Not much battery life. Will post when I can.
Monday, October 1, 2012
Sunday, September 30, 2012
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Friday, September 28, 2012
A bit of a disheartening start
I drove down to the departure yard to scope the drag of the ZDVCY, which is the manifest train up to Cheyenne that gets picked up tomorrow night by the IG3OA train from Chicago to Oakland.
No rides.
I walked the entire length of the train; it was almost all 40-foot containers, but no ridable well cars. So now my only remaining option tonight is the much "harder" train to catch. It's a Z train (highest priority aside from passenger. It leaves usually at 4AM sharp, and gets to Green River around noon tomorrow. There I would bail off, and attempt to catch another train that goes on through to Oakland. (The ZDVSC terminates in Salt Lake City). http://grooveshark.com/#!/s/Sal+Tlay+Ka+Siti/4yjIbh?src=5
So.... yeah.
I am officially unemployed - how appropriate.
It's about 7:45pm and my first train option leaves at 3AM sharp. My going away party for Viasat was last night, so I didn't get a lot of sleep because of the restless alcohol poisoning my organs. I awoke at about 5am to drink 4 glasses of water and try to sleep off the sick feeling. In the end, I probably made about 8 hours of sleep, but drunken slumber doesn't recharge you much. So now, I'm exhausted.
Just came back from the grocery store with supplies. Now all that's left is to pack, and I will put that off until about 11:30pm tonight when I awake.
Sleep now
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
I just put together this nifty little all-purpose charger for my phone.
It has a regulator and alligator clips, so I can charge my phone off of any DC source up to 24 volts - car battery, lantern battery, basically any battery. Not sure how useful it will prove on the trains, but seems like a good thing to have in general.
Monday, September 24, 2012
Preparation
Preparing for a train riding journey is is a little like packing for a backpacking trip, excepting the fact that you don't have to carry your gear most of the time. The basics are simple; you need (in order of importance) water, appropriate clothing, food, tools, shelter, entertainment. As haphazard as I may be at home about maintaining a place for everything, and keeping everything in said place, I find it very easy and basically a necessity on the trains.
Let's see ... Here are some things that I have taken on a train over the past 15 years: Rubik's cube, many lawnchairs, 4' x 8' panel of recycled carpet, 4' diameter o-rings, a used tire, industrial packing pillows, marbles, multiple bottles of cheap wine, a hammock (for inside the boxcar).
I think I'll keep it pretty basic this time around. Let's see -
CLOTHES
Long underpants and shirt
black carhartt pants
Cargo shorts
2 x dark t-shirts
black hoodie
2 pair synthetic socks
2 pair underwear
wool hat
rain jacket
work gloves
nylon strap that doubles as belt
FOOD
jet boil
liter water bottle (in backpack)
gallon water jug (I like having redundant water sources)
Trail mix (protein heavy)
bagels
tuna fish packet
sausage stick
cheese hunk
2 dehydrated meals
2 flasks - scotch and tequila
coffee / hot choco
SHELTER
Light tarp
twine
sleeping bag
sleeping pad
TOOLS
Phone charger
phone
phone
scanner
leathermang
TP for my bunghole
earplugs
CCG
Trash Bag
Ear Plugs
Ear Plugs
ENTERTAINMENT
my naughty mind
headphones
journal
Camera
Camera
Suggestions?
Gettin' back out there
It's Monday, the last week at my job with Viasat.I will be unemployed for one week, before starting my new job with Sierra Nevada on October 8th. During that week of unemployment, I'll be riding freight trains to Black Butte California, for the Black Butte Center for Railroad Culture (bbcrc.org) fall work party. Pretty excited. A midst my final week of documenting all my previous projects, I am taking some time during the week to research my route.
So far I have this:
Saturday morning 9/29 -- Two train possibilities:
03:00 ZDVSC hotshot from Denver to SLC. I would bail off in Green River, WY to catch a Roseville train, because catching out of SLC is very difficult. Catching west in Green River should provide many opportunities, including the IG3OA I speak of below.
05:00 MDVCY Slow train to Cheyenne, where my train would get picked up by the IG3OA and ride straight to Oakland via Roseville. This train would be a day slower than the above strategy, but the same car that I get on in Denver would ride all the way through to my waypoint in Roseville, CA.
Sunday or Monday at midnight:
Catch the MRVHK manifest train from Roseville to Hinkle, OR. Gotta bail off at Dunsmuir, where I can get a ride on a $5 shuttle up to Weed, CA. If I miss the midnight train, there are two others around 9am and 5pm.
***
I'm trying to figure out a way to ride with Anthony for a little bit over the weekend. May ride to Cheyenne with him and greyhound back.
I plan to update this daily, and perhaps something of value besides a matter-of-fact log of trains and sights will come out of it. Feel free to comment. I'm putting together a mini-USB plug that attached to a lantern battery, for guaranteed phone charge throughout the trip. So I should be open to calls and texts during the entire trip (when I want to have my phone on).
MOAR TO COME
Thursday, June 17, 2010
the letter - by the box tops
youtube.com/watch?AdsControl2=AdsControl2&gl=US&client=mv-google&AdsControl2=AdsControl2&hl=en&v=wD9mCp8SifM&mobileflash=0&nomobile=1
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
a lesson in progress
i'm sitting here in the hot Nashville night swatting mosquitos in the woods while waiting for my northbound. and it hit me. i don't like riding by myself. i enjoy the commeradery of a road partner. i used to do these trips so that i could learn and practice self-sufficiency. but now that i know how to ride, and know that i can get around the country if i needed to, the actual exercising of hard travelin kinda sucks. a long multi-train route thru hot weather by myself isnt as fun as it used to be. am i getting old?
a part of me wants to smoke a j, find a bar, get really drunk, stay at dave's house tonight, then book a cheap 1 way ticket to denver, where i can pick up the important projects of my life with what vacation time i have left.
another part of me is battling the pride associated with my image. am i just sitting out here to show other people that i can? when i do catch the train, will all the love of the rails come flooding back to me as the wind breaths hot against my face? am i still worried about the consequences if i get caught, and the increasing difficulty to ride hotshots and the death of the 48?
train riding just isnt as cool now that i dont "need" to. its like playing poker with fake money. none of the chances you take are real.
a part of me wants to smoke a j, find a bar, get really drunk, stay at dave's house tonight, then book a cheap 1 way ticket to denver, where i can pick up the important projects of my life with what vacation time i have left.
another part of me is battling the pride associated with my image. am i just sitting out here to show other people that i can? when i do catch the train, will all the love of the rails come flooding back to me as the wind breaths hot against my face? am i still worried about the consequences if i get caught, and the increasing difficulty to ride hotshots and the death of the 48?
train riding just isnt as cool now that i dont "need" to. its like playing poker with fake money. none of the chances you take are real.
rollin west... soon
The time to begin the journey home is upon me.
Two weeks is the perfect amount of time (rather "minimum") that should ever be considered for a true cathartic vacation. My life in Denver seems so far away, and at the same time, I don't consider any place home other than the road. I have a mild longing to return to Denver, but only to see Anthony and my friends again. What/what/why is home?
In 2 hours, Mary is going to drive me to Nashville, where I will do some shopping to prepare for the final trip of this vacation. A nice train ride is really 3 separate vacations in a row. One for the ride there, one while you are there, one for the ride back. So far my first two subvacations have been ... hmmm, word ... cleansing.
My route back will basically depend on what trains are easily catchable from Nashville. My first choice would be back through Chicago, since the weather down south here is pretty rough (hot) right now. I have a few different options once i get to chicago. But even just "go west" would work fine for the most part. [I need to get a new CCG made up at SOCX's. Had to ditch mine in Omaha.] My other options are Memphis to KC or Amarillo. Getting from Nashville to Denver seems decidedly easier than the other way around.
I have a decent amount of pictures and a bunch of audio recorded. Will re-write this whole blog after I piece it together back in the cool coziness of my home-in-progress.
cheers - I'll txt and/or post to here when I can!
nodoubt
Two weeks is the perfect amount of time (rather "minimum") that should ever be considered for a true cathartic vacation. My life in Denver seems so far away, and at the same time, I don't consider any place home other than the road. I have a mild longing to return to Denver, but only to see Anthony and my friends again. What/what/why is home?
In 2 hours, Mary is going to drive me to Nashville, where I will do some shopping to prepare for the final trip of this vacation. A nice train ride is really 3 separate vacations in a row. One for the ride there, one while you are there, one for the ride back. So far my first two subvacations have been ... hmmm, word ... cleansing.
My route back will basically depend on what trains are easily catchable from Nashville. My first choice would be back through Chicago, since the weather down south here is pretty rough (hot) right now. I have a few different options once i get to chicago. But even just "go west" would work fine for the most part. [I need to get a new CCG made up at SOCX's. Had to ditch mine in Omaha.] My other options are Memphis to KC or Amarillo. Getting from Nashville to Denver seems decidedly easier than the other way around.
I have a decent amount of pictures and a bunch of audio recorded. Will re-write this whole blog after I piece it together back in the cool coziness of my home-in-progress.
cheers - I'll txt and/or post to here when I can!
nodoubt
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
compound musings
This morning, we are driving into Nashville for some free classes on some specific farming/gardening techniques. Hmmm... can I find a link....
No I cannot. Wow just 3 days of living in the country and I have forgotten my internet savvy. ;-)
I am most likely leaving here tomorrow, for the train ride back home. I am impressed and heartened by the pure-spirited good work I see around here. It's also very interesting to see Larry adjusting to his new element. Larry is not a farmer - nor are his siblings with whom he has undertaken this project. Every day is a learning experience. Even I was asked for my gardening knowledge in some cases. But in the short time of my visit, I can clearly see they are on the knee of the learning-curve, and will be doing just fine soon enough. With people like Jeff Belli (http://tinyurl.com/2bbwoem) offering his expert consulting services for just FORTY dollars an hour, it is clear that all hearts are soundly in the right place for this like-minded group of farmers.
Last night a 4-hour conversation with Larry revealed his motivations, and his own personal struggles while trying to come to terms with the Truth, while already embedded in the consensus reality.... AHHH cut short. HAve to run to the class.
more later
No I cannot. Wow just 3 days of living in the country and I have forgotten my internet savvy. ;-)
I am most likely leaving here tomorrow, for the train ride back home. I am impressed and heartened by the pure-spirited good work I see around here. It's also very interesting to see Larry adjusting to his new element. Larry is not a farmer - nor are his siblings with whom he has undertaken this project. Every day is a learning experience. Even I was asked for my gardening knowledge in some cases. But in the short time of my visit, I can clearly see they are on the knee of the learning-curve, and will be doing just fine soon enough. With people like Jeff Belli (http://tinyurl.com/2bbwoem) offering his expert consulting services for just FORTY dollars an hour, it is clear that all hearts are soundly in the right place for this like-minded group of farmers.
Last night a 4-hour conversation with Larry revealed his motivations, and his own personal struggles while trying to come to terms with the Truth, while already embedded in the consensus reality.... AHHH cut short. HAve to run to the class.
more later
Sunday, June 13, 2010
greetings from the Compound
I am at my destination.
Tucked up in the woods and farmland of rural Ethridge Tennessee, mere miles away from the famous commune "The Farm" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Farm_Tennessee), my former boss from Lockheed Martin and black-projects one-man think-tank extraordinaire, Larry lives with his mom, his brother and sister, and a few dogs who came with the property.
During a short tour last night, we made a stop at the "battery room", where 100s of kilowatt-hours of lead-acid batteries sat awaiting entrance into the compound power grid. A combination of solar cells and diesel generator (activated only when needed) would keep these at the ideal charge. The hot water heaters were currently set-up on the supply of propane from tanks recently installed. "Although if propane were to become unavailable, we could transition the hot water heaters back to electric."
In the daylight, it is evident what enormous amount of work had been done to this single-farmhouse property since the family moved in August. A pool has been converted to a water-containment "tank" for runoff, above which a gigantic greenhouse was erected. A gigantic work-shed barn sits atop a small hill about 200 yards away from the house. And miles of 2-hot-wire electric fence surround the compound (ostensibly for animal containment).
I walked out into the "backyard" this morning as Larry prepared me coffee with raw honey and cinnamon. There I met Mary, his brother Jim's partner, and was enthusiastically greeted by Babe, one of the farms built-in dogs. Babe is a brown smooth-coated mutt with red cuticles from living the tough outdoor farm life. She is a tremendous sweetheart, and curls her entire body into a "C" as she wags her tail, as if it were an unintended consequence of serious, serious wagging.
"I'm happy to help any way I can, Mary, these next few days." I offered.
"Good, because there is plenty of weeding to be done," was the reply.
Right now Larry is in the shower and shortly afterwards we are headed out. I am very excited to see, in general, how a motivated, intelligent, ex-professional is able to thrive in a real, honest, independent, sustainable family farm.
more later
nodoubt
Later today we are going to visit a likeminded farmer's operation to pick up fresh blueberries, garlic, tomatoes and "other organic goods." I am looking forward to working here for a few days and getting a feel for the lifestyle.
Tucked up in the woods and farmland of rural Ethridge Tennessee, mere miles away from the famous commune "The Farm" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Farm_Tennessee), my former boss from Lockheed Martin and black-projects one-man think-tank extraordinaire, Larry lives with his mom, his brother and sister, and a few dogs who came with the property.
During a short tour last night, we made a stop at the "battery room", where 100s of kilowatt-hours of lead-acid batteries sat awaiting entrance into the compound power grid. A combination of solar cells and diesel generator (activated only when needed) would keep these at the ideal charge. The hot water heaters were currently set-up on the supply of propane from tanks recently installed. "Although if propane were to become unavailable, we could transition the hot water heaters back to electric."
In the daylight, it is evident what enormous amount of work had been done to this single-farmhouse property since the family moved in August. A pool has been converted to a water-containment "tank" for runoff, above which a gigantic greenhouse was erected. A gigantic work-shed barn sits atop a small hill about 200 yards away from the house. And miles of 2-hot-wire electric fence surround the compound (ostensibly for animal containment).
I walked out into the "backyard" this morning as Larry prepared me coffee with raw honey and cinnamon. There I met Mary, his brother Jim's partner, and was enthusiastically greeted by Babe, one of the farms built-in dogs. Babe is a brown smooth-coated mutt with red cuticles from living the tough outdoor farm life. She is a tremendous sweetheart, and curls her entire body into a "C" as she wags her tail, as if it were an unintended consequence of serious, serious wagging.
"I'm happy to help any way I can, Mary, these next few days." I offered.
"Good, because there is plenty of weeding to be done," was the reply.
Right now Larry is in the shower and shortly afterwards we are headed out. I am very excited to see, in general, how a motivated, intelligent, ex-professional is able to thrive in a real, honest, independent, sustainable family farm.
more later
nodoubt
Later today we are going to visit a likeminded farmer's operation to pick up fresh blueberries, garlic, tomatoes and "other organic goods." I am looking forward to working here for a few days and getting a feel for the lifestyle.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
In Nashville y'all
Really tired. Will post more tomorrow, but here I am at Nashville and I will be attempting to sneak into Bonaroo tomorrow night. Shortly afterwards I will be hitching to Ethridge, TN to work on tha farm for a little while. Then a few trains thru Memphis and Amarillo to get back to Denver, Anthony, and all my friends.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
right place, right time, rights cars, wrong train OR all roads lead to Columbus
In columbus after catching what SHOULD HAVE been the train from chicago to Nashville. Instead (happily) the train was bound for my Alma Mater. since i am using my phone to update my blog, i dont have the finger strength to explain just now.
in any case i am in columbus at my two very good friends, radar and junk's, house. it was quite a happy mistake on my end.
oh yeah, and my rain gear works... well.
so now i have to decide how to get to nashvile from here... hmmmmm
in any case i am in columbus at my two very good friends, radar and junk's, house. it was quite a happy mistake on my end.
oh yeah, and my rain gear works... well.
so now i have to decide how to get to nashvile from here... hmmmmm
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
nashville by dark
It's 7:30AM here in Chicago. I woke up after a night of Don Julio and great catch-up conversation with a good friend, Bil, with whom I have been close friends since high school. I'm a teeny bit hung over, and the words are not coming to me as quickly as usual. After having taken advantage of his various clothing and body-cleaning appliances, I am ready to venture out again this afternoon to catch down to Nashville on a fast-tracker.
The plan once there is to visit Pawl, and maybe try to sneak into Bonaroo, before spending a few days at the Bowers Farm. I'm well into my trip now, and the drift has taken over. Time is seeming less and less relevant, especially since I know I have two weeks to travel.
It's raining a little now, and the high temperature is supposed to be 63. GOOD. It is going to be balls hot as I get closer to Nashville. I would rather not waste my water and heat-tolerance while waiting for the train today. [WOW Bil's 3 year old just came BARRELING down the stairs "singing" London Bridge is Falling Down, replacing each word with "RAWR" at about 80% of his max volume].
k - time to get ready to roll
The plan once there is to visit Pawl, and maybe try to sneak into Bonaroo, before spending a few days at the Bowers Farm. I'm well into my trip now, and the drift has taken over. Time is seeming less and less relevant, especially since I know I have two weeks to travel.
It's raining a little now, and the high temperature is supposed to be 63. GOOD. It is going to be balls hot as I get closer to Nashville. I would rather not waste my water and heat-tolerance while waiting for the train today. [WOW Bil's 3 year old just came BARRELING down the stairs "singing" London Bridge is Falling Down, replacing each word with "RAWR" at about 80% of his max volume].
k - time to get ready to roll
Monday, June 7, 2010
in chi town
in oglevie (sp?) transport center waiting for a (legal) train to see good friend bil. will take some time there to post photos and details of trip to date.
was just in the bathroom where a homeless black dude tried to get me to steal toilet paper for him. i think... i couldnt quite understand him over his busted lip. i hope thats all he wanted!
i have some time so i wanted to post about "white hitch-hiking lies"
when hitching, i found i often ... umm... modify the truth aout my travels based on who picks me up. part of it is based on my social anxiety among strangers, especially those who are doing me a favor. i think this is common, but add the new dimension of my blog, and the fact that i usually give them the link! so... sorry to anyone reading this if they ran into me on my trip and my story doesnt quite jive with this blog!! the real me is shrouded in mystery (yeah right my mom and dad read this). typically i will downplay my professional career and simply state that i have a low-paying hourly job, or that i am in school. i guess to me, my life outside of my travels is none of their business, but it's easier not to say "mind yer own business."
was just in the bathroom where a homeless black dude tried to get me to steal toilet paper for him. i think... i couldnt quite understand him over his busted lip. i hope thats all he wanted!
i have some time so i wanted to post about "white hitch-hiking lies"
when hitching, i found i often ... umm... modify the truth aout my travels based on who picks me up. part of it is based on my social anxiety among strangers, especially those who are doing me a favor. i think this is common, but add the new dimension of my blog, and the fact that i usually give them the link! so... sorry to anyone reading this if they ran into me on my trip and my story doesnt quite jive with this blog!! the real me is shrouded in mystery (yeah right my mom and dad read this). typically i will downplay my professional career and simply state that i have a low-paying hourly job, or that i am in school. i guess to me, my life outside of my travels is none of their business, but it's easier not to say "mind yer own business."
Sunday, June 6, 2010
grey-dog defeat
at upstream brewery in omaha. woke up in a truck-stop motel about 15 miles outside of omaha today. i cleaned up, and regained my vigor (9not easy given yesterday's story) by noon and walked out to the highway to hitcchhike. after flying a sign for 1.5 hours that said CHICAGO - HARD TRAVELIN :) i had no luck so made a new sign that said OMAHA. i was INSTANTLY picked up by two awesome guys from west africa who were attending school in omaha. they ttok me into down where i had heard from a trusted friend i could catch to chicago. well... the chicago proviso train went blowin tbru... no stoppin. i considered waiting for another one, but decided instead to swallow my pride (it was really hard) and buy a 80 dollar greyhound ticket to chi. so now i am gettinnng drunk at upstream brewery and trying to figure out if i made the right choice or if i'm a pussy.
when i get to chicago and my friend's house, i will add more neat to all these posts which i have been making wiith my phone.
MATT zaw yer comment - yeah that was rad. i'll email you and thx again.
nodoubt
when i get to chicago and my friend's house, i will add more neat to all these posts which i have been making wiith my phone.
MATT zaw yer comment - yeah that was rad. i'll email you and thx again.
nodoubt
bailed
no, not jail-related bail. :).... i bailed off the chicago train around omaha LONGGGGGGG story. suffice it to say all is well and i am making my plan to keep heading towards chicago today. i'm pretty sore from a lot of walking. once i have time i'll post yesterday's adventure, but huge thanks to matt, andy, cory, allie and... crap i cant think of your name, bud, sorry for the beer and lift.
more later
more later
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