Headed to the Pacific Northwest

[storyofrachel]

I'm planning on going this winter. Portland, Seattle, Olympia, maybe even Vancouver, BC.

~ What are some good youth drop in resources? I need someplace LGBT friendly, that doesn't require ID, and which doesn't feel like fucking juvenile hall; someplace like Safe Place for Youth in Los Angeles, or the Larkin Street drop in center in Haight-Ashbury.

~ Good places to sleep?

~ What is public transportation like? How can I hop the trains/buses?

~ Tell me about the cops. Can I spange and sleep in public?

~ What are the knife laws like?

Note that I am from Los Angeles.

 

[Dameon]

If you're going up to the PNW for the winter, prepare for some pretty rough, depressing, cold, wet weather and very little sun. If you don't have some amazing rain gear, and you're sleeping outside, get ready for the crappiest winter of your life. You're heading into a literal rainforest at the worst time to go to the rainforest.

Range is too big to answer most of your questions. Anywhere there's light rail, like Portland's MAX, you can ride for free if you're lucky. If you get busted, you generally just get kicked off the first time.

Outside In in Portland might have some good resources for you. There's about a million resources in Portland in general, ask a cop or one of the public safety folks for the resource guide when you get there - seriously, they carry copies, and it's an invaluable guide. The cops in the PNW major cities are generally decent as long as you don't piss them off - the cities are liberal enough that the cops mostly aren't white supremacists.

 

[storyofrachel]

If you're going up to the PNW for the winter, prepare for some pretty rough, depressing, cold, wet weather and very little sun. If you don't have some amazing rain gear, and you're sleeping outside, get ready for the crappiest winter of your life. You're heading into a literal rainforest at the worst time to go to the rainforest.

Range is too big to answer most of your questions. Anywhere there's light rail, like Portland's MAX, you can ride for free if you're lucky. If you get busted, you generally just get kicked off the first time.

Outside In in Portland might have some good resources for you. There's about a million resources in Portland in general, ask a cop or one of the public safety folks for the resource guide when you get there - seriously, they carry copies, and it's an invaluable guide. The cops in the PNW major cities are generally decent as long as you don't piss them off - the cities are liberal enough that the cops mostly aren't white supremacists.

What kind of gear might you recommend?

 

[Coywolf]

I'm actually going back up to Oregon. And WA here soon, it is NOT the best time of year to go up there.

If you are going to any of the major cities it is going to rain nearly every day, be cold, but not freezing.

The resources to there are generally good, but there are also a shit load of peo0le using them.

You are going to need tarps, rain gear, a waterproof tent, non-cotton clothing.

Search the forums for living in the PNW, Portland and Seattle. Lots of good info on here

 

[CaptainCassius]

I'll tell you right now it's in the low 20's F in Eugene area at night, 40's F in the day.

Wool and layers are your friends.
Also you will need weather protection as mentioned before.
It's wet and cold and your stuff won't get much of a chance to dry out.

There's a ton of resources in the major cities, anywhere else you're dealing with ice and cold wet forest with slim pickings for dry firewood.

The coastline is a little more tolerable and the hitchhiking seemed to be pretty good from what I gathered.

 

[CaptainCassius]

On Knives:

All types of knives are legal to own and carry in OR (per 2nd amendment) unless you are felon then there's some issues.

POCKET KNIVES of any type including switch blades can be concealed carry legally.

ALL KNIVES may be open carried legally.

Note that there are no statutes governing knife laws in OR only court rulings in previous cases.

 

[Will Wood]

I'd avoid the PNW in the winter. Why not stay in NorCal for the winter and come to Oregon in the spring??

 

[storyofrachel]

I'd avoid the PNW in the winter. Why not stay in NorCal for the winter and come to Oregon in the spring??

Any recommendations? I'm not much of a wilderness person, and I like being around bums my age.

 

[CaptainCassius]

Any recommendations? I'm not much of a wilderness person, and I like being around bums my age.

Anywhere pretty much in Humboldt or Mendocino counties, ukiah..willits..arcata... "Eurtweeka" .. Shit even garberville and redway had a lot of heads around when I passed thru. Trinidad and Scotia are nice too.

Leytonville can be cool but there's also a lot of locals that grow weed to fund their speed habit..

Hitchhiking and walking is gonna be your main mode of transportation in them parts.

I wouldn't suggest crescent city.. Blown up with homebums and tweekers.

 

[storyofrachel]

Anywhere pretty much in Humboldt or Mendocino counties, ukiah..willits..arcata... "Eurtweeka" .. Shit even garberville and redway had a lot of heads around when I passed thru. Trinidad and Scotia are nice too.

Leytonville can be cool but there's also a lot of locals that grow weed to fund their speed habit..

Hitchhiking and walking is gonna be your main mode of transportation in them parts.

I wouldn't suggest crescent city.. Blown up with homebums and tweekers.

Know anything about, eh hem, green jobs up there?

And is there anything else you can tell me about those places?

 

[CaptainCassius]

Know anything about, eh hem, green jobs up there?

And is there anything else you can tell me about those places?

It's a little late in the season but there might still be some spots open for trimmers. Just gonna have to ask around, be careful and mind what you say and who you talk to though, like I said there's some bad apples about.

Also everyone and their brother thinks they can just go to NorCal and trim or grow, don't be a fool and be blatantly crass about it and you'll probably do well.

Also DO NOT go on anyone's property without permission, a shot of rock salt or a new bite mark in your backside as you're fleeing if you're lucky, bullets in ya if you're not.

Let's see..

Eureka has a few resources an OK downtown and a decent balance between travellers and wingnut bums. There's a free clothing store there which is nice..

Arcata is a college town, redwood park is REALLY easy to sleep in just hike up outta the way and nestle up in a redwood trunk or some nice ferns. Lots a people hang out in the square in arcata.. Personally I don't care for it, you'll probably get smoke n drink though if you go and make friends. Also the national forest boundary is right there on the edge of the college campus. Not much in the way of resources or money making opportunities though.

Ukiah is nice and a little warmer, there's a cool farmers market and lots of places to sleep, a brewing co. And a place called ploughshares which is kinda the local bum feed. Steer clear of the Walmart unless you like getting hassled, also there was a really bad tramp camp there once, kids used to brawl to the death.. Lake Mendocino is nearby and the local park has bbq areas for cooking. Old logging roads you can get lost around.

Most of the rest are really tiny towns, but like I said a lot of people are up there right now 'working' so chances are you'll run into some good people.

 

[storyofrachel]

Is "the square" Arcata Plaza? Is there anywhere like that in Eureka, as in, places where homeless hang out?

 

[CaptainCassius]

Is "the square" Arcata Plaza? Is there anywhere like that in Eureka, as in, places where homeless hang out?

Yep the very same.

Eureka downtown has people passing thru a lot even though it's a lot of boutiques and ritzy places, I can't really remember "the spot" cause I'm never there long enough really but there's a library and park nearby it where you can get some info, but you might be better off just asking a kid with a pack what's up.

 

[Bumrumors]

Dont go to the pnw unless you are ready for a cold wet miserable time outside. Obviousley gear makes everything way more enjoyable but if you dont like waking up to ice on the top of your tent , snow sometimes. I was in eugene last december and it was 35 during the day and 15 at night. Barable at best when it rained but with libraries and late open coffee shops, finding places to dwell can be tricky since the homebums and junkies have made a lot of places bun proof.my favorite place was the library, oregon outreach for bums is great thou,All over the state actually has some sort of deop in or shelter, st. Vinney de paul gives out clothes vouchers, food boxes, propane for stoves and heaters, tents, its a great resource with a handful of others.
Get a good warm snow boarding jacket thats gortex or rain proof, a wool blanket and i mean 100% wool, ground pad with a good R rating. Dont wear cotton youll sweat and it retains water but will suck the warmth right out of you, synthetic poly blends and under armour long johns are ideal.
As for transut hitchhiking in oregon is a piece of cake. Your allowed to walk on the highways. Transit is great in most cities, hises or the max. Usually you can catch a city bus to almost every suburb sout or north east or west in portland. The coastal area is pretty dead during the winter and rainy seasons but it isnt immposible to enjoy. Anything north of florence is a puddle constantly thou. Not saying its any diffrent inland but its a good change from the big cities, the food banks and drop ins are sparse but there are some along the coast.
In medford i got a tent, tarp, backpack and 5 degree sleeping bag at the medford st. Vinneys with just my id and a mon to wensday drop in till 2 pm.
But thats as much of medford that i could say was good. South 10 miles in ashland they have nightly warming shelters there at diffrent churches, plus the locals are pretty okay if you dont run a muck too hard in thier city.
Trim work is easy to find and it is a normal gig on the table for a 100 bucks unless you have a ebt, a bum rumor i heard said it discounts you for a med card or works card. Or go guerilla grow and find a grower..
All in all id stay away from washington, its very cold and rainy. Seattle is amazing but not in the winter if your used to los angles or a climate with no dramatic season changes.
Good luck, and remeber smile your in oregon.

 

[CaptainCassius]

i think its a bad idea to head up to the pnw in the winter unless you have a place lined up. the best way to head up is right after winter so you have spring and summer for getting your shelters built and food stocked up by next winter. olympia is amazing but also very harsh in the winter.

personally i prefer warm places in winter since most of the time i am either living in a van or bus, living in homemade shelter in the woods, or sleeping in abandoned buildings. i find it ALOT easier to survive when the temps stay above 30f. ive wintered in the extreme cold up there and almost didnt make it, and this was with a robust well made shelter with indoor firepit. the thing is what to do when there is no food outside.. what to do when all the outside wood is too cold to cut and you are soo weak from lack of caloric intake.

dont get me wrong, i think everyone should spend some time in the forest, just do it a better time of year to increase your chances of survival so by the time winter comes you have plenty of wood and fish stored up.

It's definitely not for the faint of heart..
Especially if you don't have a lot of experience being self sufficient.

Lest we forget the folly of our dear friend Chris McCandless..

+1 on preparing early for winter and stockpiling.

+1 on Oly being awesome

 

[Bumrumors]

Personally i think chris mcandless is famous for the dumbest reason. He wasnt the first nor will be the last of fools to burn his money and live out a walden style lifestyle in some make beleive world. For his story though he didnt ask to be a spokesperson for it. His story was sold by krauker in outdoor magazine or whatever. Positive that supertramp wouldnt of wanted that .
When people bring up super tramp on the road i kindly walk away, cant fix stupid comes to mind..

Choose a warm climate, 60s during the day and 30s at night, find your food sources; dumpsters, food banks and trade, locate the power outlets and bus routes, wifi etc... Get a bicycle and make a daily routine, find locals to hangout with, make the best of each day. Being bummed in a tent isnt the life!

 

[Coywolf]

Eureka has a few resources an OK downtown and a decent balance between travellers and wingnut bums. There's a free clothing store there which is nice..

Huh. Either Ewtweeka has changed a lot, or we were in different parts of town. DO NOT stay in Eureka. Go any distance north or South, eat at the soup kitchen, hit up the Army Navy store, but DON'T try to stay the night there.

Hella tweaker homebums, VERY sketchy drug related shit up there.

I'm not going to recommend anywhere in particular because:

A: Humbolt is so blown up it is ridulous.

And

B: There are SO many other threads on this website about NorCal that you can find with the "Search" feature.

 

[japanarchist]

Just to reiterate what others have mentioned, it's a pretty bad idea to come up north now. I've lived in all the places you've mentioned except for Vancouver and it's not a good time to be outside now. The winter of last year there were multiple houseless people who died from being on the streets and camping in the woods in Portland ( http://koin.com/2017/01/10/body-found-in-sw-portland-embankment/ ). I can point you to some camping spots and resources in Portland if you want, pm me.

 

[Ari Masen]

Don't know if/when you will end up in Tacoma, but there is (hopefully) going to be a protesty little camp village near a site where the Profiteers are trying to build a Liquid Natural Gas storage tank. Sounds like not quite what you're looking for, but you may get something edible from food not bombs or randomly delivered pizzas from anonymous well-wishers. Last I heard the Olympia blockade was torn down, but it could spring back up again, who knows?

Anyway, you've gotten some good advice, already. It can be tough to be outside in these parts and at this time, (but not impossible). If you make it up to Seattle, you might be able to con some tech yuppies! They have more money than sense, but few carry cash. Maybe get a card swipey thing to attach to your mobile technology, and stand around with a clipboard. Tell them you're raising money for six-toed kittens or something else that's cute and pointless.

 

[CaptainCassius]

Personally i think chris mcandless is famous for the dumbest reason. He wasnt the first nor will be the last of fools to burn his money and live out a walden style lifestyle in some make beleive world. For his story though he didnt ask to be a spokesperson for it. His story was sold by krauker in outdoor magazine or whatever. Positive that supertramp wouldnt of wanted that .
When people bring up super tramp on the road i kindly walk away, cant fix stupid comes to mind..

Choose a warm climate, 60s during the day and 30s at night, find your food sources; dumpsters, food banks and trade, locate the power outlets and bus routes, wifi etc... Get a bicycle and make a daily routine, find locals to hangout with, make the best of each day. Being bummed in a tent isnt the life!

It was an easy comparison that came to mind. Seemed somewhat analogous.

I just mean that he didn't survive the environment he thrust himself into..

And to say that it's not easy but also not impossible, just don't be foolish about it.

Survival and good times being the goal in mind.