29 Comments
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Mohika Mudgal's avatar

Wow, loved reading about him and how you put the story together! Hope you have a wonderful day!

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Barbara Sinclair's avatar

Thank you, Erik. This touched me deeply.

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Keri Franklin's avatar

I had not heard of him. Thank you for the introduction. Very interesting.

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Diana M. Wilson's avatar

After reading this I feel the urge to lower the blinds and sit in stillness--and then, go for a long walk in the woods. This was an extraordinary piece. Thank you for taking the time to write it.

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Leon Conrad's avatar

Beautifully written.

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Benivia Lee's avatar

I absolutely loved this! I could see him through your words. His richness as a human + the equally splendid essence of the lands in which he traveled. You made his story come alive...thank you.

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Irma's avatar

Deeply touched by this young man's lifestyle. Grateful to your introduction to this amazing young poet - artist. Really enjoyed reading all about him.!!!

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Nuezen's avatar

What an interesting and touching story about Everett Ruess. His dedication to adventure and love for the wilderness is truly inspiring. Ruess shows us the importance of living fully and staying true to our passions. His mysterious disappearance adds a layer of intrigue to his life, making us think about our own paths and dreams. Thank you, Erik, for sharing this well-written piece about such a remarkable person.

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Sowmya's avatar

Wonderful!!

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Sarah's avatar

Shit. Just gorgeous. 🙏🏼

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M Sarki's avatar

Great story. Thanks.

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Serious Jane's avatar

This resonated with me. I do what I want, and even though my adventures are different, I cling to solitude and Nature (and big cities) and live my own sort of vagabond life. This was great reading.

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Lor's avatar

Thank you for introducing

me to Everett Ruess . His story reminds me of Jack Kerouac ‘s stay on Desolation Peak in the Northern Cascades. Though they were about 20 years apart in their travels. The same passion weaves through their stories. I actually hiked Desolation Peak accessed only by boat via Ross lake . Believe it or not, I had no idea who Kerouac was until I peeked in the windows of the lookout cabin at the summit. When I arrived back home , I cracked open my first book by J. Kerouac.

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Ryan Brady's avatar

A beautiful story, and not unlike the life I have found myself living. I am somewhat less of a vagabond, but as a photographer and poet leading pilgrimages around the West, the wandering for beauty hits deep. All things call forth a proper response, and Ruess intuited that the beauty and grandeur of the world calls for nothing less than reckless abandonment to it, in love

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Aria Veritas's avatar

"Thoreau reminded us, “How vain it is to sit down to write when you have not stood up to live.”"

How I felt as a youth. Living is stupidly hard but wilds and mountains and accidents make good fodder for when one starts to slow down enough to want to start writing again.

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Sue Cauhape's avatar

This story is so fascinating that I had to google more about him, to see examples of his work. The block prints he made are spectacular. When I think of the time frame of his last years, it boggles my mind that he accomplished so much. What a miracle. It's like the basis story for Jack Dawson in Titanic and how the only evidence of his existence was that drawing of Rose. One of the articles I saw about him, though, tells of how people found his remains and restored them to the surviving family members. Mysteries remain, however, of how and who was involved in his death. Here's a link: https://www.denverpost.com/2009/04/30/wanderers-last-trail-found-after-75-years/

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Isha Drew's avatar

Thanks.

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