So today, normally, I’d be updating this blog. I write a few things, but the internet here sucks and frankly I’m more interested in chatting with people. Our host makes us an excellent breakfast of pancakes and huge ham slices. That gets devoured. He leave a few ham slices and pancakes laying out that I turn into sandwiches and eat a little later.
Stormy and I our lounging in the common area chatting. He’s checking in on all the folks we got to know on the first couple weeks of the trail. Most of them are all clumped together in Northern California around Chester. Apparently the fires are really bad down there. The trail is closed North of them and they either do some convoluted road walk or get a ride to the California-Oregon border. Meanwhile they are partying. Gourmet finally got his wish.
I chat with Alice in the morning and she is like “You have to let Stormtrooper go free! “. We are laughing about it. It is nice to take some time and just talk about whatever. I miss her so much. I am ready for this hike to be over.
Well the day wears on and Stormtrooper is getting all fidgety. He packs his stuff and we get a couple pictures together. Then he takes off around noon. Kevlar, the other hiker, finally gets his stuff squared away and takes off Southbound. The host takes off and leaves me in (sort of) charge. Just like that I’m alone.
Well the first thing I do is take a video of the place. It is really a neat setup. This place was built in the ’30’s, then added on to several times. The organization owns a bunch of land around the facility. The host told me that for a $150 / year fee, folks can use it as much as they want to hike / ski / snowshoe the area. I’m checking out the modernization work that was done and I’m super impressed. Folks are spending a lot of money on this place and the work (electrical, foundation, sprinkler system, heating, etc is all top notch. No way this is done on that membership fee. There must be some huge endowment backing this place.
Well sitting there all alone is not for me, so I head to the restaurant and find some hikers there. Workhorse and Chai met again and have a long chat. He has Parkisons, just turned 60, and is realizing his dream of hiking the trail before he can’t. I give that guy a lot of credit. They’ve jumped around a bit doing something like 1500 miles of the trail and will finish up in Washington.
While I’m eating my burger, Patches turns up and we chat while I consume massive quantities of draft beer. Beer. I love Beer. The nectar of the Gods. Anyway, Patches is from Northern Cal and recently retired. He now lives in the Ozarks. He is sectioning part of Oregon and Washington to finish. Ex-welder. Tough guy and fun to talk to. He’s slightly below my pace but I’m sure we will meet again. I find out from him that Papa and John rolled into town last night and are already back on the trail. He’s taking off a day after me.
I stumble back to the hostel in the evening and chat with our host for a bit. No dinner for me. I sort out my resupply and hit the sack early. Our host downed some wine and somehow got inspired to put on a performance outside my window.
I was getting some Deliverance vibs. Is this the song before he cooks me or something? After a while he moved off to a trail and did his thing in the distance and I chilled out. Seriously, I’m happy for him. He’s doing his thing and relaxing in the isolation. As long as he keeps his clothes on, haha.
A couple hikers roll in while I’m laying there and they crash after taking a shower. Amathis and McGriddle, I think were their names. They are Northbounding, but they both look pretty fast. Doubt if we will be seeing much of each other.