First leg -- Arriving in Bakersfield.

A moment of flagging courage:  waking up in such a sprawling and relentlessly commercial town, without a car.  But a morning coffee and a chat with someone familiar did wonders toward restoring the old morale.  And a couple of days of regrouping, supported by the help of several lovely, generous people, have made me feel much more 'at home'!

I do not know exactly how many miles (100+) I have walked now, at the beginning of this rather audacious venture.  But I do know that whatever 'rules' I have set for myself are subject to constant adjustment!  This is about rising to the immediate occasion, learning to trust, pray/meditate, offer up the many blessings that have come my way already, with a grateful and humble spirit -- and trying not to lapse into crabbiness in moments of panic!

My appearance is unusual, to say the least, walking along with a trailer.  Many conversations have ensued and again I find myself wondering about the goals and ideals of this business (beyond my own personal 'calling' to get out here on foot).  How would I ever make an impact on anyone's orientation around environment and lifestyle, in the space of a brief conversation?  As I've resolved to do, I can only express my concerns and opinions to those who ask about my purpose.  And realize (as I enjoy so many kindnesses from others), my own part in the consumption of those resources I'm concerned about!

Many thanks are in order, to the Bodhisattvas of the road! (These are sort of like Buddhist angels or saints, in case anyone's wondering...) I have been offered (among other things) accommodations in Santa Margarita and Buttonwillow, meals on the Carrizo Plain and in McKittrick.  Many good wishes have been extended and I have felt overwhelmingly supported by people along the way.

Thoughts on one contrast between the east and west sides of the Temblor range (so called because it runs along the San Andreas fault line) that borders the Carrizo Plains National Monument and divides San Luis Obispo and Kern counties. The land on the Plains side looks fairly unspoiled for the most part (being part of a national monument).  But as a prominent feature there are two massive solar farms -- controversial but apparently serving the area well.  By contrast, after descending the rolling and wildflower-covered hills on the east side, one drops into a smoggy valley of oil fields and pipeline.  Gradually this gives way to agriculture.  And this is where I refrain from expressing any opinions on the politics of water and who/what controls the vital information about future prognosis for agriculture and water usage! Suffice it say that both crisis denial and anger toward government are running rampant.


From this point on Internet and phone access may be quite limited.  Good luck to me - and to us all!

Walk Day 1 -- Farewell to the Pacific coast!

Getting the actual walk reporting off the ground seems like a good idea, since posts may become scarce in the near future for lack of internet access...

After a pleasant train ride to San Luis Obispo on Saturday, I was driven to Avila Beach yesterday by my gracious host, Ellen. (Remember her?  She set me up with this blog last year, before moving down here from San Francisco.) After breakfast with an ocean view, we walked out on the pier for a bit, and then I set out on my 11+ mile walk back to SLO. Gorgeous day, lots of bikers, runners and walkers on the 'Bob Jones Trail' leading out of Avila Beach. Then it was a freeway service road for the rest of the walk into SLO.  No, I didn't bring the whole trailer and gear assembly; that will happen when I leave town tomorrow!

No ocean view on the way out of Avila Beach, but the walk was mostly scenic, with green hills, wildflowers (poppies, lupine, vetch, mustard, etc.) and many aromatic plants to enjoy (fennel, mugwort, various sages.)

This stopover is/has been a great gift.  I feel wonderfully well looked after and am enjoying a peaceful couple of days among friends and the comforts of 'town life', before striking out on my own, into the great unknown!

Departure date is coming right up!

Whew!  I can't believe that I am scheduled to be leaving a week from this Saturday!  Many 'letting go'  opportunities in this preparation process!  To revisit an earlier thought:  if my intention in walking is to pay respect to the planet, how do I do that (or not) as I am preparing to depart?  That has been a frequent question these days, the answer to which is often a little less than satisfactory!  The truth of the matter is that I am pretty darned scattered in my efforts to cover as many bases as possible as the departure date gets closer.  This diffusion of energy is punctuated by moments of mental paralysis, and then moments of stunning clarity (as I focus on my surroundings and the many things I love about my day to day life.)  Let's just say it's been a bit of a roller coaster!

Departure strategy has been amended from the original plan to walk east from San Francisco.  I will instead be taking the train to San Luis Obispo and starting out from there.  This eliminates the question about which mountain passes are open, and a potential long detour in the event of a last minute spring storm.  I can walk from Avila Beach back to SLO on my first day, thus starting from the coast.  The first large town on the route will be Bakersfield, and I'll angle up to U.S. Rt. 6 from there...  Next blog post may be from 'the road'!!

Ai Weiwei '@ Large' at Alcatraz!  This exhibit is SO worth the trip - very powerful!  (I got to see it with an out-of-town guest who wanted to go to Alcatraz.  It's going on until April 26th, I think.)

This whole mural is all made of legos! Representing people who have been incarcerated or persecuted for exercising free speech.

Gratitude Check-in: New training regimen, on-going supports.

Well, time is marching on, as they say, and it is a mere eight weeks until my proposed departure date(!)  There is very much to be grateful for these day, I notice.  (This is not only due to the imminent (albeit temporary) renunciation of some of my favorite comforts.)

First - a big thank you! to Sarah, the excellent trainer I have been working with at 24 Hour Fitness, who took on my project of preparation for this journey, and gave me many very helpful suggestions (some of them obvious, as in 'duh - why didn't I think of that myself!?'), so that I can use the next weeks as effectively as possible.

Another big thank you! to my employers Joye and Tony, at Inzana Ranch and Produce, who, when I confessed that I would be away for the rest of this year after March, zeroed right in on ways they could be supportive.

Then there are the many friends who have contributed to my fund-raising efforts, both directly and via offers of gainful employment!  I have enjoyed donated bodywork, synchronicity in planning, and a whole lot of moral support.

But I reserve the biggest thank you! for my sister Annie, who despite initial reservations about this business, has been a wholehearted champion of the various causes coming into play here.

Sometimes I feel exhilarated and energized; sometimes I feel terrified.  But, in any case, my love and appreciation are boundless!

Sarah, turning up the heat in my training regimen!

My co-worker Roberta, at our VA Hospital Wednesday Farmers' Market.

Sister Annie in 'gratitude context' - Thanksgiving day dinner!

Live and learn - best to re-commit to that practice now!

As my Facebook friend Walkin' Don Moseman* emphasized, it will be of primary importance to '...listen to your body; pay attention to your body.'  Typically, I think I am already doing that.  And to some degree it's true.  But lately I've had the opportunity to further sharpen that skill...

Regular visits to the fitness center continue, and have been good therapy in many ways; however, a particular stretching exercise I've been doing seems to have had a detrimental effect.  Luckily I've noticed the connection, and found another way to do the same stretch.  Clearly, healing is happening now, with a little help from acupuncture and KT tape.  But here's the thing - it's time to resume those practice walks, and the question is:  how far and/or vigorously shall I exercise while still slightly injured?  The obvious answer - listening to my body!

*Walkin' Don has crossed the U.S. on foot multiple times.  On meeting him (a big, strapping, long-legged fellow of about 6'5") I could see why he was able to cover as much as 50 miles in a day(!)  My own ambitions fall a bit short of that!

Unseasonably warm night with no wind at all; at a bayside restaurant we actually sat outside - in December!

A Walk in the Park!

Yay!  Today was an important milestone, in that I took the newly assembled walking trailer for a 'test-drive' through Golden Gate Park to the beach (Java Beach Cafe, to be exact) and back to my house, for a modest distance of about 7 miles. I will now (formally) stop numbering practice walks, although there have been a couple.  Distance has not always been the main focus, and today was specifically for trying out the trailer, weighted with 35 lbs. of kitty litter(!) and approximately10 lbs. of other stuff.

Amazing!  This is such a brilliant piece of equipment.  It maneuvers very smoothly; I could even negotiate curbs without too much trouble and barely felt bumps on the paths/walkways.  Inclines were pretty easy, although I know that more weight would make a difference.  The only way I noticed my gait being affected, was that the natural swing of the arms has to avoid those handles when they're not being used.  Seemed like a pretty minor adjustment, though.  Suffice it to say that I was more than satisfied with the test outcome.  Check it out!

Fall Colors!

Many inquiries over the past year finally paid off with usable info on the Climate Summit at the United Nations, and the preceding huge climate rally in NYC.  I was fortunate to be able to attend the rally - it was a great day - and I haven't heard any statements by the Summit attendees about how the week-long event evolved.  Did anyone in the media mention the Summit, except to cover the rally?  Well, it was a good trip east, with family and friend visits included, and a lot of trees changing color.

What now makes this walk one step more real is/was yesterday's delivery of my most important piece of gear - a walking trailer made in the Netherlands, by a company called Radical Design.  I seriously did not fine anything as well designed for my needs, and locally made.  Not even close.  I am quite excited about it and look forward to seeing it assembled!

Met another Bay Area resident in my same hostel.  And with the same Climate Flag.

I linked up with some folks from SF Zen Center