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From Sand to Snow...

Like I said, it’s crazy what can happen in 24 hours! Not knowing exactly where we were going, and only knowing that the insurance company had arranged the tow driver to take us to the closest auto repair shop, we were dropped off right in the middle of two auto shops in the same parking lot.

Still not knowing which shop we were supposed to go to, we got out of the tow truck. As soon as we stepped out, a little greasy man carrying a clipboard approached me. As I was trying to explain the situation, he seemed more interested in telling us how great his shop was and how terrible the other auto shop was. Not really knowing which shop the insurance company had sent us to, I was a little confused as to why this guy was so set on selling me on his shop.

Right as I was thinking this, another man walked up who looked like a character from the Guess Who board game—thick-framed glasses and large teeth. As the Guess Who guy walked up with a very similar clipboard, the little greasy man stopped talking. The man with the thick glasses and large teeth informed us that we were supposed to go to his shop.

Not sure who to believe or trust, I wasn’t feeling very confident about either shop. I turned and saw that the tow truck driver was already pulling away. I found myself standing in the middle of what felt like the biggest gamble I would ever have to make, and I had only been in Vegas for five minutes.

I ended up having to go with the Guess Who guy. When they took the van away, the reality of our situation started to set in. Now the three of us were left standing in the middle of a busy, boiling-hot parking lot with people and cars passing by—no vehicle, no place to stay, and no idea when we would be able to get back on the road. Suddenly, the tribulations of the desert didn’t seem so bad.

It wasn’t long before I got the news I already knew but was hoping not to hear—I was going to need a whole new motor. Not only that, but it was going to take up to 10 days for them to get the parts in and complete the install.

Refusing to let the house get us down with the cards we were dealt, we decided to make the best out of this unfortunate hand. So, we got ourselves a room at a Las Vegas casino hotel.

Now, we were two dirty dudes and a dog checking into a casino hotel. Walking through the casino floor, we were surrounded by all the people and all the noise. Everything we had been trying to stay away from—we were now right in the middle of it.

We needed to cool our bodies and clear our minds, so the three of us headed up to the rooftop pool for a couple of drinks and some cool water. Even though the sun was out in full force, we could still feel the dark clouds hanging over us from Death Valley claiming our van’s engine and the inevitable reality of what we had to do.

Now knowing it would be 10 days before the van was ready, we couldn’t allow ourselves to just sit and wait. Unfortunately, this meant losing our third amigo. Aaron wouldn’t be able to wait that long and had to get a flight home the next morning. Meanwhile, I needed to find a way out of the desert for the next 10 days.

Funny how things play out. About four months prior, we had been in Puerto Rico, where we met a couple who lived around the Denver, Colorado area. Looking at flights, I found one that would take me to Denver and out of the desert. Not knowing if my new friends would even be able to meet up, I was prepared to just fly out and wing it.

I gave them a call, asking what they were doing the very next day. As it turned out, they were already on the road, headed northwest from Denver for some adventures of their own. Accepting the fact that meeting up might not be an option, I asked if they had a key under the mat. They quickly replied, "Let me call you back!"

Just a few minutes later, they called back asking how early I could get in. I replied, “8:49 a.m.!” Not knowing they had turned around to save me from the clutches of Vegas, they just told me to get ready to see a lot of Colorado and pack for backpacking. It was perfect!

The next morning, Zealand and I had to say goodbye to our third amigo. It was a sad moment—going from the solitude of the wilderness to parting ways in the madness of the Las Vegas airport. Aaron went east to go home, while I continued west.

Just hours later, I was standing at 12,000+ feet in elevation, reflecting on how we had just been 282 feet below sea level. Standing in the saddle of these beautiful Colorado mountains, knowing that just yesterday my feet were in the sands of Death Valley and now they were in the snow of the Rockies, I couldn’t help but think—it’s crazy what can happen in 24 hours!

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