Hello Everyone,

Well, I made it to Camp 12, which is about 17 miles outside of Eugene. I trekked 16.75 miles today and probably would have gone further if not for an about two hour distraction. Actually a great distraction!

I am camp off of the highway, and always, had a hard time finding a good level and dry spot because all the ticket vegetation, as you can see by many of the photos. This spot is beautiful as all the trees are covered in moss. After I set up, I realized that I was about twenty feet away and thirty feet above the rail road tracks. Darn thing has been following me around and its lucky I like the sound of trains. A long train just went by and I can feel the ground shaking a bit. No horn!

Didn’t have any rain last night and woke to the usual heavy dark clouds. Stayed overcast most of the day though the temperature was in the high sixties.

Started my day by applying Body Glide to my feet, which is suppose to reduce friction. It usually works but did not yesterday with the wet socks and feet. I also added more mole skin to the blisters but it didn’t help much for the one on the ball of my feet. It was painful and got bigger as the day went on and I found myself limping. It finally burst on its own and that relived some of the pain. Maybe a day off of my feet may help?

The scenery is very beautiful and I could have taken pictures all day long. I was surprise that the reservoir for Eugene is so empty with some much rain, but Oregon is in a drought like California. That’s what they tell me, but what were those last twelve days that I experienced?

I had just taken a break around three and got back on the road when a car drove by and the man yelled something at me. I couldn’t hear what he was saying and he pulled over and got out of the car. Low and behold it was one of my best friends from my youth, Nick Jagels. We had gone to high school together and he was my first roommate when I moved out of my parents home. I had not seen him since about 1975 when I had last come to Eugene to visit him.

I had spoken with him about a year ago and that had been the first time since 1975. I had placed his email address on my blog list and apparently he had been following it. I had received an email from his wife that he want to find me, and what a great and pleasant surprise. Just seeing him after all those years was worth my whole trek! I never knew Nick as a touchy feely guy, but we must of hugged four or five times, and long. Wow, what emotions for me!

After a few hours chatting I told Nick I had to find a camp spot and could not go with him. And while sitting on the side of the road the sun had finally come out and it was hot. I am not a drinker but told him I was carving a beer, maybe like the old times in our wild youth. So while I started looking for a spot, Nick ran to the store, bought some beer, and came back and we split one for the old days. Wow, did that half beer taste good, but not as good as the taste of a renewed old friendship. What a trek experience, one that I’ll remember the rest of my life.

So, tomorrow I will end up in Eugene and stay the night at Nick’s house. Tuesday I will head over to REI and hopefully pick up my shoes, a new tent, and the supplies Mindee has sent me.

I may head out Wednesday if everything is there. My original plan was to head over the mountains to Florence and coast on the main road, but Nick has told me of a different way to go to the coast. It is a old paved road that winds through the mountains and has no stripped lines and very few,  if any, cars. It is one he and his friends have taken and it will be off the beaten path. It will probably take 3-4 days and it sounds like my kind of road.

Hopefully I will update my blog tomorrow. Please keep sending your positive thoughts and prayers my way. Please excuse the typos, spelling, etc.

Best wishes,
Ted