Hiking to Miller Peak and exploring the Coronado Cave, Sierra Vista, AZ

March 06, 2017 by Catherine Forest in Arizona, Camping spots, Hiking

Beautiful boondocking spot at Miller Canyon.

There was a beautiful creek running 300 yards from camp.

We loved that huge oak tree and sat under it during the warm hours of the day.

The snowy peak is Miller Peak. We hiked all the way to the top (9 700 feet). It was quite the hike (photos below).

We went to explore the Coronado Cave, one of the biggest unimproved cave in AZ. It's a half mile uphill hike to the cave. I highly recommend you check it out!

Then, we drove up to Montezuma Pass trailhead at 6,300 feet of elevation.

Some parts of the trail were quite windy!

We made it to the top! Mexico on one side, USA on the other.

Miller Peak is a landmark mountain located in far-south Arizona near the town of Sierra Vista and the Fort Huachuca Military Base. The summit reaches to 9,700 feet and is one of just five mountains in Arizona with over 5,000 feet of prominence (a so-called "ultra" peak). The summit is accessible via the Crest Trail, which runs along the main range crest (5,3 miles). It is also the first leg of the Arizona Trail, so it was fun to see thru-hikers on their first day heading towards Utah!

It was a beautiful hike, but it was challenging given the length of it (and the fact that we had hiked to the Coronado Cave in the morning on top of it!). The trail is well-designed and is mostly of moderate grade thanks to the many switchbacks. The vegetation changed as we meandered along the ridge from the North Side to the South side. The kids and the dog were delighted to see snow.

Given the peak's proximity to Mexico, there are often border crossers who are entering into the United States via the Crest Trail. There is a border patrol on duty in the Montezuma Pass parking lot and the guy asked our friend Jason if he was carrying a weapon to hike the trail since we could possibly see some smugglers on the trail.

We don’t carry weapons... but it was still interesting to hear that AZ Trail thru-hikers have to pay close attention since the crossers trail are so used that they can be confused with the official trail! Here’s something I found on a hiking site: Attacks on hikers just do not happen. They (the smugglers) want nothing to do with you and will hide given the chance. If you should come across a group, use your best judgement.

This area is defined as a Sky Island since it is high enough to rise above the valley floors of desert scrub or desert grassland without being connected to woodlands. It ranks as the second most biologically diverse ecosystem on the planet because of the overlap and blending of several major biogeographic zones: it is the meeting place of two great deserts, the Chihuahuan and the Sonoran, and two large mountain chains, the Rocky Mountains and the Sierra Madre Occidental. The nearby San Pedro River serves as a migratory super highway for birds and other wildlife, while the Huachuca Mountains host another world of flora and fauna as they rise above 9,000 feet.

If you are planning to visit the Coronado Cave, make sure to bring a headlamp and gloves (as to not alter the rock formations) and I would have liked to have a buff or scarf because of the dust in some areas. The cave is one of the few open, undeveloped caves in southern Arizona. It is 600 feet long and in most places about 70 feet wide. It was super fun to explore!

Exploring the East Side of the Strongholds, Cochise, AZ

March 01, 2017 by Catherine Forest in Arizona, Camping spots, Rock climbing

Climbing at Vineyard Cove, a minute walk from camp.

Mara trying Di-vine Inspiration, 5.11, while we keep warm.

Trailhead to Zappa Dome. Once again, very happy to have a Westy Syncro to bring us there.

Down into a canyon we go. It doesn't feel like the desert at all anymore.

A stream! Water! It's been so long since we saw water on a trail.

And the stair-master from hell climb starts.

Not a bad spot for sunset. We just had to make sure to be back to the Westy before it got dark. None of us wanted to do that trail back down by headlamp.

Here's a video I made with our friend's Jason's drone shots. It is such a beautiful place! I hope you'll enjoy the images and music (The Pursuit of Happiness by Beyries).

It was our first time on the East side of the Strongholds Mountains. You might remember that we camped and climbed on the West side twice in the last year. We found a great free campspot on this side too. The big plus of the West side is that the routes are right by the campsites and the approach are minimal (if any). We also found the routes more fun on the West Side. However, the view from Zappa Dome (the main sport climbing sector on the East side) is beautiful (you earn it though!). The is now a guidebook that has been published for the West side and on is supposedly underway for the East side... it is about time! The only sort-of-useful topo is handdrawn (in Mountain Project) and we ended up on the wrong route more than once... The first time we got there, we sent Mara to lead a 5.7... that turned out to be a 5.10a... Ahem. As you can see from the video I posted, the routes are long and exposed. We found a little crag with 3 routes just by the campsites and had fun there too.

We love the Strongholds! What a rugged place it is! You can still feel the presence of the Apache and can easily imagine Cochise and his troop hiding in the heart of those mountains. It's a real maze.

Goodbye Tucson!

February 22, 2017 by Catherine Forest in Arizona, Camping spots

Oh Snyder Hill! I’m so ready to leave... I’ve been ready to leave for a while now, but great people kept coming and great events kept taking place... and well, we love our friends Antonio and Pascale and their boys who live here... but it’s more than time to get our wheels rolling towards new adventures now. I have itchy feet (I always do...), but I’m more ready than ever to discover new places, ride new trails, photograph new landscapes... and climb OUTSIDE!

As we sat down with a glass of wine one night JF and I, I told him (for the tenth time...) how ready I was to get back on the road. He told me what most of you would tell me, I’m sure : Cat, we’ve only been in the same place for two months! What would you do if we stopped traveling?

You see, that’s the assumption a lot of people have and that’s also why travelers hesitate to publicly say they are going through a tough time...

I spoke to people that have experienced the same thing I did when we arrived in Costa Rica: boredom, a sense of disconnexion, a lack of purpose... It’s a strange feeling... to which you add the fact that you don’t want to speak about it because well, you’re traveling and most people are envious of the life you have and would trade your boredom for their busyness.

The truth is, boredom is not the opposite of busyness. I can be bored even if I have a line up of contracts. For me, it’s a lack of drive, of spark...
a sense of disconnexion with the people and the world around me. I guess that’s what boredome can feel like to an extraverted person... or maybe it's just me... but the feeling is real.

"I am convinced that boredom is one of the greatest tortures. If I were to imagine Hell, it would be the place where you were continually bored."
– Erich Fromm

The 24 hour of Old Pueblo

February 19, 2017 by Catherine Forest in Arizona, Mountain biking

Kids hiked up on samples of energy bars and hydration drinks, enjoying the free race swag they got "in town". — Kids hiked up on samples of energy bars and hydration drinks, enjoying the free race swag they got "in town".

Lance Armstrong coming down the rock drop on his first lap.

More swag. Pickle juice for muscle cramps. Yes, it's a thing. Not the real stuff, but natural enough, and pretty tasty too.

Single-speed rigid bike with a 12 pack of beer. To each their race.

Antonio leaving camp for his second of five 17-mile laps.

The town becomes even more alive at night with colorful lights and bonfire everywhere. It was so cool to see the course illuminated by all these headlamps and bike lamps, like a thousand crazy fireflies in the dark night.

For 24 hours per year, a little corner of the desert turns into a small village. Willow Spring Ranch is a remote state trust land that barely sees a soul for the rest of the year, but during the 24 hour of Old Pueblo, one of the biggest 24 hour race in North America (and part of the Epic Rides serie), it is aptly named the 24 hour town and even has its own street signs. The jack rabbits and other critters probably wonder what they did to offend the gods for such mayhem to take over their otherwise quiet home.

There are about 500 riders on the 17-mile course at all times. Teammates have to exchange the baton in the in-and-out tent, register their lap with the officials and the next rider can go. The event gets fully booked a few hours after the registration opens, with riders coming as far as Europe to participate in the event.

The race begins at noon on Saturday with a LeMans-style start (or stampede) in which the racers have to run 1/2 mile to where their bikes are parked (in their bike shoes... ouch!). It makes for a fun spectacular start and it spaces out the the 500 + riders hitting the singletrack course.

The 24 HOP is the Burning man of bike races and can be anything to anybody... pro racers, party riders, soloists, corporate riders, single speeders... but it sure feels like there are two different races going on: the Spandex vs the Monkey suits.

Estrella Hedgehog - Her first podium

January 29, 2017 by Catherine Forest in Arizona, Mountain biking

Antonio and Jason's start (Men Single Speed Experts).

JF's start (Rock crushers), in blue in the middle.

The Estrella course is the gnarliest of the MBAA race series. It's chunky, loose and steep.

JF at the end of his first loop... just before he got a flat tire.

And she's started smiling and fast. She even took the lead on the third lap, and never looked back.

Only one of her 5 laps left! Papa is offering her some water, but she is still going strong... and still smiling.

Ben at the end of his course. Both Liske brothers crashed, but Ben was able to continue. Charlie had a harder one (and further out on the course), so he did not finish.

The face of pride! Her first time on a podium and she got the gold! The lesson in racing is the same as in life... sometimes you win...

The Estrella Hedgehog is known to be the toughest course of the MBAA race series. It was quite different from McDowell's mostly groomed and bermed course. This one was loose rocks with lots of climbing. Mara knew that this was at her advantage since she is technically strong and climbs like a mountain goat. When she realized she was second after the second lap (she still had 3 laps to go), she got even more pumped and kept riding with her big signature smile and legendary stamina. She pushed and passed a bunch of kids (mostly on the uphills!). Passing is something you don't really learn other than in a race situation and can be stressful and intimidating... There were faster boys and younger kids on the course at the same time as her, so the challenge was real. For instance, when she called "On your left" (which in race lingo means I'm passing you on your left) to a younger kid in front of her, the child moved left instead of right, thinking it meant the opposite...

JF got a flat tire just at the beginning of his second loop, so he ran back to the Westy with his bike, quickly changed his tube and got back on the trail. Diedra wasn't as lucky... she sliced her tire open further out on the course and had to scratch.

I didn't grow up doing competitive sports and this is a new experience for me to be part of this world through Mara and JF... I still struggle when I see kids in tears on the course, but I'm also seeing how competition can exist in a very positive environment and how, when a child is old enough for that, it can be invaluable in teaching him many life skills, like perseverance, planning, stress management, focus... and how to lose with grace. Diedra and JF were great examples for our kids today, they took the challenges that were presented to them in stride and both had great attitudes about it. As was the guy who walked through the Finish line with his chain in his hand!

McDowell Meltdown - Their first Mountain Bike race

January 15, 2017 by Catherine Forest in Arizona, Mountain biking

JF's start (in blue in the middle at the back) in the Rock Crushers category.

Antonio was racing in the Single Speed Expert category. Smile through pain!

Jason was also racing in the Single Speed Expert category. One more sports' loop to go!

There was a little jump park and pump track where the kids played all weekend.

Someone was happy to finish right behind his big brother (and to get a third position!).

This girl was all smiles for the 3 loops of her course!

Race to the finish line with a boy in the same age category!

JF and Mara decided to register for the McDowell Meltdown a week before the race, just for the fun of it. They hadn't trained for a race, but had heard it was a fun course and wanted to give it a try. JF has done many trail running races, orienteering and adventure races, but never did an XC mountain bike race.

When we saw all the teams set-up with matching race gear and the general seriousness of the event, we realized it was more than *just a friendly race*. There were over 850 participants and it ended up being the busiest event the Mountain Bike Association of Arizona (MBAA) had seen in a long time.

Mara finished 5th in the 13-14 yo girls (over 14 girls), which was very good for a girl that was doing it just for fun! She actually was faster than almost half the boys in the same age category!

JF finished 10th in his category, which was also pretty remarkable given he didn't train for a race.

The MBAA organizes a series of 6 races every year and we might attend another one in a few weeks.

It was great to reconnect with friends we hadn't seen since last summer, share a few meals (and the race jitters!) and ride with them. The mountain bike trails at McDowell Mountain Regional Park are simply amazing and there are over 200 miles of trails that are accessible from there. Too bad the camping is so expensive ($30/night). There is no boondocking in the whole Phoenix area (except for Casino Parking Lots) that we know of (drop me a line in the comments if you do!), so it's a major bummer because we would have loved to spend more time there.

Our little Tucson routine

January 11, 2017 by Catherine Forest in Arizona, Mountain biking, Rock climbing, Camping spots

Our friends from Wisconsin came for a week during their Holidays! Of course, we went biking together!

A very sweet gift from our little Ubach friends!

Climbing on Mount Lemmon, Crags Against Humanity Sector.

Tucson is our winter trip half-way point and we tend to stop here longer and slow down. We just love how easy it is to be active here. Once again this year, we took a rock climbing gym membership at Rocks and Ropes (which includes the Bloc too, a bouldering gym), where we go about 3 times a week to climb and shower. We alternate a climbing day with a biking day since there are so many bike trails nearby. It's a pretty good routine. We try to go climb outside at Mount Lemmon on the weekends when possible (it's about an hour drive from the BLM where we camp). What's a BLM you might wonder? It's a public land where we can camp for free. In Tucson, the Snyder Hill BLM is located only 20 minutes from downtown Tucson (unlike most other BLMs in the US that are far from big cities and where the 14 day limit stay in enforced). The Snyder Hill BLM has a bit of a Slab City vibe. There are some semi-permanent residents, some big rigs that stay only a few days and pretty much everything in between. Let's just say it seems to attract what we call in the Yukon, the colorful 5 %... You can often hear someone playing drum or strumming his guitar in the distance. If you're lucky like us, a circus couple sets up nearby with an aerial silk contraption and you can watch them practice this beautiful skill... Then, there's John, who's been our neighbor for a few weeks that pretend he worked on a set with Al Pacino and went to a party with Johnny Depp... There's Sid with his 16 years old dog who comes by when JF is working on a bike to chat... and chat some more (and his wife that keeps bringing us odd things for the girls). There's the man who sleeps in a tent and leaves every morning with a dress suit for work. And there was the crazy lady on the hill, who spent her days sitting cross-legged on top of Snyder Hill, watching over us and yelling ugly things to passerby's... until she lost it and started knocking on all the rigs' doors asking people to give her her dog back... too many Rainbows will do that to you...

Tucson feels like a second home (or maybe more like a fifth home...) and here are a few of our favorite digs and some practical info if you end up in this neck of the desert...

EAT : The best taco place in town is a little hole in the wall called Pico De Gallo; 3 incredible fish tacos (with homemade corn tortilla) for under $6. Yes, please. Only 8 minute from the rock gym!

Another place that should not be missed is Tucson Tamales (2 locations); 2 Santa Fe tamales (or Chipotle beef, our favorites!) with 2 sides of your choice (don't miss their mexican slaw) for under $8! You can also buy their tamales frozen to warm up at home!

For a unique experience (and a very cheap meal), go to Govinda Natural Food at the local Ashram. All you can eat vegetarian buffet (Tuesday is Indian Night, Wednesday and Thursday are vegan nights) with homemade papadum, delicious salad with sprouts and homecooked food ($11 for adults, $5 for kids (10-12 yo), $4 for 7-9 yo and $3 for 4-6 yo). And you can eat outside in their beautiful enclosed yard.

GROCERY : McGary's Discount Grocery (a few blocks from the Ashram) has awesome deals on expired/dented food items. Think 8 Luna Bars for $1, Kettle Chips bags for $1, Natural Krave Jerky bags for $1, cereal boxes at 3 for $5, Back to Nature nut mixes, cookies, crackers, etc for a fraction of the price, natural lotions and shampoos... even natural dog treats and recycled toilet paper at ridiculous prices. As long as you don't mind the loud Christian music blasting through the store and the near-paranoiac attitude of the store owner about having things stolen and children running down the aisles you'll love this place as much as we do.

Another great way to save money on food in Tucson is through The Club 3000 (Market on the Move). Every week you can get 60 lbs of fruits for $10 on Wednesday from 9 am to 1 pm (sometimes it's every day of the week). The content varies every week (citrus, peppers, tomatoes, squash, eggs, etc.). The best place to be kept informed is their Facebook page.

For a dirt cheap grocery store, we love Food City (a few locations in Tucson). Good ripe fruits for cheap directly from Mexico, dairies and eggs for very cheap, and great homemade nachos, taco shells and tortillas.

For good quality natural food at a decent price, we love Sprouts (a few locations in town). Great coffee and home brand products.

LAUNDRY : For the full hole-in-the-wall laudromat experience, go to Superior Cleaner (10 min from the BLM, just by Food City!). The cheapest in town (bonus soap operas in Spanish blasting on the TVs). They even provide free Wifi.

If you rather pay more and have a clean brick-wall and lime green wall laudromat with the UofA hipsters, go to Wildcat Laudry.

DUMP AND FILL : Free at the Giant gas station on the corner of Valencia and Kolb, but it's pretty far from the BLM. We go to Western Way RV Resort (10 min from BLM) for $10.

RECYCLING : There is a big recycling station at the entrance of John F. Kennedy Park, right behind the Mission Public Library (free wifi) at the corner of Ajo Way and Mission.

Rock climbing on Mt Lemmon, Tucson, AZ

December 29, 2016 by Catherine Forest in Arizona, Rock climbing

Heading down to the crag from Windy Point.

These little Arizona boys haven't seen snow many times in their lives. It was a real treat to see their enthousiasm!

What an incredible view we had from our climbing spot!

Look at the scales on that rock! So fun to climb!

Antonio, Mara and JF cleaning the route from the top.

I love seeing my girls develop a relationship with these sweet boys!

Mount Lemmon towers over Tucson at an elevation of 9,150 feet. That means that when it rains in town, it snows on top of the mountain. That also means that many Mexicans pack their family in the car, cross the border and drive all the way up to Mount Lemmon to go play in snow. It is quite the sight to see all these cars driving down with snowmen built on their hoods (it seems like that's what you do...). Mount Lemmon is a prized destination for road bikers (think climbing all the way to the top and riding down!) and rock climbers alike (there are over a thousand routes on the mountain!).

When we arrived at Windy Point (a little over 6,000 feet), the parking lot was packed with people, but Antonio knew of the perfect crag, just inches away from selfie sticks and the rowdy crowd. We spent a memorable afternoon there and left just in time to witness another amazing Tucson sunset on our drive down the mountain.

Another Christmas in Tucson

December 27, 2016 by Catherine Forest in Arizona, Hiking

The boys made tourtières and meat pies for Christmas!

The girls offered us a gastronomic 3-course meal for Christmas. We were completely blown away!

Aïsha prepared us a mango-avocado-shrimp tartare that could not have been better at an high end restaurant.

Mara made a Garlic Basil Chicken with Tomato Butter Sauce. It was delicious.

Mathilde made us a Layered Chocolate Cookie Sundae. Yum! I think that a tradition is born!

And on Christmas day, we went for a geocache hike on Brown Mountain.

We love spending Christmas with this sweet family year after year!

It's the fourth Christmas that we spend in Tucson and it has become a tradition that we all look forward to. Pascale and Antonio always welcome us with open arms. It is such a treat to see their boys grow every year and to be enjoying the outdoors with them a bit more every year.

Rock climbing at Cochise Stronghold, AZ

December 21, 2016 by Catherine Forest in Arizona, Camping spots, Rock climbing

Can you spot Mathilde on the image on the right? These routes are long (and so fun!).

Guitar and drums, great evenings by the fire.

JF, on top of Naiche's nest. Naiche was Cochise's son (an Apache Chef, see story below) and it is in this nook that Naiche played while his dad held councils.

The kids scrambled on rocks while we set the routes. We were pretty much alone the whole time!

We search out the most perfect pieces of rock. It’s so amazing that these formations are so perfect for climbing on. It’s almost as if they were created for climbing. You’re taking these random rock formations and you’re bringing to it this interaction. It transforms it from being this random rock into almost this piece of art. It’s almost like a sculpture or something. Just by finding the handholds, finding that line up the rock. Every climb is different, has its own unique set of movements and body positions. Climbing and my appreciation for nature are totally intertwined. -Chris Sharma

You might remember that we climbed here last February for Jen's birthday. It was an epic weekend and we wanted to explore the area a little more. Our friends Les 4 Farfelus joined us for a few days and we climbed together, played music by the fire and simply enjoyed this incredibly wild place. Cochise Stronghold is located at an elevation of 5000 feet. Needless to say, we had some very cold nights and mornings (below freezing!).

The Cochise Stronghold is part of the Coronado National Forest in the beautiful Dragoon Mountains and was once the refuge of the great Chiricahua Apache Chief, Cochise. This rugged area was home for 250 warriors and up to a total of 1000 in the tribe for up to 15 years. Upon his death, Cochise was secretly buried somewhere in or near his impregnable fortress. The exact location has never been revealed or determined.

Bouldering at Hueco Tanks, TX

December 15, 2016 by Catherine Forest in Rock climbing, Texas

Walking up the Chain Trail to the Small Potatoes area.

The Small Potatoes area is a popular warm-up spot. To the right, the water-filled hole is what a Hueco is and the reason why this place was so special for Natives (lots of water holding tanks in the desert!).

On top of a problem in the Small Potatoes area. Right: so many boulders to climb and explore!

Getting beta from Betty who has been climbing here since she was Mara's age!

Working on the best V2 problem in the world (according to Mountain Project!). What a beauty!

Watching Alex Puccio work on a V9 problem (one of the top professional rock climbers in the world) after she warmed up on a V6! Look at the muscles on that woman!! It was interesting to see that even pros have moments where they freak out a bit too!

Mara working on a tough V5 problem (and she got it!!).

The famous V2 is called Nobody Gets Out Of Here Alive because the ground used to be covered in little cacti like it still is on the right...

We drove by the road that leads to Hueco Tanks State Park and simply waved it off as being surely full... Then, since it was only an 8 mile drive, we turned around and decided to check it out, just in case. It was Sunday 4 pm. Maybe we would be lucky. We had tried to go there 3 years ago in January, but we got turned around, the north mountain being at full capacity despite the melting snow and freezing temperatures. The climbers, mostly visitors from outside on climbing trips for the Holidays, were trying to make the best of the bone-freezing drizzle. We turned around, knowing we would have our turn. And this year we got it!

Hueco Tanks is described by Mountain Project as *the best bouldering spot in the world*. There are 70 permits delivered each day for North Mountain and 60 are reserved at least 6 months in advance. You have to show up at the gate of the park early to try your luck at the other 10. Unless you are staying at the campground in the park, then you have first dibs at these permits. If you get there and the park is full, your name is added on a waiting list and if reserved permits are not claimed by 10:30 or so, then they start giving them to the climbers waiting. Quite the process... The other 3 areas of the park are accessible with a guide only and do not count in the 70 daily permits. There are volunteer guides and professional guides that can take you in these areas.

Hueco is also an historic site that is *very* well protected. You have to be ready to jump through a few hoops to climb here (watch a video before entering the park and listen to a litany of rules - repeated to you twice, once by the ranger at the entrance and then by the one at the interpretation center). But then, you’re in Hueco. And if you’re a climber, you have a big silly grin on your face. Because you made it to Hueco! You’ve seen videos of your favorite climbers tackling crazy hard problems here. And here you are. We actually got to watch Alex Puccio climb while we were here! What a treat!

We were lucky enough to hit it off with a local that had climbed here since she was a kid. She came to Mara and I when she saw her climbing and told her she started climbing right here when she was her age since her mom was an environmental scientist who spent big chunks of time here. She guided Mara and I through some amazing problems (some that she had created herself!). It made the experience even greater.

Huecos are these big round holes where water collects and one of the reason why this site was a sacred site for native people (the main reason why it is so well protected). There are many petroglyphs to be seen in the park and people still find artefacts.

Carlsbad Caverns, New Mexico

December 12, 2016 by Catherine Forest in New Mexico, Camping spots

We found a great BLM campsite (free) 20 minutes from the Caverns (more infos and GPS coordinates here).

This place is just out of this world magical... we had visited a good chunk of it 3 years ago, but hadn't done the back part. The entrance is free with a National Parks pass. As amazing as it is to enter the caverns through the natural entrance (walk down into the caverns), it is quite the hike to do the whole thing (adults can do it, but it's long for younger children). Here's our advice: arrive early and take the elevator down to the big room and walk all the back part of the caverns. You will have the place pretty much to yourself since most people are entering through the natural entrance at that time of day. Then, either walk out through the natural entrance or take the elevator back up. Walking into the caverns is a unique experience that is most enjoyed when you are not stuck in a crowd.

Rock climbing in Texas, at Reimer's Ranch, near Austin

December 11, 2016 by Catherine Forest in Texas, Rock climbing

To get to the routes, you have to go down into a canyon...

There is warm water (presumably from the neighboring Hamilton Pool) running in the canyon and little pools nearby. It was *almost* warm enough to sit into. I'm sure it's a pretty popular spot to hang out after climbing in warmer weather.

Pretty cool rock formations and caves on the way to the crag.

Look at that rock! It's so fun to climb!

Someone was cold and wore a Patagonia jacket while we climbed.

The girls are all really enjoying climbing and they are getting pretty strong!

We had climbed for a few days at Reimer's 3 years ago (scroll down on that post and look how small the girls were only 3 years ago!) and really liked it, so we waited almost a week in Austin for the weather to be decent for climbing (there is also some great mountain biking in the areas, but the trails were all closed because of the 5 days of rain we had...). We were glad we waited because this place is pretty amazing. The limestone has been washed by the water over many years and the result is like a huge swiss cheese!

We wished we would have had time to give Enchanted Rock another chance (our first experience there 3 years ago was NOT good... but a bit funny in retrospect...), but we ran out of time in the area. Next time!

Sleeping by the Gulf of Mexico on Rutherford Beach, near Creole, LA

December 04, 2016 by Catherine Forest in Louisiana, Camping spots

The first night, there was a crazy thunderstorm with a lightning show that lasted for hours... it felt like a giant stroboscope in the bus.

The sun came back the next day. And we had the perfect set up, right on the beach.

Stout was so happy to be allowed to run free on the beach. It was puppy heaven...

A bonfire on the beach. It doesn't get any better.

Stout has a light that attaches to his collar to see where he is at night. So fun and practical! And it makes for cool pictures too!

When we found out about that beach through another traveling family, I wanted to check it out. It's not often that you come across boondocking sites right on the beach! And it didn't disappoint!

This part of Louisiana has been severely affected by the passage of Katrina in 2005 and everywhere you look, you see concrete pads where houses used to stand, rusty metal structures, old restaurant signs... it's a sad sight... Many people could not afford to rebuild their houses and they now live in fifth wheels on these concrete pads.

A local told us that there were 35 to 40 houses along Rutherford Beach before Hurricane Rita... and now, only a few houses remain... It was the perfect place to watch the IMAX documentary Hurricane on the Bayou.

The drive to get down to the beach is beautiful though, as you cross bayous and a wildlife preserve. There were lots of different birds and I was jumping up and down when we saw some Roseate Spoonbill (Spatule rosée)! So cool! The whole time we were driving through the bayous, the lyrics of Stephen Faulkner's song Cajuns de l'an 2000 that my dad used to play in the Westfalia when I was a kid kept popping through my mind. And to top it off, a local we met on the beach kept using the expression Son of a Gun! Oh and JF is cooking a typical Creole Jambalaya tonight with authentic bayou spices!

New Orleans, Louisiana

December 01, 2016 by Catherine Forest in Louisiana

Eating beignets at Café du Monde. Maybe going there at 10:30 am on a Sunday morning was not our best decision... Oh well! They were worth it!

We had been to Louisiana 3 years ago for Mardi Gras. The French Quarter was obviously very rowdy and I was glad the girls were still young enough to not be aware of what was going on. They simply asked why the *princesses* throwing necklaces from balconies were wearing only underwears... Ahem.

But NOLA is called the Big Easy for a reason... It's not hard to look past the glimmer and sparkles... You see tired people trying to make a living in this crazy scene... You see their hard stories behind the fake smiles and make-up, behind their quirky street art... just a bunch of people going through the motion. Just another day at work. It reminded me of walking the back streets of Vegas during the day... The streets are dirty and stinky. The T-shirt and masks shops staff are scrolling on their phones... The musicians seem like the only truly happy ones there... What a weird eclectic place.

Perdido Key and Big Lagoon State Park, Florida

November 28, 2016 by Catherine Forest in Camping spots, Florida, Beach

“The loneliness you get by the sea is personal and alive. It doesn't subdue you and make you feel abject. It's stimulating loneliness.”
-Anne Morrow Lindbergh

“If you want to build a ship, don't drum up people to collect wood and don't assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea.”
-Antoine de Saint-Exupery

When we found out our Wisconsin friends were heading to the Florida Panhandle for Thanksgiving week, we decided to join them. It was a *slight* detour from our original itinerary (which was to head down diagonally from Wisconsin to AZ), but spending more time with them on those awesome beaches was worth it! White sugar beaches and turquoise water? Hell yeah!

This area of Florida is one of its best kept secrets. The beaches are wild and empty, it's not too hot or too damp for us Northerners and the state parks campgrounds are more affordable. What's not to like about it! We liked Big Lagoon SP, but we would have prefered a campsite closer to the open sea, like Fort Pickens SP (where you need to reserve quite a while in advance). We also loved St. Joseph Peninsula SP, but there is no cell signal there. The big downside is that dogs are not allowed on the beaches pretty much everywhere. We either had to drive 45 min to Pensacola Dog Beach (a really nice beach) or drive 15 min to a dog park on the lagoon side of Perdido Key.

If you go to this area and do not need Internet signal and want to tent camp, go camp to Cayo Costa State Park, it's on an island only accessible by boat (when the address is 4 Nautical Miles West of Pine Island, you know it's gonna be quiet!).

Rock Climbing in Tennessee

November 17, 2016 by Catherine Forest in Tennessee, Rock climbing

Mara wanted to try leading a route for a few years already, but we felt she wasn't fully ready. After working with me at Equinox all summer, she acquired the experience and confidence needed to do it. Here, JF is showing her how to use the Personal … — Mara wanted to try leading a route for a few years already, but we felt she wasn't fully ready. After working with me at Equinox all summer, she acquired the experience and confidence needed to do it. Here, JF is showing her how to use the Personal Safety Device while she sets the anchor at the top.

As travelers, we really appreciated that the local association put plates under most of the routes to ID them. So much easier! I wish it was like that everywhere! No bad surprises.

Stout has food intolerances and we are experimenting with feeding him raw food (whole prety diet). This was his first fish... He was wondering what he was suposed to do with it. At first, he was scared of it (it's looking at me, Mama!), then he play… — Stout has food intolerances and we are experimenting with feeding him raw food (whole prety diet). This was his first fish... He was wondering what he was suposed to do with it. At first, he was scared of it (it's looking at me, Mama!), then he played with it a bit and finally decided it was a great pillow...

It was a bit nerve-wracking to watch from the ground, but she stayed focused and was incredible to watch. This young girl has her daddy's calm!

Heading out after JF's work hours (3:30 in this time zone, with a little more than an hour of light left) and coming back in the dark, exhilarated from having risen to the challenge once again.

The supermoon seen from our camping spot by the crag.

I guess you had no idea that Tennessee was a top climbing destination. I honestly didn't either until a few months ago. Around Chattanooga, there are 8 crags with an incredible amount of high quality routes. You might have heard of the famous Tennessee Wall (aka T-Wall), but maybe not about Obed, Foster Falls or Sunset Park. Since our time here is limited, we decided to focus on one area near Nashville called Kings Bluff (upper left in the image) because we could camp right at the crag and the approach walk was 3 minutes AND there was good signal. If you want to visit this crag, know that the access is locked by a gate. The code to open the gate is on their website and climbers are allowed to sleep in their vehicles in the parking lot. It's a beautiful spot by the Cumberland River.

If you decide to explore this area, read this great article. As usual, I suggest that you look for the classic routes of the sector you are exploring on the Mountain Project App to get good info on the area. It wasn't a love-at-first-site spot for us. The ratings were not reliable and most routes had some pretty ackward moves. As a local told us on our last day there : if you come here thinking you'll climb your gym rating, you're not gonna like it.

Presidential election and square dancing in Wisconsin

November 13, 2016 by Catherine Forest in Wisconsin

Watching the Presidential Election results coming in.

State coloring sheet for the kids to follow the election results.

Only a perfect Negroni could do for such a night...

We all needed some kitten love after that...

Our friend Jen rescued these two kitties at 4 weeks (their mom had died). She wasn't sure they would make it, but thanks to her great care, they are now fat and thriving, but they can't handle being separated from each other...

As I drive to Viroqua through the beautiful Wisconsin country side, I notice the old barns everywhere, cows grazing, rusty farm equipment sitting in the fields, a few Amish riding in their buggy on the side of the road, I almost feel in a different … — As I drive to Viroqua through the beautiful Wisconsin country side, I notice the old barns everywhere, cows grazing, rusty farm equipment sitting in the fields, a few Amish riding in their buggy on the side of the road, I almost feel in a different era. For a few miles, it’s the Westy that seems out of place.

Meeting my friend Jen's friends and sister (and their beautiful kids) was a highlight of our time in Wisconsin. I've heard so much about them (and I am Facebook friend with some of them), that it really felt like we knew each other and we hit it off… — Meeting my friend Jen's friends and sister (and their beautiful kids) was a highlight of our time in Wisconsin. I've heard so much about them (and I am Facebook friend with some of them), that it really felt like we knew each other and we hit it off right away. What a beautiful community our friends have!

We even went to a Square Dance organized by the local homeschool group!

We arrived in Wisconsin the night before the Presidential election. It was such a great opportunity to go vote with our friends and learn more about the American election process. After dinner, we all sat around the long table and watched as the results started coming in, the kids filling their State coloring sheet, excited. Then, we got more and more quiet... we sat there in disbelief and stayed up passed midnight; we went to bed not knowing the official results. I will never forget the shear fear in the eyes of my friend’s daughter when she found out Trump had been elected the next morning. «Does that mean we’re gonna go to war, Mom?»

Reunion with friends and family, apple picking and more

November 05, 2016 by Catherine Forest in Quebec

Too many nights in a garage yard while the bus was getting fixed...

Lunch at a delicious village café (Les 3 Soeurs, Waterville). — Lunch at a delicious village café (Les 3 Soeurs, Waterville).

A beautiful shared meal for Thanksgiving.

For any full-time traveler, coming back home for a time is always a whirlwind of visits, dinners and obligations (I've stopped counting the hours we spent at the dentist and garage...). It's intense and full. It feels so awesome to have all these people waiting for us with open arms (and houses!), cooking beautiful meals for us and welcoming us with our crazy changing schedules (see garage appointments). It's a big change to our usually very relax day-by-day life on the road, it's a bit disconcerting for all of us to be so busy (and it's GOOD busy, just too busy...). We feel unbalanced. Too much time eating and chatting, not enough time moving outside. Too much time juggling schedules, not enough time for spontaneous activities...

We've realized that when we come back to either Quebec or the Yukon, we need to spend at least 2 1/2 months there to not feel rushed to see our people. We need some time to settle down. Time to breathe. Time to do nothing and have nights in our pjs playing cards together.

We're leaving Quebec feeling like we rushed through it. We're tired and feeling like hiding in the woods for a few weeks to recharge. We feel like we haven't seen our people nearly enough (some we haven't seen at all). But the cold is pushing us South. We'll be back with a better plan next time (or rather, no plans, but more time). We're still learning how to travel right for us.

For now, Wisconsin, here we come!! Why Wisconsin? Stay tuned!!

Halloween 2016 raised the bar!

November 03, 2016 by Catherine Forest

These kids come up with the best costumes: Plague Doctor and mathemathics.

The corn challenge: finding the kernel with a red dot. It was tiny!!

And meanwhile outside... zombies roamed... Tristan and Dave took their job pretty seriously and brought just enough fear factor to make the outside challenges spooky.

Spider nest made with ballons filled with water and a glow stick.

Cat litter challenge: retrieving the keys to open the handcuffs. My tootsie roll turds were so great that the kids were really grossed out!

Listening to Steph explain the goblin food tasting test. Gross.

Mara's face says it all. Yuck. Those goblins have disgusting tastes! On the right: retrieving a letter to solve the riddle in the pumpkin belly filled with rotten pomegranate, tomatoes, pumpkin insides and more gooey stuff...

Finding the loot after having faced all the challenges and solving the riddle! A well-earned price!

Those who have followed us for many years know that our friends Steph and Dave throw the best parties, Secret Agent theme, Chinese New Year, Disco funk. You name it. They did it again with Halloween this year with an Amazing Race theme. There were six challenges at the end of which the four teams retrieved letters that they would put together to find the final loot. The challenges were super fun and gross (think putting your hand in a holed tree filled with cold slimy spaghetti to find a letter while zombies are roaming around in the dark (even the dog was scared!). It was 3 hours of non-stop challenging fun (for a full day of prep!)! To top it all, the day prior we had an horror buffet in Montreal with Isa, Martin and Alex (with whom we travelled this year, you know them!) and we went trick or treating with our Waterville friends, Steph and JF, and shared a delicious meal (the beautiful bread was from that meal).

It was deemed the best Halloween ever!!