MONDAY
We arrive in Astoria around noon. Astoria is a coastal town that sits on the mouth of the Columbia River. Therefore it has many of the characteristics of a port town. This is also where Lewis & Clark reached their destination during their famous voyage from Louisiana to the Pacific. Though much of this country is vastly different now 200 years later, as we approached the ocean we could still envision what it must have been like for them. The historic event still brings summer tourists to the moderately populated area. The downtown sits on a steep hill on the water's edge and is made up of crowded shops, cafes, pubs, and art galleries. At the top of the hill is a tower called the Column that provides an magnificent panoramic view of the area as well as a visual history of the area wrapped around the entire column.
We drove on past all of this and over a bridge to the valleys & hills of the coastal side of town. This is the location of the home where we would be staying for the next week. On the top of a 100 ft. high steep hill we found the house we were looking for. As we drove up we saw a pasture with 2 milking goats, many various fruit trees, a large barn, and an English Tutor style house. We parked our car in the shade of a tree and walked up to the house. Our hosts Christopher and Caren greeted us as we walked up and we immediately felt at home. After a short introduction they began giving a tour of the house and grounds. The couple run a non-profit educational center called the Titanic Lifeboat Academy lifeboat.postcarbon.org from here on the property. Their efforts to create a sustainable lifestyle in response to the impending peak oil crisis was obvious from the first minute of the tour. They have installed both solar panels and a wind turbine to support their electrical needs, grown an impressive organic garden on the South side of the house that provides ample produce, built a greenhouse for the winter crops, collect milk from their goats for their dairy and eggs from their chickens for their protein needs, set up a barn for their livestock and stocked it with carpentry tools for repairs & harvesting lumber to support household maintenance, and they recycle everything they can. Another admirable trait of this couple is their work within the community. Christopher is a volunteer firefighter, they are the hosts of a regular radio show on the local non-profit station called The Lifeboat Show (which you can listen to through their website) and they attend many of the community meetings & debates.
Though this is just the exterior of the Lifeboat Academy. Christopher and Caren created a curriculum of education that reflects their lifetime of research in the fields of peak oil, alternative energy, ecology, forestry, animal care, self-sufficiency, food growth, anthropology/culture, civil disobedience, government history, primitive technology, philosophy, bio-politics, green consumerism, and much more. All of this is supported by their large library containing multiple volumes on each topic, available for our us during the stay. They offer a wealth of knowledge to those who come to learn. We felt like children in a candy store, not knowing where to begin. Christopher and Caren helped orchestrate our education based on research that pertained to our conversations.
During the days we worked on gathering and cutting wood from the woods behind the property for firewood, tending to animals and the garden, cataloging the library, and installing a pole barn to protect collected lumber. In the evening we would have the time to focus on what we felt inspired to learn. Both of us agree the experience assisted us in seeing the world more clearly and revealing to us our direction in life.
Today we leave Astoria hoping that we will return again in our future. We will be collecting veggie oil from Cannon Beach, then hiking and camping on the beach. Tomorrow we will hike up the coastal Neahkahnie Mountain which overlooks the water from a height of 1600 ft. Then we will continue south along the coast to Coquille, OR where we are expected at Mountain Home. It may be a while before our next entry so be patient! We are having a wonderful time and want to express our appreciation to our friends and family for your support. Thanks and much love. J&N
Monday, July 16, 2007
PORTLAND, OR
SUNDAY
It's early morning as we drive into a sleepy Portland. We cross over Willamette River to the west side of town. Due to it being Sunday we find free parking throughout downtown. So we stop right outside the downtown Whole Foods and go inside for our breakfast. Once full of eggs, potatoes and coffee we continue to the street and walk to the next block down where the bookstore Powell's is located. This bookstore is a dream, the kind of store you only find in large progressive cities. It's huge and well organized, filled with a vast variety of volumes on all topics of interest. We scour over books on trails, waterfalls, hot springs, Lewis & Clark, and Central America. After a few hours into it we decide to move onto the next thing on our agenda... bike riding. This town is very bike friendly which helps us to easily maneuver around the grid layout of streets without aggravating the motorists. We ride away from the waterfront on W Burnside Street and follow it up to the entrance of Washington Park. Here we find the rose garden, several acres of well manicured roses of various sizes and colors. We parked the bikes and took a stroll around. The experience reminded Jeremy of his grandmother's rose garden at her home in England. We follow a path that leads us into a more wooded area. Here we find a fruiting plumb tree and so we collect a little snake for ourselves. Back on the bikes we continue further up the hill a few miles to the Japanese Garden and Arboretum. At each we again get off our bikes and walk the grounds exploring the mature trees & shrubs, many of which were flowering. We snack on wild berries and rest in the shade of a giant oak. Sometime around early afternoon we turn our bikes around, then race down the hill back into downtown and all the way to the waterfront. There are people everywhere as we weave our way around the boardwalk and through the streets. Both of us are now hungry so we return to Whole Foods and grab some grub of sushi & salad. We are feeling a little tired and want to find a quiet place for the night so we back up the bikes, get back in the car and slowly make our way out of Portland. It was such a wonderful day spent in this delightful city. And yet we barely saw what it had to offer. But time presses on and we have a commitment in Astoria to meet.
It's early morning as we drive into a sleepy Portland. We cross over Willamette River to the west side of town. Due to it being Sunday we find free parking throughout downtown. So we stop right outside the downtown Whole Foods and go inside for our breakfast. Once full of eggs, potatoes and coffee we continue to the street and walk to the next block down where the bookstore Powell's is located. This bookstore is a dream, the kind of store you only find in large progressive cities. It's huge and well organized, filled with a vast variety of volumes on all topics of interest. We scour over books on trails, waterfalls, hot springs, Lewis & Clark, and Central America. After a few hours into it we decide to move onto the next thing on our agenda... bike riding. This town is very bike friendly which helps us to easily maneuver around the grid layout of streets without aggravating the motorists. We ride away from the waterfront on W Burnside Street and follow it up to the entrance of Washington Park. Here we find the rose garden, several acres of well manicured roses of various sizes and colors. We parked the bikes and took a stroll around. The experience reminded Jeremy of his grandmother's rose garden at her home in England. We follow a path that leads us into a more wooded area. Here we find a fruiting plumb tree and so we collect a little snake for ourselves. Back on the bikes we continue further up the hill a few miles to the Japanese Garden and Arboretum. At each we again get off our bikes and walk the grounds exploring the mature trees & shrubs, many of which were flowering. We snack on wild berries and rest in the shade of a giant oak. Sometime around early afternoon we turn our bikes around, then race down the hill back into downtown and all the way to the waterfront. There are people everywhere as we weave our way around the boardwalk and through the streets. Both of us are now hungry so we return to Whole Foods and grab some grub of sushi & salad. We are feeling a little tired and want to find a quiet place for the night so we back up the bikes, get back in the car and slowly make our way out of Portland. It was such a wonderful day spent in this delightful city. And yet we barely saw what it had to offer. But time presses on and we have a commitment in Astoria to meet.
Sunday, July 15, 2007
THE OREGON TRAIL
SAT., JULY 7TH
After searching for our camera for almost an hour (and finding it already awaiting us in the car)we said our goodbyes to Hillary & Moscow and drove West through Pullman, over the hills of wheat fields on 26, and then South on 395. This led us to the Columbia River that borders Washington and Oregon. We were again back on the historic Lewis and Clark trail continuing our way West on 84 along the Columbia River. The road wound like a snake around the bends revealing massive gusts of wind and glances of wind surfers racing on the water's surface. On the other side we spotted amazing waterfalls seeping from the Mt. Hood National Forest. As the evening settled in we found ourselves a nice spot in the forest by the Clackamas River to camp for the night. The next day we would explore Portland.
After searching for our camera for almost an hour (and finding it already awaiting us in the car)we said our goodbyes to Hillary & Moscow and drove West through Pullman, over the hills of wheat fields on 26, and then South on 395. This led us to the Columbia River that borders Washington and Oregon. We were again back on the historic Lewis and Clark trail continuing our way West on 84 along the Columbia River. The road wound like a snake around the bends revealing massive gusts of wind and glances of wind surfers racing on the water's surface. On the other side we spotted amazing waterfalls seeping from the Mt. Hood National Forest. As the evening settled in we found ourselves a nice spot in the forest by the Clackamas River to camp for the night. The next day we would explore Portland.
Thursday, July 12, 2007
MOSCOW, IDAHO
This town is quiet by nature yet has a progressive college scene that lurks in places like the local Co-op, brewery and coffee shops. Therefore these are the places we frequented most. After taking the veggie mobile to get her first oil change (at least the first she's had with us) and then lavishing her with a full scrub and shower, we took time to veg ourselves. After a fresh meal made at the apartment with produce from the Co-op we joined Hillary at the local brewery where we shared a couple of pitchers of Idaho's best. The next morning we went to the coffee shop and took advantage of the internet access and then continued to veg at the apartment until Hillary got off work. Then back to the brewery it was. Can you see a theme here? Yep, visiting Hillary in Moscow was unlike any other experience yet. But the road began calling to us again and so off we went.
CAR UPDATE
So far we have traveled over 3,500 miles on over 100 gallons of veggie oil. We've obtained oil from 3 different restaurants and have gone through 5 filters. We are having replacement 1 micron and 5 micron sock filters sent to us here in Oregon. In addition we've had 1 oil change and 1 air filter replaced along the way. Our Jetta's performance has stayed strong over the month and a half we've been on the road.
Friday, July 6, 2007
JULY 4TH!
Wednesday
Today was another day on the road. We awoke in the morning and took our time loading up. We continued to hang with Matt until noon when we said our goodbyes. Back in the car we traveled west on interstate 90 to Missoula where we opted to take the scenic route on 12 through the Clearwater and Nez Perce National Forests. Our road took us along the bank of the Locha River that Louis and Clark had floated on as they made their way to the Pacific. Being that it is the 4th of July we are surprised at how quiet and secluded this area is. Several hours into slowly following the river's bends we realize why. There is no access in or out of this forest so those who come in have to drive long distances to get out. But the drive definitely was worth the extra time. Once on the West entrance we continued on to town and turned North on 95. This road abruptly lifted us to Moscow (nearly 2,000 ft higher in elevation) within just a few miles.
As we drove into Moscow, Idaho we were stunned by how empty the town was. There wasn't a single car or person other than us anywhere downtown. All the shops and restaurants were closed. It was as if we had entered a ghost town. From around the corner we caught our first glance of a live person. It was our friend Hillary. (For those who don't know, Hillary is the friend who brought Nikki to The Hostel in the Forest) She swore to us that the town was usually much more active...sure it is. Later we ate at the only restaurant open and hung out at Hillary's apartment until dark. There were fireworks at the neighboring town of Pullman, WA (8 miles west and where all the other Moscowians were) yet by the time we had arrived it seemed that we had missed the show and so we turned back around. Little did we know that the finale seen from the car was only a warm up for the real show. Oh well. The rest of the night was spent catching up on the last few years over a few beers at her apartment.
Today was another day on the road. We awoke in the morning and took our time loading up. We continued to hang with Matt until noon when we said our goodbyes. Back in the car we traveled west on interstate 90 to Missoula where we opted to take the scenic route on 12 through the Clearwater and Nez Perce National Forests. Our road took us along the bank of the Locha River that Louis and Clark had floated on as they made their way to the Pacific. Being that it is the 4th of July we are surprised at how quiet and secluded this area is. Several hours into slowly following the river's bends we realize why. There is no access in or out of this forest so those who come in have to drive long distances to get out. But the drive definitely was worth the extra time. Once on the West entrance we continued on to town and turned North on 95. This road abruptly lifted us to Moscow (nearly 2,000 ft higher in elevation) within just a few miles.
As we drove into Moscow, Idaho we were stunned by how empty the town was. There wasn't a single car or person other than us anywhere downtown. All the shops and restaurants were closed. It was as if we had entered a ghost town. From around the corner we caught our first glance of a live person. It was our friend Hillary. (For those who don't know, Hillary is the friend who brought Nikki to The Hostel in the Forest) She swore to us that the town was usually much more active...sure it is. Later we ate at the only restaurant open and hung out at Hillary's apartment until dark. There were fireworks at the neighboring town of Pullman, WA (8 miles west and where all the other Moscowians were) yet by the time we had arrived it seemed that we had missed the show and so we turned back around. Little did we know that the finale seen from the car was only a warm up for the real show. Oh well. The rest of the night was spent catching up on the last few years over a few beers at her apartment.
CLEANING DAY AND THE BOILING RIVER
Tuesday
Today was spent doing laundry and repacking the car. Matt also had a lot of things to take care of.
By late afternoon we were ready for some more hot springs. So we piled into the Jetta and drove an hour east to the North Yellowstone entrance where the Mammoth Hot Springs are. Near these famous springs is this place called the Boiling River. You have to hike into this special spot where the water from the hot springs flows like a small river into the cold Gardener River. The surrounding rocks have created a cradle for the water to mix and provides people with a delightful water temperature to soak in. As the sun set behind the mountains we sat calmly in the water and watched the light change. After an hour or so we got back in the car and returned to Bozeman. It was around 11pm when we finally got back to the house. Though we were tired we were also very hungry. So we made a quick pizza and then crashed.
Today was spent doing laundry and repacking the car. Matt also had a lot of things to take care of.
By late afternoon we were ready for some more hot springs. So we piled into the Jetta and drove an hour east to the North Yellowstone entrance where the Mammoth Hot Springs are. Near these famous springs is this place called the Boiling River. You have to hike into this special spot where the water from the hot springs flows like a small river into the cold Gardener River. The surrounding rocks have created a cradle for the water to mix and provides people with a delightful water temperature to soak in. As the sun set behind the mountains we sat calmly in the water and watched the light change. After an hour or so we got back in the car and returned to Bozeman. It was around 11pm when we finally got back to the house. Though we were tired we were also very hungry. So we made a quick pizza and then crashed.
KEEP ON TRUCKIN'
Monday
Early morning we heard something that sounded like a wounded beast moaning very close to our tent. Startled we sat up and twisted our bodies to see outside. Then the beast dislodged the frog in its throat and released it natural call... Moooooowwww. Near us was a cow grazing for its breakfast. Apparently they came past the camp site many mornings, then would continue up the mountain where they'd be scared back down again a few days later only to continue the whole routine again. Silly cows. Once up we broke down our camp and ate our left over eggs & bagels for breakfast. Tasty.
The family told us about a lake that sat about 1000 ft. above our site on the mountain. They informed us that Matt's Toyota truck "Betsey" should be able to make the 10 mile 4 wheeler road up. So we took off for the top. Travel was slow due to the road being very rocky and narrow. About 2 miles up we came across and abandoned gold mining town. We could still see the whole set up for sifting. Water was brought from the creek to a mill with wooden pipes and you could see where excess water and dirt would spill out underneath creating a small pond that was now dried up. The mill had collapsed and now sat in the hole. As we hiked around we saw gold dust everywhere. Matt was convinced that if we searched long enough we'd find ourselves some gold nuggets. Unfortunately no nuggets were found. So we returned to the truck and pushed on.
The road got really crazy after the ghost town. We were all impressed with Betsey's abilities to climb over rocks like a caterpillar. Finally about 2 miles before we reached the top we decided she had had enough and that we would walk. As we approached the lake we could see only a small fraction of its size. The lake was only a few hundred feet across yet continued on like an elongated kidney bean for almost a mile. Jeremy quickly found a good fishing spot and began messy with untangling his line. There were horse flies everywhere so we stayed busy avoiding being bitten. After a few hours of not catching anything (the fish were there they just didn't go for the horsefly bait) we packed up and hiked back to the truck. That night at the house we took it easy, cooked some dinner and went to sleep early.
Early morning we heard something that sounded like a wounded beast moaning very close to our tent. Startled we sat up and twisted our bodies to see outside. Then the beast dislodged the frog in its throat and released it natural call... Moooooowwww. Near us was a cow grazing for its breakfast. Apparently they came past the camp site many mornings, then would continue up the mountain where they'd be scared back down again a few days later only to continue the whole routine again. Silly cows. Once up we broke down our camp and ate our left over eggs & bagels for breakfast. Tasty.
The family told us about a lake that sat about 1000 ft. above our site on the mountain. They informed us that Matt's Toyota truck "Betsey" should be able to make the 10 mile 4 wheeler road up. So we took off for the top. Travel was slow due to the road being very rocky and narrow. About 2 miles up we came across and abandoned gold mining town. We could still see the whole set up for sifting. Water was brought from the creek to a mill with wooden pipes and you could see where excess water and dirt would spill out underneath creating a small pond that was now dried up. The mill had collapsed and now sat in the hole. As we hiked around we saw gold dust everywhere. Matt was convinced that if we searched long enough we'd find ourselves some gold nuggets. Unfortunately no nuggets were found. So we returned to the truck and pushed on.
The road got really crazy after the ghost town. We were all impressed with Betsey's abilities to climb over rocks like a caterpillar. Finally about 2 miles before we reached the top we decided she had had enough and that we would walk. As we approached the lake we could see only a small fraction of its size. The lake was only a few hundred feet across yet continued on like an elongated kidney bean for almost a mile. Jeremy quickly found a good fishing spot and began messy with untangling his line. There were horse flies everywhere so we stayed busy avoiding being bitten. After a few hours of not catching anything (the fish were there they just didn't go for the horsefly bait) we packed up and hiked back to the truck. That night at the house we took it easy, cooked some dinner and went to sleep early.
MONTANA WATER
Sunday
We started today by returning to the Co-op to purchase all the fixings for yummy farm fresh eggs on everything begals stuffed with greens, onions, cream cheese, tomatoes, and well you get the point. It was delicious! The rest of the morning was spend collecting supplies and loading Matt's truck for our day out on the water. Around 2 we drove out to the Madison River. Floating on top of its surface were hundreds of tubes filled with sun baked bodies. But we weren't there to join in the tube action, we had a canoe. We loaded up our boat with snacks and fishing rods then pushed off into the strong current. Fortunately we managed to depart alone and avoided traveling down the river with any of the many islands of tubers tied together. The river snaked us around astonishing canyons, providing us with a relaxing & picturesque experience. Jeremy tried fishing a few times but the current was too strong. So much so that many tubers were falling out to their floatation devices. We could hear distant cries to "Save the beer" as floaters struggled to collect their water logged belongings. We couldn't help but laugh just a little. About 3 hours later we arrived at the ramp and Matt hitched back to his truck then drove back to load up the boat.
Next we went to the Norris Hot Springs. Many years ago someone built a wooden pool that gets continually filled with the hot water from the spring. In recent years a new owner constructed a restaurant style atmosphere around the pool. Its called Water of the Gods. When we arrived our hunger was raging. We ordered from an awesome menu that included local bison burgers & fresh organic salads from their personal garden next door. A bluegrass band played from a partially open geodesic dome that sat at the pools edge. After dinner we got into the warm water and soaked while watching the band rock out.
The sky started to get dark and we opted to leave and set up camp before it was too late. We drove up to South Meadow National Forest outside of Ennis. Matt had gone camping at this spot up the road before so we didn't have to search for a site. We began to unload when some folks approached us. They were our camping neighbors coming to see if we were rowdy campers. The family explained how over the previous week the people who had occupied our site had been so loud and messy that their camping experience was almost ruined. Fortunately they seemed to like us alot. Before we even got our tent bags out they had brought over fire wood and started a fire in our pit. We stayed up for a few hours with the husband, wife and his father playing music and chatting by the fire. Soon their 4 girls had awoken and also came over to join us. It was a very pleasant way to end our long day. Positioned under the stars with the sound of a raging creek nearby we slept like babies.
We started today by returning to the Co-op to purchase all the fixings for yummy farm fresh eggs on everything begals stuffed with greens, onions, cream cheese, tomatoes, and well you get the point. It was delicious! The rest of the morning was spend collecting supplies and loading Matt's truck for our day out on the water. Around 2 we drove out to the Madison River. Floating on top of its surface were hundreds of tubes filled with sun baked bodies. But we weren't there to join in the tube action, we had a canoe. We loaded up our boat with snacks and fishing rods then pushed off into the strong current. Fortunately we managed to depart alone and avoided traveling down the river with any of the many islands of tubers tied together. The river snaked us around astonishing canyons, providing us with a relaxing & picturesque experience. Jeremy tried fishing a few times but the current was too strong. So much so that many tubers were falling out to their floatation devices. We could hear distant cries to "Save the beer" as floaters struggled to collect their water logged belongings. We couldn't help but laugh just a little. About 3 hours later we arrived at the ramp and Matt hitched back to his truck then drove back to load up the boat.
Next we went to the Norris Hot Springs. Many years ago someone built a wooden pool that gets continually filled with the hot water from the spring. In recent years a new owner constructed a restaurant style atmosphere around the pool. Its called Water of the Gods. When we arrived our hunger was raging. We ordered from an awesome menu that included local bison burgers & fresh organic salads from their personal garden next door. A bluegrass band played from a partially open geodesic dome that sat at the pools edge. After dinner we got into the warm water and soaked while watching the band rock out.
The sky started to get dark and we opted to leave and set up camp before it was too late. We drove up to South Meadow National Forest outside of Ennis. Matt had gone camping at this spot up the road before so we didn't have to search for a site. We began to unload when some folks approached us. They were our camping neighbors coming to see if we were rowdy campers. The family explained how over the previous week the people who had occupied our site had been so loud and messy that their camping experience was almost ruined. Fortunately they seemed to like us alot. Before we even got our tent bags out they had brought over fire wood and started a fire in our pit. We stayed up for a few hours with the husband, wife and his father playing music and chatting by the fire. Soon their 4 girls had awoken and also came over to join us. It was a very pleasant way to end our long day. Positioned under the stars with the sound of a raging creek nearby we slept like babies.
Wednesday, July 4, 2007
BAD BIKING
On the morning of Sat. Matt suggested we go to his favorite local breakfast stop, The Western. Anyone who knows Matt knows how much he loves his local slice of heaven experienced only at dive cafe style restaurants. These are the kind of places where you risk having more grease on your plate than food and coffee is served by a friendly yet tired waitress with a name like Marty. Somewhere you can belly up to the bar and swap life stories with truckers and farmers alike. This place was no exception other than that the walks were decorated with old newspaper clippings from Bozeman dating back to the 20s.
After breakfast we hung around town for a bit, then returned to the house. Around 3pm we took off for a bike ride on Bozeman Trial to a lake we'd heard about. It took us only 2 miles to get to the trail yet from that point on it would be another 10 miles up a very steep and rocky 4 wheeler road. We struggled through it and reached an amazingly beautiful lake as our prize. Or so we thought. It got even better as we began riding back down. We were thrilled by the 30 minute roller ride that threw us around bends and over rocks at high speeds.
Once back at the house we ate and crashed early again. The next day would be a busy one.
After breakfast we hung around town for a bit, then returned to the house. Around 3pm we took off for a bike ride on Bozeman Trial to a lake we'd heard about. It took us only 2 miles to get to the trail yet from that point on it would be another 10 miles up a very steep and rocky 4 wheeler road. We struggled through it and reached an amazingly beautiful lake as our prize. Or so we thought. It got even better as we began riding back down. We were thrilled by the 30 minute roller ride that threw us around bends and over rocks at high speeds.
Once back at the house we ate and crashed early again. The next day would be a busy one.
Sunday, July 1, 2007
DRIVING THROUGH YELLOWSTONE
We left Ed and Brenna's around noon on Friday and drove into Yellowstone on our way to Bozeman, Montana. In the early afternoon we stopped at Old Faithful and walked around a bit. We took off for the least traveled paths to smaller geysers and an overlook. But this place was almost as crowded as Disney so we left within an hour. Along the way to the West gate we stopped again by a stream and had a bite. Once out of Yellowstone we continued North through a Gallatin National Forest and into Bozeman. When we arrived at our destination our friend Matt (Chewy or Matchew) was playing soccer outside the house with his nephew Justin. We got out of our car and began playing with them. This quickly turned into a game of touch football (Matt and Justin v.s. Jeremy and Nikki). An hour later we had to say goodbye to Justin as he and his mother Sadie were leaving for Australia. Matt took us to the local COOP where we got grub for dinner. After cooking up a masterpiece of a meal we realized it was already 11 pm. So to bed it was.
MOVING DAY
We all slept in till 10 am after a late night at Ed and Brenna's. When finally up we indulged in a country breakfast at Bubba's BBQ. We ordered the local special and were rewarded with an overflowing plate of food. Once back at Ed and Brenna's house they began calling the moving company to figure out when the movers would be arriving. To their surprise a truck and crew had not even been located yet. This was their moving day and there were no movers! So we decided to stay one more day and help achieve a small miracle. In just a few afternoon hours we picked up a small 14 ft. trailer (the only one left in Jackson) and loaded it full of all the furnishings of their 2 bedroom house. One person would be on Hunter duty while the other 3 would pack. As a team we pulled it off in time for the carpet cleaners came the next morning.
COMING DOWN
On Wed. morning we awoke with the first light, had tea and breakfast and began packing up for the hike back to Jenny Lake. Our bodies were sore from the previous 2 days of hiking and our feet had developed some uncomfortable blisters. But it was nothing that a lot of stretching and mole skin couldn't handle. On our way down the trail was empty of all other people. Then around half way we began encountering many day hikers who wanted to know what our experience was like. As we closed in on our 7 mile hike the crowds around Inspirational Point became almost overwhelming. And everyone noticed us, the exhausted couple with overnight packs emerging from the mountain's canyon. Once back at the car we breathed a sigh of relief as we took off our packs. From there we drove to Brenna's house to help her pack boxes for their move and stucco the walls. In the afternoon we returned to Shoguns Sushi and refueled on veggie oil. That evening we ate mexican food for dinner and stayed up late talking with Brenna, Ed, and several of their Jackson friends.
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