Fremont Peak lingers in the background at all times, its presence felt from every vantage point. I've watched this mountain for what feels like days on end. I've seen it change and morph as light and perspectives shift. It bends and skews as we move around it. The mountain matching our every step with a lunge forward or a twist backward forever stuck in an endless backcountry dance.
Zoe, Kearney Nebraska
We've been hanging out in Nebraska for a couple weeks before we take off for 3 months. One of my close friends is getting married next weekend and then we're off. The time has gone by fast and the slower pace of life has been welcomed. We've made a few tweaks to the van, spent some time planning our route, but mostly we've been doing a lot of dog things: walking, training, swimming, washing. New career?
The Black Canyon, the name sounds more like a metal band my friends would have seen over a long weekend in college than a national park, but this place rocks just as hard as any band (pun intended). We left Denver in the late afternoon after we signed our first home over to a nice lady from Seattle. We hit the road hooting and hollering at the freedom of our current situation. There are really two ways to look at our current situation, we are homeless and jobless (glass half empty), or for the first time since youth we are 100% debt free with the world ahead of us.
With Denver in the rear view mirror we hop on south CO 285 hoping to get to as close to the park as we can before the sun goes down. We get as far as The Blue Mesa Reservoir, a mere 47 miles from the park before stopping to sleep. We pulled into a campsite in the dead of night only to be rewarded with an amazing view of the sunrise over the lake in the morning. Surprisingly the campsite was empty with the exception of a few scattered RVs and the camp host who had one of the most elaborate campsites I’ve ever seen complete with hanging plants, garden gnomes, and a hand painted sign reassuring us that “Jesus Loves You.”
By 8:am the next day we are at the entrance of the park flashing our national park pass. We are the only car in sight. Our planning was minimal so we opted for the scenic drive and a series of short hikes along the rim over a trip to the floor of the canyon. The canyon is deep and dark and full of mystery. The bottom is out of view from most view points peaking my curiosity as to what kind of creatures call the canyon bottom home. The canyon's name owes itself to the fact that parts of the gorge only receive 33 minutes of sunlight a day, according to Images of America: The Black Canyon of the Gunnison. In the book, author Duane Vandenbusche states, "Several canyons of the American West are longer and some are deeper, but none combines the depth, sheerness, narrowness, darkness, and dread of the Black Canyon."
The beginning of this story is a little hard to pin down. Maybe it starts back in 2007 when my sister-in-law and her girlfriend settled in Denver after a year of traveling the country in a VW van. Maybe it starts in my car as I sit in rush hour traffic looking out the window wishing I was somewhere else. Maybe it starts with my aunt telling me in her last days, as the cancer slowly steals the person I remember, that she regrets not doing more during her life. Maybe the idea to quit our jobs and sell our house to travel full time starts somewhere else entirely or maybe it’s all of these experiences combined, each one pulling us further outside our life in a box and into the unknown. Regardless of the inspiration, there is no going back. The plan is in motion and the only thing left to do is settle in and ride the wave for as long as we can until it fizzles out into nothing in a place much different than where it started.
“Life is too short for grief. Or regret. Or bullshit.”
My wife and I are diving head first into this idea. Letting go of all expectations and doing what feels right for us. We are 2 weeks away from closing on our house. Most of our possessions have gone the way of Craigslist or Goodwill. The few remaining items will be boxed up and stored for the year, my guess is we won’t miss our stuff at all. We are downsizing from a 1400 square foot house in Denver to a 100+ square foot camper van, packed with only the essentials for survival and fun. Packing for a trip like this is not an easy task, and the whole time I wonder why I even have this much crap to begin with. We have both left good jobs, surrounded by good people that understand and support our goals. We admit this is a crazy idea, but it’s something we have to do, and right now feels like the best time to act and make this idea that was once a blip on the daydream landscape into a reality.
For me this trip is an opportunity to get out of my comfort zone and challenge what has become “normal” in my life, connect with nature in a new way and hopefully grow in my relationship with my wife and as a person along the way.
We look forward to sharing stories and images from the road.
When are you leaving?
We are leaving Denver mid July and officially starting our journey early August.
How long will you be gone?
The plan right now is one full year.
Where are you going?
The details of our trip are still being ironed out. My wife and I are not really the planning type, which we’ve noticed in our conversations makes some people very uncomfortable. We have a general idea of where we’re going and what we want to see and do when we get there, but part of the fun is leaving room for the unexpected. That’s the real adventure. Generally, we’ll be road tripping across the country, zig-zagging the black top from coast to coast in a self converted camper van. If time and money allows we will head to Asia later in the year.
How will you fund your travels?
First thing’s first, you will never see a GoFundMe page from us asking our friends and family for money. Another thing you will not see is brand sponsored content. We’re not whoring out our travels for “likes” and free product. We are funding this trip the only way we know how (and feel comfortable with), we worked our asses off for over a year, lived modestly and saved as much money as we could. We also sold our house, cars and most of our stuff. If necessary Gabe can pick up design work on the road.
Where will you sleep?
In a van. On the beach. In hotels. In Walmart parking lots. In a tent. On the ground. With friends and family (not in the same bed).
Where will you shower?
We bought a portable solar shower that can be used anywhere we feel comfortable getting almost naked. We have also purchased memberships at a gym that has locations nation wide, so in addition to showers we can get a little workout in and take advantage of “pizza Thursdays.”
Where will you settle at the end of your trip?
The honest answers is “we have no idea,” but if I were to guess I’d say we’ll end up back in Colorado.
What's the meaning behind the name Always West?
Always West is an idea that golden opportunities lie outside our comfort zone. This is our journey away from our home, our work and our routine in search of a treasure that lies hidden beneath the surface of our daily lives. This is our gold rush, but instead of riches we seek adventure and personal growth.
What are the details of your van conversion?
All van info can be found here.
Does your van have a name?
Kinda. Actually it has a lot of names. The White Whale. AlexVANder Supertramp. El Blanco Burro. Antonio Vanderas. Most often we call it Vanderson Cooper, or Mr Cooper, or Coopy for short.
2006 Dodge Sprinter - high top, 118” wheel base. Low mileage (<52K), Mercedes 2.7L 5cyl. I5 turbo diesel, 5 speed shuttle shift, 286 cu ft. cargo capacity.
General:
Sound dampening: Dynamat on all metal surfaces (floor, walls, ceiling, doors)
Insulation: Reflectix and R9 Recycled Denim
Flooring: Laminate hardwood floors (tongue and groove)
Bed: floating wood frame attached to internal studs
Mattress: Modified full mattress
Kitchen:
7 gallon fresh water tank (x2)
Hand pump sink
JetBoil Genesis Stove
Power:
Kyocera 140 Watt Solar Panel
Blue Sky Sun Charger 30
2 x 100 ah AGM batteries
2000 W pure sine inverter
Extra:
Rear ladder
Hitch mounted cargo box
Fantastic Fan
Blackout window covers
