My friend and I are planning to take a road trip from Oklahoma, where he lives, to Colorado. We're sort of into photography, so I imagine that we'll get plenty of opportunities for photos too. Basically the plan is for me to leave Louisville and head to Tulsa, where I just moved from about a month ago. I'll stay in Tulsa with him for a few days and see friends, and then we'll head out of Tulsa due west into the panhandle, and then curve up through the tip on New Mexico and then head into my old hometown of Colorado Springs.

The problem is this: We are thinking of taking several days to take the three hour trip from Black Mesa to Colorado Springs so we can explore side roads and trails. My Dad's afraid that that's a bad idea, because we may run into problems and have no cell phone coverage in some remote corner of no where. I'll have just turned 18 and he'll be 17, so I don't know if there are any possible problems we could have legally, going places or doing something because of at least his age. My Mom and Dad are really stressed out from moving and adapting to the new job as well so I don't really want to overly worry them, either. Does anyone have any experience doing this kind of thing? Would things like snake bites really merit cutting this part of our trip a bit shorter?

Come to Utah. You have to spend some time here but there are lots of weird *** folk and crazy things to photograph here.

Case in point

[img]http://www.roadtripamerica.com/roadside/Metaphor-The-Tree-of-Utah.jpg[/img
[img]http://www.hawaii.edu/lruby/art359/IMAGES/SPIRALJ.GIF[/img
[img]http://www.megaera.org/js200.jpg[/img

I left hte image tags off so as not to spoil your thread. Why did I put them on at all? A MYSTERY!

Anyway, it depends on if you're a trappin man or not. Do you know how to treat snake bites? Do you know how to find your way? Do you know how much water to carry, what plants not to touch etc?

In short, do you feel comfortable spending a week in the wilderness with just your clothes and what fills your pockets with one of you in a coma?

If not, stay on the road or in normal campsites and trails frequented by other people. Chances are, unless you have heard of some extreme trails or you KNOW some locals along the way, you aren't going to find any too out of the way places anyway. People think they are roughing it all the time but they're really just walking through some already somewhat cleared trail that looks natural and rugged.

Do you have any specific sites planned? Picking random cool looking **** to investigate is fun but has almost gotten me killed before and probably nearly arrested a lot of times, though I don't know it I'm sure.

In short, more intinerary infoz.[/img]

I'd research where you're going more. I'm not too sure about Colorado, but I know up in Northern New Mexico Verizon is not covered much. T-Mobile is iffy, but it picks up Cingular, so you're covered for awhile. Out in the desert? Yeah...there's really no cell phone signal at all and it is really easy to get turned around if you aren't paying attention. (Take a compass.)

So...um...basically what Spook said. >_>

I don't think that there'll be a whole lot of cell phone coverage in Colorado just because of the terrain.

I kind of like the idea of just picking a random mountain somewhere and climbing it, although I'd probably only do that near Colorado springs. (Like where I can actually maintain visual contact with it at all time.) Even so, I'm not really in love with the idea of slipping of wet granite crag. We knew a friend who stepped out a wet rock at Seven Falls and died. That stuff is worse than ice.

We have taken a pretty long trip through some of the less frequented area of boundary waters canoe area, so we can navigate half way decently, but we have no knowledge of the local wild life, nor are we particularly skilled at wilderness survival. I would like to take some day long trails that aren't terribly populated, though. I'm not really a fan of trails where I have to stay on a concrete walkway behind the handrails. Maybe I'll look up some good trails we can hit on the way there.

Thanks!

So you're looking into some good hiking, not backpacking, freaking wilderness orienteering or hunting?

That's cool man, all you got to do is research some trails. I'm sure there are internet communities where you can find unique trails. But I'm telling you, go through southern Utah if you want to see badassery in landscape. Zions, Bryce, Arches, Canyonlands, freaking amazing. If there is a God, he spent a LOT of time there.

But just don't be a dumbass and wander off trails. If you are hiking on trails, and you don't know how to find your way (I mean no **** find your way, no wander around somewhere that is mildy marked) or keep yourself a live for a bit, DO NOT GO OFF THE GOD DAMN TRAILS. People die every year like that. Places that are obvious cool spots, like you're walking along and see a badass cave, go ahead and check it out (but don't go too far in) but don't wander off a trail hoping you'll find cool stuff later, you'll just get lost.

But I wouldn't worry, you'll probably be fine.

On the road again....

Oh yeah, I'm not talking about blazing a trail was off into the mountains, I'm talking about going off just a little ways to say, swim in a lake or stream something that can be seen from the trail. As cool as it would be to go off randomly into the wilderness, I think I'll wait until I can afford a GPS. I really hate being lost.

I'll definitely see if we can give Utah a shot. I don't know if we'll have time, but I'll definitely see.

Canned Heat > Willie Nelson.

Hey Obi, when you say Panhandle, are you referring to Texas or OK's? I would have assumed meant OK's, but it's thin enough that in my mind you can't really travel a straight line thru it without accidentally deviating into TX or KS :). Plus you mentioned going to NM...

The route I'm looking at goes right through the OK panhandle into New Mexico.

http://www.sparrowshouse.com/Pictures/Zions5.jpg

I really reccomend Utah. We have some SICK stuff, even just in Zions.

But sounds like a good time. Just be careful swimming. I wouldn't even go into moving water, people get ****ed up all the time because the current is stronger than it looks.

Lakes however, That makes me want to go camping at a resevoir somewhere.

True, I'm an accomplished swimmer, but I have a healthy fear of currents. I will definitely try to see if we can make it to Utah. If not this time, the next.

Cool man. Maybe we can go adventuring for an afternoon if you come through. I'm afraid most of my favorite places are out in the nowheres, but I'm sure we can find some cools tuff.

I once planne da big roadtrip, doing geocaches all along the way. Was going to be sweet. But then I got married to a dude and had 12 children and got a career and now the man is down on me every day and my rockstar dreams are dead.

What?

If things don't quite go the way you planned, you may be surprised at what you'll actually find to do in Kentucky. We have everything from the world's longest cave system to one of the top 10 rock climbing destinations in the country.

• Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest (photos)
• Breaks Interstate Park (photos)
• Cumberland Falls (photos)
• Cumberland Gap National Historical Park (photos)
• Fort Boonesborough (photos)
• Kingdom Come State Park (photos)
• Mammoth Cave National Park (photos)
• Natural Bridge State Park (photos)
• Red River Gorge Geological Area (photos)

But we have Mormon girls! Lots of them will let you **** them in the *** because they are saving their uh oh for marriage!

YOU SHALL NOT WIN THE STATE WAR!

Idaho has the most wilderness in the lower 48. I win. Unless someone here's from Alaska.

Idaho is good to get away from the Mormon girls we have.

And it's nextdoor.

Utah is obviously the prime destination for wasting your life away camping and chasing girls you can't have and that aren't that interesting.

Yay for perpetual college!

Potato fields do not count as "wilderness".

I never said they did.

Im thinking about doing another road trip next year through the northeast, but i really want to go out west.

Big sky is calling you man.

Do it.

And then sing that song from Newsies. And tape it. Youtube yes.