OLD people and Airstreams...

[Ray Eklund]

Yes, maybe you.

Old people find the comforts within an Airstream lacking. The bed is not necessarily very large or comfortable. The shower... something to test your elbows against the walls of a solid object. Tight aisles, a shortage of closets, cold evenings and hot days within this aluminum cocoon. Why would anyone subject themselves to this? Why would anyone actually enjoy discomfort? Why would anyone invent such a miserable contraption bolted to one or two axles in the first place?

OLD people today are in their mid twenties to mid forties. They are the OLD people, without an Airstream.

It takes US, those over fifty to kick some sense into these lazy dead beats that live in your home for much of their lives and consider no other options for things to do outside of Facebook, chat forums and lack of ambition.

Yes. We, the few who have grown wise over the decades... need to help these old people. They are helpless. They are lost when the electric power is down for a few hours. Life is just too complex, too annoying and well... someone has to take care of them.

Well... not my wife and I. We are young and our 30 and 45 year old children are now the new OLD. My oldest daughter's husband is comfortable in a 125 square foot apartment in Brooklyn or Los Angeles paying $3000 a month rent. That is the real world... to them. Camped in a trailer... is only for the homeless among their age group.

We the Younger Generation, those over 55... can ignore these "success stories of today's OLDER generation" we have nurtured and tossed them out the front, or back door. Out with you and your lack of ambition or sense of order within the Universe. Do not let these OLD people drag you down. Go Boondocking. Get back to the basics of living the Good Life. Do not cater to those runny nosed 30 and 40 year olds trapped in modern cities.

We, over 55, may be a bit short in manners and social causes... but are long in common sense and a mission in life.

The mission in OUR "new elderly" world... Make it so difficult, so demanding upon the flabby waists of our modern elderly to make it impossible for them to find us without pulling out a map, a tent and trek into the unknown beyond the limits of the city life.... to find us in our Airstream and enjoying ourselves into our 70's and beyond.

Long live those who live every day with a little bit of sarcasm and some good wine to chase down the sore throats from laughing out loud. We EARNED IT.

[Lily&Me]

Ray is on a roll.


Maggie

[xrvr]

well said.

[Ray Eklund]

Yes... Maggie, there is a Santa Claus. Do not despair or give up hope.

Yesterday, a brightness fell into our back country exploring.

Gold Strike Canyon which is located East of Boulder City, NV and just south of the Hoover Dam and the new bridge crossing the Colorado River. I recommend only to those who want to shorten their life by trying to complete this hike from the top to the Colorado River.

There were the YOUNG old people by the hoards there. Nobody over 30. It was a bit of a shock at first. We, being a healthy 62 and 66 year old couple were treated as celebrities among tattooed chests and wooden ear spooled youth.

This hike down to the Colorado... just to get to the first... rope to descend into the next drop in elevation. Several miles and FOUR rope descents we came across the... end of the descent for ourselves. Massive boulders with a rope descent of 25 feet or more was the last gauntlet of Gold Strike Canyon trail into the comforts of hot pools of flowing natural springs near the cold Colorado River.

We watched these ambitious youth, not the OLD youth, but adventure driven Young Old people make the trek. Some turning their backs and running away, as we did, but still needing to use the four knotted ropes to get the living h...ll out of this canyon!

Some of you may have attempted and completed this descent. I commend your stamina. Today we were sore. A second attempt? Not in this life time. There are easier hot springs along this stretch of the Colorado River... but this one... is not for us.

As we returned there was a notice, which we decided to read... this time. Three people have DIED on this descent. Not the potential of FIVE, as we turned around. Many injuries who were suggested to be dragged down to the Colorado River and picked up, as there is no cell phone service and it take hours to retrieve the injured and those in "shock" that this is not for the casual tourist.

So there is hope among some of our youth. Tattoos, ear spools and ourselves, all having a great time and sharing the experience. Although, if you want... get pass that FIFTH Boulder Rope descent of 25+ feet and post it.

YOU, my friend are one among the hundred that attempted. Ourselves... among the 99 who did not.

[Lily&Me]

There will be no rope ascending or descending for me....none...ever.


Maggie

[cameront120]

You sure like brushing with a wide brush. You've not described a single person of that age group that I know.

[AldeanFan]

Another Great Post Ray, you are an example to us all.

I'm 33 years old and my wife and I falls somewhere in the middle of adventurous with our two young children. Some of our friends think we're crazy to even consider camping with a baby while others think it's cheating that I use a fire starter to get my charcoal lit. I've walked in to the woods for days at a time with only a blanket, some tins of food and a pocket knife, and I've spent time in fancy RV resorts with paved sites and ice delivered to the Airstream by golf cart.

I know folks in their 70's who are more adventurous than myself while my parents in their early 60's regularly use the excuse that they are too old
I guess everyone has to know their limits but it's only when we test those limits that we truly find out what we'er capable of and experience the reward of true achievement. There is no excitement in achieving something you knew you were capable of. Exceeding your own expectations of yourself is a true victory.

[Ray Eklund]

AldeanFan... you are a younger old young person in my eyes.

When the oldest daughter, now 40... not 45 as i first counted the tree rings, was one year old and in a back pack to carry those in the one to two year old... size distribution. More for those that slept a lot no matter where or when.

The Badlands of Wyoming and western Nebraska would find this back back that opened up to stand upright in a shaded flat spot, while we scampered around the Badlands seeking a piece of tortoise shell or a saber tooth cat skull barely washing out of a steep washout.

Today it would be considered... child abuse. For us, that is, as we could have left her at home with Grandma. No... wolves or coyotes did not try to drag her into a den somewhere. That is just what one must do to adapt to changing situations. Rome was founded with two babes in the bush.

Thirty three and have sense to have a 23 foot Airstream?

More children have been born in North America in a wagon, sod house, tent, tar shack cabin, tee pee, log cabin... and survived to tell their stories. Obviously traveling with children requires many watchful eyes, a playground where you can pile up stones and sticks for a formidable fort to fight off invaders at the next camp site are memories that stay with us all.

Enjoy those kids and when teenagers having "better things to do than camping"... take them anyway.

[Thalweg]

Ray,

Did you take pictures of the Gold Strike Canyon descent? If not, I'm sorry, but you've got to go back and complete the mission.

As they say; suck it up, Buttercup!

[Ray Eklund]

Thalweg... it is funny I was just thinking of Old people I know.

Yes, I brought two plastic bottles, that might have been refilled ten or more times and survived.

An apple. An orange. Some blue berry snack cookies in a packet. And my easy to use camera.

I did not have time to eat the apple, or orange.

Ate the cookies on the way back to the truck.

Nancy forced me to drink water as I am not thirsty enough at the bottom of a canyon, in the Mohave Desert, risking my life and limb, other than for some dry cookies and failing to making the climb down to the Colorado River.

Took some photographs. Some of the vertical canyon walls and huge water worn boulders blocking access down to the Colorado River.

One was of Nancy leaning agains a big boulder. Or maybe it was next to a 500 foot vertical wall of volcanic rock.

Since I have consumed all of the free photograph space available on this Forum, you will have to imagine that this was not a "picnic in the woods" or in your case "a stroll into the Big Horn Mountains".

OK... call me Mr. Buttercup and anyone else reading this thread... you, my friends, are invited to participate in the video... "Passing the FIFTH GAUNTLET of Gold Strike Canyon: Part 2" and climbing back up... one rope knot at a time.

I can fight a Grizzly Bear with my bare hands in the Yellowstone. Climb the tallest peaks in the world and jump over the tallest buildings in Manhattan... in my imaginary world. But this... I wanted to look over the edge and see how long this rope was to repell and recalled something I learned in my two years in the US Army.

Stupid is for civilians, soldier.

Somethings are just best to be left alone. ...and was the rope too short to catch a knot to return....? The mystery will continue.

[Thalweg]

OKay young feller, we'll cut you some slack this time.

[Ray Eklund]

If anyone wonders what is going on between some other Airforum Members and threads that have questionable content... join the Adventure.

When you have two or more Airforum members on some wild Adventure into the haze on the horizon as a camp site... this is what happens. You get to know one another.

Yes. We were strangers and now comfortable with one another after an Adventure. Another Adventure offers more opportunity to discover some members are actually real people with personalities of their own. Some might prefer to sleep into the late morning to discover... everyone gone, exploring as daylight is burning.

We sport a variety of trailers, RV's, tents and the back of a pickup truck as a temporary residence... which is OK with all of us. Nobody is special among this group... well, maybe the dogs in attendance are special, but I do not want to embarrass them at this moment. This is an equal opportunity moment as I type.

Discover that there are actually very nice people and their dog(s) on these Boondocking Adventures and Forum. The only status among this group of pioneers are the size of the fossilized wood and jade slicks found, or expected to be found, in the wilds of the West. In the case of Quemado, NM Adventure... the weirdest shaped chalcedony rosettes were special.

This is not for the OLD young people, but for YOUNG old people to be curt. Age is only a reminder that as your odometer racks up the mileage, sometimes it does not hurt to pull over, set up camp and just call it a day. And that is what I am going to do with this post... call it a day and those "buttercups" among us... I am their KING.

[Thalweg]

I haven't figured out if I'm young-old, or old-young. I do know that if someone asks how old I am, I have to do math. Lets see, 2016-1964=32, no, wait, that can't be right....

[Lily&Me]

Where Ray drew the line...

[Jaxon]

Old?!

Heck, I’m on level 62 and I still play in a rock n’ roll band!

...’course, now I got somebody to carry my drums in for me...

[Ray Eklund]

Jaxon... I think I know who you are. Weren't you one member of that British Group at the Super Bowl some years back.

Are you still singing with those other old guys? I did not see the drums. Maybe next Super Bowl.

[Lumatic]

Originally Posted by Ray Eklund

Yes... Maggie, there is a Santa Claus. Do not despair or give up hope.

Ho Ho Ho

[Ray Eklund]

Oops. Sorry, Santa Sir. It was in jest and I have enough coal in my stocking to last for a couple more years.

I think New Mexico is a great place to spend the winters with your elves and Mrs. Santa. Tell her Hi from Ray and Maggie who says many nice things about you.

I do think your reindeer are overworked hauling all of them Airstream parts across the world and I am sorry for asking for so many parts needing replacement. Just in case... you have room in your sled, looks like the 34 footer would do... could you drop off one of them new Airstream minnie... streams? Might be cute... and I will be better next year.

[Ted S.]

I feel bad for the younger folks. The technology, smartphones, Facebook, Xbox has all done its damage, when I was a kid we were running wild outdoors, racing each other on our ten speeds with no helmets, etc. it was crazy compared to now.

So I bought an Airstream and dragged my kids from their indoor dungeons across the country to more National Parks then their teachers have been to. My 4 year old daughter packed into the Yellowstone backcountry on her own horse and I've stood on the Grand Teton with my son. These are just some of the adventures.

So us wild ones need to remember one thing, we gotta show them how to live. It's our job to make sure they continue the adventure.

[Jim & Susan]

Originally Posted by Ray Eklund

Yes, maybe you......

OLD people today are in their mid twenties to mid forties. They are the OLD people, without an Airstream.

It takes US, those over fifty to kick some sense into these lazy dead beats that live in your home for much of their lives and consider no other options for things to do outside of Facebook, chat forums and lack of ambition.

Susan and I discovered a cure for this particular syndrome. Each of our kids got luggage as a High School graduation present. It worked.....

Of course, we didn't literally mean what I'm suggesting here, but each one of them is successful in life now, in their own, individual ways.

I love reading your posts, Ray. Keep up the good work!

Jim