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I did not get far before I was met by a new friend from Carnation, up the road on his motorbike. He brought me a banana and some banana bread and an apple, of all earthly things. We sat under a tree and had a picnic and sparked up a philosophical discussion of the sort you may have enjoyed in college.
It left me dazed if not downright confused with dry mouth and a case of the munchies. Too tired to walk more than a few hundred yards at a time, I drank up all my water and ate up all my food. I am still miles from the next town. Oops. Live and learn.
I didn't really find my pace until eight o'clock or so, by which time it was getting dark. I still hadn't made it to the summit but I did get to meet my first bear. He was a littlish bear as bears go; he could not eat me in one sitting. But he was a bear and he looked at me from not more than forty feet away. I of course looked away like it says to do on the bear safety posters they've got plastered all up and down this highway. I didn't want to provoke him. He seemed like a very nice bear.
I left him eating his blackberries or bamboo shoots or eucalyptus or whatever and continued slowly up the hill. I had to put in another couple of miles, looking over my shoulder to make sure he wasn't following me like a puppy, then set up my tent in the woods. There is snow all around me. Dirty, rather tired looking snow, but snow nevertheless.
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Missed you on my way back down from the summit. I checked and it was closed. I reset my odometer so I could tell you how far it was to the summit and that there was no food there, but plenty of snow. Where did you go, that little roadside reststop. You probably had to go after eating so much . . .
ReplyDeleteI'll try to talk my son into riding over to Leavenworth on Sunday and we'll see what more we can cook up. Don't bet on it this time though because there are precious few sunny days these days and many things and many people will be trying to steer me in many directions.
A few of us are gathering at the Duvall Grill around 5 p.m. Saturday evening to watch the Canucks and Bruins in game two of the Stanley Cup. Go Canucks!
Tomorrow is supposed to be great too. "The bluest skys you've ever seen our in Seattle," mainly because the grayest skys you've ever seen are almost always in Seattle. It's a contrast thing. The Bluest sky I ever seen was when I was hitchiking from Whitehorse south on the Alaska Highway somewhere around Muncho lake, aptly named for our self induced condition. Sometimes you just get those primo rides, you'r standing on the side of the road, some guy stops, you get in and instant party. I rode with him for over 900 miles. I digress. This is about the Walking Dude, aka, James.
By the way, you met me in Carnation but I am from Duvall, as of late. Unless you were talking about someone else.
My question is: where the hell did you find to send this post from somewhere on the west side of Steven's pass?
Maybe see you tomorrow.
Lee in Duvall
By the way, I don't know what posters you are reading, but when you see a wild carnivore such as a bear or cougar, you're supposed to stare them down, growl at them and throw rocks at them. You're supposed to show them how unafraid and how tough you are. They probably won't eat your inapropriate shoes or gay hat so we will know just who they ate.
ReplyDeleteThe game's up, James got close enough to see that the bear was a he before he chose to keep his distance and feign indifference.
ReplyDeleteTo my mind that's indicative of two things desperation and bravery but desperation must have won because why else would you be so brave?
I should not have conjured up thoughts of young Japanese ladies in the poor lad's mind, next time he might not be so lucky, he just might not spot those balls in time.