Lewis & Clark: End of the Trail

In 1804, Lewis and Clark and their Corps of Discovery departed from Wood River, IL, just a short 20 minutes from where I was born. They reached Seaside, OR, or more accurately, Fort Clatsop, and stayed here boiling seawater for salt for two months so they could preserve their food for the long trip home. It took them 18 months to cover 4000 miles and reach the coast ~220 years ago, but thanks to the advent of interstates and modern transportation, it took us just over two weeks to drive about 3000 miles and arrive in the same place, and we didn’t have to ford a single river on the way. We did struggle to cross a handful of bridges, between my apparent vision disorder and Em’s uneasiness about going over them, but we made it every time by the grace of (the) god(s) and reciprocal pep talks, depending on who was behind the wheel. We’re not quite to the end of our journey yet, but it’s in sight; we’ll be in Portland before the end of the day tomorrow.

The weather is grey and gloomy, but light on the gloom. Fall has arrived in the PNW, and I have been thoroughly enamored by the way the Maples, Alders, and Cottonwoods change their colors among the giant conifers and shine like a Lite-Brite when a sliver of sunlight cuts through the ever-present haze. Em may have heard enough oohs and aahs from me on this trip to last them a lifetime. I think I wrote about oohs and aahs in my last KIT dispatch, which should indicate that every day has been full of them.

In the Hoh Rainforest, at the visitor center, we had the opportunity to attempt to complete a challenge to get a special NPS passport stamp. I don’t have one of the passports, but I’m always up for any kind of game or challenge. Especially since it meant Em could get a special stamp! The challenge was putting 15-20 laminated slips of paper, each describing a historical event that helped shape Olympic National Park, in chronological order. We were so successful at this challenge, achieving an “almost unheard-of perfect score,” that the ranger gave us our pick of prizes in addition to the special stamps. Em opted for a Smokey Bear Buff, and I took a comic book. Two of the special stamps came with stories of their own; one was the Spotted Owl, which was a key species whose protection was weaponized to end logging in old-growth forests here in the PNW, and the other was the American Dipper, North America’s only aquatic songbird, which can walk along creek bottoms underwater as it looks for a snack.

Other news includes the death of my cell phone after many years of faithful service. I guess it met its end in Enumclaw, because I don’t have any photos backed up after that date that aren’t from my camera. I’ll be replacing it when we get to Portland, but please forgive my absence if I’ve neglected to respond to your messages over the last week or so. I can use my laptop, yes, that’s how I’m writing right now, but I must admit that I’ve enjoyed being semi-unreachable. I will also enjoy upgrading to a device with more storage, but probably less so. I toyed with the idea of getting a dumb phone, but the utility of the smart alternative is just too hard to deny right now.

This morning I walked a few minutes down the road to a local coffee shop while Em was still sleeping, and had my first Hindi lesson with a real person, the same teacher that a friend of mine has been working with. I must say, to my surprise, that I have learned a bit from Duolingo. Being prompted by a human to put sentences together, however, required a different kind of brainpower that I think will serve me well. I’m thinking about getting a workbook once we’re somewhat settled in Portland to stay on track, too. Now I’m off to meet Em at Pig N’ Pancake for breakfast, then I imagine we’ll head down to Cannon Beach today. Thanks for tuning in!

P.s. If you did read this, I would appreciate it if you’d leave a like or a comment so I can get a rough idea. I know I fell off the wagon for a while, but I’ve got plenty more stories, and I’m still trying to figure out the best way(s) to share them with you all. I truly appreciate your support, and hope you enjoy seeing these pop into your inbox!