Under way

17.10.2014

We are finally under way. After several visits at the repair shop and the XP Camper shop we took care of everything, our truck is in good shape,

Spare parts and last minute purchases are tucked away and the refrigerator is full. We took off from Grass valley and drove southeast and up the Sierras until we found a nice camping spot at around 7000 feet in a clearing in the trees with view of the vast forest. There is a lot of public land in the western US and it is easy to find a secluded spot for the night.

Last weekend Marc Wassman (XP Camper – boss – and visionary) invited us to come up to Meadow Lake, north of Lake Tahoe in the Sierra Mountains, for a pig roast he planned with his friends from “Wander the West”. It took us four and a half hours to drive up there on roads that in parts would not even be considered an “Alpweg” back home in Austria, more like stream beds. Along lakes and sheer cliffs we drove up into the mountains and our Dodge showed his best, a test for things to come.

All the more “gemütlich” was our stay at Meadow Lake once we got there and were greeted warmly by Marc and his friends.

The weaner-pig Marc roasted over the fire was 50 lb. and more like a weaner-hog. Ceviche, “Humboldt Fog” goat cheese and homemade walnut pies made for a great feast. It was a nice and fun round of people. Thanks Marc and “Wander the West”.

In the mean time we keep traveling south, the Sierras to our right, the desert and Death Valley to our left.

At the edge of the Mojave desert – between the “Trona Pinnacles” – we picked a spot in the shade of one of the pinnacles and stayed for a couple of days. With our bicycles we explored the area, rode through the pinnacles in different shapes and variations, some as high as 150 ft. Thanks Jim and Judy for telling us about this place.

Scenes of movies like “Planet Of The Apes” “ET” and “Star Trek V” were filmed here, a desolate and yet fascinating place.

It is quiet here; sometimes we see a car on the horizon, or better – a dust cloud kicked up by some 4×4 vehicle in the distance.

We got used to the camper life again quickly, the XP Camper is practical and cozy. We spend a lot of time outside and exploring. Thanks to the solar power we are able to even enjoy a good cup of coffee , write on the laptop (something without an i in front), read the “kindle” (Amazon) and listen to music (XM Sirius satellite radio).

Life is good!