Chapter 8

Chapter 8

 

 

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2008

 

Quilsene to Potlatch State park 6th September 2008

 

A good night’s rest after the few beers last night and I have arranged to meet with Forrest and Peroska and Don in the bar next door for breakfast. A good old American bakery. 2 eggs “over easy”, bacon, sausage, hash browns like you have never seen and gallons of black coffee and toast. Set up for the day. 

Said my goodbyes to the guys, promising Peroska that I would give camping a go and keep her informed on my progress and headed up the mountain. 

A long slow drag up for about 5 miles. On the climb I met these people who were a group of 25 supported cyclists and heading for San Diego too (CCCTS – The Cross Canada Cycle Touring Society, based in BC). They had no bags to carry so were travelling faster than me, but they kept stopping for sight-seeing and stuff, so they were with me in ones and twos all day. 

The descent from Mount Walker was awesome. 40mph for about 5 miles. Eyeballs out, three of us in a line. Great!!!. Them on road bikes me with Loretta! Then it was nice rolling for the next 25 miles. I was practicing my singing as I was going along. Even tho’ it’s a highway there were lots of times when there was no traffic at all and at those times it was pure silence. Its hard to believe this quietness.

Got to Potlatch and stopped at the only grocery to get a few beers for the tent tonight and an ice cream. WONDERFUL !!

Pitched my tent without any difficulty. This is going to be fun. First night in my tent. Sleeping under the canopy of trees that are here. A little creek beside the tent. Think I’ll stay here....

The ranger, who was minding the place on a voluntary basis in his camper, let me use his wi-fi. Good of him. He comes from Florida and heads off for 6 months in every year in his huge camper van and works his way around the country. He is here for 6 weeks and makes a few dollars selling wood for campfires and minding the place.

Met my neighbours in the site next to mine. Chris and Tracy.

 

They were kayaking for the weekend from Tacoma. Kindly invited me to share their dinner. We had some good crack around the camp fire. Chris is into mountain rescue as a volunteer. Told me some hair-raising stories....We sat around the fire till after sunset then I headed to the scratcher at about 10pm for the first night under the stars. Happy now.

 

Comments

1.              SDCC said; - John, we are all left speechless. You’re eating up the countryside. The west coast won't be long enough for you.

 

Hi John, very much enjoyed reading your trip on Sept.6th and excited that you camped. You'll love that camping bit! Don and I will be following your progress this week. Then we are off for a bit. But: you are not off the hook re. camping. We are recruiting a few stars to watch you! -- Piroska

 

John replied: Don’t you believe it guys. The wheels stick to the road sometimes and the logging trucks can whip you out of you cycling shorts. They are big suckers and sometimes they pass you 6 at a time.. flying... SCARY.

 

Hey Piroska, you don’t know what you started. Camping is the only way to go, apart from an odd hotel day for pampering. I had to buy an additional mat as my old bones could not take the hard ground! Hahaha.