October 15, 2019: Taking the Byways
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| October 2009 - October 2019 |
Garrett and I just wrapped an amazing 9 day road trip through Oregon, focusing our travels on the southwestern region of the state. By our calculations (which was basically a combo of loose memory and verification through my flipping through iPhone pictures), this was our sixth annual fall trip together. We started this tradition with hiking the Rocky Mountain National Park in 2014, taking in the beautiful orange aspen leaves and all the great fall mountainous views.
The other calculation that came to light was that it was ten years ago when Garrett and I first met. TEN YEARS. Wow. We had to recheck our math on that one too. A lot has happened in our collective lives since that fall day in 2009. By twist of fate, I followed up with Garrett, a presenter at a conference I was attending in Denver ten years ago and so it all began.
This was before texting was the prevalent form of communication. I sent him an e-mail on my way out of town and we later set up a conference call. It was all business with my Blackberry and his PalmPilot, navigating a connection after our initial meeting. It was a Facebook request that ultimately led to our personal friendship and first date soon after.
Fast forward ten fun and adventurous years, here we are in Oregon feeling fortunate for the wonderful life we have together. But the Garrett and Sandy story has not followed the conventional couple track or any part of the traditional life script model. Over these ten years, we commuted between two states and two homes to raise our kids. Although no more kids at home, we have our dog, Zeke, and are merging 'off script' again. We recently moved to yet another state, far from our long-time zip codes. Every day is truly an adventure. And although most look at us in confusion on our choices, we love our life.
The timing of this trip marked a milestone was yet another random coincidence capping the breathtaking coastal views and the treasure of our national park system. As we ate, drank, and explored our way through nine Oregon days, there was one particular encounter that highlighted our trip. It was a random hike in the middle of nowhere with no foreshadow of significance.
Our drive logistics include Garrett piloting in the driver seat and with me, his loyal sidekick, on the passenger side with an opened atlas stretching across on my lap. Zeke's furry face pops up between us for as far as we will allow and for as long as we will allow. Zeke hates to miss a party.
My handy dandy Rand McNally directs us to the most award winning stretches of highway and must-see roadways. Our road trip goal is not to find the quickest Interstate means to get from Point A to Point B, but to find the most beautiful roads and scenic byways that are typically less traveled.
Last Thursday as we decided to leave a day early from the Oregon Coast and begin to make our way to our next destination, Crater Lake National Park, Garrett found a new route. One that had a hike described on-line as amazing and worth the drive to find it. A hidden treasure with three waterfalls in the middle of a remote mountain area southwest of Eugene.
Garrett mapped out our route which was full of switchbacks and unmarked roads. The GPS on our phones was frequently going out of service with constant remapping of our route back to Eugene and onto the interstate system. This was an annoyance, yet with logic that was understood. Just not our plan.
With sharp corners and gravel surprising us many turns, we marveled at how the trucks made the climb. The only other vehicles we met were occasional logging trucks. Reaching our destination of Kentucky Falls, there was one other car parked by the trail map. We later ran into the owners of this car, two mushroom hunters who were finding luck along the trail. A sign warned us to take our belongings as theft was high. We were unsure who these thieves would be based on the limited humans we encountered on our drive through the mountain.
Whomever wrote the on-line review of the hike had nailed it. It was worth the drive. Greens and vegetation covering each piece of land and ground, displaying all the colors of fall's brilliance. I felt like I was making the journey in Lord of the Rings with Frodo by my side. Zeke loves his hikes and happily pulled Garrett in the lead. The three waterfalls were spectacular. This little piece of nature was untouched by the human spoilage.
We left the hike basking in the wonder and beauty we just experienced, but also hoping we could figure out how to get back out. But as we did on our way up, we mainly ignored GPS and following our own route. The scenery was stunning and the wrong turns numerous. There were a few white knuckles around the unpaved turns with narrow roads for Garrett to maneuver, but we took our time. The slower pace allowed us to take in even more that what we saw on our hike. We had a black bear scamper across the road in front of us. Our first critter siting of this trip.
Narrowing down what we were hoping was the last stretch of mountainous terrain, we spotted two backpacked men walking ahead on the road. With the lack of human interaction over the last few hours, this was a bit of a shock to see, with taller man waving and jumping to get our attention.
Brett and Sandy soon joined us by packing in the back seat with Zeke between them. The seats were tucked down to accommodate Zeke's doggy bed, so it was quite the sight to see two grown men laying among blankets and bags with Zeke alternating licks between them, quite pleased with the addition of new friends in the back.
Later both Garrett and I shared that we each felt some initial reservation on picking up two strange men on a mainly uninhabited road. But Garrett asked good questions on their predicament which led to quick and concise answers on a ball joint breaking and their providing exacts on the location and make/model of the broken vehicle.
Ultimately we took a chance on these two stranded hunters. They later told us how shocked they were to see a red truck come down the road as "no one is out in these parts except a few random hunters and those looking for mushrooms". They were expecting a very long walk to civilization given the day of the week (Thursday) and time of the day (mid-day). Then we came along. They were thrilled at their good luck.
Our ride together was probably twenty minutes total as Brett masterfully guided us through the gravel roads he knew very well. Both men grew up in small towns nearby and knew each river, creek, and back road for ultimate hunting and exploring. We were educated by Sandy on the need to use a bow to hunt in the thick terrain and from Brett on Zeke's constant licking of his face. He works in a feedlot on the coast and Zeke naturally couldn't help himself. A tow truck wasn't a problem as Sandy's girlfriend would drive one over once they could get cell reception. Brett bowled in his spare time and Sandy liked video gaming. Both loved to hunt and their Oregon home, including the Ducks.
Although Zeke was sad to see them go, Garrett and I were happy to have helped out. We enjoyed our conversation and we all learned some news things on the back roads of Oregon. Garrett offered them both a beer as we dropped them off at their destination, an empty RV park off the beaten bath that was owned by a buddy.
Sandy gladly took up the beer offer with Brett politely declining, stating he didn't drink. Instead I took his beer. It must be a Sandy thing.
Garrett, Zeke and I pulled out of the RV park, backtracking to our original route. We lost a little time and deviated from Garrett's original mapped out route, but all was good. Being in a hurry is completely overrated.
With the warm sun shining on my face and a soft puppy snuggling his nose into my arm, I reflected on how this little adventure had been much like our last 10 years together. A route that almost never follows the GPS recommended route. The off byroads that have given us a firsthand view to beauty and joy, but not without a lot of work to get there. And the bliss and wonderment of the random people we have met along the way.
I finished my beer to the sounds of a flowing river outside my window and a now snoring dog passed out behind us. The warmth of my husband's hand on mine equally warmed my heart as we quietly pulled out onto a flat paved highway. My mind wandered reflecting on the wild ride of our ten years together to the crazy perfection of this day.
Nope, I wouldn't change a thing.
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Link to blog on how Garrett and I met
Blog: Chance Meeting
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Pictures and videos from our Kentucky Falls hike
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