Sergeant’s Log, Day 0, May 31, 2013 18:47, Ukiah, CA:
On the road since 6:30, 230 miles from tonight’s destination: Crescent City, CA. Tomorrow morning, bright and early, we take the Redwood shuttle to the Oregon border . . . Day 1, the mission begins.
It’s a marvel of the modern age that what takes 15 hours to drive by car will take 40 days by foot transport. But aren’t we missing something in the efficiency of motor transport? Where is the exploration, the struggle, identification with our ancestors of a thousand generations?
Veteran Skate Trek aims to find out . . . The Mission Isn’t Over!
Sergeants Log, End of Day 1, June 1, 19:26 PST:
“First day Bob, give us an axiom.”
“The free rides make the hills worth it. . . “
The day couldn’t have gone better. Up at the Oregon border at 9:30, 40 miles south from there, ten miles ahead of schedule. The campsite at Klamath is beautiful, there are no words. Bob is sleeping in the shade of a redwood tree.
Spirits are high and bodies are fit. If only they all could be like this. Encountered it all today: perfectly shredable, deserted farmers roads, 20 miles of 101 highway, two hour hills, and priceless free rides. Redwoods and nice people and Pelican Bay and storming the bridge . . .
Day 2, I can’t wait to meet you. The mission isn’t over.
Sergeant’s Log, Day 2, Patrick’s Point, June 2 18:50 PST:
Hills, hills, and more hills . . . But for every up there is a down, and that’s smooth sailing. Covered about 35 miles today, eight hours of honest skating and biking, almost all of it on the 101 shoulder, rough work sometimes.
The Newton B. Drury pkwy had one mile long up hill followed by an extraordinary 5 mile downhill dream ride through a forest of huge Redwoods. Didn’t pump once, carving through cars watched by the ancient trees, it was bliss. This is why we skate.
Morale is high and our bodies are still strong. Now we rest, and tomorrow we hit it hard. The mission isn’t over.
Sergeants Log, Day 3, Eureka, CA, June 3 19:10:
Why long distance skate? Why spend an entire day pumping pavement, dodging cars, and getting blisters only to travel the distance an automobile could do in half an hour? Why would you do this day after day, after day . . .
Because it’s fun. Because people look at you like you’re crazy, like you can’t do it. We long distance skate because in 2009, near the end of a long tour in Iraq, we told ourselves we would do it one day, when we were home, when we were free. Veterans keep promises.
Why long distance skate? Because there’s road to burn and hills to carve. Because this grand country of ours was meant to be traversed on foot, by adventurers and romantics who value the simple joys of life.
Why long distance skate? Because tomorrow is another day, and we got places to go. The mission isn’t over.
Sergeant’s Log, Day 4, Avenue of the Giants, June 4 20:21:
Long day today, didn’t make camp until 7 PM. Too busy logging serious mileage and having fun. Too busy carving down slopes amongst the tallest trees in the world, grand redwood groves and rivers, winding rivers with tall bridges that make you just a little bit fearful. . .
Today was an adventure in itself. Day 4 and we felt good. And the road was kind. There were hills, but nothing we hadnt seen before. The 101 was a slog, but we were moving and the shoulder is big in south Humbuldt County.
Small blessings, amplified, everyday.
People are kind and change lanes. They honk and cheer as they drive by. We meet fellow Trekkers on the road. Bikers, often older men, who too are traveling hundreds of miles for . . . ?
So much to talk about, but rest is needed. Day 5 we will be ready. The mission isn’t over.
Sergeant’s Log, Day 5, Richardson Grove SP, June 5 18:19:
Day 5 was a long but satisfying one. Started out finishing off the last sixteen miles of Avenue Of the Giants before hopping back on the 101 for a long freeway slog to the campground.
Bob’s knees have started giving him pain and my feet are getting blisters, but nothing a little water and motivation won’t fix. See, the veteran knows that pain is inevitable, and quite frankly, there is nothing he or she can do about it. The mission comes first, comfort is a luxury, and nothing of value comes easily. In the end, it’s a mindset that gets you through it, pain just isn’t real . . .
180 miles in five days and we’ve earned ourselves a rest. Tomorrow will be a day spent resting our feet, fixing our vehicles, and giving out minds respite from the road. Nothing further to report until we head out again on Day 7. The mission isn’t over.
Sergeants Log, Day 7, Westport, CA, June 7 18:48:
Day 7 was rough. Saw the last of the 101 freeway for a while as Veteran Trek Trek veered onto the 1 for the first time. We were rewarded with Leggett Hill, a four mile steep uphill that people have been warning us about since the Oregon border. It lived up to the hype, took two hours to drag our trailer up.
The way down was a rewarding 12 mile downhill stretch. Would have been great, but both our shoes have gigantic holes in the bottom of them. Losing rubber was a theme today, also lost a tire on the trailer today.
We’re in a bit of pain and dead tired, but it was a grand day. No body got hurt, we’re on schedule, and the mission continues. We can see the ocean again and it smells good.
New shoes tomorrow (hopefully). The mission isn’t over.
Sergeant’s Log, Day 8, Albion River Campsite, June 8 17:51:
Day 8 was kind to us. Woke up from hobo camping on Blues Beach and skated 17 miles on our worn out soles. 6 miles from Fort Bragg Bob had the good idea to wrap his right shoe in several layers of duct tape. Worked well enough I did it too.
Got new rubber for our bike trailer (tires) and shoes for our feet in Fort Bragg. Freshly shoed we felt like a million bucks and made it to the campsite especially early tonight. All in all, a great day.
The 1 has almost no shoulder, and a lot of hills, but the scenery is amazing and people are kind enough to give us room on the road. We feel good headed into the second week, nothing but coast between us and San Francisco which gets closer everyday.
We’re in this til the end. The Mission Isn’t Over.
Sergeant’s Log Day 9
Day 9 had everything we wanted from this trip: choice scenery, wildlife, epic downhill carves, supportive locals, fellow travelers, delicious eats, precious supplies . . . I could go on and on.
The owners of Bones Roadhouse, Michael and Mary, pulled us in off the street less than a mile from the campsite, “you boys like a sandwich?” The meal was delicious and on the way out they stuffed bills into my hand to give to the IAVA charity, extraordinary people.
Lots of extraordinary people on the road. There is a whole culture of people, savvy travelers and lost wanderers, who bike long distances for . . . ? Incredible stories, legendary trips; they rough it and ride all day and have the biggest smiles and share and want to hear your story.
Lots of subcultures. Skaters and bikers and motocyclers; we’re all in this together. We recognize each other, nods and waves and signs of respect. Veterans are heavily represented in these subcultures, and there is nothing but love.
Love of the road. Love of adventure. Day 9, you might be the best one yet. Ride strong. The mission isn’t over.
Sergeant’s Log, Day 10 + 11, Bodega Bay, June 11, 21:14:
Phase 1, “Nor Cal Phase” is officially completed. We’ve seen it all: 75 mph freeway traffic, sleepy farm roads, and sheer drops into the ocean off a no-shouldered Highway 1. There have been blisters and flat tires and near misses and self doubt and pain. . . We are still here, still riding.
We’ve passed Basic Training. Our bodies haven’t decayed, they’ve been toughened. We dont hate the road, we love it. We’re not quitting, we’re in this to the bitter end. We have what it takes to do this, only now are we ready to lead others . . .
We leave the remote Northern Coasts for the cities and sights of the Bay Area. It will be urban, there will be traffic and people and trash and noise . . .
Sergeant’s Log, Day 12, Bodega Bay, June 12 16:24
And on the twelfth day Vet Skate Trek rested, and it was good.
New wheels on the skate, showered up, and 60 miles north of San Francisco feeling good.
Coming soon: we take to the sea . . . and a glorious entry into the hometown of skateboarding. . .
Sergeant’s Log, Day 13, Olema, June 13 17:01:
Warrior’s Ethos:
I will always place the mission first,
I will never accept defeat,
I will never quit,
I will never leave a fallen comrade.
In this to the end . . .
Sergeant’s Log, Day 14, Sausalito, June 14 16:55:
San Francisco is so close I can taste it, 1/3 of the way complete with the Veteran Skate Trek. There have been hard times aplenty, but overall the ride has been remarkably smooth . . .
Meeting up with Nick and Sam tomorrow, good friends who will be joining us for a week of trekking. Can they hang? More importantly, can we lead them?Only the road knows.
Veteran Skate Trek occupies a 3-dimensional battle space, ready at a moments notice for missions by land, sea, and air. Tonight our home will be on a boat, and in two days we set sail . . .
Stay tuned for shady dockside operations.
Sergeant’s Log, Day 15, San Francisco, June 15 22:27:
This is one fun city to skateboard. A whirlwind tour of San Francisco by skate: Golden Gate Bridge, Haight Ashbury, and some epic hills made for one amazing rest day.
Linked up with Nick and Sam, who will be riding with us for a week. They proved themselves capable traversing some epically treacherous 101 freeway traffic and Nick bombed the hills like he owned the place.
Sitting at the docks with Geoff, a childhood friend, lifelong sailor, and captain of the Alchemy, which will be taking us out of San Francisco and into Half Moon Bay on the next leg of our journey. Geoff tells us to prepare for high swells and wind . . . Vet Skate Trek takes to the sea!
Sergeant’s Log, Day 16, Pescadero Beach, June 17 :
Woke up at 7 to exit the Bay at 9. Winds were blowing strong, lots of small choppy waves. We got air, we got wet. 10 miles out of the bay to avoid the shoals that eat the ships and land is barely visible. Just us and the sea . . .
Bu 17:00 (5 PM) we had made land in half moon bay, just in time for the Chili Bakeoff at the yacht club. . . Jus stumbling into this stuff.
7 PM and we’re on the road, figure we make some headway on tomorrow’s journey to Santa Cruz. “There will be a campsite along the way right?”
Maybe not, but that’s okay. After getting kicked out of a terrible, terrible state park (no camping) at 10:30 PM we trucked it another 5 miles to a beautiful beach cave, where we will sleep sound, listening to the waves and staring at this amazing moon . . .
This day is why we do it. See you in Santa Cruz.
Sergeant’s Log, Day 17, Santa Cruz, June 17 22:19:
Nick and Sam’s first full day on the road, and they handled it like champs. Nick is a fearless hill bomber, screaming into the darkness at speeds that just boggle the mind. One doesn’t know if the road will level out, if there will be cars or cracks or other harbingers of death, but one goes anyway. Boldly entering the fray.
Fresh from a 20-mile night skate and 8 hours of sleep in a beach cave, we completed the remainder of our 50 mile skate to Santa Cruz no problem. These guys are good skaters, they can live rough, and they pull their weight. Welcome to the team.
The people of Santa Cruz are too welcoming. They stop us on the side of the road and donate to the IAVA, they buy us dinner, give us shoes, show us around town. . . Santa Cruz prides itself on its skater culture and history, outta add hospitality to that list.
Tomorrow offers another day of rest. Time to resupply, nurse wounds, and more importantly, to reflect. To look back on where we’ve gone and where we’re going, what has changed and how we have changed. Have we gotten lost in the trek, or are we still on course with our original vision?
The Sergeant’s answer: The Mission Isn’t Over.
Sergeant’s Log, Day 18, Santa Cruz, June 18 21:19
Hanging with skate royalty in Santa Cruz and getting treated like princes. We have feasted, we have rested; we are refreshed and renewed.
Gabe showed up to the Board Room and donated $500 cash to the IAVA. Said our story “touched him”. His selfless gesture touched us. From veterans everywhere, Gabe, thank you.
Factory Tour of NHS was incredible. Not open to the public, the producers of legendary brands like Creature, Independent Trucks, Flip, Santa Cruz Skates . . . Showed us the inner workings, the incredible skate art of the past and present, and even their museum, under construction and opening in October.
KSCO had us on as guests for “Off the Lip” a super fun, Santa Cruz style radio show devoted to surfing and skating. Famous skate artist Jimbo Phillips and the Mayor of Santa Cruz herself (Hillary: super cool, rode in on a strand cruiser, blond and beautiful) were co-hosting the show. Great questions, good banter, and classic stoned-out Santa Cruz call-ins. The Mayor even issued a proclaim: in the city of Santa Cruz, June 18, 2013 is “Veteran Skate Trek Day”.
Sergeant’s Log, Day 19, Monterey, June 19 23:34:
A few obstacles today (beach portage of the trailer, going off-road to get on the freeway) but generally the going was good. 45 miles in a day has somehow become routine. But the beautiful coastline hasn’t. From sparkling bays to rolling dunes to inspiring cliff views, yesterday had it all, and it was stunning.
On the outskirts of Monterey we met Julio walking his dog along the bike trail. Must have been the way he walked up the hill, but I knew he was an infantrymen from 30 meters away.
“We’re you in the Army?”
“Oh yeah.”
“Infantry?”
“11B. . . ” (Fist pound)
It doesn’t matter if you’ve been out since 1988 owing to knees blown out from helicopter jumps. 25 years later you’ll still have that bearing, that walk, that only your fellow brothers will recognize. Julio is still walking the same hills and coastline he ruck-marched as a young man so long ago . . . always will be.
Sergeant’s Log, Day 20, Big Sur Campground, June 20 20:39:
Halfway done. All downhill from here . . .
Big Sur has incredible views, but too much traffic. Spent too much time dodging fast cars and gravely roads to truly enjoy it all (although there were a handful of epic stretches . . . ) Hence, we have:
Vet Skate Treks Political Agenda:
Article 1: DRIVING IS A PRIVLEDGE, SKATING IS A RIGHT. People have been walking for a million years, cars are 100 years old. Ease off the gas buddy, and give me a little room. People should be able to safely traverse vast distances on foot transport without risking their lives in traffic.
Article 2: SOLVE CALIFORNIA’S/AMERICA’S PROBLEMS THROUGH SKATING. Our roads are too crowded, people too fat, and a lot of people need jobs . . . BUILD A VAST NETWORK OF SKATE/BIKE PATHS. Start with the California Coast (our current route, of course) and build a sleek network of pedestrian trails (jobs) so that people will bike everywhere (obesity) and free up rush hour traffic. Win-win.
Article 3: BE HEALTHY, HAPPY, AND PRODUCTIVE. PEACE THROUGH SKATING.
Sergeant’s Log, Day 21, Plaskett Creek, June 21 2013:
First day of Summer. Spent it skating all day through the south end of Big Sur. Too many cars, we’ve had more tranquil rides in Baghdad. Beat, but this treacherously beautiful road has been conquered.
Despite the cars and loose gravel and endless series of hills and blind turns; Big Sur offered up some moments of transcendence. Turning around and looking at the endless majestic coastline that one has conquered on foot, in mere hours, stretching out as far as one can see . . . One feels like an Indian scout, an explorer, an infantryman again.
On flatter ground again and it feels good.
Sergeant’s Log, Day 22, San Simeon Beach Park, June 22 17:55:
Finished off the last scraps of Big Sur, she had plenty of going away presents (hills and amazing views) all the way to the end. Just as things flattened out into San Luis Obispo County the roads deteriorated into the worst road surface we’ve seen so far. The infantryman knows if it isn’t rain it’s hills, or bugs, or the wind, the feet, back . . .
Nerves are pretty shot. We need a break from the road, fortunately the next day affords a rest, 36 hours at base camp. The last few days there has been no shoulder, endless traffic and blind turns. Our lives were in genuine danger, 8-10 hours a day on these treacherous roads.
The “mindset” creeps back in. Head on a swivel, scan your sector, and be ready for anything. Cars and trucks and motorhomes, these things are trying to kill me, they are the enemy. And the day trippers, the motorists who stop for 5 minutes at the Vista view, snap their photos, and shuffle back into their cars to eat potato chips and Pepsi, these are the POGs. What do they know of the road? What struggles have they overcome in order to witness this majestic view?
The veteran must be careful, he’s not in the sandbox any longer.
A break from the road will do us good. Time to oil skates, treat feet, and read some literature. Until we move again.
Sergeant’s Log, Day 24, Morro Bay Campsite, June 24 20:13:
Rained on us last night, roads wet and somewhat rocky this morning, but the roads were flat, the shoulder was broad, and we rolled into our evenings city before 1 PM. Good feeling.
Met up with Jack Smith at the Skateboard Museum in Morro Bay. The museum featured walls of amazing skates from the 50s to the present, sick artwork, posters, photographs, literature . . . Jack told us about the best route to take tomorrow, bought us dinner, and shared some incredible stories.
Jack and his team first skated across THE ENTIRE US in 1976 and has since repeated the amazing feat in 1984 and 2003. He will do it again, along with his son Dylan, this Summer in order to raise $100,000 to combat Alzheimer’s disease. This is a good cause, an incredible man, and a hero and trailblazer to the Vet Skate Trek.
Keep fighting the good fight and check out Jack’s website at www.apushtoremember.com
South on the 1 tomorrow, Central Coast California. Loving it.
Sergeant’s Log, Day 25 + 26, Lompoc, June 26 19:02
Rolling through endless miles of flat farmlands, overwhelmed by the delicious smell of acres of fresh strawberries was how Vet Skate Trek started the day. Nowhere to stop, no reason to, keep trucking. The last fifteen miles to Lompoc yielded some challenging hills, and a lot of traffic. It was a long one today, close to 50 miles, hard earned but satisfying. And at the end of it all, Robin from Surf Connection in Lompoc welcomed us to town, gave us some sick new shirts, and treated us to dinner.
Yesterday was a little easier. A slice of genuine Central Coast beach life. We skated to Pismo Beach with area local and professional longboard skater Bob Priest. He shared some good skate techniques and showed us a good time. Besides that he was fast. Skated 20 miles in less than 2 hours, Thanks Bob.
Today there was nothing to do but read the road. Mile markers, elevations, grooves, channels, grades, roughness. . . all the things you don’t notice when in a car. When one skates a road, one truly “knows” a road, one has an understanding those driving motor vehicles, and even bicycles, will never possess. One feels the gravel of the asphault from the toes to the hips to the neck and the forehead. Every hill has a name, and a differing degree of love or hatred. One sees everything, constantly aware, because otherwise, we die.
After a few hours the “Road Madness” starts to creep in. One becomes hypersensitive to traffic, the vision tires of staring at the lines in the road, and the dehydration headache kicks in. Rather than slow you down, this speeds you up. The infantryman understands there is only one way to end it all: smash through the objective, get off the darn road as fast as possible. So one takes risks, bombs a hill one otherwise wouldn’t, skates in the middle of the freeway to gain speed . . . Anything to end the madness.
And then it’s over. You reach camp and life is good. For tomorrow is just another day.
Sergeant’s Log, Day 27, Refugio Campgrounds, June 27 18:08:
The campsite is an oasis. Nothing in either direction for at least 15 miles. Nothing to do today but skate, no where to stop. My callused toes feel good in the hot sand as I watch the waves roll in and read Steinbeck.
“Hara-hara, mistah . . .”
“. . . Yeah . . . Hot as hell itself”
“Mistah . . . Why?!”
Today’s heat took me back to Baqubah, July 2006. The “Black Days”, when your boots sank into the asphalt and all you could ask was, “Why?” Had to have been at least 95 on the road out of Lompoc and tar radiated the sun’s heat back up at us quite nicely. Might have really messed up someone else’s day, but for these salty Iraq vets, no problem.
Few roads are perfect. And today’s roads were no exception. If it’s not gravel it’s grade it’s rain or its wind or its traffic. There’s always an excuse not to move forward, and only one to actually do it.
Get it done.
Sergeant’s Log, Day 30, June 30, Oxnard, 19:35:
Cruising into the Southland almost seems too easy. The days are short, the skating leisurely. The Veteran naturally distrusts this (inevitably) temporary state of affairs. He is unable to remain at ease.
True. The roads may be flatter, but not necessarily smoother. Cars zipping past at 70 miles an hour don’t give an inch for us here, amidst the beauty there is apathy, distractions, temptations. . . and everybody seems to want to give their two cents.
We seem to crave more hours on the road. Longer patrols, more exertion, more struggle. It’s hard to remember how far we’ve gone, only how far it is to the end. But does it ever end? What do we do when we finish? Can we return, and more importantly, will They let us . . .
Riding all day with an old friend and longtime skater, Brian. It was great beachside riding, epic surf today up and down Ventura County. Sleeping at our good friend Ryan’s house for the night. He will be joining our trip for a while, cruising through Malibu, the South LA beaches, Orange county, maybe even, til the end . . .
Sergeant’s Log, Day 32 + 33, Redondo Beach, July 3 22:07:
Cruising through the hometown, almost victorious, feeling oddly out of place amidst the trappings of “home”. The Veteran cannot be at ease when the mission is left incomplete. How can I sleep in a bed when the road is still out there, untravelled, getting stronger . . . ?
Heading off to Huntington, San Clemente, San Diego, and beyond. We’re moving light and we are moving fast to finish this thing off strong.
Veteran Skate Trek is welcoming our longtime friend Dan to the trip. Dan is a professional bodyboarder used to charging big on the North Shore of Hawaii. We’re looking forward to having him on the team.
Tomorrow is Independence Day and we are on the move again. Freedom is an open road and we are rolling.
Sergeant’s Log, Day 34, Laguna Beach, July 4 22:25:
4th of July. US flags everywhere, people are drinking, and fireworks are lighting up the sky . . . And here we are, skating South, endlessly looking for a place to call home tonight.
Finally found a home. “Thousand Stairs”, a small beach beneath some cliffs. Vet Skate Trek will be sleeping on the sand tonight, hearing the surf pound the shore. Hopefully, no one will roust us. Until then life is good.
Out of LA and into Orange County. Well ahead of schedule. Mexico feels like a race, every mile a victory, every city a memory. The end is so close, we can taste it. Until then . . .
Sergeant’s Log, Day 35, Encinitas, July 5 19:45:
Skateboarding down the entire coast of California may be somewhat of an anachronism. Moving from point A to point B, hundreds of miles. . . Don’t we have cars for that?
We do. And it makes it more efficient, sure, and just about anyone can cover ground it took months for our not-too-distant ancestors to cover, but at the same time, aren’t we missing out on something?
Vet Skate Trek can tell you: we are. There is something soul-satisfying about covering the ground under your own power, sleeping in the dirt, and doing it again and again until that impossible distance becomes the ground you are walking on.
The Army itself just may be an anachronism. A young gentleman may not need to join the Horse Guards and fight her majesties enemies anymore. Perhaps the frat house and the Facebook and the service industry job is enough for the modern man? Perhaps . . .
But just maybe, primordial needs and ancient traditions should be valued and explored and experienced. The skills and lessons and terrible, terrible things that the Veteran does can break him/her, but can also foster greatness, character, and grit. Traversing the countryside on foot, sleeping on the range like Ancient mankind, like cowboys, like explorers and schoolbook heroes, this is good for us. I don’t know what it will foster, but it is good for us.
Long day of skating. . . and Mexico is 40 miles away. The End . . . Whatever that means.
Want to keep pushing. The road madness is competing with the urge to burn miles and almost losing. Camping at San Elijo is a zoo. Surrounded by people, fortunately the ocean waves drown out half the noise.
24 hours and this is all over . . . But remember, anything can happen in a day.
Sergeant’s Log, Day 36, 5 Freeway, Heading North, July 6 18:20:
The Veteran Skate Trek is over. We reached the end of the journey, there is no more road to skate. . . But that isn’t true, is it?
Veterans have problems, lots of problems. We all know this. There’s the institutionalization, the injuries, PTSD, homelessness, apathy, drug abuse . . . And I mean, who in their right mind would skate 1,000 miles . . .
As a society, as a nation, as justice minded plain simple good people. . . Lets DO something about these problems. Veterans, man (and woman) up. Take care of your s&*t and BE the role model and awesome person you were and always will be.
Non-veterans, it’s the little things that count. Veterans have skills: hire them to fix your car, as handymen, hell, give them a job. Vets have stories, genuinely listen to them every now and then and see how big they smile. As questions, by all means. For many Vets, their service is the most meaningful experience of their lives, when we were young, brave, strong, and asked to do so much. . .
So much to do and so little time. The Veteran’s dilemma. . .
THIS mission is over . . . But the battle has just begun.
Sergeant, Over and Out.