In the latest Travel Tuesday Interview, I chat with Ashely “Bear” Clawson about her solo, five-month road trip to hike all the national parks in the lower 48 states in the U.S. Bear is my former co-worker in Austin, Texas and one of my favorite hiking buddies—she was part of the crew that hiked Havasu Falls last year! In this interview, Bear talks about the inspiration behind this adventure, what she learned about herself and her favorite parks.
Name: Ashley “Bear” Clawson
Age: 34
Hometown: The Bay Area, California
Country Count: 16
Social Media: @bearnomadic
1. When did you first get interested in hiking?
When I moved to New England, I transitioned from a runner into a trail runner, and then from a trail runner into a hiker. I quickly became addicted to the peace and clarity I found when immersed in nature. It’s abundant and available to anyone who is willing to search for it.
2. What was the inspiration for this trip?
It was a life thing. I wanted to improve the quality of my life, and I began by changing my way of living. I gave away most of my belongings, moved out of my apartment, quit my job, and just started driving. The route to all of the parks was simply a direction in which to focus my energy, and I hoped to experience some sort of self-realization along the way.
3. How long did it take? Tell us about your route?
The whole trip took about five months. For about two weeks, I camped in Carson National Forrest, hiked Wheeler Peak, built earth ships, and visited White Sands National Park (NP), which didn’t become an official NP until shortly after my trip. Then, I started the hiking portion of the trip at Acadia NP in Maine and drove counterclockwise around the U.S. until I was done hiking all of the parks. [She started the trip in mid-June 2019 and finished in November 2019.]
4. Share some of your favorite adventures from the trip.
I sped around in a little rental motorboat on one of the lakes enclosed by the Tetons with a couple of Belgium hikers I met; slept tent-less on a sheet laid down in the sand in the primitive camping area of the Redwoods next to a tent community of Native American fisherman; and hiked the Beehive, Cascade Pass, and Yosemite Falls with some of my best friends. I spent almost the entire trip solo, but I shared some of the best experiences with others.
5. What lesser-known park surprised you the most?
It’s certainly not lesser known among the hiking community, but the park that surprised me the most is Glacier NP.
On the trail leading to Grinnell Glacier, I saw a myriad of wildflowers, lakes of varying hues of blue, waterfalls trickling down the mountainsides, and pieces of glacier sprawling into the waters. The scenery combined with the challenge of the hike made Grinnell Glacier arguably the best hike of the entire trip.
6. What was your biggest struggle of the trip and how did you overcome it?
I think the biggest struggle was determining when to stop planning and to just start the trip. I planned a route, took “survival” related courses, bought a bunch of gear, and got to the point where I realized that there was no way I could prepare for every single possible circumstance I would encounter. I think that sometimes getting stuck in a planning phase and perfecting some sort of finished product prevents us from just doing. I just had to go.
If you’re worried about travel being too expensive, think about what compromises you can make in your current lifestyle as well as in your travel plans. Do you really need to be signed up for five subscription services right now? Do you need to stay in a five star hotel on your next trip? I’m currently in Indonesia and paid $350 USD for my flight and $157 USD for a month in my hostel. I don’t live glamorously and it allows me to travel for a longer period of time.
7. Can you share a few budget tips for keeping costs low?
Essentially, living out of my car limited me in terms of the amount of belongings I was able to transport, which helped me begin to realize what I actually need to survive. I’ve reduced everything I own down to the contents of a 5×5 storage locker in Austin and a carry-on suitcase that I take with me everywhere. I don’t have a car anymore. I’ve cancelled every bill except for my phone bill, home owners insurance (for my storage locker), and a few other essentials. Lastly, I usually only eat food from the grocery store. My bills (minus groceries) are less than $200 a month.
Here’s her monthly bills currently in Bali, which were similar to her bills on the hiking trip:
- GEO Blue (Blue Cross Blue Shield) Travel Insurance – $47
- Garmin Safety Plan – $17
- Garmin Account Fee ($24.95/year) – $2
- USAA Homeowners Insurance – $8
- Public Storage Locker – $22
- AT&T Phone Bill – $45
- Bank of America Maintenance Fee – $5
- Capital One Account Fee ($39/year) – $3
- iCloud 2TB Storage – $10
- Audible – $16
- Express VPN – $13
TOTAL $187 (Not including food, housing, transportation, etc.)
[Bear didn’t track her exact spending on the hiking trip but estimates that she spent about $10K on the five-month trip based on how her savings dropped. She had a car payment at the time but got rid of her car before she went to Bali where she is now.]
8. Travel is often the best teacher. What is the biggest lesson this trip has taught you about yourself or the world?
I think it’s easier to see who we truly are when we take a step back from our routines. For me, travel mitigates complacency. It helps me to sway from societal standards and to more naturally interact with new people and environments. In other words, travel helps me to be – and to understand more about – who I genuinely am.
For me, finding freedom is investing time into realizing who you are and living accordingly, sometimes at the expense of what society convinces you is important.
9. What advice would you have for women who want to travel but are afraid to travel solo?
The first few major trips I took outside of the U.S. were to China, India, and then, solo to Mexico City. There were people who advised me not to go to each one of these trips, but I did anyway. The benefits outweighed the risks each time. My advice for women who travel solo is to find confidence through research and positive support systems. Read travel blogs, watch travel videos, and network with other women who travel solo and ask them how they do it. And most importantly, like anything else in life, surround yourself with positive people who remind you that your goals are possible.
10. What are three most useful things you packed for this trip?
My cell phone (iPhone X), my Garmin inReach GPS, and my knives–the SOG Terminus and the SOG Survival knife. These items helped me to feel the safest throughout the duration of the trip.
For more posts about about budget travel, check out these posts on how to save for travel and the art of budget travel.
