I bring this up because as Brian, Jerry, Ed, and I were enjoying our regularly scheduled Friday morning breakfast, about thirty or more fire fighters descended upon Sam's. I've never seen Sam's so busy at 6:30 in the morning. It was an impressive sight. Young men and a couple of women calmly waiting while the the staff at Sam's scrambled to get water and coffee on the firefighters' tables, take their orders, and get the breakfasts cooked and served.
Once again, I got to add to my growing list of examples why I do not join in when discussions turn toward denigrating the youth of today. Again and again, the young people I encounter impress me deeply.
2. My legs felt a little rubbery after yesterday's two-a-day. This morning I decided to go to the Shoshone Medical Center and have my monthly vial of blood drawn and sent to Spokane and I bought some groceries and supplies at Yoke's. These tasks gave my legs a chance to rest.
The temperatures were moderate -- low 70s -- and, while I was over in the non-(human)food section picking up toilet paper, dishwasher pellets, and dog food, I suddenly thought I'd go to Coal Creek this afternoon and instead of having a destination to try to reach, I'd stay on the trail for about three hours.
So, that's what I did.
I reached the trailhead around 1:30. I had told Debbie I'd be back to town between 4:30 and 5:00 (I got back at 5:00). I set out, decided to take black and white pictures on this hike, and I got as far as I could by about 3:30, taking plenty of time to snap shots and stopping to rest often, especially as the trail left the creek bed and started to ascend into the mountains.
I don't know how far I hiked today. My pedometer crapped out on Thursday. I stopped often to rest and let my breathing and heart rate settle down as I hiked uphill. I also stopped to marvel at the beauty of the Coal Creek watershed. Old trees grow tall out of the area near the creek and along the banks. The higher up the trail I hiked, the more it seemed like I was in the tree tops, a stirring feeling. Down below, Coal Creek spilled over a variety of rock formations, creating waterfalls, and the higher I climbed the more the creek was running alongside rugged rock faces. When I'm hiking a single track trail like this with rocks and tree roots sticking out and with a steep bank immediately to my right (going uphill), I focus on the trail, careful not to trip over the minor obstacles in the trail.
Because in the midst of this splendor, I'm in a world that invites me to turn my gaze out, down the banks, and around the tree tops to enjoy the stunning sights all around me, stopping often gives me time to safely take in all the sublimity. I was very happy that I didn't have a goal for reaching a certain place within my time frame. I enjoyed hiking slowly, sitting on mossy rocks and old logs, giving my respiratory system a break, and taking in the rushing sounds of the creek and the sights of its magnificent home.
3. Back in Kellogg, I needed some time to rest my legs, cool down, and hydrate.
Before too terribly long, the time felt right for Debbie and me to go up to the Lounge. I ordered myself a Makers Mark and ginger ale and took a seat at the end of the bar next to Renae Costa. Debbie joined us. Renae and I yakked about a lot of stuff, revisiting the days over forty-five years ago when Renae first arrived in Kellogg and carpooled to school with Mom. After school every day, Renae waited a few minutes while Mom popped into Stein's to buy Dad a six pack of 16 oz Heidelberg beers. Renae told me this evening that she used to marvel that Dad would drink that much beer in a single evening. He did. And sometimes more. It was fun thinking back to those days in Kellogg. I was in and out of town at that time, going to college, but living with Mom and Dad in the summers until the fall of 1976 when I worked in Spokane and then, three years later, moved to Eugene. Kellogg and the stories I heard were never far away, though, and it was a lot of fun reliving some of those times tonight before heading back home before 9:00.
*** It has been too long since I took pictures in black and white only. I was rusty today and, having reviewed my pictures, I have a lot to think about regarding shots I attempted that didn't work. Nonetheless, I thought I'd post some of my pictures from today, no matter what I think of them -- and, I'll admit, in a place as verdant as Coal Creek, I might have been nuts to shoot in black and white, but I think there are a lot of great monochrome shots in that watershed waiting to be taken. I look forward to returning and seeing if I can improve.
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