This journey began in Evergreen, Colorado—the town in which I live. The mission of the journey was to attend the Outessa Summit at Powder Mountain in Utah. Outessa is an amazing event that is focused around outdoor activities. It is a weekend retreat, filled with adventure and inspiration, and it is only for women. A few weeks before, Outessa had held their first event at Kirkwood in California, and all of the chatter coming from there was super-enthusiastic and positive. I was excited.
I woke up in the dark with a plan to leave early and hopefully arrive at Powder Mountain before sunset. I had barely slept the night before; I was up thinking about all of the advice I had received from the many people that had tried to help me feel confident enough to travel across several states with an Airstream in tow. Truth is: I didn't feel confident. The biggest thing I had ever towed by myself was a small dirt bike trailer—never a travel trailer. In the predawn hours, I focused the energy from that anxiety to prepare my Airstream Basecamp trailer. I went over everything I thought I would need. I made sure everything was secure and ready for the road.
The night before, I had attached the Basecamp to my Jeep Wrangler Unlimited. I had checked the lights, so I knew that was working properly. In the early morning darkness, I unhooked the electric that was plugged into the house, wrapped the cord in the storage compartment above the propane tanks, and began the preflight checklist. I checked the safety chains, the emergency brake connection, the wiring connection, and the hitch lock. I made sure the doors were locked and the stairs were up. Giving it a final walk around, I double-checked the Basecamp, and decided that I felt good about the trailer tow situation. I loaded into the Jeep to begin the journey to Outessa Summit 2016.
Once in the Jeep, I got myself all comfortable and situated, and then . . . I just sat there. I was frozen in fear. I couldn’t believe that I was about to tow the Basecamp more than 700 miles across three states. But I wouldn’t be alone for long. I was on my way to pick up a co-pilot for this journey—my friend, Kala. This would also be Kala’s first travel trailer experience. Still sitting in my driveway, I realized there was no turning back; I had to follow this through. I had to get the Basecamp to Outessa. I couldn’t let down the many people who believed in me—the people who had chosen me for such an amazing opportunity. So, I put the Jeep in drive and I pulled out of my driveway, in tears.
I may have been scared out of my mind but the wheels were rolling. I was doing it. I was towing the Basecamp down the mountain road I live on. Every turn I made, I breathed a little more. Every mile I ventured, I felt more relaxed. I quickly felt confident and alive. I was intimidated by the camper, but I was doing it. And it wasn’t nearly as hard as I had thought it would be. I easily made my way through town and soon was calm enough to turn on the radio. I was cruising at the speed limit and traveling easily. After the millionth time looking in my rearview mirror at the Basecamp, I realized what a special camper I had with me. That feeling was reinforced at every stop light by the reactions from fellow drivers as they gazed and smiled at me and my trailer. Before I knew it, I was on the freeway traveling through rush hour traffic, heading to Denver to pick up my co-pilot who would join me for the rest of the journey to Powder Mountain.
Arriving at Battery 621 in Denver, I retrieved Kala and we were on the road. Kala was no stranger to the Basecamp. She had played a very special role in its creation, heading up all of the consumer research that shaped so much of its design, functionality and features. It was very exciting to be with her as she experienced the result of all that hard work for the first time.
Together, we headed north into Wyoming. I was increasingly impressed with how comfortable I felt towing the Basecamp. That comfort soon became confidence, and I was able to focus my time on my friend. Kala shared with me all of the passion that she and the team of talented people put into the Basecamp project. Knowing how much thought and love was put into its creation, I became even more inspired to show off our camper along the way and at Outessa.
In Wyoming, we encountered wind gusts of up to 35 miles per hour. The Basecamp towed better than I expected. The Jeep struggled in the headwind, but never let us down. We took our time. We found a rhythm with two drivers alternating at the wheel. When we made it to Utah, we found the roads were tough but the Basecamp continued to tow like a champ. Finally, after a long haul up Powder Mountain, the Basecamp was ready for it’s debut at Outessa Summit! We had done it! We had driven 700 miles! Two women, one Jeep, and one Airstream Basecamp. On our own, we made it to the Outessa Summit! I was on top of the world and felt empowered. What a journey!
Although the road trip was over, I soon realized that there was much of the journey yet to be had. The next morning, I awoke at sunrise to take some photographs. I found a comfortable spot to take it all in and to see the beautiful place at which we had arrived. The scenery was breathtaking. The amazement of the place and the event at which we had landed was starting to sink in. As I wandered around the grounds of Powder Mountain, people were busy and excited. As the Outessa Summit attendees started waking and getting ready for the day, the smell of breakfast was in the air and the energy was high. Few knew what to expect, but you could feel the anticipation of all as we made our way around the village.
After breakfast, Kala and I settled in with the Basecamp. We got it set up in just the right spot so one could see the mountain vista through the front windows. We were ready to show off this beautiful camper to all the women at the Outessa Summit! One by one, women came to visit. As they walked by, they stopped, curious to to see an Airstream like they had never seen before. They all loved it. They loved that it was small and it was luxurious. And they all shared about it. Soon there was a buzz at the event: the new Airstream had to be seen and experienced.
In addition to the time I spent showing off the Basecamp, I was thankful for the time I had at Outessa—relaxing, doing yoga, and experiencing many outdoor activities. I took time to reflect, and I came to realize how amazing it was that I was able to be there. I was surrounded by positive, eager women, who were all ready to learn and grow as humans. It was beyond inspiring to listen to strong influential women share stories of success and failure. Women shared pieces of their souls in hopes that other women would learn and share similar experiences in nature. I learned that Outessa is about empowering women to be passionate and real—in the outdoors; it is about women encouraging other women to be confident in pursuing dreams and activities in the open air.
I took my time at Outessa, and I enjoyed my journey with the Basecamp. I will hold that adventure dear to my heart. It was a time when I challenged myself to be more than I thought I could be. It was a time when I overcame fear and experienced new things. I am forever grateful for the experience.
Airstream Basecamp is the RV Business™ Magazine's 2017 RV of the Year. Read more blog posts about the award-winning Basecamp here.
