"The Way West"...Day 13...Monday, June 25, 2012

It's a sound that I've come to know well these last five years. When you're in a tent, it's a "plop" sound. And, when you're in the camper, it's more of a "ping". Either way, the sound of rain is NOT what you want to hear when you wake up in the morning.
Bleary-eyed, I sit up and look outside. Yup...cold, dark and rainy. I bundle up, put on my shoes and then sprint fifty yards or so to the "pit toilet".
I recently read an article about several groups of scientists that are trying to achieve a temperature of "absolute zero" in the laboratory. At that cold of a temperature, the natural vibration of matter...atoms, molecules....ceases. It's too bad that these scientists are not here this morning to take some measurements on the seat in the pit toilet...because it sure feels like absolute zero.
Now I sprint fifty yards back to camp to sit in the Explorer (heat on) and have my morning cigar. And, after an hour or so, the sky clears a bit, and it stops raining. Now I'm able to get out and brew a pot of coffee...much needed this chilly morning. And, later, I cook up a nice breakfast of fried eggs, toast, orange juice...and spam. Yes...you read that right...spam. Several years ago, when I was camping at the Burning Man Festival out on the Black Rock Desert in Nevada, I woke up one morning starving. Over at our main camp, someone was cooking up a breakfast of diced potatoes, eggs...and spam. I though then that it was maybe the best breakfast I ever ate. So...now I always have cans of spam with me when I'm camping. It doesn't spoil...it tastes pretty good...and...best of all...you're getting 100,000 times your daily requirement of salt.
By the time I finish breakfast, the weather has cleared and it's warmed up considerably. So...I put on my hiking boots and head out to hike the three miles or so around Lake Trillium. At the trail head, I'm able to get a few photos of that iconic view of Mt. Hood from across the lake. This is most fortunate because, ten minutes or so into my hike, the rain starts again.
So...it's back to camp for a day sitting cross-legged in the camper reading. But, just like yesterday, the rain stops around 6:00PM, and I'm able to cook dinner. I've marinated a big batch of Tandoori chicken...I grill that and serve it with some Trader Joe's Indian Eggplant (in a cooking pouch) and a batch of basmati rice (2120...two cups water, 1 cup rice, 20 minutes). It's a hearty and satisfying meal after a strenuous day of sitting in the camper. And, I've got enough ice left for a Knob Creek Bourbon on the rocks before dinner and a cold bottle of white wine with dinner.
After dinner, it's actually nice enough to sit at the picnic table and read...I'm even able to get out a lantern and read more after the sun goes down.
I have made another "command decision". Rather than spend another day here in the rain, I'm going to head out tomorrow morning for Hood River and camp at an RV Park. They will have a shower...something that I've been looking forward to...and maybe the weather will be better farther north. In any case, I'll have a chance to relax and review my route to Mt. Rainier. It's a little tiny Forest Service Road that runs north from Carson, Washington up through the Gifford Pinchot National Forest to the Park. Along the way, I should get some awesome views of Mt. St. Helens.