Hello Everyone,

Today I trekked 20.6 miles and made it to about 23 miles south of Susanville. I am camped on a 2,800 acre ranch owned by Scott Humphrey, a cattle rancher and farmer. I am not far off of 395 and had the choice of camping anywhere on his ranch but it was about six and I just wanted the quickest and nearest place to set up camp.

Today went well in that I actually got started fairly early. Yesterday I decided to cook a mixture of oatmeal I had pre-made, but it was a bit of work and time to setup, so I just had my usual meal bars. I needed to fill up the gallon water bottles and knew there was a store in Doyle. Just as I started out, I saw a CHP vehicle and flagged it down and of course introduced myself. The officer, Ron, had been in Susanville for twelve years and gave me some good info on various routes I had been considering and he also told me there were stores or gas stations about every ten miles or so to Susanville. That made me happy.

It was 78 degrees by nine and I hit the first little gas station and store within the first four miles. I was looking forward to buying an ice cold drink and filling my water bottles with ice. The first thing I noticed was that nothing was priced, but that’s what you get out in the middle of nowhere. When I asked the clerk, I presume the owner, how much the unsweetened ice tea was she had to think for a second and came up with an odd random price of $2.63. Sure, what the heck, I am thirsty and I want tea to pore into my ice filled water bottle. I paid, opened the bottle and pored it into my water bottle, and said I was going to put some ice into it. That will be extra she said. What, for ice?! Forget it! I asked if I could fill my gallon bottles? She told me to fill them up in the bathroom sink. Couldn’t do it because the sink was too shallow. Maybe I could use a cup to fill it up, but then she would probably charge me $5.00 for a cup. I know, I let it get to me, and I just left. It must be a cultural thing for new-to-this-country store owners that just are not use to American kindness.

Well, within a half hour I was kicking myself for not getting, and even paying for, a cup of ice because the temperatures hit the mid to high nineties. By one o’clock it hit 100 degrees. I had gone through my 20 oz tea, and two 34 oz water bottles that I had mixed with different electrolyte powders. Even those mixed with warm water didn’t hit the spot. To make matters worse, there is a large fire to the west in Weed and the whole valley to the north was thick with smoke. It was one of those days when the weatherman says that children, the sick, and elderly, should reframe from going outside, and especially those of you that plan to pull a ninety pound Wheelie twenty or more miles today. Yes, it was hot, humid, and a bit of a challenge.

All I could think about was that stupid bottle of ice and how good cold water from it would taste. It’s like waking up with a song in your head in the morning that you can’t shake off. Darn that foreign woman, and cheap me! Well, the Chippy said there is a store about every ten miles. I am not a beer drinker, but I had visions of buying a case of it if it was cold! Oh well, I’ll just stop and mix some more warm, maybe hot, water with that electrolyte stuff.

I was dragging past ten miles, and I was calling that Chippy a liar. I walked by a nice looking ranch and saw a bunch of different type of apple trees lining the driveway, with hundreds laying on the ground. Wow, what would it hurt to pick one of those big juicy apples from a tree, since they were just rotting on the ground? They were only about fifty feet from the road. Started to go get one, but just couldn’t bring myself to do it. My luck, I’d get in trouble. Darn, and I am so thirsty for something good and an apple would help.

Then out of nowhere, hidden behind the trees, I saw a gas station and store. And a nice big store at that, with a deli. Got another ice tea, poured it into my water bottle, and asked the clerk if I could fill up my water bottle? Sure. Mind if I fill my other bottle? No, go right ahead. Is there a faucet where I might fill my gallon bottles? Give it to me, I’ll just fill it from the faucet here. And then of course there were all the questions about what and where I was going. Good American kindness.

I was a little hungry and couldn’t pass up all the stuff that was being made right there I front of me. Sliced chicken breasts, chicken wings, pizza, other junk food, just being made in front of my eyes. Ok, the chicken is protein, so give me a bunch. That was my dinner and I won’t have to eat freeze dried rice and beans tonight and have gas.

I sat down and eat and drank the cold tea and it was like a switch was turned on. I got instant energy from that cold drink and a complete mood swing. I went back and refilled by bottle with ice and cold water. No problem.

By then it was late but I figured that since I wouldn’t have to cook dinner, I might as well keep trekking, especially since I had new energy. I walked another few miles and saw a sign for a campground but saw a nice spot on the other side of the road behind a private property sign that looked like a good spot to camp. Just then a truck pulled across the street to where I was standing and stopped, it was Scott Humphrey, the ranch owner. I asked about the campground and he said it was about two miles up the hill. I said it was too far, and asked if he might be the person that owned the property that I had been eyeballing? Yes, he was, but instead of camping there he offered me his lawn and his good well water at the house across the street. I politely remembered to say yes. However, he had some chores to do for his wife, that he was divorcing (his fourth one at that) and wanted me to hop in the truck with him first. It was already after six and I was ready to call it a day, so I told him I would just set up here, where I am camped now. Sure he said, but you are welcome at my house.

I had just set up the tent when he pulled up with the truck loaded with hay for his sheep. He ended up talking with me for over two hours about his life on the ranch, which was passed down from his grandfather to his dad, and then to him. Born and raised in Long Valley and only a hand full of ranchers left from the over two hundred in the 1960s. I could have listened for hours, if not days more, but he even went from standing to sitting on the ground next to my tent. He was a very interesting and likable man, the kind of people that make this trek for me.

He told me that it is exactly 23 miles from here to Susanville. So, that is my goal for tomorrow. I may even consider getting a motel? I need a bath, badly. That would possibly get me to Aden by Saturday, which may be the day that Mindee had planned to come visit and re-supply me?

It’s late at night and I still haven’t set everything up yet for the night because I had a visitor, which was well worth it. I will hopefully update my blog tomorrow. As always, your positive thoughts and prayers are welcome. Please excuse the typos, grammar, spelling, etc.

Ted