Camino day 2

This morning we took a train from Bayonne to St Jean Pied de Port. It was a very nice to see the area. There is a lot of corn being grown. Every building has a red tile roof and white plaster walls. It all looks very nice.

Here are the my observations and things we did today. 

We got our pilgrim passport. It has been stamped twice now. 

We bought local cheese from a farmers market. It was very good. 

nice stained glass in old church. 

We toured a very old church. It is pretty amazing how people these so long ago and make then look so good. 

We walked around the fort that encompasses the inner city. Again, what an amazing structure. It was built to keep Spain from invading France through the Pyrenees. 

View of St Jean Pied de Port

Pilgrim art. 

Camino 2023

Bayonne France 

my first passport stamp 

on one of the flights.

September 13 day 2. We start our journey with a twist. The airlines decided to push our flight to Paris back by three hours. If this was our final destination, all would have been good. We still had a connecting flight and bus ride to our hotel. Luckily they were able to get us earlier flight allowing us to make all the connections. This ment that once I got off the phone with them, it was time to go to the airport. I suppose this is not the best way to start a 500 mile walk halfway around the world. 

What the above paragraph comes down to is 39 hours to ride three airplanes. Seattle to Minneapolis to Paris France to Biarritz France .Then we ride a bus to Bayonne where we had a hotel room waiting. 

Some things I abserved after all that is: 

France is layed back compared to Seattle. There are no visible homeless people here. 

Everyone seamed to have purpose while out and about. 

Bayonne is built up. There is a lot of farm land surrounding the city. Part of it is very old. 

France seams to be a multi cultural country. 

The prices on food are more reasonable than Seattle. 

Clean Trails

Clean trails

 First cut of two to clear tree from trail. Note saw sitting on tree

Decades ago I traveled the trails to access a mountain to climb or ski its faces. If I came upon obstructions in the trail, I figured it was part of the experience.

In time once my thirst for adrenalin subsided, I was using the trails for running seeking out the longer distances as my goal. Often I was training for an event that required me to give a day of trail maintenance to enter. The trail maintenance enabled me to give something back to these trails that everyone including me love and enjoy.  

Now that I have accomplished most of my running goals, I now run for the joy of traveling through beautiful places. I now carry a small hand saw with me cutting trees that block the paths we all use for many reasons. If I come across a tree too large for my small handsaw, I will go back out there with friends and my larger handsaws to clear them. 

One benefit of this is that I have found many ways to keep my mind in a peaceful place as I have journeyed through my life.

PCT part 6 Washington (2172 day 106) to (2653 day 130)

 I took a day off in Cascade Lock for rest and my birthday. Getting back on the trail on the 13 of Aug I was crossing the bridge of gods. This was a moments occasion for me.  I was in WA! The first part of WA on the PCT is like OR with more hills. Mount Hood and Adams are showing themselves now. There is a very interesting section just before White pass called the knife edge. If one has time it is worth checking out. I will get resupplies at all the major pass in WA by my friends. This makes life very easy in this part of my hike. I am quite tired now. I will not take a day off the trail until I finish. This might sound crazy, but I really like hiking in good weather. By the time I get to the end my body will be screaming at me to take a break. My mind will not let me give in. I can take a lot of time off when this is done. I will be retired and life will be at my pace. I will spend a lot of time with PI. We will finish this together. I decided a while back that I have seen many beautiful things and places on this trip and it is better to share them with someone. I slowed down a little to be with her and she speedup a little to be with me. It was  a good compromise for us both. 

Washington state here I come. The last leg of the journey. 

Adams 

WA views

More trails views in WA

Knife edge is the ridge in the center of the photo. Hiking with exposure. 

Me at some lake. 

Me at some water source. 

Evening sky. 

John and I. 

John and Roger crossing logs over one of the many creeks. 

John and I. 

Morning light on the trail. 

Views. 

PI by one of the many lakes. 

Very large tree blocking the trail. We had to go below this one. 

100 miles to go to the end. 

Another lake. 

Getting close to the end with PI.

PI with views. 

PI and I at our last camp. 

PI on last day to the border. 

Note the straight line cut into the forest. This is the border between Canada and the USA. 

PI and I at the northern border. We are both very grateful to be here. We had 30 miles to backtrack to John waiting at the car for our ride back to Seattle at Harts Pass. 

PCT part 5 Oregon (1712 day 86) to (2147 day 104)

Oregon, according to the roomer Oregon is flat. Well compared to the other parts of the trail it is flatter. It is not flat.  It does have lots of trees. Some of those trees are burned for many miles. I walked over or around 100+ of them on one day. There are lots of people starting in the Sisters area. By this time on the trail I will be sharing camp sites most nights with others. I will see 3 dozen+ people each day. This may not sound like much. When you cross paths with 2 people all day and camp alone or with your PCT people, this is a mob seen. There will be lots of lakes I walk by. This is the home to many mosquitoes. Mosquito repellent is very nice to have. This and my head net are my new best friends. 

Along the trail I go. 

More Oregon views. 

I liked this for many reasons. This guy is the son of a 78yo guy who is section hiking the PCT in Oregon. They use a donkey to haul the supplies. I though this is great, they are finding ways to get out there and gat it done. This also shows the area I am in now. There is lots of lava rock. This part of the trail was outstanding. Other parts of the trail were like walking on baseballs size lava rocks. This is no fun. 

Water for us hikers. This was a dry section. 

Nice little stream. 

Good morning world. 

Morning views from camp. 

More Oregon. 

My home for the night. 

Burn zones, yuck. 

Moring views. 

More lava, what fun. 

Mile stone. 

Nice views. 

More nice views. 

I scored here. This guy was set up for us hikers. He gave me and a half dozen others dinner and breakfast. He wanted no money. What a treat this was.  

Timberline lodge and Mt Hood. 

Good morning world. 

I like the morning light. I am asleep for the evening light. 

Washington, the home stretch.