GrandTaiga | The Road Trip of a Lifetime

EXPLORE THE NORTH | A MARI USQUE AD MARE

2017

A MARI USQUE AD MARE

NORTH AMERICA

GRANDTAIGA THE ROAD TRIP OF A LIFETIME

FOLLOW TWO SOCIAL MEDIA GURUS AS THEY JOURNEY ACROSS NORTH AMERICA

GRANDTAIGA.COM

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EXPLORE THE NORTH | A MARI USQUE AD MARE

CONTENTS VOLUME 1 EAST LOOP

06-07

10-13

Explore the North Excusrion

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

ISSUE 1

Grand Sable Dunes & Bruce Penninsula

14-17

Tadousac & HautesGorges-De-La-Riviere

NICKUTHE

FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHER

SAMAXNESS

EDITOR JAKE JOHNSTON CUSTOMER SERVICE Copyright 2015-2017 GRAND TAIGA All rights reserved.

GRAND TAIGA Magazine is owned and published electronically by GRAND TAIGA. GRAND TAIGA Magazine and distinctive logo are trademarks owned by GRAND TAIGA. No part of this electronic magazine may be reproduced without the written consent of GRAND TAIGA. Requests for permission should be directed to: GRAND TAIGA Magazine Mail: team@grandtaiga.com Online: www.grandtaiga.com Social: www.instagram.com/grandtaiga SPECIAL THANKS TO: Dan & Mary Uthe, Steve Swerman, Dustin Andre, Barry Andre, Tiffany Swerman The information in this magazine is for information purposes only. GRAND TAIGA Magazine assumes no liability or responsibility for any inaccurate, delayed or incomplete information, nor for any actions taken in reliance thereon. The information contained about each individual, event or organization has been provided by such individual, event organizers or organization without verification by us.

The opinion expressed in each article is the opinion of its author and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of GRAND TAIGA Magazine. Therefore, GRAND TAIGA Magazine Inc. carries no responsibility for the opinion expressed thereon.

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GO EXPERIENCE ALL LIFE HAS TO OFFER

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Stories Worth Sharing: Stranded

WEST LOOP

28-37

22-23

Ecoxgear Speaker Giveaway

38-45

24-27

On the Road: Central Canada

48-55

Calgary Extended

Washington State Extended

Glacier National Park Extended

58-61

62-63

64-67

Wyoming Extended

Credits and Sponsors

Bonus: How to Build an Adventure Van

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EXPLORE THE NORTH

Explore the North was the road trip any wanderlust traveler could dream of. Nick Uthe and Sam Axness set out on a cross-country photographic excursion inspired by the Canadian National Motto, “Mari Usque ad Mare.” This Latin saying loosely translates into, “from sea to sea,” and this is exactly what they accomplished. The duo from Grand Taiga set out on an incredible 10,000 mile loop from Nova Scotia all the way to Vancouver and back again visiting as many places possible along the way. The best part about the team is they always invite everyone to join, whether that means following them on social media or actually getting the chance to camp and hike together! We invite you to get out and complete this massive loop but until then live vicariously through their lens.

TORONTO EXTENDED

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QUEBEC EXTENDED

CENTRAL CANADA

CALGARY EXTENDED

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WASHINGTON STATE

GLACIER EXTENDED

WYOMING EXTENDED

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JOIN US FOR THE ROAD TRIP OF A LIFETIME

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WWW.TETONSPORTS.COM

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TORONTO EXTENDED

The beautiful divine powers of this world brought us to Georgian Bay, our first stop of the Explore the North excursion. This gem lies on the chilly Bruce Peninsula, situated north of Toronto. The drive up was relentless in playing with our emotions and confusing us to the point that we thought maybe, just maybe, we were headed to the wrong location. The drive was flat and there was farm land on both sides of the van. This continued on all the way to the Provincial Park and still then we didn’t realize the surprise we were in for.

On a short 2 mile hike out we took a simple relatively flat trail out to reach the bay.

When we finally arrived and peaked our heads out of the forest to view Georgian Bay, we couldn’t help be flooded with emotions. We drove hours on end through flat farm land and hiked through Midwest forests and to find this at the end was surely a treat! A special diamond in the rough, a pirate’s paradise, or whatever you want to call it this place is special.

MILEAGE TRACKER 980 mi

NICKUTHE Canon EOS 7D Mark II f/5 1/160 sec.

ISO 100 24 mm

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“We’ve been on the road for a week now and our endurance is going to have to be on point. Wake up with little sleep, hike, chase sunsets and repeat.”

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QUEBEC EXTENDED

In our day and age with social media and the quick access to knowledge at the click of a button we began to realize we haven’t heard much about Quebec, if any at all.

Fortunately for us, this poor background of knowledge ended up making this stop much more special. I didn’t have any expectations and it was truly an adventure every minute we spent there. We got to Tadoussac late at night so we didn’t have time to do much for exploring so we pulled over to the side of the road in an area to get some rest. Little did we know we weren’t going to be getting any rest anytime soon. The big van ended up getting stuck in a considerable amount of sand and dirt. Scrambling we started to dig the tires out to get the van back on the road.

Unfortunately for us it was too late and by the time we got out the power steering and brakes were shot.

So here we are in a foreign town in the middle of the night with a vehicle that no longer properly works. Most people would get frustrated at the thought of this but I just smiled and knew this was our first “bump in the road.”

MILEAGE TRACKER 1,763 mi

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“Never let yourself become so self-involved that you grow blinded by the inate certainty we hold. Each day is peculiar and a godsend to our own interpretation.”

NICKUTHE Canon EOS 7D Mark II f/5.6 1/160 sec.

ISO 100 27 mm

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NICKUTHE Canon EOS 7D Mark II f/5.6 1/125 sec.

ISO 100 18 mm

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STORIES WORTH SHARING

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stranded in tadousac

H

ere we are a few weeks into the excursion absolutely living the dream when our first tragedy struck. It was late, we had a long day of driving and our photography brains were firing. Per usual to the late night routine we needed to find a place to sleep. This is when we put our heads together and thought driving the van out onto the beach was a good idea.

So we did... #vanlife bro. We got a few meters off the ramp and knew something was wrong. BREAKS–shift into park–get out and check.

Our wheels were now barried in the sand, so what else could we do but frantically dig. We somehow got them unstuck but with a catch, our power steering was out. We parked in a safe spot for the night and decided we would take care of it in the morning. We ended up finding a local french speaking mechanic who could fix it in three days to get us back on the road.

Luckily for us we found haven in this small east coast town and ended up loving our three days here. Most vehicle problems are a headache but this ended up being a blessing.We learned if you’re going to ruin your travel van, make sure you ruin it in Tadousac.

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IS WHERE YOU PARK IT. www.cascadiatents.com 20

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MT.RAINER EXTENDED STARGAZER SUMMIT The Mt. Rainier Extended Vestibule Summit is a 3+ person tent that gives you extra room inside your annex room as well as additional privacy.

The Summit Model has an upgraded floor made with a diamond plate honeycomb aluminum.

The Fabric is a 380g compared to 280g on our standard Pioneer Series Tent. Straps on the cover are a cinch buckle versus Velcro on the Pioneer Series.

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LIVE EASY &

MINIMAL BOULDER BOOT

Weighing a mere 9.9 oz, this collapsible boot might arguably be the lightest, most versatile boot in the world. Grab the Boulder Boot for your next adventure!

WWW.LEMSSHOES.COM 22

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CENTRAL CANADA Living on the road for an extended period of time is an unusual way of life that very few people get the opportunity to experience. Sleeping in a different location each night, waking up to new sights and smells everyday and turning it into a one of a kind adventure. After two weeks of non-stop exploring our way around the Eastern side of Canada it was time to strap in for the long haul that would take us 3,000 miles from Quebec City to Jasper, Alberta. Allotting a week’s time to make this drive made it the most loosely scheduled week of the trip, which allowed us time to recharge as we experienced the van life at full force.

Of course the adventures didn’t really stop, they just took a new shape as we concurrently attempted to cover as much ground as possible. Truth be told, it was hard to contain our abundant energy to the confines of a van, but our team see’s long drives as a means of relaxation.

MILEAGE TRACKER 4,340 mi

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“There are a million tips you can follow on, how to lead a happier life, I suggest never lose your sense of wonder.

Diving deep into the unkown and following your gut is what it’s all about.”

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NICKUTHE Canon EOS 7D Mark II f/4 1/100 sec.

ISO 100 27 mm

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ON THE ROAD TO JASPER Countless fishing towns and a few Bob Dylan CDs into the drive landed us somewhere in the middle of the land of lakes known as Ontario. We shifted in our seats, eager to venture from the sweltering van and into the fresh air, as the sun mounted its decent in the summer sky. As we cruised past an enticing lake, glimmering in the sunlight, we looked at each other to affirm we were both thinking the same thing. We scanned the side of the road until at last we found an unofficial boat landing that provided the perfect opportunity to set off on our paddle boards. Before we even had a chance to look around we already had our iRocker hinflatable paddle boards pumped up and on the water.

The smell of fresh air saturated with pine filled our nostrils as we glided into the unknown of the roadside lake. I felt like a tiny speck as I floated in the middle of the unruffled lake, miles away from the nearest town, in a completely different country, and thousands of miles from the place I call home. The ultimate free spirited feeling came over me as the reality of my current place sank in. No plans, no stress, just pure bliss.

Its not until you are thrown into a completely new environment that you become aware of how minuscule your old stresses are.

The only thing that could have made the night better would’ve been cooking a warm meal on the lake shore as the sun dipped under the horizon, and that’s exactly what we did.

SAMAXNESS Canon EOS 6D f/3.5 1/125 sec.

ISO 250 24 mm

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CALGARY EXTENDED Entering Jasper National Park was like hitting the jackpot on a mystical quest of adventure. All of a sudden we were engulfed in a never ending mountain range with the satisfaction knowing we were going to be able to explore any parts our hearts desired. Now I have a hard time believing you could go wrong with any of the trails in Jasper but even then we wanted to see the best of the best.

The trail started out frosty and a bit chilly as we passed through forests and cloudy lookouts. We kept warm by not what we were wearing but by how quick we could climb the incline. The trail soon turned to an ocean of snow with an open view of Wilcox Pass. At this point we could either turn back or do what we came here for and crush a mountain. As it turns out I had just set up long distance edge shot of Sam and Matt with a beautiful snow covered mountain in the background.

The photo turned out so good it encouraged me to set my sights on this mountain a little more. I started to see this beast as not only a beauty landscape but a task I needed to accomplish. I needed to climb it.

I pitched the idea to my team and at first they were a little worried because of how much snow was on the ground. We didn’t have necessary gear like clamp-ons and a pickaxe but after accessing the mountain further we decided it was doable.

MILEAGE TRACKER 6,377 mi

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“Continue the progression of who you are and what you want to do.”

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“Sometimes an ordinary fist bump just won’t cut it. Go above and beyond this year.”

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NEW CRUISER 10’ 6” AWARDED TOP 3 ISUP 2016

www.ircokersup.com

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NICKUTHE Canon EOS 7D Mark II f/13 1/160 sec.

ISO 100 18 mm

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NICKUTHE Canon EOS 6D f/4 1/100 sec.

ISO 320 28 mm

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After dropping @nickuthe off in town to charge up some gear, I set off on a sunset drive to see what I could make of the dying light. Being such a short trail I expected there to still be a flock of people taking in the falls at sunset but to my surprise there were no cars in the parking lot.

I was racing around exploring all that I could before sunset.

It was unbelievably peaceful to have a place like this all to myself.

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STORIES WORTH SHARING

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don’t even say a word

L

ight shimmering in, that’s slightly too warm – it had to be morning.

We just climbed down out of our treehouse on wheels and began our breakfast routine. We began to get the @biolite stoked for some morning tea and freeze dried eggs, this time around our view was of the magnificent Medicine Lake. Before we could even settle into out day, tour buses began to show up and unload people by the dozen.

Each group would walk up to the informational docks and the guide would begin telling them the wild and crazy stories about this lake. Then I noticed something kept getting their attention—it was our tent!

So I caught on quick and being the marketer I am, I would put the tent down and everyone was amazed at the craftsmenship. They’d instantly ask questions about it, who we were, our project and overall it ended up being a great way to get to know people from all over the world.

It must have been the third bus when a large Asian family unloaded. I played my rooftop tent game and stoked up some fresh conversation. By this time we were mid breakfast and I starting to make tea when an older lady that knew very little English stepped in and started helping us keep the biolite going.

She ran all over grabbing little sticks for our fire and even stirred some of our coffee for us.

We didn’t exchange one word that day, we excahnged something more than that, the human experience. This is just another beautiful example of what putting yourself out there can do. It doesn’t need to be a lot, maybe you don’t even need to say a word but it can leave an impact.

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“When you find a santuary in the middle of the jungle, you just jump! What this photo doesn’t show is this place was flooded with people all day and we waited until sunset to capture the perfect image.”

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CLIFF JUMPING AT Whatcom FALLS

NICKUTHE Canon EOS 7D Mark II f/3.5 1/200 sec.

ISO 1600 18 mm

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WASHINGTON STATE When traveling to Washington state a few questions might start to linger in your mind, how am I going to make the most of my time and where are the best spots to travel to? Well during the Explore the North excursion we developed a list of our favorite spots and I’m going to lay out exactly how we crushed the state in 5 days.

MILEAGE TRACKER 7,587 mi

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EXPLORE WASHINGTON IN A WEEK DAY 1

Hurricane Ridge

The drive up to the trail head is magnificent and you get a great look at the mountains Olympic Peninsula has to offer.

Once you begin your hike, peaks and ridges will begin to appear and disappear into the pacific north west fog. If you’re lucky enough to have a clear day the view at the top looks on for miles. If your lucky you’ll probably even get to hang out with some of the Marmots.

DAY 2 & 3

Shi Shi Beach and 2nd Beach

The beaches lining the Olympics Peninsula are too mysterious to not go and see.

I chose Shi Shi as my top favorite because of the remoteness and the variety of rock faces you will see. To get to Shi Shi Beach it is an easy 4 mile hike out and depending on how adventurous you are you can turn it into a much longer hike if you continue to follow the coast! Just be prepared to be cut off by the encroaching tides!

DAY 4

Hoh Rain Forest

Mountains...Check! Beaches....Check!

Now on to the forests Washington state provides! Hoh Rain forest is located on Olympics Peninsula and will absolutely blow your mind. Giant trees and winding branches all covered in lush green rain forest moss will be sure to stun you into nature heaven. Follow this trail for a few mile jaunt and reach an amazing double shoot water fall. You could spend a month out here but we only have a week so we will move onto central Washington.

DAY 5: 5 Palouse Falls Day Palouse Falls

If you don’t already feel like you’ve traveled to 3 different worlds let’s continue the Washington roller coaster and proceed on to Palouse Falls. The drive out will take you through rolling hills and sub desert terrain and will have you questioning if you’re headed in the right direction.

When you arrive you will have found an amazing paradise positioned out in the middle of no where. Once you begin the hike the trail will take you by mini water falls, gorgeous creeks, ridged rock faces, cliff jumping spots, and of course the big show, Palouse Falls!

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“There’s not enough time in our lives to let some inclement weather hold you back from enjoying your day.

Embrace the rainy days and create your own sunshine.

We ventured out on this hike to fully submerge ourselves in the unique atmosphere that the rainforest bolsters during a full on downpour.”

SAMAXNESS Canon EOS 6D f/3.5 1/200 sec.

ISO 1250 24 mm

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NICKUTHE Canon EOS 7D Mark II f/6.3 1/400 sec.

ISO 100 50 mm

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SAMAXNESS Canon EOS 6D f/4.5 1/320 sec.

ISO 100 130 mm

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WATCH OUT FOR TIDES A‌s we reached the sea stacks along Shi Shi beach, we ambled eagerly along to explore the unique coastline.

We made our way past the camp of fellow backpackers to push as far down the beach as we could. I bounded from rock to rock, inhaling the the revitalizing smell of the ocean spray, as the waves lapped around me. Blinded by the curiosity of exploring this new scenery, we failed to recognize the rising tide was cutting off our return path. By the time we realized it, the path was already completely blocked. There we were stranded on a small section of beach as the tides slowing crept closer with one option: climb! We took off scrambling upwards through the thick yet vibrant ferns that reach over our heads. We fought our way through the dense foliage that made me feel as if we were in a scene out of Jurassic Park. Almost an hour later we emerged a mile down the beach near our camp with a lesson learned: Don’t underestimate the tides.

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THE DRONE FULLY CONTROLLED BY YOUR PHONE Head-tracking EHANG VR Googles let you see through the eyes of the GHOST DRONE for a truly immersive experience with video transmission built directly into the googles. EHANG A.I. camera shoots 4K video and 12 mega pixel photos with a F/2.8 aperture 93 degree wide angle field-of-view lens. No training needed - Requires Android or iOS device and the EHANG Play App for Aviator Tilt Control, Companion Mode, Waypoint Mode, Microcontroller, and Auto Return with a tap on the device screen

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GLACIER EXTENDED Picking Glacier National Park as our 6th stop on the trip was a no brainer. It was east towards home and geographical mecca we couldn’t pass up. We had some incredible luck as we came up on almost every mammal the park has to offer. This newfound luck quickly turned grim as it seemed every trail we hit was road blocked by the mighty grizzly bear. We tried our best to avoid them but they appeared in shocking numbers throughout the week. Although they are incredible creatures hopefully you get a chance to see, it’s best we live apart. Astonishingly a man was brutually mauled and killed in Glaicer a week after we returned home. Although tragic, occurances like that are extremly rare.

So go graze the valleys of Montana, sleep under the tall trees that reside by the Upper Missouri River, and go release your inner Hugh Glass. Although you might have a 0 degree sleeping bag instead of a grizzly pelt to comfort you through the night the important thing is you’re outside living, seeing and experiencing the astonishing world we live in. Just please practice safe back country campaing when you make it.

MILEAGE TRACKER 8,722 mi

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“Try to focus on your good days. Don’t just let them happen and wait for the next one.

Think about what made it a good day and how you can construct those feelings to reoccur.

Happiness isn’t luck or chance, it’s just like everything else, its a skill that needs to be developed and worked on.”

NICKUTHE Canon EOS 7D Mark II f/5.6 1/80 sec.

ISO 320 85 mm

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“One of my goals when photographing a location is to walk away with an image that is the best representation of that specific spot. I want it to encompass every emotion felt and to demonstarte the underlying beauty we can find anywhere.

This goes a long wih our theory about how if we can find the silver lining and let smaller things in life make us smile, you’re going to be a much happier person. “

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NICKUTHE Canon EOS 7D Mark II f/4.5 1/80 sec.

ISO 160 27 mm

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DIVERSITY WATERFALLS

GLACIER NATIONAL PARK 52

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HIKING WILDLIFE

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STORIES WORTH SHARING

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the show goes on

T

he jump pictured below turned out to be a lot of fun, we even ended up drawing a crowd of tourists for a small Q&A. To get to this cliff was no easy feat, @samaxness not only had to battle the icy waters to get accross, he aslo had to make it around the current that was jetting out of the river funnel. When people began to notice a man in the frigid waters thats when I began to get bombarded with a million questions! “Is he was going to jump?!” ,“Who are you guys?!” “Why’s he doing this?” This turned out to be a great opportunity to explain the Explore the North excursion and what we were out to accomplish in 50 days. As I answered questions I might have well been on camera because I even had to speak slow and concise for a foreign lady who was translating to the rest of her family! The best part was after the jump @ samaxness was met with a huge round of applause. Thanks Glacier friends for being so much fun!

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ENERGY EVERYWHERE WWW.BIOLITEENERGY.COM

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“Don’t underestimate the relationship between meaning and motivation.”

SAMAXNESS Canon EOS 7D Mark II f/5.6 1/250 sec.

ISO 100 18 mm

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WYOMING EXTENDED As the final days of our tour in the Grand Tetons came to an end, the profound feeling of triumph began to encompas our minds. We did it.

We traveled all over Canada and the US in a van we call home.We just experienced more life than most could imagine. We did it, but we’re just getting started.

MILEAGE TRACKER 9,350 mi

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SAMAXNESS Canon EOS 6D f/7.1 1/160 sec.

ISO 125 24 mm

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CROSSROADS WITH A GRIZZLY It was a beautiful afternoon in the Tetons. The sun was high in the sky and we just arrived at the tourquoise water that was Delta Lake. The astonishing pool twinkled like thousands of little lights flickering on and off as everyone deployed their snacks and declared a spot along the entry waterfall. There was a larger group of hikers enjoying a small cliff jumping spot so we resulted to finding the best view for our hammocks (pg.59) We hung out for hours in a never ending chain of reading,working our cameras, eating snacks and enjoying each others company. After a significant amount of time in backcountry bliss. I began to regain energy and wanted to push myself to greater heights. I wanted better photography and wanted to pyschically get after it.

With time of the eseense I decided I would avoid the wooded area and chose route 1. I scampered as fast as I could down the very steep brushy decline with my eyes peeled for the Grizz. I felt like I had went into terminator mode where my eye sight became that of an NZT user and I had the ability to lock onto anything out of the ordainary.

Luckily no sign of the Grizzly but I had found Steve. He was deshevled and still slightly disoreited. He told me he had climbed the 15 meter palasades that sepeartes each cravasse and noticed the Grizzly making an ascent on route number 2. On his way down he had slipped and fallen 10 feet or so surprised all his bones were in tack.

I lead the way back down to Delta Lake, jumping over small cliffs and making sure not to slip on the shady brush. We ended up making it back just in time to meet @samaxness who was anxitously waiting to hike back to the trail head.

I saw a cliff high up under the Grand Teton and within my energetic hiking rage mentality I was going to reach it. Even though at these times my distance times incline calculator is normally broken. I recruited Steve, our fellow Expore the North commrad and we began to climb.

There appeared to be two logical routes. Route number one was a cravasse mostly filled with long brush and a steep incline.

Route number two was much more wooded rocky cravasse and had a slightly steeper incline. I chose route number 2 because hiking up brush can be slippery and in my opinion a little more dangerous.

I ended up hiking and climbing a little faster than Steve so as time went on we got more and more seperated.

At one point I had reached the out strecthed cliff I was gunning for and Steve had fallen out of sight (pg. 58) We were now competing against the depleting sunslight and darkness would fall soon. I stood atop my cliff feeling like a 19th century explorer. The sun was setting the air was cold and it was time to meet @samaxness back at Delta Lake.

When out of a sudden my ecstancy was interupted. It was Steves voice whisping through the strong winds where I stand. “Nick, I fell... I’m heading back.” His voice barely broke through not in urgency but in a dilerious manner. He yells again, “A bear is heading your way, be careful.”

Now I’m not only worried about Steve and his condition, I’m in shear terror of the thought of running into a Grizzly. I begin my decent down some bouldering while eyeing up the cravasses I mentioned early. Which side was Steve on and which route would avoid the Grizzly on the way back. I reached the point of no return. I was literally at a crossroads with a Grizzly. Do I head back route 2, which now was looking like a death trap with the light diminishing and the forest getting darker as the clock ticked? Or do I head back on route 1, the way I was unfamilar with?

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MEET THE CREATIVES

NICK UTHE

SAM AXNESS

Nick Uthe is a life enthusiast from the creative lands of Eau Claire, WI. He promotes his outdoor, adventurous and “can do” lifestyle through his social media channels and his growing 70K followers. Nick’s graphics and photography background mixed with his never ending energy tank combine to create amazing imagery that is sure to motivate.

Sam Axness is a part time adventure photographer with roots seeded in the midwest, however he feels the most at home in the mountains. His curiosity paried with his thrill seeking attitude is what pushes him to be a great photographer of the outdoors. . He wants everyone to break the mold , get outside and live more positivily.

EXPLORE THE NORTH THE ROAD TRIP OF THE YEAR www.grandtaiga.com 62

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A special thanks to our sponsors.

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getting started If you run head on into your goals with the assumption they will be easy, your dreams might be around the corner and more attainable than you could have ever imagined.

This is a method I’ve used my whole life and although it might come off as a little presumptuous, it really does make learning new things a more comfortable process (let’s just say you skip the non productive, worrying faze). You pick the mindset you want, “this is going to be really hard,” or “this is going to be easy.” I’ll pick choice number two time and time again. So I’m going to make a few more assumptions, you like to travel, you like going on adventures, and you post pictures of those new exciting places when you finally make it to them. Some would argue traveling and being able to visit these new locations, whether you’re a beach bum or a mountain man, is what life is all about.

One option to travel and not break the bank is road tripping. There are many options that come with this but I’ll leave that decision up to you. You could use any old vehicle to drive off into the unknown and then stay in a hotel, but that still might get pricey and you would be taking the fun out of being outside and enjoying this wonderful thing we call Earth. So let’s go with the more spontaneous and exciting method. Purchase a van, deck it out, and backpack the entire country!

I’ve seen too many people who strive for greatness but fail to follow through. I’m not sure if it’s a loss of ambition or just getting intimidated by the process. Lucky for me I’ve been able to ignore the thought of failure and get right too it. I’m here to say it is doable, so start taking the steps to make it happen. So how do you make it happen?

I’ll run through what I did, how much it might cost you and how much time it takes.

I haven’t included the cost of tools but with a little asking around I’m sure you will be able to borrow the necessities.

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purchase a van

($3,000) (20hrs)

I knew I would have at least two other people traveling with me so I wanted something a little larger for comfort and variability. I found that people had better luck with Chevy Express vans instead of some of the others on the market so I decided to focus on finding a Chevy Express. After some considerable digging I found a plumbing business that was selling their 2004 Chevy Express 3500. It came with a complete repair log, had 180,000 miles on it, the inside came stocked with shelving, and many more things I couldn’t turn down. It’s important to remember your going to be driving this all over the country and you need to feel confident it will be a safe ride.

clear out & clean

($23) (10hrs)

Acquiring the van in my opinion is the hardest part simply because it takes time to do your research, talk to experienced people, and make an educated decision. Depending on how long you plan to be on the road you might want to spend a little more upfront so you don’t have to be bothered by vehicle maintenance. After you work hard and purchase your new home-on-wheels it will become a blank canvas and you can begin to create your masterpiece.

As I mentioned above the van I chose came with all the work van essentials like racks on the roof, three steel shelving units as well as a steel door way to the drivers seat.

The first thing that came to mind was, I needed to get those out. With one extra guy it ended up taking about 9 hours to remove it all, as well as scrub it down and clean the interior. Part of the reason it took so long was a lot of the bolts that held the shelving to the ground were rusted into the bed of the van so we had to bend and break the bolts which was unfortunately time consuming. This is an issue you can expect if you purchase an older van. After the first work day came to an end this renovation portion ended up costing $23. We needed primer, paint and a metal brush to restore the racks that go on top. Not a necessary component, but something I thought would be fun

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electrical updates

($350) (15hrs)

Most people when traveling like to capture their experiences through the lens of a camera and there is nothing worse than having dead batteries. So we thought it would be nice to have at least one outlet in the car to charge our camera batteries and electronics. I ended up asking around what would be a good route to accomplish this and found a 400 watt power inverter on amazon.

I had my good buddy (pictured to the left) install it.

Another to-do was the broken light in the back of the van’s interior. This was no problem at all and I found a nice $10 fixture online. Now don’t get me wrong those were necessary updates but I saved the best for last.

Music is so important! I wasn’t about to travel 10,000 miles without a proper stereo and speaker hook up so I replaced the factory set up and upgraded to a mid level pioneer system. In my opinion it sounds absolutely fantastic and is all you need to get your groove on.

seats & other parts

($60.00) (15hrs)

This is a portion of work that will vary upon specific constraints for each team of travelers. My team was bringing a long three guys so we needed to build to this constraint. We had the front seats but needed a back row. This portion could of become a lot more expensive but luckily I was gifted a set of Suburban seats for the back row.

With a few drilled holes in the bed of the van the seats were ready to be installed and fasted with some shock resistant bolts.

It was now time to do some minor repairs. The rear license plate plastic cap was cracked and the interior rear door was missing some paneling.. These are all simple parts you can get at any auto salvage and that’s exactly what I did. I just called around a little bit until I got a hold of a junkyard with some Chevy Express parts lying around.

Another big part you need to be aware of is your privacy. Installing some shades to block the windows will allow you to catch up on much needed rest and to feel a lot more comfortable when it’s time to get some z’s. For this quick fix I used an old black sheet and sewed up some covers for each window. Then I got a little more creative and sewed in magnets to the corners of each cover to stick the metal walls of the van. This ended up being extremely effective for blocking light and creating privacy. This project was cheap but it took some considerable time because I wanted them to look nice.

USE OUR HASHTAG #GRANDTAIGATIMES

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GRAND TAIGA | CREATE INSPIRE ENGAGE

($100.00) (10hrs)

building the interior

This is a portion of work that will vary upon specific constraints for each team of travelers. My team was bringing along three guys so most importantly we needed to have as much space a possible. The front seats needed minor fixing and we needed to install a back row. This portion could of become a lot more expensive but luckily I was gifted a set of Suburban seats for the back row. With a few drilled holes in the bed of the van the seats were ready to be installed with some shock resistant bolts.

It was now time to do some minor repairs. The rear license plate plastic cap was cracked and the interior rear door was missing some paneling.. These are all simple parts you can get at any auto salvage and that’s exactly what I did. I just called around a little bit until I got a hold of a junkyard with some Chevy Express parts lying around.

Another big part you need to be aware of is your privacy. Installing some shades to block the windows will allow you to catch up on much needed rest and to feel a lot more comfortable when it’s time to get some z’s. For this quick fix I used an old black sheet and sewed up some covers for each window. Then I got a little more creative and sewed in magnets to the corners of each cover to stick the metal walls of the van. This ended up being extremely effective for blocking light and creating privacy. This project was cheap but it took some considerable time because I wanted them to look nice.

total hours

70hrs

01

SLEEPS 5 people

We added on a Cascadia Vehicle Tent wehich added 2 extra extremly comfortable sleeping spots. Each tent comes with a 2.5 inch high density foam matress that is sure to impress. These tents are the perfect choice to help you explore more and get a better nights rest while on the road.

02

FUEL

15 mpg

At first glance 15 mpg seems like an empty wallet for gas but when you add 1 or 2 guys to the trip that price signigicantly gets cut.

If you have 3 guys you can think of 15 mpg as 45 mpg because thats what your paying for.

We also utilized Gas Buddy while we were in Canada.

03

COST $3,533

When you’ve officially bought a van you’re over the hill and on your way to serenity.

This intial cost can be pricey but with some networking and witty thinking you can significantly keep your upgrades/build costs down. Just know your new van will increase life satifcation while keeping costs low.

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