JanuaryBell
Active member
This is a true story despite it being completely unbelievable. But the universe conspired for me this time go around when I left Medford (literally walking out on the town on hwy 99). After spending the night camping outside of Grants Pass, I walked a mile or two further down route 199 until there was no shoulder. Then I stuck my thumb out and this utility van towing a car pulls up on the gravel where cars pull over to let traffic pass. I guessed the guy to be around in his thirties, wearing dreads. I was too tired at this point. I climbed in, and I see a book with some kind of holistic title about the universe. I started up with this theme. He tells me that he and his girlfriend are going to live on a 'commune' just over the border in CA and that he was on his way to San Fran to pick her up and drive her back. We stop in Crescent City for fish and chips before he dropped me off in Arcata. I burned out on Arcata after a couple of days and start making my way northward up the 101. I kept holding out my thumb as I walked along. No such luck. I manage to make up to Moonstone Beach right outside of Trinidad. I pass out and there were a bunch of 20 somethings several feet in front of me, and I could smell the faint whiff of a purple haze. So I walked up and started making small talk with them. They shared generously. There was a no camping sign, but I planned to camp out anyway. There weren't too many hiding spots though, so I made my way up from the beach. There was a restaurant up the hill, and I walked up to a couple with young kids and asked how far was Trinidad was. They ended up giving me a lift back south where there were camp grounds. They gave some leftovers and a ten before dropping me off with a motley crew of travelers around a barrel of fire near the beach. I set up my tent and hung out while wolfing down the leftovers, not tasting anything. And there was a helicopter flying low between the shore and and ocean, making circles. Two hardcore travelers guessed it was the coast guard doing some kind of routine drill, but it was all too surreal. I woke up in the morning, and I'm taking down my tent when a park ranger shows up. Everyone else from last night was gone. They left in a beat up R.V. overnight after some kind of argument between a couple traveling together in the group. And I'm there in the morning trying not to rush anything. Well fuck, I'll take a ticket and won't just come the fuck back. But the guy walks up to me and tells me that he wants to give me my change before handing over 2 dollars. I get back on the road. I had to hide out and take a piss around the bend and down the hill some behind some shrub because the bathrooms are practically coated with shit and piss, and I make my way up the 101 going north, planning on landing in Trinidad for the night. And it wasn't far after I got back on that the same utility van pulled over. The same guy and his girlfriend riding passenger. We ended up camping out for three days up in the mountains in Gasquet, and I agreed to join them in working in a commune or intentional community that was off grid for a couple of weeks. And now, I'm approaching the end of my two week stay here. I got to make some friends and get grimy working on concrete and pulling up weeds in a garden. I put on a goddamned space suite and walk up to swarming nests of honey bees and check out the process. Coincidence? I refuse to believe in that shit...
