4/2- A Slow Meander

Toasty as I was, last night, when I wrote that post it slowly slipped away through out the night. Perhaps I shouldn't boast, even in jest, about besting nature or being granted super natural powers against weather. A thousand sorries to whom ever it concerns. I don't want little icicle feet tonight as well, please.

So the night past with successive wake ups about every hour and a half or so until it started warming up when the sun rose. I debated getting an early jump on the day then remembered I would do things like that on my walk and rushed right through the whole thing. I got out of bed around 1:40pm and was back on the road by 3.

It was a beautiful day today, up in the 50s or so. I managed to remember I needed to get sun block just before leaving the strip mall area which was when I discovered I had no idea where my wallet was. I was weirdly non-panicked at all, and was quite certain it was somewhere in the pack. I just didn't feel like ripping it all open to see, so I trucked on down the road.

Going probably a mile, maybe not even, I came across more strip malls with a gas station and 7-Eleven. My pack being well over stuffed was not feeling good on my lower back so I stopped there and uploaded last nights post through this Pocketmail thing on a payphone. I then asked to use an outlet at the 7-Eleven and was given that "no" where they don't even look at you or want to acknowledge you exist. I was debating getting a coffee there but decided I didn't need it after that.

I called Todd as my phone beeped itself into its death rattle and updated him on what was going on. I know he's sitting at home jealously geeking out on my progress waiting for me to show up down there. Turned out he'd already read the Blizzardry post and it had only been up half an hour.

Anyway we talked for a bit, which was nice to hear a friend again, then saved the remainder of the batteries for later. Maybe a mile or so later I found a recreation park, complete with grills and outlets at every table. I plopped down immediately and kicked off my shoes. I had wanted to call my sister to figure out whats going on with her now, and just chat in general. It turned out every outlet I tried didn't work. After checking them all wandering all over the park barefoot I gave up thinking hot oatmeal sounded good.

No such luck. After tearing open the whole pack to get at the food and cookware, still no wallet to be found, I was sad discover that the fuel would not light. The lighter I had was out of fuel and the magnesium strip thingy was no lighting the cold rubbing alcohol it had lit so well in my nice warm apartment. I then gave up on that idea too. I did still have the fire bow option, but as Robert knows, I haven't practiced and I'd had enough frustrations for the moment.

By the time I left the park it was about 6. I'd made it probably two miles so far. For the next hour I just walked. I went off the main road I'd been on and wove through the streets of the little town of Fountain. This was a bit of what I missed from my walk. These little nooks away that have life in every corner complete with occasional eccentricities, but in the cities we consider them dead.

By 7, I was seeing that there was going to be a bit more of a stretch of town before it all falls off into empty road for thirty miles or so. I had thought of getting past it and a little ways into the wilds, but again had to remind myself there is no rush, slow down speed freak. Its all the sugar I think. I'm working on it.

I sat down again on little rise on the side of the road to contemplate whether to push on or not. As I sat there, I noticed this little rise had a perfect four foot drop down the other side. There was nothing on the other side except a neighborhood across a mile of field. It was an absolutely perfect little hide away to camp at. That clinched the decision.

I rolled over the berm and sat against it for a good while just resting and thinking. Then I slowly made camp, arranging things nicely for accessibility, and in my top pocket of my bag I found my wallet. All was well. I climbed into my bivy with the the mouth of it open and stared off at the stars for a while.