Journey Return

July 5 Boulder and Denver Minutes: 3 5 14 16 54

July 4 Start: Alamosa Stop: Denver The Amtrak bus arrives at 6 am and because my reservation is last minute I have to pay the driver directly. I was told that they accept credit cards but of course this turns out not to be the case. I have $33 cash for a $39 ride. The … More Kindness

July 3 Start: past Wolf Creek Pass Stop: Alamosa, CO Miles: 10 All day in Santa Fe I kept asking myself, “Why am I here?” I toured the sights with a half heart, bored by midday. I made my way north to Chama with an uneasy feeling in my stomach and wondered if I should … More When I Listen To My Heart

July 2 Start: Santa Fe, NM Stop: past Wolf Creek Pass,CO Miles: 1.5 Total miles: 685 I made it all that way without paying a dime. Thank you to all the angels in this world and county subsidized buses. 2 out of the 3 hitches were people that turned around and came back for me. … More 2 Bus, 3 Hitch

July 1 Santa Fe, NM I sleep in because REI doesn’t open until 10am. I walk by the newly renovated area along the tracks. Shops and restaurants are interspersed with train stops. I make my REI purchases, pick up the spot my parents have gotten me. Next I catch the Santa Fe free bus and … More Adobe

June 30 Start: Smart’s Mountain, CA Stop: Santa Fe, NM In the already hot morning I don my familiar hiking clothes, collect my paper bag carry-on. Don’t forget my vertical fan box aka checked baggage which contains my backpack and all its contents. It’s never easy but I say goodbye to my kitty Yazhi. He … More Spreading My Wings

June 21 It seems unfathomable that I’m gratefully vegging out in front of a tv during the summer solstice. For me it’s a day that resonates with being outdoors. I mean, it’s Naked Hiking Day for gosh sake. It also seems unfathomable that I’m in California and not hiking the mountains of Colorado at this … More The Trail Dance – Chama Anyone?

Miles?? That’s the question. How long will I be off trail? Until there’s miles to write about, I’ve got to suspend this daily thing. Aside from the few days I dragged myself through the snow, I haven’t really hiked in two weeks. Too long. 700 miles of calluses and muscles are going soft. My tan … More Day 48 and Beyond: Where Is My Path?

June 10 Start: blm land near Zion national park, ut Stop: cedar creek, ut 5 miles Total miles: 683 Under misty skies we slowly make our way through Zion National Park to the visitors center. Could this place really be more spectacular than the Grand Canyon? Maybe it’s because we’re down in this beast, getting … More Day 47: Where Zion Angels Land

June 9 Start: Kaibab national forest Stop: blm land near Zion national park We’re up early and don’t really know what time it is. We head into the park and catch our first glimpses of the canyon. I am no longer one who has studied geology but has never seen the Grand Canyon. It’s unbelievable, … More Day 46: Grand Layers