October 25, 2015
Boat Harbor Campsite
It's been an incredible week since leaving Walpole. First we had new trees: Tingles. The 3rd largest tree in the world. Only found on 6000 hectares here. An ancient tree. The red tingle forms buttresses at the base and dies from the inside out. Often fires burn away the core of the tree leaving just the outer parts like chair legs. And they still stand and thrive up top! We got to hike past on massive tingle. I could have lived in the base!
There have been many tingles on our way. So stunningly huge!
There was even a place with a tree top walk. A platform walkway 40 meters up through the treetops. What a feeling!
And the coast has been so unbelievably beautiful to walk! I think the 3 nights, 4 days from Walpole to Peaceful Bay was the best section. That was until today's walk along the coast. Today we got to canoe an inlet! Canoes are kept in sheds on each side of this inlet and you have to paddle across and bring a canoe back so that there are always 2 canoes on each side. Such fun! I wanted to just paddle around the inlet:).
October 26
William Bay Campsite
Quite rolling terrain today. That is until the beach walk of 7 kms! In headwinds. Loose sand. Blowing sand. Pelting rain. Youser!!! I was really hating it until I figured out a ridge that had a firmer surface. By the end of two hours I was pumped:)). Then it was over. But in a few days, I'll have the chance to do it again.
Having air mattress issues. It's on my mind as I lie here sharing my bed with a big bulge. Strange thing is this is a replacement for a blowout that happened back in August. This will be the 3rd warranty replacement for my Exped Synmat UL 7. Hmmm. Wish they'd upgrade me. Or I'll just keep getting a new one. Their choice.
Friends Jacko and Annie, my trail angels, are bringing Wagual and me dinner tonight at the shelter. How sweet is that?!! They're the ones stabling Blaze for me. I'm hoping they'll loan me an air mattress for this last week until I can get things straightened out. It's now too challenging to sleep on.
Been having some back pain today. I know the cause is my pec muscles are pulling and my back ones are pissed off. But why now? Two months in? Did some stretches and tried using my tennis ball for releases. Here's hoping. Back, feet, and right hip...old age is hell!!
Long afternoons in the shelter. We're typically in by 1 or 2. Waugal always earlier than me. Then eat. And wash. And play gin rummy. And eat some more:).
It's been cloudy and cool for the past few days. Some misty rain off and on. Great for hiking over these open dunes. Would have been so much worse in bright sun.
Ya know how we had to use canoes to cross an inlet? Well Lorna and 2 others she's hiking with currently arrived there and...no canoes! Han and Neil swam the channel (about 2 football fields) to get them on the other side. How crazy is that? And it's not been warm. So glad they left them properly for us.
I think Han is bad luck. She got caught in a bush fire, got to a campsite that was without water, was at a shelter with a pesky tiger snake, and now, no canoes. She could write a book about her troubles on the Bibb. Run, Lorna, run! It's Han that's bringing the trouble:)). Sam wouldn't stay at the shelter with the snake so she's a day ahead. We're guessing she's waiting in Denmark for Lorna to catch up. We're all meeting up in Albany for a party!!
Livin' the dream,
BagLady
Facebook: Kathryn Mossbrook Zimmerman
