Korin Oliver – Page 3 – Pick-up and a Pop-up

Lassen National Park: Family Camp Along

Posted on July 13, 2018December 21, 2019 by Korin Oliver

When we arrived at the Lassen National Park Manzanita Campground we found Grandpa Epp working hard to set up his campsite. We were excited to spend time with him, Nona, Nona’s Great-Granddaughter Jaliya, and their spoiled dog we affectionately call Cousin Bella. We spent the afternoon and evening catching up, exploring the lake, eating dinner, roasting marshmallows and playing games. After a great night sleep and an amazing breakfast, we set off to see the park. Lassen is known for having four different types of volcanoes: cinder cone, shield, composite and plug dome. Mount Lassen erupted in 1914 leaving a destruction zone that we could explore. We also saw two beautiful alpine lakes: Emerald and Helen. The most popular hydrothermal area in the park, Bumpass Hell was closed but we did get to Sulphur Works, which had some boiling mudpots. Before heading back to the campsite, we went on a three-mile hike to Kings Creek Falls. The views of the meadow and waterfall were stunning. As we hiked, I felt incredibly blessed to have the opportunity to see these amazing places and spend quality time with my family. When we got back to our site, Grandpa and Nona had made a steak dinner for us —what a treat! It was the best dinner we’ve had since starting our journey. Around the fire, Grandpa told us stories about camping as a young man while Nona and kids the played Clue. The morning we left, Matt caught a nice brown trout in Manzanita Lake. We had a fabulous time together in a spectacular place and unsurprisingly, it was difficult to say goodbye.

RVing VS Camping

Posted on July 13, 2018June 27, 2019 by Korin Oliver

Between Great Basin and Lassen, we spent one night in Sparks, Nevada to do laundry, get an oil change and resupply. We stayed at Sparks Marina RV Park where they evaluated our rig to see if it was up to community standards. I think they mentioned no duct-tape, which is actually a problem for us. We were the only tent trailer in a sea of triple axel motorhomes pulling luxury coupes. We decided to come up with a short list about the difference between RVing and Camping.

Top ways you know you’re in a RV park:

You have fake grass next to your concrete pad.
The public bathrooms are super clean because no one uses them.
They give you a list of cable channels when you check in.
You mistake airplanes for stars
There are more rules at check in than in the Bible
You can hear and see your neighbors television
Your neighbors have an outdoor, tabletop cat cage.

Great Basin National Park: An oasis in the desert

Posted on July 9, 2018December 21, 2019 by Korin Oliver

When we reached the Great Basin Visitors Center it was 101 degrees and the kids were sluggish and complaining. They knew our campsite wasn’t going to have electric, water, flush toilets or showers. Furthermore, the thought of sleeping in hundred-degree weather was daunting, even though Matt assured them that our campsite wouldn’t be hot. After getting information from the ranger and watching the park movie, we drove up the ten-mile Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive, which climbed to 10,000 feet. When we pulled into our campsite it was 51 degrees and raining! The kids were elated and went off to watch two deer in the meadow and explore a nearby stream. The rain continued and we waited it out by playing Hearts inside the trailer. After the rain stopped, we made dinner and hiked around two miles to the grove of Bristlecone Pine trees, the oldest trees in the world. They grow slowly and are highly resinous, which means they have a ton of sap. They also decay very slowly so even after dying, they can still be seen for hundreds of years. When we reached the grove I felt a sense of reverence and inspiration. We saw one living tree that was around 3,200 years old, which means it germinated about the time the Israelites were wandering in Sinai wilderness! Matt gave all of us a science lesson on the trees and as we hiked down, crushing pine needles from several different species while discussing how unique they all smell.

Off the Beaten Trail: An Adventure in Canyonlands National Park

Posted on July 6, 2018December 21, 2019 by Korin Oliver

By Sam

When we pulled into Canyonlands National Park campground, Eli and I immediately started tearing up. Why? Enter Devil’s Garden, the Arches National Park campground, where two years ago Eli and I had hiked giant boulders and cliffs so that we almost touched the sky and scared our parents half to death. Now, we were looking at a campground surrounded by mesas that reminded us of that magical day in Devil’s Garden. So, as soon as we decided on a campsite, Eli and I bolted out of the truck and started climbing the mesas while our parents set up the pop-up.

The most challenging part about climbing those steep red rocks was finding hand and foot holds that allowed minimal risk of injury if we fell. The trick to this was to imagine my mother’s face if I came back with a broken ankle. If I found a route that might be a bit risky, I would keep that image in my mind as I made a decision. Eli and I scampered around the mesa, climbing higher and higher until we were almost blown off the cliffs by the wind.

Unfortunately, as we turned around to head back to the camper, Eli and I realized that we could not remember which direction we had come from. In other words, we were lost. Well, sort of lost. We knew with absolute certainty one direction we had to go: down. So, we painstakingly made our way down from the mesa, trying to remember landmarks and which site the pop-up was in. Eventually, we reached the sweet, sweet ground and made our way through the brush to the road. We galloped down the road until we saw our trailer, and even though we had an exiting time, we were happy that our mesa climbing adventure in Canyonlands was at a close.

Entering the Needles District of Canyonlands National Park

Samantha and Eli looking back on the campsite from a huge rock. The canyons were calling!

Mesa Verde National Park

Posted on July 4, 2018December 21, 2019 by Korin Oliver

In about 1200 A. D. the ancient Puebloans decided to upgrade their living quarters from underground pit houses to impressive cities nestled in cliff alcoves, complete with million dollar views. However, they lived in their creations for only twenty years after the building was finished before mysteriously vanishing from Mesa Verde. This ancient enigma has drawn both scholars and visitors alike to this national park, and has made it a place of wonder. We arrived in Mesa Verde just in time to take the Twilight Tour of Cliff Palace, the largest ancient dwelling in the park. Cliff Palace is thought to have been home to 100 to 130 people. The next morning we toured the Balcony House, which was home to only thirty people. The fact that the Ancient Puebloan people had called Mesa Verde home for 700 hundred years captivated our imaginations as we contemplated the lives of those before us.

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park: Humble Thyself

Posted on July 3, 2018December 21, 2019 by Korin Oliver

The single most important word to describe Black Canyon of the Gunnison is severe. The national park, which consists of a narrow gorge with steep painted walls and a 2,700-foot drop into the Gunnison River, is characterized by the chilly evenings and burning days of the high altitude desert. After successfully hiking 10 miles in the Rockies at a higher elevation, we were feeling strong and confident that we could handle a simple 2-mile hike down into the Black Canyon.

The Gunnison Route, which is one of the routes down the canyon, drops 1800 feet in one mile and also features an 80-foot chain where climbers have to lower themselves down the canyon. The trail was steep, but was shaded by the towering canyon walls, and we navigated our way to the chain section in about 45 minutes. The chain was a fun challenge and we made it down with only a few scrapes and frustrated groans. After this, the trail consisted of loose gravel and dirt, and we felt as though we were descending a mountain on banana peels with the bruises on our hineys to prove it. At 2 ½ hours into our descent, we heard the Gunnison River roaring like muffled thunder. However, we also noticed our precious shade was receding quickly and temperatures were rising. The trail was taking us much longer than we anticipated and we were facing the possibility of climbing out of the intimidating canyon in the beating sun. Reluctantly, even though we could now see the river, we decided to turn around. On the way back up, we scrambled on all fours, tossing up the loose dirt into the air. The dust cloud we created coated our bodies like cocoa powder, and our tempers were rising with the heat. After twenty minutes of tough scrambling, we realized we had lost the trail back to the canyon rim. We were dirty, tired, hot and lost. We searched for the trail unsuccessfully for 15 minutes. It was time to pray. Just then in the silence of the canyon, Samantha heard hikers about 100 yards to our west. The trail was covered by low-lying brush and we couldn’t see it. We called to the hikers, who waited for us to make our way back onto the trail. Sarah and Matt were ascending the Gunnison Trail and they offered to accompany us back to the rim. We learned that they had started their hike two hours before we did and were already climbing back up to avoid heat exhaustion from the sun. We made it to the top, sweaty, dirty, and humbled.

Eli and Samantha climbing down the chain on our hike

Matt and Eli fishing on the Gunnison River

Tapas Camping in Rocky Mountain National Park

Posted on June 30, 2018December 21, 2019 by Korin Oliver

Our camping is like a tapas meal; a lot of variety but small intense portions. After we dropped our pop up at the Glacier Basin campground, our tapas serving of Rocky Mountain National Park started with a one-way trip up Fall River Road. It allowed us to explore the majestic beauty of the alpines with a side of nerves brought on by its dirt road precariously close to the cliff edges. Near the top of the road we encountered a herd of elk on the side of a mountain. We took our first family “elkie”. That evening Eli caught a nice brown trout at Sprague Lake. Early the next morning Sam was out of bed in record time. She was anxious to embark on the trail to Sky Pond. Due to 1700 feet of elevation change over the 10 miles round trip, the trail to Sky Pond is one of the most strenuous day hikes the park offers. On the way up, we were like fish out of water gasping for air because we are Delaware lowlanders. Eli commented that the hike took our breath away, literally. After we passed Alberta Falls and swichbacked our way to Loch Vale, our jaws dropped when we saw the Timberline falls rock scrambled before us. Ascending it was no easy feat for three of us however we discovered that Eli is spider-boy. At the top of the falls we were in a bowl canyon that had Lake of Glass, Sky Pond along with katabatic winds strong enough to send the yellow belly marmots flying. We were surrounded by rugged beauty like an uncut jewel. On the way down Matt caught a few fish but at about 2 ½ miles to go, Eli declared his feet were screaming at the top of their lungs. He spoke for all of us.

A better picture of the kids with the elk rather than our failed family Elkie

Sam and Spider-boy climbing up Timberline Falls

Gateway Arch National Park

Posted on June 26, 2018December 21, 2019 by Korin Oliver

We left Mammoth Cave National Park early this morning and decided to stop in St. Louis to see the newly deemed Gateway National Park, aka St. Louis Arch. It did NOT disappoint! To reach the top of the arch, we sat inside a tram that is sort of like a capsule transport system that runs on tracks inside the hollow legs of the arch. It took us 4 short minutes to reach the top! While at the top of the arch, we could see the Mississippi River, the nearby courthouse and Busch Stadium. We learned that the Gateway Arch is a memorial site to remember the mass migration and settlement of the American West during the 1800s. We had a great time and highly recommend visiting the arch if you happen to be in St. Louis!

Click here for the Arch Trailer!

Mammoth Cave National Park

Posted on June 25, 2018December 21, 2019 by Korin Oliver

By: Sam

Hi there, Sam here. Today we saw something truly amazing: Mammoth Cave. Not just a big hole in the ground, this underground labyrinth, buried just beneath the small town of Cave City, Kentucky, is also the longest cave system in the world, boasting over 400 miles of dimly lit passages and glimmering gypsum draperies. Now after going on the Domes and Dripstone cave tour (which my dad and I had previously hiked, along with the Historic Tour) we understand why Mammoth Cave is not only a National Park, but a World Heritage site. As we started our tour, entering what looked like a porta-potty in a hill, the cave opening (hidden behind the porta-potty door) sent vague chills of apprehension down our spines. The feeling persisted as we made our way down several flights of subterranean stairs, entering a land that had never felt the warmth of the sun. That said, it was eerie but dreadfully exciting to be walking hidden from the world above and seeing a part of the Earth that few have seen before.

Click here for the MammothMovie

Click here for the Mammoth Trailer: Mammoth Cave Trailer

Cool cars on the road

Posted on June 24, 2018June 27, 2019 by Korin Oliver

By Eli:

Today we drove from Lewes, DE to West Virginia. While we were driving I saw some cool cars pass us. Then we pulled into a gas station and 5 AMAZING cars pulled in. The cars cost between 200,000 and $400,000! We saw them at a GAS STATION!!! What are the chances that I would see a upgraded 2017 Z06 Corvette, 720S McLaren, Lamborghini Aventador and a Mercedes Benz and then another Corvette?? They were part of Gold Rush Car Club and were heading to Las Vegas. The 2 corvettes were not a part of the car club but happened to be at the gas station. The McLaren can go 0 to 60 in 2.7 SECONDS!!!!! When we got back on the road, they buzzed by us! A few minutes later some other cars came passed us.