September 29-30, 2022 Lake Padden
Hiked around Lake Padden with Indigo before we parted ways. Watched some cute firefighters doing some work beside the trail. Hitched toward Seattle to stay with my Dad's friend. He hosted me during the PCT as well, so it felt fun to connect again after finishing a different trail. We got some burgers and Crumbl cookies for dessert. Afterwards, I went out with his son and his friends for a couple of hours. Next day, I went to check out some Japanese gardens. I felt super inspired to buy my mom a bonsai tree and then I looked at the prices and changed my mind.
September 27, 2022 Ptarmigan Ridge Trail
Indigo took me hiking up in Washington on the Ptarmigan Ridge Trail. From the very beginning, I felt spoiled by the views. I felt as though I got to meet Washington for the first time, since before, I mainly received rainy/cloudy days. The colors around us were bright and magnetic; autumn was in expression. Indigo picked berries along the way. We walked among some snow and up some rocks to get a view of the glacier. In the near distance, we observed heavy clouds of smoke from a wildfire.
September 25-26, 2022
Today, I allowed myself to sleep to full capacity. I woke up refreshed, my tent surprisingly dry. I opened my tent to the sight of the Oregon trees encompassing me. I felt a great sense of comfort and peace. I had plans to meet up with someone in Portland, however my guidance was asking me spend more time on the coast. I felt very introverted this morning and just wanted to listen to the waves crashing into the sand. I sat down in the sand and leaned my back against a washed up log. I watched as the rolling clouds shifted into clear skies. The tide started making its way in. An older...
September 24, 2022
Today, I felt sort of down. No reason in particular, just one of those days. As I was hitching towards Lincoln City, a young woman on some sort of drugs approached me and asked if I wanted to fight her. When I said no, she called me a “fucking bitch.” Then, two young girls in their thirties stopped to pick me up. Something felt energetically off, yet I found myself getting in the car anyway. It eventually became clear they were both on meth. I asked if they could bring me to a state park that was close to Newport and so they did. I released some tears as I walked off path toward the...
September 23, 2022
I made it to the coast super early after night hiking. I stopped to look at the stars and thought to myself how this was going to be my last night on trail… my last night looking at the stars... for the meantime. I felt a sort of melancholy interspersed with contentment for another adventurous time on trail. Seems to get better every year. It felt so good to touch the coast again—reminisced about my time with Quadzilla. Felt grateful for having such a lovely friend in my life. Hung out at the library. A woman at the store gave me a bunch of free stuff to give to my friend, Gina. She gave...
September 22, 2022
Oliver woke up early with me and made us some hazelnut coffee. The air was crisp and the wildlife around us was still sound asleep. I ate a lemon poppyseed cookie to start my day. As Oliver was driving me back to the trail, he told me I was nuttier than a fruit cake. I started walking and I thought to myself how Oregon had a specific energy and scent. Each state had one. I felt that if someone were to blindfold me and drop me off in the middle of a certain forest I had hiked through, I would be able to tell where I was at. Did a big mileage day today and felt so tired by mid-afternoon. I...
September 21, 2022
Today, I didn’t know whether I wanted to stay in Reedsport for another night or hitch to Corvallis to start the C2C trail. Mo’o brought me a box of doughnuts home and within a few minutes, a girl named Indigo reached out to me. She was also an avid listener of Wisdom Dialogues (Hope Johnson) and invited me to her home, north of Seattle! In an instant, it was clear it was time to hitch out. I got a ride halfway to Corvallis and then road walked around some farmlands until a local farmer picked me up and drove me straight to the trail. So many people stopped to ask if I was hiking to the...
September 20, 2022
Got breakfast with Goose at T’s Cafe North. The french toast was so phenomenal that we went in the back to give compliments to the chef! He was super shy and felt uncomfortable from the attention. I loved how loved I felt around Goose. It was so easy for us to help uplift each other, to be free and support each other’s journeys in life—regardless of what we found ourselves doing. While at the restaurant, I saw how confident he was when he told the waitress that we both lived out of our backpacks. I felt a deep sense of freedom come over me. He taught me how to be confident, how to express...
September 19, 2022
I got picked up by a man named Antonio. He asked if he could come with me to the coast because he wanted to live like me. I said I appreciated it, but no. Then, he proceeded to ask if I wanted him to get us a hotel room to have some fun and that he would give me a lot of money. I told him I strictly wanted to hitchhike in order to hike some trails. He dropped me off at his exit, gave me $20 and apologized for assuming I was a prostitute. I told him it was okay and that there were no hard feelings. I actually loved being in the car with people that assumed I was a prostitute because it...
September 18, 2022
Hung out at the Tahoe Valley Campground. The camp hosts gave thru-hikers an entire space to recharge their electronics along with a kitchen setup and a giant hiker box! They were also happy to offer free showers and coffee for the hikers! Blessed for such people and spaces. Went to Earnie’s Coffee Shop in Tahoe and a couple walked up to me and told me they were trail angels. They asked if I needed anything at all. God bless people. Spirit could not make it any more obvious that this was how I desired to live. At this point, it became funny to me how I even questioned it. I felt like...
September 17, 2022
(X-rated) I partook in conversation with a couple of older gentlemen as we ate our continental breakfast. They used to be cross-country hitchhikers, themselves. Their eyes lit up with joy as they shared stories and memories of their time on the road. After I ate, I got a ride to Winnemucca and was dropped off at a gas station. As I went to throw out some trash, a man in a cowboy hat took notice to me and asked where I was going. I said, “California!” He asked if I ever rode in a horse trailer before. I said no, but that it would be fun to give it a shot! He was headed straight to Cali. We...
September 16, 2022
First thing in the morning, I hitched a ride and got picked up by a lovely black guy named Joshua. He offered me a plate of bacon the moment I got in the car. He said he picked me up because I looked like an innocent girl who was stranded on the highway. He dropped me off on an on-ramp in Wendover and I continued my hitch towards Reno. I felt really off after the conversation I had with my father a couple of days ago and sensed there were some feelings I needed to work through. As I stood on the highway, I took notice to a bundle of sunflowers beside me. They were swaying softly in the...
September 15, 2022
Today, I started hitching towards the Wild West. I got picked up by an older gentlemen named Riley. He knew the area well and gave me a tour during our time together. He was a history buff, passionate about America and keeping the Constitution alive. He would randomly yell questions such as, “What happened on February 18th of 1854?!” And I would freeze up because I felt as though I was getting a pop quiz at school. He would get genuinely upset any time I didn’t know the answer, making me feel stupid by saying something such as, "How do you NOT know what happened on the Tuesday of November...