THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE GONE OUT DAYS AGO. THE IPAD SCREWED UP AGAIN AND I JUST FOUND IT.
Day 92, Tuesday, Nov. 8, Kalaloch Camp. Olympic Peninsula National Park, Washington.
Awoke to what looked like it might turn out to be a splendid day, and it later did.
I decided to move on today and do all my route planning and chores on the road. But i still was not sure where i was moving on to.
Had another very close call this morning. While taking a shower (probably my last for a while ) in the virtually deserted camp, i slipped on the wet, slippery floor. But it wasn't just your run of the mill slip. I slipped to the right at first, but caught myself, then slipped to the left as i righted myself, and then slipped to the rear as i righted myself again. Fortunately, i did not fall or hurt myself, but i always knew that these prolonged get-aways make events such as this and road incident lasf night more likely. This is also why on these road trips i usually proceed with the greatest of caution with everything that i do. I also carry a card on me and in my vehicle that has emergeny information on it, including information pertaining to Donner.
Although last night i tentatively decided to bring this trip to a near conclusion today by heading southeast toward home starting today, when i stepped outside the Defender to fill my gas tank and saw how absolutely beautiful a day it was (no clouds, 70 degrees), i decided that i simply had to continue with my original plan and head down the west coast, and so that is what we did. My goal is to get home by November 23rd and we can just make that if we shave off a campsite or two or more than one day at any campsite. The problem we will have, though, is to regain some of the efficiencies in camping that i lost because of my recent layovers, but they will come back in time.
My goal for the day was to reach Kalaloch camp on the Pacific Ocean in the Olympic Peninsula. Erde and i stayed there two years ago. Wonderful place. Sadly, it was there that i saw Erde run for the last time, but i did not know it then. Boy, did she love to run.
About halfway into the 160 mile drive it started to cloud over. Then the clouds turned into a completely overcast sky. After that, a light rain started, followed by a heavier run. By the time we reached Kalaloch at 4:00, it was completely dark and raining heavily. So much for basing my decision on the weather. Had i known the weather was going to be so foul here, i don't know what i would have decided.
On my eight road trips, i have set up the tent perhaps 400 times. But Fortunately, i have had to set up camp in rain no more than a dozen times. But only three other times that i recall were worse that what i went through tonight. Let's just say it is not one of my favorite activities. But it has to get done, and so you do it, with equanimity. And the way you do it is exactly as you would set up the tent in gorgeous weather, patiently and one step at a time. It will eventually get done, as it did tonight. And the key is to make sure than nothing gets wet, which was the case tonight, except for Donner, but that was understandable.
Once again, the reward for setting up the tent in the rain is enormous, i.e. the right to enjoy it as I am now. But here, i not only have the sound of the pitter patter - make that crash bang- of the rain on the tent, but also the sound of the ocean waves crashing onto the shore continuously just feet away from me, Luciano Pavarotti belting out Nessun Dorma as loudly as my iPad can help him, and my great companion Donner sleeping soundly through all this. What a wonderful feeling. My decision on the route has paid off already. On the road, you have only two choices as to attitude toward weather..indifference or preference for the adverse kind. I think i prefer the latter, only because the reward is so much greater. As long as you ate prepared, physically, logistically, and mentally.
It's 12:30 a.m. EST Wednesday and i do not know who won the election. But i am so content inside this cozy tent and satisfied with every decision or action i made on this trip (except one ) it would be difficult for me to experience any disappointment over anything right now.
Who did win the election, by the way?
The Defender, incidentally, performed splendidly today, its first real day back on the road. It's like it has been reincarnated as a new vehicle. Those guys in Whitehorse and Seattle really know what they are doing. How lucky i was to have found them.
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