It was about three years ago when Chloe and I moved back to Oregon on a permanent basis. We found an apartment, rented a U- Haul, and loaded it full. Everything I owned could fit into a 6×12 foot trailer, so soon after we lost our camper in the 2020 fires. We were on a quest, searching for our home.
When you travel a lot, like Chloe and I do, it can be hard for a place to feel like “home”. Oregon kept calling me back. Those unbelievably tall, gently swaying pine trees that stretch toward starry skies, the ocean that rages through winter storms with the sheer power of Mother Nature, those mountains who shine with snow glistening in the golden hours and those trails, that echo foot steps through the moss covered woods.
I love Oregon. I loved having a week at the coast before we started hiking the Pacific Crest trail, where Chloe Rue and my step dogger Freyja enjoyed the west coast sunsets every evening. I loved walking across the entire state this summer, meeting friends and feeling love and support from our community. I love that Oregon is where I met my life partner and where his family lives. Oregon called to this traveler heart of mine, and when Seth (my life partner) wanted to leave to travel somewhere new, it honestly felt like it would be very hard to leave.
Though Oregon isn’t all fairy boats and sunshine. The homeless problem is VERY real, and the work I was doing shed a spot light on the lack of heathcare access to rural areas, the horrors of drug addiction, and the poverty situation that is honestly across the globe. The wealth divide was becoming very apparent in Oregon. I was looking to purchase a piece of land, but nothing that I could afford was available over the course of 2 years. The wildfire season wreaks havoc on my asthmatic lungs, and my mental health after losing my camper home in the 2020 fires of Oregon. Climate change was turning mild summers into week long stints over 110 degrees. The trails were becoming crowded, with so many people who love being outside (it’s a good thing) but also so many people who were still learning how to leave no trace, and making messes of some of my favorite places.
It was not an easy decision to move across the country to Vermont right after coming off the Pacific Crest Trail. However, I knew how important it was for me to step away from my home for a while. Seth having that same desire made sense to me. So I began to open my mind (and very slowly my heart) to Vermont.
Vermont has rolling, ancient mountains, and wonderful endless history. The Underground Railroad ran right through the state to Canada, fighting for freedom to people in such a turbulent time. Civil War monuments, Boston, Gettysburg, the White Mountains, Acadia National Park, the Atlantic Ocean- all wreak with fascinating historical stories that I have savored learning about. Not to mention my obsession with Ben and Jerry’s ice-cream, which was founded in Vermont itself.
With a new state growing on me, we decided to set out, across the country, with our little red camper and two dogs toward some new scenery and a new adventure.
The Open Road was Waiting!
After we came off the Pacific Crest Trail, and officially decided we wanted to move to Vermont, we had SO many things to do. You’d think, resting and relaxing would be top of my list. Eating was actually #1 on the agenda for trail recovery, being outside was also important and thankfully being outside included doing some work to to the Lil Red truck camper so Seth could move in.
I designed a space for a tiny wood stove, that would keep the environment warm and dry to survive a Vermont winter. I built a set of drawers so Seth could have room for electronics, clothes, and designed it to fit and not tip over near the fireplace. We reorganized everything, limiting our outdoor activities to hiking/backpacking (I sold my kayak, but my climbing gear is just waiting for me in storage in Oregon); and limiting our kitchen accessories to make sense in a small space. It was more challenging than I imagined, squeezing another human and good dog into our small space but we absolutely embraced the minimalist lifestyle and space saving hacks.
At last, it came time to have a goodbye party with all our Oregonian friends. Everyone came up to McMinnville. My best friends from Albany made the trip, Seth’s friends and family; and we all had the opportunity to sit, chat, eat and dream. Seth and I figured we’d spend a year in Vermont to give it a full hearted try. I had a job secured by this time, home health again. Seth had 2 interviews, one which he applied for on a whim with the University of Vermont that he was very stoked about.
We had planned to drive through the night after our party, so we left around midnight and went back to Seth’s parents place. We had a u-haul again, but this time it was just for Seth’s car because it didn’t make sense to drive both vehicles cross country when I have a massive truck perfectly capable of towing just about anything. When I began to set up the trailer for driving Seth’s car up, I noticed something shiney in the tire. I poked at it, curious. What was this shiney thing? It took a while to register the problem. When it registered, my face fell. There it was, a shiney, mean, nail in the tire.
Well, we learned our lesson about leaving late and driving through the night- there was no way we could get the nail out until morning. It was actually really an easy process working with u-haul, and they covered the entire cost of it too. We lost a few road hours to sleep, and finally woke up ready to hit the road at last.
The next morning with our tire replaced, our good dogs loaded up and ready to go, we embarked on our journey EASTBOUND across the United States.
The Longest Haul: 22 Hours Non Stop
After you’ve been hiking for a long time, the entire concept of food changes. When you hear “let’s go have a steak” in your every day life, it’s definitely exciting but it isn’t really something you would drive 22 hours straight to access. When you are coming off of a thru hike, and coping with hiker hunger, the idea of a home cooked steak will take over everything in your mind. You start singing about it, dreaming about it, making up little steak dances. I know I’ve talked about how our perception of food changed after our thru hike, but I think this is an excellent example. When I told my brother we planned to make it to Sioux Falls in time for dinner the next day; he said he would make us a steak. I told him to make sure he had enough as if we were both 2 people- and he was absolutely up for the challenge.
Now our challenge was to make it there in time. I have had the opportunity to make the drive between Oregon and North Dakota on previous adventures, and that we missed an entire night of driving due to the nail in the tire really threw a wrench into my plans. Primarily, I wanted to summit Harney’s Peak.
Chloe and I hiked up Harney’s Peak in the black hills of South Dakota on our travels, back in 2019. Later, in 2021, the pastor I grew up with died by suicide and his ashes were spread on top of Harney’s Peak. While on our PCT hike, I reflected a lot about Brian. He would always end his sermons with “Happy Trails To You” the song, and I had a little gem that I carried with me through the entire hike that said “Happee Trails”. I wanted to finish our summer by bringing it to the top, reflecting about Brian’s life by sharing stories about him with Seth, and sharing the beauty of the black hills with Seth too, who had never been to South Dakota. The highest point between the Rockies and The Appalachians would have to wait though- and I believe that was for a reason. I still reflected on Brian’s life with Seth, and shared many stories. We didn’t get to do the summit hike this time around, but I have no doubt in my mind that we will be back in that area soon, to fill that task.
We did see the Badlands which is one of my favorite places to explore in the United States. We also drove past Wall Drug and teased the annoying signs, that are pretty much non stop along the interstate for hundreds of miles. We would tease about “Free Water!” And the “Largest (insert any random animal) in America!” We looked forward to Vermont, where we knew there were no billboards along the road at all!
After driving for 22 hours non-stop, from Hood River, Oregon to the Badlands we were EXAHSTED. We slept for a couple hours then pushed the rest of the way to Sioux Falls and you better believe the steak my brother made on his grill was worth it! The huge back yard that Chloe and Freyja enjoyed with my brother’s dogs as well was a huge relief for them.
Chloe and Freyja are road warriors. Though, we did stop for them of course. If you’re wondering how best to travel with your dog cross country, check out this previous post right here! For our long haul, everytime I had to pee, we’d pull into a gas station or rest stop where the girls could go too. I usually set food time alarms because staying up all night on the road wreaks havok on the circadian rhythm. While we didn’t get to take the large hiking break I had planned (and recommend any time you’re traveling cross country- take that day to adventure with your dog and expend their energy!) We were stoked to be with family and take advantage of yard space and dog friends too.
Uncle Cat
My neice LOVES my brother’s orange cat named Rhett, and calls my brother “Uncle Cat” whenever she sees him. She loves petting him, and her 2 year old giggles in response to seeing him is the most adorable thing possibly in the world.
This orange cat deserves his own social media following. He is very chill, very weird, and changed my entire perspective on what it would be like to own a cat. My brother has a second cat as well, who is afraid of dogs, and I worried about this as Chloe is not great at ignorning cats. She has had cats in daycare, but when we see them on walks or hikes she frequently loses her mind.
Chloe did AWESOME meeting Uncle’s Cat, Rhett. She sniffed, nose booped and then ignored him, unless he moved too fast. Then she would jump back over to say hi, and then ignore again. Chloe did not realize, in the mix of 3 extra humans, 2 extra dogs and 2 large steaks that there was another cat in the house. Until this cat made a VERY brave move and RAN as fast as he could down the stairs. Chloe leaped up after the scardy cat and I lept up after her. It was a train of chaos: cat, dog, Suzanne. We were sprinting down the stairs, under the bed, up the stairs, into the bathroom. I was SO scared that Chloe was going to hurt the scardy cat (though she never has hurt a cat, I didn’t want her to start), and Chloe was so determined to catch her. Uncle Cat though, just hung out and watched the chaos train unfold, yawning like garfield. I did catch Chloe thankfully, and we fully shut the door where the scardy cat was hiding.
It served as a stark reminder that Chloe does feel some pent-up energy on these 22 hour non stop drives, even when they end with large yards and fun dogs to play with. It also was a reminder to me that change is hard for animals, and Chloe knew that we were going to be changing our lives, once again.
Let’s Go Far: To Fargo, to Family
After we enjoyed time with my brother in his home, we ventured north to good ole Fargo. It had a whole new meaning, driving past the Fargo Theater when Fargo served as my trail name on the PCT. I loved the double meaning behind it (How far can you go, FARGO?).
On the PCT, trail towns will have maps where hikers can put a pin into their hometown. There were THOUSANDS of pins stuck in the home towns of hikers all across the world. From Taiwan, Germany, to Australia and the Czek Republic. Pins scattered across the United States too, in every single state except… Somehow, I was the only Fargo pin every time I looked at a map. I was named Fargo, after everyone in the hiker town shop cheered that they finally had a hiker from North Dakota, as every other state had been claimed.
I hope that the people from my home town see me sharing adventures, and know that there’s so much more to the world. Chloe and I strive to share our journey in a way that isn’t bragging about what we’ve done. We try to be honest about the things that are hard (Chloe chasing cats) and the things that are amazing (steak from my brother). Knowing that I was someone who broke the small town pattern by getting on the road and traveling to places with my good dog- knowing that noone else put a pin in the town of Fargo, North Dakota while hiking the PCT- In a way it feels like “a brag.” But in my soul I know it’s just a feeling of accomplishment, and I truly hope anyone who feels trapped in their small town, the same pattern, the same story- I hope I can inspire that person to go and explore the world! Feel free to share your journey with your dog. Then hike 1,000 miles non stop and put your pin on a map and just feel AWESOME that you can be free from any pattern you want to be free from. It’s more than a trail name- it’s a reminder that I broke free from a pattern. You can too, if you so choose.
We managed to coordinate our drop in to Fargo with a family celebration for my aunt, and God Mother, who had celebrated her birthday and 1 year cancer free. Seeing my family is always an adventure, and while I feel so different from them, they always include me in their laughter and love. It means the world to me that even though I left and went off to explore, that I am always welcome back.
The Last Push to Vermont
The girls had a couple of days to play in Sioux Falls, Fargo, and then at the family farm. When we continued on our east bound quest, we stopped in for more pet friendly, free nights in the form of: FRIENDS! I am so lucky to have friends scattered around the United States. I saw one of my best friends in Minneapolis, another in Indiana with her beautiful new baby and Great Dane good dog. We finally felt like we were in the East Coast when we made it to New York after another long haul and savored coffee, and breakfast.
The dogs loved all the socialization and new interactions, but we’re still aching for those 20 mile hiking days! You’d think they would be feeling a little bit tired after our summer, but ah no! We could feel their anxiety building the closer we got to the East Coast. Their little doggy tails wagging, their happy noses booping. They savored car pets and relaxed in for the ride, but somehow they knew our new destination was near.
We passed over from New York to Vermont on highway 4. The sign saying “Welcome to Vermont” and the welcome center full of coupons for all the attractions beaconed to us. We took photos, stood and stared, tried to absorb the situation the best we could. Then we kept trekking!
I forgot to mention early on, that we had a timeline for when we had to arrive. Remember that University of Vermont job that Seth was excited about? Well the first interview happened on the phone. I was driving the Lil Red camper (a short distance from lunch to a gas station, I swear) while he did his interview inside Lil Red. He NAILED the phone interview and his in person interview happened to be the very afternoon we arrived in the state.
We got to our U haul drop location, we took Seth’s car off the trailer and then while he booked it north to Burlington, I realized we dropped the U haul off at the wrong location. Good thing I know how to hook up a trailer solo in the rain, because Seth nailed his interview and got the job! It’s exciting to see him feel valued at work, and he gets so excited about helping people. I dropped the u haul at the correct location, and meandered toward the heart of Vermont and what I tried to feel like might become our new home.
A Camel’s Hump Hello
I immediately found the BEST sniff spot (it’s an app for private dog parks- coolest thing ever), delicious pizza and a brewery, and Seth joined me after his interview at the base of the mountain I wanted to climb to say hello to Vermont.
Chloe and I woke up before sunrise on our first full day in our new state. We trekked upwards, a very steep climb compared to what we were used to on the west coast. Chloes paws found her hiking pattern immediately, and I listened closely to my body, to not push too hard. We savored the mosses padding the ground like they would in the PNW. We smiled at the trees, who waved hello to us, welcoming us into their woods. We climbed until the trees began to disappear, replaced by beautiful alpine vegetation, well labeled to know the importance of its protection. The clouds were thick as the sun began to rise for us, shrouding us like a wet blanket. The wind was strong and the clouds were whipping through us on the final steps of our ascent.
We stepped over one more large boulder, coffee in one hand and Chloe Rue’s leash in the other. She sniffed the wind, savoring the new sights and smells as much as I was. Finally at the peak of Camels Hump, the clouds broke open to a staggering view of Vermont. Lake Champlain and Burlington to the west, Mount Mansfield to the north, and endless rolling trees and hills to the south, where the Green Mountains protected the land, and where Seth and I would dwell in the truck camper for a while. It wasn’t the views, nor the clouds or the wind that made me feel like I was at home in this moment. It wasn’t the trees or boulders, or even the sky so close I could touch it.
It was watching my good dog, Chloe Rue that made me feel at home. Her nose to the air, her ears wagging in the wind. Those four strong exploring paws, happily dancing over the large boulders. Whenever she is at my side, wherever we may go, in whatever adventure we find next: she’s truly my home. Yes, even when she chases my brother’s cat.
As you embark on your next dog friendly adventure, remember to give your pup an extra pet or two. They are incredible, to have at your side as a loyal companion. So where’s your next adventure taking you? If it’s Vermont, drop me an email! In the mean time, Happy Trails, and Happy Tails to you.
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