Reading The Undaunted is what brought it all back, the memories of walking where faith filled people have walked before. And we are going to do it again. We are driving the old Hole in the Rock trail next week!!! We've done it before, once in our Landcruiser with ME, myself driving the thing while Dave rode his motorcycle. We went with some friends, and most of the other women were out walking while I drove those technical hard spots, of which there were many. This time I'm just along for the ride.
But my control neurosis wouldn't let us just go out there and wing it. No, we had to do a prerun, because if we're the guides, we really should know where we're going, right? Right. Because this isn't a nice dirt road with signs showing you right where to go. Sometimes the trail is apparent . . .
And sometimes the only thing you have to go by are little faint paint marks on the rock.
Because see, the road we came into the Hole in the Rock trail on before is gone. That's right, gone. Vanished. Washed away by flood and you can't here from there anymore, so this is the new route. This, right here is what you have to drive on before you even GET to the Hole in the Rock trail. Notice the far back tire up in the air. Just so you know, we couldn't get our truck back UP this spot on the way out. We had to find a different way to go. But don't be scared!!
We made it to the trail.
And then we camped. Just like pioneers, only in a tent . . . with an air mattress to sleep on.
And this is how Dave had planned to blow up our air mattress. An elaborate system of jumper cables hooked to the truck . . .
Then hooked into a converter that turns the truck power into air pump power . . . .
Then an extension cord running from the converter to the air mattress in our tent. In theory, it should have worked. Only it didn't, and we ended up blowing the air mattress up by mouth. Which wasn't as easy as it sounds, if it sounds easy to you. There was a valve on the air mattress that the air pump was supposed to push down out of the way so the air could go in, but not come back out. And since there WAS no air pump, my thumb had to push the valve out of the way while my mouth tried to fit around the quarter sized opening on the air mattress AND my thumb while still allowing air to get into the mattress. But I was not going to attempt to sleep on the hard ground. I was motivated, let me tell you!!! I figured it out.
It was beautiful out there.
And there is a wonderfully peaceful feeling that comes with knowing you are one of only a few who ever get to see this part of the world.
And then a storm moved in and that's when we felt like real pioneers. Sitting in our tent with the great expanse of desert around us, at the mercy of the elements, knowing those pioneers did this every day. For six months. There was no going home tomorrow for them. My heart swelled with love and I felt a kind of kinship to them.
So pack up your gear guys, and pack it well, because this is not for the faint of heart. But it promises great adventure and wonderful picture taking opportunities. You know us, we don't do Disneyland, and we're out of our element in Europe, but out here, where only the brave have trod, we are home.
Reading The Undaunted is what brought it all back, the memories of walking where faith filled people have walked before. And we are going to do it again. We are driving the old Hole in the Rock trail next week!!! We've done it before, once in our Landcruiser with ME, myself driving the thing while Dave rode his motorcycle. We went with some friends, and most of the other women were out walking while I drove those technical hard spots, of which there were many. This time I'm just along for the ride.
But my control neurosis wouldn't let us just go out there and wing it. No, we had to do a prerun, because if we're the guides, we really should know where we're going, right? Right. Because this isn't a nice dirt road with signs showing you right where to go. Sometimes the trail is apparent . . .
And sometimes the only thing you have to go by are little faint paint marks on the rock.
Because see, the road we came into the Hole in the Rock trail on before is gone. That's right, gone. Vanished. Washed away by flood and you can't here from there anymore, so this is the new route. This, right here is what you have to drive on before you even GET to the Hole in the Rock trail. Notice the far back tire up in the air. Just so you know, we couldn't get our truck back UP this spot on the way out. We had to find a different way to go. But don't be scared!!
We made it to the trail.
And then we camped. Just like pioneers, only in a tent . . . with an air mattress to sleep on.
And this is how Dave had planned to blow up our air mattress. An elaborate system of jumper cables hooked to the truck . . .
Then hooked into a converter that turns the truck power into air pump power . . . .
Then an extension cord running from the converter to the air mattress in our tent. In theory, it should have worked. Only it didn't, and we ended up blowing the air mattress up by mouth. Which wasn't as easy as it sounds, if it sounds easy to you. There was a valve on the air mattress that the air pump was supposed to push down out of the way so the air could go in, but not come back out. And since there WAS no air pump, my thumb had to push the valve out of the way while my mouth tried to fit around the quarter sized opening on the air mattress AND my thumb while still allowing air to get into the mattress. But I was not going to attempt to sleep on the hard ground. I was motivated, let me tell you!!! I figured it out.
It was beautiful out there.
And there is a wonderfully peaceful feeling that comes with knowing you are one of only a few who ever get to see this part of the world.
And then a storm moved in and that's when we felt like real pioneers. Sitting in our tent with the great expanse of desert around us, at the mercy of the elements, knowing those pioneers did this every day. For six months. There was no going home tomorrow for them. My heart swelled with love and I felt a kind of kinship to them.
So pack up your gear guys, and pack it well, because this is not for the faint of heart. But it promises great adventure and wonderful picture taking opportunities. You know us, we don't do Disneyland, and we're out of our element in Europe, but out here, where only the brave have trod, we are home.
4 comments:
Oooohh, I can't wait! I am SO excited, it's kind of silly. But wait, in those two days you only made it to the START of the trail?? Glad I took an extra couple of days off just in case!
Beautiful photos! I'm getting really excited and REALLY nervous. I'm not a big fan of the truck-only-on-three-wheels part.
It'll be an adventure!
Wow- beautiful scenery picture!
Can't wait.
Let us know how it goes. Rory is dying to go since he read the "Undaunted". Me, I've been to Hole in the Rock, but only in the boat! I think I need to get my ankle fixed before I try that one!
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