The day started off decently despite the fact that we were kicked off of the interstate yesterday. The dirt/gravel roads were somewhat smooth, and it was actually pretty peaceful walking by the mountains without many cars whizzing by. I (Sam) packed up about an hour before James did, so I was also a little ahead. About 9 miles in, a man named Tim pulled over to see what I was doing. I ended up talking to him for about 40 minutes, and he was very clear to warn us about the animals that typically roamed around the area at night. These included coyotes and mountain lions, and while I had not had any encounters with them in the past, Tim’s warning did intimidate me a little. He even gave me his old military knife for me to protect myself. About an hour later, I was stopped by a German man named Werner who was similarly interested in my journey. It was also nice to practice my German a little bit, as I had not spoken in months. He mentioned that the road would soon become much less pleasant, and he was right. A few miles later our nicely paved gravel turned into rocks and sand, and it was a bit more of a struggle to make progress. Tim’s warning also continued ringing in my ear, so I made sure to keep my knife and pepper spray within reach. Thankfully nothing actually happened and the road improved marginally by the end. James eventually caught up and we ended up pitching our tents in probably one of the most beautiful areas of the trip thus far (we would realize this in the morning).
11/16/22
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