The People You Meet

I’ve met a bunch of people along the way since I started all this in September of 2017. People I either wouldn’t have met or wouldn’t have spent time talking to under normal circumstances. I’ve enjoyed hearing their stories. Most of my destinations are recommendations from locals. I think I had a latent need to get to know the stories of humans from all kinds of backgrounds. Increase my perspective on how others live and what makes them tick.

In this blog I’m going to spotlight some of the people I’ve met and their stories. Their struggles and triumphs. Some curveballs. Some funny bits for comic relief. All of this coming together in what I realized is a little side quest to my main goals. To meet and listen to people. To better understand the human condition.

Let’s start with the Howard family I met in Mammoth Lakes. Mom, Dad and daughter. They are from D.C. and were celebrating their daughter’s college graduation. I’m chuckling as I think back to when I introduced myself and the Mom proclaimed so wholesomely that “we’re the Howards!” Hahahhahaha. I met the Howards during my second stint backpacking overnight, solo. This was in Mammoth Lakes and they were doing a day hike. I ran in to them 3-4 separate times on the trail and each time we had the most pleasant conversation ranging from recommended hikes along my route to the mental aspect of sleeping alone in the wilderness. The dad was retired military. Chatting with them just made me feel good. Howards, if you’re reading this, you’re a role model for what I want one day, thanks for chatting with me.

I never caught his name but in the parking lot after that same hike I met another guy. Older, maybe late 60s. We exchanged the standard pleasantries. Then he began to tell me that two weeks ago he came home and his wife was gone. Packed up and moved out. This wasn’t a situation where my spidey sense went off because he was a shady character. Instead, I felt for the guy. He was lost, confused and sad. Not just in the things he said but in his face too. He needed to let some stuff out, didn’t have anyone else and I happened to be parked next to him. On this trip I don’t need to be anywhere fast. So I gave him the time of day. Listened to his story. I told him that it was likely going to suck for a while but that things would be okay. Not that I’m qualified to give advice like that but I felt it was what he needed to hear. It’s an example that life can take abrupt turns and nothing is guaranteed.

I met Tod Black while elbowing up at the bar having some pizza, again in Mammoth Lakes. Tod is probably mid 40’s. He offered me an onion ring. I hesitated. I saw that he had a TON of onion rings on his plate. I concluded he genuinely wanted me to take one. So I accepted. And I didn’t feel weird until I dipped it. My brain didn’t seem to mind accepting the onion ring but I remember feeling weird using his dipping sauce.  Maybe a savage move? We started with some small talk and then moved to talking about how tomorrow is not guaranteed. YOLO and that kind of stuff. This stemmed from me telling him about my travels and story. Tod had a great energy and positive attitude and I enjoyed talking with him. Then he dropped that he’s had two kidney transplants. Dialysis. Hospitals. Wait lists. Just a shitty, shitty hand. Tomorrow is indeed not guaranteed. Tod’s son was one of his donors. He was glowing talking about his wife of I think 25 years and their family. Tod took his shitty hand and turned it in to a straight flush. A reminder that tomorrow is indeed not guaranteed. Live now.

I read a book about a year ago called “AWOL on the Appalachian Trail.” It’s about a dude, trail name AWOL, who quit his job to hike the entire AT. It was my first intro to true backpacking. In the book he discusses “trail magic” and how it’s important to take advantage of towns off the trail, when available. But that these towns can be hard to get to with no vehicle and after months of hiking. Hitchhiking is common. Most of my time in California was spent along the Pacific Crest Trail. Like the AT, through hikers spend several months backpacking the entire thing. In Mammoth Lakes I saw two guys along the road, clearly hiking the PCT, with their thumbs in the air. Clearly I picked them up and gave them a ride 5 miles away to the highway, where they’d hitch another ride. They had been on the trail for 4 months and smelled like it. But they were good people. I asked them what their Instagram was so I could follow them. They looked confused and said they don’t have Instagram. Here I am whoring myself out for followers and attention after spending 1 night in Yosemite and these two guys, who have most definitely seen more cool stuff than me and have been sleeping on the ground for 4 months, didn’t have Instagram. I’m not going to stop posting to Instagram for attention, but I definitely respected that they were hiking the PCT for themselves only.

Comic relief time. Outside Mammoth I spent a few nights around these natural hot springs. I drove to one on a recommendation. There was another couple already in it. Which is normal. So I got in. Oblivious. Then I look to my right and see a boob. I immediately look forward and try to act normal. That failed. It felt awkward I and saw the need to acknowledge the situation. So I asked them if I was interrupting something. They said no and explained there were other people in there before me, no big deal.  As they explained I glanced their way and noticed they both were completely nude. So here I am sitting in the hot spring with two nudists, trying to decide my next move. Making small talk while my eyes dart anywhere but at them. It’s hard to act normal when the strangers you’re talking to are naked. After the small talk I saw a window and got out, said goodbye to the nudists and went on my way.

Dustin and Jamie have been on the road for 4 months, living in a 1978 Volkswagen bus. I had heard in town that people camp out near the hot springs mentioned above, 5 miles or so outside of Mammoth. I had never just camped out on public lands before. I was always either backpacking, staying in a reserved campsite or staying in an airBnB or hotel. I didn’t really know how it worked. So I approached Dustin and Jamie and asked how it worked. Explained that I was road tripping across the US. They said “us too” and gave me directions and invited me to their campsite in the same area, but off a different un-marked road. We spent 3 days hanging out at that site with their two dogs, Coral and Maverick. Dustin and Jamie still seemed to enjoy each other’s company after spending almost every night for 4 months in a Volkswagen bus with 2 dogs. I really enjoyed those days, especially since I had been solo since Paul left a few weeks earlier.

I met Trip in a locals bar in Mammoth Lakes. Trip is a snowboard bro. He explained to another local that “you don’t want chair 6 hoes.” And that “if you work chair 6 and you’re a chick you’re trying to get bro status by banging some bros.” To which the other local responded “but does she have a boyfriend?”

Muriel was my airbnb host on my way down to Vegas. She had horses on the property. I stayed in a little cabin next to the main house. The Land Cruiser needed some serious organization done. There was stuff everywhere with no system yet. I wanted to take out the 3rd row seat belts since there are no seats there and install some bungee cords. Muriel let me stay until as late as I wanted on check out day and gave me access to her workshop full of tools.

There are so many other stories like this. I’ve had a unique opportunity over the past 9 months to meet people from as wide a spectrum as you can possibly get. Some/most stories are positive and uplifting. Some are funny. Others are tragic. Mitchell, a 65 year old ski instructor and grill man from Mammoth, drinks a bottle of vodka before noon and said he was mostly happy. Then he said he often thinks about suicide. He’s staying in employee housing with no savings and is worried about when he can’t work anymore. I gave him my ear too, as uncomfortable as it got. So not all stories are awesome. It’s a reminder of how lucky I am to have the opportunity to do this. It’s also a reminder that life is really rough for some people and that I should appreciate everything I have.

Quick recap on where I’ve been. Last week I visited my friends Joe and Molly and Justin and Lizzie in Orange County. Then my friends Jen and Paul flew in to Vegas from Chicago and we drove to the Grand Canyon where we hiked and camped. Then we capped their visit with an epic night in Las Vegas. It’s been so nice being around my friends, breaking from the normal solitude. I’m now wrapping up this blog from St. George Utah, back to being solo. I just learned that I won a lottery, 10 people out of 200 applicants, to hike “The Subway” in Zion National Park on Wednesday. So I’ll be spending the time before that learning what the heck I just got myself in to.

Thanks for reading.