[Michael Lewis]

I had an over-the-road (long haul) trucking job during the summer. Hauling trailers for 10-11 hour shifts as a team meant the truck was constantly moving and didn't leave much room/time for exercise but when I was solo I could use my spare time to get out. Did some hikes when I just so happened to shut down in a town/rest stop nearby. I managed to see cool places I never would have without the opportunity that truck driving presented. Pohatcong River Chicago Moab area Leg Benchmark (WY) Timpanogos (UT) Black Peak (CA) Star Peak (NV) Pohatcong River, New Jersey The first hike I did was during what they call a "34 hour Reset." After 70 hours driving in 8 days we are required to shut down for 34 hours. I was still in training and my instructor was taking a nap so I spent some time to see what the Garden State was all about. Flowers did abound and greenery was more present than my evergreen roots allowed me to believe.

Pohatcong River

I followed up with an 8 mile hike in the rain the next day to explore the town and "experience" White Castle (disappointed). Laredo Texas I don't like Laredo Texas. We had to shut down there for 34. It's hot and sticky. The wind is always blowing trash around. There's always something wrong with the load assignments I get there. But I can't say it isn't scenic. I went for a 10 mile walk one evening and got a good look at the neighborhood of mesquite, palms, prickly pear and little creeks everywhere. Chicago Having never been to Chicago proper before, me and some buddies I met in training went to go explore this windy city. The sun was relentless but the tall highrises provided periodic relief. No tour guide made for some tomfoolery but we kept it to a minimum. We ended up going maybe 5 miles.

Chicago

Ooh a play

shade

Leg Benchmark 9055' Wyoming P1k I was a solo driver for this one. Wyoming being high above sea level was 20° cooler than the rest of the country at the time making it a prime target for relief from the June heat. A rest stop provided easy access to the trail so I stopped there for the night. Went for an early morning jog up the trail then some bushwacking to the summit. There are a half-dozen benchmarks so I chose the one I could get my leg around with good lighting for extra cheesiness.

Leg pano

Some crashing sounds in the brush reminded me I shouldn't be hiking solo in grizzly territory so I periodically shouted in a deep voice, "I'm a human. Don't eat me." I deliberately bushwacked slowly back to the trail before rushing out of there. Next time I'd have bear spray. The adrenaline got me going and I drove straight to the receiver. No coffee needed. Kane Springs, Spanish Valley, Utah Moab area This brief hike/scramble took place in only 20 minutes thanks to the position of Kane Springs right off the road. I walked up in flip flops and started to scramble up a dry-falls, stopping at a bolt for a shot of Hole N The Rock. Downclimb was swift and I managed to avoid getting pricked by cacti.

Hole N the Rock

pitch 1 flipflops 0

bowl

A little sketch for flipflops

The drive up to Soldier Summit went relatively smoothly. Upon shutting down I saw a notice that the mountain across from me was on fire. Smoke settled in that night and I was coughing when I woke up next morning. Since my delivery wasn't scheduled until the next day I decided to go do a hike near Pleasant Grove to clear out my lungs. Timpanogos 11749' Utah P5k I don't know why I thought attempting a P5k was a good idea after months of trucking. I guess it had been a while and I wanted to see if I could still do big gain days. After scrambling in flip flops the previous day I had some unfounded confidence in myself. The nearest place I could legally park a truck was at the Wal-Mart in Lindon. This meant I would have to run/walk an extra 2 miles each way. It also meant I would be taking an atypical route. The mountain became shrouded in thunder clouds and the forecast was iffy for the early afternoon. After some hemming and hawing I downloaded the peakbagger page and decided to just see how far I could get. The GPS made me braver than I should've been.

gloomy start

Timpanogos

I managed to knock out the first few thousand feet in a couple hours only to get stopped by some thunder and rain at 7000'. I retreated in wet shoes but then the sun came out. I turned back around and rushed up the hillside, moisture evaporating as I went. At about 8,000' I aimed for a gulley that would spit me out on the ridgetop and meet with the trail. Getting to it involved some nasty prickly brush that I hated. Abhorred. Bemoaned. Detested. And my lungs weren't doing great. I scrambled up some dry falls then used ledges to bypass others trying to keep it below class 4. Scattered bones lead the way.

breaking storms

sun break

Route up

vertibral process?

dry fall area

Eventually I had to start heading up some green death and encountered more of that brush I love so much at 9,000'. I kept having to take breaks every 100 steps to pull the prickles off me and suddenly I realized my water was going to run out. I looked above and below. 5k gain is pretty good. No need to get into trouble when there's a job to do. So I sat for 30 minutes taking in the view then began my descent. Thunderstorms rushed back in as I down-climbed the last dry-fall and cracked all around as I desperately ran to treeline. Some wind and rain chilled me while I sped to safety. I was glad to have bailed out early and a little irked I even tried in the first place. The walk back to the truck was magic though with light streaking the sky lighting up the mountains as darkness fell on Pleasant Grove.

turn around point

Timp Pano

Storms are back

wet

gloomy finish

Donner Pass California I-80 to Donner Pass Road and back Another spot to avoid summer heat, I had to do another 34 hour reset. I figured it would be better than a greasy truck stop in Nevada (although I could've done something different). I explored the Donner Summit ski area. Lots of skaters, bmx enthusiasts and concerned parents. No notable peaks nearby so I made my destination the Old 40 Bar and Grill where I had a burger, shake and nachos. The barkeep there was extra friendly yet she kept busy just the same. The hike back went easy in ultras and a full stomach. Lots of people enjoying the trail. A cold night reminded me autumn was drawing nigh. Cold nachos for breakfast too.

West Lake

donner pass

Truckee down there

Donner

Black Butte 6358' California P1k I ended up spending the next month focused on driving and half of it was with a team driver who could put in the miles (we get paid by the mile so this was important). He was also a real likable guy so I was disappointed when they reassigned me to a different truck to take down to Los Angeles solo. They promised we'd meet back up but it never happened. Feeling a little down in the dumps, a view of Shasta revitalized me to get some yah-yahs out.

Black Butte stood out in my mind, having seen it dozens of times on I-5. Again the nearest legal place I could park was a truck stop in Weed so my route was atypical. For this one I had shut down early to cut as little into my sleep as I could. I had about half a day. My aim was to catch sunset so I began running towards the mountain around 4pm.

Once at the N base of the cone I started up an open rocky slope aiming for stones with moss on them. I gained the trail at about 5200' and sped on from there making the top just at sunset.

On the way back I took roads and trails to avoid route finding confusion in the dark. This ended up being much longer so a phone call from a friend kept me going through the monotonous miles until I got back.

Star Peak 9836' Nevada P5k This had been on my radar all summer long but I never had the time. Finally an opportunity came when I was shut down in Rye Patch. I grabbed warm clothes and booked it uphill. The sun was already setting but I came prepared with a headlamp, sleeping bag and a Rockstar Energy drink (because puns are a way of life).

A couple hunters in ATV's made the road look deceptively easy but it's not. This is the steepest road I've ever hiked in my life. It has a flat section in the middle but otherwise, it's on par with Eldorado. My thighs burned and I nearly lost my balance while I kept saying to myself, "this is just a road hike, right?" Darkness settled soon enough and a choir of chirps began slow then loud.

It actually got cold for the first time in a while. When the moon set the crickets were keeping me company. The milky way sparkled on and gusty wind numbed my arms. Star Peak by star light. "Definitely couldn't be done any other way" I chuckled to myself. Once I could see the lights of the mine below I gave in and donned a puffy. The route began to traverse the mountain and let up on steepness. The crickets left and I had silence. Up on the ridge top the grass gave way to broken rock and patches of snow. While I scanned the route and double checked my progress on GPS I caught a glimpse of two red eyes in the distance that seemed to follow me. I looked away and half a mile later they were still prowling.

I took my summit gag photo and feeling exhausted, started to consider whether I should stay up high for the night. Scouring the summit for a windbreak, I found a crag with an overhang that provided some minimal protection. I kept the bear spray handy and tried to lay down for a few minutes. But even though it was a great bivvy sleep would not come. I sauntered down scanning for those eyes again but not finding them. Every thousand foot drop the temperature went up considerably and I was back in shorts by the time I got to the truck. Quality sleep over quantity was my aim although the bunk in the truck would provide both. I finally saw my route the next morning from Rye Patch.

[Ski]

get it where you can find it!

[timberghost]

Find it then hike it

[Gimpilator]

What an interesting and varied assortment of hikes. I enjoy your writing style. Missed hiking with you this summer, but glad to see you managed to get some peaks despite the demanding job.

[Roly Poly]

This is fantastic, Michael. So happy for you!

[puzzlr]

I really enjoy hiking up peaks that standout from the roads like Black Butte. We did that as a compensation hike after failing to get up Shasta because of weather.

[Brushbuffalo]

Creative way to make the most of each opportunity. Very fine!

[Sculpin]

"Truck-n-hike, that is a little different! I certainly understand the rationale. I just got back from helping my mother move from Harlingen, TX, to Columbia, MO, an 18-hour drive in a U-haul through way too much of Texas (the roads are terrible!). The entire stretch is a trail desert. I have read that there is almost no public land in Texas because of land grants when it was under Mexican control. My bro-in-law and I managed to have a little fun as we went around Corpus Christi. The impressive pile of harbor dredgings became "Corpus Ridge." A vast sand and gravel operation became the "Corpus Badlands." And of course, the biggest freeway overpass became "Corpus Pass." Once we got over the "pass," we asked Siri to tell us our elevation, and she replied with 6.50 feet. I guess she was programmed to give at least three significant digits, but not to determine significant figures.

[Fletcher]

Awesome that you were able to get some hikes and peaks in Mike!

[Redwic]

Great job, Michael! Whenever I end up on an out-of-state trip, whether for work or otherwise, I always try to fit in a hike. Get it while you can, right? Keep up the awesome work!