No French Fries till Brooklyn (LA to Texas -- Trip Journal)

[SadRobot]

There ain't no roadtrip like a SadRobot roadtrip cause a SadRobot roadtrip..........

....... probably involves the closure of a major freeway resulting in massive traffic delays.

DAY 1: LA --> Phoenix

So this trip has started out much like the Colorado BOH trip. I left rainy LA at 730AM on what I thought would be a 6 hour drive to Phoenix only to finally arrive at 7PM. The I-10 was shutdown due to a tractor trailer pile up and I got stuck at the CA/AZ border for 4 hours. While not fun at least it wasn't 120 degrees outside like last time.

I'll be hitting the road even earlier tomorrow to make sure I get to camp before the sun goes down.

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[Radioman]

There ain't no roadtrip like a SadRobot roadtrip cause a SadRobot roadtrip..........

....... probably involves the closure of a major freeway resulting in massive traffic delays.

So, its you causing these closures...
Have a safe trip

 

[SadRobot]

So, its you causing these closures...
Have a safe trip

Apparently so as I did it again today. I-10 closed at the the border of New Mexico and Texas. I think it was another crash. I got re-routed around El Paso and still made it to camp in about 9.5 hours.

DAY 2: Phoenix --> Salt Flats, Texas

There was a bit of confusion today on what time it was and when sunset was happening. My campsite is in mountain time but I drove a few miles down the road to do a hike before sunset and the hike was in central time. It's still unclear to me what time it is and what time the sun is coming up tomorrow.

I got back to camp just as the sun was setting and set up the Jeep.

With sun setting so early and no campfires allowed seems like I'm spending the next 12 hours inside the Jeep.

More adventures to come tomorrow as there is rain in the forecast......

 

[Mx5red]

Remind me to never come with you on the highway…
Hey, while you’re in Texas can you buy me a few machine guns?

 

[Terrymo]

I thought your thread title going to be “A Jeep, a girl, and a BBQ place”. But that wouldn’t be all that creative I guess. I always enjoy your pics.

 

[SadRobot]

I thought your thread title going to be “A Jeep, a girl, and a BBQ place”. But that wouldn’t be all that creative I guess. I always enjoy your pics.

I've been in Texas for 2 days and have yet to have any bbq.

 

[SadRobot]

DAY 3: Texas --> New Mexico --> Texas

I set my alarm today for 630AM thinking the sun was coming up at 7A. My cell phone kept changing time zones throughout the night so I woke up at 7AM very confused that it was pitch black. So back to sleep I went until the sun came up. As soon as it was light enough I started out towards the Devil's Hall in Guadalupe NP:

It was a 4.2 mile hike and my only goal was to not encounter a bear OR break my ankle on a boulder. Success on both accounts.

Got back to camp and then drove over to New Mexico to check out Carlsbad Caverns NP.

It takes about 2 hours to get through the cave and back to the surface. When we got back to the car at that point the drizzle had started. An hour drive back to camp and I had a spaggetios dinner and watched the storm roll in.

It then started to really pour so I closed up the Jeep and hunkered down for what was going to become a long, sleepless night.......

 

[Flip]

Title reminded of



Happy trails out there, stay safe.

 

[SadRobot]

DAY 4: Texas --> Texas --> Texas

12AM - Things start to take a turn. I wake up to a squall of 40-50mph winds and pouring rain. At this point I've been inside the Jeep for 8 hours it's pretty impossible to fall back asleep.

Then the snow and hail start up. I check the weather and the temps are now in the low 30s. The sun eventually comes up (this time confusingly at 630AM.) After 14 hours stuck inside I finally crawl out and check out the situation.

It's at this point I wish I had the Skoda ice scraper everyone on the forums is always talking about. I wasn't expecting snow so use my hands instead. It's cold. I also realize I left my flip flops outside the Jeep and one is now missing. If anyone is ever at Guadalupe National Park and finds a size 6 1/2 black flip flop it's mine and I'd like it back. Please mail back to California.

I pack up camp as quickly as possible and then head out towards the Salt Flats and Salt Basin Dunes. This is a lesson to always check what you are driving into before you drive into it. The rain had turned the salt flats into a muddy quicksand. The Coopers did a nice job of getting me out of it without needing to go into 4wd.

I decided to skip the dunes because the road out to it was going to be this same mud.

Next stop was Prada Marfa. I'm told it's art so I guess it must be art:

Tomorrow is Big Bend National park. I'll be running Black Gap BOH trail. If anyone is in the area I'm still looking for someone to run it with me.

 

[SadRobot]

Remind me to never come with you on the highway…
Hey, while you’re in Texas can you buy me a few machine guns?

I haven't seen many machine gun stores. Do you want any fireworks? Fireworks shops are like Starbucks out in New Mexico. There's one on every corner.

 

[RudeJeepin]

Title reminded of



Happy trails out there, stay safe.

Ha, that was my first thought also.

@SadRobot
Took my boys to Moab and we stopped by the Bonneville Salt Flats on the way down. It had recently rained and there was a lake at the end of the access road. I had already been warned that it can become bottomless mud if wet. So we barely pulled out on the flats, just enough to get the 4 tires on it, so we could say we were on the flats. Would still live to go back and run out there.
Didn't realize there were Salt Flats in Texas, after add that to my list of places to see now.
Have you thought about one of the small ammo can fireplaces? Around here you can usually use propane fires when there are burn bans.
Keep the pics coming, they are awesome.

Sunrise of Bonneville Salt Flats.

 

[Mx5red]

DAY 4: Texas --> Texas --> Texas

12AM - Things start to take a turn. I wake up to a squall of 40-50mph winds and pouring rain. At this point I've been inside the Jeep for 8 hours it's pretty impossible to fall back asleep.

Then the snow and hail start up. I check the weather and the temps are now in the low 30s. The sun eventually comes up (this time confusingly at 630AM.) After 14 hours stuck inside I finally crawl out and check out the situation.

It's at this point I wish I had the Skoda ice scraper everyone on the forums is always talking about. I wasn't expecting snow so use my hands instead. It's cold. I also realize I left my flip flops outside the Jeep and one is now missing. If anyone is ever at Guadalupe National Park and finds a size 6 1/2 black flip flop it's mine and I'd like it back. Please mail back to California.

I pack up camp as quickly as possible and then head out towards the Salt Flats and Salt Basin Dunes. This is a lesson to always check what you are driving into before you drive into it. The rain had turned the salt flats into a muddy quicksand. The Coopers did a nice job of getting me out of it without needing to go into 4wd.

I decided to skip the dunes because the road out to it was going to be this same mud.

Next stop was Prada Marfa. I'm told it's art so I guess it must be art:

Tomorrow is Big Bend National park. I'll be running Black Gap BOH trail. If anyone is in the area I'm still looking for someone to run it with me.

Hates rain: check
Hates snow: check
Hates driving at night in rain/snow: Sleeps in car 14 hours

 

[roaniecowpony]

Hates rain: check
Hates snow: check
Hates driving at night in rain/snow: Sleeps in car 14 hours

And I was getting all uncomfortable and pissy when my wife set the thermostat to 66F. On a positive note, my glass of wine stayed at the perfect temperature.

 

[RudeJeepin]

Music to my ears. I always sleep best when it's raining. Probably comes from growing up in a house with a metal roof.

 

[Pig-Pen]

i love how you make me feel like i have good luck. you are like murphys law in its final form.

oh and if you want good bbq, head to memphis.

(shots fired!!)

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