American West: Adventure on four wheels

35 Hours West
It all started with a minivan bought on Marketplace, two roof racks installed on 2×4s and a gang of chums. The plan was simple: drive non-stop and change drivers every time you filled up. The real beauty of this trip was as much the journey as the destination. Through the window, the scenery changed all the time: endless plains, red deserts, sky-piercing mountains – each state had its own little treasure.

Between grass and storm in Salt Lake
Salt Lake City, first stop. It had been weeks since the last snowflake fell, but it had to fall just as we arrived. A storm that deposited a perfect layer, just enough to burn the legs on the climbs and make the descents magical.

The indestructible minivan (or almost)
Salt Lake canyon roads are not for the meek. The signs read State Law – Chains or 4×4 Required. We were equipped with a two-wheel-drive minivan and, of course, no chains. Despite this, the van climbed everywhere… until that morning, after THE storm. Imagine the seven of us, all pushing forward to try and add weight to our two-wheel drive, but even with that, traction wouldn’t come. We had to turn back and wait for the city bus. A morning we’ll probably be recounting for a long time to come.

Hot Springs, Colorado
After Mammoth Lake and an all-nighter studying the best Black Jack techniques in Vegas, we ended our road trip in a small village in Colorado. The mountains were all around us, and just a few minutes from the cabin, small, extremely hot pools formed from rocks to concentrate the scalding water from the frozen river. Swimming there, in the middle of winter, while the snow was falling – it was the kind of moment when you tell yourself that life is beautiful. Nothing touristy, just nature at its best.