Spent a few hot days at Big Bend National Park in Texas!
Dogs aren’t allowed on the trails here so I had to do my runs in the early morning. First night we had a great view spot of Nugent Mountian to camp. It was also close to Pine Canyon Trail which leads to a waterfall. Pup and I hung out trying to stay cool in the shade of the van. Shade is very limited to find in the park. Woke up early and ran 4.6 miles round trip to the waterfall on the Pine Canyon trail. Not much of a waterfall but it was trickling/flowing good for a TX desert waterfall. After my run pup and I explored the scenic drives in the park. Dogs are only allowed on roads so we stopped often on the backcountry roads to stretched. Drove from Boquillas Canyon all the way to Santa Elena Canyon, which are opposite sides of the park. Crazy to see views like this in Texas! On our last day I woke up early to run to the highest peak in the park, Emory Peak. Woke up 15 minutes before sunrise to get to the trailhead at Chisos Basin Village. The view of the peaks as we drove was overcast and cloudy. Emory especially was not visible from the start. Most people would be disappointed but I was relieved. The overcast would keep pup cool in the van incase the forest service mileage was wrong, which it was. Total miles to the rock scramble peak of Emory from the Village was 11 miles vs the 9.8 I originally thought. My view at the top was pure clouds, cool breeze and solitude. Not in if for the views, I am in it for the adventure!
Stopped by Carlsbad Caverns National Park today to go explore under ground for a change versus running on top of it.Although pup was not happy (had him kenneled due to the hot temps), myself and 8 others took a historic candle-lit lantern Ranger tour through an undeveloped section of the cave. The trail or section is called lefthand and it was on unpaved trails. Which sounded like my kind of tour so I coughed up the $7 for the tour. Ranger Nate was information galore and may have nerdded out on us a few times, making the tour even better!After climbing around the dim lit section of lefthand I explored through the “Big Room” section of the cave. The Big Room is the free (not including the NP entrance) self guided tour of Carlsbad Caverns. –Insert all the big words for cave formations here–, it was spectacular to learn how all these formations become what they are.
Have you been in a cavern lately or ever? If not check one out…it’s amazing!
Explored Mesa Verde National Park the last couple days. It’s simply amazing! To see the little villages and life style the Ancestral Pueblo people lived puts life in perspective. We definitely live out of our means in today’s society, and nothing is wrong with that, but we just need to take a step back to evaluate what we have and appreciate it all the more.
The Park offers two free self guided tours of the dwellings (Spruce Tree House and Step House). As well as Ranger guided tours for an inside look of three other dwellings. I only did the free tour of Spruce Tree House (Spruce Tree closes in September).
To me I still feel I got the up close feeling with the free tour. Even it to climb in a kiva and a baby tarantula cross my path on the trail! Most overlook trails and the Long House Loop paved trail are dog. There is not a lot cover so be sure to bring plenty of water and sunscreen.
It’s dream like, it’s big, it’s flashy, it’s everything I run from…but I am drawn to the unquoted conversations that stir as I people watch, as I wonder where they are going, as I think of what I would do if I lived in the city, as I think of how lucky I am to have this the opportunity to travel the country.
My NYC “Plan”:
In my six months plus living out of the van I have only paid twice to park and once for a hotel because the weather got below zero. So, I decided to make a “plan” to splurge a bit to get a hotel in Manhattan for one night. Getting the hotel would be costly but I would have piece of mind knowing pup was safe while I was out. I could make it a full blown touristy day and see all the sites. Plus I was told about a group run on Saturday that would run the Brooklyn Bridge out and back. Well…like I have always said never make real plans because plans fall apart or get broken. Then you’re left feeling sad cause you missed out.
How my NYC “plan” fell apart:
I was excited for the Brooklyn Bridge group run even tough it was road running. Meeting and running with people is what makes my journey fun. Come to find out the same day the group run would be is the Brooklyn Half Marathon. I reach out to the person that mentioned the run to find out if the group was still meeting, no response. I reach out to the group organizers to find out, no response. No worries….they are road runners I tell myself. As a trail runner you learn how roadies can be so no biggie because I can just do my own thing.
Now that I don’t have the group to organize around I can start to plan my quick day and half tour of NYC. My go to for hotels has always been La Quinta Inns mainly cause they are pet friendly. I log into my LQ App on my phone and low and behold there is one in Manhattan with a perfect location to everything! Booked! I happen to be talking with my friend later the same night I booked the room. She tells me that she heard that the Manhattan LQ is the only non pet friendly location. Thinking she was joking I called the hotel to confirm her story. Holy crap it’s true! All I could do at this point is talk to the Manager in the morning. I stressed a bit over how expensive it was and how I missed the deadline to cancel. Realizing that stressing wouldn’t help I started create ideas of how I would spend my time in NYC like I originally planned. A short call in the morning to the manager and it was cleared up. He was hesitant at first and said it clearly states on the website no pets. Told him that may be the case but I only use the LQ App which does not state in details about no pets. I calmly won the debate and he canceled.
My new NYC idea:
“I call it an idea not a plan. Plans change. Plans get broken. Plans prevent us from following the moments that lead to who we are, where we should to be, what we are suppose to do.” This is one of my plan quotes I say and truly believe in to this day.
Letting all the negatives pass by I start to create the new ideas which will be just rolling with whatever comes. First stop is Liberty State Park in New Jersey. This is where you can take the NJ ferry to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. My plan is to just walk with up and take a few pictures quickly. But this park is awesome! It’s huge and has a lot of green space so we took a long stroll.
I met a lady as we were walking that wanted to say hi to pup. She kept calling him a Collie. I let her call him one because it’s not worth the argument. Jayden ran up to her without his normal gruffle bark. Then she started crying as she pet him, she just lost her dog a month ago. I let her vent about her dog and how great he was as well as the breed itself. She asked where we were from and I gave her the short story to focus in her. Her son is a trail runner, hiker, adventurer too and lives in New Hampshire. She is going to the same farm to possibly get a new pup this weekend. She asked me if I thought it was to soon? Told her it would probably be good and it’s never to soon or late to wait. She will know when the time is right and the new dog will never be the same as the other dog. Before I left I told her I was giving her a big hug…and I did. After I did, pup ran up to her turned his butt to her for a pet. She smiled big and I noticed a tear roll down her cheek from under her sunglasses… she patted his bum and walked away.
I don’t write many stories of all great people I have met along the way. This just goes to show that following plans are good to a point but following the moment is what we are meant to do. That lady needed that hug, that conversation, my silly dog and his butt petting fetish. I wouldn’t have been there at that time if my plan worked out.
As for the rest of NYC it was fun driving down Time Square, getting honked at by every cab driver, hanging out in Central Park all afternoon. But the best was my straight dirtbagging it and boondocking on the streets of NYC! I literally slept in my van on the corner of the Upper Westside of Central Park!
I have never been much of a gym guy. I have only been on a treadmill 3 times in my life. P90x was my go to with Bowflex dumbbells and a pull-up bar. I mainly did and still do just lite weights or body weight work outs.
6 gallons = 48ish lbs.
Now I workout with what I have around me. Six gallon water jugs, benches, tree stumps and of course my favorite endless trails!
Endless Trails!
I can honestly say my workouts now are better cause it’s not the same old mundane routine. Experiment with what you got. Push-ups, squats, sit-ups, sidewalks and trails are all free and easy to do anytime. Start small, start short. You’ll progress soon enough with time and dedication. And you don’t even have to be a dirtbag living in a van to curl a water jug!
Life is a learning tool. If we study it by living in the moment we’ll be happy every moment of our lives.
Walls of Jericho in Alabama Photo Credit Zach Andrews
This weekend marked 3 months into my journey. I have been to 9 states (SD, NE, MO, AR, TN, MS, LA, FL & AL) and put on 6,123 miles! Words can not describe what an amazing experience the last few months have been. Well actually let me try: Thankful, honored, rad, interesting, scary, beautiful, cold, dirty, happy, crazy, emotional, joyful, smelly, loved…I could go on and on but most of all I am truly grateful. Grateful for the words of encouragement, the support from family and friends and for all my new friends I have met along the way.
I can not believe my JAdRunning Facebook page has hit 248 likes! Half the likes are from people I didn’t even know when I started or haven’t even met. Honored to have everyone of you following my adventure!
Also, if there is a place you think I should check out please comment and let me I know. If you think you know someone that may like my page please share it www.facebook.com/jadrunning.
Zach and I at Kings Chair overlook in Oak Mountain State Park
This weekend in Birmingham I met up with Fellow Dirtbag Runner Zach for some beautiful running because of social media! Meeting people is how I get to see the best of the best in everyone’s stomping ground.
Trust me I don’t mind being stalked…well the friendly stalking that is!!
Woke up early and ran 4.6 miles round trip to the waterfall on the Pine Canyon trail. Not much of a waterfall but it was trickling/flowing good for a TX desert waterfall. After my run pup and I explored the scenic drives in the park. Dogs are only allowed on roads so we stopped often on the backcountry roads to stretched. Drove from Boquillas Canyon all the way to Santa Elena Canyon, which are opposite sides of the park. Crazy to see views like this in Texas!
On our last day I woke up early to run to the highest peak in the park, Emory Peak. Woke up 15 minutes before sunrise to get to the trailhead at Chisos Basin Village. The view of the peaks as we drove was overcast and cloudy. Emory especially was not visible from the start. Most people would be disappointed but I was relieved. The overcast would keep pup cool in the van incase the forest service mileage was wrong, which it was. Total miles to the rock scramble peak of Emory from the Village was 11 miles vs the 9.8 I originally thought. My view at the top was pure clouds, cool breeze and solitude.
Not in if for the views, I am in it for the adventure!
Although pup was not happy (had him kenneled due to the hot temps), myself and 8 others took a historic candle-lit lantern Ranger tour through an undeveloped section of the cave. The trail or section is called lefthand and it was on unpaved trails. Which sounded like my kind of tour so I coughed up the $7 for the tour. Ranger Nate was information galore and may have nerdded out on us a few times, making the tour even better!
After climbing around the dim lit section of lefthand I explored through the “Big Room” section of the cave. The Big Room is the free (not including the NP entrance) self guided tour of Carlsbad Caverns. –Insert all the big words for cave formations here–, it was spectacular to learn how all these formations become what they are. 
Have you been in a cavern lately or ever? If not check one out…it’s amazing!
To see the little villages and life style the Ancestral Pueblo people lived puts life in perspective. We definitely live out of our means in today’s society, and nothing is wrong with that, but we just need to take a step back to evaluate what we have and appreciate it all the more.
It’s dream like, it’s big, it’s flashy, it’s everything I run from…but I am drawn to the unquoted conversations that stir as I people watch, as I wonder where they are going, as I think of what I would do if I lived in the city, as I think of how lucky I am to have this the opportunity to travel the country.
“I call it an idea not a plan. Plans change. Plans get broken. Plans prevent us from following the moments that lead to who we are, where we should to be, what we are suppose to do.” This is one of my plan quotes I say and truly believe in to this day. 
Letting all the negatives pass by I start to create the new ideas which will be just rolling with whatever comes. First stop is Liberty State Park in New Jersey. This is where you can take the NJ ferry to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. My plan is to just walk with up and take a few pictures quickly. But this park is awesome! It’s huge and has a lot of green space so we took a long stroll. 
I don’t write many stories of all great people I have met along the way. This just goes to show that following plans are good to a point but following the moment is what we are meant to do. That lady needed that hug, that conversation, my silly dog and his butt petting fetish. I wouldn’t have been there at that time if my plan worked out. 
As for the rest of NYC it was fun driving down Time Square, getting honked at by every cab driver, hanging out in Central Park all afternoon. But the best was my straight dirtbagging it and boondocking on the streets of NYC! I literally slept in my van on the corner of the Upper Westside of Central Park! 
