Home on Ice

What did it take to get here

And what will you give in return

What did you make

And what did you break

And what did you finally learn.

-Dallas Clayton

All shot in 35mm.

Hot 'n Bothered

It was super foggy in the morning, and we set off towards Black Hills and Mt. Rushmore - which cost a ridiculous $11 to park and see... so we just pulled around and parked along the profile side.  It was cool for about 20 minutes with the parade that followed us and then there was nothingness the next 4 hours or so.

artsy Tyson

Pit stop at Wall Drug store

Your typical massive eclectic antique-esque art souvenir stuff shop... Tyson had to rip me away from the turquoise section... got to Badlands National Park for a hot minute following it all along endless curves.  Stopping for the occasional big horn sheep.

Camped a night at the edge of SD in Newton Hills just about 6 hours from Kirksville, Missouri.  Pitch black random state campgrounds in what felt like the middle of nowhere... but we weren't alone. Other than the skunk, there were a handful of RVs parking, and the neighbor Mitch and his son Lucias.  Tyson managed entertaining everyone until 2AM throwing gasoline into the campfire sending a huge rocket of flames near to the trees hanging down.  It seemed to be a pretty weird night, but overall nice area to stop.

Missouri was hot, humid, and raining off and on unfortunately for Lucas, making him go through maybe 3 shirts in a day.  The night before Kellen's brother's graduation, we watched him and his friends rip apart a white lab coat and threw it into the fire.  Not sure what could get more traditional than that... 

Fishing got a tiny bit more interesting when the clouds rolled in pouring buckets on top of us with lightning maybe 10 miles away... making us real ecstatic about the idea of electricity on our tiny boat made of metal.

Total miles driven: 841

Total Fish caught: 1
Toval vanMeltdowns: still 9

One More Shot for the Rabbi

"... After my prayers I thought to myself, there is no other building on earth I'd rather be, than outside"

-The Rabbi

We got to Yellowstone around 330-ish-PM, and to Madison Campgrounds around 5PM which was a serious record so far for us to arrive anywhere in the last week... On the inside we were all skipping around throwing confetti in the air and spraying champagne because there was still daylight out for us.

It cost $25 to get into the park, and $23.somethingsomething plus or minus give or take / per night - no reservations. 

Took some pit-stops along the way like Hayden Valley and the mud volcanoes among other greenery... No matter how many times we saw bison, it just never got old.  There was a pretty close group of them later on, and one snuck up right behind me as I was loading some polaroid film.  It was pretty fucking mystical and I stopped breathing for a second... Bart on the other hand (I named him Bart) did not give a shit and just looked at me, and went back to eating next to my feet.

Hayden Valley

BART SPIRIT BISON

Once we got the fire going and started "dinner" aka leftover lunches, whiskey, soup, and PBR, Tyson and Lucas took a walk around the campgrounds where they ran into our neighbor The Rabbi Kalman drinkin schnapps on his lawn chair finishing his prayers.  Referred to from here on as The Rabbi...

The Rabbi & Kellen

Lucas and Tys spent about an hour talking to him about what he was doing, when finally he joined us along with Shane, the Canadian next door,  and it turned out to be more than your average campfire.  The Rabbi came by himself from Little Rock and proved not to be as judgmental or conservative as one may think... he was super open and enthusiastic about the privilege we all have, to go on such adventures and whatever belief we may lean on... It was really refreshing to meet a stranger who was so encouraging yet doesn't know A thing about you.  Earlier Kell and I were talking about certain conversations back home that go in a cycle ... generic and nearly robotic, with no attention to the little things like noticing the differences in the sky or what "feeling at home" really could feel like... The Rabbi was so personable, it was like he just picked at our insides, bringing to the surface the things that we have thought so far on the trip but haven't quite said out loud.  Also, he called me out for my swearing problem... That was long overdue so I can't really say anything against that.  Later on Shane and Kellen played the guitar and harmonica while all fuzzy warm bromance feelings progressed.

Cleanin out a whole bottle of whiskey made sure I was done and ready for bed by midnight... soon joined by Kell... we don't last too long in the cold ...

Woke up to rain, and then to a dirt-covered Lucas, Schnapps in the fire, a broken tent, and my wine bottle... empty... the mysteries then solved once Tyson woke up and walked backwards through it.

After I had given my last shot to the Rabbi (I find out later he was so far drunk off his Schnapps he gave it to Kellen instead, whatta cheater!) the boys had dove into my wine, as The Rabbi danced around throwing cookies into the fire while passing around the rest of his Schnapps (Yes, if I say that word one more time I will slap myself in the face). Once done, Lucas threw that into the fire as well... and proceeded to do what we now call The Lucas Shuffle, falling backwards into the bushes and making dirt-angels.  Loses his wallet along with his phone.  Tyson is chasing him around the campsite to put him to bed, and drags him under one arm, and with the other picks up a dollar, then a twenty, and another dollar all strewn across the dirt and then his wallet.  Phone was found later in the morning, half in the mud... wasn't the brightest moment, but it was hilarious as hell... until then Lucas recalled falling onto the tent and breaking the poles... so that was a minor bummer.  Phone barely survived after we got some rice, and actually his head cold went away too... turns out whiskey, PBR, chardonnay, Benadryl, and schnapps will whip just about anything into shape but your mental stability.

Anyway, onto Old Faithful...

Total miles driven: 100

Total bison seen: 24

Bromance bonds made: 2