The Ten Toe Express: A Daily Journal of a 5,000 Mile Hike

By Matt Gregory

This is the daily journal of Matt Gregory's 5,000 mile hike from Bellingham, Washington to Key West, Florida. He left Bellingham on September 1st, 2006.

Author's Note:

This book is the unedited journal I kept on the hike. Sometimes I went days without seeing a computer and wrote them in a notebook. Once I finally saw a computer, it was usually a mad dash to update each journal entry in a fixed amount of time at libraries, internet cafes, and people's houses. I made one pass fixing a few spelling errors but decided to keep everything else as is. To me, it keeps the essence of the journal alive. Most journal entries were written in a hurry while I was tired and pressed for time.

Thank you for taking the time out to give this a read. I will finish the memoir soon.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ten Toe Publishing
• Release date: Jul 18, 2021
• ISBN: 9798201472931

Book preview

1

Washington

September 1st, 2006. I'm beginning my trip today and will post comments to this blog page as I travel. Please feel free to visit to follow my postings. I'll also set this up to accept comments from visitors...

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DAY 1

I walked nine miles down Chuckanut Dr. I stopped at a spot where my friend Ryan and I had planned to meet. I took a nap on a rock. Later I noticed a needle on it. It was near my head. That's a little scary. Ryan came out with some pizza. Not bad for my first night. My friend Spencer also came out. He brought some sapwood. While we were at out campsite, we heard a car radio blaring. Ryan and Spencer went to investigate. It was some random guy. He walked through our campsite. He came back about a half hour later asking if we had a lighter. He, Dustin, asked if he could say. He stayed. We didn't set our tents up. We slept on our sleeping pads.

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DAY 2

Dustin left first in the morning. Spencer and Ryan left at the same time. We took a funny picture with our legs sticking out as we sat on a rock. I walked the last mile or so of Chuckanut. I got into the flat farmlands of the Skagit Valley. I walked to Bow. I stopped and charged my phone and camera battery for a while. Then I walked down Bow Hill Rd. walking through Edison. Population, not a lot. On my way to Bayview Park Peggy Johnson stopped me. She was biking. She gave me pole trekking lessons. I finally made it to the park. While I was resting on the park bench a lady asked if I wanted to try flying the kite. Her name was Wilma. I took my hand at flying the two-string kite. Toward the end I started to get the hang of it. I still wasn't all that good. I kept on walking. I walked the Padilla Shore Trail. On this trail I saw Peggy Johnson again. She was riding bikes guys who are riding from Jasper to San Diego. I called my uncle Scot to see if his friend Jack that lives in Anacortes would mind if I pitched my tent at his place. Jack wasn't going to be home till late. He told my uncle of a spot. Take a left by the golf course. Walk past the golf course. There was a grassy field next to an old cannery. It was right next to the bay. The beach had a bunch of driftwood. I set my tent up for the first time. Spencer came out again to stay with me. While we used my camera, it detected dew. It wouldn't work the rest of the night. I've never seen the camera do it.

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DAY 3

Spencer stayed. He left around 6. I left my campsite around 7:45. It was a pretty cool spot. It was a maintained grassy field next to a couple of canneries. The canneries were small. The field was ten feet from the water. The beach had a lot of driftwood. The tide was out in the morning.

I walked along a backroad that had a bunch of nice houses. Once I was on highway 20, I walked until I saw the Deception Pass Cafe & Grill. I told the waiter what I was doing. I asked if I could charge my cell phone and camera battery. I had a good breakfast. Biscuits and Gravy with two eggs. Daniel, the waiter, told me that breakfast was on him. I also filled my water bladder there.

I walked until I got to Deception Pass State Park. It is on two Islands. Fidalgo and Whidbey. On the north, Fidalgo side, I don't think that there is camping. I walked across the Deception Pass bridge. The bridge is high. It has an awesome view of the water, islands, and beaches. There is an Island below the middle of the bridge.

I ended up camping at Deception Pass. It was a little farther on the otherside of the bridge. I walked around 6-8 miles today. My friends Ryan and Krystal met up with me. They brought a cooler with food in it. We met a couple of from Bellingham. Danny and Jason are on a bike ride from the Canadian/U.S. border down to Mexico.

Ryan gave me a smaller stove. It is easier to use and much smaller. I made my pack a little lighter. I packed it better to. I adjusted some straps.

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DAY 4

I left Deception Pass around 9:30. I had to hike out of the campsite. That was around a mile. I wanted a chance to visit with Ryan and Krystal before I left. I ended up getting onto the highway around 10. Another mile down the road Danny and Jason biked pass me.

I hiked down the highway to Oak Harbor. That was around nine miles. I took for Ft. Nugent road to West Beach Rd. West Beach went alongside the Islands western beach line. It was nice. As I was walking by one house. A lady saw me. I told her of my walk. Carol invited me down for a Dt. Coke. I went down. She drew a map of a possible trail for me to take. She gave a banana and some grapes. Also, before I left, she gave me a bag of beef jerky. Further down the road I saw a sign for the Lavender Wind Farm. It also advertised Lavender Ice Cream. I had to try it. That is when I met Sarah. She runs the place. I ended up getting a blackberry lavender ice cream bar. It was good. It didn't have that strong of a lavender taste. She a had a lavender labyrinth. It was cool. The lavender isn't tall, but it was till neat.

I kept walking on the road until I got to Libby road. I took a right. I walked down that road and took a left. That left took me right to Ebey State park. I got a campsite. It was ten dollars. After setting up my campsite I hiked down to the bluff trail. It was windy and there were a handful people at with their kites. This was my first solo night. I haven't used my stove yet. I ate two bags of jerky and wasn't that hungry. I made some calls and wrote in my journal.

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DAY 5

I left Ebey around 8 a.m. I took the Kettles trail. It started right next to my campsite. I walked that for a ways. I took a wrong left turn. Then I got back onto to Kettles trail. It went through a wooded area. There was moss all over. That came out to highway 20. However, the Kettles trail continued as a paved trail running along the highway. How sweet. I then took a backroad called Sherman road. Three or four backroads and around 11am I found myself at the Keystone ferry terminal. I caught the ferry just as it was going to leave.

I made some call while I was on the ferry. I called Bonnie and Greg letting them that I was on the ferry. They met me at the ferry terminal. We rode to their house. Tomorrow they'll drop me off in the same spot that they picked me up at. We went to their house. Then we went on a drive plotting my route for tomorrow. It'll be a long day. I need a couple of big days to get to Port Angeles. It's 44 miles away.

Went to a Mexican restaurant downtown and had lunch. Now we are going to go to the store get dinner and I'll get some provisions.

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DAY 6

I wanted a chance to visit with Bonnie and Greg in the morning. I ended up resuming my walk around 10:30 a.m. They dropped me off in the parking lot of the U.S. Bank, the same spot where they picked me up at. I walked through the small Victorian town and out highway 20.

Thanks to Superfeet my feet are doing pretty good. I haven't any blisters yet. I walked 12 miles down highway 20. The last six miles of were awesome. The road didn't have much shoulder room. Luckily, there was six different types of construction going on. Traffic traveled only one lane at a time. Much of the walk there was no traffic going by. It was peaceful. I was more observant of the road construction than I have ever been. I never even pay attention. Today I was curious and interested. At the same time, I made a good pace. I walked those 12 miles in four hours. Highway 20 connects to highway 101.

There was a burger joint at the end of 20 that I wanted to check out. It's called Fat Smitty's. It was 2:40 p.m. and they weren't open. I heard they were good, but I guess I'll never know. I stopped at a little store a mile down the road. I filled up my water supply. My Gregory Backpack (thanks to Dave Egan and Gregory Backpacks) has been feeling good on my back. It has a nice snug fit around my hip and has good suspension. My friends have been in impressed with it. Once I reached around 14 miles of total walking for the day. I stopped and hung out off the road in the woods. My friend Adam Logan just got off 15 minutes away. He came by and hung out. He took me out for a burger at a Cafe. Then he dropped me off back where I was hanging out, so that I could resume my walk.

Throughout my walk I'll be pausing the walk to go on side adventures. When that happens, I'll resume the walk from the same spot that I stopped. That was something that I didn't think of beforehand.

I was going to camp in the trees off the highway, but I got a bad feeling. I decided to keep walking down the highway. I walked to the tiny town of Gardiner. There is a lavender farm, church, and community hall on the highway. I walked by the Gardiner Community Church. I people a room in the bottom of the building. I knocked on the door and went in. I told them about my walk and asked if I could pitch my tent on their lawn for the night. They were really nice. That pastor, Greg, said that it was alright. I put my head lamp on and began setting up my tent. I got my headlamp at REI before I left. It is a good fit and is bright. REI was great at helping me a light pack together. Also, the two person half dome tent I got from them, for free, is awesome. It sets up nicely. It has double doors. A rainfly that gives a lot of good ventilation. Greg came out after the bible study. We chatted about I was doing. He told me when I walked through Forks to talk to Stan at the pharmacy. The two of them are hiking/climbing buddies. I went inside to fill up my water bladder. Someone suggested that I have a prayer. We got in a circle, held hands, and someone prayed. Then a really nice woman gave me twenty dollars. Thanks to the nice people of the Gardiner Community Church for a place to camp.

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DAY 7

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I woke up around 7:30 a.m. I was packed up and ready to go by 8. I started making my way down highway 101 on my way to Sequim. The interesting thing about Sequim is they are in a rain shadow and don't get much rain. However, I've been to Sequim once before in my life and it was raining. I walked for about 5 or 6 miles. That is when I started walking on the Olympic Discovery Trail. I stopped at a nice wood bench to rest up and write in my journal. It happened to be around noon. My friend Adam Logan was on lunch and working a half mile away. He came by and hung out on lunch. I met a couple of older couple while sitting on the bench. I told them I was doing. They were excited and curious.

I walked the trail into town and caught Washington St. I stopped at Tailgate Pizza for some all you can eat lunch buffet. I had some time to kill. I walked through their downtown. I wanted to do some filming, but my camera battery was dead. I stopped by an auto part store and charged the battery. I wrote on a bench while it charged. I went to the Sequim Bay Merchant shop and bought a postcard to send to my friend Jennilyn. I ended telling the lady working at the shop what I was doing. She ended up giving me a free chocolate bar. I walked down Washington St. and took a left at a round-a-bout. That put me on River Rd. One more right and a mile and half later and I was waiting for Adam at the Sequim little field. Adam picked me up fifteen minutes later. He took me out for a beer. Then we headed back to his brother's house for dinner. I met his brother's wife Beth and two sons-Ben and Charlie. I met his brother Jeff once he came home after work. They were nice. Dinner was good. A nice bed to sleep in. I slept well that night. It was around a 12-mile day.

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DAY 8

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Adam dropped me off back at the Sequim little league field where my walk was halted. I started walking around 7:45. I walked into Sequim and took the Olympic Discovery Trail all the way to Port Angeles. The trail was paved most of the way. It had some cool bridges to walk over. It was 14 miles to Port Angeles. The trail wonders through residential areas and farm areas. It finished with the last four miles along the water. It was foggy early off. I like it walking in the fog. Five ladies passed me on their bikes. I passed them when they were taking a break. Someone how in conversation what I'm doing came up. They were the Squeaky Bikes from Victoria, Canada. They gave 15 dollars for cancer research. They were really nice.

I was walking along and both sides were surrounded by trees. There wasn't much sunlight. That's when I saw two mirrors on the right side. Then I noticed a clock. To left there were two bikes for sale. This trail must get a lot of action. Then there was a sun chair with a Taz sitting on it. Then I look up toward the fence and see a bunch of smaller Taz dolls. The mirrors were rectangular. They were set in some bushes. The fence had a door. This trail goes by many housed. Many have walkways connected. Earlier I saw pears for sale. It was tough to get a good look at the weird house. Looked like a manufactured home with some random structures. A couple tarp structures and small wooded shed. There were some other random things around the trail Infront of their yard. Example- fake frog and cat.

The best part was at the end. The trail moved to the waterline. I could see the Port Angeles waterfront, Vancouver Island, and Ediz Hook. Ediz Hook is like a spit. The little piece of land that sticks out like a finger. Adam and his brother picked me up at the Hollywood Beach. That is where my walk is paused and it will begin from there either Saturday or Sunday. I'm staying with Adam at his parents’ house in Port Angeles tonight. I walked around 16 miles today.

I might try a different format in my next blog.

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DAY 9

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I planned today as a rest today. Plans to go to Lake Ozette...but it didn't work out. Instead, Adam and I piled into his brother Mark's truck and went to Port Townsend. Mark hiked the Pacific Crest Trail four years ago. We stayed up last night and he told me stories of her journey from Mexico to Canada. Anyways, we went to Port Townsend for the Wooden Boat Festival.

The water was littered with sail boats. There were all sorts of wooden boats. The craftmanship in the different boats was awesome. Mark was more into boats. He helped build one of the boats there ten years ago. This is the first time that I've been to the festival.

I built and bought a harmonica for two dollars. I also got a free lesson. I can play 'twinkle, twinkle' on it. It is really light which is a big plus.

Tomorrow I begin my journey toward Forks. It's around 60 miles. I'm hoping to make it in three days. I'm rested and ready to go.

The Logan family has been great. I've stayed with Adam and his family for three days now. His father, Dave, works for the local paper. He took my press release and picture for the paper. Hopefully it might make it in the paper Monday or Tuesday.

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DAY 10

miles walked: 19-22

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I got up around 7 a.m. I had a bowl of cereal. Both of Adam's parents and Adam had a pray for me outside before I left. Adam gave me a ride down to Hollywood Beach, so that I could resume my walk where I left off. I started walking around 8 a.m. Thank you to Adam for coming up with three nights of stay. Thank you to the Logan family for their hospitality.

Funny sidenote. I've seen Pirates R Us at two venues: Wal-Mart and My house. Kind of funny.

Anyways, back to the trip. I walked up Lincoln St. and stopped by Safeway on the way out of town. I got some provisions. I couldn't get my water bladder to work. No water was coming out. I called Adam. Sometimes air can be trapped in there. I tried sucking the air out. No luck. I wanted to make some progress, so I kept walking. I stopped at a car wash and unloaded my bag. Everything except my tent. I still couldn't get my water to work. I kept walking. On my way out of town I walked within a couple blocks of the Logan's house. I made a couple of turns and walked Edgewood Rd. out of town. There wasn't much traffic, and it was a nice walk.

It was probably five or six miles before I was out of town. I ended up taking highway 112 out of town. There was a stretch of the road where there wasn't much shoulder room. I survived. I walked 10-12 miles to Joyce. Not a big place. Not a whole lot there, but there is the Joyce General Store. Adam and his brother told me I should stop by. I did. They have a little of everything. From hardware things to random knickknacks. I bought and mailed a couple of postcards at the store.

I walked further down the highway. A half mile or so. I turned down the Joyce-Pedmont Rd. As I was walking down the road my butt started to get wet. I thought 'What the Heck?'

I checked my water bottle. It was full. I stopped. I unpacked my bag. It was my water bladder. A tiny scratch sprung a leak in the bladder. Luckily, my first aid kit was two steps ahead of me. I haven't remembered to get duct tape, but the first aid kit had some. I patched up the bladder. Even though it was simple I still felt like MacGyver. I walked four miles down the Joyce-Pedmont road and came to the Log Cabin Resort. The resort is on Lake Crescent. A beautiful lake with the Olympics in the background. I told them what I was doing, and they let me stay there for free. I thew my tent up. Got a shower. Wrote in my journal. Hung out at the lodge a bit. Then I called it a night. I walked around 19-22 miles today.

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DAY 11

miles walked: 9-10

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I got up around 8 a.m. I got my water bladder out of my bag. I don't have the slip that it goes into for my bag. I have it wire tied in. I cut the wire ties. Anyways after about an hour of messing around, I realized that there was a valve on the nozzle. It makes total sense, but I never even thought of it. It's funny that I didn't use it for a day because I didn't know it had a valve. Something else about the valve. I've always had it open and about dozen time I've set my bag down and had the bag pinch the nozzle, thus, allowing water to run free. It can make a mess and deplete the water supply.

I got on the trail around 9:30 a.m. I walked about a mile to the Spruce Railroad Trail. It was an awesome trail. I saw cougar warnings on a before I got on the trail. For the first mile I was paranoid of cougars. Right off the bat I walked up and saw a deer. The doe was feeding. We stared at each other. She didn't care. Eventually she turned her back and began feeding. I banged my trekking poles down. It made a little noise. She didn't even care. Then I started walking up the trail and a fawn was right in the middle feeding on some leaves. I stopped. I don't like being in-between a mother and her offspring. I stepped forward and the fawn jumped out of my way. I get walking down the trail which was surrounded by forest. The trail ended up coming out along the edge of the water. Lake Crescent is blue. The water is really clear. There was a cool bridge I walked over. After the trail I came out on Camp David Jr. Rd. This was about four miles. This took me to Fairholm. I wanted to go to the store. I got on highway 101 and walked the wrong direction. Then I hiked back down to the store. I looked in the Peninsula Daily News and saw my picture and a blurb about what I was doing. Awesome! They said my father passed away from cancer in 1999, but it was my mother. Anyway, I went down to the store. I got some supplies. I went to the campsite that wasn’t even a mile away. I got an awesome spot. It was right on the water. It wasn't that private. There were two guys a few campsites away. They weren't that friendly. I said 'hi' a couple of times. Different strokes for different folks. I was still camping on Lake Crescent. It's a pretty awesome lake.

While I was on the trail my imagination was running wild. I was excited for a short day so I could write. After a few words my pen wouldn't work. I went up to the store and bought a pen. It worked for a few more words and then it wouldn't work. I was sad. I couldn't write. I went up to the store again and was asking the bearded man who is in charge of the boats about Bigfoot. He told me some stories. There is also myth about Cressie, the creature in Lake Crescent.

Finally, while I was in my tent around 8:30 p.m. the pen I bought at the store decided to start working. I could finally write. I don't know what the deal was. I talked with Austin on the phone and went to bed.

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DAY 12

miles walked: 30

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That's right. I had my first 30-mile day today. I walked from Fairholm to Forks. I wasn't planning on it, but I was going along pretty good today. It was some good uphill right off the bat, but after that it was fine. A lot of forest. Sections of only trees on both sides.

I thought a lot about a story I'm working on entitled, The C.A.T.: Carl Allen Timson. Sometimes it is hard to concentrate with traffic speeding by.

I left my campsite around 8 a.m. The lake was very peaceful. I love walking in the morning. It's peaceful and it's awesome having the whole day ahead. I walked highway 101 all day today. It was a quarter mile from my campsite to highway. I crossed the Sol Duc river five times today. At first, I thought I was trapped in an episode of the twilight zone, but then I realized it bends a lot. A whole heck of a lot. It was foggy and overcast early. I like the fog. The fog was higher up. Not on the ground.

After about 15 miles of walking, I stumbled onto the Hungry Bear Cafe. By this point I decided that I was going to make a run at Forks. If that was going to happen, I needed a good lunch. Once inside I asked the waitress if I could charge my cell phone and camera battery. She showed me where to. Some of the people in the place became interested. They asked some questions. I answered. Steve Thompson, of Sydney, came over and gave me 15 Canadian dollars. He was with his wife and two kids. He took down my website. He said that he's going put it on his website that gets a bunch of hits. Then, Annette and Bud Dattulo came over at gave me $20. They are from Chicago. I came out to find that they paid for my meal awesome. Thank you! I stopped for some lunch and all of this happened. I never know what's going to happen.

Greg, the pastor of the Gardiner Community Church, told me to stop by and see Stan in Forks. He said Stan ran the pharmacy. I called Stan when I was about 5 miles from Forks. I passed the road that he lived on. He offered me the chance to stay at his house. I was set on going into town. I wanted to hit the 30-mile mark.

About a mile away from Forks a car pulled off to the side of the road. It was Jim and Diane Edwards. They asked if I was the guy from the newspaper. Jim had seen the article. Also, Jim saw me along the road either coming or going to Port Angeles today. They gave me 10 dollars. They asked if I'd like to be taken to dinner. I walked into to town, and we met at a Chinese restaurant. It was good. More than enough food to feel me. We talked about my trip a lot. They told me about their son. We had some good conversation. They offered me a room at their house.

I left Fairholm this morning not knowing where I was going to stay. I was going to spring for a hotel as a reward for my first 30-mile day. It is difficult to turn down a free room. I accepted. Diane filmed me outside the restaurant. I document when I pause my walk, and then document when I resume it. I hopped in with them. They have a nice place about 8 miles north of town toward the beach.

Thank you, Jim and Diane, for a meal and a place to stay.

My body is holding up well. My calves are usually tight, but I stretch them. My feet are doing good. Thanks to Superfeet and Fairhaven runners for that. I have no blisters. I had a couple that started to come in, but they left. My feet haven't had much pain all trip.

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DAY 13

MILES WALKED: 15-17

STARTED at: Forks

FINISHED at: Hoh River Resort

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I woke up around 7:30. Jim let his dog into the room. I had orange juice with peanut butter toast for breakfast. Diane was getting ready to go to work. It was cool that the Edwards let me stay. Diane, a cancer survivor, gave me a marble to through somewhere. She throws a marble somewhere everywhere weekend. I'm going to throw the marble off the Astoria bridge into the mouth of the Columbia River.

Last night I used the last space on my last tape for my camera. I needed a new tape. Jim took me into town. We took his old Ford with a Camper on the back. I threw my bag into the camper. We drove into town. Jim took me to Thriftway. The store in Forks that has about everything. No luck. No tape. Jim dropped me off where I stopped walking the day before- South North Garden Chinese Restaurant. I thought the pharmacy might have one of the tapes. The pharmacy opened at 9 a.m. No luck there either, but someone told me the computer store might. I went by the computer store. It didn't open until 10:30. I was looking at a 5-day hike to Aberdeen. I needed a tape.

I went to the Forks Coffee Shop to kill some time. I did some writing in my journal. They were really nice and gave me the breakfast for free. Thank you! A mother and son were setting next to me. The mother, Helen, gave me 20 dollars. She happened to be from Bellingham. Her son was named Mike.

I get to the computer store at 10:45. The store sold out of their last MiniDV tapes. I thought I was going to leave Forks with no tape. I start walking out of town. I decided to stop by the Forks Forum. The town's small newspaper. Diane mentioned that I should stop by there. I did. I told the lady working what I am doing. I met Marsha who is on the Forks Chamber of Commerce.

She drove me around trying to find a computer store that she thought was still in business. No luck. Last ditch effort. We stopped by the high school. She called Sally Milici, the film & art teacher. I ended up buying one off her for two bucks. I scored a tape. I'm back in business.

Finally, I'm on my way out of town. I stop by the store and buy some provisions. Mainly trail mix and bars. I get on the highway. The nice lady whose card I lost from the Forks Forum stopped me. She jotted down some information and took my picture. Something should appear in the paper. I walk highway 101 all the way out to the Hoh River Resort.

I had to cross the Hoh River. The bridge had no shoulder. I mean no shoulder. I ran across it. The nice people at the Hoh River Resort let me throw my tent up for free. I bought a something at the little store. I needed a pocketknife. I lost mine at Lake Crescent.

There were two men camped out at the Hoh River Resort. One is a fishing guide who camps there in September. The other was Stan. Stan works in Olympia on the weekend. He works to 16-hour days. The rest of the week he spends down by the Hoh River. I chatted with Stan for about an hour and half then went to bed. They were forecasting rain for tomorrow. I had the rainfly on my tent. I was prepared.

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DAY 14

MILES WALKED:18-20

STARTED at: Hoh River Resort

Finished at: South Beach

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I was packed up and ready to go around 8:45 a.m. There were a few clouds with blue skies. I kept walking on the highway. I was walking through the rainforest. Mainly trees on both sides. That's been the story since I left Lake Crescent. I slowly worked my way toward the beach.

After about 8-10 miles I hit the coast. I stopped and got some pictures. The Pacific Ocean. A beautiful site. I saw Destruction Island with the lighthouse on it. I walked on a road that mainly stayed on the bluff until Kalaloch. That was the first good beach access. I stopped at the Kalaloch Lodge. I was starving. I just made lunch. A few minutes before 5 p.m. I charged my cell phone and camera battery. There was an outlet next to my table. My waiter saw me walking on his way to work. They were really nice. They ended up giving my meal for free. I got a few things from the store next door. Filled up my water bladder. I walked three more miles to South Beach. The campground was closed. I walked 20 miles and was planning there. The campground was thirty yards up from the beach. I pitched my tent. A few people walked down to check the view. I didn't make a fire. I didn't want anyone to see me. I made a couple of calls and wrote in my journal. Then I went to bed. Being that close to the beach felt like home.

Highway 101 follows the coastline for about a 11-mile stretch. It has a lot of the yellow caution signs warning of pedestrians and bicycles. I noticed that they have three different signs. One with pedestrians on top and bicycles on bottom. Another one with bicycles in on top and pedestrians is on bottom. The third one is the most interesting. It had PEDESTRIAN on top and bicycles on bottom. This was the first one I noticed. Why didn't they have the plural form of PEDESTRIAN. The sign was right. I was the only one walking. The sign only warned of one person walking. The signs would be different for each direction of traffic sometimes.

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DAY 15

MILES WALKED: 29-30

STARTED at: South Beach

Finished at: Quinault

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Here I am. I'm at an internet cafe in Quinault/Amanda Park area. Not sure where I'm staying.

I left the campsite a few minutes after 8 am. I walked three miles to Queets. I got some jerky from a store. I wouldn't be seeing anything for about twenty-five miles. Those miles were beautiful. Surrounded by trees. The weather was nice to start. Some clouds with blue skies. Then a slight drizzle came down. For the first time on the trip, I busted out my rain poncho. The rain stopped and I took the poncho off. Then about a half hour later the rain was back. Just a slight drizzle, then, it started coming down hard. My feet got wet quick. I thought- should I set my tent up. I kept walking. Finally, I went down a logging road. I walked under a tree with long branches. It was basically dry underneath the protection of the tree. Just some drops. With the poncho on it was nothing. I waited out the rain. I resumed my walk. I kept on trucking and finally made it to Amanda Park. I stopped at little store and got some crispitos. I ate those quickly. I need to charge my cell phone and dry my feet. Not sure where I'm staying yet. After I'm done with the internet it'll be dark. There is an inn right next to me. I might look into that. That'll I'll try and make it to a campsite that is a couple of miles of the highway. I'll keep you posted.

There was a long stretch of not much. I wanted to get by that today. My feet are wet and tired. Tomorrow I'm hoping to get to Humptulips. Sunday I should be in Aberdeen. I'll be staying with my cousin John.

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DAY 16

MILES WALKED: 26

From: Amanda Park/Quinault

To: My Cousin Dan's house (10 miles past Humptulips)

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Last night I ended up staying behind the internet cafe. Roz, the nice lady that owned the cafe, also owned a house next to the cafe and property behind the cafe. I charged my cell phone inside the cafe. I woke up and got my cell phone a little after 7 a.m. I filled my water bladder inside before I left. I left a little after 8 a.m. I stopped by the convenience store that was next door. A man in line asked what I was up to. I told him. The lady behind the counter, Becky Hansen, gave me twenty dollars. Like many people her life has been touched by cancer. The man in front of me in line bought my two items and gave me twenty bucks. I'm always blown away by how generous people are. It really motivates me.

I got on highway 101 and started heading toward Aberdeen. I wouldn't make it today, but I'd make it to my cousin Dan's house. About a quarter mile down the road, I was crossing a bridge. I turned to my left and got an awesome view of Lake Quinault. It was good weather. Some clouds with some blue skies. I kept on truckin''.

About twelve miles or so down the road I ran into some rain. I busted out my rain poncho. At first it was slight drizzle, then, it started to pour. I found that getting under a tree with low long branches and branches all the way to the top was the best spot for shelter. I waited for about twenty minutes. It started to die down and I resumed walking. I made it to the Promised Land Park. The rain started coming down hard again. I went to the covered picnic area. It had a wood stove for cooking and a bunch of firewood. I was going to build a fire, but the weather quickly broke, and I was on the road again.

Before I knew it, I was walking into Humptulips. I stopped at their little store and got some supplies. There was a tiny black cat hanging out at the store. My cousin John called me and told me that his brother Dan would have a sign out signaling me up to Dan's house. There was also a husky dog hanging out at the store. Once I left, he followed me. He tailed me for about a quarter mile, then, his owner came and got him. The dog was very resistant. I thought Dan's house was just going to be little further down the road, but it ended up being about ten miles past the store.

I talked with a reporter, Jordan, from The Daily World. The reporter from the Aberdeen newspaper asked me some questions about my trip.

I knew Dan's house was after Youmans Rd. The thought it was the first left. The first gravel driveway had an orange cone. My feet hurt and I walked further than I thought I would have today. I was excited that I found Dan's house. I walked up the gravel driveway that had clear cuts on both sides. A couple hundred yards and I ran into three young girls and four dogs. I thought I would be welcomed, but they were asking who I was. I asked if Dan lived there. They said, No. They said that Harold lived there. I called John and he told me that Dan's house was the next left down the road. I walked back down the gravel driveway. I got back on the highway. I walked up to the next left and there was a sign that said, Matt with and arrow pointing to the left. I walked up the gravel road and it was the first house on the left. I walked up and Dan and his buddy John were in the shop playing pool. I was glad to be done for the day. I took my pack off and sat on the tailgate of a truck. Dan and John asked me about my journey. I had a nice dinner delivered to me outside. Dan has three daughters, and his new wife has three daughters. A lot of estrogen in the air. Dan works at the fish hatchery in Humptulips. After dinner I didn't do much. I did my video journal and basically went to bed. I slept in a bed. The nice thing about staying at someone's house is that I don't have to pack up in the morning.

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DAY 17

MILES WALKED: 16 or 17

FROM: My cousin Dan's house (10 miles past Humptulips)

TO: Aberdeen (My cousin John's house)

---

After a huge breakfast and shower I left a little after 8:30 a.m. I thanked the Evan family for their hospitality. I told Dan that I'll keep in touch with John, and that John can update him of my progress. It was drizzling outside, and I started with my rain poncho.

Despite the rain I left in high spirits. I was excited about finishing the last leg of my five day walk from Forks to Aberdeen. I break my trip down into min-adventures. From Port Angeles to Forks was a three-day trip. From Forks to Aberdeen was a five-day trip. It helps me to think in those terms rather than always thinking about the overall trip from Bellingham to Miami Beach.

Every night so far on my trek I've had cell phone reception. Having a phone helps me feel less alone. It's nice to always hear a friendly voice. Plus, I can keep my friends and family posted.

It rained all the way until I got to Hoquiam. That was about a twelve-mile walk. I was walking along, and I saw a Statue of Liberty in someone's yard. Before I got there a sketchy looking lady crossed the street. She was carrying something. She went to a car parked across the street. Once I got close to the Statue, I took a picture. I didn't get the whole thing in the first picture, so I took another one. The lady asked me as I was walking away if I was a surveyor. Caught off guard I said, no. Then she asked If I knew anything about the neighborhood. Again, I said, No. I had a feeling that she was involved in drugs, but I'm not Columbo.

My friend Austin told me that The Daily World had a blurb about me. That would be the third newspaper that my story has been in. I tried getting a hold of the reporter today. I thought they might want to snap a picture of me. I couldn't get a hold of anyone. I stopped by the newspaper on my way through. Only one lady was there. It seemed like she was cleaning the place. A couple of miles and one bridge over Grays Harbor and I was at my Cousin John's house. I was greeted by John and my uncle Ernest. I went in and hung out with them and three of John's kid. I talk about my trip a lot with the people that I hang out with. Ernest left after a while. He has a long beard he tucks into his flannel. John and I caught up on old times.

Around 10:30 John and I hopped on one of his four wheelers and took off. We were going to a logging road on a hill that overlooked Aberdeen/Hoquiam. He fired up the four-wheeler. We went down the street and cut across the middle school. After a couple more streets we hit some trails. We went down a maze of trails and logging roads and eventually popped out on the hill. It was awesome. You could see the lights on both sides of Grays Harbor. After about ten minutes it started to rain. I had both my cameras and we thought we should take off. On the way back we took some different trails. John has been on these trails since he was a kid. He explained what changed and told me some stories he had. The first place he learned to swim and a place and where he broke his leg. We tried to get out of the trails twice, but people put up some bars that stuck out of the ground about a foot. We had to turn around. Finally, we were out of the trails on the road that went by were his Grandparents use to leave. The four-wheeler began to sputter. It was running out of gas. He steered it to the right underneath a car port. He knew the people.

The only person there was the daughter who was in high school. John called her mom. She was driving from Spokane and was supposed to be at the house anytime. Both John and I were wet. I caught a sore throat. Not sure where from. Maybe from someone. Maybe from being cold. Anyways, it was a long time before the mom showed up. It took about three hours to get some gas. John and I didn't get back to his house until 2:30 a.m. I was wiped out. I did a brief journal before I went to bed. I said the wrong day. I said the 19th instead of the 17th. Plus, I accidentally recorded over some footage. Oh well.

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DAY 18

MILES WALKED: 0

FROM: n/a

TO: n/a

---

I decided to take today off. I needed the rest and I have a sore throat. I slept in until about 11 a.m. I was really tired. My friend Austin came over to Aberdeen and picked me up. He took me to Elma. Elma is about twenty miles east of Aberdeen. I saw his brother Travis who I haven't seen in years.

I also saw my buddy Joe Keith and his two kids. His son is 2 years old and can swing the baseball out. Not sure what I got planned. I might stay with Austin in Elma tonight. He'll probably take me over to John's house tomorrow. I'll resume my walk from John's house where it stopped. Four more walking days and I'm out of the state.

My next journey is from Aberdeen to South Bend. My uncle Alvin lives in South Bend.

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DAY 19

MILES WALKED: 0

From: n/a

To: n/a

---

I stayed with my friend Austin in Elma. My sore throat transformed into a cold/flu. I wanted to hang out with Austin and rest up some more. Austin and I ride around his car quite a bit.

We went on a chocolate milk run out to Matlock. It was about a thirty-mile trip. We stopped at the little store in Matlock and got some snacks. No, we didn't get any chocolate milk. On the way back we stopped at Schaffer State Park. We didn't do much. Austin threw some rocks. We filmed a little bit. Nothing to really write home about.

After that we went out toward the Nuke Sites. About ten miles outside of Elma are two huge Nuclear Cooling Towers. Like the one that you see on The Simpsons. They've never been used. Now there are some random mill type places out there. We stopped by the river. Austin threw some more rocks. We joked around and talked about vector calculus. Okay we didn't. We talked about life.

After that we drove back to Aberdeen. We went down to the South Shore Mall. The mall used to thrive but not there about ten shops that are closed and hardly anyone in it. I stopped by the bookstore. One of the girls working also worked in the little store in Humptulips. She recognized me.

Austin and I saw a movie. After the movie he dropped me off back at my cousin John's house. That's were my walk stopped. I hung out there with my cousin John. I watched a movie and went to bed.

DAY 20

MILES WALKED: 0

From: n/a

To: n/a

---

I got up around 7:30 a.m. and was planning on leaving, but I felt worse. It was raining pretty steady outside. I didn't think that it'd be a good idea to go out in the weather while I was sick. So I didn't. I took some NyQuil and went out to John's 5th wheel camper trailer and slept four more hours. Janelle, John's wife set the temp. at 70 degrees. My Uncle Ernest came in and turned it up all the way. I slept about four more hours.

I got up feeling a little bit better. I spent the rest of the day hanging out writing in my journal. Ate and went to bed. I took a heavy dose of NyQuil and went out the trailer.

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DAY 21

MILES WALKED: 28

FROM: Aberdeen (Cousin John's house)

TO: South Bend (My Uncle Alvin's house)

---

I felt a little better today, but I'm still sick. I was itching to get on the road again. They forecasted that today was supposed to be better than yesterday. It wasn't raining and I saw a little blue sky. I geared up and headed out. I left a little after 8 a.m. I thanked John for letting me stay. Janelle gave forty bucks before I left. Thank you!!! I had a real nice visit at John's house. I haven't stayed in touch as much I should have. I got to know his four kids: Taylor, Johnathon, Ally, and Colton. Well, it was time to get on the road again. It felt good.

I walked a block out to the highway and started heading South. I was looking at a lot of hills today. As I was walking through Cosmopolis and saw a couple of drifters. Once I hit the first hill I left in the dust. I wasn't sure, but I thought they might try messing with me.

I walked about 6 or 7 miles and reached the tiny dot on the map called Artic. There is a restaurant called Clarke's. My Uncle Al told me that there were some dogs to be aware of. Luckily, I never encountered them. I saw a lot of forest today. I had a couple sprinkles on me. Nothing bad. The weather was nice. It was kind of windy. I'm glad it didn't rain. Being sick the hills tested me.

About nine miles away from Raymond my uncle Al drove by. He was heading up to Aberdeen to work. We had a nice little chat for about ten minutes. He gave me a soda and apple. After that I had two more hills and one flatland, and I would be in Raymond. Not all full strength the hills tested me. Today tested me emotionally and physically. I had a good cry. I got to thinking and I don't think I've ever had a bad cry. I always feel better.

Anyways, I pushed myself and I made it to Raymond. Now I was looking at six or seven miles from the bridge in Raymond to my Uncle's house. I stopped at the library in Raymond and checked my email. I saw that the gang from Sound Beverage are following. That felt good. It helped push me the rest of the way. Raymond and South Bend are dying logging towns along the Willapa Harbor.

About another mile and I caught a paved trail from Raymond to the edge of South Bend. I walked on the trail for about three and half miles. I stopped and had a girl film me. It's difficult making a documentary about yourself. I'm learning as I go. After the trail I got back on the highway and walked a couple miles to my Uncle's house. Boy, was I glad to see his house. I was greeted by my Aunt Dinah. I took my shoes and pack off. I chatted with Dinah for a bit. Then she called my Uncle Ducky. He leaves about a block away. Ducky and his wife Ella came down and visited.

I'm looking at possible roadblock. Pedestrians aren't allowed on the Astoria bridge. I'm going to see what I can do about that.

I'm went up to my Uncle Ducky's house to get online. Tomorrow I have some plans before I leave town. One, I feel worse now. Two, my mom's grave site is a few miles away from Raymond in Menlo. I'm going to get some flowers and go clean off her space. She was a good woman and is greatly missed.

Anyways, how about the Yankees. Enough of the sad talk. I'm going to hit the sack. I need some rest.

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DAY 22

MILES WALKED: 0

---

The trip down from Aberdeen took all my energy. I still wasn't a hundred percent. Last night the flu hit me. I spent today in cold shivers or overheating/sweats. There was some vomiting also. I was in bed all day long. I couldn't hold any food down.

DAY 23

MILES WALKED: 0

---

I felt better than yesterday, but still sick. Spent most of the day watching movies. I watched all of the Harry Potter movies. Still staying at my Uncle Al's house. Took a bunch of Theraflu. Starting to get better.

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DAY 24

MILES WALKED: 0

---

Feeling much better. Felt that I should take today off for good measure. I learned my lesson. I left Aberdeen before I should. Making the 28-mile hike at while I was still sick took a lot out of me. I don't think that my body could fight the flu as well considering all the energy the walk took. At least I had a warm bed and family to stay with. I realized that I can't overdo it and I need to take my health in consideration.

Today my Uncle Al and I went out to my mother's gravesite. It's always sad for me. I don't make it out there that often. I took some silk flowers out there. I cleaned off her gravesite. Besides that, I went down to the waterfront and wrote. I wrote at my uncle's house also.

My Aunt Jessie and Uncle Don stopped by. They were out riding Don's Yamaha 1200. It's a heck of a bike.

I've only walked one day this last week. I ran into a roadblock called the flu. I'm feeling better now and I'm hitting the road in the morning.

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DAY 25

MILES WALKED: 18-20

FROM: South Bend

TO: Nemah Community Center

---

I woke up around 7:30 a.m. I packed up. My uncle Al took me down to the store and I got some supplies. When I got back Dinah made me some breakfast. Eggs, bacon, and toast. Around 9 a.m. I started heading out of town. My uncle Al was going to walk me to the edge of the town. I stopped by and got a post card at the store. It was a postcard of some statues in Raymond. Toward the edge of town Al saw that Joanne was at the library. He thought that she might no of a place to stay. We walked over to the South Bend Public Library. It was closed but Joanne let us in. She wanted to meet me. Once inside we chatted for awhile. Joanne made some calls. The end result was that I was going to stay at the Nemah Community Center and a hot plate of food was going to get delivered to me. Also, while I was at the library, we made me a sign for my backpack. It said, Walk for Cancer with my website on it. We went outside and took some pictures. After that I was on the road again.

Uncle AL walked me to the edge of town. We said our goodbyes. I hit the road. I was looking around 20 miles. It was almost 10 a.m. The shoulder was really nice all the way out. Nice and big. I don't remember, but I was a ways out of town when a lady from the Willapa Herald came out. Al got a hold of her. She snapped some pictures and jotted down some information. A little further down the road and my Uncle Al came out. He came out to see if the lady from the paper came out. We said our goodbye again. Today was mostly flat with a few smaller hills. I had some great views of Willapa Harbor. The weather was warm and sunny. I had a good sweat going. The kick back from a big truck knocked my hat off. That was the only the second time that has happened. The was a wicked white spider in the hat that I had to knock off. The hat flew into some sticker bushes and I had to dig it out.

I walked by a lot of slough areas. I walked around one corner and there was a good size river. The way the sun hit the water was awesome. I was walking along when Larry Weld, my best friend Austin's stepdad, stopped his truck. He had a big Ford truck full of a logging crew. He gave me some grapes and shortly thereafter was off. A little further down the road I bumped into Dejan from Slovenia who was biking across the World. Currently he was heading from Alaska to Argentina. He told me he met a lady walking across the world and a guy walking from Alaska to Mexico. We chatted and snapped a picture. Then he was on his way.

It was probably five miles down the road and I was at mile post 35. I was at the Nemah Community Center. Nancy met me there. Nancy Robinson made me pork chops and macaroni & cheese. It was awesome. Thank you, Nancy. Shortly after Nancy left, Andi, the lady in charge of the community center came out and unlocked the center. I got to stay inside. It was an old school and an old church. Now they use it for chili feeds and stuff. It had two big rooms. One with tables and chairs. The other was open with some old church pews, piano, and books.

About twenty minutes after Andi left my Uncle Al and Aunt Dinah came out. They wanted to make sure I made it alright. They brought me a Gatorade and capri sun. I put my sleeping pad on a table. I grabbed a book and started reading it. Later that night a bat was flying around. I didn't want to deal with a bat, and I set my tent up. In my tent I read till about midnight. It was book entitled, Floates. A book set in San Diego harbor. About crime and the America Cup.

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DAY 26

MILES WALKED: 23

FROM: Nemah Community Center

TO: Astoria, Oregon

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I woke up around 8 a.m. I was packed and ready to go by 8:30. I hit the highway. I was planning on camping on the Washington side by the Astoria bridge. I started walking. It was nice walking through the woods. I heard a chain saw roaring. I walked on highway 101 six miles to the junction of highway 4. As I was walking down the hill toward the junction I was going to film. Then my camera detected dew. It popped the tape out and wouldn't even let me put a tape back in. Once I was on 4, I was walking.

I wasn't walking that fast at this point of the day. A mile or so down the road I saw a green Hyundai car drive by. It looked like my friend Austin's car. The car didn't stop so figured it wasn't him. I kept walking. Another mile or so down the road I glanced up to the left and saw someone sitting on the hill next to the trees. I looked for a gun and didn't see one. I thought- what the heck are they doing there. It seemed weird. It was my friend Austin. We both laughed. He drove three miles into Naselle and walked toward me. A little further than a mile I met Austin. We met and walked into Naselle and ate at the diner.