Journey Day 408 | CDT Day 71

My first day with nothing doing in two and a half months was a great rest.

8/24/87

Up lazily to good breakfast, but feel group resistance to hiking away from this nice spot as skies intimidate, produce heavy rains and more lightning. After breakfast, many end up around meeting-room fireplace, as weather scuttles our plans. One group braves it, despite storm, and horsepack and fishing trip it. We decide to wait, eventually stay with little prospect of clearing. It should be easy to equalize this by hiking longer days.

Talk with other visitors, especially Ken Cooper and his wife from Alta, Wyo. and Tucson, Ariz. He's a retired radio station owner, we run the gamut, he champions small towns over the big time. I have already been teetering. Also talk beards, chiropractics. Quite awhile later, take long, hot shower. Two pb and j sandwich lunch in room, while others quietly read or write. Head back to room for letter writing, more talk with Cooper, who's learning Spanish. Also folks from Kansas, Georgia. Get boot snowseal, back and prepare just before dinner, striking up conversation with two little girls from Seattle, later Mom. Rush dinner table. Others were not satisfied, but I end up with extra desserts to top off spoils of predatory table habits. More talk with folks from Rock Springs who'd not given me a ride. After dinner try to read John McPhee's articles on geology of Wyoming in three issues of 1986 New Yorker (taking me back to days in soup around Dubois), but after effects of meal stop me. End the night with talk with Seattlites on hiking, climbing, etc., before stare final period into fire with Carol and Dave the wrangler, California guests. Back at room, we're all soon crashed. My first day with nothing doing in two and a half months. A great rest!