Day 70 - Monday, August 2
Another solid outing on several fronts - I felt mentally and physically great from the get go. Since we went to MST yesterday we had an extra hour in our day and we used it to sleep, setting down at 7:30pm and then waking up around 4am to pre-dawn light around 4:30 and sunrise coming around 5:15am. We boon-docked in Paxton, NE so we drove out to where we left off in the hills and set off at 5:45am.
I spoke at length with a number of friends on the trail today: Amy G, Amy C, Rich L as well as the usual - Monica, mother, sons. When I have signal, my office hours are typically 4:30am to 1pm MST and I promise you I have the biggest office you’ve ever been in!
Talking to Rich about getting old and losing weight - he shared he just couldn’t lose weight anymore. I told him we set off on June 1 and I weighed 174. Burning 5k calories per day and only eating about 3k you’d think I would lose weight quickly. First 6 weeks nothing really and then it flew off - yesterday 16 pounds in a few weeks. I’m convinced the older we are, the more our bodies have a set point and it will hold on to it for way too long until it just relents and then it all comes off. Patience…
Today’s weather started out perfectly with high 50’s. The route was also as good as I’ve seen - hills and a path along a canal that ultimately fed into Lake Mcconaughy. Lucky and I thoroughly enjoyed the route and didn’t see a single soul until we met up with Chris on a paved intersection around 15 miles in.
Lucky called it quits as he jumped in, drank some water and jumped on to “his” couch passing out immediately. I needed fuel and Chris was kind enough to whip up an omelette with pepper jack cheese on Amish buttered sourdough toast which I polished off with coffee Sausalito cookies.
My turn to go solo to our destination - Lone Eagle Campground on Lake Mcconaughy. Chris went forward and set up camp so when I arrived I could just disrobe, shower, rehydrate and then dive in to his meal which tonight was home made Mac & Cheese covered with sautéed shrimp & garlic with 3 type of tomatoes salad with onion, cucumber and vinaigrette. My contribution was suggesting we take the honey roasted macadamia nuts he bought at Costco and then putting them in vanilla ice cream - it was all delicious!
Our climb continue going from 3,100’ at the start and ending at 3,300’.
Lake Mcconaughy is spectacular. White sand beaches and blue water. Too tired to go down today but will get there tomorrow and report.
All for today - thank you for your ongoing support.
Cheers,
David.
The early morning routine - Chris checking news on phone and Lucky resting but on alert for me to leave.
Drop off at where we left off on cool morning
Sunrise on farm roads
The 4 mile road leading to the canal
So many sunflowers today
Horses grazing on the prairie
Someone put metal sculptures along the top of the hills - awesome!
The Canal we followed for 10 miles
Chris walked to me a few miles and we went back together
This looks like….marijuana…and it is! We broke off branches and smelled the strong scent of it as well as taking a picture that google ID’d as…affirmative.
And there were fields of it!
Nice mid morning snack
The Canal
Road from the Canal to the damn that created Lake Mcconaughy
First sight of Lake Mcconaughy
Our lake front landing for the night
End of day happiness - mission accomplished and vanilla ice cream with crushed honey roasted macadamia nuts
