18 Jun 2013              Las Vegas, NV to Park City, UT

           

            Today we departed late from Las Vegas.  We had to drop off items that Jimbo let us borrow, and then we got out of town.  The checklist took longer to complete than expected because going on a trip for two months where we will be living out of the truck just seems so daunting.  It’s one thing to go to Europe or Southeast Asia and only have a backpack.  This time we have the truck.  You can bring a lot more, but it makes the trip that much more demanding.  The truck needs tools, air compressor, navigation equipment, ham radio stuff, food, music instruments, and camping gear.  Traveling out of a backpack is looking really good right now. 

           

            We are camping next to a creek in the Wasatch mountains.  Yes, we are right next to Interstate 80, but the sound of the stream is drowning out the noise, and the price is right.  The temperature is pretty cool, in the upper 50’s, and the moon is illuminating everything nicely.  The tent is set up and the car camping facilities at the Park City RV resort are very nice.  There is not only running water and showers, but a pool and hot tub, pinball, pool table and exercise equipment.

            On the road, we traveled 450 miles from Las Vegas.  We stopped twice, once for gas, and the other for dinner and gas.  I drove first, and Katherine navigated the middle section, then I took over again at BYU and drove us through Salt Lake City and up the hill to Park City.  While Katherine was driving, I enthusiastically fired up the newly installed ham radio mobile unit.  I made a few contacts on 20 meters and listened to people all over the US.  Mostly in Florida and Texas.  When I was getting tired of spinning the radio knobs a yellow Nissan Xterra flew past us on the I-15 with a few antennas and a vanity ham plate.  I immediately turned my radio from 14.250 MHz to 146.520 (national calling frequency) and gave a shout out.  Yes, this guy was monitoring, and came right back.  In the process, another guy farther down the road came on and the three of us chatted traveling northbound on the I-15 for a good hour.  We discussed the usual ham radio talk, you know the weather, road conditions, gear, mobile installations, and when you heard each other before.  It is quite the cult phenomenon.  I had my headset on while Katherine was driving and she only heard half of the conversation.  When we finished the QSO (ham for a conversation) she said I sound really weird and different on the radio (aka dorky.)  I must do something to sound cooler. 

            All that talking on the radio has made me really enjoy the evening.  That is… not being on the radio.  Normally when we pull  into campsite, I set up the radio and talk for an hour or so.  But now, we are just chilling out and I and working on the first blog entry of the summer.  I have been looking forward to starting the blog again for the summer months.  The blog has been going strong for a few summers and while leaving on this trip, a few friends have asked, “Are you going to be blogging this summer?”.   I said, “Of course!”.  Then I thought about it.  It’s a lot of work, but it anchors down what your summer was and how it felt, and when you come back in a year or two you are REALLY glad that you did it.  So, this summer will be thoroughly blogged and I will be documenting our travels through the Pacific Northwest and hopefully giving an insight to tent car camping.  By car camping I mean the lush easy National Park style with chairs and pillows, the opposite extreme of wilderness camping far from any paved road with whatever you carry on your back.  Stay along for  the ride this summer and hopefully we will come across some interesting things.