Life on the open road has been prized by dreamers and vagabonds alike. But what is the drifter lifestyle really like? To not know where you’ll wake up next, or where you’ll find water, breakfast, or even a toilet? I wanted to know, so a few months back I bought a rusty Chevy Express cargo van and hit the road.
I built a bed frame out of scrap lumber and packed my worldly belongings underneath. And in late January, with loose plans to simply explore, my friend Jesse and I drove south out of Minnesota, hit I-70, and turned west toward the mountains.
Driving through Nebraska my mind drifted along the endless plains and didn’t awaken until the Rockies. It was in those old mountains that we found Rocky Mountain National Park. Located in the back of the park is a old ski resort that had trimmed back the trees many years ago, allowing for some wonderful backcountry ski touring even today.