Trip: Palmdale, CA → Greenville, SC “Homeward TAT” Dates: 14 – 29 July 2025 (16 days) Cadence: ≈ 8 trail-hours / day Theme: Faithful + Present on the long road home
OVERVIEW (VISION)
| Item | Detail |
| Purpose | Finish the Trans-America-Trail in a single push while staying fully engaged, work check-ins, and creation of new CampDads content. |
| Big Why | • Tick off the SoCal Spur + classic TAT to SC |
| Team / Rig | Solo driver (Jeremy), 2004 Toyota Sequoia overland build, 22 gal tank (10 mpg) + 10 gal aux fuel, Starlink Mini |
| High-Level Stats | 16 days • ~3,450 mi (~215 mi/day) • 8 Hilton overnights (Thu/Sun resets) • 6 camping biomes (desert ► canyon ► alpine ► high plains ► hardwood forest ► piedmont) |
| Guiding Principles | Safety first • Leave No Trace • Capture stories for CampDads & Venture Unknown • Keep steady rhythm with Thursday + Sunday hotel |
ROUTE & LOGISTICS SNAPSHOT
| Leg | States | Miles | Terrain | Key Logistics |
| 1. Mojave Desert | CA-NV | ~340 | sand washes, lava rock | Fuel Barstow; short days for heat |
| 2. Canyons & Lake Powell | NV-UT-CO | ~470 | slickrock, Smoky Mtn Rd, ferry | Halls Crossing ferry (call 48 h) |
| 3. San Juan & Rock Mtns | CO | ~490 | 10-12 k ft passes, alpine loop | CO OHV permit; WX gate |
| 4. High Plains & Mesa | CO-OK | ~720 | prairie 2-track, mesas | Watch summer storms & gumbo ruts |
| 5. Ozark Highlands | OK-AR | ~430 | red-clay creek fords, Warloop tech | Self-recover gear ready |
| 6. Delta & Pine Belt | AR-MS-AL | ~460 | levee gravel, forest roads | Humid; bug nets & AC hotel nights |
| 7. Piedmont Finish | AL-GA-SC | ~540 | Appalachia ridges, GA backroads | Final maintenance day in GVL |
SEGMENT PLANS (HIGH-LEVEL DAY TABLE)
| Seg | Days | Start → Finish | Daily Avg | Notable Challenges | Resupply / Comms | Planned Hilton |
| 1 | 1-2 | Palmdale → Laughlin | 170 mi | 110 °F heat, deep sand | Barstow Walmart LTE | — |
| 2 | 3-4 | Laughlin → Cortez | 235 mi | Eldorado Jeep trail, Lake Powell ferry timing | Kanab BLM LTE | Cortez Hampton 17 Jul |
| 3 | 5-7 | Cortez → Salida | 163 mi | Alpine Loop snow, river crossings | Lake City café Wi-Fi | Salida Hampton 20 Jul |
| 4 | 8-10 | Salida → Alva | 223 mi | High-plains storms, cattle gates | Trinidad 5G, Boise City fuel | — |
| 5 | 11-12 | Alva → Oark | 215 mi | Great Salt Plains mud, Warloop rocks | Bartlesville downtown 5G | Bartlesville HGI 24 Jul |
| 6 | 13-15 | Oark → Talladega NF | 220 mi | Delta sand, MS summer heat | Oxford campus 5G | Oxford Tru 27 Jul |
| 7 | 16 | Talladega NF → Greenville | 270 mi | GA clay if wet | Atlanta corridor LTE | Home |
DETAILED DAILY ITINERARY
| # | Date | Miles / Drive hrs | Camp / Lodging | Terrain & Tasks |
| 1 | Mon 14 Jul | 180 / 7h | Afton Canyon (BLM) | Angeles Crest dirt; set tire psi 18 / 20 rear |
| 2 | Tue 15 Jul | 160 / 7h | Colorado River boondock | Historic Mojave Rd, inspect sand recovery gear |
| 3 | Wed 16 Jul | 230 / 8h | Kanab BLM field camp | Eldorado Mts trail; stock up at Kanab Kanab Natural Grocers |
| 4 | Thu 17 Jul | 240 / 8h | Hampton Mesa Verde/Cortez | Smoky Mtn Rd, Halls Crossing ferry (10 am); hotel laundry |
| 5 | Fri 18 Jul | 190 / 8h | Lake San Cristobal NF camp | Rimrocker → San Juan Mts; prep for high passes |
| 6 | Sat 19 Jul | 170 / 8h | Wet Mtn Valley dispersed | Engineer & Cinnamon Passes; trail content capture |
| 7 | Sun 20 Jul | 130 / 8h (loop) | Hampton Salida | Medano Pass + Great Sand Dunes detour; remote-work upload |
| 8 | Mon 21 Jul | 200 / 8h | Trinidad Lake SP | Apishapa canyon mesa track |
| 9 | Tue 22 Jul | 250 / 8h | Black Mesa SP primitive | Enter OK; sunset drone footage |
| 10 | Wed 23 Jul | 240 / 8h | Alva RV city park | Grid roads; rotate tires |
| 11 | Thu 24 Jul | 220 / 7h | Hilton Garden Inn Bartlesville | Red-clay creeks; downtown dinner |
| 12 | Fri 25 Jul | 210 / 7h | Oark NF camp (General Store) | Warloop Rd rock garden; famous burger stop |
| 13 | Sat 26 Jul | 230 / 8h | Helena levee camp | Boston Mtn ridge; Mississippi crossing |
| 14 | Sun 27 Jul | 200 / 7h | Tru by Hilton Oxford | Delta farm lanes; Sunday rest & route review |
| 15 | Mon 28 Jul | 230 / 8h | Cheaha Wilderness camp | AL forest ridges; sunset at Bald Rock |
| 16 | Tue 29 Jul | 270 / 8h | Greenville home | GA Piedmont gravel; trip debrief dinner |
EXCURSIONS • ACTIVITIES • GEAR
Side Trips & Excursions
| Segment | Waypoint | Activity | Time |
| Mojave | Afton Canyon Narrows | Short slot hike & petroglyphs | 1 h |
| Lake Powell | Muley Point overlook | Sunset vista | 30 min |
| Rockies | Alpine Loop | Alpine Lake trout fishing | 1.5 h |
| High Plains | Black Mesa summit | OK high-point hike | 2 h |
| Ozarks | Oark Café | Famous pie & nostalgia | 45 min |
| Delta | Helena Civil War Park | River bluff history | 1 h |
| Piedmont | Cheaha Tower | Highest point in AL | 30 min |
Gear Checklist (SUV-friendly)
| Category | Essentials |
| Navigation | iPad w/ Gaia + OnX offline maps, Starlink Mini, paper AAA/USFS maps, compass |
| Recovery / Tools | Hi-Lift jack, MAXTRAX pair, kinetic rope, soft shackles, tire repair kit, 12 V compressor, tool kit, spare parts, fluids (oil, ATF, coolant), OBD-II scanner |
| Camping | Interior sleeping platform, 30° down quilt, twin mattress, camp pillow, ground tarp, collapsible camp table & chair, awnings w/ side wall |
| Kitchen / Food | 35 L fridge, induction stove, pot set, skillet, French press, utensils, cutting board, collapsible sink, biodegradable soap, 20 Gallon potable water |
| Clothing | 4x moisture-wick shirts, 2x convertible pants, 1x soft-shell jacket, puffy, rain shell, swim trunks, Merino base layers, 7x underwear, 7x wool socks, wide-brim hat, insulated gloves (high passes) |
| Electronics | Starlink Roam kit, EcoFlow River2 power bank, 200 W mounted solar panel, USB-C hub, (3x) DJI Osmo Action + 256 GB cards, DJI Air2S drone, headlamp (2x) |
| Safety / Med | Adventure-Medical 2.0 kit, SAM splint, electrolyte packets, sunscreen, bug repellant, bear spray (CO), spare Rx meds, quick-clot gauze |
| Personal / Hygiene | Compact camp shower, quick-dry towel, biodegradable wipes, toothbrush kit, TP + WAG bags for desert LNT, small clothesline |
| Docs & Finance | Driver’s license, insurance, vehicle title copy, Hilton Honors app, credit & debit cards, cash |