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Adventure
- Road Tripping
- Parks
  - National Park Service
  - Forest Service
- Campfire Cooking
  - Breakfast
  - Lunch
  - Dinner
  - Side Dish
  - Appetizer
  - Dessert Recipes
  - Cocktail Recipes
  - Eateries
  - Breweries
  - Restaurants
  - Wineries
- More Activities
  - Biking
  - Camping
  - Hiking
  - Overlanding
  - Oddities
  - Museums
  - Art
Travel
- Countries
- - Alabama
  - Arizona
  - Arkansas
  - California
  - Colorado
  - Connecticut
  - Idaho
  - Illinois
  - Indiana
  - Kansas
  - Kentucky
  - Louisiana
  - Maryland
- - Michigan
  - Minnesota
  - Mississippi
  - Missouri
  - Montana
  - Nebraska
  - Nevada
  - New Mexico
  - New York
  - North Carolina
  - Oklahoma
  - Oregon
  - Pennsylvania
- - South Dakota
  - Tennessee
  - Texas
  - Utah
  - Wyoming
  - Wisconsin
  - West Virginia
  - Washington
  - Virginia
  - Vermont
DIY
About
- Chris & Lexi
- Our Rigs
  - Dodgy
  - Dodgy II
  - Avion

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Tag: Mendocino County

Lexi and Chris from Roam Lab, sitting on their 1970 Avion C11 truck camper on a pulloff off Highway 1 in Big Sur, California.

Top 10 Stops on Highway 1

Road Trip Adventures

There are many ways to see California. It is a state with remarkable diversity. Colorful deserts, dramatic mountain

About Author

Lexi lives in a truck camper down by the river.

Where We Are Now

Moab, Utah

Instagram

Farewell Superstition Mountains! It’s time to mo

Farewell Superstition Mountains! It’s time to move on. But things won’t get any warmer from here…
⁠
⁠
𝘍𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸 @roamlab 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘤𝘬 𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘴⁠
⁠
_________________________________⁠
𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗥𝗶𝗴⁠
⁠
1970 Avion C11 truck camper⁠
2015 @ramtrucks 3500 Tradesman⁠
@bowen_customs truck bed⁠
@warnindustries Ascent Front Bumper⁠
& Zeon Winch⁠
@bfgoodrichtires All Terrain T/A KO2s⁠
@methodracewheels 305s⁠
@bushwackerinc fender flares⁠
@ternoverland_arctictern roof hatch⁠
⁠
𝘚𝘦𝘦 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘋𝘐𝘠 𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘰 𝘢𝘵 𝘳𝘰𝘢𝘮𝘭𝘢𝘣.𝘤𝘰𝘮⁠
_________________________________⁠

I’m not sure if I could technically say I photob

I’m not sure if I could technically say I photobombed this video or not, but I feel like I don’t quite belong in the middle of all this.⁠
⁠
#lifeontheroad #hiking #trailvibes #arizonahiking #trailadventure #hikeaz #lostdutchmanstatepark #lostdutchman #superstitionmountains #superstitions #arizonahikersguide #azhiking #hikers #exploreaz #hikingadventures #hikearizona #takeahike #explorearizona #outdoorlife #outdoorfun #hiker #sheexplores #outdoorwomen #liveyouradventure #hikingcouple #sheadventures #briskoutdoors

When the light glows over the landscape, and the c

When the light glows over the landscape, and the clouds shift into a sherbet swirl of pinks and purples, I run away. ⁠
⁠
With my camera in hand, I hunt out some dramatic perspective and start clicking. ⁠
⁠
Chris can work through the whole event without missing me. But at times, he realizes that I’ve disappeared and comes looking. ⁠
⁠
I guess I could play hide and seek. But I like sharing the view with him. ⁠
⁠
𝘍𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸 @roamlab 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘤𝘬 𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘴⁠
⁠
_________________________________⁠
𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗥𝗶𝗴⁠
⁠
1970 Avion C11 truck camper⁠
2015 @ramtrucks 3500 Tradesman⁠
@bowen_customs truck bed⁠
@warnindustries Ascent Front Bumper⁠
& Zeon Winch⁠
@bfgoodrichtires All Terrain T/A KO2s⁠
@methodracewheels 305s⁠
@bushwackerinc fender flares⁠
@ternoverland_arctictern roof hatch⁠
⁠
𝘚𝘦𝘦 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘋𝘐𝘠 𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘰 𝘢𝘵 𝘳𝘰𝘢𝘮𝘭𝘢𝘣.𝘤𝘰𝘮⁠
_________________________________⁠

The Upper Syphon Draw Trail to the Superstition Mo

The Upper Syphon Draw Trail to the Superstition Mountain's iconic Flat Iron is marked with occasional dashes of light blue spray paint. We didn't know that on our way up the 2,600-foot ascent. Unaware of the paint's presence along the trail we certainly didn't notice its absence as we progressed. Instead, we noticed the lack of hikers descending and the increasingly steep scrambles up loose shale rock.

This can't be right.
Can it?

Back when we encountered the occasional hiker, they told us how much more difficult it was to descend the trail than climb it. I look over my shoulder. Yes, as much as this ascent makes my heart palpitate in ways that physical exertion does not, it looks even more dangerous to descend.

Park officials wouldn't direct people to climb this loose shale?
Would they?

We reach a rock outcropping, a now rare opportunity to stand on firm earth. Before all this shale, there had been a fork in the trail. We went right. Should we now work our way left? I peek over the rock to look for a safer route.

This is where I almost cry.

We are climbing parallel to a sheer stone rock face. If there is a better route, there is no safe access point.

IF

It's either up or down.
"Down" is too frightful to contemplate.
"Up" doesn't seem that far.

If we are right:
If this route is wrong,
Then at least, we won't have to come back down this way.

That hope lasts until we encounter the rock wall. It's only 15 feet high. At ground level, I wouldn't give it a second thought. But here, we only have a couple feet of flat dirt to fall back. Beyond this ledge, it's a long long fall.

My running shoes were the wrong choice for this trail, but I still manage to haul myself over the lip of the wall and see THE trail: well-trodden dirt and level ground.

We've made it.

Standing on the peak of the Flat Iron, we catch up with a few other hikers.

How did they find the trail?
"Fine?"

Was it scary?
"I supposed so...."

No, I mean, were you in fear for your life?
"Not really"

Ah! Where did you finish the climb?

All those hikers that told us "climbing down was more challenging than climbing up" didn't take the route we took.

Good for them.

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See what products we use in our DIY renovation of this 1970 Avion C11 truck camper.

where we are now

Moab, Utah

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