Day 4

It's 5:45 and dark. But I'm rearin' to go. A breakfast of dried fruit, then break camp. An hour later and the sun is just alluding to its appearance. I'm stoked. It's a fabulous morning and I've got plans to make it 20 miles today. A brisk four hour walk sees me promptly in Cathlamet feasting on a Danish and drinking coffee at the local Cheveron station. Alright, now that I've got enough sugar and caffine, let's hit the road runnin' (or nearly so). When your waterlogged pack is nearly 30 pounds, running is ill advised. But a shuffling sort of jog works well. The wind starts picking up and there it is...the Columbia River. Wow! As I jog my way up a woody hill area, I'm met with encouragement from passing cyclists. 'Alright!' they say, and suddenly I'm in the zone. I hear 'Eye of The Tiger' in my head and somehow get the ridiculous idea that I'm caught up in a montage video. I guess everyone deserves a moment for a delusion of grandiose proportions, eh? Anyway, I make it to the county line park and think: 'Since the government is shut down, I bet I can get away with free camping here.' Unfortunately, a guy there quickly brings me back to earth, informing me the county parks are still operational. I get him to take a picture of me with St. Helens in the background--I grow wary of taking too many of my own picts lest I be labeled a narcissist--and after stretching, hit the road once again. By the time I reach Stella, I can feel the burn. Moreover, my joints hurt and I'm out of water. It's at least another 5 miles into Longview, and who knows how far from there to a motel. I'm only 20 minutes from my self-imposed cut off time, but I'm also still pumped from my earlier tribute to Rocky. 'Why not?' I think, 'It would be good to wash off the accumulation of five day's grime and stench, not to mention, sleep in a bed.' Whether the right choice or not, 9 o'clock sees me limping into a motel, appearing, I suspect, in a manner resembling a character from The Hunchback of Notre Dam. I've covered 31 miles today, the longest stretch of my life so far, and a bed couldn't be close enough.