Distance = 29 Miles; People Met = 1
Hah! We fooled the southerly winds today. We started out going south but veered more east. Meanwhile, the winds were more from the southwest than the south. We dealt with crosswinds rather than headwinds: still a bit of a pain at times, but overall desirable because of the heat.
The temperature reached the hundreds. The remarkable thing was that until I found that out from Ky I thought the temperature had been in the eighties … during a climb! The crosswind helped with that, but so did our conditioning. We are almost like true nomads at this point, consuming just small bits of food and water at a time and moving with great efficiency. Not long ago I considered the nineties to be the tipping point where we started to feel lethargic. Now a day in the hundreds feels like one in the eighties.
One little oddity we’ve been noticing. Virtually every road, no matter how unimproved, has a stop sign.
In Case You Don't Stop to Open the Gate First ...
A highlight of the day was running into Kyle Scott, a musician and an enthusiastic hunter of meteoric rocks. He showed us a specimen he found, very heavy and very magnetic. Our acquaintance all started with him stopping to ask if we needed water. Actually, we didn’t need any at the time, but if we say that he moves on and the encounter is over. This hike is about people so we said “yes” and we learned a bit about each other. He was returning to Oregon from a family gathering in Florida. He showed us his new dog which he found abandoned. We encountered Kyle throughout the course of the day, as he drove back and forth looking for his rock. Thanks for the water, Kyle!
Kyle Scott (rock not shown)
I know Kyle Scott. My first encounter with him was when some friends and i tried to rent house in SW Portland in ’06. Our 4th guy bailed and we were distraught. The land lady really liked us and she thought of a solution. She said she had heard from a guy who had contacted her wanting to rent one of the rooms. Total stranger but we figured, chance it.
Enter Kyle Scott, and his plethora of knowledge about the land, mucoid plaque, and chickens. Not to mention his unique musical instrument, the musical saw. In the short time I lived with him we had some times. We drank yerba matte together, took bentonite & sylium husk cleanses together, and sang silly songs loudly around the house when felt so inclined.
Over the years I have seen Kyle perform on stage with his amazing warbling instrument, he got me a temp job as a forklift driver at the warehouse he worked at one summer, dog sat his loved and aging dog Indica (rest in peace), and I have drawn the album artwork on the back of his band’s latest hit cd.
All in all, knowing Kyle has been enriching and informative. Although we don’t spend much time together, I am certain we shall remain fast friends for many years. He is kind, stoic at times and always handy with a pun or a good laugh. Safe travels folks, I’m so glad you got to meet my good friend. I hope you continue to make more like him through out your journey. Across country or life in general.
Damian DeBuiser
The Brew Happy Show
Greetings Damian,
Many thanks for sharing that, it fits right in with the theme of this blog! After referencing The Brew Happy Show I’ve got a few questions. I understand you’re based in Portland, OR but you mentioned the Red Lion Inn and Bridgeport. Was this in our neck of the woods (RLI = Berkshire; Bridgeport = Connecticut)? If so would you know Colin Coan, a former student and brewer in the area?
Kirk
That’s my son. I don’t know how he got so strange, ha ha.
Well, he looks out for others.