April 29, 2014

Ive made it to Wickenburg AZ. In two days as a matter of fact.
As previously mentioned, I was expecting high winds and rain over the weekend, so I decided to set up camp at Centennial Park.
I was greeted to a warm welcome by Miss Dory, who told me to pick a spot preferably under the shade and meet her at the Pro Shop (There's a golf course here).
I set my things down and made my way over to the shop when she asked what I was walking for.
I handed her my debit card and said "I'm walking to raise awareness for veteran services that need a greater amount of support, particularly homelessness, health care, and suicide prevention".
She threw my card back at me, to which I thought I might have said something wrong or offended her.
"You're my guest for the weekend, do you have enough food for dinner" she asked.
I thanked her and said I was covered, but would like to borrow a book from the shelf over in the corner.
"My grandson was in the Army but was medically discharged due to a knee injury. They wouldnt fix it while he was in, and now that hes out they seem to be in even less of a rush to operate" she said.
"That's one of the reasons why I'm out here, walking. To many of us are getting left behind due to uncontrollable situations".
 She told me if i needed anything to come over to her RV and she would be more than happy to help me out. I told her thank you again and reatreated to my site.
After getting everything situated, I went to bed hoping to sleep through the "storm".
Around 5AM i woke up to what sounded like pages from a paperback book whipping back and forth through the wind. I soon realized, it wasn't pages, but flaps of my tent. I had unintentionally set up my tent perpendicularly to the wind. The tent was collapsing.
I laid there for a minute, weighing the options of leaving it or correcting my mistake.
Rain had started to fall during this quick interval of thought. I threw on my sweats and jumped outside to rearrange everything.
Being out of the flow of things, i fell back asleep. Around 10am Miss D came by to see how i was doing, and brought some fresh blueberry muffins and a starbucks mocha. After thanking her for providing me with breakfast i asked if itd be okay to stay another night and wait out this wind.
"Not a problem, come by around 5pm, ill have dinner for you".
One of the biggest parts of this walk has been getting past my pride and independence, and allowing others to help me, and taking people up on their offers. Its a very humbling experience.
Later that day, the weather cleared up so I knew I would be able to get back on track sunday morning.
That was exactly what i did.
Awaking at 6am, the sun was just beginning to rise and I was greeted to breakfast and goodbyes. I hope to return again soon to the area. Preferably with a vehicle of some sort. 
I finally left around 8am, and made my way towards Aguila. Walking along the 60 highway, you notice two types of drivers. There are the ones who know its a less traveled road, so they use it as a "Short Cut". The other group are those who understand the scenic value, and take their time cruising and enjoying the space they inhabit.
Unfortunately combining these two together on the same road proves to be quite alarming for the travelers on the side. Those in a rush use the open lane to pass up the car in front of them, regardless if some walker or cyclist happens to be close to the line or not. Trust me, id walk closer to the field if i wasnt afraid of the snakes waiting to absorb the warmth of the road.
By 5pm I had come to Augila, and was in desperate need of a shower. As luck would have it, a man named Bob ran a motel towards the end of town (Only a stretch of 2-3 miles), and being a veteran of the Army he gave me a room for $20. we sat and talked about how hed previously had a group of 3 kids stay there. They had walked from Connecticut, and arrived on day 200+.
"How cool it must be to be able to put something like that on your resume, Id hire you right away, just to figure out what makes you tick" he said.
I will admit, Im excited of that prospect.
Mondays walk was a bit shorter in distance, yet seemed to be twice as challenging.
Im sure it had to do with the semi-mountainous climbs the road took.
Again, lots of nothing but desert and incredible views the locals now have lost amazement over. About 6 miles out of town, a lady stopped her car on the side of the road, and handed me a bag of fruit and water. She told me she'd seen me on her way to work, and figured i could use the vitamin C. I ate them without hesitation and quickly felt a boost of energy.
During this time I also got service back to my phone. It had been unable to find a network for a week.
I recieved a text my dad had sent a couple days prior aletring me about the article in the Fontana Herald about the walk.
Im extremely excited to see this walk gain a great deal of coverage, and am thankful for the time and effort being put in by everyone involved.
By the time i ended my night, my legs/feet decided they'd had enough and more or less stopped working. I must have been quite a site to drivers passing by as I hobbled along the road.
Setting up my tent and getting into my sleeping bag has never been so difficult, but when i awoke this morning everything was in order. Im unsure how today is going to end, but i do know im going to check out the Museum before i leave town. Theres only 50 or so miles to Phoenix, which I had planned to reach by Friday. Things are looking very good on that front.
Id also like to give a huge thank you to everyone who has contributed at the donation page (www.crowdrise.com/natewalks). You don't know how much it means to me. You all are making this walk possible. I am truly blessed. Thank you again, so very much.

April 25, 2014

I just want to start this off by thanking everyone who has helped me get this far in my walk. These past couple days have been challenging; mostly due to the new terrain and weather. It seems that every person I encounter on the road wants to help out in any way possible, which is great and helps further my every step. The VFW in Quartzsite, 3dreamers RV resort, and Shefflers Motel have housed, cooked, and helped further plan my trip. Highway 60 also plays host to quite a few cyclists going cross country, all vying to accomplish the goals they've set. It truly is an amazing place to be. On top of that the scenery is incredible. I feel as if I'm backpacking through time, watching the sun move across rock formations, cactus, and old railroads. I have been taking pictures along the way and hope to soon share them with you. Today I am in Salome AZ, but will probably only walk briefly due to high winds and approaching rainfall. This will only last until late tonight, and give me an opportunity to start early Saturday. 

On another rather serious note, I need to discuss what has come to light regarding the Phoenix VA hospital. At a time when the suicide rate among veterans is only growing, I find it deplorable that so many men and women are being lied to in regards to appointment booking and doctor availability. Not only are these unfair business practices illegal, a huge majority of these patients were retired military personal who earned the coverage that should have been provided. I hope this matter is corrected before it becomes an even larger problem. 

Over 250 miles as of April 22nd, 2014.

April 21, 2014

I hope you all had fun yesterday, celebrating whatever holiday you observed.
For me, yesterday was a huge point in my walk, due to my exit of California, and entrance into Arizona. I had taken a couple days off in Blythe to relax and refocus for the next route i would be taking. My parents and my sister drove out to see me before i crossed the "border". We ate lunch, talked, and looked over the new information cards that had just came in the mail. When it was all said in done, they put me in a Motel 6 for the evening. First time I've slept on a bed in 3 weeks. It felt fantastic. Greatly appreciated.
I ventured out later for some food, and happened to run into a man pushing a shopping cart full of cans, wearing an old style army boonie cover. We spoke for a couple minutes, and I found out he was indeed homeless, and had served 8 years in the Army.
Things just haven't worked out for me, he said.
I told him about my walk and the reasoning behind it. He looked down at my feet noticing i was wearing sandals.
I hope you have a better pair of shoes, cause those aren't gonna get you out of Blythe.
I assured him my shoes were at the room, and I was just giving my feet a break.
After a couple more minutes of back and forth, I started to feel a bit uneasy. I don't attribute this to his head shaking idea of what needed to be done once i got to D.C. It was the fact that everything that seemed beneficial to this man in terms of help or care, was extremely shortsighted. I don't mean that as an attack at all. While he had requests for change, they were quick solutions that don't necessarily help fix anything. By that point we both seemed kind of done with the exchange, and said best of luck to each other.
I ended the night pretty early after some taco bell, and woke up Sunday ready to start walking. It took a while to get back into the groove of things (Since I had 3 days off), but once I found it, I was flying.
Today I come to you from Quartzsite. The morning was awesome, primarily because i stumbled up Dome Rock, just as Vampire Weekend mentioned it on a song of theirs. I figure ill keep walking a bit tonight, and pick back up tomorrow morning. Gotta check what town ill hit next. Talk again soon.

April 16 - 18, 2014

Scanning google maps prior to my departure, I came across a desert plain labeled "hell". I laughed and quickly dismissed it as sensationalism. Let me clarify something for you readers. Though it might not have been the hottest, I would still classify that desert as indeed Godless. From the dried remnants of trees reaching up to the sky with their empty branches, begging for a drink; to the black asphalt roads determined to have my shoes leave a print for every step I took. Down to my last half gallon of water and temperatures steadily rising, I followed my animal instinct and sought shade under a nearby tree. I know better than to fight the sun. Especially this low in supplies. I'll have to wait until dusk to start moving again. 

After what couldn't have been more than 20 minutes, a CHP officer drive by, passing me at first, but quickly turned around to inquire about my situation. I told him all was fine except my lack of water. Luckily he carried a water jug with him while patrolling the area and let me fill all my containers. He than warned me about a murder that had happened on that old highway a couple says prior. "He was burned alive". 

Well that's great, I thought. You don't want me traversing on the interstate, instead you'd have me out here literally walking through Hell. 

He then told me he'd have another patrol car bring me extra water later tonight. I thanked him as he departed, and decided I'd better carry on with my walking. 

With each step I took, I released more and more negative energy. Methodic as it was, I felt overtaken by how easily I could convince myself that every scenario brought up, I was again playing the role of the victim, the martyr. For every "woe is me" anecdote that played out in my mind, I quickly noticed how foolish each was. I was grasping at strings trying to reason my unhappiness based on responses to my own decisions. Perhaps this self imposed "exile" through the desert was in fact needed. The squad car showed up a half hour before sundown, and reiterated the importance of calling them if I feel unsafe. Sleep was restless, waking up every hour only to see the moons position had changed. I think a young coyote was crying out for care throughout the night and into the morning, but I did not investigate. I'm sorry. 

Waking up that morning, I felt slightly uneasy about the heat. When I hit the end of the chuckwalla road, the only option was to walk on the highway again. So I tried. 

Sure enough, not even 3 miles into the hump, CHP pulls up behind me giving the three same options as before " desert", "ticket", "drive u to nearest exit". I hate to admit, but I took the 10 mile ride to Mesa. As unfortunate as that was, riding in the car and peering out the window allowed me to see exactly how foolish my stubbornness would have been had I refused a ride. There was absolutely nothing. No roads, no water, nothing. Once I got to Mesa, I thanked them for the ride and ordered a sandwich from a Valero sub shop. Sitting there, I realized 10 miles is not worth dying over. I feel I made the right decision. On top of that, a woman gave me 20 dollars for locating her misplaced car keys ( they were on top of the garbage can by her vehicle). After briefly talking about my walk she told me to use the 20 wisely. After another days walk, I ended my day at Mayflower Camp Grounds in Blythe by the Colorado River. I stayed that night, and will stay here again tonight (Friday). My tent is right next to the Colorado river. After that walk through hell, it's nice to be so close to water. 

If you'd like to support me through my travels here's a link where you can donate. Money goes towards my water, food, and footwear.   Http://crowdrise.com/natewalks 

Thank you too all those who have donated already, and hope you all have a Good Friday. 

April 15, 2014

Nights like this make it all worthwhile. Laying under the stars, watching the moon slowly rise into the sky, how blessed I am. Tonight is a full moon; prior to her arrival, I spent a good portion of the evening searching the sky for her. Every time my eyes peered above the mountain ridge, I grew more and more impatient. This wasn't like her, standing me up. Had I been duped into believing she would even show? She had to... right? It wasn't until 8:10pm that I noticed the outline of a hilltop. Light was cascading from every direction. 

I smiled and readied myself for her grand entrance. No longer hidden, I felt a sense of bewilderment. What should I do? Am I allowed to marvel at such beauty? Photos and words can not describe how elegant her ascension was. I lay here in awe, hoping she won't pass to quickly. 

April 14, 2014

Currently at Chiriaco summit. Arrived yesterday night and to my surprise there was free dry camping grounds located behind the General Patton museum. Pitched my tent, and basically slept the entire day. Tomorrow will be here sooner than I know, so I must keep this brief. 40 miles until I hit desert center, from there another 25 to Blythe. I have enough food and water to ensure a successful trek, though I must admit I am a bit nervous. It is reassuring to know that drivers will call CHP on you. Funny story, I was taking a quick break while on the I-10 freeway. Apparently I appeared to be dehydrated or sick, so a few concerned citizens called 911 for help. Unbeknownst to me, I continued walking, full of life and carrying plenty of water. I started getting way to into my music and was putting on quite a performance for the cars. As I happened to look over my shoulder, I saw a fire truck and ambulance trailing behind me. I'm sure people passing by thought I was filming a music video or something. I assured the emergency responders that I in fact was alright, had plenty of water and was not ill (at least physically) haha. CHP came soon after and advised me to seek refuge under a bridge instead of in plain site. I assured him I would and thanked him for being so understanding.