Woke up to snowflakes. Damn it, it's May! It turned to rain and I continued my trek playing leapfrog with Simi's. In the rain. Did I mention rain? I should explain my travel. I generally stop every 60-90 minutes because driving a travel trailer (TT) is stressful. Much more so than a car. So I … Continue reading Journey North, day 2
Journey North, Day 1
I likely won't do a daily blog of the drive to Alaska unless something interesting comes up, which I don't think will happen until I reach the Canadian border. Today opened with clear skies and low 60's. Wonderful weather for traveling. That lasted until Reading where it started to rain. Finally reached the town of … Continue reading Journey North, Day 1
Leaving for Alaska
Well, it's finally happening. Tomorrow, Monday (baring unforeseen gremlins) I finally hit the road for Alaska. I've been looking forward to this for months. I'm packed and ready. Which means I've likely left some critical item off the list. I have my passport, ID, extra keys, clothes... meh, I'm sure it'll hit me later. The … Continue reading Leaving for Alaska
Solar Project, Part 4b: Finished
I have Solar! It just took FAR longer to do than I thought it would. Running and routing the 12/3, (12 gauge, 3 conductor) 28 foot run to the Breaker panel was every bit the Pain-in-the-Ass I thought it would be. I had to route over and around cross-beams, waste tanks, and heater ducting. But … Continue reading Solar Project, Part 4b: Finished
Solar Project: Part-4a, Wiring
Projects like this are hard enough without fighting the weather. Adding last minute design/equipment changes to the project increases the difficulty from hard to insane. This is why the Smart thing would have been paying to have this installed by a professional. But, where's the fun in that? It's been raining off and on for … Continue reading Solar Project: Part-4a, Wiring
Solar Project, Part three: Backboard
I purchased all of the components except the Solar Panels themselves. Those go on last and I have a huge amount of work to do before I get to that point. To make things easier, I will be using a small piece of 1/4" plywood as a "Backboard" to preinstall everything. The front storage compartment … Continue reading Solar Project, Part three: Backboard
Solar Project, Part Two: Requirements and Costs
Previously I decided on size of the system and the three main items: Two 200w panels30 amp MPPT Solar Charge Controller1,000 watt Pure Sine Inverter The panels I like are from a company that specializes in Solar for RVs and are $185 each. These are manufactured in the USA and have a 25 year warrantee, … Continue reading Solar Project, Part Two: Requirements and Costs
Travel Trailer (TT) Solar Project, Part One: Defining Needs and Scope
A simple project that saw cost and function creep the more I looked into it. Warning: This essay is very pedantic on purpose; I wanted to capture my thought process. If you wanted travel and/or hiking, come back later! I needed to up my ability to “Dry Camp” with my TT for longer periods, and … Continue reading Travel Trailer (TT) Solar Project, Part One: Defining Needs and Scope
New Goals in 2019
It's a new year! 2018 saw my completion of the Pacific Crest Trail, and that was a huge bucket list item that I'm very proud of. Bad news: My left knee never really healed, so my Long Distance backpacking days are over. Day hiking is still on the list, so I will be doing lots … Continue reading New Goals in 2019
I finished the PCT…now what?
The title say it all. First, a summary. I retired in 2015 with the express purpose of hiking the whole 2,700 mile Pacific Crest Trail. And....I failed. Although I started at the Mexican border and did finish Washington State into Canada, I only completed 1,700 miles that year. After 5 1/2 months I took a … Continue reading I finished the PCT…now what?
So Many Mountains, So little Time 