8/23/11 Denver, Colorado

After the rained out show in the town of Larimie, we convoyed back to Denver where I stayed the night. The next day was the Yonder Mountain, Infamous Stringdusters, and Railroad Earth show at Red Rocks Amphitheater in Morrison, Colorado. After arriving early to the show, I soon realized that the show was sold out as numerous folks walk around scouting for tickets. Numerous people meaning, hundreds scattered around hour before the show begins. There I was, scouting for a ticket, with no luck and no tits to help me out. The hours flying by, people giving up and going home while the music begins and I'm sweating my ass off, pickin' the banjo at the red rocks road entrance, trying to get inside for the Railroad Earth show.

Low in spirits ready to give up, a car pulls in for a stop while two girls rush the car for tickets. Ticked off knowing that the pair of girls were going to get the tickets, the guy points at me, then I realized that I knew the fellow. It was Nick, who I ran into in Yellowstone a few days earlier with the Frog's Gone Fishin' band. Sure enough he helped me out with a ticket as I quickly made my way inside the awesome venue. The large, red boulders stretch out into the sky as thousands of people dance the night away to Railroad Earth. With four more songs to go on the single set, I took in the magnificence around me as my feet moved around like never before. After the talents of Railroad Earth and a prolonged break, I took my place near the front as Yonder Mountain String Band rose out of the shadows onto the famous Red Rocks stage.

I'm not sure what it is about the music, but much like when I am alone in the wilderness of the mountains, I get filled with emotions that I would never have felt back at home. Along with everyone else in the crowd, I danced my ass off with that same smile that I have had so often since I left in March. My body vibrates, as the bass tones run through me once again, the music shouting at the earth and running through my mind. Also, it was to be kept in mind that this was now in the great state of Colorado where there are more marijuana dispensaries than Starbucks. "If you are certified with your lovely medical location, then reach inside your pocket....  let us make a cloud of smoke that can be seen from space! Don't be a wuss.. Hold it in and let it fly!!!"

Oh sweet mama, two hits and the joint surely turned brown. Followed by a reprise of Keep On Going they kept the night alive until the time came to pack up and leave the venue. After the show, I drove back to Denver where I stayed at "The Pond" where the band Frog's Gone Fishin' resided. It was yet another late night with the crew as we played more jams, had a few drinks, and found time to sleep before the sun rose about the mountains. The next morning, we gathered our gear, (which for me consisted of my banjo and wallet ) and piled into the large chevy van to head off to Statesbridge, nested deep in the Colorado hills. After receiving my wristband I sat back and enjoyed the Rock & Roll mixed with Jazz until my name was called to play a few songs on the second set. A good night filled with free drinks and food, jams on stage during the day, and long jams all night in the huts.

Leaving midday on Monday, we left for Aspen, the richest area of Colorado to play at the Belly-Up, one of the fanciest venues in all of the state. It was awesome to get the chance to perform on a stage where artists including David Grisman, Allman Brothers, Yonder Mountain String Band, B.B. King, Bela Fleck, Ben Harper, STS9, and more have also played. The venue also treats the artists right as we were provided with a full buffet dinner and two large boxed stocked with cold Fat Tire and Sierra Nevada brews. With a large turn out for a Monday night, it was awesome to watch the people dance to music that you help create. Needless to say, it was yet another crazy night as Trevor, Dax, and myself stayed in Aspen for the night with this gorgeous girl, Adrianna.

The rest of the band left that night after the show saying there would be a ride provided in the morning If I decided to stick around Aspen. Waking up in the morning to Trevor and Dax getting ready, they had no room in the car as it was packed to the brim with music gear, so I laid my ass back down to sleep since It was only three hours since I had begun to rest.

After realizing that I had no ride back to Denver with the fellow being caught up in some trouble in the area, I made a sign and started hitch hiking back to the city. It was yet another reminder of just how fun hitch hiking really is, as I met some great folks along the way including Richard, a criminal attorney with hook-ups at the University of Georgia if I was interested in attending the school, and Lorie, a high school principal who was so intrigued by my playing. She gave me the numbers of her son who was also an artist/musician residing in Colorado Springs. I spent a few hours with these folks as they set up to watch the 3 day bike race through Vail Pass. Over 12,000 feet high at Independence Pass, it felt wonderful to be able to enjoy the road again without a vehicle. Two rides later, I found myself back in Denver with the band, relaxing for the night with some netflix and blogging.

8/19/11 Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

Leaving Stanley, Idaho, I drove eastbound to catch the bluegrass festival at Grand Targhee Ski Resort in Alta Wyoming. Just a week earlier I was accepted as a volunteer, so after paying the camping fee I started my first shift searching bags and wristbands into the venue. That night was the first time I saw the Infamous Stringdusters as they rocked out the venue under the full moon that shone overhead. After the show it was time for bluegrass picking as I wandered around the small camps listening for the musicians that were around. Jamming along with some and watching others, I saw tons of talent in the hills of the Grand Tetons hidden away at 8,000 feet.

On Saturday, Yonder Mountain String Band once again threw out an excellent performance which was followed by more activities in the forest and Sunday was started off volunteering backstage finding time to converse with the various artists of the day including The Greencards, Railroad Earth, and others. Sunday night following the show I met Wendy and Jen, two gals that worked at Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park. With my next stop in mind being Yellowstone, they offered a place to stay for the week. We departed ways and stayed at the resort for one more night.

Then began the drive to the first National Park sitting on top of the largest volcanic system in North America. The park sits on the Yellowstone Caldera also known as the Yellowstone Supervolcano which is filled with hot spring boiling with extreme heat, mudpots, and geysers that at times could shoot water hundreds of feet high. Upon my arrival, I also soon realized that this was one of the largest tourist attractions in our country. Arriving at Old Faithful, hundreds of people would gather around the predictable geyser to see the magnificence it holds every ninety or so minutes. This is when I also realized I could make some decent money playing music for the people leaving after the show.

That night I met up with Wendy and Jen again crashing at their place gearing up for a ten mile bike and twenty mile hike through the backcountry. I was very fortunate to have met them as they gave me a map to use along with bear spray to hike out in grizzly bear country.

It was wonderful to experience the national park without being around all of the tourists as I hiked out to the largest backcountry lake in the U.S. Following the hike I began to play music for tips for the people clearing out of Old Faithful every hour and a half for the next two days which worked out well with car insurance and bills coming up. I had a great time on my stay at Yellowstone meeting part of the employee team and gathering peace in the volcanic terrain away from the tourists.

While jamming out on the banjo in front of Old Faithful, a fellow approached me named Dax, who was part of a band touring called Frog's Gone Fishin'. They are based out of Denver and with Colorado in mind for the next month, they asked if I would come along and jam some songs on stage with them and get a job working in the awesome state of Colorado. Departing ways, I enjoyed one last day of the beautiful park as I took the long, scenic route across Wyoming to the college town of Larimie.

8/12/11 Stanley, Idaho

I arrived into Stanley just one week ago as I walked around the small town walking into each place looking for some temporary work before the festival. After the half hour, I found a job at a local restaurant working dishes and prep. That evening I got to experience the Stanley local street dance, where they bring out a band in the middle of town and all of the locals dance the evening away. (They really know how to dance too..) That night I camped out at the local campground meeting some new folk who worked as whitewater rafting guides and Mike mentioned he held an open mike at the bar the next night after the local street dance. Although I was too lit up to play right on the stage I met more great folks and got more connected with the great people in it. Getting to know the "Lucie's Crew" It didn't take long to meet some great friends to spend time with. After a night of heavy drinking, hot springs, and raising hell, it was time to start the morning shift washing dishes.

Sunlight peers through the sawtooth ridges, covered the town in a warm ray of light while bald eagles fly the ridge overhead. The restaurant opens up bright early to get ready for the breakfast crew as the owners walk 100 feet from their cabin to get started making food. This was the type of place you work all day, and drink all night until your crawling on the roof laughing your ass off at the stories being told of the past years. This was the place where you try to hold a serious conversation with the owner and he lets one rip to fill the entire diner with his infamous stench. Although the folks there were far from normal, every single one of them were downright awesome people.

Most of the week in Stanley was spent with Jerad, Tony, Rocky, and Dakota, raising hell jumping off cliffs, cruising in hot springs, watching It's always Sunny, and drinking every night. Apart from those four awesome folks, I also give props to Mike and his crew taking me whitewater rafting after hours for no cost. Also much credit to Josh and Adam for hiring me for a week at one of the best jobs I have ever worked. I also give credit to the coffee and energy drinks that kept me alive that crazy ass week.

Never have I been to a place so welcoming, generous, and friendly. As much as I would love to stay, I must keep moving as the Bluegrass festival, Grant Targhee in Wyoming, begins today.

08/02/11 Stanley, Idaho

After the bluegrass festival, I hit the road towards Washington not quite knowing where I was heading to but eager to press on. Going northbound, I saw two hitch hikers on the ramp to the interstate while I was taking a stop at the store. They were rainbow kids and with the sun setting and them seeming friendly company I made room to give them a ride. They had set out from Portland that day to get to Seatlle where they would spend another day before they left back home again, and without gaining much ground they were extremely grateful and gave me $30 to fill up my tank. Now having a destination for the night, we arrived at a friend's house and I was able to shower up and drink with some new friends.

The next day, after some busking in Seattle, I left to catch the ferry to Bainbridge, where I would be able to reach the Washington Peninsula in the northwestern area of the continental U.S. This place consisted of the Olympic National Park, which housed three ecosystems with snow capped mountains overlooking the rainforest by the coast. My first stop in the Peninsula was straight to the beach, in the northwest corner. It was at that point that any further I traveled, would be back towards home in the east. On the western coast again, the boulders loom above the ocean floor as I climb the rock to isolation. 3,000 miles away, I threw off my shirt and bag, and placed my bare feet in the chilly water. In the wave-pool, the ocean rose above the rock and crashed down below me as the water ran high above my head and soaked me with it's natural touch.

After a peaceful night camped out in the back country, I hiked a section of the Hoh River Trail, residing in one of the few and largest rainforests in the United States. What made the climate so spectacular was the supporting climate for air plants, that grow solely on the nutrients in the air. All of this moss would hang off of every tree as mushrooms the size of a dinner place crawled up of the multiple trees in the area. This place of natural beauty, along with the Redwoods of California, were part of the oldest forests with the largest trees in the country. Unfortunately I was only able to hike so far with my leg still acting up after hiking 10 miles in. After the sights of the rainforest I left back where I came from to the Northeast, passing through the town on the way to play some banjo.

Washington was excellent for music as far as the direction I was in as I made $204 playing the banjo in one day on that Friday. I have never made that much money in one day in my life, let alone playing music. yay. It's all hit or miss though folks as I only made $40 the next day on Saturday. Heading east, I took the mountain roads to see the small towns and the scenery of Washington. Passing through Idaho, I was on my way to Montana when I stopped at Coeur d'Alene, a wealthy tourist town, to play some music. With multiple warnings about the cops writing me a ticket in the area, I kept on truckin' to Montana, where I camped out for the night in the Bitterroot National Forest. There I took the mountain bike out for a ride and enjoyed the wildlife and scenery of the great state of the north.

Southbound on highway 93,  I was on my way to Stanley, Idaho, gateway to the Sawtooth National Forest. After a short walk through town looking for work, I found a small town cafe' that was more than willing to bring me along for the next 10 days. Shortly after while set up on my laptop at the lodge, I got the confirmation that I am scheduled to volunteer at the Targhee Bluegrass Festival next weekend. On top of that I am scheduled to work the Yonder Mountain Harvest Festival in October in Arkansas. Things have a great way of working themselves out and I am so grateful for all the great, beautiful people that help me out along the way.

I am looking forward to settling down for the next week camped out, as I'm a bit tired of driving. Found myself stuck in the middle of Idaho, which is far from being a bad thing. Much love to my friends and family back home,

Tyler