J and I camped on a plateau in Zion in 1982, and I thought we were going to die that night. (But I grew up in Miami and had never camped before, and we were in a very remote spot.) I’ll tell you about it at camp.
What a wonderful read, and I LOVE your positivity! My sister lives in Reno, and really prefers north Lake Tahoe. I have visited a few times, so have little to go on. I wish you could tell me about what you love about South Lake Tahoe and what my sister might be missing! My dad's ashes are scattered at Eagle's Peak. He built many, many homes around the lake and on or near the Truckee River. I lived there in 1970 as a 12 year old, for only one year. It was not so built up then. For some reason it makes me sad that you might be leaving America. I would so like to meet you sometime. Cheryl
Makes me miss my old Southern Utah days… Ahhhh, yes, the relaxed vibes and excellent coffee of the Kiva Koffeehouse! Love that place. And I always camped right before the Kiva on the dirt road with designated sites…Sheffield or something like that? Great story!
No disrespect, no complaint, no hard feelings at all. I'm enjoying the idea of living free from the mindset of economic fear, et cetera. However, why does it feel a man is so privileged to be able to navigate the world physically so freely, without fear of being raped, followed, kidnapped, killed, preyed upon because she's alone. As a woman, it's very challenging to read and especially to live. Do you carry defense? Are you concerned about that or is it a non-issue? I just want to share my perspective here.
I think about this frequently! I'm absolutely lucky and privileged to live this way. I do not carry any form of defense beyond a pathetically small pocket knife (mostly used for cutting cheese). For me, contemplating self-defense is essentially a non-issue. Every now and then, a pick-up truck full of rowdy and perhaps intoxicated men might pass me, and I think—if I were camping alone, and they happened upon me, and I said the wrong thing (or they were just having a bad day), they might absolutely beat me up, rob me, or kill me. But my rational brain truly does not fear that possibility.
I just interviewed another 20-something female cyclist for the Dirtbag Rich podcast who recently finished a year-long journey through Central Asia, cycling alone in many stretches. And before that she traveled alone for long stretches in Central America and South Asia. And I just finished reading the latest book by Heather Anderson (a.k.a. Anish), who became the first woman to hike all three of the long trails in the US in a calendar year. She discusses the fear of being alone in the woods (including how much information to disclose to strangers about her intended camping locations), and how she navigated these fears. Having these conversations and reading these books helps me keep some perspective on how accessible/universal these kinds of adventures are. It's a fine line to walk: sharing stories of empowerment while also acknowledging fundamental asymmetries and injustices.
l loved reading this so much. Thank you for the beautiful, vicarously-experienced bicycle trip to Utah.
That was fun reading, Blake. ❤️
J and I camped on a plateau in Zion in 1982, and I thought we were going to die that night. (But I grew up in Miami and had never camped before, and we were in a very remote spot.) I’ll tell you about it at camp.
This sounds fantastic
love this!
What a wonderful read, and I LOVE your positivity! My sister lives in Reno, and really prefers north Lake Tahoe. I have visited a few times, so have little to go on. I wish you could tell me about what you love about South Lake Tahoe and what my sister might be missing! My dad's ashes are scattered at Eagle's Peak. He built many, many homes around the lake and on or near the Truckee River. I lived there in 1970 as a 12 year old, for only one year. It was not so built up then. For some reason it makes me sad that you might be leaving America. I would so like to meet you sometime. Cheryl
Man, that was such a fun read. Thank you so much!
Makes me miss my old Southern Utah days… Ahhhh, yes, the relaxed vibes and excellent coffee of the Kiva Koffeehouse! Love that place. And I always camped right before the Kiva on the dirt road with designated sites…Sheffield or something like that? Great story!
No disrespect, no complaint, no hard feelings at all. I'm enjoying the idea of living free from the mindset of economic fear, et cetera. However, why does it feel a man is so privileged to be able to navigate the world physically so freely, without fear of being raped, followed, kidnapped, killed, preyed upon because she's alone. As a woman, it's very challenging to read and especially to live. Do you carry defense? Are you concerned about that or is it a non-issue? I just want to share my perspective here.
I think about this frequently! I'm absolutely lucky and privileged to live this way. I do not carry any form of defense beyond a pathetically small pocket knife (mostly used for cutting cheese). For me, contemplating self-defense is essentially a non-issue. Every now and then, a pick-up truck full of rowdy and perhaps intoxicated men might pass me, and I think—if I were camping alone, and they happened upon me, and I said the wrong thing (or they were just having a bad day), they might absolutely beat me up, rob me, or kill me. But my rational brain truly does not fear that possibility.
I just interviewed another 20-something female cyclist for the Dirtbag Rich podcast who recently finished a year-long journey through Central Asia, cycling alone in many stretches. And before that she traveled alone for long stretches in Central America and South Asia. And I just finished reading the latest book by Heather Anderson (a.k.a. Anish), who became the first woman to hike all three of the long trails in the US in a calendar year. She discusses the fear of being alone in the woods (including how much information to disclose to strangers about her intended camping locations), and how she navigated these fears. Having these conversations and reading these books helps me keep some perspective on how accessible/universal these kinds of adventures are. It's a fine line to walk: sharing stories of empowerment while also acknowledging fundamental asymmetries and injustices.