The GeekHiker

So, here’s the first major revelation I’ve learned on my trip so far:

It’s damned hard to be a travel blogger when most of the places you’re traveling to have no internet, or cell, or even electrical service.

That, and the fact that the “Run, Lola, Run” soundtrack can make every curve in the highway seem like you’re on an exciting movie-style car chase.

Right now, I’m sitting in a motel room in Bozeman, Montana.  The room is much more than I should be spending on a room, which is why my dinner tonight is a Caesar salad from the local Wal-Mart (a store I usually avoid out of principal but, dammit, my stove and lantern run on propane and they have it cheap).  Tomorrow I’ll be heading back out into the wilderness for another week, and yet again be utterly without services.

Not to say I haven’t been writing.  I’ve got a USB full of draft posts.  I’ve got camera cards full of over 1,000 pictures from the trip so far.  (Don’t be too impressed: I’ll often bracket a waterfall shot by 8-10 exposures just to get the right one; it’s not efficient, but that’s how good photography is.  If I’m ever a good photographer, I’ll let you know for sure if that’s true or just BS…)

So far, I’ve traveled many miles.  I’ve met old friends, and made a couple of new ones.  I’ve been trying to write, but my fear that winter will come on early has kept me on the move.  Well, except for the one day that I got stuck in a three hour traffic jam behind a rolled-over logging truck in remote British Columbia, but that’s a story for another day.

I suspect my postings will increase after the next week and a half or so, as I head eastward across the midwest.  My path is still a bit of a mystery, and I never really know where I’m going to be more than a week ahead of time, but as long as the weather holds I’ll be headed generally northeast.  I have to say, though, not having a plan is actually kind of nice.  And, of course, I’m still hoping for more offers of couches or backyards (for tent setups) or local tourguides/drinking partners.  Anyone out there from Toronto?  Just ‘askin.

Anyway, I had originally planned to do a big post today.  Instead, the day has been caught up with running errands, doing laundry, preparing a box of stuff to send back to The Parentage, etc.  I’d blog more tonight but, frankly, the hotel I’m staying at has a swimming pool and hot tubs, and I’ve just spent a big part of the last week in the cold and rain.  I’m only human, after all…