Just Drive
A photo essay of a special time spent driving around the West Coast of the States. It’s easy to get caught up in the planning of a trip; how do we see this, that, and that other thing all in a space of a day or two? Madly rushing around not being entirely present whilst trying to see places Instagram or social media tells you to see. I hope to offer my perspective on such a trip, where I really didn’t prioritize my camera. Taking photos where I felt I just wanted to remember this snapshot and show my friends and family; unposed, and always trying to stay in the moment.
Part 1
Familiarity:
The initial leg of the journey was spent in Washington & Oregon. Despite their distinctiveness, these locations share some commonalities with my home in Squamish. Evergreen trees, rugged weather, and absurd amounts of natural beauty. What sets these places apart from Canada is that somehow it’s all just bigger. In the space of 10 hours from Portland one can transition from watching the first snowfall on Mount Rainier to sunbathing on a rock in Lake Tahoe. These changes in surroundings and weather always take me by surprise.
Part 2
Where you want to be:
Yosemite Valley and the surrounding Sierra mountains will always be a place where I want to spend more time. The amount of alpine terrain, sheer granite cliffs, and breathtaking sunsets set this place apart from others in the States. However, with such beauty and access comes new obstacles in the form of people and complicated online booking systems that may turn you around before you even get started. By some miracle, we snagged backcountry permits in Yosemite allowing us to hike the outer rim of the valley, tagging Half Dome, Clouds Rest, and Mount Watkins. With 2800m of vert, and 50km of trail to get around, this has got to be one of the hardest but most magical hikes I will ever do. If you can handle the elevation gain and loss, this one must be added to your bucket list. After the valley, we stopped by Bishop, a seemingly unremarkable town (except for the bakery) at the foothills of the Sierra mountains. Although mostly popular as a climbing destination, the ability to access the alpine is like no other, with roads driving up to nearly 3000m, you start your hike out of breath and amongst the mountains. It boasts some of the best trails I have ever done, and it keeps on giving with some of my favorite camping spots, hot springs, and of course the world-class climbing.
Part 3
Now we’re far from home:
The southwestern deserts of the States host some pretty magical settings that make you feel a million miles away from Canada. We had no real objectives for this area, so I will let the pictures do most of the talking. The natural architecture here is mind-boggling, from peculiar rock spires that look to be made of mud to massive swaths of rock arching over the desert to miles upon miles of canyons you could spend a lifetime exploring. Add on top the vibrant color of the rock and never-ending sunshine and it makes it a place where it’s hard to be unhappy.
Part 4
So this is why people talk about California:
Where do I start? It’s hard to exist without hearing or seeing about the California coastline, from the birth of skateboarding to the entertainment industry that resides in the hills of Malibu and Beverly Hills to the Californian sunset. I finally got to see what all the fuss was all about. From San Diego to San Francisco and beyond there are hundreds of miles of magnificent coastline. Surfing was our main objective, and I wish I could bring my camera into the ocean to capture more of the clear waters, beautiful waves, dolphins, and rainbows, so you will just have to take my word for it. The lack of bad weather here is wild to me, meaning every evening the sky puts on a show and I really couldn’t get enough.
There’s always a downside when everything seems so perfect, living out of a van was certainly the weak link for this section of the trip. With no viable wild camping options and stringent bylaws, there was no easy way around paying the exorbitant fees of the US campgrounds. This gave us a fairly short timeline here, so a whirlwind tour of some of southern California’s finest breaks and vistas led us through Morro Bay, Big Sur, and Elephant Seal habitats, finally arriving into the bustling streets of San Francisco. The surfing was hard, a little scary, and at times so busy I’m shocked they haven’t capitalized on paying for each wave you take, but somehow I got some of the best waves of my life and watched some of the best surfers effortlessly navigate the large swells that prompted the end of our trip. California has hijacked my thoughts, despite the absurdly lucky life I live in Squamish, the scenery, weather and friendly people of California will always have me coming back. Our trip concluded with clouds rolling in, winds blowing, and 15ft swell forecasted for the foreseeable future. It was time to finally end our dream and drive Highway 1 back into Canada.
The End
That concludes it 10,400km of roads traveled, 45 nights spent outside, and one heck of a good time. America’s West Coast is truly what it is portrayed in books, films and I guess Instagram.
While I may not be the most eloquent writer, I hope this blog provides that little kick up the toosh to spark your next adventure. It would be greatly appreciated if you could write any feedback or share it with a friend, it could mean one day, I get to write a few more of these.
Till next time
