The Travel Thread

[TDub]

this is unrelated I guess but.

I'm so tired of seeing people walking around in stores and public in literal pajamas, and house slippers, and sloppy torn oversized and stained t shirts etc.

I get it if you're sick and just running to get medicine or something but come on....just put a fucking pair of jeans on or something. It's really not that hard. Return to sloth mode when you get back home but, for the time you're in a damn store at least pretend to have some sort of dignity.


I dig me some sweatpants when I'm at home lounging or whatever but, seriously, put pants on when you go somewhere. Or a skirt , or shorts, or whatwver....I dont care, but try to be somewhat presentable yea?


My parents would've slapped me for walking out of the house in damn Batman pajamas or whatever.

[ousdahl]

Just in case tdub needs another reason to fuss about me:

I was the seminal reason pajama pants were explicitly banned from my high school dress code.

For a slothy loungy moment there tho I created quite the fashion trend.

[TDub]

this is very unsurprising.

[pdub]

If it's a convenience store/gas station, attire like that is acceptable for me.
If you're really sick and just need to run in and grab something, whatever.

Other spots? Nah.

[jfish26]

Very early in law school, I wore flip-flops to the library. There was then, a few days later, what normal people would simply call an assembly, and at the assembly, the dean of students (or something like that) read comments and questions that had been submitted to her anonymously.

One of those comments was that Fish needed to knock it the fuck off with flip-flops in the library.

[Shirley]

I've never been to Japan, but have always had the impression that while there are many similarities, there are also many differences. (I got the impression CNB had been there and had insights into society in Japan. Wish he were here to comment.)

Things at my Japanese school that could send Americans into a coma…

[TDub]

CnB added lots of good things...he also thought he was some sort of Savant.

He took his ball and ran to the phog. oh well, is what it is.

[ousdahl]

So a friend is organizing a big trip with a total of 12 old friends and SOs and such.

The trip was pitched in October. Commitments were made in November, including reservations on lodging accommodations for 12. We leave this weekend.

This week, 3 among the group flaked.

At the very least, they deserve to be shamed on a message bored, right?

If not still on the hook for their share of the lodging?

[pdub]

If you cancel that late, the right thing to do is to pay for at least a portion of your share of the lodging.
Many people don't do the right thing.

[jhawks99]

With 12 planning that far in advance, someone is going to have to cancel.
They should pick up their share of the lodging.

[jfish26]

I would imagine this will be the last time Ous & Pals do not collect money up front.

[Overlander]

I would imagine this will be the last time Ous & Pals do not collect money up front.

Or, get more reliable friends.

If Overlander makes a commitment, Overlander keeps his word

[ousdahl]

for real.

Another friend is/has been administrative lead as far as organizing all this and getting commits.

I'm guessing they will also figure out something fair as far as the flakes go

[DeletedUser]

Another friend is/has been administrative lead as far as organizing all this and getting commits.

Shocking that they didn't put you in charge...

[TDub]

Another friend is/has been administrative lead as far as organizing all this and getting commits.

Shocking that they didn't put you in charge...

we would've known if they had. We'd have at least 5 different threads about it and how to do it, what should I do and how do I do this, why can't I do this, this is unfair, can somebody do this for me? Oh, and then if someone canceled or complained.....add at least 3 more threads about it.

[ousdahl]

On my way back from some of the best traveling in a long time. Rather than just like going back to KS or something, some place I’d never been to before!

A group of friends do a ski trip somewhere new pretty much yearly. I haven’t gone in prob like 8 years but decided to this year. I kinda miss these doods. Besides, the destination was one of the most intriguing ski resorts in one of my fave states: Big Sky in Montana.

We started out early Saturday due north. We drove, since driving across the mountain west in the dead of winter is like such a good idea. Besides, flying has its own quirks, would have been more limited on stuff to pack, and then we would have had to rent a car anyway.

Almost upon departure, the trip became a tour of wildlife. Coyotes roaming north park. Bald and golden eagles. Thousands and thousands of pronghorn - seriously it cannot be overestimated how mang pronghorn there are in Wyoming. Lots of mule deer…maybe some whitetails too? A big herd of bighorn sheep. The biggest elk ever. A larger-than-CO size moose standing in the middle of a river. And a bobcat!

Speaking of rivers, this trip rekindled an interest in fly fishing that I haven’t felt in a while. We drove right thru trout Disneyland, with some of the most famous rivers in the world: the Madison, the Gallatin, the Firehole, the Henry’s Fork. That’s like GOATs of the fly fishing; the Wilts and MJs and Tyler Selfs of trout water. But, since this is a ski trip, I digress.

Went thru Jackson Hole. Been before, and felt no need to stop again. Seems like it could be such a cool place, but for the fact it’s such an Evil Rich People playground.

Over Teton Pass with the KU game on the radio, but loose reception up the pass. By the time we get it back it’s a blowout, ok cool, and on into Idaho.

I have this rule about road tripping that I don’t count having been to a state unless I’ve done something in that state. Not just drive thru, not just get gas, but something cool and maybe even unique to that state.

I’ve driven thru Idaho several times but never actually did anything there. Musing about just that while thru Idaho again, we decide to change that. Come across a random trailhead and send an XC ski just far enough to say now I’ve been to Idaho.

Then to West Yellowstone. Really really cool town. Fantastic town. Wonderful little town! Def tourist trappy, but makes up for it by having a little character to the downtown and the buildings and such, that broken in feeling, plus every single business being either a fly fishing shop or a drinking establishment. One is both. Not The Gusher tho, but the pizza is good, plus Cold Smoke on tap.

Finally, got to our resort. It’s kind of insane to call it a resort, cuz the ski trails are less trails and more somebody just put a lift on top of some cliffs. Seriously steep shit. Gnarliest ski terrain I’ve ever been on.

The resort amenities and town and local architecture is all pretty much the opposite of West Yellowstone. It’s the new money, let’s be like Jackson Hole or all the CO ski towns that yall tourists can’t get enough of, just new build cookie cutter condos that all look the same plus architecturally matching commercial areas with fine art galleries and fur coat stores and such. It was the most un-Montana thing I’ve ever seen in Montana. To be fair tho, I did have a tasty cocktail at a swanky lounge in town, even if it cost $26 and I couldn’t pronounce half the ingredients. Seriously, the only thing a Montana bar needs is Cold Smoke, or at least Moose Drool.

Missed the game cuz I didn’t realize it’s on Plus, so decided to just say fuck it and spend the night drinking Cold Smoke in the hot tub instead.

Got up early to dick around in Yellowstone on the way back. I’d been before, but never in the winter, and never the west side of the park. It’s special.

Stopped in Pinedale, WY - anybody been? It’s the opposite of a new money Jackson, just an old west town with coffee shops that still serve good hot black drip Folgers for $.83 out the door. There’s Nordic trails plus a mom and pop downhill resort. Got lunch at the brewery, which had a special: $4 pitchers of Oktoberfest. We seriously debate just getting a room and going to town on a 6 month old keg of beer. Alas, supposed to be back to work tomorrow, and didn’t feel like making up some lie about how we didn’t make it back.

Now, wishing we had just stayed in Pinedale…maybe enough to go back for a weekend, but for sure at least as a fun half donut point on the way to/from MT next time.

Also my traveling companion didn’t know how to drive stick, and finally got them up to speed enough to drive the boring stretch of WY so I can get back to my usual pursuits of message boreding plus communist memes.

[Overlander]

I have been to Pinedale a few times.
It is a great fuel up town for Jeeping.
There are some badass trails over the hills to Dubois, then up into the Bridget-Teton mountains.

It is a cool little town.

[ousdahl]

Cool. Yea Pinedale strikes me as the gateway to the wind river range/yellowstone/tetons/cool parts of NW Wyoming, at least if you’re coming from the south.

Has that nice broken in old west town vibe too, not much cookie cutter new money development around

[Overlander]

If you want to see the most remote town in the lower 48...Jarbidge Nevada.
About 60 miles down a dead end road.

But, it is where the Idaho BDR starts.

[TDub]

well now I kind of do. A dozen total permanent residents?

I've been on both sides if it down 225 and down 93 but never across east and west between them north of Elko.

Northern Nevada is a vast wild land, I often wonder what the early people thought when they crossed that high rugged country. Just miles and miles and miles of rugged country full of nothing, little water, not a lot of trees. Just seemingly endless high country.