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Road Trippin’ USA

September - November 2023
A 90-day adventure by Levin & Birte Read more
  • 56footprints
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  • 90days
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  • Road Trippin’ USA
    Day 85–88

    Saguaro National Park, Tucson (Arizona)

    November 25, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    Saguaro was the last national park on our trip. Before we knew about the October eclipse, we had planned to stop here between leaving Hueco Tanks and heading north to Utah, but the eclipse caused us to change our plans. Part of the change in plans was moving Saguaro to the end of the trip, which added a few hundred miles to the drive, but it opened up the possibility of flying home from Phoenix instead of Los Angeles, which was more convenient in terms of city traffic and van return, and the flights were less expensive.
    Skipping Saguaro was out of the question. We were so looking forward to this place with its giant saguaro cacti everywhere. And we were not disappointed. It was phenomenal! The vegetation was sparse but varied and exciting, just like the other deserts we had seen over the past few weeks, a harsh landscape with its own kind of beauty.

    We had booked three nights at a campsite just outside the national park, which itself was full of and surrounded by cacti.
    The first morning we got up before sunrise and walked into the cactus fields to get some morning glow shots of the landscape. We also learned that the best time to see a roadrunner was at dawn. We still hadn't seen one, which reminded us of our time in Scandinavia many years ago where we hadn't seen a moose despite spending over 3.5 months way up north. The people we met seemed to see them every other day, but somehow these giants kept eluding us. Just when we had lost all hope and were about to leave the Arctic Circle, we got lucky in Finland. Here in Saguaro we hoped to have the same experience, but this time our object of desire was much smaller, very fast and well camouflaged. Yet again, the people in the area seemed to see them everywhere and all the time.

    The sunrise was beautiful, but not a roadrunner in sight.
    After breakfast we drove into the national park, bought the last shirt of the trip and learned about the flora and fauna of the area. The park rangers gave us some good tips for walks and scenic drives in the park. The walks were great. We saw giant saguaro cacti, some over 20 metres tall and over 200 years old. Fun fact: Saguaro cacti grow their first "arms" at the age of 60! Check out the pictures and be amazed.
    In the afternoon we stayed at one of the trailheads and started packing up while waiting for the sun to go down. When it did, we realized there would be no colour show, so we decided to drive back to our campsite. After two minutes in the car the situation changed drastically and for a few minutes the sky lit up in purple and orange. I tried to take pictures, but we had already left the picturesque view. Well...we enjoyed it without pictures.
    For the second day we chose a longer hike to one of the highest points in the area, the Wasson Peak, where we had an amazing 360° view of the national park, Tucson, and the rest of the Sonoran Desert. During the hike we met a ranger who was having lunch on the Hugh Norris Trail. We chatted for a while and he assured us that we would see a roadrunner in our remaining two days in Arizona. Hopes were high, but we did not see any roadrunners that day. However, when we returned to our campsite, we were greated by a coyote that was strolling from one site to the next hoping to find a sausage or two that fell down at the last days barbecue. Not a roadrunner, but still an exciting sight.

    On the third day we had to leave the national park. There was a lot on our to-do list before we left for Phoenix. First, we washed the sheets, blankets, and towels that Nancy had given us for the trip. Once they were clean, we donated them to the Salvation Army. Then we went to the post office and packed the climbing guidebooks, a bar of chocolate, and cactus candy. The package was mailed to Jessi and Elliot in Michigan. Thanks again for the guidebooks. They were worth their weight in gold! At REI, we returned our camping shower, which unfortunately started leaking weeks ago. In the end, we did not have time to explore Tucson, but we did grab a tasty burrito before heading out of town and up to Phoenix.

    Saguaro was incredible. We really loved that place. It was so quiet and vast and different. I don't know what it is, but somehow the desert just resonates with us. The decision to leave the coast again and go back to Arizona was great. We would have missed a lot if we had skipped it.
    By the way, we did not see a roadrunner in Tucson.    Read more

  • Road Trippin’ USA
    Day 82–85

    Encinitas and San Diego (California)

    November 22, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    Thanksgiving at Isaac's parents' house has been one of the few fixed dates on our calendar since the first day of planning the trip.
    We are truly grateful that David and Lisa invited us to spend Thanksgiving with them. After all, Thanksgiving is like Christmas, a time to get together with family and close friends and share time, food and drinks. It was very special for us to be invited to such a celebration.

    When we arrived at their home in Olivenhain, Encinitas, we were warmly welcomed. We had coffee, chatted for a while, and then decided to spend the evening at the Jacousie instead of going back to the city. Amelia and Isaac had bought some sour beers for us to try, as sour beers are hard to come by in Germany. The Jacousie was probably as warm as the Sheperd Hot Springs north of Bishop, but this time it wasn't below freezing outside the water!

    The next day was Thanksgiving. Unfortunately, Amelia had to work in Los Angeles and left Encinitas early. She returned in the afternoon to prepare a delicious Portobello Wellington for dinner.

    Isaac, Birte and I drove south to San Diego to visit the zoo, which in addition to all the animals is a masterpiece of landscape architecture that is easy to get lost in. The paths go up and down, left and right. It is all very winding and densely overgrown. We saw a lot of animals, some of which you'd find in German zoos, but they also have a big reptile zoo that we really liked. We got to see all the different kinds of rattlesnakes that we didn't want to see up close during our weeks in the desert. We even saw a Gila Monster, which is native to Red Rock Canyon in Nevada, but was in hibernation when we spent the days bouldering there. Here at the zoo they hibernate much later.

    Back at Olivenhain, we witnessed a busy Thanksgiving kitchen. Isaac's aunt and cousin were also there and shared the available appliances, pots and bowls with Amelia and Lisa, each preparing one or more dishes for dinner. Now you know why American kitchens are so big! We could not really help much, so David took us aside, filled our glasses with all sorts of liquors and wines, and had an entertaining conversation with us about our trip, Europe, and life in general.

    Then it was time to eat. We all filled our plates in the kitchen because there was so much food that it would never fit on the table. As usual, I filled my plate to the brim. It was delicious. Each meal was an experience in itself. David added a few bottles of fine wine to the occasion. With full bellies we sat around the table and talked for hours until one by one we said good night and went to bed.

    The day after Thanksgiving is a holiday in the US, but most stores stay open for the insane Black Friday shopping frenzy. I had hoped to go to San Diego to visit the Taylor Guitar Company. Unfortunately, they were still not offering tours, which they had stopped due to the pandemic, but they do have a large store in their factory where you can try out all the different guitars they make. There are a few that I really wanted to try, but I could never find them anywhere in Germany, so this was my chance. Isaac told me to call ahead to make sure they were open since most factories close for the Thanksgiving weekend and the Taylor store was part of their factory. I called and found out that Isaac was right. They were closed and once again I had missed my chance.

    Instead, we painted small decorative gourds that can be used as Thanksgiving or Christmas decorations. I planned to give mine to my dad, who collects all kinds of Christmas tree decorations. I painted a Keith Haring motif of a skateboarder, symbolizing my childhood hero Tony Hawk, who also lives in Encinitas. After this meditative task, we went outside and walked through Isaac's old neighborhood before returning to a bourbon and rye tasting that David had prepared for us. Amelia took on the role of reading us all the necessary nerd knowledge about each of the four different spirits. It was our first time drinking bourbon and rye, or at least our first time drinking good quality ones that were not just Jonny Walker or Jack Daniels.
    The days in Encinitas were amazing. Aside from meeting all these lovely people and celebrating the holiday with our friends Amelia and Isaac, we really enjoyed the quiet and relaxation of the three days. After that, we were ready for new experiences on the road again.    Read more

  • Road Trippin’ USA
    Day 81–82

    San Elijo State Beach (California)

    November 21, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    Although Los Angeles was a blast, we were glad to get out of the city again.
    Before reuniting with Isaac and Amelia at Isaac's parents' house for Thanksgiving, we had one more day at the beach.
    Isaac had told us about a beautiful area on the Pacific Ocean near his parents' house where we could spend a relaxing day at the beach: San Elijo State Beach between Encinitas and Cardiff-by-the-Sea. We were lucky enough to get one of the last free sites at the campground.

    Arriving a little early to check in, we parked the car next to one of the surf shops and strolled up and down the busy main street, where cafes, restaurants and small shops lined both sides of the street. Time passed quickly, we checked into the campsite and headed straight to the beach to enjoy the afternoon sun while watching the surfers, pelicans and a strange vertical take-off and landing plane flying up and down the coast.

    It was great to cool off after the eventful last few weeks. This was kind of the first day where we didn't do much except for a little driving, walking around and lying on the beach. We realized that if we had several weeks left instead of just one, we probably should have stayed at the beach for a while to take a vacation from our vacation.
    After sunset we packed our things, went back to the car, cooked, ate and returned to the beach with two beers. As we watched the ocean and listened to the waves, we looked back on our trip and felt a little melancholy that it would soon be over. We had made the most of our time though and couldn't think of a day we would have spent differently.
    The next morning we had to check out of the campground. We drove a little further north to another beach and jumped into the Pacific before heading to Isaac's parents, David and Lisa.    Read more

  • Road Trippin’ USA
    Day 79–80

    Hollywood, Anaheim and Glendora (CA)

    November 19, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    A visit to Hollywood is probably a must when you are in the Los Angeles area. Of course we wanted to see the place where so many movies have been made. Isaac and Amelia had planned a hike to the Hollywood sign for us, followed by a drive through the Hollywood Hills, home to many fantastic buildings, including some by John Lautner, a student of Frank Lloyd Wright.
    Unfortunately, Amelia had to work that day and couldn't join us.
    We drove to Hollywood, parked the car, and hiked up to the big Hollywood letters on the hillside overlooking the city. As you can imagine, there were a lot of tourists there, not all of them used to hiking... We passed many people, enjoyed the fantastic view of the huge metropolis of Los Angeles below us, and reached the sign after about an hour.
    We were unusually lucky with the weather. I'm not talking about the sun, I'm talking about the smog! LA has a big smog problem, especially during the summer months. In the fall and winter, it's not as bad as in the summer, but you generally can't see very far. On the day of our hike, however, we had a very wide view. You could still see the smog, but it wasn't very thick, so we could see as far as Long Beach to the south, Venice Beach to the west, and the entire San Fernando Valley to the north.
    After a few photos behind the letters, we unpacked our picnic, sat down across from San Fernando, and enjoyed a nice lunch before heading back to the car.
    Next on our list was an architectural treasure hunt through the Hollywood Hills. Famous and rich people live here. The scenery is amazing. The hills are steep and many of the more densely built areas have the feel of small Italian villages. Only the houses aren't as old. Isaac had located three John Lautner houses in the neighborhood and we set out to find them. It wasn't easy because you can't see very far in these hills. Some of the roads seemed to be private, so we had to turn around a few times, which was quite a task in these narrow roads! But we were lucky and found two of the three houses, although we couldn't really see one of them because it was hidden behind a large bamboo forest! I realized later that we could have seen many more John Lautner houses in the area, we just didn't know the addresses at the time. Oh well, next time.
    We drove on to West Hollywood, where Isaac had spotted the Wolff house. We knew from photos that the house was clearly visible from the street, so it was a safe bet to drive there. We parked the car on Sunset Boulevard and walked up the hill until we were right in front of the house, just below the beautiful patio and pool that can't be seen from the street. I knew the house from videos and pictures, though, and immediately recognized all the special elements, such as the two trees that were not cut down during construction, but incorporated into the overall concept of the house. That was very nice. The last time this house was listed, it sold for $11 million. Not much compared to the insane real estate prices we had seen in the windows of real estate agencies in Hollywood and Beverly Hills (see pictures in the last post).
    It was time for coffee at Matte Black Coffee before heading to our last stop in Hollywood: the Walk of Fame. We walked up and down both sides of Hollywood Boulevard and kept our heads down, looking for our favorite actor or musician immortalized with a gold star and name on a red stone. After many stops at Jimi Hendrix, John Goodman, and Arnold Schwarzenegger, we got an ice cream and headed home.
    That night we had a date with Amelia at a brewery in Anaheim, not far from Isaac and Amelia's home. The vegetarian menu basically wasn't available, so we could just eat a large portion of fries. But the beer was really good!

    On Monday, our last day in Los Angeles, Amelia and Isaac took us on a short hike in Glendora, one of their regular weekend hikes because of the beautiful views, shade, and proximity to The Donut Man, a legendary donut shop on Route 66. After the hour and a half hike, we rewarded ourselves with some of these delicious pastries. As you can imagine, it takes a lot of donuts to replenish the energy lost on such a hike. And we ate a lot of donuts.
    The evening had another special event in store for us. Amelia plays piano for the Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles (GMCLA). That night they had one of their last rehearsals before two big concerts at the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills in December. Amelia took us to the rehearsal so we could experience a phenomenal free concert by this wonderful group of men (and Amelia!). We finished the night with a very authentic korean dinner.

    Our time in Los Angeles was amazing. We owe it to our two great friends, Isaac and Amelia, who went out of their way to make sure we had a great time. Without their knowledgeable and eclectic guides and their pleasant nature, the city would have been too much for us to handle. Thank you Amelia and Isaac! We hope to see you again soon! (Oh, well, we'll see each other in two days to celebrate Thanksgiving together in Encinitas...but after that, we really hope to see you again soon!)    Read more

  • Road Trippin’ USA
    Day 78

    Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, Venice (CA)

    November 18, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    We had a quick breakfast in Anaheim before starting our packed day of sightseeing. Today was Beverly Hills and Venice Beach!
    It took us about an hour to get to Beverly Hills. The distance is about 40 miles, but we still only saw a fraction of Los Angeles. The city (or cities) is so huge! An hour or even an hour and a half is not uncommon for a daily commute here.
    After parking the car at the library, we walked past the Beverly Hills Police Station. A place I remember very well from my childhood, when I used to watch the Beverly Hills Cop movies every other weekend I spent at my grandma's house. Axel Foley rules.
    Beverly Hills looks like the movies. Very clean, very rich people, very expensive cars and lots of palm trees. The weather was gorgeous, blue skies. Our first stop was a designer sample sale, where you can buy prototypes (or samples) of clothes that might go into production and then probably cost a small fortune, if you can get into the store at all. These are usually guarded by friendly bouncers who make sure that the people who want to buy the stuff do not disturb the people who can buy the stuff. Birte and Amelia tried on a few dresses but didn't buy anything. We did, however, take a picture of Birte with a pink poodle, the dog of...maybe the designer?
    We spent the next hour window-shopping, watching other people and fancy cars, always waiting for someone famous to come out of one of the shops.
    At some point we walked back to the Library, drank a coffee and started a little criss-cross drive through the wealthy, but still accessible neighborhoods. I joked around and said, we should find an Open House, where real estate agents show you around. A minute after I said that, we passed by a real estate agent's sign for an open house! Now we had to do it. It was a big house, but to be honest, not very beautiful. Neither from the outside nor from the inside. It had a weird mirror cabinet in the first floor and more bathrooms than a hotel, it seemed. That is something very American anyway. It was not for sale, but for rent. 15000 dollars a month.
    The next stop of the day was Venice. The famous city on the beach. The place Arnold Schwarzenegger had in mind when he left Europe and started his amazing career in the USA.
    We parked the car and walked along the seafront. Not a minute went by without seeing something. There were so many strange things and people. Everyone was just being themselves. People were running around half naked, riding weird electric monocycles, chilling in their pimped out cars, and selling weed and magic mushrooms on every corner. As usual, I took way too many pictures. We bought ice cream and went to a big skateboard pool where we watched the pros and wannabes for a while. Then we went to Muscle Beach, a place where you'll find lots of outdoor exercise and bodybuilding equipment and lots of people who are strong and want to show it!
    It was getting dark and we still wanted to see the Santa Monica Peer, which was a little further north than we had parked. Since the walk had taken us quite a while, we decided to rent bicycles, which was really fun!
    Santa Monica Peer is mostly an amusement park. In Las Cruces, New Mexico, when we got the oil changed on our van, the cashier told us to go to this place. It was the only tip he gave us for the rest of the trip. We were skeptical. Now that we had reached the Peer, which by the way is the end of Route 66, we felt confirmed in our original assessment. It was loud, colorful, expensive, and way too crowded. At the end of the Peer we read an information board describing a man who worked here more than a hundred years ago. He was the model for a cartoonist who came here once and was enchanted by the man's charisma. He created a cartoon character of him that would become famous as Popeye the Sailor!    Read more

  • Road Trippin’ USA
    Day 77

    Santa Fe and Downtown LA (California)

    November 17, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    Our alarms were set early. We got up at first light and had a nice encounter with a coyote while brushing our teeth. A few minutes later we left the campground, took some last pictures of the morning mist in Joshua Tree, and then hit the road to Los Angeles.
    The closer we got to LA, the more traffic we encountered. We never really stopped though and made it to our meeting with Kenny at Mad Rock Headquarters in time. About 75 days earlier, two Duo Pads and two Mad Pads had been shipped from the headquarters in Santa Fe, California to Ann Arbor, Michigan. Manu had talked to Rene a few months earlier and Rene had called Kenny. All in all, we were really lucky to get four of these awesome crash pads! Our trip was a blast and would have been very different if we didn't have these pads. Thank you, Mad Rock! Thank you, Kenny! Thank you, Rene and Irene! And of course, thank you, Manu, for making this possible.
    Kenny gave us a tour of the headquarters, starting with the shop, then the large warehouse, the small board climbing room, and finally the offices where we met some of the minds behind this amazing brand.
    We got a glimpse of what's to come next year, with a new Shark to be released in the spring of 2024. Of course we used the time to try on some shoes, note down our sizes and use the time to give Kenny some feedback on our favorite items, features and things that could be improved. After an hour we said goodbye to Kenny and left Santa Ana with new shirts and a hat, but without our crash pads. They will live on as rental pads and hopefully see many more bouldering areas.
    While Manu and Lisa went to their hotel and returned their rental car, Birte and I drove to visit Isaac and Amelia, who live in Anaheim.
    Isaac was a post-doc at the University of Michigan, while Birte was there in 2021.
    They had both visited us in Munich in July, and we showed them around the city, took a little hike to Andechs Abbey...or rather its beer garden...and went to a concert in Ingolstadt by the LA Master Chorale, many of whom Amelia knows from university and still works with at times.
    Now it was the other way around. They had planned a lot of excursions with us over the next few days and wanted to show us as much as possible of this huge metropolis. Amelia had to work during the day, but in the evening we met her, Manu and Lisa for an evening tour of Downtown Los Angeles, Amelia's old neighborhood.
    We started at Pershing Square and soon saw the old Los Angeles Central Library, an impressive building, but one that disappears among all the skyscrapers built around it. Then we walked through Grand Central Market, which is a food court, especially in the evening. In the Gloria Molina Grand Park we had a nice view of the City Hall, which is colorfully illuminated at night. We followed the park west and soon found ourselves between the Ahmanson Theatre and the LA Opera House, both of which are right next to the Walt Disney Concert Hall. The latter is a spectacular building designed by none other than Frank Gehry himself. The building is entirely clad in sheet steel, which was originally shiny. But the wealthy residents of the surrounding buildings kept complaining about the heat reflecting into their homes, so the building was sandblasted to give it a matte finish that would not reflect the relentless California sun as much as before. I prefer matte surfaces anyway, so the building looks great to me the way it is now. We finished the tour with an elevator ride at the Bonaventure Building, which gave us a great view of the city night sky.

    After our tour, we had burgers and beer in a pub on a very busy street. Amelia had another experience planned for us. A bar. It was in the sutterain of an old building. A tall man blocked the entrance and checked our IDs. Inside was a counter where you could buy sandwiches. We followed Amelia to the end of the room. There was another door, an inconspicuous door, a door that probably led to a room with janitorial supplies. We knocked. The door opened. A very well dressed man in a suit and bow tie greeted us and led us to a table in the dimly lit room. It was as if we were in a time machine. We had traveled 100 years back in time! The Varnish is a tribute to the speakeasies of the Prohibition era. One of those places well hidden behind shops and restaurants, accessible only to those who knew where and how to find it. We loved the place! The cocktails were great and the setting was phenomenal.
    The tour was great! Thank you Amelia for taking us to all these places!

    Unfortunately, we had to say goodbye to Manu and Lisa after we all left the Varnish. While we still had two weeks left in the USA, they had to take an Uber to their hotel at the airport from where they were leaving for Germany the next day. As always, it was a pleasure to travel with you! We can't wait for our next trip together!    Read more

  • Road Trippin’ USA
    1
    Day 72–77

    Joshua Tree National Park (California)

    November 12, 2023 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 13 °C

    A long drive south in fading daylight took us to the famous Joshua Tree National Park. The park is best known for its namesake tree, a yucca palm, which is found here in abundance.
    As it was dark when we arrived, we could only see the shadows of the trees to the left and right of the road as we wound our way through the landscape to get a site at the "first-come-first-serve"-Hidden Valley Campground. We were really lucky and probably got the last free site. It was quite small for two vans, but we made it work and had a great home for the next few days.

    When we woke up the next morning, we were greeted by an overwhelming sight. We were surrounded by huge orange-brown granite rocks stacked on top of each other. As we did every morning, we made coffee and sat down to enjoy the sun, the view and life in general. As it got warmer, we decided to find a shady rock and start bouldering. Most of the routes, whether for trad climbing or bouldering, are in close proximity to the various campsites in the park. There are some sectors that are way out in the middle of nowhere, but I suspect these are mainly frequented by diehard locals.

    We started off easy with a 1-minute walk to a tricky slab with a wicked stem start called Stem Gem, V4. Then it was on to Scatterbrain, V6, the standing start to a surprisingly hard arete that looks much easier than it is. There is a sit start, but we didn't have a chance to climb it. With our vans only a few meters away, we headed back to do some more enjoying life with a coffee in the sun. For the afternoon we had set our sights on Youth Body Explosion, V11, a technical route through a full roof with a little crack climbing, knee bars, toe hooks and a nasty barn door move leading into a slab mantle. Truly something special. While we were working on our beta, the sun was setting. At one point I looked up at the sky and thought: Where. Is. My. Camera! I didn't even have time to change my shoes or my lense. I just grabbed the camera and walked around the rocky hill to get a better view of the setting sun. The colors were changing everywhere. All parts of the sky were blue, orange, red, pink or purple. We were overwhelmed and took way too many photos...

    Back at the boulder, it was very dark. We climbed for another half hour with headlamps and cell phone flashlights, but at some point we were too hungry to continue.
    The next day we started in a different part of the campsite. Birte worked on a fun overhanging traverse, but slipped a couple of times just before the end. The sun was beating down relentlessly and we tried to find some shade, but were not very successful. In the afternoon we went back to Youth Body Explosion. The sun had already hidden behind the hill and we were adding the final pieces to the puzzle of the route. Soon enough, we started giving it burns from the start. Thanks to some clever resting positions Manu had found, I was able to climb the whole route, and Manu followed shortly after.
    We ended the day with a campfire at our own fire pit, which we had found by chance in the morning when we walked to the first boulders. We burned the last pieces of wood we had collected on the journey. There were still some branches from Rocktown, Georgia, and a few pieces of desert pine from Cubero, New Mexico. This was to be the last of many campfires during our trip... which meant lots of marshmallows for everyone! It started raining like crazy that night and the next day was very cloudy with recurring rain. We had planned to go to the small town outside the national park anyway, which is also called Joshua Tree. There are a few small stores there selling handmade clothes, art and decorations. We had lunch at a diner and in the afternoon we headed back into the park for a little hike where we knew we would find petroglyphs.... and boulders. As the weather was already bad and got worse after the hike, we decided not to cook for ourselves and headed back into town for burgers and beer at the local brew pub.

    Our last day started with thick fog. I went on a little picture hunt throughout the campsite to get a good view of the vast desert with all its Joshua Trees in the thick white haze. 

    Later we went to another sector near the campsite to climb a classic called John Bachar Memorial Face Problem, V5. We were joined by a German man we had met with his son in the morning. He looked somehow familiar, but I couldn't really place him. He was very nice, had some good tries on the boulder and talked about expeditions and some wild free solo climbs he had done when he was younger after we had told him about our experiences in the Buttermilks with all those huge boulders. Days later I tried to find out who he was. It turned out that he was none other than Robert Jasper, a true legend in the mountaineering, mixed and ice climbing scene!

    The climbing in Joshua Tree was fine. Youth Body Explosion was really good, but it couldn't compete with many of the areas we had visited before. But the scenery was beautiful. The colors, the plants, the birds and even the lone coyote that visited us at dawn on the last morning made it very hard to leave. It is a magical place and definitely worth a visit!    Read more

  • Road Trippin’ USA
    Day 69–72

    Happy/Sad Boulders, Bishop (California)

    November 9, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 12 °C

    For the last three nights in Bishop, we had booked a camp site at the Pleasant Valley Owns River Campground near the Happy and Sad Boulders. These two areas are located in canyons in the ridge line around the volcanic plateau. The rock is very different to the Buttermilks as it is volcanic rock and the texture is much more skin friendly.

    Unfortunately, many people are looking for this type of rock, so the Happy Boulders are even more crowded than the Buttermilks. There was also a climbing festival going on that weekend, which we hadn't known about. The place was packed. Especially on the famous boulders like The Hulk, V7, Standing Kill Order, V10, and Acid Wash, V7, we climbed together with thirty to fourty other people.

    It was certainly a different experience to the weeks before, when we were happy to meet anyone at all.
    But the climbing is great, the place is beautiful and the grading is a little less old school. Of course everyone wants to go bouldering here!
    We spent the first and second day at the Happy Boulders, where we climbed some of the classics, such as Kill On Sight, V11, Slave to the Grind, V9, and Disco Diva, V8.

    On the third day, we hiked into Sad Boulder Canyon, where it's more rocky and narrower than at Happy Boulders. I don't know if it's the name of the place or the fact that it's smaller, but there are far fewer climbers here. Over the course of the day, we hiked from one boulder to the next until we reached the end of the canyon and gloriously finished our Bishop trip by climbing Slunk, V9, and Slunk Left, V6, in the sunset.

    We celebrated the fantastic week in Bishop with beer and burgers at the Mountain Rambler Brewery, a place where all climbers and other outdoor enthusiasts meet in the evenings. Everything tasted great and the atmosphere was wonderful. A fitting end to a flawless week of bouldering.    Read more

  • Road Trippin’ USA
    Day 68–69

    Sheperd Hot Springs, Bishop (California)

    November 8, 2023 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 1 °C

    Invigorated by a delicious breakfast at Erik Schat's Bakkery and freshly showered at Hostel California, we were ready to take the rest day to the next level. We knew the area around Bishop had some thermal activity. Two years ago we had been to Kerough Hot Springs, a leisure pool fed by hot water from a hot spring. But we knew there must be little hot springs somewhere nearby where you don't have to pay anything and can stay overnight right in your van. We had seen these photos! And that's what we wanted to do.

    Fortunately, the salesman at an equipment store in Bishop gave us an insider tip. He told us about a place towards Mammoth Lake, about 40 minutes north of town. There we would find several small pools that were on public land and fitted our description very well.

    Shortly after the last of the daylight disappeared, we reached Sheperd Hot Springs. Of course, we had hoped to be alone, but we were also realistic. After all, these pools are free and you can park your van right next to them. We knew someone would be there and weren't surprised when we saw three cars in the small parking lot on the gravel road.

    On the drive from Bishop to the hot springs, we had covered a few meters in altitude and at one point the thermometer in the car showed temperatures below freezing. It was going to be a cold night.

    We parked the cars, checked out the pool, said hello to everyone and went back to the vehicles to prepare dinner. It was really cold, even though we were wearing as much as we could. The mood was mixed when it came to undressing and getting into the little tub outside. But we knew we were here now, and we'd been dreaming about it for a while, so there was no turning back.

    After dinner, we packed up our cameras and some beer and headed to the pool. Everyone had retired to their vans. Manu and I set up the cameras while the girls were already getting ready for the water. Being half naked at -6°C was uncomfortable, but once we were in the pool, all the doubts were forgotten. It was simply the best. The water was around 46°C, a temperature difference of more than 50°C! Above us we could see the Milky Way and the otherwise pitch black night sky. We had put our beers down next to the tub and were now sitting in this wonderfully hot water enjoying a Californian Indian Pale Ale.

    For the first few minutes, it seemed like a good idea to keep wearing our caps. We had the impression that we could stay in this water forever. But soon we had to take our caps off. Then we had to take our arms and shoulders out of the water to have a bit more skin surface to help regulate our body temperature. After 20 minutes, everyone started to stand up or sit on the edge of the pool for a few minutes, sweating in the freezing night to cool down a little. We did that for who knows how long.

    At some point a new car arrived and a man approached us hoping for a seat in the tub. There were 6 seats and only 4 were taken, so we were happy to have company. Another half hour later we were joined by a woman. The pool was now full and we chatted animatedly about life, the universe and everything.

    When we left the hot tub, we no longer needed to hurry to get dressed. We became one with the heat. Everyone got dressed slowly, said goodnight and went to bed. The sleeping bag was instantly warm.

    In the morning we woke up in a frozen car with frozen windows, frozen tomatoes, frozen olive oil, frozen everything. My camera's battery died the moment I switched it on to capture the beautiful morning light.

    We made coffee and went back to the hot spring. Same procedure as the night before, but this time we could see the breathtaking landscape around us. Not a single house far and wide. Just mountains, hills, sparse vegetation and a few small birds enjoying the hot water just like us a few meters from the pool. Simply wonderful.    Read more

  • Road Trippin’ USA
    Day 64–68

    Buttermilk Boulders, Bishop (California)

    November 4, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    We left Death Valley and continued west towards the Sierra Nevada. Our destination: Bishop.

    We visited Bishop in 2021, but were only able to stay for just over two days. However, that was enough to make us fall in love with the place and promise to return one day when we have more time. Originally we (meaning mainly me) had planned 10 days for Bishop, but during the trip we had to change a few things here and there, so in the end we could only stay for a week. Nevertheless, we were more than happy to spend a few days in this paradise.

    After our arrival and a little shopping for groceries and outdoor equipment in town, we used the remaining daylight to drive over the bumpy road to the Buttermilks, the most famous area around Bishop. It is located west of the city at the foot of the mountain range. The landscape is simply beautiful. I don't have the words to describe it, but it really resonates with us. The colors of the rocks and desert plants are constantly changing with the position of the sun.

    The place is really dry. All the rain clouds that move from the Pacific to California have to rain down a bit before they can pass the Sierra Nevada Mountains, so the valley east of the mountain range gets very little precipitation, making it part of the Mojave Desert.

    The Buttermilks are best known for their huge granite eggs, some of which have top-outs that reach far into the no-fall zone, others require a strong mental game but are pretty safe. But even those who are not into highballs will find plenty of routes here.
    The rock is quite rough, as is often the case with granite (it's not actually granite, but quartz monzonite, which has a lower quartz content, but the texture is very similar). If we compare it to similar rocks we've climbed, e.g., Harz, La Pedriza, and Tinos, it doesn't seem to cost as much skin. This is not because the texture is finer, but rather because there are many more holds here than in other granite areas. The boulders have been here for millions of years and have to withstand severe temperature fluctuations as they bake in the desert sun in summer and cool to well below freezing in winter. As a result, the shell of the boulders sometimes fractures (on a geological time scale) due to the different thermal expansions of the core and shell, leaving a very distinctive rock texture.

    We found a nice place to park our vans for the next few nights and experienced a phenomenal sunrise the next morning. We spent the first day in the main area and encouraged Manu and Lisa to climb the classics that we had tried or climbed two years ago. Manu climbed "High Plains Drifter", V7, and Lisa climbed the notoriously difficult "Green Wall Center", V6. Birte worked on "Cave Route", V6, and by the end of the session had completed all the moves. Manu and I then gave the Chris Sharma classic "The Mandala", V12, a shot, but were already stalled on the second move. That thing is tough... Frustrated by the fact that I just wasn't fit enough for a V12 on this trip, I moved on to "Stained Glass", V10, a very crimpy wall climb with a wide throw to an invisible ledge. I came close several times, but I just couldn't get far enough. It wasn't my favorite moment of the trip, but hey, even those moments are part of the experience.

    The next day we woke up to strong winds. The mountain range was covered in clouds and we could see the first snow of the season. The mist rolling down the mountains was illuminated by the rising sun. The result was a beautiful semi-circular rainbow that seemed to be very close to us! We walked to a great boulder north of the main area with another famous line on it: "Seven Spanish Angels", V7 (V10 sit). Due to the wind and the rain clouds that always seemed to be around the corner, there were few people out climbing that day, so we were on our own all day. The climbing went better for me that day. I was able to climb "Seven Spanish Angels Sit" and "Twin Cracks", a very hard V9. We finished the day quite early and had coffee in the afternoon sun next to our vans, followed by a feast and beer inside.

    On the third and final day in the Buttermilks we crossed the small creek and climbed another classic, "Checkerboard", V8, as well as a couple of newer lines, "Judge Not", V9, and "Solitaire", V8 (V10 sit), both of which could or even had to be climbed with a ninja kick! Manu had a scary fall on "Judge Not" where he jumped to the crux hold, swung out far and lost his grip, sending him flying horizontally through the air and just hitting the edge of the crash pads. Fortunately, he was fine and not injured. He now has a great video of that dive. At the end of the day we went back to the main area. Birte tried the "Cave Route" a few more times, but had to accept that she needed a rest day after two very strenuous days of climbing. We'll have to come back for that one.

    Unfortunately, we had to leave the Buttermilks the next day, but we were looking forward to a shower at Hostel California, a coffee at Black Sheep Coffee Roasters and a well-deserved breakfast at the infamous Erik Schats' Bakkery. And we can't complain, after all we still had a few days ahead of us in the volcanic tablelands north of the city.

    Morning came, and for the first time on this trip, our van wouldn't start. Three days without movement and temperatures below zero had taken their toll on our battery. But this is the USA and you can always rely on the helpfulness of Americans (or Canadians in that case) with their perfectly equipped vans. Our neighbors simply went to the back of their car and gave us a jumper cable, which we then used to get a jump start from Manu and Lisa.

    If I had to name my favorite place in the world that I've seen on my travels so far, Bishop would definitely be in the top 3. I'm so glad this place exists.    Read more

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