Day Two

7.5.2025 - Another great, beautiful, long day of walking. We started out at 7:30 and were met along the trail by two more trail angels who showed us a sweet route to keep us off the highway for the first ten miles of the day. For me, this was an absolute joy because walking along the highway is just not a lot of fun... I think much of this walk will be along highways, however, so walkers better be prepared for it. Esther says she doesn't mind walking along the side of the highway. She's the one doing this whole thing, so I'll be sure to appreciate the side-routes when I can get them, knowing that soon I'll be back at home and can walk wherever I please!

The day consisted of canal trails, woodland paths, fresh organic farm stands, a stop at a sweet community picnic area for lunch, refills of fresh clear well-water and ice, semi-trucks barreling, dogs snarling, run-ins with old friends and colleagues, a gas-station stop and a bit of duo-lingo catch-up (don't worry, my streak was saved!), songs, silence, silliness... most of us have minor foot injuries of one sort or another:

These are here to document what seventeen miles of walking can do! But seventeen miles of walking also produces this:

Esther, as she is in most things, is a fearless and fierce walker - she charges ahead, head down, back straight, arms pumping, and she and Bob blazed a trail so far ahead that at times, we lost sight of them. You definitely have to have stamina to keep up with the super-duo!

At the end of day two, we had a very tasty meal of chicken (courtesy of the aforementioned organic farm stard), veggies, and rice, and the crew crashed out not long after. We are still working out the kinks for how this all will best function - food prep, gear storage, timing, gauging distances, etc. Tomorrow, we will be three, and I am nervous about how that will go. I don't want to slow down the team, so will be assessing my commitment to walk all the way to Sisters as we go. But in the meantime, the journey so far has been filled with gifts... not least of which were these fantastic sugar cookies from last night's welcome celebration:

Onward!

❤️

Kate.