I wasn’t the only one camping illegally at the Julia Pfeiffer Burns campground last night; I was one of six doing so. Ted, Zan, and Ander had arrived before me, and Drew & Kelly arrived shortly after.
By a total coincidence, I’d met Ted at the gate to Chinatown, on the very day I arrived to San Francisco. Ted was a Couchsurfing host that I’d contacted, but ended up not needing to take up on his offer to host me. He’d recognized me there, waking my route through town with the signs. He recognized me for a second time yesterday.
Ted had brought Couchsurfing guests Zan (Australia) and Ander (Denmark) with him. Drew and Kelly, who are both studying in San Luis Obispo, walked down shortly after I did. None of us had made one of the impossible-to-book reservations on line, and were all risking getting booted anytime during the rainy night.
Thanks either to wet weather, budget cuts, or bureaucratic laziness, no officer ever hiked down the trail to bother us. My tent perched atop the high Pacific bluffs was treated to the strong sound of stormy waves throughout the night. The rain drops that made it through the tree tops complemented the crashing waves below quite well.
Before heading off to bed, Zan and I stayed up and chatted for a couple of hours. Age 23, Zan is nearing the end of six months in Canada and the U.S. He’s a very cool, very funny guy, who talks to you with a smile in his voice (we couldn’t see each others’ faces as the conversation continued well into the night.) By the end of the chat, he’d decided he’d wanted to come along with me for the next hundred miles, to San Luis Obispo.
I’ve had people talk of joining me before. Some have come along for a portion or for a short day (fun times!), but I’ve never had anyone join me for more than ten miles.
Zan broke the record today, as he joined me for over 25 miles, from the JPB campground to Treebones Resort, where we’re being hosted tonight in a cozy trailer.
Drew & Kelly graciously are advancing all of our heavy stuff forward to San Luis Obispo for us, and we’re headed there with the bare essentials.
Zan has definitely won my respect, as today was one of the three rainiest days of the whole walk, and Zan wasn’t very well materially prepared at all for it. Yet he made perfect proof of what I told him: “doing a walk like this is about 90% mental.”
Zan was wearing jeans, a leather jacket, sneakers, and an overcoat. All his layers had been soaked through, and his black leather jacket, one he’d owned for years, had even bled deeply through the lighter colors of his shirt and overcoat. At the end of the day, his arms were dark blue as well (from the jacket). A caretaker of the campground asked him if they were tattoos.
Zan has really proved his ability to move forward with a goal super well. In fact, as he was soaked within the first three miles or so of today’s walk, I was prepared for him to give up anytime.
“You’ll be breaking a record by walking more than 10 miles with me,” I informed him, “and if youjoin me for 30 miles tomorrow, you’ll break my previous one-day distance record with me!”
“I’m all about breaking records,” he replies, continuing with a cheery, dry smile in his voice, “especially breaking Rod Stewart records!” His delivery was perfect, and had me laughing off-and-on all day…
After we left the small, rip-off general store in Lucia, which was just over halfway to Treebones Resort, I was completely confident in Zan’s drive to finish the day with me. It had been a very wet, hours-long, challenging trek to Lucia, and the store allowed him a few minutes of warmth and comfort. If he were to quit, then would have been the perfect time. But wet jeans, shoes, and all, he emerged ready for more– perhaps not with 100% of the enthusiasm he began with, but enthusiastic nonetheless.
Zan’s efforts were well rewarded. We continued on through almost no more rain for the remainder of the day, a handful of conversations with curious motorists, and a spledid sunset show in the distance, which climaxed when the clouds emerged to give us shadows for about sixty seconds.
We didn’t arrive to Treebones till a couple of hours after dark. They knew we were coming, but a staff member who’d seen us on the road earlier had doubted we’d make it all this way.
Dave, who manages the property, arrived at the reception desk to show us to the clean and cozy trailer next to his house. He and his wonderful wife prepared the most delicious enchilada and stew dinner for us, and took a load of laundry to wash and dry for us. Breakfast in the morning is on them as well, and they offered to speak with the owners about hosting us for a second night. We’ll take them up on any such offer, but are prepared to continue 30 miles to Moonstone Beach (and the next offer) tomorrow, if need be.
I was prepared to walk somewhat more slowly down super scenic Highway 1, however, it’s funny the irony of how the greater the predictions of heavy rains, the more I find this water lighting a fire under my ass to speed forward!
From last night’s camping atop the bluffs to the end of a very wet day with great hospitality tonight, Zan fully understands now how each day of this Walk is a great adventure– only a small part of which may be predicted. I wonder what tomorrow will bring..?