Author: cleanshave

Hitchhiking to Roosevelt Lake

I woke up in the middle of nowhere and decided to hitchhike. Down the road to Roosevelt Lake where I could finish the leftover pizza still heavy in my pack. Cell service had been faint at best and quickly died off, contributing to the overall sense of quiet. From Roosevelt Lake I hiked up and […]

Tonto Basin, Arizona

A quick story of gluttony. I knew there was a town over the mountain that had pizza, so I ran there as fast as I could. Only I couldn’t resist the siren call of tacos at the town’s edge, plus three big gulp Cokes to get me down the road and out of the heat […]

Hike for Life?

After a brief time alone in the desert to reflect, I only had two unanswered questions. Just because it was possible to hike for the rest of my life, was that what I wanted to do with the time remaining? And, what does carrying a sage bundle say about a person? #gettinglost #AZT #sobo

Tramily on the AZT

Meeting @soulslosher again, a friend hiking the Arizona Trail that I hiked with in 2011, felt like stepping back in time, while also realizing how far we’ve come. Time is fleeting, but the trail remains a constant, molding us into better versions of ourselves. Here’s to our next trail adventure together! #tramily #AZT

Winslow, Arizona

Standing on the corner of Winslow, Arizona at 6am on Friday the 13th, the streets were cold and silent. Despite the solitude I had to remind myself to take it easy, to lighten up while I still can. Except I’ve got a world of trouble on my mind. “Oh we got it easy, We oughta […]

Los Angeles, California

I climbed up to Radio Hill Gardens to get a better look at the city, to get off the streets for a little while. There were surprisingly few camps hidden along the trails, even as I got turned around and ended up along the Arroyo Seco Parkway. After passing up eating at either Won Kok […]

Sleeping in Union Station

This is the city. Los Angeles, California. It’s the motion picture capital of the world. Some come to Los Angeles to see the stars or try to become one. I’m trying to get out. The lobby of Union Station was my hotel room, shared with dozens of others, their angry voices reflecting off the marble […]