Day 10


The earth is shaking and my tent feels like it's on the verge of collapse. A dozen or so trains rushing by is enough for me, so I get up and break camp. I chew on some fruit leather that my grandma had packed and then shovel in a handful of mixed nuts. And with that, I recommence, meandering along the shoulder of a highway that parallels the Lewis and Clark trail. Right away I spot a board that tells of how the intrepid explorers came upon a black bear with cubs in 1806.

'Hun, good luck seeing a bear these days' I think. 'What with all the ruckus from that train.'

I begin to climb, and soon the Columbia appears hundreds of feet below. At the top of one ridge, called Cape Horn, the whole of the valley opens up. The sheer beauty of the water shimmering below, surrounded by the vicissitudes of granite walls and a vast array of hues blended into the backdrop takes my breath away. I literally can't speak, and get choked up when I try to offer a word of thanks to the creator.

'This is what people were intended for.' I declare.

Soon, I've reached Beacon Rock, and I think, This'll be a cool place to hold up for the night.' I go inside only to find that the camping fees are steep. *Maybe I'm going off on a tangent here, but bare with me. I'm able to freely pitch a tent in parks in Nepal, India, Thailand, Indonesia and a whole host of other countries I've been in. But here, on the soil of my birth, I'm turned away cause I don't have enough cash for the park fees, and the park ranger doesn't take American Express. There's something tragic about this.

Not to worry though, I end up right where I'm supposed to be. Three more miles down the road, at an amazing spot in North Bonneville, I'm offered a choice site to set up in. The owner of the Lewis and Clark campground courteously provides me a place, and once camp's ready Donna, a lovely lady from a traveling RV club, invites me to dine with them. Spaghetti tastes awesome after you've walked 18 miles and just had a few strips of fruit leather. After dinner one of the gentlemen helps me identify several of the park's nostalgic and antique items. There's a great hall here just loaded with treasures from the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. What a find!