This morning we were up and on trail at 7:10am, pushing to get to Highway 2 to get a ride with John and Dr. Paula to Skykomish and the Dinsmores. About three miles into the hike Tabasco had a 200 yard lead on me when I saw him stop abruptly. At first I thought it might be a bear, but then heard a woman’s voice. It was Paula, not far off the trail, doing her business and she got caught with her pants down. We all got a good laugh from the compromising situation, then Tabasco and I passed her and John and hiked the rest of the way to the highway.
We sat in the cold at the gravel parking area at the summit, waiting for Paula and John, and I listened to a full mailbox of cell phone messages until they arrived. We packed up the car, drove 17 miles to Skykomish, and gorged ourselves with food at the Chevron convenience store for 15 minutes. John took Tabasco and me to the post office a block away to pick up our packages and mail, while Paula continued her feasting at the convenience store. We returned to pick her up, then drove to Jerry and Andrea Dinsmore’s house about a mile and a half from the tiny town.
Welcomed with open arms and made to feel right at home, we offloaded our gear and entered the house. Lots of NOBO’s were relaxing in the den, including Evan (Manimal), Tummy Knocker, Monkey Toes, Tombstone, and Tarzan. Tabasco and I took the bedroom available in the house, since the NOBO’s were heading to the trail. We got hot showers and tossed our filthy, smelly clothes into the washer and dryer, while hanging out and visiting with the other hikers. I got busy with my long “to do” list and spent a good part of the afternoon working it down.
Jewel Thief and Piper arrived late afternoon, two guys I hadn’t seen since So California. Then Mary, another doctor, arrived. Paula and John left for Seattle late afternoon to pick up a friend they’ll be hiking with, so we won’t see them again. Unfortunately, after they left, Tabasco and I realized our hiking poles were still in their car, so it’ll be some time before we’ll see our poles again. I spent a good bit of time on the internet in the evening, catching up on 66 emails received and trying to respond to them. While on the net I ordered some gear from REI, then came downstairs to find the crew in the kitchen stuffing dinner down their throats; steak, burgers, boneless chicken wings, grouse that Whuppin Stick had killed on the trail.
I ate dinner, then returned to the bedroom to resume getting myself organized and caught up on incoming food resupply and mail, preparing mail for outgoing, making cell phone calls and catching up on internet. Meanwhile, there was a serious poker game going on in the kitchen, involving Tabasco, Piper, Jewel Thief and Tombstone. I never really emerged from the bedroom the whole evening to socialize in the kitchen or den, choosing instead to take care of all my 21 items on my to-do list.
Around midnight I was ready for bed and had a nice bedroom with double bed to myself as Tabasco claimed the couch in the den. Tabasco and Mary were still in the kitchen talking when I was going to bed and Mary, a night owl, had just thrown in a load of laundry in the washer right next to my bedroom. That irritated me some, since both Andrea and Jerry Dinsmore had retired for the night and there were hikers up making noise in the house. Great hospitality from these two fabulous trail angels who let us all in their home and fed us and made us feel like family. Let’s see, one other thru-hiker was there too, Alden, though I didn’t get a chance to talk with him. Good to Go was in Skykomish and opted for a motel room. I called his cell phone, got voice mail and unfortunately didn’t connect with him. Today’s weather: sunny, low 30, high 65. Today’s miles: 7.3; cumulative 1501.7.
