MONDAY
We arrive in Astoria around noon. Astoria is a coastal town that sits on the mouth of the Columbia River. Therefore it has many of the characteristics of a port town. This is also where Lewis & Clark reached their destination during their famous voyage from Louisiana to the Pacific. Though much of this country is vastly different now 200 years later, as we approached the ocean we could still envision what it must have been like for them. The historic event still brings summer tourists to the moderately populated area. The downtown sits on a steep hill on the water's edge and is made up of crowded shops, cafes, pubs, and art galleries. At the top of the hill is a tower called the Column that provides an magnificent panoramic view of the area as well as a visual history of the area wrapped around the entire column.
We drove on past all of this and over a bridge to the valleys & hills of the coastal side of town. This is the location of the home where we would be staying for the next week. On the top of a 100 ft. high steep hill we found the house we were looking for. As we drove up we saw a pasture with 2 milking goats, many various fruit trees, a large barn, and an English Tutor style house. We parked our car in the shade of a tree and walked up to the house. Our hosts Christopher and Caren greeted us as we walked up and we immediately felt at home. After a short introduction they began giving a tour of the house and grounds. The couple run a non-profit educational center called the Titanic Lifeboat Academy lifeboat.postcarbon.org from here on the property. Their efforts to create a sustainable lifestyle in response to the impending peak oil crisis was obvious from the first minute of the tour. They have installed both solar panels and a wind turbine to support their electrical needs, grown an impressive organic garden on the South side of the house that provides ample produce, built a greenhouse for the winter crops, collect milk from their goats for their dairy and eggs from their chickens for their protein needs, set up a barn for their livestock and stocked it with carpentry tools for repairs & harvesting lumber to support household maintenance, and they recycle everything they can. Another admirable trait of this couple is their work within the community. Christopher is a volunteer firefighter, they are the hosts of a regular radio show on the local non-profit station called The Lifeboat Show (which you can listen to through their website) and they attend many of the community meetings & debates.
Though this is just the exterior of the Lifeboat Academy. Christopher and Caren created a curriculum of education that reflects their lifetime of research in the fields of peak oil, alternative energy, ecology, forestry, animal care, self-sufficiency, food growth, anthropology/culture, civil disobedience, government history, primitive technology, philosophy, bio-politics, green consumerism, and much more. All of this is supported by their large library containing multiple volumes on each topic, available for our us during the stay. They offer a wealth of knowledge to those who come to learn. We felt like children in a candy store, not knowing where to begin. Christopher and Caren helped orchestrate our education based on research that pertained to our conversations.
During the days we worked on gathering and cutting wood from the woods behind the property for firewood, tending to animals and the garden, cataloging the library, and installing a pole barn to protect collected lumber. In the evening we would have the time to focus on what we felt inspired to learn. Both of us agree the experience assisted us in seeing the world more clearly and revealing to us our direction in life.
Today we leave Astoria hoping that we will return again in our future. We will be collecting veggie oil from Cannon Beach, then hiking and camping on the beach. Tomorrow we will hike up the coastal Neahkahnie Mountain which overlooks the water from a height of 1600 ft. Then we will continue south along the coast to Coquille, OR where we are expected at Mountain Home. It may be a while before our next entry so be patient! We are having a wonderful time and want to express our appreciation to our friends and family for your support. Thanks and much love. J&N
Monday, July 16, 2007
PORTLAND, OR
SUNDAY
It's early morning as we drive into a sleepy Portland. We cross over Willamette River to the west side of town. Due to it being Sunday we find free parking throughout downtown. So we stop right outside the downtown Whole Foods and go inside for our breakfast. Once full of eggs, potatoes and coffee we continue to the street and walk to the next block down where the bookstore Powell's is located. This bookstore is a dream, the kind of store you only find in large progressive cities. It's huge and well organized, filled with a vast variety of volumes on all topics of interest. We scour over books on trails, waterfalls, hot springs, Lewis & Clark, and Central America. After a few hours into it we decide to move onto the next thing on our agenda... bike riding. This town is very bike friendly which helps us to easily maneuver around the grid layout of streets without aggravating the motorists. We ride away from the waterfront on W Burnside Street and follow it up to the entrance of Washington Park. Here we find the rose garden, several acres of well manicured roses of various sizes and colors. We parked the bikes and took a stroll around. The experience reminded Jeremy of his grandmother's rose garden at her home in England. We follow a path that leads us into a more wooded area. Here we find a fruiting plumb tree and so we collect a little snake for ourselves. Back on the bikes we continue further up the hill a few miles to the Japanese Garden and Arboretum. At each we again get off our bikes and walk the grounds exploring the mature trees & shrubs, many of which were flowering. We snack on wild berries and rest in the shade of a giant oak. Sometime around early afternoon we turn our bikes around, then race down the hill back into downtown and all the way to the waterfront. There are people everywhere as we weave our way around the boardwalk and through the streets. Both of us are now hungry so we return to Whole Foods and grab some grub of sushi & salad. We are feeling a little tired and want to find a quiet place for the night so we back up the bikes, get back in the car and slowly make our way out of Portland. It was such a wonderful day spent in this delightful city. And yet we barely saw what it had to offer. But time presses on and we have a commitment in Astoria to meet.
It's early morning as we drive into a sleepy Portland. We cross over Willamette River to the west side of town. Due to it being Sunday we find free parking throughout downtown. So we stop right outside the downtown Whole Foods and go inside for our breakfast. Once full of eggs, potatoes and coffee we continue to the street and walk to the next block down where the bookstore Powell's is located. This bookstore is a dream, the kind of store you only find in large progressive cities. It's huge and well organized, filled with a vast variety of volumes on all topics of interest. We scour over books on trails, waterfalls, hot springs, Lewis & Clark, and Central America. After a few hours into it we decide to move onto the next thing on our agenda... bike riding. This town is very bike friendly which helps us to easily maneuver around the grid layout of streets without aggravating the motorists. We ride away from the waterfront on W Burnside Street and follow it up to the entrance of Washington Park. Here we find the rose garden, several acres of well manicured roses of various sizes and colors. We parked the bikes and took a stroll around. The experience reminded Jeremy of his grandmother's rose garden at her home in England. We follow a path that leads us into a more wooded area. Here we find a fruiting plumb tree and so we collect a little snake for ourselves. Back on the bikes we continue further up the hill a few miles to the Japanese Garden and Arboretum. At each we again get off our bikes and walk the grounds exploring the mature trees & shrubs, many of which were flowering. We snack on wild berries and rest in the shade of a giant oak. Sometime around early afternoon we turn our bikes around, then race down the hill back into downtown and all the way to the waterfront. There are people everywhere as we weave our way around the boardwalk and through the streets. Both of us are now hungry so we return to Whole Foods and grab some grub of sushi & salad. We are feeling a little tired and want to find a quiet place for the night so we back up the bikes, get back in the car and slowly make our way out of Portland. It was such a wonderful day spent in this delightful city. And yet we barely saw what it had to offer. But time presses on and we have a commitment in Astoria to meet.
Sunday, July 15, 2007
THE OREGON TRAIL
SAT., JULY 7TH
After searching for our camera for almost an hour (and finding it already awaiting us in the car)we said our goodbyes to Hillary & Moscow and drove West through Pullman, over the hills of wheat fields on 26, and then South on 395. This led us to the Columbia River that borders Washington and Oregon. We were again back on the historic Lewis and Clark trail continuing our way West on 84 along the Columbia River. The road wound like a snake around the bends revealing massive gusts of wind and glances of wind surfers racing on the water's surface. On the other side we spotted amazing waterfalls seeping from the Mt. Hood National Forest. As the evening settled in we found ourselves a nice spot in the forest by the Clackamas River to camp for the night. The next day we would explore Portland.
After searching for our camera for almost an hour (and finding it already awaiting us in the car)we said our goodbyes to Hillary & Moscow and drove West through Pullman, over the hills of wheat fields on 26, and then South on 395. This led us to the Columbia River that borders Washington and Oregon. We were again back on the historic Lewis and Clark trail continuing our way West on 84 along the Columbia River. The road wound like a snake around the bends revealing massive gusts of wind and glances of wind surfers racing on the water's surface. On the other side we spotted amazing waterfalls seeping from the Mt. Hood National Forest. As the evening settled in we found ourselves a nice spot in the forest by the Clackamas River to camp for the night. The next day we would explore Portland.
Thursday, July 12, 2007
MOSCOW, IDAHO
This town is quiet by nature yet has a progressive college scene that lurks in places like the local Co-op, brewery and coffee shops. Therefore these are the places we frequented most. After taking the veggie mobile to get her first oil change (at least the first she's had with us) and then lavishing her with a full scrub and shower, we took time to veg ourselves. After a fresh meal made at the apartment with produce from the Co-op we joined Hillary at the local brewery where we shared a couple of pitchers of Idaho's best. The next morning we went to the coffee shop and took advantage of the internet access and then continued to veg at the apartment until Hillary got off work. Then back to the brewery it was. Can you see a theme here? Yep, visiting Hillary in Moscow was unlike any other experience yet. But the road began calling to us again and so off we went.
CAR UPDATE
So far we have traveled over 3,500 miles on over 100 gallons of veggie oil. We've obtained oil from 3 different restaurants and have gone through 5 filters. We are having replacement 1 micron and 5 micron sock filters sent to us here in Oregon. In addition we've had 1 oil change and 1 air filter replaced along the way. Our Jetta's performance has stayed strong over the month and a half we've been on the road.
Friday, July 6, 2007
JULY 4TH!
Wednesday
Today was another day on the road. We awoke in the morning and took our time loading up. We continued to hang with Matt until noon when we said our goodbyes. Back in the car we traveled west on interstate 90 to Missoula where we opted to take the scenic route on 12 through the Clearwater and Nez Perce National Forests. Our road took us along the bank of the Locha River that Louis and Clark had floated on as they made their way to the Pacific. Being that it is the 4th of July we are surprised at how quiet and secluded this area is. Several hours into slowly following the river's bends we realize why. There is no access in or out of this forest so those who come in have to drive long distances to get out. But the drive definitely was worth the extra time. Once on the West entrance we continued on to town and turned North on 95. This road abruptly lifted us to Moscow (nearly 2,000 ft higher in elevation) within just a few miles.
As we drove into Moscow, Idaho we were stunned by how empty the town was. There wasn't a single car or person other than us anywhere downtown. All the shops and restaurants were closed. It was as if we had entered a ghost town. From around the corner we caught our first glance of a live person. It was our friend Hillary. (For those who don't know, Hillary is the friend who brought Nikki to The Hostel in the Forest) She swore to us that the town was usually much more active...sure it is. Later we ate at the only restaurant open and hung out at Hillary's apartment until dark. There were fireworks at the neighboring town of Pullman, WA (8 miles west and where all the other Moscowians were) yet by the time we had arrived it seemed that we had missed the show and so we turned back around. Little did we know that the finale seen from the car was only a warm up for the real show. Oh well. The rest of the night was spent catching up on the last few years over a few beers at her apartment.
Today was another day on the road. We awoke in the morning and took our time loading up. We continued to hang with Matt until noon when we said our goodbyes. Back in the car we traveled west on interstate 90 to Missoula where we opted to take the scenic route on 12 through the Clearwater and Nez Perce National Forests. Our road took us along the bank of the Locha River that Louis and Clark had floated on as they made their way to the Pacific. Being that it is the 4th of July we are surprised at how quiet and secluded this area is. Several hours into slowly following the river's bends we realize why. There is no access in or out of this forest so those who come in have to drive long distances to get out. But the drive definitely was worth the extra time. Once on the West entrance we continued on to town and turned North on 95. This road abruptly lifted us to Moscow (nearly 2,000 ft higher in elevation) within just a few miles.
As we drove into Moscow, Idaho we were stunned by how empty the town was. There wasn't a single car or person other than us anywhere downtown. All the shops and restaurants were closed. It was as if we had entered a ghost town. From around the corner we caught our first glance of a live person. It was our friend Hillary. (For those who don't know, Hillary is the friend who brought Nikki to The Hostel in the Forest) She swore to us that the town was usually much more active...sure it is. Later we ate at the only restaurant open and hung out at Hillary's apartment until dark. There were fireworks at the neighboring town of Pullman, WA (8 miles west and where all the other Moscowians were) yet by the time we had arrived it seemed that we had missed the show and so we turned back around. Little did we know that the finale seen from the car was only a warm up for the real show. Oh well. The rest of the night was spent catching up on the last few years over a few beers at her apartment.
CLEANING DAY AND THE BOILING RIVER
Tuesday
Today was spent doing laundry and repacking the car. Matt also had a lot of things to take care of.
By late afternoon we were ready for some more hot springs. So we piled into the Jetta and drove an hour east to the North Yellowstone entrance where the Mammoth Hot Springs are. Near these famous springs is this place called the Boiling River. You have to hike into this special spot where the water from the hot springs flows like a small river into the cold Gardener River. The surrounding rocks have created a cradle for the water to mix and provides people with a delightful water temperature to soak in. As the sun set behind the mountains we sat calmly in the water and watched the light change. After an hour or so we got back in the car and returned to Bozeman. It was around 11pm when we finally got back to the house. Though we were tired we were also very hungry. So we made a quick pizza and then crashed.
Today was spent doing laundry and repacking the car. Matt also had a lot of things to take care of.
By late afternoon we were ready for some more hot springs. So we piled into the Jetta and drove an hour east to the North Yellowstone entrance where the Mammoth Hot Springs are. Near these famous springs is this place called the Boiling River. You have to hike into this special spot where the water from the hot springs flows like a small river into the cold Gardener River. The surrounding rocks have created a cradle for the water to mix and provides people with a delightful water temperature to soak in. As the sun set behind the mountains we sat calmly in the water and watched the light change. After an hour or so we got back in the car and returned to Bozeman. It was around 11pm when we finally got back to the house. Though we were tired we were also very hungry. So we made a quick pizza and then crashed.
KEEP ON TRUCKIN'
Monday
Early morning we heard something that sounded like a wounded beast moaning very close to our tent. Startled we sat up and twisted our bodies to see outside. Then the beast dislodged the frog in its throat and released it natural call... Moooooowwww. Near us was a cow grazing for its breakfast. Apparently they came past the camp site many mornings, then would continue up the mountain where they'd be scared back down again a few days later only to continue the whole routine again. Silly cows. Once up we broke down our camp and ate our left over eggs & bagels for breakfast. Tasty.
The family told us about a lake that sat about 1000 ft. above our site on the mountain. They informed us that Matt's Toyota truck "Betsey" should be able to make the 10 mile 4 wheeler road up. So we took off for the top. Travel was slow due to the road being very rocky and narrow. About 2 miles up we came across and abandoned gold mining town. We could still see the whole set up for sifting. Water was brought from the creek to a mill with wooden pipes and you could see where excess water and dirt would spill out underneath creating a small pond that was now dried up. The mill had collapsed and now sat in the hole. As we hiked around we saw gold dust everywhere. Matt was convinced that if we searched long enough we'd find ourselves some gold nuggets. Unfortunately no nuggets were found. So we returned to the truck and pushed on.
The road got really crazy after the ghost town. We were all impressed with Betsey's abilities to climb over rocks like a caterpillar. Finally about 2 miles before we reached the top we decided she had had enough and that we would walk. As we approached the lake we could see only a small fraction of its size. The lake was only a few hundred feet across yet continued on like an elongated kidney bean for almost a mile. Jeremy quickly found a good fishing spot and began messy with untangling his line. There were horse flies everywhere so we stayed busy avoiding being bitten. After a few hours of not catching anything (the fish were there they just didn't go for the horsefly bait) we packed up and hiked back to the truck. That night at the house we took it easy, cooked some dinner and went to sleep early.
Early morning we heard something that sounded like a wounded beast moaning very close to our tent. Startled we sat up and twisted our bodies to see outside. Then the beast dislodged the frog in its throat and released it natural call... Moooooowwww. Near us was a cow grazing for its breakfast. Apparently they came past the camp site many mornings, then would continue up the mountain where they'd be scared back down again a few days later only to continue the whole routine again. Silly cows. Once up we broke down our camp and ate our left over eggs & bagels for breakfast. Tasty.
The family told us about a lake that sat about 1000 ft. above our site on the mountain. They informed us that Matt's Toyota truck "Betsey" should be able to make the 10 mile 4 wheeler road up. So we took off for the top. Travel was slow due to the road being very rocky and narrow. About 2 miles up we came across and abandoned gold mining town. We could still see the whole set up for sifting. Water was brought from the creek to a mill with wooden pipes and you could see where excess water and dirt would spill out underneath creating a small pond that was now dried up. The mill had collapsed and now sat in the hole. As we hiked around we saw gold dust everywhere. Matt was convinced that if we searched long enough we'd find ourselves some gold nuggets. Unfortunately no nuggets were found. So we returned to the truck and pushed on.
The road got really crazy after the ghost town. We were all impressed with Betsey's abilities to climb over rocks like a caterpillar. Finally about 2 miles before we reached the top we decided she had had enough and that we would walk. As we approached the lake we could see only a small fraction of its size. The lake was only a few hundred feet across yet continued on like an elongated kidney bean for almost a mile. Jeremy quickly found a good fishing spot and began messy with untangling his line. There were horse flies everywhere so we stayed busy avoiding being bitten. After a few hours of not catching anything (the fish were there they just didn't go for the horsefly bait) we packed up and hiked back to the truck. That night at the house we took it easy, cooked some dinner and went to sleep early.
MONTANA WATER
Sunday
We started today by returning to the Co-op to purchase all the fixings for yummy farm fresh eggs on everything begals stuffed with greens, onions, cream cheese, tomatoes, and well you get the point. It was delicious! The rest of the morning was spend collecting supplies and loading Matt's truck for our day out on the water. Around 2 we drove out to the Madison River. Floating on top of its surface were hundreds of tubes filled with sun baked bodies. But we weren't there to join in the tube action, we had a canoe. We loaded up our boat with snacks and fishing rods then pushed off into the strong current. Fortunately we managed to depart alone and avoided traveling down the river with any of the many islands of tubers tied together. The river snaked us around astonishing canyons, providing us with a relaxing & picturesque experience. Jeremy tried fishing a few times but the current was too strong. So much so that many tubers were falling out to their floatation devices. We could hear distant cries to "Save the beer" as floaters struggled to collect their water logged belongings. We couldn't help but laugh just a little. About 3 hours later we arrived at the ramp and Matt hitched back to his truck then drove back to load up the boat.
Next we went to the Norris Hot Springs. Many years ago someone built a wooden pool that gets continually filled with the hot water from the spring. In recent years a new owner constructed a restaurant style atmosphere around the pool. Its called Water of the Gods. When we arrived our hunger was raging. We ordered from an awesome menu that included local bison burgers & fresh organic salads from their personal garden next door. A bluegrass band played from a partially open geodesic dome that sat at the pools edge. After dinner we got into the warm water and soaked while watching the band rock out.
The sky started to get dark and we opted to leave and set up camp before it was too late. We drove up to South Meadow National Forest outside of Ennis. Matt had gone camping at this spot up the road before so we didn't have to search for a site. We began to unload when some folks approached us. They were our camping neighbors coming to see if we were rowdy campers. The family explained how over the previous week the people who had occupied our site had been so loud and messy that their camping experience was almost ruined. Fortunately they seemed to like us alot. Before we even got our tent bags out they had brought over fire wood and started a fire in our pit. We stayed up for a few hours with the husband, wife and his father playing music and chatting by the fire. Soon their 4 girls had awoken and also came over to join us. It was a very pleasant way to end our long day. Positioned under the stars with the sound of a raging creek nearby we slept like babies.
We started today by returning to the Co-op to purchase all the fixings for yummy farm fresh eggs on everything begals stuffed with greens, onions, cream cheese, tomatoes, and well you get the point. It was delicious! The rest of the morning was spend collecting supplies and loading Matt's truck for our day out on the water. Around 2 we drove out to the Madison River. Floating on top of its surface were hundreds of tubes filled with sun baked bodies. But we weren't there to join in the tube action, we had a canoe. We loaded up our boat with snacks and fishing rods then pushed off into the strong current. Fortunately we managed to depart alone and avoided traveling down the river with any of the many islands of tubers tied together. The river snaked us around astonishing canyons, providing us with a relaxing & picturesque experience. Jeremy tried fishing a few times but the current was too strong. So much so that many tubers were falling out to their floatation devices. We could hear distant cries to "Save the beer" as floaters struggled to collect their water logged belongings. We couldn't help but laugh just a little. About 3 hours later we arrived at the ramp and Matt hitched back to his truck then drove back to load up the boat.
Next we went to the Norris Hot Springs. Many years ago someone built a wooden pool that gets continually filled with the hot water from the spring. In recent years a new owner constructed a restaurant style atmosphere around the pool. Its called Water of the Gods. When we arrived our hunger was raging. We ordered from an awesome menu that included local bison burgers & fresh organic salads from their personal garden next door. A bluegrass band played from a partially open geodesic dome that sat at the pools edge. After dinner we got into the warm water and soaked while watching the band rock out.
The sky started to get dark and we opted to leave and set up camp before it was too late. We drove up to South Meadow National Forest outside of Ennis. Matt had gone camping at this spot up the road before so we didn't have to search for a site. We began to unload when some folks approached us. They were our camping neighbors coming to see if we were rowdy campers. The family explained how over the previous week the people who had occupied our site had been so loud and messy that their camping experience was almost ruined. Fortunately they seemed to like us alot. Before we even got our tent bags out they had brought over fire wood and started a fire in our pit. We stayed up for a few hours with the husband, wife and his father playing music and chatting by the fire. Soon their 4 girls had awoken and also came over to join us. It was a very pleasant way to end our long day. Positioned under the stars with the sound of a raging creek nearby we slept like babies.
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
BAD BIKING
On the morning of Sat. Matt suggested we go to his favorite local breakfast stop, The Western. Anyone who knows Matt knows how much he loves his local slice of heaven experienced only at dive cafe style restaurants. These are the kind of places where you risk having more grease on your plate than food and coffee is served by a friendly yet tired waitress with a name like Marty. Somewhere you can belly up to the bar and swap life stories with truckers and farmers alike. This place was no exception other than that the walks were decorated with old newspaper clippings from Bozeman dating back to the 20s.
After breakfast we hung around town for a bit, then returned to the house. Around 3pm we took off for a bike ride on Bozeman Trial to a lake we'd heard about. It took us only 2 miles to get to the trail yet from that point on it would be another 10 miles up a very steep and rocky 4 wheeler road. We struggled through it and reached an amazingly beautiful lake as our prize. Or so we thought. It got even better as we began riding back down. We were thrilled by the 30 minute roller ride that threw us around bends and over rocks at high speeds.
Once back at the house we ate and crashed early again. The next day would be a busy one.
After breakfast we hung around town for a bit, then returned to the house. Around 3pm we took off for a bike ride on Bozeman Trial to a lake we'd heard about. It took us only 2 miles to get to the trail yet from that point on it would be another 10 miles up a very steep and rocky 4 wheeler road. We struggled through it and reached an amazingly beautiful lake as our prize. Or so we thought. It got even better as we began riding back down. We were thrilled by the 30 minute roller ride that threw us around bends and over rocks at high speeds.
Once back at the house we ate and crashed early again. The next day would be a busy one.
Sunday, July 1, 2007
DRIVING THROUGH YELLOWSTONE
We left Ed and Brenna's around noon on Friday and drove into Yellowstone on our way to Bozeman, Montana. In the early afternoon we stopped at Old Faithful and walked around a bit. We took off for the least traveled paths to smaller geysers and an overlook. But this place was almost as crowded as Disney so we left within an hour. Along the way to the West gate we stopped again by a stream and had a bite. Once out of Yellowstone we continued North through a Gallatin National Forest and into Bozeman. When we arrived at our destination our friend Matt (Chewy or Matchew) was playing soccer outside the house with his nephew Justin. We got out of our car and began playing with them. This quickly turned into a game of touch football (Matt and Justin v.s. Jeremy and Nikki). An hour later we had to say goodbye to Justin as he and his mother Sadie were leaving for Australia. Matt took us to the local COOP where we got grub for dinner. After cooking up a masterpiece of a meal we realized it was already 11 pm. So to bed it was.
MOVING DAY
We all slept in till 10 am after a late night at Ed and Brenna's. When finally up we indulged in a country breakfast at Bubba's BBQ. We ordered the local special and were rewarded with an overflowing plate of food. Once back at Ed and Brenna's house they began calling the moving company to figure out when the movers would be arriving. To their surprise a truck and crew had not even been located yet. This was their moving day and there were no movers! So we decided to stay one more day and help achieve a small miracle. In just a few afternoon hours we picked up a small 14 ft. trailer (the only one left in Jackson) and loaded it full of all the furnishings of their 2 bedroom house. One person would be on Hunter duty while the other 3 would pack. As a team we pulled it off in time for the carpet cleaners came the next morning.
COMING DOWN
On Wed. morning we awoke with the first light, had tea and breakfast and began packing up for the hike back to Jenny Lake. Our bodies were sore from the previous 2 days of hiking and our feet had developed some uncomfortable blisters. But it was nothing that a lot of stretching and mole skin couldn't handle. On our way down the trail was empty of all other people. Then around half way we began encountering many day hikers who wanted to know what our experience was like. As we closed in on our 7 mile hike the crowds around Inspirational Point became almost overwhelming. And everyone noticed us, the exhausted couple with overnight packs emerging from the mountain's canyon. Once back at the car we breathed a sigh of relief as we took off our packs. From there we drove to Brenna's house to help her pack boxes for their move and stucco the walls. In the afternoon we returned to Shoguns Sushi and refueled on veggie oil. That evening we ate mexican food for dinner and stayed up late talking with Brenna, Ed, and several of their Jackson friends.
Saturday, June 30, 2007
PLAYING ON MOUNTAIN TOPS
The following morning we took advantage that the sun didn't come over the mountain range until after 9. The air was crisp and the valley was dark with shadow. It was a wonderful few hours of continually returning to the world of slumber. Once up we greeted good morning to our neighboring marmots and scrambled back on top of the big rock to watch to light come over the range and fill the valley. Somewhere around 10 (we didn't have a time piece other than the sun) we loaded up our day pack full of food and warm clothes and took off for Lake Solitude. This time the lake was not so secluded. To our surprise there are a lot a endurance driven day hikers that venture out to the lake. So we decided to press on up the range on the adjacent side and get a higher view. We had originally hoped to hike this range with all of our gear and camp on the other side at Lake Holly. Though plans changed when we were told by rangers that the pass was iced over. So today we hiked up to see how far we could make it before the ice got too bad. The trail took us on a gradual incline along the range with sweeping views of Lake Solitude, the valley we were camped at and above to hidden lakes still frozen in the cleavage of the surrounding mountains. At about 10,000 feet the hike got harder. It began to switch back even higher into snowy and windy terrain. But the views were more than worth our efforts. As we climbed on we reached peaks where we were looking down on several of the Teton mountains. The Grand Teton raised up to appear that it's peak was right beside us. Once on top of the Paint Brush Divide (11,000 feet) we looked down upon the rocky mounds and valleys, snow and ice, lakes and glaciers, and we felt larger than life. It was at the peak that we could go no more. The trial continued on to cross a section that was entirely too dangerous for us to attempt without the proper gear. Instead we decided to sit down and take in the experience. There was an out cropping of rock that we sat on that protected us from the wind and provided an amazing panoramic view. We ate a wonderful lunch while sitting there, then slowly began our climb down. It was as we retraced our steps that the truly picturesque moments happened. The sun was now at mid afternoon height and the shadows had returned and were playing to our advantage. Once back at Lake Solitude the day hikers were all gone and we again had the place to ourselves. Hot after a long hike we dipped ourselves into the freezing water and then sunbathed on a rock along the shore. At some point we noticed that there were several marmots coyly attempting to steal our socks. We got dressed and followed the crashing sound of water to the falls that poured out on the lake and down into the valley we camped in. Once back at the campsite we made ourselves a dinner of quinoa, cheese and seaweed. We tried to watch the sunset on the large rock again but were both too tired. It was to bed early that night. What a day.
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
HIKING THE TETONS
We left early on Monday morning for Teton National Park. Once again at Jenny Lake, this time we flew past the Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point and continued on to Cascade Canyon. Our hike began at 6,800 feet and followed along the snow melt fed brooks, creeks and falls. We stumbled over miles of inclining rock to a fork at the canyons top. Our destination was Lake Solitude so we chose to go North. We hiked on over bridges, through mountains and always near water. The source of all this water became evident once we approached our destined area. While we were both very warm from the hike it was necessary to us to cross several large patches of snow. About 7 miles into the hike we found a wonderful campsite that had a beautiful brook that rushed through, had both sunny and shady spots, great views of the Grand Teton behind us, and best of all a huge rock that we could sit on and watch to Tetons while the sun went down. And it also happened to be the Marmot Kingdom (marmot- cute little creatures that are a cross between a prairie dog and a beaver). They were everywhere. Luckily they cared no attention to our food, instead preferring our pee spots. Strange creatures, though very cute. After setting up camp we took a short nap, then hiked the half mile up to Lake Solitude (over 9,000 feet). When we arrived an hour before dusk the lake did indeed provided us with much solace. It was amazing, it's surface alive with the glistening of the setting sun. No one else was around and we rejoiced in the solitude. Back at the campsite, we had soup and salad for dinner while sitting next to our brook. Then we sat on the big rock and watched the moon come out over the Grand Teton. Superb!
Saturday, June 23, 2007
GROS VENTRE AND FRIENDS
On Wed. we drove out past the Wedding Tree in Gros Ventre, wound around the side of the mountain on a one lane dirt road high above Lower Slide Lake, and settled at a secluded campsite on Gros Ventre River. Once our tent was up and the food was stored in the bear box we heading back into town to meet up with Brandon and Sara. As we waited at the bird observatory deck at the Jackson visitor center our friends snuck up behind and surprised us. Many hugs were had. Brandon and Sara are traveling/moving from the Santa Rosa area of California to Pennsylvania. Therefore our friends have a lot of extra weight trailing behind there 2 vehicles (one of which is a custom veggie run Mercedes Wagon). On our way back to the site we watched them in the review mirror as they struggled through the rough and steep road. Luckily all arrived safely to our new home (for the next 3 nights).
The next morning we all slept in till 11am, enjoyed a meal by the water, and then drove to Granite River's trail head that led us to a beautiful waterfall with hot springs at its base.
On Friday we stayed around the campsite and hiked the trails adjacent to us. We walked through hills covered in sage brush that provided views of the surrounding mountains, river, lake, and beyond to the Tetons. The trail then cascaded down to valleys with creeks and forests, then back up onto another hill. The experience was especially breathtaking at sunset. By 9 pm we had returned and began cooking our last meal by campfire light. We shared a bottle of Asian Pear champagne made by our friend Holly and passed out relatively early. By 7am we had said our goodbyes, agreeing that our 3 days had passed all too quickly.
After they left the two of us packed up camp and drove back to Jackson to help Brenna pack for her move to Austin, TX. Most of the day was spent playing with Hunter and talking weddings. Tonight we will feast on home made hot wings and PBR. Tomorrow is another day.
The next morning we all slept in till 11am, enjoyed a meal by the water, and then drove to Granite River's trail head that led us to a beautiful waterfall with hot springs at its base.
On Friday we stayed around the campsite and hiked the trails adjacent to us. We walked through hills covered in sage brush that provided views of the surrounding mountains, river, lake, and beyond to the Tetons. The trail then cascaded down to valleys with creeks and forests, then back up onto another hill. The experience was especially breathtaking at sunset. By 9 pm we had returned and began cooking our last meal by campfire light. We shared a bottle of Asian Pear champagne made by our friend Holly and passed out relatively early. By 7am we had said our goodbyes, agreeing that our 3 days had passed all too quickly.
After they left the two of us packed up camp and drove back to Jackson to help Brenna pack for her move to Austin, TX. Most of the day was spent playing with Hunter and talking weddings. Tonight we will feast on home made hot wings and PBR. Tomorrow is another day.
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
WHITE WATER RAFTING THE SNAKE RIVER
This morning we awoke early and drove out to Sands white water rafting shop. By 9 we were on the Snake River with 4 others and a guide. Nikki sat on the front right, Jeremy the front left and needless to say we got soaked! The ride lasted almost 2 hr. and was full of exciting rapids that thrilled and chilled us to the core. Afterwards we returned to Brenna and Eds for a warm shower. Tonight we will take it easy hanging out with the newlyweds. Tomorrow Jeremy's good friends Brandon and Sara are meeting up with us. We plan to do some hiking and camping over the next few days. The fun just keeps on coming.
Monday, June 18, 2007
WEDDING BUSINESS
The following week has been a blur of fun and celebration. On Wed. morning we went hiking up to Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point along the canyon of the Grand Teton. It was inspirational, to say the least. While at the top, Sue called and told us to hurry back down and meet she, baby Noah, Brenna, and baby Hunter at Brenna's place in Jackson. Once there we were met by Brenna's whole clan and then the real fun began. Jeremy, Ed, and Ryan (Sue and Brenna's husbands)went to a show in town while the girls played with the babies.
Wednesday morning we moved from our camping site into town to be closer to the festivities. Jeremy took off for a day of rafting and fishing with the boys. Nikki chilled with the girls, walking around the small town and eating Thia. When evening came along we all went out and broke loose (Grandma Cimi watched the little Hunter and Noah). Liz met up with us later into the night at the Cowboy Bar, along with Mary Beth. It was a wonderful reunion for our Crew.
The following morning everyone was a little slower than usual. After a day of exploring the Tetons some more with Sue, Ryan, Noah, and Liz, we went to this BBQ place called Q for the rehearsal dinner. It was there that the whole wedding party was finally brought together. Ed's friends/family mingling with Brenna's loved ones.
We feasted on local meats which were amazingly fresh and yummy.
Then on Sat. morning the bridesmaids met up at the Wort hotel for a bridal breakfast. We each presented Brenna with a gift to help her be a good wife. Nikki's was a hand embroidered bra and panty set that had the letters E & D sewn onto each breast. Other gifts resembled this sentiment. We then gathered at noon in Brenna's hotel room at The Wort and got ready for the big day over a bottle of champagne. At 2:30 we left for The Wedding Tree in Gros Ventre . The location has sweeping views of the valley below and the distant mountains. It was gorgeous! After the ceremony we headed back to The Wort Hotel for the meal and reception. There we all danced into the night.
Sunday morning the two of us went with Liz to the A-OK ranch and indulged in a 4 hour horse back ride into the mountains. One couldn't ask for a more beautiful location to ride. Afterwards we went back to Brenna and Ed's place for a backyard BBQ of buffalo burgers.
This is as brief of a summery as could be provided. In actuality this week was jam packed with fun experiences that will live with us forever. Congrats to Brenna and Ed!
Today (Monday) we are cleaning the car, organizing our things, fixing a crack in the car's windshield, and writing this blog. Greasecar sent us new filters for our system but there was a mix up and we received the wrong size filters. So this must also be fixed. We plan to stay in the area at least another few days and perhaps do a overnight hike. We'll let you know more as it happens.
JACKSON, WY
Tuesday
Set in a valley south of the majestic Tetons, Jackson is the kind of town that feels like one could ride his horse right up to the bar. In fact, the seats at the local Cowboy Bar are saddles. Antlers gather together in arches around the square, the walkways are made of wooden planks, cowboy hats are sold in each store, and the local food is Buffalo, elk, and moose. Surprisingly there are also several sushi restaurants. Today we visit one of them and are pleased to be enthusiastically provided with oil. Shogun Sushi had been saving their oil for another patron who runs his truck off of veggie oil and therefore had plenty for us to extract.
Afterwards we return to our campsite at Jenny Lake and enjoy a nice walk around the lake. The view of the Tetons is amazing from this area! The huge mountains peak out of the clouds covered in snow, then fan out into canyons, waterfalls and lakes. It is truly beautiful here!
Thursday, June 14, 2007
WHY WYOMING
MONDAY
Up at 6, we pack and enjoy some oatmeal. Then we jump back on 80 West and take 287 North into the mountains. Shades of tan, copper, and shadow play constantly along the rocky mounds leading us North through Wyoming. The majority of the vegetation is sage bush and pine. We travel long gaps before seeing evidence of humans aside from the road and the fences. Passing through the Green Mountains we see the White Peaks looming in the distance. Ironically the scenery got greener afterwards. North of Landford we run out of veggie oil and now run off the diesel until Jackson. We begin following the Wind River. And where there is water... Cotton woods follow along the bank and we later see local farmers utilizing the water supply on their now lush crops. Seemingly out of no where a forest pops up, the Bridger Teton National Forest. We find a turn off that leads us up into the mountains to Brooks Lake. Along the shore we find a primitive campsite and declare it home for the evening. At this point we are very high in elevation, so much that there is snow around our site. It begins to rain a little and we ponder the possibility of spending the night cold and wet. Fortunately the mountain weather shifts and the sun comes back out. So we hiked around the lake for a few hours. And again we were in bed by early evening. The next morning we packed up around 5 and drove to Jenny Lake campground in the Teton National Park, set up camp and went into town to get ourselves some oil.
THE ROCKIES
SUNDAY
We awoke at 5:30 again, ate our continental breakfast(coffee & bagel) and were back on the road by 6:30. A few hours into driving we spotted them. After a small eternity of nothing but squared off farm land we were now approaching the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. At first they appeared as if clouds, though as each hour passed they slowly came into view in their full glory. We drove through Denver, Colorado and turned North on 25. Before long we were already in Wyoming. Turned West on 80 and set up camp in the Medicine Bow Natural Forest. We found a nice spot surrounded by boulders at the head of a path that led to the rock face across the small valley from us. The rocks were tough yet the shape was reminiscent of Arizona yet with more pines. We took the path and proceeded to scramble up and around the first 50ft. of boulders. There was this cove about 40ft. up that had a crack that seeped a freezing breeze. Jeremy took advantage of the "air conditioning" to cool down. At this point we would need ropes to get any higher. So we returned to our site and jumped on our bikes for a sunset ride. Dinner was tostadas next to the fire and bed followed shortly after.
We awoke at 5:30 again, ate our continental breakfast(coffee & bagel) and were back on the road by 6:30. A few hours into driving we spotted them. After a small eternity of nothing but squared off farm land we were now approaching the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. At first they appeared as if clouds, though as each hour passed they slowly came into view in their full glory. We drove through Denver, Colorado and turned North on 25. Before long we were already in Wyoming. Turned West on 80 and set up camp in the Medicine Bow Natural Forest. We found a nice spot surrounded by boulders at the head of a path that led to the rock face across the small valley from us. The rocks were tough yet the shape was reminiscent of Arizona yet with more pines. We took the path and proceeded to scramble up and around the first 50ft. of boulders. There was this cove about 40ft. up that had a crack that seeped a freezing breeze. Jeremy took advantage of the "air conditioning" to cool down. At this point we would need ropes to get any higher. So we returned to our site and jumped on our bikes for a sunset ride. Dinner was tostadas next to the fire and bed followed shortly after.
THE LONG ROAD AHEAD
SATURDAY
Leaving Arkansas was easy, traveling through Oklahoma and Kansas not so much. We'd passed hundreds of miles of industrial farms and livestock pastures today. Traveling West on 40 and North on 35, through Oklahoma and into Kansas, we then went West again on 70. After a full day of driving and 4 oil refills we decided to stop for the night in Hayes. We crashed at a cheap hotel that promised wireless Internet that turned out not to work. After a dinner of pizza we promptly passed out and were back on the road early Sunday morning.
Leaving Arkansas was easy, traveling through Oklahoma and Kansas not so much. We'd passed hundreds of miles of industrial farms and livestock pastures today. Traveling West on 40 and North on 35, through Oklahoma and into Kansas, we then went West again on 70. After a full day of driving and 4 oil refills we decided to stop for the night in Hayes. We crashed at a cheap hotel that promised wireless Internet that turned out not to work. After a dinner of pizza we promptly passed out and were back on the road early Sunday morning.
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
THE HILLS OF ARKANSAS
Friday
Arkansas is called The Natural State. Start with 600,000 acres of lakes, add 9,700 miles of streams and rivers, & 2.4 million acres of national forest and you understand why. Knowing this encouraged our enthusiasm to get back on the road. We finally had made it out of Hot Springs Village and were traveling North on state road 7. The road twists and turns through grassy hills and valleys peppered with small farms. We passed towns where our Jetta looked quite a bit out of place surrounded by pickups and tractors. Then as we aproached interstate 40 something strange happened. Out of no where our locked roof cargo box popped open and we could see in the mirror a tan garmet bag fly out. Now for you who know what is soon to come in our itenary you'd see our immediate concern. We are soon expected in Jackson, WY for our friend Brenna's wedding (and Nikki's a bridesmaid). Inside that garmet bag is Jeremy's suit, Nikki's rehearsal dinner dress, and most importantly the bridesmaid's dress! All of that now lay rincled inside a plastic bag sitting between the 2 lanes of this busy highway. We quickly parked on the shoulder and ran back to where it had flown out. Once there the fast traffic kept us at bay for another 2-3 painful minutes. As each car buzzed by we'd shield our eyes from the possible distruction of our formal wear. But don't worry Brenna, we recovered the bag without any harm done. So now the garmet bag sits safely behind the passenger's seat.
With that over with we got back on the road, exited 40 at Fort Smith and drove a long and curvy dirt road through the hills of Devil's Den state park. This eventually brought us to our evening's destination, Wattle Hollow. We parked and began exploring each cob hut in search of someone... anyone. To our surprise we were all alone surrounded by castles of cob. We knew which room was ours from the earlier arrangements and set at making ourselves at home. Our room had a double bed set back in the clay and straw. The sculpted walls were alive with texture, organic shapes, and stained glass. The sliding glass doorway looked out over terraces of herbs and perrinials that leads down to a pond. Above the room is a large balcony and common room with an adjacent kitchen. All of this looks out across the pond and beyond to views of neighboring hills. We ate our dinner and drank tea watching the sunset from the balcony. Then we showered and jumped into the hot tub located on the bank of the pond. It was wonderful. The next morning we awoke at 5:30, watched the sunrise over another pot of tea, and were on the road again by 6:30.
Arkansas is called The Natural State. Start with 600,000 acres of lakes, add 9,700 miles of streams and rivers, & 2.4 million acres of national forest and you understand why. Knowing this encouraged our enthusiasm to get back on the road. We finally had made it out of Hot Springs Village and were traveling North on state road 7. The road twists and turns through grassy hills and valleys peppered with small farms. We passed towns where our Jetta looked quite a bit out of place surrounded by pickups and tractors. Then as we aproached interstate 40 something strange happened. Out of no where our locked roof cargo box popped open and we could see in the mirror a tan garmet bag fly out. Now for you who know what is soon to come in our itenary you'd see our immediate concern. We are soon expected in Jackson, WY for our friend Brenna's wedding (and Nikki's a bridesmaid). Inside that garmet bag is Jeremy's suit, Nikki's rehearsal dinner dress, and most importantly the bridesmaid's dress! All of that now lay rincled inside a plastic bag sitting between the 2 lanes of this busy highway. We quickly parked on the shoulder and ran back to where it had flown out. Once there the fast traffic kept us at bay for another 2-3 painful minutes. As each car buzzed by we'd shield our eyes from the possible distruction of our formal wear. But don't worry Brenna, we recovered the bag without any harm done. So now the garmet bag sits safely behind the passenger's seat.
With that over with we got back on the road, exited 40 at Fort Smith and drove a long and curvy dirt road through the hills of Devil's Den state park. This eventually brought us to our evening's destination, Wattle Hollow. We parked and began exploring each cob hut in search of someone... anyone. To our surprise we were all alone surrounded by castles of cob. We knew which room was ours from the earlier arrangements and set at making ourselves at home. Our room had a double bed set back in the clay and straw. The sculpted walls were alive with texture, organic shapes, and stained glass. The sliding glass doorway looked out over terraces of herbs and perrinials that leads down to a pond. Above the room is a large balcony and common room with an adjacent kitchen. All of this looks out across the pond and beyond to views of neighboring hills. We ate our dinner and drank tea watching the sunset from the balcony. Then we showered and jumped into the hot tub located on the bank of the pond. It was wonderful. The next morning we awoke at 5:30, watched the sunrise over another pot of tea, and were on the road again by 6:30.
Friday, June 8, 2007
BACK ON THE ROAD
Hello friends,
After a week of resting up and visiting with the Arkansas folks we begin our travels again this morning. We've secured ourselves 27 gallons of prime veggie oil from the Japanese restaurant Osaka. This stuff is like liquid gold. We wanted to take the whole grease trap full and would have if we could. The oil is primarily used for tempura frying therefore can't be used multiple times if a decent standard of quality is to met. Who wants greasy, heavy tempura anyways?
In a few hours we will finish packing the car, say our goodbyes and will drive 3 hr. North to Fayetteville, AR. We will stay the night at the retreat center Wattle Hollow. Check it out. This place is a cob wonderland.
Then we're back in the car and heading across Northeastern Colorado and up into Wyoming through the Rocky Mountains. We had hoped to travel the Trail Ridge Road through the Rocky Mountain National Park but found out last evening that they are doing road repairs all summer up there. The Old Fall River Road has been closed for the entire summer and delays for the Trail Ridge are to be expected. It's not that big of a deal if we change our plan. Anyway we travel we'll hit the Rocky's at some point. Those majestic mounds are about to come alive with the smell of tempura fried veggie oil.
After a week of resting up and visiting with the Arkansas folks we begin our travels again this morning. We've secured ourselves 27 gallons of prime veggie oil from the Japanese restaurant Osaka. This stuff is like liquid gold. We wanted to take the whole grease trap full and would have if we could. The oil is primarily used for tempura frying therefore can't be used multiple times if a decent standard of quality is to met. Who wants greasy, heavy tempura anyways?
In a few hours we will finish packing the car, say our goodbyes and will drive 3 hr. North to Fayetteville, AR. We will stay the night at the retreat center Wattle Hollow. Check it out. This place is a cob wonderland.
Then we're back in the car and heading across Northeastern Colorado and up into Wyoming through the Rocky Mountains. We had hoped to travel the Trail Ridge Road through the Rocky Mountain National Park but found out last evening that they are doing road repairs all summer up there. The Old Fall River Road has been closed for the entire summer and delays for the Trail Ridge are to be expected. It's not that big of a deal if we change our plan. Anyway we travel we'll hit the Rocky's at some point. Those majestic mounds are about to come alive with the smell of tempura fried veggie oil.
Sunday, June 3, 2007
THE BEGINNING
Our veggie adventure has begun! 1350 miles on half a gallon of diesel fuel and free oil...
It all started on Memorial Day weekend when Jeremy and Murray (Jeremy's Dad) diligently installed our Greasecar veggie conversion kit. Our Greasecar kit was specifically made for our 2003 Jetta Wagon, and we were greatly assisted by watching their DVD of a Jetta conversion done by a greasecar mechanic.
The round 13 gallon veggie oil tank fits snuggly into the car's spare wheel well. Connected to the tank is a hose-within-a-hose fuel line that uses an exterior hose of hot coolant to warm the interior hose of veggie oil. The fuel line was strung from the rear wheel well underneath the car and up into a veggie filter warmed with a copper coil filled with coolant. The heater line was tapped into to keep the veggie filter hot.
The most crucial part of this system is flushing the veggie oil out of all the lines with diesel so that the oil doesn't clog up once cooled. Also, the oil needs a few minutes with the car running on diesel in order to warm to a safe temperature for the engine to accept it without clogging. A switch was installed that controls two solenoids, one which operates the veggie oil and the other the diesel fuel. We can transfer from diesel to oil or oil to diesel on the fly with the switch placed on the car's dash.
The whole conversion took 3 casual days of work. We are thankful to Murray whose electrical skills saved us from a world of confusion.
Now that the conversion was complete, next on the list was to find our oil. We went to St. Simons Island and had lunch at our favorite mexican food restuarant, Bubba Garcias. We figured Bubba's would be the ideal grease provider since they only fry chips and chimichongas, no dairy. The eatery is a little more gourmet than traditional mexican resturants, therefore they don't use hydrogenized oil or reuse their oil. Also, the family owned restuarant has another eatery - Gnat's Landing - across the street that we could obtain additional oil from. Part of the way through our meal we asked our server if we could talk to the manager. The owners sister Josolin came over and within seconds of mentioning "oil" she knew exactly what we were asking for. Both restuarants were very cooperative with providing us with as much oil as we need. And when we return from our travels we hope to continue using their oil.
To harvest the oil we ciphened it out of the drums behind the restuarant with a marine pump charged by the car's battery and hoses connected to either end of the pump. One hose went into the drum and the other dipped into a 10 micron filter that sat on top of our plastic containers. We have enough containers to hold 27 gallons of oil and at 45 MPG (fully loaded car) we can travel 1200 miles before needing to go to another restuarant for more oil. This means we can comfortably make it to our next destination to harvest again.
We've already traveled over 1350 miles on veggie (500 miles to and from Orlando & 850 miles to Hot Springs, AR), Presently we are hanging with Nikki's parents in AR. Tonight we go to Osaka Japanese Steakhouse and ask for more oil to get us to Jackson, WY. We'll let everyone know how it goes.
It all started on Memorial Day weekend when Jeremy and Murray (Jeremy's Dad) diligently installed our Greasecar veggie conversion kit. Our Greasecar kit was specifically made for our 2003 Jetta Wagon, and we were greatly assisted by watching their DVD of a Jetta conversion done by a greasecar mechanic.
The round 13 gallon veggie oil tank fits snuggly into the car's spare wheel well. Connected to the tank is a hose-within-a-hose fuel line that uses an exterior hose of hot coolant to warm the interior hose of veggie oil. The fuel line was strung from the rear wheel well underneath the car and up into a veggie filter warmed with a copper coil filled with coolant. The heater line was tapped into to keep the veggie filter hot.
The most crucial part of this system is flushing the veggie oil out of all the lines with diesel so that the oil doesn't clog up once cooled. Also, the oil needs a few minutes with the car running on diesel in order to warm to a safe temperature for the engine to accept it without clogging. A switch was installed that controls two solenoids, one which operates the veggie oil and the other the diesel fuel. We can transfer from diesel to oil or oil to diesel on the fly with the switch placed on the car's dash.
The whole conversion took 3 casual days of work. We are thankful to Murray whose electrical skills saved us from a world of confusion.
Now that the conversion was complete, next on the list was to find our oil. We went to St. Simons Island and had lunch at our favorite mexican food restuarant, Bubba Garcias. We figured Bubba's would be the ideal grease provider since they only fry chips and chimichongas, no dairy. The eatery is a little more gourmet than traditional mexican resturants, therefore they don't use hydrogenized oil or reuse their oil. Also, the family owned restuarant has another eatery - Gnat's Landing - across the street that we could obtain additional oil from. Part of the way through our meal we asked our server if we could talk to the manager. The owners sister Josolin came over and within seconds of mentioning "oil" she knew exactly what we were asking for. Both restuarants were very cooperative with providing us with as much oil as we need. And when we return from our travels we hope to continue using their oil.
To harvest the oil we ciphened it out of the drums behind the restuarant with a marine pump charged by the car's battery and hoses connected to either end of the pump. One hose went into the drum and the other dipped into a 10 micron filter that sat on top of our plastic containers. We have enough containers to hold 27 gallons of oil and at 45 MPG (fully loaded car) we can travel 1200 miles before needing to go to another restuarant for more oil. This means we can comfortably make it to our next destination to harvest again.
We've already traveled over 1350 miles on veggie (500 miles to and from Orlando & 850 miles to Hot Springs, AR), Presently we are hanging with Nikki's parents in AR. Tonight we go to Osaka Japanese Steakhouse and ask for more oil to get us to Jackson, WY. We'll let everyone know how it goes.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)