Day 162, September 12, 2012

  I woke up and my knees were locked. The first thing I noticed was that. I couldnt even hardly bend them. They were in a lot of pain. I was not feeling good at all.
     I sat up and every little movement was hurting. Uh ohh. Something feels messed up, bad. I was instantly in a light panic. I started breathing heavily and grabbed my knees while bending down toward them. "oh no" I said lightly. I lifted my knees upward with my hands to bend them. They were so tight it felt like I was in a metal brace or something. This is not good. The pain is bad. They were swelled up and nothing about today was feeling good right now.
     I sat there just with a blank mindset. I stared at a bush in front of me and totally was lost in thought. Am I really here right now? Am I really hurting this bad and in the middle of the Mohave desert alone? My water supply was in danger of running out before I make it out of here. The heat is brutal and the conditions I'm dealing with are easily dangerous to the point of death. I sat there lost in almost an out of body experience. Like a mix of panic, disbelief, solitude, and complete loneliness. A surprising calmness came over me. Almost like an acceptance of the situation and knowing staying calm is my best bet. And all the while I hear a light whispering wind pass through the dry weeds around me. Almost like a background that was perfectly accurate to what was going on in my body and mind.
     I bent my knees more and was now sitting up with my legs tucked close to me. I put my arms around my knees and locked my hands together and rested my chin on my knees. I couldn't even think a minute ahead or plan anything. I was just completely zoned out of life. Almost a fascinating feeling even though I had a deep worry of danger ahead.
I looked around slowly. Looking left along the highway, then looking right. Nothing. No cars, no buildings. Nothing.
     I finally came back to my Senses a little and laid back. I started stretching my legs out in hopes of feeling better. It felt very awkward and uncomfortable. Any way that I moved my knees were hurting. But I stretched anyways.
After laying there for about 20 minutes I knew I needed to get up and try to walk. I just wanted to sit there, but I can't just sit in the scorching sun all day. I needed to try and cover ground. At least test my knees.
     I stood up and my knees were shaking lightly. They felt so weak and my entire body was so drained. I knew at that point I may have pushed too far yesterday. Every shift of my legs or footing hurt bad. I packed up slowly and kept a cautious mindset on how I moved around.
I was all packed up and then wrapped my knees with ace bandages. The tightness around my knee felt a little better, but not much.
I started walking out toward the road and I was grimacing every step. When I reached the road I stopped and leaned on my cart. I was not feeling a good vibe.
I figured I would at least try a few miles and see how I feel. I walked down the road very slowly and was focused on keeping close attention to my knees. I walked for about a mile very slowly and it felt like the pain was slowly getting worse and worse each step.
     When I got about a mile in my right knee buckled.. I shuffled my feet and sort of did a half fall before planting and catching myself. My knee was shaking rapidly and I needed to stop. This is not good.
     Just ahead about 200ft there was a railroad bridge where It looked like I might be able to catch a shade spot. There was no other shade around and it was already really hot. I leaned heavily on my cart and walked with less weight on my legs to get over there. Each step was very slow and I really babied my way there. I walked to the bottom of the small bridge. Just under it was a small area of shade. I slowly pulled my cart under there and plopped down on the sand. I was pretty worried but almost feeling like I was hallucinating a little and my emotions were blocked or something. The heat was getting to me. And frankly, food was the last thing on my mind. I was starving but didn't care to eat. I sat there just staring blank into the concrete support of the bridge. I really couldn't even think straight. I knew I could calculate my water and distance until 29 palms to gauge exactly how much danger I was really in. But as I sat there spaced out, I didn't care to. I almost didn't care about anything at this point.
     I sat there lightly drinking my water, which was hot from the heat, and half way closed my eyes as I sat with my back against the concrete wall of the bottom of the railroad bridge. I eventually dozed off there and had the weirdest kind of half sleep feeling ever. The wind still lightly whispered through the air and I almost felt the little noise of that was competing with the ringing of my ears. It was a back and forth battle to what was louder depending on if the wind died down for a few moments here and there. This really seemed fake and like a dream. The desert, in this point and time, was completely dominating me.
     I woke up later and was super blurry. I was drenched in sweat with beads rolling down my face. I was dirty and stinky, and about as uncomfortable as I have ever been. I drank my hot water little by little just knowing each sip was that much closer to running out. And I was moving at all right now. I was still a long ways from anything and wasn't sure when I could move again. All I knew was it wasn't today. I was stuck. But for some reason so out of it I lost the nervousness. Such a weird feeling that I had never experienced before. I'm so far from life outside of me and have absolutely no outside communication.
     I grabbed my jacket and laid down on it. I fell asleep and slept for a good while. When I woke up I didn't know what to do with myself. I rubbed my knees and they were still feeling horrible. I didn't want to think about reality or about the situation still. So I laid back down and fell asleep again.
I woke up later when the sun was starting to drop down in the west. Suddenly I came to my senses. Ok, I need to try and walk again. At least a little. If I can make another mile and then get a long night of rest for my knees, maybe tomorrow and can get back on track. I need to conserve water just enough where I'm not dehydrated, and I need to eat something. I have some trail mix I can snack on. I suddenly switched to being in focus. I started moving and doing things, I ate some trail mix and drank just enough water. I re wrapped my knees and stretched out. I got up and walked out back onto the highway. A car passed by right when I was out there and it gave me hope. If things get too bad I will wave a car down and jump in front of it. Ok, I'm good now.
     I walked about a mile and felt better mentally. My knees still hurt a lot and was an obvious issue, but rest has to help. Right?
     I made it far enough and was ready to stop and rest the knees for the night. I walked off the road and found a good sized bush to hide behind. It cooled down now and I was feeling better. The day wore me out and was definitely very bizarre. But I can bounce back, no problem.
     I made my bed in the blank sand on the ground and laid down. I watched as the sun set and said a prayer. I had trust that I was going to be ok. The thing I emphasized more in my prayer was to remember this moment. Remember this pain. Remember this day of lost hope and how much I thought there might not be a way out. Remember all the pain in my legs and just know that later if they feel better, you came from where they are now. Be thankful for the rest and recovery. I really think it will work out. But remember the tough time. Remember what to be thankful for later when things are all good. Remember the power of healing and grace. To whoever or wherever it comes from. But just remember.
     The sun disappeared and I laid there feeling the weight of everything bearing down on me. I fell asleep on my back with my knees up on my backpack. I fell asleep early and really hoped the morning would be a better one.

 

Day 161, September 11, 2012

I woke up with my body aching pretty bad. My feet felt almost bruised badly, my hips cramped, my knees in pain. It was a rough feeling. But I was about 50 ft from the California state line. I can't believe I made it all the way here. I can feel the toll on my body, but the achieved feeling took over as I came to my senses and started to comprehend how far I have come.
I stood up off the concrete and saw that there were some bigger glass pieces under me than I saw from the night before. I had slept right on a good handful of glass.
     I looked out from an opening in the brick building I slept in and saw the California state line glowing like a charm or something. It was a good moment and I just smiled for about 2 minutes while I stood there in a rush of emotions. I was ready to pack up and get moving for the day, in California, for the first time in almost 10 months. Back in my home state and never appreciated it more.
I packed my things up and stretched out before I would get a move on. It was about 6am and it was already pretty warm. It was looking to be a hot day of walking ahead.
     I walked out from where I had slept and over to the sign. I stopped there and enjoyed the moment a little more. I made sure to say a little prayer of thanks for all the blessings and guidance I received along the way. It was a long road to here and somehow I have dodged the thousands of problems or things that could have stopped me in my tracks. It was a very humbling moment of thanks. I asked for protection of the last state of my voyage and to get me home safe and sound to my loved ones.
I left walking there and passed a sign that said "29 palms 103 miles". I have to be honest, I didn't really look ahead and prepare too much for California. I almost felt like it was an easy homestretch    now that I'm here. I didn't realize that the biggest challenge could be yet to come.
     I walked about 4 miles in when I lost Internet signal. I was starting to hope that the gas station that showed on my GPS ahead was even there. The GPS has been wrong on many occasions before and this was one time where I couldn't afford that. I was immediately feeling that I got so caught up and rushed to cross into California, that I honestly forgot to prepare for what could be a brutal stretch. I only had about 3 gallons of water jugs full. That was only going to get me 30 miles. Man, I really hope that gas station is ahead.
     When I left Parker it showed a junction 10 miles ahead with a couple stores. I was now suddenly in a desolate world. It was more quiet around me than it has been the entire journey yet. And there are less cars than anywhere I've been to. It was a very lonely feeling and it set in in a harsh way. Especially knowing I was low on water.
     I had no way of tracking my distance now since my Internet connection was gone. But the further I had walked, the more I was doubting that anything was ahead. And the more worried I was getting. I looked around now at about 7 miles in (guessing the distance from looking back now), and I couldn't see ANYTHING at all. Nothing all around me but hot blaring desert. It was not a good feeling. It was polar opposite of what I felt when I woke up in the morning.
I walked further and finally spotted something ahead. I felt a little at ease and knew all I needed was any source of water to fill up all my jugs. As I got closer things were looking better. I saw cars there and I finally could see that there was a store. Thank god.
       I came up to it and was relieved. I went in and asked the lady if they had a hose where I could fill my water jugs. She said there was a spicket out back where I could do so. I didn't have too much food left in my cart now as I had given some away in Parker to 2 homeless guys. I figured I had enough for 5-6 days if I had to stretch it out and just eat about 400-500 calories per day. I would be weak but I could survive. I picked up a bag of sunflower seeds at the store and thought that might help hold me over a little if I'm starving, and at least would provide some flavor. When I bought it the lady also handed me another bag of seeds from behind the counter. It was ripped and she said she couldn't sell it. That was nice of her. I could for sure use them. I asked her what the next establishment of any kind was. She said 93 miles until 29 palms. And there's nothing from here to there besides open desert. I swallowed hard and felt a nervousness in my stomach.
     I went out to the side and turned the spicket on. I let it run a couple minutes and then started filling the jugs up. When I filled the first jug I took a swig of the water. It tasted pretty funky to be honest. But it was water, and water will keep me alive. I filled all 13 of my 1 gallon water jugs. Usually I can walk 10 miles per gallon. So 13 would get me 130 miles. I figured.
As I left there walking away I was loaded down with weight and feeling like I was entering a war zone. I walked into pure loneliness and solitude. It was scorching hot now and the sun was beating down on me and the land all around. All the open miles ahead of me and no shade to be found. Well, here we go...
     My knees were in a little pain and I was trying to pace my speed. I was guzzling down water more than I expected. The dry heat seemed like it was just draining the water out of my body. The water tasted more weird the more I drank it.
I walked about 8 more miles roughly when I must have been about 18 miles in for the day now. It was still somewhat early and I had a good amount of daylight ahead still. I took a short break and stretched, then continued. I had burned through almost a gallon and a half of water and was still thirsty. This was worrying me.
     I got to around the 20 miles mark when I decided to try and push further. I was thinking that if I could make it through the 93 mile stretch in 4 days, I would be ok on water. I literally can't go 10 miles without water in this heat. That is putting a high risk on dehydration and my health. Heat stroke or passing out in the Mojave desert could be fatal. That was the first time I even had a thought like that and it scared me.
     The heat really beat me up all day and it was a relief when the sun was setting and the air cooled down. I was feeling very worn out by now as I reached the 25 mile mark (roughly). I still had water consumption on my mind and I didn't like the way the math was adding up. I was not in a panic mode, but I was worried. So I decided I would try and get as many miles as I could now that the sun was down. It was cooler and my body was holding the water in. I would use less water per mile now as opposed to the heat of the day. So I walked as much as I could at night.
      My knees were hurting badly now, but the strategy for conserving water outweighed that in my mind. It was so quiet and no cars passed by at all. With no signal at all, nowhere to stop, and nothing around, at all. It seemed as if I was walking into oblivion. Like I was heading into outer space or something. Was there really anything ahead? Was I sure of my route? Wow, the desert was already working its loneliness into my head.
     I walked more and more and just kept going. Through the pain, through the fear, through the deadly land of the Mojave. I pushed further and further into the night. The further I could go, the more water I could save. I was not drinking nearly as much now, and that seemed like the only priority on my mind. It had been so hot all day that I didn't find much of an appetite. I was feeling weak, but the thought off food almost made me gag. I think it was the nervousness too.
I finally was just about completely spent. I made it to a railroad crossing where I randomly found a helicopter pad. I walked up to it and stopped there for the night. Right when I sat down to rest my body, my knees heated up and swelled. Uh oh. That has never happened. I didn't know this until later, but I walked 38 miles. My body was not responding well.
     I felt like I had been hit by a car. Everything was stiff and in pain. It was like my knees had too much pain to handle, so it put the pain in other areas to deal with it. I was not feeling good now.
The worries along with the dead silence did not help. It was so quiet that I heard ringing in my ears. I can't even remember ever hearing that. I looked all around and there was not even 1 light anywhere. Wow. I just entered a whole different world today. The desert is no joke.
I made my bed and it was around midnight. My knees really hurt in any position. I laid there trying to get comfortable but no position helped. I was starting to wonder how I would feel in the morning. Would I recover? Or did I push too much today??
     I tossed and turned all night and didn't sleep much. Not only was the pain and uncomfortableness keeping me up, but the worries of what I just got into was also weighing on me heavily. I said another prayer that night. This one was not in the same light tone as the prayer in the morning.
California was a relief to get to, but provided a very harsh welcome. What will tomorrow bring?

    

Day 160, September 10, 2012

I woke up on day 160 next to highway 95 between Havasu and Parker AZ. It was pretty overcast still and a little damp from the rain that fell through the night. It was about 7:30 and I wanted to get up and going.  I packed up and got myself ready. I stretched and did all the other morning stuff. I snacked on a granola bar and headed out of the dry creek area and onto the 95.
After walking for about a half mile my right foot was killing me. I didn't realize how bad it was the day before, but they were hurting today. I pulled off my show and my toe had a nasty blister! The bottom of my foot also had a really sensitive spot that felt like an incoming blister that just hadn't developed and filled with fluid yet. I ended up putting bandaids on them. Then I took some spare socks and cut the foot part off with my knife to slip them over my foot for more padding. I duct taped it a few times around to give it a little more cushion. When I took off walking, the pain was not all the way gone, but it was much better.
     I walked from there south and it was mostly downhill. The highway veered closer and closer to the Colorado river the further south I walked. I came to a bend where the highway actually went over the river and it was such a pretty spot. I stopped there to have some golf fishes (care package from the Vegas girls) and I took some pictures also. I sat on the railing of the bridge for maybe 10 minutes.
When I left there I walked up the hill on the other side and it was a windy steep climb. The view was better and better the higher up I went. I reached the top and then it was a steep downhill grade that dropped into Parker dam, a small town with a little store.
It was getting pretty warm by now so I stopped under the overhang in the shade to sit down right in front of the store. I sat on my sleeping bag and rested. I stretched my calves a little there as well. My left calve was cramped for some reason.
    I left there and it was a moderately flat walk for the next couple miles. It brought me now right along side of the river again. Man it was so pretty and a vibrant blue color. It was almost like tropical waters. It looked refreshing. I would have jumped in, but honestly I would rather keep moving and cover the most ground I could. The only swim I have in mind is the big blue of the pacific.
The road turned west again along with the river, and it started to climb. I was getting hot on the uphill walk so I stopped to use the frog tog cooling pad that the Vegas girls brought me. That thing was awesome! I put it around the back of my neck and it felt very refreshing.
    I came to another mini summit when the road curved left and then back downhill. I decided to take another break there on the railing along side the road. A little truck passed by me and made a u turn after driving past me for maybe a quarter mile. He came up next to me and pulled off. He handed me $10 out of the passenger window. He said for me to enjoy a nice dinner tonight. I was lifted from the mans generosity. I thanked him and he turned around again to continue in his way.
I felt a small blister was starting to develope on my other foot now too. So I pulled my shoe off and wrapped my foot up with some sports tape. I walked again from there to hit the last 8 miles or so to get to Parker AZ.
     My feet were definitely hurting every step, but it wasn't enough pain to need to stop. More of an uncomfortable annoyance than anything. I walked up and down the windy road further down now. It was sort of weaving west and south back and forth.
Finally I hit a flat where the road was straight and going dead south now. My right knee began popping during the last stretch and a couple times caused a sharp pain where I would sit down quickly and rub it. I was a little nervous as I had never really felt that kind of pain before. It wasn't extremely bad, but it felt like it was deep inside the knee. I was definitely worried a bit.
I took plenty of breaks and walked slow on the last few miles. Finally I had made it to Parker! I was exhausted, starving, my body hurt all over, but I was relieved to be there. I went straight towards a McDonald's. Before I got there another car pulled over and it was another guy who handed me $5 out of his window. He seemed in a hurry and sped off before I could get a good picture.
     I got into McDonald's and was now less than 1 miles from California. Wow! I couldn't believe it! I decided to splurge and have a big dinner like the guy that gave me the $10 told me to do. So I feasted! I ordered a bunch of food off the dollar menu and just went to town. Man it was nice to stuff my face for a change from always being hungry.
I sat there for maybe an hour and then wanted to get to the state line to find a place to sleep. I walked through Parker and over another bridge that crossed the Colorado. The bridge was sketchy with no shoulder and I just went for it. A few cars got pissed but I honestly didn't care. I was beat tired and needed to cross it somehow.
      I got to the other side where I walked another half mile or so and got to the state line! I walked up to the California sign just as it was getting real dark. I made it! Wow. I walked all the way without any rides from the Atlantic ocean to California now. I couldn't believe it. I'm now at the homestretch to get to the pacific ocean!
    I stood and glared at the sign for a few moments just trying to take it in. Then I was ready to crash. There was an old skeleton of a brick building right on the Arizona side of the sign. So I walked over to it and took my gear inside there. It was just enough walls to keep me out of sight. There was a lot of broken glass all around but I found a spot where it was somewhat clear on the cement. I made my bed there and laid down. My body was hurting. But my adrenaline were allowing me to move past that pain and enjoy the moment. It was a sweet night of resting and knowing tomorrow I will step into, and begin to walk the last state of my voyage. Wow!

  

Day 159, September 9, 2012

I woke up behind the dumpster coral in a narrow walkway. I was still laying in the shade and it was somewhat peaceful there. I closed my eyes again to try and get every last bit of rest I could. I needed to catch up on sleep. I'm always behind.
I felt my body heating up and the sun was now shining on me. I sat up and felt like I had a decent night of rest. My hip and knees joints were tight, but they usually are when I sleep on concrete.
I got up and packed up my stuff. I went back across the parking lot and back into the McDonalds to sit for a bit and relax before leaving. I also wanted to top off my charge on my electronics before heading out for the day.
    I sat at a table and was eating a granola bar when a lady got up from her table and walked over to give me $4. She said it was all she had. I had a big grin and loved that. It's not a grin of "oh lucky me", but rather It makes me smile that complete strangers are going out of their way to help me. Without talking to me or knowing me. I really enjoy seeing how many good hearts are really out there in the world.
    She talked with me a while and I shared my story with her. She was blown away. It was really cool how bright she became. She was so happy and shared how she also has a similar passion for helping others. Just as we were talking, a girl on a computer got up from her table and came over to hand me $7. She was really quiet and somber. She handed it to me and smiled, then went back and sat down. It was a pretty powerful moment. When you are living with nothing, things like this are much more magnified. You feel the goodness of people and the guidance of others more than ever.
    I was so thankful to both of them. I still talked to the first lady for a while and she wanted to say a prayer for me. As many of you know, I'm not religious. But I will not deny anyone prayers. I feel I can adapt to many beliefs or systems of faith. Not that I am joining them, but I can join in in any rituals or prayers. I always make sure they know where I stand but also let them know that I have an open heart to most anyone and anything that is positive. So many people have different ways of dealing with life, and I am not a person in a position to tell anyone I am right or that they are wrong. We are only humans. The only thing I know is that I don't know anything.
    So she said a prayer over me for my protection and guidance in any way or form I can receive it. It was a very humbled prayer and I really appreciated it. I would even let an atheist send me good thoughts or hope or whatever. I am always willing to take good from any form of belief. I told her thanks and I really appreciated her help. I got up to head out and also stopped to tell the other girl thanks. When I walked outside the first lady came running back from her car and said I can stop at her house on the end of town for a meal or whatever I needed. I told her thanks but knew I was gonna just walk straight through and right out of town only on the main highway, highway 95.
I left there with my waters full and tires fixed up and ready to go. I cleaned out my cart to lessen the weight and felt good. I walked south on the 95 and through the downtown part of Havasu. It want along side of the lake and I was enjoying looking down the hill to the water with all the boats.
    I spotted a man sitting on the dirt next to the road ahead of me. He looked pretty rugged and like he could use a small boost. I approached him and got a few dollars out of my pocket. I stopped next to him and then grabbed a couple granola bars out of my pack also. When I handed them to him he looked very confused. He said thanks to me and then asked if I was sure I didn't need it. I was obviously looking rough and hungry myself. I told him I was sure and he said thanks again. He was really happy. He said he had something to trade me. He pulled out a ziplock bag from his pocket and it had some large silver coins in it. He said someone just gave them to him and he wasn't sure exactly what they were. He handed me a coin and said that was the least he could share with me. I thought that was pretty cool of the dude.
    I continued walking through town and continued on for a few miles. The town was long and narrow. Mostly off the main road that I was walking on. I walked a long ways and came to the south side of town. It was afternoon now and I decided I would take a break before leaving town. It would be about 2 days before the next town (Parker AZ) so one last sit down in air conditioning would be clutch. I stopped at a del taco and ordered 2 tacos for a dollar. I sat there for maybe 20 minutes and then was ready to roll.
     I headed south out of town and up a pretty steady incline. My knees were feeling good for most of the day, but now were starting to hurt. I walked maybe 4 miles when I wanted to take another break. I stopped at a creek underpass that went into the lake eventually down the hill. I went under the bridge part in the shade and sat down. It was pretty warm by now and I sat down to enjoy some water and to get the weight off my body.
     I left there 20 minutes later and it was pretty bare after that. I climbed uphill a little longer and then it went down from there. I was now walking along the river that ran south out of Lake Havasu. I wasn't right next to it, maybe a half mile off. But I could see it here and there. It looked like I was heading into some really beautiful country right ahead of me.
I was walking when I bike passed by me. He stopped and turned back towards me. When he came up he asked if I was near Flagstaff about a week ago? I told him I sure was. He laughed and said he saw me along I-40 when he rode his motorcycle there. He asked if I walked the entire way. I told him I did, and before that for about 5 months too. He was pretty shocked. He said "no way!!". He shook my hand and we shared emails. He wanted to keep up with the journey. He then took off and headed past me.
        I walked another 2 hours or so when the sun was setting. I stopped for yet another epic sunset. It was so peaceful around and nothing but the desert hills. After it was set I wanted to walk another 5-6 miles. I was heading down a decline when a little black car passed me. I heard it slow down behind me and when I looked back he was turning around. He came back by me and in front of me made another u turn and pulled over next to me. When I walked up it was a big guy. Young with dark hair and pretty stout. He looked like he was almost in a panic and had a nervous look on his face. Right away I had a weird vibe. Then he said in a nervous manner "look, I don't know your situation or anything about you, but when I saw you I something hit me. I need to tell you something big is coming up. I don't know what it is but it's big. And your gonna have to just hold on tight. Just hold on. I don't know what it is but hold on buddy!". His lips were almost quivering and he seemed worried. It was really bizarre. Sounded like someone on drugs but my tweaker radar was not alarming me. He seemed like a straight up guy who wasn't tweaking. Then he said "but for now I can hook you up, here is some food" he handed me a big bowl rapped in tinfoil. Then he said he had to go and he took off abruptly. There I was standing there with a bowl of food and in complete shock. What just happened?? What the hell could have made him feel he needed to tell me that. Wow!
I was starving, so I opened the bowl up and it was pot roast left overs. It was incredible! Like great. One of those times where it's just amazing food. I was still pretty weirded out but just told myself not to take it too serious.
    I left there and now it was dark. I put my headlamp and vest on and still had a little more walking I wanted to do. I was going by the mile markers and I wanted to get half way to Parker from where I started in the morning. That way I could make Parker the next night and have a town to hangout in when I was done with tomorrows walk.
I walked in the dark up and down windy roads with nothing around. I finally reached the mile marker I was aiming for. 26 miles for the day!! I made some good ground and was happy with it. My knees felt a little warn out but not killing me bad. My feet felt a little tender and the last few miles felt like a blister may have developed.
    I spotted a railing where there was an opening big enough to get my stuff through. I walked behind the railing and out off the road on a rocky area. It was alongside a dry creek between two hills. It was actually a pretty good spot compared to what I was thinking I might end up at. It was open enough with no bushes. I like that better since I could see around me a ways with my flashlight. Basically snakes or whatever couldn't hide if the were near.
    I made my bed and laid down. I was really tired again and fell asleep pretty quickly. I ended up waking up hearing rain on my sleeping bag. It was a little windy too. I was up for a few minutes and then the rain stopped. I fell back asleep. I woke up again to a heavy wind. It was blowing my things over (my water bottle and supplements). I had to gather some of my stuff and pack it in my cart. When I was doing that the rain started falling again. I gathered my bedding stuff and tucked it close to my cart. They I pulled my tarp open and sort of bungeed it half way over my stuff where I took one half of it and covered myself too. I was staying dry but was pretty uncomfortable. I was in the fetal position because i was trying to squeeze under my little area of tarp covering me to stay dry. I barely slept that night. It never rained hard, but just enough to keep me on guard and alert where I couldn't relax. It was a rough night, but if that guys warning was legit, there's no way this was what he was talking about. He was far to nervous to warn me about a mediocre rain and wind like this. Hmmmm...?

Day 158, September 8, 2012

I woke up behind the dumpster coral in a narrow walkway. I was still laying in the shade and it was somewhat peaceful there. I closed my eyes again to try and get every last bit of rest I could. I needed to catch up on sleep. I'm always behind.
I felt my body heating up and the sun was now shining on me. I sat up and felt like I had a decent night of rest. My hip and knees joints were tight, but they usually are when I sleep on concrete.
I got up and packed up my stuff. I went back across the parking lot and back into the McDonalds to sit for a bit and relax before leaving. I also wanted to top off my charge on my electronics before heading out for the day.
    I sat at a table and was eating a granola bar when a lady got up from her table and walked over to give me $4. She said it was all she had. I had a big grin and loved that. It's not a grin of "oh lucky me", but rather It makes me smile that complete strangers are going out of their way to help me. Without talking to me or knowing me. I really enjoy seeing how many good hearts are really out there in the world.
    She talked with me a while and I shared my story with her. She was blown away. It was really cool how bright she became. She was so happy and shared how she also has a similar passion for helping others. Just as we were talking, a girl on a computer got up from her table and came over to hand me $7. She was really quiet and somber. She handed it to me and smiled, then went back and sat down. It was a pretty powerful moment. When you are living with nothing, things like this are much more magnified. You feel the goodness of people and the guidance of others more than ever.
    I was so thankful to both of them. I still talked to the first lady for a while and she wanted to say a prayer for me. As many of you know, I'm not religious. But I will not deny anyone prayers. I feel I can adapt to many beliefs or systems of faith. Not that I am joining them, but I can join in in any rituals or prayers. I always make sure they know where I stand but also let them know that I have an open heart to most anyone and anything that is positive. So many people have different ways of dealing with life, and I am not a person in a position to tell anyone I am right or that they are wrong. We are only humans. The only thing I know is that I don't know anything.
    So she said a prayer over me for my protection and guidance in any way or form I can receive it. It was a very humbled prayer and I really appreciated it. I would even let an atheist send me good thoughts or hope or whatever. I am always willing to take good from any form of belief. I told her thanks and I really appreciated her help. I got up to head out and also stopped to tell the other girl thanks. When I walked outside the first lady came running back from her car and said I can stop at her house on the end of town for a meal or whatever I needed. I told her thanks but knew I was gonna just walk straight through and right out of town only on the main highway, highway 95.
I left there with my waters full and tires fixed up and ready to go. I cleaned out my cart to lessen the weight and felt good. I walked south on the 95 and through the downtown part of Havasu. It want along side of the lake and I was enjoying looking down the hill to the water with all the boats.
    I spotted a man sitting on the dirt next to the road ahead of me. He looked pretty rugged and like he could use a small boost. I approached him and got a few dollars out of my pocket. I stopped next to him and then grabbed a couple granola bars out of my pack also. When I handed them to him he looked very confused. He said thanks to me and then asked if I was sure I didn't need it. I was obviously looking rough and hungry myself. I told him I was sure and he said thanks again. He was really happy. He said he had something to trade me. He pulled out a ziplock bag from his pocket and it had some large silver coins in it. He said someone just gave them to him and he wasn't sure exactly what they were. He handed me a coin and said that was the least he could share with me. I thought that was pretty cool of the dude.
    I continued walking through town and continued on for a few miles. The town was long and narrow. Mostly off the main road that I was walking on. I walked a long ways and came to the south side of town. It was afternoon now and I decided I would take a break before leaving town. It would be about 2 days before the next town (Parker AZ) so one last sit down in air conditioning would be clutch. I stopped at a del taco and ordered 2 tacos for a dollar. I sat there for maybe 20 minutes and then was ready to roll.
     I headed south out of town and up a pretty steady incline. My knees were feeling good for most of the day, but now were starting to hurt. I walked maybe 4 miles when I wanted to take another break. I stopped at a creek underpass that went into the lake eventually down the hill. I went under the bridge part in the shade and sat down. It was pretty warm by now and I sat down to enjoy some water and to get the weight off my body.
     I left there 20 minutes later and it was pretty bare after that. I climbed uphill a little longer and then it went down from there. I was now walking along the river that ran south out of Lake Havasu. I wasn't right next to it, maybe a half mile off. But I could see it here and there. It looked like I was heading into some really beautiful country right ahead of me.
I was walking when I bike passed by me. He stopped and turned back towards me. When he came up he asked if I was near Flagstaff about a week ago? I told him I sure was. He laughed and said he saw me along I-40 when he rode his motorcycle there. He asked if I walked the entire way. I told him I did, and before that for about 5 months too. He was pretty shocked. He said "no way!!". He shook my hand and we shared emails. He wanted to keep up with the journey. He then took off and headed past me.
        I walked another 2 hours or so when the sun was setting. I stopped for yet another epic sunset. It was so peaceful around and nothing but the desert hills. After it was set I wanted to walk another 5-6 miles. I was heading down a decline when a little black car passed me. I heard it slow down behind me and when I looked back he was turning around. He came back by me and in front of me made another u turn and pulled over next to me. When I walked up it was a big guy. Young with dark hair and pretty stout. He looked like he was almost in a panic and had a nervous look on his face. Right away I had a weird vibe. Then he said in a nervous manner "look, I don't know your situation or anything about you, but when I saw you I something hit me. I need to tell you something big is coming up. I don't know what it is but it's big. And your gonna have to just hold on tight. Just hold on. I don't know what it is but hold on buddy!". His lips were almost quivering and he seemed worried. It was really bizarre. Sounded like someone on drugs but my tweaker radar was not alarming me. He seemed like a straight up guy who wasn't tweaking. Then he said "but for now I can hook you up, here is some food" he handed me a big bowl rapped in tinfoil. Then he said he had to go and he took off abruptly. There I was standing there with a bowl of food and in complete shock. What just happened?? What the hell could have made him feel he needed to tell me that. Wow!
I was starving, so I opened the bowl up and it was pot roast left overs. It was incredible! Like great. One of those times where it's just amazing food. I was still pretty weirded out but just told myself not to take it too serious.
    I left there and now it was dark. I put my headlamp and vest on and still had a little more walking I wanted to do. I was going by the mile markers and I wanted to get half way to Parker from where I started in the morning. That way I could make Parker the next night and have a town to hangout in when I was done with tomorrows walk.
I walked in the dark up and down windy roads with nothing around. I finally reached the mile marker I was aiming for. 26 miles for the day!! I made some good ground and was happy with it. My knees felt a little warn out but not killing me bad. My feet felt a little tender and the last few miles felt like a blister may have developed.
    I spotted a railing where there was an opening big enough to get my stuff through. I walked behind the railing and out off the road on a rocky area. It was alongside a dry creek between two hills. It was actually a pretty good spot compared to what I was thinking I might end up at. It was open enough with no bushes. I like that better since I could see around me a ways with my flashlight. Basically snakes or whatever couldn't hide if the were near.
    I made my bed and laid down. I was really tired again and fell asleep pretty quickly. I ended up waking up hearing rain on my sleeping bag. It was a little windy too. I was up for a few minutes and then the rain stopped. I fell back asleep. I woke up again to a heavy wind. It was blowing my things over (my water bottle and supplements). I had to gather some of my stuff and pack it in my cart. When I was doing that the rain started falling again. I gathered my bedding stuff and tucked it close to my cart. They I pulled my tarp open and sort of bungeed it half way over my stuff where I took one half of it and covered myself too. I was staying dry but was pretty uncomfortable. I was in the fetal position because i was trying to squeeze under my little area of tarp covering me to stay dry. I barely slept that night. It never rained hard, but just enough to keep me on guard and alert where I couldn't relax. It was a rough night, but if that guys warning was legit, there's no way this was what he was talking about. He was far to nervous to warn me about a mediocre rain and wind like this. Hmmmm...?

 I heard tires rolling over rocks and I opened my eyes. I veered out and saw a black police SUV pulling right up to me. He got about 10 feet away from me and stopped. I was so tired and groggy I felt like a zombie. The cop opened his door and stepped out towards me. I sat up very slow and rubbed my eyes. I don't know why but I just had a gut feeling that wasn't good about the situation. Plus I had a pounding headache that did t help. Really bad.
       The cop then asked if I was ok. He was an older guy who looked like he was native (ethnicity). I said I was ok and just stopped to rest a little there. He smiled and said "well I'm glad your ok, some people called in and said you looked hurt". I smiled and said "no, I'm fine. Just tired".
He asked what I was doing so I told him I was walking across the country. He was pretty blown away and excited. He asked a few questions and soon I found myself in a conversation with him about life lessons. He was a cool dude and thought my trip must be very good for me.
       He turned out to be a really good guy. He ran my license and then came back out as I was packing up. He asked if he could go get me breakfast? I said no and he didn't have to. He asked again and said its no sweat. But again, I told him I was fine but thank you very much. He shook my hand, said Goodluck, and then turned around to head out back onto the highway.
It was still pretty early. The sun was just starting to rise and I was so tired. It was a little chilly still. I got all packed up and walked back out an onto the highway.
As I started walking my knees were already uncomfortable. I was really beginning to thing a day off was needed soon. I figured I would get a few miles up to a shopping center where Lake Havasu city began and see how I felt.
       I walked down the beautiful stretch of highway 95 and then reached the town. The shopping center had a Walmart, a McDonald's, and some other pretty nice and new stores. I needed to pick up a couple things from Walmart for my body. So I went in there first.
I bought some Advil for my headache, icy hot for my knees, and a couple spare tubes since mine were getting to be torn up from a lot of holes. The items ran me down pretty low on money. But I needed them all.
       After Walmart, I went to the McDonald's in the opposite side of the parking lot. I wanted to ice my knees there and take a little break to rest. I went in and sat down to plug my electronics in. When I sat down, I suddenly had a moment where I realized I just needed to take a day to rest. I'm in no hurry and really don't want to push myself too hard.
As soon as I decided that, I was very relieved. I was excited to just rest and enjoy a day of relaxing. I went up to order some breakfast off the dollar menu. I got some bags and filled them with ice for my knees. Then I sat down and just appreciated the feeling of relaxation and rest. I can feel more than ever my body just easing to recover. My muscles relax and the pain and soreness sets in as they are not working all the time. But it's a good feeling of pain and soreness if that makes sense. I guess maybe more mentally since I know they have an entire day to take off.
I checked the weather and it was actually a good day to take off. It was going to be 106 there. And the next day was down to 98. So it justified the day off even more.
       I iced my knees for about 2 hours, rotating the ice from front to back every 20 minutes. After I took the ice off I spread icy Hott onto them and it felt great. I went outside and figured it was a good time to change my tube in my tire while I had air conditioning to relax in afterwards. When I opened the door, I was shocked how Dam hot it was. It hit me right when the door opened and it felt like I was standing by a fire. Wow! Glad I wasn't walking for the day even more now.
I sat outside of the McDonalds on the curb and took my tire off. I swapped the tube out and then put it back on and aired it up. Then I swapped the front tire with one of the back tires also. The front tire wears out less and my back tire was pretty bald. So I switched it out for hobo cart preventative maintenance. Gotta think ahead haha.
       By the time I was done about 15 minutes later, I was burning up. It was so hot and still early that it was unreal. I was so happy I could go back inside to have a cold drink and sit down and relax.
I threw more ice on my knees and then sat down to write some journals. I spent most of the day doing that or just going on the Internet. Also just watching some of the people traveling come in. It looked like a lot of them were going to or coming from the lake.
I sat there all day and then at around 7 or so I had some visitors. I couldn't believe it. It was the wife from the couple who visited my before Kingman. The husband and wife drove from Vegas over 2 hours to visit me before, and now the wife and her friend drove about 3 hours to come visit me again! Unreal. I felt so lucky to have their support!
They came in and handed me a care package. It had some candy, some sunscreen, other snacks, and a pretty sweet cooling pad. It was called a frog tog and you get it wet then it stays ice cold for a long time! I didn't even know those existed. That would be a big help and I was really excited she gave me that.
       They bought me food and we all sat down to eat dinner together. They asked me some random questions about the trip and we also talked about some motocross related stuff. They were both motocross fans and that is always really awesome To talk about. I love that sport. I have a lot of friends in the Moto world and it's just something I love in my life. So talking Moto with other fans is always refreshing. We sat there in McDonalds for a while and it was great to have the company. They kept wondering where I was going to sleep that night and couldn't believe I just go for it each night and figure something out. It's weird in my eyes because I seriously worry 0% about where I will sleep at night. I know I will always figure something out. It might not be a good spot sometimes, but I know there are plenty of places to hide out being homeless.
      So at about 8:30 or so they headed out to make the long drive back home to Vegas. I was very thankful that they came out to help me. The supplies were very helpful, but even more than the supplies, the visit itself meant the most to me. We said goodbye out in the parking lot and I have them big stinky hugs. Such cool people.
I went back in to McDonald's and wrote a little more in my journals before heading out. My knees felt much better with the rest I was able to get that day. It was a good day and my spirits had for sure been lifted.
      I went to the drink machine to refill my drink and the manager was cleaning the station with a rag. He said he overheard me talking with the girls and asked if he heard right that I was walking across the country? I told him yes and then he had some questions. He asked also where I was gonna sleep that night. I told him I would figure something out. He thought I was pretty brave.
I went back and sat down to keep journaling. I noticed outside it was getting really windy. Really windy. There was a big cloud of dust rushing past the entire shopping center outside. All the flags and banners outside we're whipping intensely in the wind. It was pretty sudden and I couldn't believe how hard it was blowing.
      The mcdonalds Manager walked over to me and said that their dumpster coral on the end of the parking lot was pretty big and enclosed if I wanted to stay in there. He said the wind usually picks up and blows hard at night there. He said it would be no problem and that there is even cardboard I could lay down in there. There was a back walkway part he said to go into and shut the door to keep the wind from blowing by me all night. That was really cool of him!
         So I packed up all my stuff around 10pmand said goodbye and thanks to the guy at the counter. I left and walked over to the coral. It was really windy and sand blew across with the wind. I got to the back of the coral and opened the door. There was a little walk way with two sides and it was surprisingly very clean. It was closed in and actually a pretty legit spot. It didn't smell to bad either. There were a few roaches crawling but that's nothing new to me. They are harmless. I'm not sure I would have stayed there if I didn't have permission. I just feel like since I'm enclosed in there and the workers could potentially come in, that I wouldn't have felt comfortable there. But with permission, and the guy telling me that they don't use that walkway, it was heaven for the night.
      My cart fit right in there and I pulled my stuff out and made my bed. I was really tired and ready for an undisturbed night of rest. I could even try and sleep in a little. It was cool laying there hearing the wind blow over me. I felt like a stealth warrior or something who found a good hideout. My knees felt better and I was happy with my decision to have taken the day off. I laid there with a good attitude and fell asleep around 11.