April 2, 2014

Up at 12:30 a.m., I packed my things, and quickly checked out. Loading stuff into my trunk, I set my camera for night video for one last exit from here. Going north on the Strip, I turned west on Sahara, then south on Interstate 15. Little traffic, now. I really still need a dashcam, and on the news they said that cars will have a rear view camera, mandatory by 2018. With as moron drivers as there are, distraction will cause accidents, and disenabled people do that by the hundreds of thousands by cellphones. I knew where to exit for the cheapest gas, and some diet soda.

Feeling good, I cruised on south towards Los Angeles, CA. High speed, though it was night. I am familiar with the sights, so don’t miss anything. The rest areas made for breaks, and I passed on by Baker, CA, then stopped in Barstow to look for a restroom. Only at the gas station was one open at this hour. Buying drink for a relief got to be a habit on this trip. Often I had accumulated a few bottles or cans of drink, to use the restroom. I don’t have to drink them ice cold, so with insulation, I kept them cool enough, so when I deemed to drink from my soda stash, they were still fine.

Near Mojave, a highway rest area had locked mens restrooms. I can hold it in, so went to Tehachapi, where it began to snow. I got night video of the blizzard, but worried about chain control going up suddenly. Driving more slowly, I made it off the pass, and into drier weather. Bakersfield made for a dawn sight.

Taking 7th Standard Road again to Interstate 5, I sought to have a nice breakfast and break at Harris Ranch. I did video of the cooking beef, outside, and then had rib eye with three eggs, with sliced tomatoes. No water, as California is in a drought. The steak must have been rushed, so slightly burnt, ordered well done, but edible. Being that it was the top ticket item for breakfast, I was disappointed, so left less of a tip. I have never stopped here before, so this all was some surprise. Upper class patrons, by the looks of it.

With no more food or big stops to home, any worry about break-ins and losing my data was gone. I stopped at a vista point about Patterson, with green hills, and puffy clouds. Not feeling sleepy after this all night drive, I came home about 12 hours after leaving my hotel room. Getting to the downloads, most all went well. No movies that failed to load, as many other times. My place had a new manager, so we spoke for awhile as I carried in my gear. I’m ready for my next trip, given some peak climbing partners.

Epilogue

Hiking and gaining, then, some 14 miles with 4,100 feet, total, I captured 4,365 images and movie clips. The folder came to about 81 GB. Spending about $333 for gas enroute, I had gas in the tank and some left over on getting back, so roughly about the same. That was 91.864 gallons bought, then. The drive was 3,806 miles, so a good, 41.5 miles per gallon overall efficiency. Spending some $823 cash, I charged some 326 for economy lodging, some at a 10% discount. There were the T-shirts and other souvenirs, and some 90 for the Vegas room, the exact bill to be later e-mailed. There must be destructive guests or children or what, as they have to determine charges after the room is cleaned or repaired or what.

Getting a quick report online as I worked on it that night, I got up early Thursday to work on some movies, up by about 11 a.m., for any interested to enjoy right away. I went for my daily walk, catching up on the newspaper news. Met by new staff on going to a favorite restaurant, a simple, inoffensive question must have been taken wrong by one, so he used profanity and requested me to leave as I asked if they still wanted my business. There are plenty of other eateries, and if asked, I leave bad vibes, forever.

The hiking club used hate speech as I gave my services to others, and most or all of them don’t care for hiking, climbing, and backcountry skiing. People prefer to drive their own cars, even at their 5 mpg, so be it. They got beeline rides, cheaply and safely, if not for free, but hardly an acknowledgement or thanks. Calls to them result in their hanging ups.

I’m enjoying, exploring, and protecting, more still than any of them, ever. Helping homeless, needy, and good causes. No handouts for drugs or pollution. Suppose this is why they hate so much, but I do not want a worse world. Leave it for the better. Picking up hikers’ trash, still, on this trip, I don’t leave anything for others to have to deal with or to have to clean up. The vote wasn’t for planet, so I am stuck with old technology for transportation. We’d all be zero emissions, now, but for the dirty energy industry’s power over the voter. Luckily, there are sensible politicians, and we are on our way to a cleaner energy future. There are those who will have none of it, and they do have influence. The hiking club listens only to money, and they have said that they’d rather do the bidding of oil and coal. Botch job when it come to their stated mission.

My car needs further service, and I am fortunate with a good auto maintenance business. It will be seen how much further that it will run reliably, but the new cars are being planned. Fast charge, solar powered, convenient, and hopefully soon everywhere. I may not be around much longer, but for my old peak buddy, it is the 1950’s, forever. No technology, no culture, no enjoyment as most will have. Money daily for yesterday’s news, the abhorrence for hiking and green travel, even old ways as far as people. No change forthcoming, ever. You make reasonable appeals, but the same replies. Millions to be wasted. It’s his money, but the pollution!

For the next few months, it will be whatever peak hiking and climbing ops. The standard climbs are what I may repeat, as I enjoy doing my multiple ascents, again and again. As summer approaches, I hope to drive to do some more Continental Divide crossings, one back in Montana, a couple more in Wyoming, and in the fall the remainder in Colorado. I need to look for hikes and new sights to see. There are highways to run video, and smaller towns. More being online, far from home, and spreading the gospel of fitness and smarts. Computer technology is not as welcome in some areas as California, and they say that some rural areas don’t have any high speed connections, yet. Many areas don’t have signals, too.

I’ll be making appeals to team up for peak climbing by my Meetup group, and perhaps inquire about other groups. Being that the old hiking club might have some incident, saying then, “It never would have happened if they didn’t go HIKING,” they have stated that the best activities are “indoors.” I don’t go out to invite people for peak climbing, as beginners will not ever like it. It is a rare person that accepts challenge, and uphill isn’t a commonly used set of muscles. Altitude makes most beginners sick.

We may have flying cars, soon, by the Net, and although they will not be so good, as believed in the past for the future, rich people may get one, and soar overhead as hikers struggle with trails. Battery technology may advance to where short flights are maybe cleaner and possible. I expect to afford a zero emissions car in a few more years, as I have time for fast charges. As I dine and lodge, my battery will regain power for another 200-300 miles. Lunch for another recharge, or even at a trailhead, if the government is good to hikers.

Attitudes have to change. As technology progresses, the reality will take hold. Climate changes are not a good future. Science advancements are!

2014 New Mexico Road Trip Home, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 1, 2, Movies

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