CLIMBING, CAMPING, MUSIC and TATONKA! _______________________________________________________ So a couple days ago we set sail from Steamboat Springs and drove the Truckster north to Jackson, Wyoming. The Truckster behaved well for the most part, not failing to fire back up after stopping at Taco Bell in Rawlins Wyoming for lunch. Had we been so unfortunate as to become stranded in Rawlins, an armpit of a hell-hole if ever there was one, I sense we would have bought a stolen hand gun from one of the guys on the street corner and blown our own brains out. No kidding-- getting stuck there was our biggest concern. However, it did not happen and so I have nothing to report. Other than the fact that Rawlins is an armpit of a hell-hole if ever there was one. Today, rather than blab on and on about our little road trip north, which was only mildly interesting, I'll hit the high points and post some of the more interesting images. For the record, there are no pictures of Rawlins. We sure as hell didn't take any, and doubtful anyone ever has. Rom put it best when he said, "Rawlins sucks." Climbing - Our first leg took us to Lander, Wyoming, where we hit up the Wild Iris Climbing store for a guide book. The short blonde girl at the counter was an athletic climber chick wearing a tight black top and an eyebrow ring. We were probably too busy checking her out and attempting to listen to her advice, because we failed to get her name. She is known to us only as "the hottie climber chick" and will not be forgotten anytime soon. They were out of climbing guides for the Iris. Not only that, but due to our late arrival in town, the hottie climber chick told us we'd be better off climbing an area called the Sinks. She gave us some verbal suggestions on routes and pointed us down the correct roads out of town. We left the store a bit flustered, wiping the drool from the sides of our mouths (yes ladies... guys are often THAT pathetic). So we did a couple sport climbing routes before the sun dipped bellow the horizon. One was a 5.6 and the other, which we made several attempts at, was actually a 5.11-ish. Here's a couple pics... Camping - On our way out of Lander, after scoring some grub at the Lander Bar, a cop pulled over the Truckster. Rom was driving, and "driving erraticly," according to the officer. Oddly, none of us had been drinking... and if I had to guess, I'd say it was probably the Truckter's own loose steering causing the erratic behavior. Or perhaps Rom's mind had momentarily drifted back to the hottie climber chick. Who knows? After determining that Rom was probably sober, the Officer requested ALL of our licenses. This was most likely to run background checks to see if we were wanted men (in this country) OR to make certain we weren't terrorists fixin' to blow up Lander, Wyoming! Ever since 9/11 police are a bit jittery, and being the seasoned travelers we are, we knew better than to escalate the situation to a point where we might get shot by a trigger-happy law officer. Each of us passed him our ID's. As the cop walked back to his car, visions of Rom sitting in a jail cell filled our heads. However, it was not to be. The officer eventually returned, flashlight in one hand and a warning citation for outdated insurance documents in the other. Instead of shooting us, he wished us safe travels in a rather professional manner and sent us into the night. What a tool. Half way to Jackson, somewhere in the Shoshone National Park, we pulled over onto a dirt road and broke out camp for the night. The next morning, on our way to Jackson, we snapped this pic near the Tetons... Music - Cody and Adam have tag-teamed the DJ duties on this trip. Each has an iPod. with something like an entire gig of space, so there is no shortage of tunes. Over the course of this trip, thus far, we've listened to a lot of weird-ass music. Some of the most exotic tunes were shared by Rom's friend Grates in Steamboat. He has a collection of Bosnian beats straight from the old country. I'm not talking folk music or any of that Um-pa-pa stuff you hear at country fairs. This was hairy music plaid by hairy men with guitars and synthesizers. I would tell you more, but I hadn't a clue what they were singing. It sounded happy, though. In the dark of the night, while driving towards Jackson and looking for a campsite, the Lords of Acid entertained us with their techno-style beats and raunchy lyrics. Rom was asleep in the back seat, while the rest of us jokingly wondered what sort of dreams he was having as a result of the techno-sex-rap being piped through the Truckster. For those of you not familiar with Lords of Acid... their specialty is mainly porno set to music. Or perhaps the fusion of porno and music. Regardless, it's the kind of music the religious right would not only ban, but destroy entirely if given the chance. It's really good stuff. On the way to a pizza joint in Jackson last night Cody played an extensive block of German Hip Hop. Of course, none of us speak German... but no matter, the lyrics still rhyme and it's obvious the German rapper is filled with angst and disdain for "the man." Most likely this German rapper is from the hood-stein in Bonn, Hamburg, or some other blighted inner-city, and has seen plenty of rough times. Drugs were a huge influence during his youth and he witnessed the unnecessary oppression of his hommies (I'm dying to know the German word for Hommie). Earlier in life he lashed out in many different ways, from alcohol to violence, and served jail time as a result. Then one day he discovered music as an outlet for his strife. Today he makes tons of money spitting out rhymes about his troubles, his bitches and hos, and all the bling he has amassed. Or maybe he was singing love songs... it was hard to tell. Tatonka - Now here's a sight you don't see in, say... Lower Manhattan or on Hollywood Boulevard. In a full-on Dances with Wolves moment, a herd of Buffalo wandered across the road...