- which was an interesting site to see if you were in the parking lot. Then we headed down to the pool again and pretty much stayed there for the day. We gambled again, went to hooters, fell asleep, and were woken up when our food arrived. Then we went back to our room on parking level 6 which pretty much felt like our own place by this time. We are still surprised that the hotel management never discovered our scheme.

June 13
This time we took advantage of the hotel wake up call (parking lot attendants) and got woken up at around 7 in the morning. After checking out, we exited the building and realized that when room service cleaned our area they actually stole our cooler which we left out because it was taking up to much space. However, we decided not to lodge any complaints because it was pretty amazing that someone got away with our cooler while 3 people were sleeping inches from it. We dropped Ryan off at the bus later on because the dirtbags were splitting up. Me and Elan headed over to Arizona while Ryan went to California. But don't despair...we will be reunited in about a week. On the way to Arizona we stopped at Hoover Dam (not that impressive unless maybe you do a tour which costs money which we don't spend on trivialities like that), and we also stopped at the grand canyon which was very very impressive. And we even got to see a wild elk which was pretty cool. Somehow up until this point we made it through the most remote areas of the desert and never ran into any wild life- on that note we have confirmed that rattle snakes and mountain lions are legends.

Total money lost:
Gambled: Sam -$22/ Elan -$100/ Ryan +$100
Hotel: $0
Shows: $60
Food: $50
Clothes: Sam- $40

Basically we managed to go to Las Vegas for 3 nights and spend around $200

Trip Tally:
May 17-June 13= $350 per person (not including money spent on personal items which does not exeed $200)

To sum up, we have spent less money in one month then an average person would spend in one week at an all inclusive resort in Mexico. For further dirtbag hints and tips you may request information or order our dirtbag brochure. T-shirts coming soon!!!

Hope Everyone is having an amazing summer XOXOXO

UTAH!!!! May 29-June 10

Howdy....

Moab was our first destination in Utah where we discovered just how hot the desert can really get. Firstly we finally had the first shower in about 10 days- wooohooo. We take the meaning of dirtbagging it literally. After a yoga party, we hiked out to a remote area in the arches passing animal holes about every couple feet in order to get to sunshine wall. Elan and I did 2 amazing slab climbs that were 160 feet. It was at this wall that Elan grew some balls and clipped into pitons and angles as opposed to bolts, and had many runouts including a 30 footer to the anchors. The next day we tried wall street (a popular climbing area) but we didn't get too far because the rock was burning and the sun was blistering and basically we realized that you have to hit up the crag either before 10:00am or after 4pm to avoid the heat (we never seemed to follow this rule and suffered unnecessarily instead). Before leaving Moab we drove around the arches which was amazing and then checked out canyonlands. A couple Czechoslovakians who we hung out with one night recommended us to go there on the basis that it was nicer then the grand canyon (which it isn't, but nonetheless it was amazing). The arches had really cool rock formations due to water eroding the sandstone, and canyonlands was a really cool canyon that had different levels.

Animal sightings: Jack hair rabbits, lizards

Interesting moments: A tumbleweed roadblock- those old wild wild west movies are not lying, tumbleweeds are everywhere!!!

Quotes: Ryan- "How much do you think snakes camouflage."
Ryan- "Ants in Utah work really hard. That was the 5th ant i've seen carrying something."
Czechoslovakian dude: "USA is going downtown [ 1 minute pause] I mean downhill. I was trying to make expression."
Czechoslovakian dude: " We were in a 10 minute sandstorm and it felt like needles on our legs and you had to cover your faces and the sand got everywhere and it hurt so much........it was beautiful"

St George
St George was the next stop on our list. Using the couch surfing website we actually were able to hook up with a guy in St George named Nephi who let a few good looking strangers crash on his couch for a couple nights. He also made us dinner and let us use his shower which was awesome. (Note: by June 2nd we had a total of 3 showers). We did a couple routes at some local crags, Elan even finished a 5'12b and then we decided to move on to bigger and better things. Before we left we had a little dinner party at Nephi's and followed up with a friendly game of poker (I won). We also stopped at the local public swimming pool for a dip where the average age was about 8 and where Elan failed to learn how to do a back flip even though his instructor was over 10 years younger then him.

Next we headed over to prophecy wall which was more remote and had a great little camping spot by a lake right by the cliff. The next day we took a day off and headed into town where Best Buy gave me the verdict on my laptop which previosuly suffered from the blue screen of death. They told me that my laptop was toast and that my hard drive was destroyed and I lost all my information. Then, it decided to rain on the one day we left our tent cover off because we were convinced that it never rained in the desert. The next day however made up for the day before. We headed over to prophecy wall and did 2 multi pitch sport routes that were about 200 feet. They were amazing routes with nice overhangs, a ton of flakes, and beautiful belay stations and top outs. I grew some balls in this area where I led one of the pitches and did a 15-20 foot run out. Later my laptop mysteriously started to work, and Snake (Ryan) ran into a snake (snake vs. snake).

Quote: Elan- "My stash is really coming in now, today I woke up and there was snot on it....it was a big moment."

Zion
Due to a major windstorm at prophecy wall we decided to pack up a day earlier then planned and we headed over to Zion national park. The time we spent in Zion was epic!!!!!!!!!!! Firstly Elan, Ryan and did an awesome hike past a few pools and waterfalls which was gorgeous. Next Elan and I headed over to a crag to do a multi pitch sport route that was a 10d. This route was 600 feet and 5 pitches. It was perhaps the single most incredible experience of my life. Surrounded by towering sandstone red cliffs as opposed to small crags, we actually felt like those bad ass climbers you read about. It took us about 5 hours to climb it. The whole thing had insane runouts, traverses, and exposures. It also had some nice flakes, slabs and craters...altogether it was an incredible route. But the fun doesn't stop here. On the way down it was pretty sandy so you could actually surf on the sand. Elan set up the camera to get a shot of my sandsurfing skills when a couple boulders came loose and threw me backwards. Luckily, instead of going tumbling down the canyon with boulders coming after me, I was flung onto a large boulder that broke my fall. Elan was heading my way when the boulder (which was larger then me) came loose and headed straight for him and would have completely obliterated him if he hadn't dodged out of the way. This was our first near death experience and we got it all on film.

The next two days we spent canyoneering (Ryan joined us) which was a fun break from rock climbing but equally challenging in its own way. Our first canoneering experience was at keyholes which involved some sketchy downclimbs and a 60 foot swim. Note: when a ranger highly advises you to wear a wetsuit, you might want to listen to him. The water was freezing!!!!!!!!!!! That night we hung out with some other travellers at our awesome campsite by the river. One of them has been hitchhiking around the world for 24 years and has made it to 120 countries and basically had a story for everything- he was Ryan's idol. The other guy has been climbing since he was 12 and works in every outdoor field possible and also had the craziest stories- My idol.

Our last day in Zion we decided to do a more technical canyoneering route even though our first experience wasn't so great. It took us about 5 hours and it had awesome views and a 100 foot free repel. When we finished the route, and after getting lost trying to find the road and finding ourselves in multiple situations that resembled our near death experience, we actually came out in a spot about 2 miles from our car which was on the other side of a tunnel that no pedestrians were allowed to walk through. And that was how I came about my first and hopefully not last hitchhiking experience. Yes that's right, I held my thumb out until someone stopped and picked me and elan up and it was fantastic.

Interesting moments: I beat Ryan and Elan at 2 games of poker (I won a total of two treats)

That about sums up our amazing experiences in Utah...Next stop- =LAS VEGAS

May 24-May 28 (Colorado)

Highlights of this blog: Drifter, Pat and John, Murdering a fish, Mountain Lions and Snakes, Sheep rock, the crossing...

May 24
Today was a big day for Elan. He led his very first mixed (trad/sport) multipitch route. It was technically a 1 pitch route (120 feet) but we figured we should start sharpening our multi pitch skills so as to get ready for the 600 feet routes at Tulumne. Then we went over to Clock Tower in Boulder canyon and did a few slab climbs that were mentally frightening even on top rope. Tonight Elan, Ryan and I all slept together with hot water bottles in our sleeping bag because it was way to cold otherwise. In fact I was about to sleep in the car but after about 10 minutes the blair witch project popped into my mind and I freaked out and crawled into the tent and cuddled both ryan and elan. On a funnier note, on the way to the crag we passed by a guy hitch hiking with a back pack, when we returned to our campsite hours later and miles away that same guy strolled in and started chatting with us. Apparently he is a drifter, named Mike who is possibly homeless but his true status remains unknown. So we naturally took him in, fed him some hot food and helped him set up his hammock. Thats right...his hammock. The poor guy slept in a hammock in weather that was definitely around or below zero. He had what we call a perma shiver, we had to roll his tobacco for him and set up his hammock because he couldn't stop shivering. In the morning we gave him a ride into town...

May 25
Today was supposed to be a rest day. We went into town to find a library so we could research our next destination but got distracted by a memorial day carnival that took place in the heart of Boulder. After that we enjoyed a men with a travelling piano who played led zeplin and every beetle song and ended up having a sing along made up of at least 15 people. Finally we made it to the library and Elan discovered some multi pitch routes in a remote area near Colorado spring so our plan for the next day was set.

Interesting Moment: We made a bunch of sandwiches and left them out in the sun for maybe 2 minutes. When we got back to them, they were toasted! This continued every time we made sandwiches all day.

Camping: As it was getting dark we pulled into a great campsite off the road. It was free, by a lake, and with an amazing view of the mountains in the background. If i haven't mentioned it before, I'll mention it now...everywhere you go in Colorado you catch glimpses of the most beautiful mountains of all shapes and sizes. Some have snow peaks, others are red rocks, and many of them feature hard granite. Anyways back to the campsite, we met some fishers (Pat and John) from Colorado springs. Before I go on I must mention that previously to this trip I may have harbored some bitter feelings against Americans in general. Perhaps my feelings were against the Bush lovers, or towards the southerners who I thought were less open minded and more geared towards racism; however I was pretty much prejudicial and I take back all bad thoughts because many Americans that we have met have been awesome people.

Take Pat and John for example. We got in pretty late and very hungry and without hesitation they threw on a bunch of chicken breasts and cooked us dinner. Then they offered us a seat by their fire and some alcohol. In the morning they helped us pack up our stuff, gave us whatever water they had, toilet paper, fire starters, and finally they gave us all the fish that they had caught so we could have a good dinner that night. AMAZING!!!

Side note: I killed one of the fish that they caught. It was my first time killing and gutting a fish and I have to say it's pretty creepy. It was still alive when I cut off it's head. However I don't feel bad about it because I figured, being an outdoor/wilderness lover. learning how to do this was a necessity.

May 26
Remember that crag I mentioned earlier, the one Elan found that boasted several multi pitch routes...well today was the journey to sheep rock. After travelling to the middle of no where, surrounded by a burnt forest and the odd cowboy riding a horse, we arrived at what we thought was our destination, sheeprock; but we are still unsure. After passing multiple signs warning that this area was prone to flash floods so visitors must get the fuck out of there if it started to rain; we headed down to a freezing river that had to be crossed. Next we followed a horse trail and then headed on a steep upwards hike. We reached massive boulders that we started to climb over and under, sometimes using rope for protection because they were pretty big and steep. After a couple hours we made it, sweating and cursing, to the top only to discover that there was no way to traverse over to the left and we saw no bolted routes. Defeated, we began our hike downwards where we discovered a very easy route that was marked by piled stones which we completely missed while scaling massive boulders. We got to the bottom and traversed right then Elan headed up to check it out, but after realizing that it was much further away then he thought, he gave up and we called it a day, and vowed never to travel to remote places without a guidebook, water, food, or flashlights. Nonetheless it was a beautiful hike through extremely rugged terrain, even though we were petrified of running into mountain lions and snakes and vowed to pick up an anti venom kit and possibly a gun afterwards. We concluded today that mountain lions are a myth, because we didn't see any in the one place one would have expected to see a ton.

On the way out of the canyon Elan never failed to mention how lucky we were that he was paying attention to the road because it was so winding that if he even glanced at his mirror for a second we would pretty much drive off the side of the road and plummet to our death.

Tonight we made our way to Colorado springs, ran into a bunch of hippies that were living out of a van and were directed to another free camping area. It was beautiful, overlooking the city and the red rock canyons, but yet again were were terrified because it was so remote that the possibility of running into a venomous snake (p.s. rattlesnakes are more venomous then ever and the reason is still unknown) or a mountain lion seemed all to real. Of course we cooked fish that night because subconsciously we were trying to attract any and all wild animals. At the same time we were continuously on look out and scanned the area every 2 minutes or so. After that we took an anti bacterial shower, changed clothes, had a fabreeze fight, and jumped into our tents with our shoes in case scorpions crawled into them in the middle of the night. ahhhh the wilderness.

May 27
Today we woke up early and headed over to the library again to get organized for the following days and Utah. This took about 5 hours. Helpful Tip: when preparing to go on a long road trip...actually prepare yourself so you don't have to make multiple trips to the library to figure out your next game plan. It is virtually impossible to have a relaxing off day when your list of errands piles up way to high. After the library we did laundry for the first time thus far then headed over to the Garden of The Gods. Asides from being a climbing area, it was pretty much a tourist trap. We felt like we went to Canada's wonderland and got to climb a man made cliffs. The climbing was beyond the sketchiest thing we have done yet. a 40 foot route may have 1 maybe 2 pitons or angles, so basically Elan free soloed the route and placed a few Pieces of mental protection. Disappointed and sketched out we decided to head back to boulder so we could get in some more climbing so we could leave Colorado satisfied. Tonight we passed out in the car.

May 28
Today is the last day that we would spend in Colorado. When we woke up the cliff was wet with last nights rain so we headed into town and went to the library...again...to plan our Utah trip. With Utah fully planned, we went left, toasted a few more sandwiches in the sun, and declared that it was nice enough to climb. We headed back to boulder canyon to a crag called Avalon. The best part of today was the crossing. In order to get to the crag we had to cross a river marked by huge boulder and fast paced rapids by a single suspended rope. After watching a couple guys hang off the rope and shimmy their way across, we took the safer route and clipped in and pulled our way across. We only did one route that day, it was pretty long, and Elan encountered an angry bee and possibly a snake on it soo we got out of there in a hurry. We decided after this that we experienced enough of Colorado so we hit the road again, this time towards Utah...

Next Weeks Highlights: The Arches, Couch surfing, showering, burning rock, blistering heat, St George, Zion, The blue screen of death, and hopefully picture updates