Milk run into town. From Santiam Pass it’s an easy hitch into and out of the town of Sister’s… except for the news. Two people that I cared about had passed away. My Mom’s husband, Fred, and a good hiking friend named Spider. It will take a while to sink in, that they aren’t there […]
Author: cleanshave
Obsidian Falls, Blue River, Oregon
Back on trail, devouring homemade mac ‘n’ cheese, and burning through socks. From Elk Lake to Obsidian Falls on the PCT. Meadows covered in smoke, my home for the night. Drinking from the headwaters of Glacier Creek after a night spent somewhere on the side of North Sister, one of the volcanic peaks making up […]
Getting on the PCT, Elk Lake, Oregon
Summer vibes permeate lazy days… until your family decides that you need a couple of training hikes before you jump on the Pacific Crest Trail. Our first hike took us up Mount Bachelor, standing majestically in the Cascade Range at 9,068 feet. Then we explored Tamolitch Falls, also known as Blue Pool. Despite the falls’ […]
Family Time, La Pine, Oregon
In the vortex of family, I’ve found the perfect refuge to ride out the stormy tides of market uncertainty that have me questioning my own situational awareness. Here, in a trailer hidden among whispering pine, down by the river, running with dogs, and happily getting fat. These lazy days, filled with stillness, allow me to […]
Little Deschutes River (Oregon)
Dog Day Afternoon… #RuffDay #Dawg
Amtrak North
It was too early in the season to migrate north, yet I found myself on a train, tracing the California coast towards Oregon. The Pacific Northwest is my Summerland, a sanctuary between worlds, where I can rest and rejuvenate my weary soul, and find direction for the years ahead. When my sister and her husband […]
Lingering in Los Angeles, California
The stories we tell ourselves are the illusions that shape our reality and steer our destiny. I found myself on the second floor of a converted motorcourt on Hollywood Blvd, wondering how many people knew the difference between a motel and a hotel? How many understood economics without money? One of my best friends had […]
Romero Pools, Tucson, Arizona
Pusch Ridge looms majestically over Tucson and the sprawling desert as a defining feature of the Santa Catalina Mountains. Its lower slopes are adorned with iconic saguaro cacti, while its higher elevations are shrouded in the deep green of Douglas-fir trees. It was the ideal sanctuary to bask in nature’s beauty while waiting for my […]
Hitchhiking to Globe, Arizona
Craving a change of pace and a refreshing half gallon of milk, I knew it was time to switch gears. My body was pleading for respite from the relentless miles, a sign that hitchhiking was the only way to catch my train out of Tucson. But first I had to get out of the mountains […]
Night hiking the Mazatzal Wilderness
The heat during the day was getting oppressive. I’d take long breaks, next to a water source if possible, but always in the shade. I’d hike through as much of the night as I dared, some of the footing through the Mazatzal Wilderness is sketchy even in daylight. With the moon casting its ethereal glow […]