Hello Everyone,

Well, I had an interesting day, not that everyday isn’t, just different. I made it to Topaz Lake, about one mile from the Nevada border. I trekked about 17 miles today and felt like I was rhythm. Unfortunately I still have pain from the plantar fasciitis, which becomes more painful and noticeable at the end of the day. My right little toe looked pretty bad tonight when I took my socks off and it was painful today. It was about the size of my tall guy, the one next to the big toe, and the blister had expanded from the bottom to the front. Hey, at least my toes socks kept me from getting them between my toes. Hah ha! Wrapped them up extra thick tonight.

I actually had a good night’s sleep last night and I think part of that is because I am at a lower elevation. Well, maybe because I was pretty tired too. Surprisingly I slept well considering all the commotion at the day use area. I’ll never do that again for a table! I was set up about 150 feet from the parking area and well hidden away, specially at night. Well, found out people use it as a rest stop. I had just stopped reading about ten when I heard a car pull in. No big deal right! So the guy stopped to walk his dog and sure enough it runs all the way over to my tent. Probably smelling my dinner. So the guy is yelling at his dog, but he doesn’t see me and I don’t say anything. He walks right to the tent, then suddenly he sees the tent. He calls the dog but it doesn’t want to come. Took him a couple of minute to get the dog to come. I would have sprayed him if I had some stuff, stupid dog wanted to join me.

Ok, then I just about asleep and I hear another car pull in. No big deal, right? Wrong! This time it’s two guys, one had either to much to drink or car sick, and he starts to throw up. Loud! This goes on for 10-15 minutes while the other guy was walking around kind of talking to the guy throwing up. Finally after about twenty minutes they leave.
Needless to say I didn’t fall asleep until they left. But one more time, at 2:00 am, a car pulls in and the couple is yelling at each other. Luckily that only lasted about ten minutes and then they left. Never again! A quite spot five feet off of the road is a lot more private and peaceful.

It was in the 40s this morning and I forced myself to get out of bed early anyway. Had a good breakfast of tortillas and almond butter since I haven’t stopped to fire up the stove and have oatmeal.

It looked to be a beautiful day and the scenery is really great along the river. I had only gone about a mile when I noticed what looked like a dead dog on the shoulder. When I got closer I saw that it was a mountain lion cub covered with a towel. I took a picture and then touched it to see of it was stiff and possibly see how long it had been there. Surprisingly it moved, and obviously alive! There was no cell service so I decided to flag someone down and ask them to call Fish and Game or CHP. Well all those wonderful people that wave and honk at me all day long would not stop for me. Hey do I look homeless? Just because I am pulling a cart, wearing a bright orange t-shirt, straw hat, and maybe look a little dirty, doesn’t mean I am dangerous. After ten minutes or so of trying, I decided to just shot him with my pistol. Unfortunately I have a revolver with five bullets, and two would only leave me three. Hopefully I would never need them, but three is like putting on shoes without socks for me. And besides, Fish and Game is so strict they would probably cite me.

So I placed a few rocks in a pile on the shoulder and decided to walk and hopefully see some type of law enforcement. Not a quarter of a mile down the road I saw a CHP. I flagged him down, told him about the cub, and chatted with the Sargent about other things of course, and then he headed off to find it. He told me he’d probably shoot it himself but I never heard a shot, so I am not sure what happened. That was the first twenty minutes of my day.

The walk along the river was beautiful and the scenery made it seem easier I made it to the town of Walker and found it only had two very small general stores. The one I stop at was small but I found what I really wanted, an apple, banana, and a cold drink. I just crave fruit after eating all this high carbo and freeze dried food. I really enjoyed walking through the town, if that’s what they call it, because it’s funny to see what everyone in small towns do to survive. Little gift shops, a place completely decorated with rusty metal yard art and signs, etc. I have been through the town many times, but as always when driving to get some where fast, you never stop to notice all those little interesting things.

I figured I’d stop in the next little town, Coleville, to get water and some more fruit but I realized even though it is bigger than Walker, it might not have any store. It didn’t. Luckily I saw a KOA Campground outside of town and stopped in and asked the lady at the office if I could fill my water bottles. She also told me the prices for the sites, even though she saw what I was pulling. At $45 per night, I like my free spots. Besides, after last night, I want to sleep undisturbed. Couldn’t pass up an ice cream and sat on the bench enjoying the view. I have to remind myself to stopping more often since it really gives me more energy.

After I passed Coleville I realized I should have grabbed another drink in Walker since there were no more stores. Interesting, just north of town I saw a sign stating it was going to be the future home of a new Catholic Church. For a moment I thought maybe I should camp there since I could give them Father Roman as a reference. No, there were no trees.

I then saw what looked like a very large beautiful store with a big sign that read, shop our commissary. It was a Marine Base housing complex, a new one at that. I walked up to the two young Marine police officers and asked if I could go in and get a few drinks. Of course not, I haven’t been in the service. I must have looked pretty pitiful to them and one of them went into the booth and brought out a cold drink. I never say no, even if it’s something I don’t drink, because I appreciate the offers. Actually it hit the spot. I chatted with them for a while, which may not surprise some of you who know me. I thanked them and shook their hands and hit the road until I arrived at Topaz Lake. I had no cell service from the Sonora Pass to here, where I was told I’d get reception.

The site is very nice and overlooks the lake. It is off the highway and has a fairly steep and secluded spot, so I hopefully won’t have to listen to someone throwing up. Tomorrow, within the next mile, I will be in Nevada. I am thankfully I stopped here because there looks to be a fairly steep uphill from the lake into Nevada and the morning should give me more energy, I hope. I also went to the Ventura CHP firing range last week to shoot and qualify for my federal cancelled weapons permit which allows me to carry my gun in all states. It won’t need it, but it’s nice to know it’s there.

Hopefully I’ll be able to send an update tomorrow. As always, positive thoughts and prayers are welcome. Excuses the typos, grammar, and spelling, etc. it’s a bad one because I am out of juice and have to send it soon or it will die!

Ted