Base Camp

The first day we walked from "Cow Palace" through who knows where and ended up at base camp.
We started around 7:30 and ended at 5:15. Long day. But the sea of pink was fun to see in the distance, knowing we were almost there. It was right on the water, so beautiful...but also windy...and as the days progressed...VERY cold and windy. We slept in tents, 2 to a 6.5' x 6.5' tent. We had portapoties, and food tents. They had a medical tent and other odds and ends tents (stores/sales etc.) but they had to be taken down on day 2 due to the crazy wind. Our food tent stayed up but it was a chilly eating time!

Our tent was the third from the end of a row of 40-50 tents! And there were only portapotties at the far end. Our food tents and everything else were at the end of another row of 40-50- tents) LOTS of walking even in camp :( . It was a crazy long walk, specially in the middle of the night when I had to go to the bathroom.

At the end of day one walking, we got into camp, set up our tents inside (Laura had gotten help putting the actual tents up and getting our gear there) then we went for supper, I left for a shower and then...get this...I went to bed at 8:45 and was asleep by just after 9pm! I NEVER go to bed before 11 pm (and that is usually early for me) but I was tired, and I slept well. I didn't use an airmattress, the grass was very thick and soft and there was a hole in the ground right where my hip needed to be so as long as I slept on my side it was comfortable. And I brought earplugs with me as both Laura and I snore...so that way I didn't wake myself up and neither did she! Very nice. I also showered at night which is weird for me, but I couldn't face getting up even earlier to wait in line for the truck showers (which left no room for privacy I'll have you know...fine for those of you who don't care....but quite the feat for those of us who don't want to show every bit and piece that we call our own :) So many naked people...in such close quarters...but it was a great hot shower and it warmed me up enough to go to sleep in peace and wearing a hat to walk meant no worries over bed head the next morning.

My tent mate, and the reason any of these pictures exist! Yeah Laura, what fun we had :)

On day two, I was a little more socialable and after eating supper Katie and I hung around in the big tent to hear who had won the "rockstar" competition. It was a 3 way tie and they all got buttons. They all had great songs (some made up songs like the song sung to the tune of "we will rock you" with a chorus of "we will /walk the/ three day") Then they had a dance party with great music. They made the men get up onstage first and dance...then when the women were allowed up (Laura had returned by then from the medical tent where she had her foot iced) I said, Laura...give it 3 seconds. And low and behold in under 3 seconds I'd say...Katie was up front and center stage moving like she hadn't walked 10 or so hours previously :) Laura and I didn't have the guts to go up so we danced demurely in our seats...well I was actually on the ground trying to stretch so that I could make it to my tent when Katie returned! We didn't stay for the whole thing as the showers and my bed were calling...loudly! I was dreading another day of walking!!

One other cool thing at supper was that just after I had sat down and begun eating, freezing cold and trying not to shake my food off the fork...there was an announcement that the last walker was arriving and could we all please go line up at the flagpole to greet her. I actually thought they were joking...what were they thinking making me get up and WALK even one more step let alone across a dark uneven field. Quite a few others continued sitting and I figured I was exempt as I was still eating, but then the music started ("I got a feeling", by the black eyed peas) and I thought...if it were me, I'd be so thankful to see others standing up for me...so I excused myself and hobbled while trying to move a bit to the music and made my way out to the flagpole. (it wasn't so far away thank goodness!) and I was a part of the team, huge team, that welcomed her in! Pretty exciting...kinda how God and the angels rejoice when one of us returns home. At least that's how I saw it.