Weightshifting S2E27: All good things…

October 10, 2023

Day 27: Oct 6, 2023 Bishop, CA → San Francisco, CA Miles: 250 — As I drift off to sleep, I smell fire. I drowsily brush this off, equating it to a possible...

Weightshifting S2E26: There’s been an accident.

October 7, 2023

Day 26: Oct 5, 2023 Las Vegas, NV → Bishop, CA Miles: 305 — About three miles in the distance, we spot a huge dirt plume. It originates on the left side of...

Weightshifting S2E25: Viva Las Vegas.

October 5, 2023

Day 25: Oct 4, 2023 Apple Valley, UT → Las Vegas, NV Miles: 148 — Today’s 8:30 a.m. Zoom motivates us awake. I’m fortunate to be able to work from the road,...

Weightshifting S2E24: And another one.

October 5, 2023

Day 24: Oct 3, 2023 Apple Valley, UT Miles: 0 — I awake after a restful slumber. The sleeping conditions were damn-near perfect: cool overnight temperatures...

Weightshifting S2E23: Mesa goodie.

October 4, 2023

Day 23: Oct 2, 2023 Cortez, CO → Apple Valley, UT Miles: 323 — Thunderstorms roll in and out most of the night, and the morning is dark and moody. We all...

Weightshifting S2E22: Grantland.

October 4, 2023

Day 22: Oct 1, 2023 Del Norte, CO → Cortez, CO Miles: 175 — As we suspect, the weather reports prove wildly inaccurate. At 8,000 feet, we’re subject to...

Weightshifting S2E21: Fear is the mind-killer.

October 2, 2023

Day 21: Sept 30, 2023 Comanche National Grassland, CO → Del Norte, CO Miles: 229 — I open the tent flap and pop my head out. The view is indeed as impressive...

Weightshifting S2E20: We’re not in Kansas anymore.

October 2, 2023

Day 20: Sept 29, 2023 Lee’s Summit, MO → Comanche National Grassland, CO Miles: 557 — Alyssa and Craig take us to Post Coffee for a farewell coffee and tea....

Weightshifting S2E19: Internet trail magic.

September 30, 2023

Day 19: Sept 28, 2023 St. Louis, MO → Lee’s Summit, MO Miles: 237 — We pull into a driveway in a quiet and pristine neighborhood. Jen and I approach the...

Weightshifting S2E18: Because the night belongs to us.

September 29, 2023

[Editor's note: This is a resend of the proper text that Jen edited. If you were curious about how much amazing work she does to whip my words into shape,...

Weightshifting S2E17: For our fathers.

September 27, 2023

Day 17: Sept 26, 2023 Belleville, IL — Jen’s father, Michael Schuetz, passed away on Father’s Day, June 20, 2010. My father, Abdul Hamid Hussain, passed away...

Weightshifting S2E16: Eero Saarinen designed it.

September 26, 2023

Day 16: Sept 25, 2023 St. Louis, MO — We visit this marvel almost every time we’re in the area. It’s always stunning.

Weightshifting S2E15: The zoo within the zoo.

September 26, 2023

Day 15: Sept 24, 2023 St. Louis, MO — Blueprint Coffee is the OG third-wave coffee purveyor in St. Louis. We usually visit the Delmar venue, but with a new-...

Weightshifting S2E14: “I’m damn near eighty!”

September 25, 2023

Day 14: Sept 23, 2023 Belleville, IL — It’s been a number of years since we’ve attended a wedding. In addition to seeing the immediate family, we’re invited...

Weightshifting S2E13: A day with Kim and Kyle.

September 24, 2023

Day 13: Sept 22, 2023 St. Louis, MO — My sister-in-law and new brother-in-law arrive at our Airbnb to spend a full day with us. Leading hectic lives, they...

Weightshifting S2E12: Brewed and baked.

September 24, 2023

Day 12: Sept 21, 2023 St. Louis, MO — I am predictable when visiting a reasonably sized city. I look for coffee, a juice / smoothie shop, a natural foods...

Weightshifting S2E11: Ditch walkin’

September 21, 2023

Day 11: Sept 20, 2023 Maryville, IL → St. Louis, MO Mileage: 25 — I hear footsteps and morning routines in motion. My sister-in-law and her family are...

Weightshifting S2E10: Hello windiness, my old friend.

September 20, 2023

Day 10: Sept 19, 2023 Wilson, KS → Maryville, IL Mileage: 454 — It isn’t the first time. In fact, this is the fourth occurrence. At twelve minutes past...

Weightshifting S2E9: We’re definitely in Kansas, Dorothy.

September 19, 2023

Day 9: Sept 18, 2023 Denver, CO → Wilson, KS Mileage: 370 — One more person to see before we leave Colorado. Matt Jacobs is a longtime friend formerly of New...

Weightshifting S2E8: Transition.

September 18, 2023

Day 8: Sept 17, 2023 Boulder, CO & Denver, CO — It’s frigid. The first light is finally peaking over the mountains with a soft orange-pink glow. We packed up...

Weightshifting S2E7: Dave is a vibe.

September 17, 2023

Day 7: Sept 16, 2023 Longmont, CO, Gold Hill, Co, & Nederland, CO — As promised, we meet up with Gino at his abode after we check out of the hotel. He offers...

Weightshifting S2E6: IRL

September 17, 2023

Day 6: Sept 15, 2023 Longmont, CO & Boulder, CO — I’ve known Gino Zahnd via the internet for a long, long time now. We’ve never met in person, but our design...

Weightshifting S2E5: I’m sorry, Ms. Jackson.

September 15, 2023

Day 5: Sept 14, 2023 Vernal, UT → Boulder, CO Mileage: 325 — “But you can't predict the weather, Ms. Jackson.” — Ms. Jackson, Outkast We leave Vernal, Utah,...

Weightshifting S2E4: There’s a Banksy in Park City, Utah.

September 14, 2023

Day 4: Sept 13, 2023 Ophir, UT → Vernal, UT Mileage: 223 — Yesterday’s overstimulation resonates throughout the night, so neither of us sleep well. A truck...

Weightshifting S2E3: This will do.

September 13, 2023

Day 3: Sept 12, 2023 Lamoille Canyon, NV → Ophir Canyon, UT Mileage: 286 — The first in a series of today’s “mishaps” begins this morning. Barb, our four-...

Weightshifting S2E2: Familiar is friendly

September 12, 2023

Day 2: Sept 11, 2023 Tahoe National Forest, CA → Lamoille Canyon, NV Mileage: 356 — The dulcet tones of a calm lake lapping at a shoreline finally awaken me....

Weightshifting S2E1: Liquid Gold

September 11, 2023

Hi, this is Weightshifting, a newsletter by Naz Hamid and Jen Schuetz, primarily about vehicular travel and exploring the American West. This is season 2, en...

Weightshifting: An audio-visual document

June 19, 2023

It’s been a while! If you don’t remember, you signed up for Weightshifting, an email newsletter originally conceived as design and travel notes from the...

S1E7: On a Low and a High.

April 14, 2022

A few days separate us from our time at Canyon of the Ancients and our last camp from this fall trip. After a mangled tale of an ER (mis)visit and a return...

S1E6: Tracks of the Ancients.

February 4, 2022

I notice the tracks as I return from a brief scouting trip. When deciding on a campsite for the night, reconnaissance is necessary: one, to verify personal...

S1E5: Pound, rub, pound.

November 11, 2021

It’s something like midnight. A four-and-a-half-pound senior Chihuahua is tucked into her blanket and snuggled up next to my left rib cage inside my sleeping...

S1E4: 11,218 feet.

October 22, 2021

We roll into Rico, Colorado, parking in front of the local post office. It’s rustic. Cute. Mountain-town vibes are abundant. Like a peacock, the foliage on...

S1E3: There’s a Tarantula In Our Room.

October 5, 2021

“Err, I just saw a head poke out.” “What?” “I think there’s a rat or mouse in our room.” “Where?” “Near your bags. I saw a head.” Gingerly and slowly, I...

S1E2: The Dark is Dubious.

October 1, 2021

We find ourselves sitting by a heated pool in autumn temperatures at 7,200 feet. Santa Fe has been home for two nights, where we luxuriated in a king-size...

S1E1: Ernie Is Our Co-Pilot.

September 25, 2021

Hello. You’re receiving this long-dormant-now-re-reawakaned newsletter because at some point in the past you subscribed. (Thank you, by the way.) Back then,...