Feeding wildlife, meeting homeless, etc. Week 7-31-17

Start of the High Point Trail

The banquet

Normally, I try not to feed the wildlife when I'm hiking, but it was that kind of day. I felt sluggish and low energy, it was muggy, and the wildlife was ravenous. My  balaclava was soaked and not admitting another drop of sweat. When a hot flash forced me to sit down, the eau de Robert was all it took for a thousand mosquitoes, and biting flies of all sizes to descend on this stationary buffet. They were not taking "no" for an answer and I was too tired to swat them all.

I had hiked for only 45 minutes and just passed the sign for the Talus Rock Trail when I realized my body was not willing to go any farther. I turned back. Every time I paused to take a snapshot of the scenic trail, the critters found me again and the feeding frenzy resumed. It didn't stop until I made it back to the trailhead.

Tent City 4

Just before I made it to the freeway, I noticed that there was a building behind a line of cars, and I pulled over to see what it was. I wasn't expecting to see a homeless camp.

The first tent is the "office;" the rest are domiciles that point the way to another hiking trail.

Tent City 4 is located close to the end of the Exit 20 offramp on I-90 enroute to the trailhead.

My first reaction when I came to the Tent City 4 sign was wondering whether I was trespassing. But the lady reading her book at the entrance of the first tent/building waved me in. Afterward, I met Wendell, the on duty E.C., and Sam, the camp advisor. Sam explained that drugs and alcohol are banned in the camp; residents frequently provide bottled water to hikers who pass by; and that many of the residents have jobs. They bicycle to a nearby bus stop to get to work.

The camp has a TV and has a gasoline-powered electrical generator. There's a tent kitchen for preparing foods.

Operational needs include

• Gasoline -- including gas cards sold by gasoline stations
• Clean Blankets
• Bottled Water
• Hot dinner meals (www.sharewheel.orgwww.sharewheel.org for the calendar)
• 33-gallon trash bags
• Batteries AAA and D sizes
• 10-by-10 foot tents
• Office Depot gift cards for supplies
• Ibuprofen
• Printer ink cartridges for Epson Model #220 (blk/colors)

Other scenes this day:

Part of the trail out

Part of the trail back

Distance: tbd
Elevation gain: tdb
Load: 16 pounds
Stamina: Weak; hot flashes combined with warm weather; lots of sweating; needed bug spray. Turned back just past the Talus Rock Trail sign.

Other hikes this week.

July 31: Chocolate Box; Greenlake

Distance: 2.8 miles, 4.48 km to Chocolate Box
Distance: 2 miles, 3.2 km around half of Green Lake (estimate)
Elevation gain: 200 feet
Stamina: coming up hill from downtown I felt quite fatigued
Companions: Larisa and her twin granddaughters (8 years old) who came to Seattle by bus.

States for year to date:
Distance: 253.54 km
Elevation Gain: 14,870 feet