All hope died. I had been hoping to snag a cheap flight to Reno by flying standby on Alaska Airlines using Jackie’s employment benefits. Last week and up until yesterday it was looking good. Four open seats and nobody else interested. But, this morning Jeff texted “disaster!” Only two open seats and 3 people ahead of me. Chances of a cheap flight gone. I quickly got on the web and purchased one of the two remaining seats - $280.00 plus $25 for my pack. Although it was more than I wanted to spend, now I had a guaranteed time I would arrive in Reno and could begin to put the rest of the plans in order.
Robinson had been with us since last Friday when he, Jeff, Jackie and Indy came down for the frog jump at Cheese Days. We made lunch for him and ourselves, then loaded up the car and headed for the Portland airport about 12:20 pm for my 4:03 pm departure. Other than a stop for Robby to poop on his potty chair at the Castle Rock exit, the ride was uneventful. While checking my pack at the Alaska counter the agent discovered the name I had quickly typed while reserving my ticket did not match my drivers license. In my rush I had left the “r” out of Charles. Oops! She was concerned, but the TSA agent didn’t notice, so it was a non issue (while attempting to prepared my stuff for inspection I had put my ticket and ID in my mouth, needing two hands to juggle my gear. This distracted the agent, being quite repulsed by my saliva on the documents she had to inspect-oops again!).
Once at my gate, I spent the hour and a half before my flight contacting trail angels in South Lake Tahoe (SLT) trying to secure a place to stay and ride to the trailhead. I texted and called about 7 or 8 numbers I had gotten from a photograph of a list posted where the PCT crosses Hwy 50 near SLT that someone had put up on Facebook. No responses. I was toying with staying in Reno at a cheap hotel I had stayed at in 2014 or at Motel Six at SLT but the prices were more than I wanted to spend. About 15 minutes before I boarded my flight I got a response from a trail angel named Sheryl saying she would be happy to put me up. With a place secured, I booked a seat on the shuttle from the Reno Airport to SLT for 7:30 pm, putting me in SLT at about 9:00 pm.
Once on the ground in Reno, 4 other angel’s messages came in, two with offers of a place to stay and two apologizing for being out of town. But, before I could answer their messages I had an errand. I needed to walk a mile to REI and purchase a fuel canister for my stove. You can’t transport them on the plane. I checked in with the bus company to SLT. It was 5:45 pm. The agent, a mid 60’s gentleman said I could leave my pack in their office while I walked to REI, warning me I wouldn’t make the 6:10 bus. This I had already figured out. But, I thought, “What the heck, let’s give it a try.
Although it was 96° out, I ran/jogged/walked to REI, occasionally J-walking and cutting through parking garages and lots to shorten the distance. I was back at the desk at exactly 6:10 pm, a little sweaty, but just in time to board the bus making my arrival at SLT a little after 7:00 pm rather than 9:00 pm.
The driver was a retired state attorney for California who found, after three years retirement, that when watching Oprah was the highlight of your day it was time to find something else to do so he started driving this bus route. I was the only rider on the bus and he was chatty, so we talked the entire trip, me interrupting now and then to text or call angels to let them know I had found a place to stay.
Once disembarked in Tahoe, I stopped at a Raley’s and bought a bottle of wine for my hosts then checked Lyft to see what the fair would be to their house. It was 4.0 miles from where I was dropped by the bus. $16.00. I can walk for that. So I headed out on foot, guided by Google Maps. I texted Sheryl, my host, to let her know I was on my way. She was out to dinner. I didn’t mention I was walking because I figured she would then hurry through dinner to come give me a ride. When I was about a mile away I let her know I was walking and would be to her place in about 20 minutes, about 9:05. She texted she would come pick me up. I told her I was wearing my headlamp with the light flashing (it was now dark and the road was busy). My phone battery died just as I reached their road. I remembered the address and was wondering why they had not found me. As I walked down their residential road looking at addresses I saw a car approach, then flash their lights. It was Sheryl and her daughter Cherrie out looking for me. We were only four doors from theirs, so I walked the final few feet.
Sheryl is a fifties something woman with two kids, 19 and 16. Her background is forestry, although she quit her work to stay home with the kids. Now she cleans vacation rentals part time allowing a flexible schedule to hike, bike and horseback ride. I found it amazing that a goal of hers was to be a park ranger in Yosemite. hmmm . . . Sounds familiar. Her husband is a water quality expert for the state. They invited me into their living room where we sat and talked for the next 2 hours. Both mother and daughter were wonderfully kind and a joy to get to know. Clarice inflated a bed for me to sleep on in the living room, supplying sheets, pillows and blankets and served ice cream. By 11:00 pm, I was fading and crawled into bed.
Just being lose in the world without a car again, juggling plans on the fly and meeting new people was enough to ignite a joy in my heart. I still worry too much that things won’t work out, still not a true believer in Serendipity. But, once again, all the pieces fell into place to create a wonderful day. Even as I walked to Sheryl’s I saw places to stealth camp if plans fell through. Hopefully, the next 6 weeks on the trail will be a classroom where I can learn to go with the flow and trust that it will all work out.
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