Since I came back from walking in Spain five years ago, I’ve played a little game with myself when driving down highways. It’s called, “Where Would You Camp?” I look for likely spots where one could sleep rough in comfort. Behind those bushes? On top of that rock cutting? Last night, I played the game for real: I slept in a ditch.
There was nowhere else, and it was comfortable enough, and after walking 38 kilometres I didn’t have the energy to search for a better spot. And from what I’ve seen this morning, there probably wasn’t one. After a while the traffic stopped and I lay there listening to the coyotes singing. Eventually I fell asleep.
This morning the walking is hard, despite the cool breeze. Since the turn off to Willow Bunch, the shoulder of the highway is narrower and often broken, leaving ragged chunks of asphalt on the gravel verge where I walk. It’s hard to build up a rhythm when you’re stumbling over them. And the verge is choked with weeds sometimes. It’s a slog.
My feet are sore, too, after yesterday, with bleeding blisters on my left sole. Nothing I can do about that.
My goal today is Mossbank, where there is a hotel and a bar and a restaurant, apparently. I have 21 kilometres to go. Wish me luck.
Later: I’ve made it to Ardill, where the hotel is open and serves lunch–and beer! I may never leave, even though I still have nine kilometres to go.
Still later: Here’s the happy ending. I’m in Mossbank. A 40 kilometre walk today, the farthest I’ve ever walked, and I’m done. The hotel and B&B here are out of business, unfortunately, so I’m off to the campground. Tomorrow will be another long day, but there is definitely a place to stay in Assiniboia and I’ll be there. Too bad the highway has turned out to be such a miserable walk.
Oh, the town boys are calling me “hitchhiker.” “Walker” isn’t part of the vocabulary here. Good to know.
After your earlier email today I didn’t think you’d leave your break spot! Seems that you did and now you’re camping, but in one piece and ok. That’s good. Your longest stage today…congrats! Your body will recover ok overnight, but the blisters on the bottoms of your feet are a bit of a concern. Moleskin rounds. I’ll email you about these and explain should you happen to have some with you. If you can walk on the hard road surface it will be easier going, or is there too much traffic? Hang in there amigo!
Geoff
Dear Ken, you can tell the young strags that at least you know where your towel is!
Somebody who can stay in control of virtually any situation is somebody who is said to know where his or her towel is. The logic behind this statement is presented in chapter 3 of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy thus:
… a towel has immense psychological value. For some reason, if a strag (strag: nonhitchhiker) discovers that a hitchhiker has his towel with him, he will automatically assume that he is also in possession of a toothbrush, washcloth, soap, tin of biscuits, flask, compass, map, ball of string, gnat spray, wet-weather gear, space suit etc., etc. Furthermore, the strag will then happily lend the hitchhiker any of these or a dozen other items that the hitchhiker might accidentally have “lost”. What the strag will think is that any man who can hitch the length and breadth of the galaxy, rough it, slum it, struggle against terrible odds, win through, and still knows where his towel is, is clearly a man to be reckoned with.
I left my towel at home!
42
To think I left my towel at home, because I can’t carry water for washing! Another reason to take a pass on the campground.
I’m thinking forget the towel and head fro the hammock and the beer!! Well done. Ken, that’s a huge day. Those 40km days are pushing the body to its normal limits (that’s like writing 6 or 7 thousand words in a day). It’s doable but not day after day. It sounds like tomorrow there is not so far to walk – that sounds good. My blisters from Spain are almost gone – which i guess is not so reassuring!!