In Colorado Springs, heading to west coast come Summer (+ the story so far)

[Kaine]

I'm Kaine, 23 M, from Indianapolis, IN. Last summer I decided fuck living in the city, can't deal with the noise, lack of space and privacy, and entitled people. For the past 3-4 years I've been working on and off at urban farms and living in a van. Then I got a vision that I'm not supposed to rubbertramp. I've had visions since I was 14 of going to the Redwood Forests and living outside and growing food and medicine and teaching people how to live for free. So anyway, I sell my van, get my pack together and get a greyhound ticket to Portland. Then I have another vision that tells me I'm supposed to stop in Colorado. So I get off the greyhound in Denver and just start walking toward the mountains. I did that for a solid 8 days, for the first couple days stealth camping in Denver, then made it into the mountains the third day. Ate a couple of clif bars the first couple of days, the rest was just wild food plants. and worms. then I was fortunate enough to find some chicken and hawaiian rolls in a dumpster at some state park in the mountains. 7th night/8th day I wake up with a vision of hitchhiking, (at this point I was in Pikes National Forest somewhere near Evergreen CO) so I come down from the Colorado Trail and find a highway and stick out my thumb. After an hour of walking down the road a couple living in a van from Australia pick me up and offer me lots of walnuts and fill my canteen with water, super sweet people. They only take me a few miles to Conifer, but it was much busier so I figured my luck would be better here, since theres a gas station. I spend my last 5 bucks on a soda and snacks and go back at it. After a couple of hours someone picks me up who just happens to live on an urban farm in colo springs. She offers me to stay there and said her friend might be able to guide me to some choice places to hitch. Then on the way back to her farm she takes me by Manitou Springs and points out this Apothecary and Spirit told me I have to work there. So all of a sudden I settle down and basically work my ass off learning more and more about plant medicine, work on the farm in exchange for room and food and meet a bunch of friendly people. Skip ahead to January, my grandpa offers a train ticket to visit home and family, so I do for a week. I REALLY appreciated having moisture in the air. I swear I was getting bronchitis and the Midwest humidity, even in Winter, cleared it up. Anyway, I come back out to Colorado Springs after the visit to continue working at this Apothecary (I also started working as a subcontractor carving magick wands at a local metaphysical shop.) When I got back I realized I was failing to live for free, So I just stopped working at the apothecary (it was too bougie for me anyway) and now I'm getting rid of the excessive material things I've gathered, and going back to living out of a pack. My friend is letting me sleep in his garage right now, and starting around May I'm going to start camping across the creek from the Colo Springs train yard with a radio to start studying. Probably going to switch to nocturnal sleep patterns so I can use the cover of nightfall to my advantage.
What I'm looking for is any useful tidbits of info on catching out from colorado to go to northern california. I'm trying to take a more northerly route to avoid any more of this stupid hot dry AF desert type shit as much as possible. not a place I want to be stranded. I found the US railroad atlas on r/vagabond and thats got some pretty useful info, and it looks like the route I would take goes up to cheyenne from denver from colo springs, then I would take a westbound through south wyoming through idaho to northeast oregon, then heading south to the Redwoods.
Really glad to have found the r/vagabond subreddit, and this site! great insight, great stories and the smell of true freedom.

 

[sd40chef]

Id catch the daily Denver>slc z train from 36th St yard departs around 4 am. Get off in green river and get on something you'll either go via pocatello, ogden or salt lake city. Call it in to find out where its going. Best get an ogden train go straight to roseville and catch something to dunsmuir and your near the redwoods.

 

[Kaine]

Thanks for the info on that daily from Denver, that's great! I know Roseville is a more direct route, but I have read the bulls and cops are a lot less forgiving there. (Of course I'd still hop out as soon as slow enough, Ideally with enough space between me and the yard- I don't know that I'd arrive there with the cover of nightfall) Solid advice though, and it's greatly appreciated. Might try for Pocatello to avoid as much heat as possible while also getting to see more of the PNW before settling in the Redwoods awhile.
Appreciate it, and safe travels

 

[sd40chef]

Id say Idaho is one of the hottest states to ride in terms of punishment from what friends and other riders have told me. Roseville is super easy. Anywhere is easy if your patient and cautious.

 

[Kaine]

Good to know, in that case i'll catch the ogden out of green river if i can. Thanks again man, patient and cautious i can definitely do

 

[ratsteak]

the concept of making travel decisions based on the guidance of spirits sounds like a really ideal way to do things. also what was the name of the metaphysical shop you made wands for?

 

[Kaine]

the concept of making travel decisions based on the guidance of spirits sounds like a really ideal way to do things. also what was the name of the metaphysical shop you made wands for?

It seems to be the only way that works for me. If I ignore the spirits my shamanism turns into schizophrenia, which is the other side of the coin that i accept but try to avoid so i tend to just listen lol. The name of the shop is Merlin's Realm.

 

[Hobo Mud]

Very entertaining, lol! Wish you the best in your journey and safe travels.