Staircase again

I forget how much this cookset weighs but it is pretty darn light the stove weighs about one ounce. It worked just find at home tonight but I had trouble with it today.My stove would not light today. In the cold weather it seems to need a cigarette lighter or a match to get it going and all I had today was my sparker. I think the heat from the cigarette lighter is needed to get the fuel to evaporate enough to light. Good thing I had packed a cold lunch and only wanted to make a hot cup of tea.




View from the bridge looking downstream

15 miles on my new shoes

Lots of people out today. A truck came barreling down the road. Home owners on the other side of the causeway must have a key to the gate this year. I thought they were going to hit my dog. I flashed back to when my dog was hit by a car in front of my eyes and in the exact same circumstance when I in grade school. A quad also came down on me at a very high rate of speed road and left exhaust fumes in it's wake. This was not a very relaxing hike.

I was manic as hell and I needed some time to myself, I have a huge stressful event coming up next week. I can't say that walking 12 miles subdued my mania at all but at least it gave me something to do that did not get me in trouble.




The road was a frigging zoo two running vehicles were sitting at the gate with many more parked. No way to avoid breathing cigarette smoke from the truck in the middle of the road both the passenger and the driver were hanging cigarettes out their windows. They were also running an air compressor to pump up their tires.

There was a light dusting of snow at Staircase and again at the start of the road but most of the road was free of snow. All kinds of Elk sign but no elk with all the noise on the road.

There have been no new landslides or washouts on the road in spite of our recent rain on snow event. I hope this will make the forest service decide to open the road to all cars next winter so I can hike on the trails instead of the road. Of course doggie would have to stay home if I were to hike the trails.

12.25 miles with 180 feet elevation gain.



I took some pictures but can not upload then right now. We have been reduced to dial up Internet service at home so I'm blogging at Safeway but don't have my pictures with me.



Glad to put this "trailhead" behind me (I left without drinking a cup of tea from my thermos and I forgot to turn my GPS off) I was going to place a geocache here but not with all these muggles around!


A homeless person named Brad who seems to have "schizophrenia" is sitting next to me and yelling at his voices. I don't mind that, but I would like him to stop burping. Oh great, now he just farted in my direction. I ignored the burping but did voice my displeasure about the fart. I'm sure he is doing all of this for attention. I guess it won't be long until Safeway starts calling the police on him to have him removed. I know his full name, I hear it on the Police scanner every week. He is a convicted felon, I don't think it is right for someone who is as crazy as he is to be a convicted of a felony.


Potlatch State Park has been logged again. I wonder how much money the State is going to make for this log truck load of healthy douglas-fir?



I'm back home and have found an internet connection and it is the fastest I have ever seen.