With Kindred Spirits

The journey to the west brought me to the Pacific Coast. It was a momentous occasion, as it was a side of the country that I hadn’t seen in all of my 41 years...  

The Last Resort

I ventured toward Oceanside, California. Devoid of any viable camping options, I spent the night at the Aliso Creek Rest Area, southbound on I-5. Rest areas are always a last resort when you need a place to car-camp, but I was not alone! This particular rest area seemed to be an extraordinarily popular place to spend the night, as the parking lot was lined with vehicles donning towels and blankets to obscure their windows, indicating that someone was spending the night. Technically, I don’t think this activity is legal, but as long as everyone is self-contained, and not visibly “camping”, law-enforcement turns a blind eye. While at the rest area, I met Liz and Eli (@noodlesandbourbon) - a young couple from New York City, who were traveling the country in their well-equipped Volkswagen Vanagon Westfalia. It’s always a pleasure to meet and share stories with other wanderers, and this high-traffic rest area on the California coast seemed like a superb opportunity to do so!  

On Thomas Mountain

After dipping my toes into the Pacific Ocean for the very first time, and following some relaxed kayaking around the Oceanside Marina, I connected with my friend Basil Lynch. Basil, who is a professional photographer I met on Instagram (@basillynch), drives an extremely well-kitted Toyota FJ Cruiser, equipped with a luxurious Alu-Cab rooftop tent. We set off to Thomas Mountain in southern San Bernardino National Forest, where we met Basil’s friends and associates Caleb Norman (@caleb_norman), and Julia Borysewicz (@shotbyagirl). Caleb is a cinematographer, and Julia a photographer. It was an absolute pleasure to geek out with these folks at the campsite and talk shop! Thomas Mountain was a refreshing change of space from my SoCal experience as the terrain more closely resembles that of northern California. Dusty dirt roads wound their way up the mountain, weaving in and out of towering pines. The summit was lined with campsites marked with yellow posts, indicating that they are approved camping locations. The view from the top was extraordinary! It overlooked valleys, and allowed us to observe passing weather systems. Thomas Mountain seemed like an unspoiled, best-kept secret, for a lovely evening in the wilderness.  

The San Diego Experience

Following a delightful camping experience with Basil and friends, I was off to meet up with another friend from the Instagram community, Justin Pitcairn (@pitcairnoverland). Justin lives in San Diego and he drives an immaculate, white Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon, which is also equipped with an Ursa Minor J30 camper, much like my own. He has excellent taste in vehicles and equipment, and in addition to his keen eye and razor-sharp photography, he has been a constant source of inspiration for me. He knew very well that I was a stranger to the area, so he made it his mission to make sure that I had a definitive SoCal experience. This included a day of surf-kayaking in La Jolla, a California burrito (containing french fries!), a visit to Ursa Minor’s San Diego office, to see where my camper came from, and a fish sandwich at Point Loma Seafood, which offered superb views of the harbor. At the end of the day, Justin let me pop the camper in his own driveway, where his boys, Ethan and Nate, gave my Jeep its first proper wash in months!  

Big Bear Lake

Justin and I then traveled north, back to San Bernardino National Forest, near Big Bear Lake, where we connected with Brian Fulton (@goosegear), owner of Goose Gear, and friend, Jon Burtt (@jonburtt). Brian drives a late model Toyota Tacoma, equipped with a Habitat camper by AT Overland, and Jon drives a heavily-modified Tacoma equipped with a rare, and sought after Flippac camper. Both the Habitat and Flippac fold open 180 degrees to provide a tent-sheltered sleeping platform. After stopping at the ranger station to pick up free permits for our propane stoves, a requirement in many California forests, we continued into the mountains to find a “yellow post” site. This section of National Forest near Big Bear Lake is gorgeous. It’s dotted with towering pines and rock formations, and the whole forest looks as though it’s professionally landscaped, despite being all natural. The ground is covered with fallen pine needles, small shrubs, and massive pine cones. Our campsite was at the end of a spur, nestled between rock formations, with ample space for four vehicles. There was a picnic table, and a fire ring, which we were unable to use due to a fire restriction during the dry season. We settled in for a couple of nights, enjoying delicious beverages, light conversation, and food skillfully prepared on a Tembo Tusk Skottle. I seized the opportunity to inspect everyone’s very unique vehicles, and especially admired the Goose Gear Plate System in Justin’s Jeep. One morning, we all went into the town of Big Bear Lake, which is a vacation destination in the San Bernardino mountains, and Brian treated us to breakfast at a charming little restaurant that served pancakes the size of manhole covers. We then drove into the mountains, taking the scenic route back to camp, allowing our stomachs to thoroughly digest such a glorious breakfast. At the end of the weekend, everyone went their separate ways, while I remained at camp to enjoy it for one more quiet evening.  

Onward

This trip into the mountains marked the end of my SoCal experience, and a refreshing whirlwind of socialization on a journey that yielded more than its fair share of solitude. I was grateful for the camaraderie, the new friends, and for all of the amazing experiences that I shared with kindred spirits during the past couple of weeks. [gallery columns="5" ids="https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/029-with_kindred_spirits-1.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/029-with_kindred_spirits-2.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/029-with_kindred_spirits-3.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/029-with_kindred_spirits-4.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/029-with_kindred_spirits-5.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/029-with_kindred_spirits-6.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/029-with_kindred_spirits-7.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/029-with_kindred_spirits-8.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/029-with_kindred_spirits-9.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/029-with_kindred_spirits-10.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/029-with_kindred_spirits-11.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/029-with_kindred_spirits-12.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/029-with_kindred_spirits-13.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/029-with_kindred_spirits-14.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/029-with_kindred_spirits-15.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/029-with_kindred_spirits-16.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/029-with_kindred_spirits-17.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/029-with_kindred_spirits-18.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/029-with_kindred_spirits-19.jpg|,https://ok4wd.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/029-with_kindred_spirits-20.jpg|"]