Today was one of those days that we always imagined the Nation would be. When we would day dream back in January, this was the type of day we thought running across the country would be. Before I talk about that let me tell you a little about last night. After our tour of the Navajo ruins we were taken to our new friend Bud's land and set up for the night. He had a few small houses on this property and let us stay in one of them. It was complete with a shower, kitchen and three rooms to stay in. Durkin and I shared a classroom, Josh and Pat bunked in the computer room and Ken had the entire storage room to himself. It was a great night sleep out of the cold desert night and we all appreciated being invited into his home. Pat and Josh made us soup and mushy rice for dinner and we all enjoyed a few Mexican lemon lime sodas from the fridge.
As we were getting ready for bed I had one of the cans of soda next to my sleeping bag just in case I got thirsty in the middle of the night and Durkin couldn't believe it. He really wanted to be awake if I did crack into it and asked me to wake him up. Around 4am I got up to use the bathroom and blow up my sleeping pad (in has a slow leak) and in doing so accidently woke him. It was at this point that I did indeed open that soda and eat half a power bar that I also was storing next to me. We both laughed for a few minutes before returning to bed.
We woke up around 7 to the smell of pancakes. Pat had got up early to cook us oatmeal pancakes the size of frisbee. They were huge and one was more than enough to get us going. Bud dropped us off where we finished yesterday and said goodbye. The weather was still cool and we all had multiple layers on including winter hats and gloves. Ken had 4 or 5 shirts on which is no surprise. He usually wears the most layers out of all of us considering he didn't pack a hoody like some people on this trip (Durkin). Pat and Josh wanted to run with us as much as possible and took off toward Steamboat. Their plan was to park the car and walk/run back in our direction until we met up. Everyone wants to be a part of the run!
Within the hour it heated up and we were all running shirtless. It is always funny to watch as someone else takes off another piece of clothing. It seems like every mile the jogger gets a bit heavier and someone is wearing a little less. Today was no exception. It was however the first time we ran shirtless in almost a week. The wind has been a force almost everyday and kept most of our clothes on.
We all were feeling really good as the sun was shining and there was barely any wind. We made great time getting to the only gas station/Burger King for miles and decided to stop for a few supplies. We grabbed a few post cards, Gatorade's and hit the value menu at BK. As we headed back on the road we joked that BK needed to put out a sandwich that was called the King 3,000 (like in the tv commercial) and consisted of 3,000 calories. I told the guys that no one would ever buy something like that and Durkin quickly responded, "we would".
At this point in the day we were running up a long straightway on the road. The view all around us was amazing and I could not believe how small we are compared to the vastness of this country. We seemed to get lost out here. To our left stood massive mountains and rocks coming out of the earth. They were all sorts of colors, starting from the ground in a number of browns, reds and a layer of white towards the top. It was beautiful. The scenery continued like this for most of the day until we were about a mile or two outside of Steamboat. At this point we dropped a couple hundred feet into a valley surrounded by gigantic rocks everywhere. I ran behind the guys, as I usually do, enjoying the day a little bit more. I know this trip is almost complete and when we finish, that's it. There are no second chances or days left on the road. I want to make sure I take in every thing for the next 34 days.
With a little more than 6 miles left in the day we spotted Josh and Pat coming toward us on the other side of the road. They immediately jumped up and down excited to see us and even held hands briefly. I know exactly how they felt to see someone they recognized while on the lonely road. They were able to experience a small amount of what our day is like and I think they might have enjoyed it more than they want to admit. At one point I caught Josh staring off into the distance and focusing in on some of the mountains.
We have talked the last few days about their cross country adventure and our own. Both trips are different but unique in a lot of ways. The two of them remind me a lot of ourselves and our quest to follow our dream. I am really glad they decided to take a small detour and meet up with us. I hope their adventure is everything they imagined it to be, just as we have dreamed about our own.
Officially we are calling the run 6.3 miles. They didn't knock too many people down on the list but had a great time doing it nonetheless. They both were glad to have hiked close to 13 miles on the day and we all got to spend a lot more time together. With less than a mile to go in the day Ken noticed the yellow jogger had a flat. We figured it was from all the off road running we have been doing the last two day since we lost our shoulder. However, Ken pulled out a thorn from the wheel and heard the air come rushing out. He then took out 3 or 4 more from the same wheel. As we were changing out tubes we noticed there was a thorn in the red jogger as well. The same thing happen and we had to now change out two tubes. After a few minutes we got back on the road and finished off the day.
Even with a number of stops we finished the day around 12:30. We all felt great and had the entire day to relax and recover for tomorrows monster 23 mile day. We stopped at the local fire station after being told we could stay there for the night thanks to the Ganado Fire Department. After a half an hour, one of the guys came to open the building for us. As we waited for someone to show up I decided to climb the mountain directly behind the building to see if there was cell service up top. Unfortunately there was not but the view was amazing. I could see everything in the valley as well as the water tower in the next town. I think we are all going to hike up there tonight to watch the sunset and perhaps get a camp fire going. Ken can't wait.
Once inside the fire house we all showered before looking for something to eat. Pat and Ken drove a few miles down the road to the gas station and on their way noticed a sign that read "Navajo Taco - House 17". They told us about this and we decided we had to try the local flavor. We walked around a small neighborhood before finding house 17 and the sign for Navajo Taco/Yard Sale. For $3 we got some of the greatest taco's we have ever had. They were open faced on flat bread, sort of like a pizza, with the complete works. As we were leaving Josh purchased a mug that was shaped like a boot and Pat bought himself a scarf.
We have been hanging out the rest of the day and watching tv. Pat and Josh went through their car and reorganized as much gear as they could. It is funny to watch them struggle with all of their stuff and to know that we are living on maybe 1/3 of what they have stuffed in their car.
Before I leave you I must tell you all that Back to The Future III is currently on. We have been talking about these movies for the last few weeks and decided we had to see at least one of them, if not all of them, before we finish on the 26th. We couldn't not believe our luck when it came on! I suggest everyone that reads this to go out and purchase this trilogy today. Marty and Doc Brown are a deadly combination. They are the originally NationRun adventurer's. Just watch out for Biff, no matter what decade you might be in.
I am going to leave you with another quote. This one came from Ken's father's boss. Apparently he is really into our run and sent this to him.
Everything is within walking (running) distance if you have the time.
-Andy
1 comment:
3 BK quad-stackers = 3,000 kcal
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