Moab → I-70 and Hwy 24

Ellie turned around to pick me up and she was amazing! She drove 30 miles out of her way to drop me in a good spot, ensuring I'd only have to wait for one ride (rather than two). She was just returning to Colorado after doing humanitarian work on the Mexican/Texas border. We talked about border-related activism, spirituality, approaching fear, and utopic world visions. A lovely ride.

Arches National Park Entrance Station → Moab

I waited for hours in the cold rain- several cars stopped for me, but all were heading to Moab (south) rather than my direction, north. The spot was less than ideal, and I stayed for too long. Eventually, I decided to get a ride down to Moab and try from there- Leftie gave me a ride the few miles into town, and I warmed up a bit before walking back out to the highway,

I-70 and Hwy 24 → Fruita, UT

I had been dropped off in the middle of the desert, no facilities for 40+ miles in any given direction. The sun was on the verge of setting. Six cars passed me in 50 minutes- the seventh stopped. Joan and Mike were from Minnesota and were edging toward the end of their road trip. Nice people, I gave them recommendations for what to do in the area, and we discussed history and travel.

Moab → Arches National Park Entrance Station

A young Frenchwoman from the hostel I was staying in kindly offered me a ride. We chatted about hitchhiking alone.

Arches National Park Entrance Station → Double Arch

An older French couple picked me up after I had been waiting not even 30 seconds. They ended up driving me down the scenic drive, and we hiked together to a few different arches and viewpoints- I spoke rudimentary French, and they spoke broken English, and we enjoyed each others company.

Double Arch → Visitor Center

A man who works for USGS picked me up. We talked about hiking and geology.

Capitol Reef National Park → Notem Bullfrog Road

A couple who recognized me from the visitor center drove me to the edge of the park. They were kind and interested in the park's history.

Notem Bullfrog Road → Hanksville

A local named Ed turned around to picked me up- he owns the Hanksville Inn. We talked about flooding events in the area- in 2007 his inn was flooded when the Fremont River swelled and broke a damn in the area. He was still seen as an outsider at the time, but the community worked together to help him get back on his feet.

Hanksville → Cresent Junction

Frank with AZ plates picked me up. He was on a roadtrip. Told me some wild stories about hitchhiking around Mexico, Southeast Asia, and the U.S. in his youth. Spent time in Myanmar over the course of several years and shared his observations of change. Had an interesting, middle of the road political perspective. Was arrested as a young adult for political graffiti and was… (read on in Trip)

Crescent Junction → Moab

This sweet middle-aged asian couple from Maryland picked me up. It was their first time in Utah and their first time picking up a hitchhiker. We chit chatted about the weather (flash floods), working in a national park, and recommendations for what to do in the area. They drove a few miles put of their way to drop me in town.

A cute older couple from Virginia gave me a ride from my trailhead down the highway.

Red Rock Women's Music Festival

I was hitchhiking to a local women's music festival. Two older lesbians stopped for me on motorcycles, moments after I put my thumb out, and I hopped on!

A kind older gentleman named Mike dropped me off. We chatted about desert monsoons and Utah's astounding geology.

A sheriff had us walk a few miles out of town before we could hitchhike. A monsoon was threatening when a Swiss woman picked us up. She was psyched about the red rocks. She had just quit her job of 20+ years back home and was on an adventure, excited about the unknown.

Capitol Reef National Park → Torrey

A woman on a road trip from California picked us up. She worked as a doctor and had just competed in an Ultimate Frisbee competition

Torrey → Singletree Campground

A mother and her daughter were going camping. The mother told her daughter “See? Look at the interesting and nice people you can pick up who are hitchhiking?”

Singletree Campground → Boulder

A middle-aged couple from Oklahoma picked us up. We hopped in the back of their pick-up (Emily's first time riding in the back of a truck!). They were super friendly- offered us sandwiches and checked in to make sure we were doing all right during the ride.

Ride to a better spot

A man named David Holiday and his 10 year old son picked us up. He told us he had just hitchhiked from central Mexico a few months before and thought we were brave.

Boulder → Escalante

Amber, the owner of a local cafe, and her daughter picked us up. A really cool woman!

Mesa Farmer Market, Caineville → Capitol Reef National Park

I waited an hour and a half in the desert sun, watching a storm slowly roll in, before a Mormon family stopped for me. While I was waiting, the cafe owner periodically would come outside and shout across the road "You're still waiting?! Screw 'em!" as cars zipped by. The family who stopped was really nice. The parents rearranged their car to fit me between the various kids. I… (read on in Trip)

Capitol Reef National Park → Mesa Farmer Market, Caineville

Two locals picked me up. They had been picking apricots and I hopped in the back of their truck between boxes of fruit.

Boulder, UT → Capitol Reef Resort

Bo picked me up. He's a local running the llama pack animal program at a nearby resort. We chatted about life, favorite hikes, and the history of the area. He invited me to come meet the llamas and to pick some greens from the garden they have going there. A cool guy!

Capitol Reef Resort → Capitol Reef Visitor Center

Russ is from Hanksville, born and raised in Southern Utah.

Capitol Reef National Park → Boulder, UT

I waited about 10 minutes before a single woman named Sam picked me up. She's a backpacking guide with cool stories and interesting perspectives. Used to do wildland fire. Originally was just going to drive me to Torrey but ended up taking me all the way to Boulder. A really rad woman who might end up hitchhiking herself someday soon!

Hitchhiked from a trailhead home after a beautiful 10 mile hike. A Mormon woman named Cindy picked me up in a minivan, I sat between three of her kids. She has family history in the area and shared anecdotes about her recent ancestors' lives.

Tucson → Tempe

Nice guy offered us a ride to the valley. Occupational massage therapist, lives in a tiny house. The conversation was easy.

Chandler → Coolidge

A kind Akimel O'odham family picked us up on the edge of the Gila River reservation. Mother, father, and one year old daughter. They went out of their way to drive us to a good spot.

Florence → Catalina

Interesting character feom Oracle picked us up in Florence and drove us to Catalina, out of his way. We discussed prison abolition.

Coolidge → Florence

A middle aged white man in a yellow jeep picked us up. He had hiked 700 miles of the PCT years prior and remembered what it was like to wait for rides.

Catalina → Tucson

A single woman picked us up and drove us into Tucson. She had never picked up anyone before, and had never encounteres female hitchhikers.

An old man who lives in Siena stopped for us. He was intending to take the freeway and passed us in the opposite direction, turned around and drove us the scenic route. He of course warned us of the dangers of hitchhiking.

Dresden -> Dresdener Tor Rest Stop

A homeopathic doctor heading to Leipzig. Really nice!

Ingolstadt -> Munich

A family – a father with two adorable children who have developmental disabilities- picked me up on their way to visit Grandma.

Dresdener Tor Rest Stop -> Hermsdorfer Kreuz Rest Stop

A German man who lives and works in Thailand.

Hermsdorfer Kreuz Rest Stop -> Beyreuth

A small youth football team from Leipzig, comprised mainly or refugees. I sat next to an 18 year old kid from Afghanistan; we chatted about life in Germany, our experiences and frustrations with learning German, his family and experience as a refugee… a really interesting conversation, and a super positive experience.

Beyreuth -> Ingolstadt

A Latvian tour bus driver picked me up in his tour bus! Really fascinating guy. He was a hot balloon pilot in his youth, and now homesteads back in Latvia. We discussed permaculture, diy, the importance of top soil, etc. Great conversations!

Back of a pickup

Really nice guy drove us back home. We chatted about his job repairing/installing cell phone towers and our mutual love for nature.

Frank, a member of the Apache tribe and a car mechanic, gave us a ride to the Fort McDowell gas station.

A couple driving a suburu plastered in Bernie Sanders stickers picked UA up and dropped us off on the Bush Highway.

Two men from Alpine who had delivered furniture they had made and were heading home. Turned around to pick us up. The older man had really fascinating stories to tell- of his hitchhiking days of glory, many past job experiences, and family life.