Towards Wyoming, please...

“In September I will need a lift to Landers, WY. Anybody out there going that direction?
It's bloody difficult to get a flight Zürich - Riverton, WY.
So far the nearest airport I get is Denver, CO. Delta won't serve Riverton airport, which would be the nearest to Landers.
:-(”

“Calling Doctor Roamie!!”

“WHOOO?!?”

“he's talkin about me.

I live in Denver - not so close to Landers.

what's happenin in Landers in Sept? I'm going there July 14 and 15 for the Int'l Climbers Fesitval.”

“That's why I bite the bullet and just drive to Wyoming.”

“Hey Euro - email me - maybe we can figure it out.”

“Thanks Roam

September 9th is when my NOLS course starts and I have to be in Landers the day before, at the 8th.

I think I have to book my flight real soon now, but first I have to figure out where to fly to from Zürich. I would like to fly in a week earlier (1st September) to get over the jetlag before embarking on a NOLS trip to ‘the Winds’.
I thought I had three options: 1) visit an east-coast friend to go camping in GSMNP or 2) visit a friend in Denver and go to RMNP or 3) hope there is a trip on TT I could join.
Sadly my backpacking east-coast friend can’t take the time off to take me to GSMNP, not sure how much my friend in Denver really is into backpacking (my own wilderness experience is 1 night at GSMNP!) and there are no trips posted on TT for first week in September.

So my best guess is, from Zürich Denver is the nearest international airport to get to Landers, WY? From there I have to…take a train/bus?...raft upstream on the Colorado?...saddle a mustang?...
last edited: 6/05/07 7:34:34 AM”

“Saddle a mustang??

Now you're talkin', lady!!

There are, by the way, a lot of serious backpackers in the Mid-Atlantic East.......The Pennsylvania Boneheads to be egg-zackle.”

“Try Salt Lake City and a bus.

Maybe?

Any help out there?”

“Pennsylvanian Boneheads?...mmmm, Marko, in my imagination a name like that evokes the picture of a gang of bushwacking hooligans, but I am sure you wouldn't suggest that to me, or would you? I certainly don't fancy to shave my head to go on a bonehead trip.”

“They are a gang of bushwhacking hooligans, actually, and are a hell of a lot of fun.

No head-shaving is necessary, Euro dear.

Bonehead refers more to their harebrained sense of adventure than hair style. There is however a chrome dome in that gang.

Though I live in Merryland I am an honorary member of that merry band of mountain trekkers. There is one, now married, who is perhaps the dorkiest of the dorks and who lives a mere forty miles from my abode. His wife is a dorkette of awesome proportions in her dorkiness and much loved and admired by all who are so honored to make her acquaintance.”

“Yeah, I was going to say.... I think it's not so much a hairstyle as a reference to the space between the ears being composed of solid bone,  LOL”

“I probably can't help much with travel. But Greyhound (bus line) might could.

They have a big terminal in downtown Denver and you could shuttle easily from the Denver airport to the bus terminal.

Salt Lake City would be another good option for a plane to bus transfer.

If you wind up in Denver for a time frame - like a weekend or something we could do a short trip in Rocky Mtn National Park or something. I can pick you up at the airport and get you back to the bus terminal with ease. I'll have any gear that you can't fly with.

Let me know.

My email is in my profile.”

“No head-shave necessary then?
I just found Pennsylvania (had to look it up in my 'Modern School Atlas 93rd Edition'). It does look like a possiblity and less a detour than Atlanta.”

“Fly from SLC to Jackson.”

“SLC? Salt Lake City, correct?”

“You have email Mr. Roam”

“SLC. Yep. Delta used to make that trip, but naymor. Surely somebody flies it.”

“Hey Euro - got it - thanks (replied)”

“I am still stuck. So far I am not getting any further then Denver or Salt Lake City.
Greyhound bus takes ages to get there. I probably die of old age before reaching Landers.

Does anybody know of any local airline that might go to Jackson or Cheyenne? Both seem to be the nearest airports to Landers.”

“Casper is about a 2 hour drive from Lander.

You can connect daily from Denver, SLC, or Minniappolis.(United, Delta, NWA)

http://iflycasper.com/

There is info on how to get to lander here
http://www.windrivercountry.com/other/transportation.html

If i'm available at that time, I could drive you to Lander from Casper, but I can't commit right now.”

“Finally it looks like I won't have to saddle a bronco to get to Wyoming.

Thanks garfum, the windrivercounty website gives some good info on local transportation. I might need it. Should I end up in Casper I will post you a note.

I have found airlines flying into Riverton, Jackson Hole and Casper. Not sure yet which I will choose, as I might still opt for a stopover in Denver.”

“Juhuuu! Just got my flight to Denver sorted. I am half-way at Landers. Now I have to get a flight from Denver to Riverton.”

“Progress!”

“...done & dusted! Got the flight to Riverton too. Slap the bronco. I won't need to saddle him anymore. I fly.”

“good deal!”

“OMG, only five more weeks and I will be on my NOLS course!!
Have been doing a couple of hikes here in the alps recently, to prepare for The Winds. The very thought of hiking two weeks, with backpacks as heavy as 40% of my own weight, freezing nights, getting soaked down to the bones and living from freeze dried meals makes me already hyperventilate.
I can't remember why I signed up to this madness? What have I been thinking?”

“i think you will have cold nights, but not freezing nights. it is summer, afterall. you will also be taking enough clothing that you shouldnt be soaked to the bones very much, if at all

as far as freeze dried meals, i dont think you will be doing that. i understand they feed you very well on the course (they better, for as much money as they charge)

i may be taking a month course in absaroka or the winds next year. i want to hear all about your experience

as far as why, youre going to be learning invaluable skills that will make you an accomplished backcountry survivor, and a better and stronger person”

“mad! she's MAD I tell you! LOL”

“Masochism.”

“said the masochist to the sadist "whip me, beat me"

said the sadist to the masochist "no"”

“Mad? Me?...I hear that quite often, but it's just not true, beliefe me...
:-)”

“suuuuuuuuure, your not.

and neither am I!

I promise.”

“how very appropriate Tilt.”

“It's a very popular quote on the Interwebs --- (would've displayed it smaller but the type looked really crappy)


I always liked this visual:

”

“OK, I am mad because I sign in to this board.
And, I am mad because I signed up to an NOLS course.”

“.... and you don't like Jarlsberg.....”

“Sounds like you'd be MADDER if you missed your plane along the way!

:-)”

“Another question...

can someone tell me whether or not we will return into civilisation once or twice during that Wind River course? Or does it mean we stay in the wilderness the whole bloody time? I will need to recharge the batterie on my digital camera...?”

“I bet your out the whole time. Carry a spare battery. :)”

“Unfortunately my camera only takes custom made batteries, not the regulare one you can buy at any kiosk :-(

Flying always costs me a lot of nerves. I always panic I might miss the next flight. And having to go through immigrations isn't funny either. Last time the officer who interviewed me and took my finger prints...
well, do you remember Arnold Schwarzenegger in 'The Terminator'? I was glad when I was finaly allowed to hurry on to my connecting flight.”

“Yes --- obviously a suspicious person.  The shifty eyes and sweaty palms are a dead give-away.”

“less than 24 hours to go befor my plane leaves from Zürich. My sweaty palms are so sweaty now, that everything keeps slipping out of my hands.”

“This is such an adventure for you! The Winds are so beautiful. Have fun!”

“oh dear....the older I get the more I get scared of flying. I am not so much scared of getting killed in a crash, but the long hours of confinment are absolute torture.

I so badly wish I would already be there.”

“Crossword puzzles and booze..........”

“UM Marko...alchohol is actually BAD for you flying over time zones. Actually Euro keep hydrated with WATER and do the following

1. Nap as needed on the flight

2. As soon as you can begin eating on the time schedule of "where you are going"

3. When you get in...try as soon as possible to get a sleep cycles when the people in that time zone sleep.


USUALLY I found that doing that would get you in sync with in 24 to 36 hours.

good luck and you will enjoy this.”

“I think she's a big girl, XLax.”

“If I take to the boozing I might end up trying to yank open the cabin door and yelling: "I need to get out of here, I need to get out of heeeeere....!" probably somewhere halfway across the Atlantic.”