Skip to main content

WABDR: Castle Rock to Packwood

DAY 1: Castle Rock to Packwood


Bikes loaded. Pictures taken. Music playing. Finally, it was time to get on the road. Yes, I said road. While many people will trailer their bikes to get to the trail, we rode the two hours to get to the start of the BDR. We paid no attention to the darkening clouds off in the horizon. We were doing this! Our epic adventure had officially begun! 

I don’t know how many of you have ridden a tiny bike with no windshield on the road going the speed limit. Let me just say, it is very different than riding a cruiser down the road. Not to mention the racing helmet I wore. Bike shaking. Head thrown back. Full on wind in my face even through the googles. Smile frozen on my face. Like really frozen. It was COLD! We watched the gray clouds roll in and laughed. A little rain wasn’t going to stop us! But, damn, it was cold! Another layer was needed.

We stopped in Mossy Rock at a gas station to add a layer. As we were adding more clothing, a car drove up to us. “Where you guys headed?”

“Packwood. Going to ride the BDR.”

“You might want to wait a bit. I just came from that way. A major storm hit. Parking lots are flooded. I ride also. Don’t want you to get caught in that.”

“Thanks! Do you know of any hotels or campgrounds in the area?” My sister asked.

We weren’t even at the beginning of the trail and here we were talking about stopping for the night. Ugh! 

A man pumping gas spike up, “There is a campground nearby. I live there. You can follow me.”

Jennifer and I looked at each other, “Why not?”


We followed Omar back to his campsite, parked our bikes by the olive trees, and learned a little about Omar’s experiences riding through the world on a dualsport bike. All the while, we waited for the office to open so we could get a campsite. It didn’t. We grew impatient. Looked like the rain let up, so on we went after showing gratitude to Omar for his philosophy of spreading kindness when given the opportunity. 


We arrived in Packwood in time for dinner, which meant the local saloon and conversation with some locals. We had a decision to make. Get on the trail or set up camp for the night. 


We chose to camp at La Wis Wis Campground in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. We set up camp right near the river. It was absolutely gorgeous! 


Because the clouds still looked dark, we stowed our boots under the picnic table. We were in bed before the sun set...me in the tent, Jennifer all snuggled up in her hammock. 


Somewhere in the wee hours of the morning, it began to rain causing Jennifer to join me in the tent. I was back asleep in no time. 

Unbeknownst to me, there was quite a storm in the middle of the night. I heard none of it. However, I experienced the effects in the morning...everything was wet. And by wet, I mean we dumped water out of Jennifer’s boot.


The only way to dry it was to ask our neighbors if we could use their fire for a bit. Not only did they get the boot dry, they gave us some blueberry cake as well, which was especially nice after we realized a rodent of some sort got into Jennifer’s trail mix. 


Wet boots. Rodents and trail mix. Damp everything. It was time for this trip to start for real. A quick trip back to town for breakfast and finally, we were ready for the trail.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Aging sucks.....or does it?

Upon first thought, watching a parent age sucks. Unnoticeable at first. A bit of a stoop, some creaking in the knees, whitening of the hair. The doctor’s visits begin, as do the pills One for high blood pressure, another to thin the blood, and a handful of vitamins to top it off. The signs are there, but it is easier to see him as he has always been. My father, a pillar of strength. Until my pillar was knocked off-kilter. A simple surgery and the mortality of my father looked me square in the eye when the drugs took hold of his brain. Amidst his fidgeting and confusion, I realized…AGING SUCKS! And then….enlightenment dawned upon me….AGING IS BEAUTIFUL Wrinkles tell of smiles while silver hair speaks a life of memories. Knees creaky after years of kneeling in prayer, offering up a lap, and climbing up the stairs for one more kiss goodnight. Almost forty-eight years of memories nestled in my heart. Memories of my father. Taking us to church each Sunday Building and fixing ...
2 comments
Read more

The Hardest One Yet

 From the time I began this blog, I made the conscious choice that I would be honest and open in the moment – whatever is going on. For the most part, I have done that.  After struggling about whether to write about this particular challenge (let alone share it), I chose to do the uncomfortable and do both – write and share. “Your certification has not even been processed yet. Probably won’t happen until at least the middle of January.”  I took a deep breath as I heard those words a couple weeks ago and I realized what that meant. Christmas would look very different than originally planned. The retroactive pay that Santa was counting on to make the holiday something special for our family would not be coming. I took a deep breath as I hung up the phone and walked out of my classroom, despair bombarding the hope and excitement of the upcoming holiday. A tornado of thoughts began whirling in my head as I walked to the guidance office. Playing with our budget in my ...
7 comments
Read more

Letting Go

While in Pueblo you were parents of my students, but more importantly, my friends. After all, McClelland is a family. We talked, joked, and confided in each other like sisters do. I left for summer looking forward to the change I would find upon my return. That year instead of excitement, the new school year brought chastisement, accusations, and allegations with no chance to speak. People I thought of as friends chased away my exhilaration. I put a smile on my face, determination in my stride, and met the school year head on - complete with demeaning, inept, and judgmental challenges that came my way. My team one of strength, bravery and courage holding me up with each new blow. As the fall turned into winter, I overcame distrust and welcomed you in again. Smiles, laughter, and honesty filled the year. When it was time for me to move on, you sent me on my way with warm wishes and promises to keep in touch. I said goodbye and began my new adventure. Whispers of your relief abou...
3 comments
Read more