Embarking North, Part 1: Carbondale, CO to Ennis, MT
June 16, 2022 marked the long awaited 1st day of our trip north. With the truck fully packed by mid-day, we closed the front door of our house one final time for the summer and jumped into the driver and passenger seats of Dolores, pulled the truck doors shut and turned the ignition key. From that moment on, we would call our truck home for the rest of the summer; plans that we had started to make months prior were finally in motion along with our wheels that would carry us to the furthest point north in Canada that you can reach by vehicle then back south to explore south-central Alaska.
Our first few days we slowly picked our way north to southwest Montana, where we’d spend a few weeks with Christina’s family before continuing on through western Canada. We’ve done this drive to Montana many times over the years and usually settle in for a continuous 12 hour chunk of seat time. This time though, we took our time and broke the drive up into 3 days, enjoying a new spot each night and meeting up with some new friends along the way.
A few bull elk watch as we approach where we planned to camp.
First evening camp along our drive to Ennis.
Our second evening camp, tucked nicely into trees
Christina taking in the views around camp
Our third night of the trip we met up with some amazing people that we’ve chatted with over the years through Instagram, turning internet friends into real life friends. MAK & Owen of Bound for Nowhere and Karissa & Linhbergh of GonDirtin were such generous camp hosts and we had a great time sharing stories around the campfire and were lucky enough to get to sample some of Linhbergh’s incredible cooking! Both of these couples have been hugely influential for us to finally put a date down on the calendar and making this trip come true! Specifically, MAK and Owen’s adventures through Alaska in the summer of 2021 was a key factor in helping paint the picture of what this trip could look like for us. They documented their travels in a beautiful Youtube series, Lost and Found, and if you haven’t already, go check it out for a little Alaska travel inspiration!
Roxanne, The Troopy and Dolores looking good in a sea of flowers.
Brian, Christina, MAK, Owen, Karissa, Linhbergh
We Arrived in Ennis on June 19th, and spent several days working and catching up with Christina’s family. The weekend came and we decided to set off on another shake down trip close by. We had hoped to camp along a small fork of the Madison river, but after searching for a camp spot and finding them all full we finally landed ourselves in a forest service campground, which is rather unusual for us. We spent two days there, and Christina worked from the back of our truck while watching our newly befriended fox neighbors wrestle and play together.
Christina working and fox watching
An unexpected highlight of this camp site was chatting with one of our neighbors, Bob, who happened to have spent some time in Alaska and Canada over the years, along with many other amazing places. Bob shared a bunch of really valuable information with us on places to go and route recommendations for our trip up north. Connecting with strangers and making new friends along the way is one of our favorite aspects of travel!
After a few days back at Christina’s parents house, one of her cousins, Sebastian joined us ahead of the rest of his family’s arrival. We took advantage of the good weather and enjoyable temperatures and set off again for a close to home single night camping trip. We enjoyed some amazing evening light, shot the BB gun lots and checked local lakes for Axolotls. It was so much fun to get to share our new Go Fast Camper setup with Sebastian and enjoy some quality chill time together!
We returned back to the log house, set up camp in the driveway again and settled into another work week before the rest of the family arrived.
Of all the things that Montana is known for, one of them is the wind. It is persistent, and occasionally devastatingly strong. We were reminded of that one evening when a neighbor sent a text saying that she could not get up the driveway because a branch had fallen and blocked the road. Unsure of what to expect, we jumped in the truck, drove down the driveway and were shocked at what we saw. Much larger than a branch, but rather a large portion of the tree had been split off the Cottonwood and still half attached, had completely blocked the road.
We quickly took advantage of the situation and used it as a great practice opportunity. Knowing that with as much time as we spend on trails in the mountains, it’s not unlikely that at some point we will find ourselves blocked by this very situation. So, we got to work on removing the tree with only the tools we had available in the truck. Luckily this was a situation that we have anticipated and were well prepared for.
With the tree cleared, we settled back into chill mode and spent lots of time hanging out and relaxing with the family. Floating the river, going for walks, playing with the BB gun and making some fun night photos with a light tied to a string. It was fantastic to spend such good times with everyone.
On July 1st we packed everything back into the truck and resumed our trip north again. This time, hitting the road felt a bit more real. We were officially leaving the comforts of familiarity and driving into the exciting unknown.
We hope you will continue to follow along as we go!
- Brian
