STEAMBOAT SPRINGS — It takes a certain level of comfort to embark on a month-long road trip with a significant other.
“We can talk about those needs and wants that are not superficial — like pooping while we’re camping, or if we’re hungry (hangry),” said Natalie Teer, Steamboat resident originally from Destin, Florida. “Someone you can just be filthy around, not worrying about the fact that you haven’t showered in a few days.
“But, I think it also takes a lot of honesty and patience,” Teer said. “You see a different side of that person.”
Especially when the road winds through the deserts of Utah and Nevada, northern California, the Pacific Northwest, Mount Hood, Olympic National Park, Jasper National Park, Banff, Montana and Wyoming.
No fancy hotels, airbnbs or bed and breakfasts — but rather a rooftop tent.
This particular tent – a Tepui tent – will be home for Steamboat couple Brian McSorley and Teer who recently won the rooftop tent through Tepui’s inaugural “Endless Adventure Contest.”
On Saturday, May 12 the couple, who moved to Steamboat in December 2016, will embark on their month-long dream road trip, checking of bucket-list worthy locations and pursuing outdoor activities at each location along the way.
“Having those moments where we both feel a little out of our element — that’s what doing a trip like this is all about,” Teer said. “It’s part of the process to get comfortable with being uncomfortable.”
The idea started when a friend mentioned the Tepui contest, in which hundreds of applicants conjured their dream road trip — the who, what, where, why, when and how long — by submitting a short video.
Tepui – Year of Endless Adventure – Brian & Natalie from Natalie Teer on Vimeo.
“The idea came from our company tagline, “Endless Adventure,” said Beth Brennan, Tepui marketing manager. “We were inspired by all of the trips our customers were dreaming up and the revival of the road trip.”
In April, Tepui picked ten winning groups and gave them $2,000 each and the gear to support the trip, which had to happen prior to September 30, 2018.
Per the contest requirements, winners are responsible for producing photos, videos and blog posts during their trips that will be shared on Tepui’s platforms throughout the year.
After the trips are over, the rooftop tent, outdoor adventure company will award an additional $2,000 to the five participants who submit the best footage.
“We found Natalie and Brian to be very personable and down to earth,” Brennan said. “We loved seeing the adventures they’ve already had and felt confident that they had a well laid plan for their trip.”
“We’re going to be playing some serious Tetris,” said Teer, of their Subaru Forester that will soon be full of gear for every season and any inclement weather surprises.
Growing up in Destin, Florida, Teer and McSorley never met while in Florida, even though he worked as a snorkeling guide there in the summer. It was in 2015, camping near Big Bend, Oregon, they officially and serendipitously met through mutual friends.
“We haven’t dedicated our trip to a specific sport that we plan to focus on, but more so a bunch of things that we want to try to do because that’s how we imagined our dream road trip – doing a lot of different activities in places we’ve always wanted to visit,” Teer said.
“We’re a jack of all trades as far as outdoor activities go,” said McSorley, who works as a bike instructor and guide during the summertime on the mountain.
While both were outdoor enthusiasts prior to moving to Colorado, the yearn for adventure grew even brighter in Steamboat, which led them to pursue this trip.
“I feel like pursuing something like this or going camping and getting outside in general gives us that reset that we need sometimes,” Teer said.
“This trip especially will give us a chance to pump the breaks on reality, to take a step back and live simple,” McSorley said. “We have a general itinerary but no set, normal routine.”
They plan to go hiking, biking, skiing, snowboarding, backpacking, fishing and more taking in the grandeur of peaks and endless horizons.
“We’re going to places that are a little farther and different than the typical Utah getaway that we’re used to here in Steamboat,” Teer said. “Even if we hadn’t won the contest, we would’ve done a trip like this anyways.”
As the two are packing and planning this week, the unknown road that lies ahead beckons adventure, and they’re ready to get started — with, of course, a little bit of extra patience.
“It absolutely takes a certain level of patience first and foremost — I need to remember patience when we leave this room” said Teer, smiling in McSorley’s direction discussing the to-dos left to cross off the list.
To reach Audrey Dwyer, call 970-871-4229, email adwyer@SteamboatToday.com or follow her on Twitter @Audrey_Dwyer1.