berkeley Archives - Hobo Hacker

When I arrived to the San Francisco Bay Area, my friend thrust his copy of Kerouac's Dharma Bums in my hand. "Read this" he said, "you'll like it."

Like Japhy did for Smith, I outfitted my friend, and we headed off into the smokey Sierras towards Matterhorn--to follow in Jack Kerouac's footsteps.

After living out of a car and bumming around the States for the better part of a year, I soon found myself back in Berkeley--working in libraries by day and sleeping in my Prius micro-home at night--pouring through Kerouac's description of SF and Berkeley from the 40s and 50s -- 60 years before my present bumming around the same city.

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Mikey is yawning on a tral. In front of him is a pristine stream. All around are lush green trees. — Hoover Wilderness Stream

In Dharma Bums, Kerouac (Smith) describes his ascent of Mount Matterhorn (in the California Sierras), guided by their enlightened, outdoorsy friend Japhy.

My friend and I later made plans to go trekking together. It was his first overnight trek, and what better place to go than Yosemite? After all, that was where I'd gone on my first overnight trek a few years ago.

Mikey is sitting atop the peak of Matterhorn looking through the summit log — Matterhorn Summit Log

Mikey sits, admiring the Hoover Wilderness.

Mikey is standing next to a big patch of snow in amongst a pile of rocks. — Florida boys play with snow

Mikey's bicycle is leaned against a fence next to a house. — Berkeley

A sign propped-up by rocks in a mountain pass reads "ENTERING YOSEMITE WILDERNESS. WILDERNESS PERMIT REQUIRED. PETS AND FIREARMS PROHIBITED. FIRES AT DESIGNATED SITES ONLY. PACK OUT ALL THAT YOU PACK IN. BEAR HABITAT." — Entering Yosemite Wilderness

Mikey's car is pulled off in the shoulder near a sign that reads "SEQUOIA NATIONAL PARK." All around the road are very, very tall trees. — Sequoia National Park

The sun is setting behind the rocky mountains in the high sierras. Near a snow patch in a meadow, a tent is setup. — Hoover Wilderness Campsite

Mikey is walking from stone to stone across a stream in the high sierras. All around the stream are big, lush-green trees. — Crossing a stream

Mikey sits atop a mountain pass looking down into the valley below. The reddish-brown rock has patches of snow on the pass, and the valley below is green. — Wrong Pass

Mikey's car is parked in the shoulder. Next to his car is a grove of giant Sequoia trees. — Sequoias

Mikey is sitting in the shade in a huge green meadow in the high-sierras. A rocky mountain can be seen in the distance. — Hoover Meadow

Mikey stands on a rocky mountaintop in the high sierras — Hoover Wilderness Panorama

Panorama shot shoing Mikey standing on a high-sierra beach next to a lush, green forest — Lakeside in Hoover Wilderness

Matterhorn Summit Panorama

Continue reading Dharma Bum →

I've been living with my friend in the SF Bay Area for the past month. I'm writing this from a cozy, finished room in the corner of a large, leaky warehouse hosting a datacenter and massive library of books in Richmond, CA. The building is owned by a nonprofit library that digitizes books and makes them available online, and my friend has become something of its caretaker while in school.

Mikey is smiling, pointing to a sign that reads "Big Basin Redwood State Park, Rancho Del Oso, A California State Park" — Big Basin Redwoods State Park

Last weekend, on my friend's Spring Break, I went on my first bicycle tour in over a year. From the Bay Area, we took a train down to San Luis Obispo, and started riding ~300 miles along highway 1, through Big Sur, back to San Francisco. It was a trying journey--both physically & emotionally, but also really really really beautiful. And I needed the Vitamin D. But I could have been spared the Poison Oak and sunburn...

The SF Bay Area is always a great place to be. It was great to spend time with Friends & Family I hadn't seen since I moved from Berkeley to travel the world over a year ago. I'd like to stay longer, but there's still so much of the world to see. The weather is getting warmer, and Canada is calling!

Mikey is shown sitting on a rock next to his bicycle. Behind him is a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean. — Mikey Pacific Ocean Cliff

Mikey and J's bicycles are shown next to a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean — J + Ocean Cliff

Mikey's bicycle is leaned up against a sign reading "Welcome to Big Sur" with lush, green hills in the background — Welcome to Big Sur

Mikey's bicycle rests against a sign indicating "Route 1" while J cycles past — Tour w J

Mikey's bicycle is shown next to a sign indicating the distance to San Francisco is 249 miles — San Francisco 249 Miles

Mikey stands under an Amtrak sign designating the stop for "San Luis Obispo, CA" — San Luis Obispo

California Amtrak

Saturday morning I plan to wake up at the crack of dawn, load up my bicycle, and ride ~80 miles to Sacramento before Sunday evening. I'll spend a week staying with a new friend in Sacramento, then I'll be going up to Eugene, where I'll be staying with a friend at the Lost Valley Eco Village.

Hobo Hacker

Tag Archives: berkeley

Dharma Bum

San Luis Obispo to San Francisco

Travel stories from a digital nomad