My sister picked me up!

I was standing on the edge of the highway for less than a minute when I saw a minivan approaching. Two white 30-something ladies had horrified looks on their faces were in the front and I could tell they were not the type to stop. I put my thumb down… moments later, the van pulled over! Guess I was wrong… I started running up to it, and the side door slides open. My oldest… (read on in Trip)

Tonto Natural Bridge → Pine

Andrea was an older woman who was very excited to pick up a female hitchhiker. She said it reminded ber of her youth, when she was more free and less afraid.

An older man named Dennis picked me up. He was driving home to Washington State, having burried his wife of 47 years near her family home in California. He talked about their marriage, their three daughters, how proud he is of his family, his religion (he's Catholic). We shared travel stories and he was incredibly kind.

Ashland → Medford

Ride in the back of a pickup. A man with a warm smile who adviced me to be careful.

Medford → Eugene

Payam got off the interstate and back on (turned around to pick me up). What a great and joyful ride!!! We discussed farming, intentional communities, his experience as an Iranian American, activism, life… what a wonderful human. I will definitely be in contact with him in the future.

Hwy 191 → Green River

A rad couple in a jeep turned around to pick me up. They had just been hitchhiking themselves recently, after a backpacking trip. We discussed hiking in Southern Utah and Colorado. They were excited to help me on my journey- really sweet people.

Green River → Dinosaur Quarry

Four men with a pickup truck stopped. They were heading to work at the dinosaur quarry. I hopped in the back. They offered me water, told me to stay safe, and warned me about Utah cops.

Dinosaur Quarry → Orem, UT

After a long wait in the desert, Annie picked me up and rearranged her car in order to give me a ride. What an amazing woman!! She had just finished up a trip paddle boarding down the green river, and had so many wonderful travel stories. From her time in Kenya to her work as a fiber artist to her childhood growing up in a Mormon household, there was so much that was shared. I… (read on in Trip)

Moab → North of Arches

Matt, whose partner is doing community rebuilds, offered to give me a ride north of town. Really sweet guy, we talked about intentional communities and visions for the future.

Boulder → Torrey

Local who works at Hell's Backbone (restaurant) picked me up. We discussed politics, history, and hiking in the area. We also stopped at a roadside spring he knew about to fill up our water bottles!

Had a really fantastic conversation with this kind man named Eli. He picked me up in an old car with no windows, very little interior, and a friendly dog inside. We discussed Montessori and Waldorf education, working as teachers, our experiences in Southern Utah. It was his 6 month old daughter Theresa's birthday.

Camp Verde → Flagstaff

Another pickup truck. This one belonged to a hunter who wanted to help me out. He drove me to Flagstaff and offered to buy me McDonald's if I was hungry.

Bryce Canyon Junction → Escalante

I had the longest wait of the day in this spot. It wasn't the optimal time to be heading East, most of the traffic was heading to the national park. A Russian hitchhiker named Maxim walked up to me while I was trying to catch a ride. He said the U.S. is the worst place for hitchhiking— very contrary to my experience. He then said that the fastest way to hitchhike is as a… (read on in Trip)

Escalante → Campsite

A few cars passed me until a father/daughter duo stopped. Nice people, they weren't going far, but they new of a sweet dispersed camping spot near the highway up ahead. They dropped me off there as the sun was setting.

Mesa → Pine

An ex military helicopter pilot named Buzz picked me up. Regailed me with stories from his youth, and about how much Arizona has changed over the decades.

Pine → Camp Verde

A woman pulled over and told me to hop in the back of her pickup. She sped the whole way to the I-17 and handed me a Bible tract when she dropped me off.

Hwy 12 Junction → Bryce Canyon Junction

Amélie, a woman from Paris, picked me up. She lives in Mexico most of the year working as a scuba divimg instructor. Now she's on a solo roadtrip around the states. "I feel like the world is my home."

Flagstaff → Junction of UT Hwy 12 north of Hatch

Matt, a young libertarian picked me up. We discussed anarchy, politics, feminism, and he was open minded and engaging. He is ex-military, grew up conservative. Interested in quitting his job and sailing around the world. Has hitchhiked from time to time in the past.

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,

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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

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.