Days 25 - On the Move Again and Dam, That’s Big

Camping for two nights at the wildlife refuge was wonderful. I was totally isolated – in the four primitive campgrounds there, I was the only camper. I saw only two other vehicles on the roads the whole time I  was there. I thought I might be nervous about being so isolated, but I really loved it. At one point, while I was sitting watching the fire and cooking my dinner, I heard the snort of a deer.  I looked through the trees, and there, in the meadow, were a number of deer playing. I sat and watched till something spooked them and they disappeared in a flash.

Drove along the lake for most of the way

I left there early in the morning and headed toward the Grand Coulee Dam. Much of the drive borders FDR lake and the views were really great. Before taking off though, I took care of a lot of business on line and on the phone in Colville. McDonalds, in their marketing brilliance as usual, has free wireless, so I sat there and checked out destinations for the upcoming few days, chatted with a few friends, and had a leisurely morning. I moved out to the car to charge my phone and continue what I was doing, and I sat there long enough that I killed my battery. Fortunately, with it being a new car, it recharged itself after about 10 minutes of turning it off and unplugging everything I was charging. Lesson learned.

Lots of deer on the roads

I also called Dr. Coffin and discussed the foot situation. I am going to always be sure I have support under the bone, holding it in place, and am taking ibuprofen regularly to get rid of the inflammation. What a pain it is to have to worry about that. I can’t even wear my sandals without it beginning to hurt a lot again. He also explained how I could wrap it and that that might help. I haven’t tried it yet, and wearing the good, supportive shoes, really seems to help. I am a bit concerned about it – it’s hard to think of hiking 220 miles when it hurts to walk across a parking lot.

Set up and ready for the evening, overlooking the lake

I found a nice, $10 campground right on the lake at the dam. My campsite overlooked the lake, and I got set up fairly early, so I was able to enjoy the setting sun. It had rained just a little on the way there, but by the time I arrived at the campsite, it had cleared off, and the remaining clouds on the horizon made for a nice sunset.

My neighbors at the campground were two guys who worked at the dam. The one man, Monte, had his 6 year old son there and the boy was quite entertaining. He spent a lot of time visiting me, telling me about his adventures. The other guy, Dave, was a little younger – about 30 – and was really funny. They were a lot of fun to have around, and they were full of information about the dam. They suggested I check out the laser light show at the dam at 10 p.m., so I drove over and watched it.

The light show was really great, and the information it gave and the information in the visitor’s center was all really interesting. I had no idea that the Grand Coulee Dam, situated on the Columbia River, had the capacity to generate more power than any other dam in the country. I always thought of Hoover Dam as being the biggest, but apparently not. The lake it formed is huge, and thousands of acres of land were submerged in the damming of the river. I understand the importance of the energy it provides, but I can’t help but have mixed feelings about the manipulation of the earth. That said, it really is a testament of the power of the river and of the power of humankind to construct something so massive and powerful.

Loved watching the sun go down

When I got back to my campsite, Dave had kept my fire going for me and we sat and visited for another few hours. He was an interesting guy and has seen a lot for someone so young – an Air Force MP for 10 years, he had served three terms over in the Middle East. I enjoyed the company after so many nights of solitude. However, I am looking toward a few days of companionship and connection, so I know in a few more days I’ll be ready for that solitude again. Until then, it’s new friends and family on the agenda.