Early last year, Darius P. Nabors and Trevor Kemp decided to embark on the best road trip ever: all . The duo spent two months rigorously planning a route that would get them to each park during temperate weather. Then, in June 2015, they set out in a Dodge Ram (borrowed from Nabors鈥檚 parents) with tents, a pair of stoves, and a binder full of brochures. We caught up with them midtrip to get their most valuable crowd-ditching, trail- and river-running, wonder-inducing intel.
Go Off-Season
Nabors and Kemp saw the Grand Canyon during a 19-day rafting trip in November, after a friend won a coveted permit through the lottery system. 鈥淚f you鈥檙e willing to be a little bit cold, it鈥檚 easier to get a permit for off-months,鈥 says Nabors.
Stay Fueled
鈥淚t鈥檚 all about calorie density,鈥 Nabors says. A favorite camping staple: macaroni and cheese with tuna and Rotel canned tomatoes with green chile bits. For a mid-hike snack, the two like Spam and rice 鈥渨rapped in a nice little seaweed sandwich.鈥
Consult the Experts
鈥淐all ahead and talk to a ranger on the telephone,鈥 Nabors says. 鈥淕ive them a sense of the things you like to do and want to see.鈥 They can also be a source of unexpected beta. In Yosemite, a ranger advised them about what kind of weather to watch for in order to witness the park鈥檚 鈥渇irefall,鈥 when the setting sun illuminates the water at Horsetail Falls. Nabors: 鈥淗e told me exactly what I needed to know.鈥