Six Easy Steps to Make A Dream Become Reality!

Have you ever wanted something? Talked about that something for days, weeks, years? I have! Today I am one day post fulfilling one of my dreams. I am reflecting on the journey and steps that brought me to this place of accomplishment…

Waterfall at Yosemite National Park

STEP ONE: DREAM A LITTLE DREAM
You can never accomplish what you do not know you want. One year ago, my good friend, Tim Brown, came to our yearly Trailerfest Rally walking gingerly. If you know Tim, that is not his usual mode of operation, so I asked him what was up. Tim said he and his high school buddies had climbed Half Dome just a few days before, and his calves were still a bit wobbly. That planted a little seed in the back of my mind, and I started asking questions and finding out what it would take to climb Half Dome. The more I talked about it, the more I wanted to do it! My dream was set, but I was still a long way from the top of Half Dome

STEP TWO: WRITE YOUR GOAL DOWN ON PAPER
Behind my desk is this saying by Greg Reid: “A DREAM written down with a date becomes a GOAL. A GOAL broken down into steps becomes a PLAN. A PLAN backed by ACTION becomes a REALITY!”
My Goal was to Hike Half Dome before I got too old! That was a big goal as I often feel that in my mid-forties, I have already passed my prime hiking days. A seventeen mile round trip hike with over a 4,000-foot elevation climb seemed ambitious, but I wrote it down. CLIMB HALF DOME. Honestly, I did not know what that entailed. But it was written down, and it was now my goal to accomplish.

Scaling the switchbacks on the way to the top.

STEP THREE: EDUCATE YOURSELF
Now that I had a dream and a goal, I needed to know the processes to fulfill my dream. In today’s society, we often have more information than time to sift through it for the nuggets of truth. I read the official National Park’s website and found out that Half Dome requires a permit. Permits are handed out in a lottery system that I had to apply for by March 31st. On April 10th, 2020 I received a giant surprise in my email. I had won the lottery and had secured a permit to climb Half Dome on September 3rd, 2020. I was so thrilled. I called all my people! I felt like I had received the best Christmas gift and was telling my all besties about it. YIPPIE!! Once I had secured a permit, things got serious. I ordered a book about Yosemite and the Half Dome Hike. I did not appreciate the appendix in the back listing all the deaths that had occurred during the said hike. It left me questioning myself and my sanity.

That is a human on the left. This rock is enormous.

Caroline wrote this blog after climbing Half Dome in Yosemite.

STEP FOUR: SURROUND YOURSELF WITH A GREAT SUPPORT TEAM
I did not want to do this hike alone. I asked my neighbor, Susie, if she would be crazy enough to want to do this with me. When she agreed, we decided to start walking together three times a week. We started slow but quickly worked up to 5 miles each time we walked. The time we spent together was the sweetest time of this journey. We had a chance to visit, pray and encourage each other. She also held me accountable. It is a lot harder to sleep-in when someone is waiting for you to go walking at 7 am.
Tim Brown said he would do the hike with us and even registered for our campsites. Quite a tricky process with a National Park. He invited me on several hikes in the Sierras that mimicked the elevation and climb, but were not quite as intense as Half Dome. Having a great support team around you is key to reaching goals. We all need cheerleaders, and accountability partners, and dog sitters, and counselors when we take on any big project. If you are blessed enough, you will even have a husband to drive and cook for you.

Caroline and Susie get a reality check at the cables.

The Capri Camper had many creature comforts back at base camp.

STEP FIVE: THROW YOU HANDS IN THE AIR -IT IS 2020 and COVID IS HERE!
Two weeks before our day to hike Half Dome, we received a notification that our campsite was cancelled due to Covid-19. Driving into the park takes almost an hour. The 4:30 am start time to our hike required that we camp inside Yosemite. The campsite cancellation was like watching my dream swirl down the sink. With no campsite, we ran through a bazillion scenarios to try and make the hike work, but we kept hitting dead ends. I was resigned that it was not meant to happen, and I was ok with that…kind of. Again, Tim Brown came to our rescue and spent a couple of hours checking the Yosemite National Park’s campsite reservations page looking for a cancellation. After hours on his phone, he was able to secure enough reservations for our group to camp in Yosemite the night before our hike. Five days before our permit, the hike was back on and we were really going to do this. I quickly filled our backpacks and the Capri Camper with everything we could possibly need and headed to Yosemite.

Camping at Yosemite is dry camping so it is nice to bring your own power. A "suitcase" solar panel will keep your batteries charged.

Angelo made it to the top with Tim who has climbed Half Dome four times.

Caroline and Susie didn't stop until they reached the top.

STEP SIX: DON’T STOP UNTIL YOU REACH THE TOP!
HOLY COW! That is all I can say. I read about the hike. I trained for the hike. I packed and prepped and studied for the hike. Hiking the hike- kicked my tail! If there was an elevator, up or down, I would have opted for it, but that was not a choice, so I put one foot in front of the other and marched on like a good soldier. Much of any goal is a mental game. I kept praying for strength and telling myself I could make it. I did not really look around while hoisting myself up on the cables. I didn’t want to picture myself pummeling to my death. My eyes were fixed on the next step. One step at a time and we made it to our goal. Thirteen hours, seventeen miles, two pairs of socks, two ibuprofen, two gallons of water and lots of beautiful sites, we made it back to camp having conquered Half Dome!

Angelo on top. (He still had an 8+ mile hike back down the hill.)

The Ram 2500 outfitted with a Capri Camper and a bike rack for the valley dwellers. (Click on the image above to visit the Capri Camper website.)

What does this have to do with vintage trailers? 
I’ve helped my husband rebuild several vintage trailers and the same steps apply. If you are reading this blog it is likely because you love vintage trailers. You have a dream. That dream can become a goal when you write it down and make a plan to accomplish that goal. Maybe you want to restore a trailer and need to prepare by reading other’s journeys and possibly by attending Boot Camp 2021. Maybe you want to buy a fully restored trailer and need to educate yourself on what to look for when buying a trailer. Surround yourself with a support team. Don’t give up. The Vintage Trailer Hobby is a journey. Enjoy reaching your goal even if it comes with a bit of pain -or a lot of pain. I am hobbling around today like I’ve been hit by a MACK truck but I have a smile on my face – I have reached my goal! What is your dream? You can do it!

RESOURCES:

• https://www.recreation.gov  Reservations to National Parks 
• https://www.nps.gov/yose/index.htm  Yosemite Info
• https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/halfdome.htm HalfDome Information
• https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/hdpermits.htm Half Dome Permits
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• Back issue collections of the Vintage Camper Trailers Magazine - On Sale