Beach

AUG 18TH

I didn’t have to leave my room until 12pm today so I would make the most of it.

At 8.30 I decided to go for breakfast . When I opened my door burning man was stood there with his pack.

So you are out today?

Maybe snail maybe,you heading to the store?

I was puzzled ?

Fresh baked cinnamon rolls snail

Yes of course I said .

We walked there together outside thee were about a dozen packs all around one of the picnic benches and inside it was packed. The lady was busy taking freshly baked cinnamon rolls off of the baking tray and putting them on paper plates.and as she was the only person every one had to wait until she was finished so that they could pay.

One by one the cinnamon rolls vanished.

Most of the guys were heading out around 9 on the shuttle there were two more later.

I wandered overv to the restaurant Pilgrim & burning man were allready seated.,Mind if i join you guys.

Pilgrim orders a huckleberry milkshake. Oh wow yes can I have one of those too.

Omg it was so delicious.

I then ordered a breakfast omelet that came with hashbrowns and toast. Again really tasty.

I soon woofed mine then was amazed as Pilgrim ordered another milkshake .

Jacoby joined us and I retold the story of our ride.

Okay I needed to go get my chores done.

First the post office ..where I bounced both of my boxes to Anaconda.done ☆

I headed back as suddenly it was almost 11 and I wanted to do laundry.

I quickly packed up and then put my dirty stuff in the washer

Okay im done.

My plan is to hitch to Darby then continue on . Missing out the next section and then if I have time I’ll come back.

So I headed to the road and waited in the heat…it was hot.

On the hour I got a ride from a lady Tiffany who is a respiratory nurse. She dropped me in Salmon and suggested I grab a beer at the ge brewery before heading over the bridge to continue hitching.

The town was packed with hundreds of firefighters who are tackling a huge forest fire so the local park was packed with their tents where they were staying.

I decided on a quick beer so entered the brewery and had filled jacket skins and couple of ales finished off with ice cream.

Okay im ready for part 2.

As i walked through town.this lady said to me

“So is it worth it?”

I had to laugh..

Okay im across the bridge and ready .

I thank him and retrieve my pack from his truck.

At last I get a ride. And eagerly dumped my pack in his truck. He takes me to South fork. Getting nearer.

Then I realise I had left my poles at the side of the road. F*uck I’m so annoyed at myself as I’m usually so careful and have them stowed in my pack when I’m hitching.

Oh well I’ll buy more.the funny thing was I’ve worn down the tips so was going to order replacements .

Oh well can’t worry about it now .

I walked a little way down the road and cross over the bridge

Wow less than five minutes snd I have another ride.

We get on really well as we drive to Darby and he drops me at my motel and then insists that I take his spare hiking pole. Great bloke.

Okay a room ..fingers crossed.

Yes they have a vancany. I book two nights as its now 5pm and thst gives next day in town post office chores etc.

The room sadly does not have a fridge sobthe owner gives mexa cold box and ice perfect.

I really like my room..okay food.

I head downtown get more chips and beer and head back.

I put on the TV and chill

It’s been a long day but I’m here in Darby. Less poles.

Okay new poles I try Rei but they are out of stock .but a store in the UK has some and can get them here in 5 days so I order them although sceptical that they will arrive in time. But hey I have the one that I was given.

Milage car 120.

Thursday 19th July

My alarm went off at 5 and I was up..sleeping without the fly helps.
I let down my bed and then went to retrieve my food bag. The. I began to pack up ..The orange tent was soon. packed up and the female occupant was on the trail by 6 I was impressed. No breakfast I heckled as she walked out.
I quickly finished packing then made a cuppa woofed a mars bar and was good to go..See you up the trail I said to my fellow hikers.

It was a bit more rock jumping then the soil returned an d shortly I came to a road.I. crossed over. on the other side was a water cache . I gulped down a good litre then topped up my water. I drew a thank you Snail on the bottle and hiked on through more forest then I came to a

solid wall of rock.FUCK !! I am going up that. it was a vertical climb . ten minutes of huffing and i was at the top. This isn’t hiking to me .but apparently on the Appalachian Trail it is . I had just got my breath back when I had to climb another. Then another. this went on for most of the morning ups and down pointless stupid climbs .

At last the scenery changed and I was walking around some gorgeous lakes. But then I was back to rock climbing it took me a while to get up on the ridge but the views were only of trees. as I pushed I could hear the sound of cars getting louder and louder it sounded like very busy traffic. i began. to drop down big rocks to begin with then omg is was more of a scree straight down. I really was not impressed with this. It was crazy I inched my way down , making sure my food held before lifting my other it took a long 15 minutes to get down. Once again there was a large water cache at the bottom so once again I cameled up.

I was just about to walk when my fellow hiker Sundance from last night appeared. None where impressed with this section and we all thought the same. Normally by this time I would have done 10 miles. Today with the stupid climbs I had only managed 6 1/2. which was crap.

I hoisted up my pack and crossed the road then walked up a side road. It crossed the busy freeway and railway. Once over it turned right and I was in another State Park. I hadn’t been in the park long when I saw my first deer then another. it was really pretty In here . I climbed several small hills then again I had more rock faces to climb. But after I was back in more gorgeous forest and I walked around another beautiful lake. After I climbed another small hill

THEN !!!! OMG …What the fuck is that. surely I do not need to climb that it !. it was huge blocks of granite. I stared at it for a few minutes. Then I dropped my pack and fastened my poles to my pack as I wasn’t going to need them for this . Omg it was tough .madness and. few other choice words .

in places I had to remove my pack and put it on the ledge. stupid game . Eventually I was at the top I walked another half miles then stopped for a break. As I was lounging Ossie and commander and another came past we chatted for a few minutes then they moved on.
Sundance shortly appeared again a few words then he was gone.
Okay Snail time to walk
I packed up and set off the trail being fairly gentle..After about 40 minutes I came to a sign pointing out the mileage

I snapped a few shots then moved on as unwanted those miles.
Eventually I came to a road. the hiker in front of me said I’m going this way, there is a vending machine.
That sounded a fab idea so I followed him down the road .6 of a mile. as I walked around the corner I was stunned to see a huge lake with a beach.

down by the beach were the vending machines and several pack. one was Sundance.
I quickly dropped my pack and fed a $20 into the machine and pressed the button for an orange ice lolly
For some reason I expected change in notes not dollar coins and quarters. The other guys laughed but then I fed them into another vending machine for lemonade. I quickly woofed my Lilly and guzzled my cans of lemonade.

A lady and her son appeared and she was very chatty and very pretty . Her name was Dominick and she was fascinated about our hikes . we chatted to her for a while. I then put the rest of my change back into the vending machines for a other ice cream and another lemonade. It’s no good I need to walk

I visited the loo and filled up my bottles then said good by to every one . I was just leaving when Freight train and Pace arrived.
As I began to walk up the road Dominick followed me.
She wanted to leave some trail magic and wanted advice I suggested Sodas and fruit. satsuma’s, oranges . bananas.

Great she said. I pushed on back up the road then back to the trail. I was busy pushing when I stuck my pole in to a wasps nest..I was covered in the biggest I waved my hand dropped my poles and ran backwards I received about 8 stings 4 on.my ankle and leg 2 on my hands and arms.

But I had dropped my poles on top of the nest. It took me about 15 minutes to find a stick long enough to drag them to me with out getting stung again
I then wrote a note and left it on the trail. I think the best may of fallen from a tree.
When i was ready I ran across the trail avoiding angry wasps a d continued. but my side trip go the beach or vending machines and my wasp adventure had lost me a lot of time. I wanted another 8 miles but I don’t think it will happen but I pushed on regardless. I had just climbed Black mountsom and it was hot and then I decided Bollocks to it this will do. i quickly had my tent up . From the top of this mountain you get great views of NYC skyline. sadly my eyes see it better than my camera.

Then I put up my chair took of my shirt and shoes and made the most of the afternoon sun.
I was still relaxing when Freight train and pace arrived.
Hey Snailtrainer is sunbathing again!!
Pace asks is he naked?
we cook supper together then I turn in hopefully a better day tomorrow z