Question…have you ever driven through (like, ALL THE WAY through) the Rocky Mountains…alone…and at night…and with no cell phone coverage…and no gas stations for 110 miles…and for the first time?
No? Well, I have and it’s high on my DO NOT RECOMMEND list.
It was all part of Day 2 of my solo road trip from MN to CA in December 2017. It was my longest day at 727 miles from North Platte, Nebraska through the entire state of Colorado and landing fairly far into Utah in Richfield.
Prior to this trip, I had a few people inquire, “You’re going to drive through the Rockies in December?”
Inside, I was laughing at what seemed to be a ridiculous question. My answer, “Ahhhh, yeah. Why wouldn’t I take the shortest route between point A and point B?”
I would soon find out why.
The day began early…as in before sunrise. I knew that it was going to be a long haul and I was excited at this adventure.
As I drove through the rest of Nebraska (I now appreciate its flat terrain more than ever), I could see the Rockies ahead in the distance.
I couldn’t wait for what I assumed would be beautiful vistas, fresh mountain air and a deep connection with Mother Nature.
As I drove into the first pass, I was blown away by the towering cliffs. Ahhhhh, what joy to behold!
As I climbed the first big “hill” (actually, ginormous piece of rock), I noticed there was quite a bit of zigging this way and zagging that way. Okay, I thought. One can’t really expect to drive straight up the side of a mountain, right?
Driving DOWN the mountain is another story. Seeing “Runaway Truck Exit ~ 2 Miles” signs didn’t exactly evoke peace. Oh, I wanted to run away all right. My palms began to sweat. I was worried that the steering wheel would slip and that I would plummet to my inevitable death so I began wiping them on my pants in the hope that I could keep control.
Let me tell you that that day I wiped my hands on my pants THOUSANDS OF TIMES. No joke. After all, I had hundreds of miles of mountain to drive through.
Around lunchtime, I had zero appetite because of the stress but knew that I needed to eat. I pulled into a town built on the side of the mountain and shut the car off. I needed to have a serious talk with myself.
My mind was careening out of control with anxiety. I felt like Mother Nature had given me the middle finger. However, I looked for options.
Could I Uber out of the Rockies? Hmmmm. Seemed like a good idea but I needed my car so X that one.
Could I stop driving and get a hotel for the night to recompose myself? Not really. I already had a reservation in Utah and I needed to get to CA in time for a conference.
Could I rise up into my badassery and do the damn thing? Perhaps but didn’t seem likely in that moment.
So I sat for another minute or two and I tried to change my thought process. I was in the beauty of the Rockies after all. It wasn’t snowing and I know I’m strong. So I summoned all the courage that I could and made a decision.
I would drive through to my end destination —> Richfield, Utah.
I would focus on the sights I was seeing. I would put my favorite Hair Band station on Sirius XM and I would jam for the rest of the day.
Off I went with a renewed sense of spirit and adventure.
Which lasted all of ten minutes.
About 5 hours and countless hand wipes down the road, I saw a sign that said, “No services for 110 miles.”
Oh, boy. The sun was beginning to set as I pulled into the last gas station on the face of the Earth (as far as I was concerned) to top off my gas and get a few snacks.
As I started down the road afterwards, I prayed for a miracle. Like, maybe the sun would set an hour later tonight…just for me. Or maybe that was an old sign and there was a 7-11 fifty miles down the way.
No such luck.
I was greeted with flashing (YES, FLASHING as if to indicate “very important”) Large Animals in Road signs.
Now, I’m from Minnesota. We have hundreds of deer crossing signs and it’s just common knowledge to be on the lookout for deer.
But I had no freakin’ idea how to manage a Large Animals in Road situation. What large animals? Elk? Moose? Buffalo? Lions? Tigers and bears?
My heart rate increased as I saw what I presumed to be an elk lying on the side of the road. I can confirm that it was, in fact, a large animal.
Then I glanced down and noticed that I had no cell service.
So there I was. In hell.
I was quite certain that if I had car trouble Jack the Ripper would be kind enough to stop by and assist me.
So I started counting down the miles until I reached my hotel…at 108.
I can tell you now that those 108 miles were, by far, the longest miles that I have ever driven.
I had to constantly soothe myself while reminding myself that I could do this.
I started to borrow a line from the Blues Brothers movie ~ “I’m on a mission from God.”
As I pulled into my hotel parking lot, I began to cry ~ from relief and from pride. I was so fucking proud of myself.
I did it.
Now, will I ever drive through the Rocky Mountains alone again? Not on your life.
But do I have a strength within that nothing can take away? You betcha.
Email me if you want 1:1 coaching to take a leap of faith into your own big dreams.
The photo is me on the day that I reached the Pacific Ocean = badass.