written by Julie Hackler & David Fink
In the summer of 1996 we got our first taste of life in the outdoors of America. We took a ten day trip to Washington and Montana (Thank's for the hospitality Richie & Lisa) where we camped out in a tent and hiked the back trails of Olympic National Park and Glacier National Park, but it truly was only a taste. We realized then that ten days was not nearly enough time to actual see the beautiful landscape that made up these two North Western states.
Those ten days were full of adventure and mishaps, full of wonderful stories. I only wish I had brought a journal on that trip. We both loved being out there so much for the next two years we dabbled in the idea of taking a longer trip out west. Eventually it turned from a trip into a time for us to venture out and find ourselves. This is the only time we believe, before retirement, that we will be able to do anything remotely like this. Before we begin to settle in our lives together we want to take advantage of the time we have now to set aside our responsibilities and live large. It is a time for us to always do what we only dreamed of, a time to learn about ourselves, each other and life.
Our Means of Travel
Once we turned my father on to the idea, he told us ten months to a year is a long time to live out of a tent. So, he offered up our old beat-up family camper that hadn’t been used since my grade school days. With his help we began working on the camper to get it road ready. We painted, sanded, changed brakes and tires and gave it an overall tune-up and she is finally ready to roll.
We have decided to tow the 19' trailer. (See right) This is it in the beginning, this 1987 trailer was in bad shape from weather damage and neglect. But with inspiration and a WHOLE LOT of help from my Dad and Mom, Dave and I got it back to its full potential. With a lot of sweat, tears and hard work the trailer looks great. Everything works and she should last through a lifetime of journeys.
Due to the need for a new tow vehicle and the generosity of my parents, they purchased the truck for us to use for the trip. A Ford 1999 F150 XLT extended cab short bed truck (See left). It’s a wedgewood blue beauty. It's got everything, including 4x4 shift on the fly. We added a few extras like extended mirrors, a bed mat, mud flaps and a fiberglass lid over the bed. We will be riding in high style. Of coarse, we will have to return it so that they can begin to plan there own adventures. But, we will surely enjoy it while we can!
Basic Equipment
We researched all our equipment for hiking, camping and backpacking and found L.L. Bean, Campmor in North Jersey and I. Goldberg to have the best selection and resonable prices. All of our equipment from our Coleman Duel Fuel Lantern to our L.L. Bean Cresta Hiker Boots came from one of these three stores. We also choose the L.L. Bean 20 Degree Down Sleeping Bag, several Mag Flash Lights, a Coleman Tent, clothes from the various stores and our favorite find, the Smartwool High Preformance Hiking socks.About us..
David Fink
I am 24 years old and a graduate of Rowan University with a Bachelors of Arts in Health and Exercise Science. I completed my student teaching at both the elementary and high school levels in December of 1998. I have been an active volunteer wrestling coach for two years for the Egg Harbor Township Junior Wrestling, Basketball and Soccer programs. I also ran a summer sports camp in Egg Harbor Township "Sports Mania" where I taught the students the fundamentals of various activities and fitness programs. My long-term goal is to work for a public school system that is supportive of the Health and Physical Education program. I look forward to becoming a teacher, but want to experience all I can before I begin tallying up tenor.
Julie Hackler
I am 23-years old and before the trip, I was a Production Assistant at a Marketing firm in New Jersey. My responsibilities include overseeing the production of Direct Mail Marketing. I graduated from Rider University in May of 1997 with a Bachelors Degree in Journalism. My main concentrations of study were News and Editorial and Public Relations. I am not yet quite ready to seek out that great career, and just want to have some fun before I get to many responsiblities in my life. I am hoping that this trip will give me some direction and an overall sense of what I want to accomplish in my life and how I can make a difference.Once the trip is completed, I plan to progressively seek employment in the Communications field, write a novel about the trip and/or return to school for my Masters degree.Check out our trip from my "Journal Page." Each journey will be added as we experiance it. Click and enjoy!
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We welcome any suggestions or comments. hacklerj@mindspring.com