10/28/2015
Loved Leavenworth so much, she wanted to make it our residence. She loved everything about our stay at the Run of the River Bed and Breakfast. Every now and then I run through a town where the entire community has a theme. In Carthage, Missouri, everywhere I looked had something to do with the little “Precious Moments” characters. In Leavenworth, Washington, the entire town was like Bavaria. The font of the chain stores were even in Bavarian font. It felt like I was in the Alps.
A few steps after the town ended, the national forest began. I could have snapped pictures all day long. To my left the Wenatchee River flowed at my pace. The rocks were smoothed from the years of running water. It was a day where the elevation began to climb. The slow steady climb made the transition in elevation feel seamless. The best part about the route was the aroma of the trees and the leaves. As I passed through Christmas scented clouds I expected to see elves decorating the forest.
The droplets from the sky cooled my skin. It was comfortable all day long but I had learned to listen to nature and I knew she was telling me to prepare for some rough weather ahead. That evening we checked into the Pine River Ranch. The blessings continued for these two weary travelers. I could feel every part of my body asking me for a break.
The damp clothes were hung to dry and I took advantage of another night of bath salts in a Jaccuzzi. Afterwards I picked up a book, jumped into the warm bed with a strong wooden frame and jumped into someone else’s adventure. The story resonated themes similar to my personal journey.
The next morning Patrick the innkeeper brought breakfast to our room. That was something we had not yet experienced. My body was thankful for every little bit of preserved energy. Patrick was formerly a high school athletic director and he knew that I needed plenty of nutrients for another day of running. He prepared plenty of protein and made sure a generous portion of breakfast potatoes complimented my eggs.
When we stepped outside the weather was wet and cold. The overcast skies promised to make my day dreary. I looked around the property one last time before hitting the road. I noted the barn that had been converted into a banquet hall and the picnic areas by our room. I stared at the trees in the forest and mentally told myself that I would get through the day.
More uphill climbing. Made my way to the top of Stevens Pass with little hardship. The body just kept pushing forward. There were areas where I had to jump over the guard rail to avoid the oncoming traffic but I felt safe on my uphill journey. I passed mini waterfalls that rolled down the mountain. I was surprised when the elevation peaked. Perhaps the Butte Pass, and Fourth of July Pass had conditioned my body for climbing.
The second part of the day towards Skykomish was a lot more difficult in terms of hopping over guard rails. Long stretches of no shoulder combined with the loose gravel on the other side of the railing made for tough running. When the unavoidable piles of damp leaves obscured my path, I conquered them by stepping on them. The ventilation through the soles of my shoes also allowed ample amounts of water to flow. The sloshing was annoying at the beginning but like any minor irritant my body found a way to make it inconsequential. The gloom of the day helped usher in the night sky. We found ourselves looking for shelter at 5:30. After being denied access to an electrical outlet by the local bar, Crystal experienced a minor meltdown. We were cold and wet and she couldn’t believe that hotel in town had no staff after five o’clock. We wandered into a little church that was run by a nice couple. They were happy to let us plug in our trailer and we were happy to give some books to the kids that were inside.
Our trailer was toasty from our tiny little heater. It was all we really needed to be comfortable. In the dining area my wet clothing hung from every available space. We cleared a spot for our dining enjoyment. Crystal added more heat to the trailer by cooking up some soup and I looked for a video to enjoy with our meal. Everything turned out just fine. We were grateful for the luxury of the past couple days but we were also grateful to survive the rough days.
Two days earlier I read a sign that showed Seattle was only double digit miles away. We were in striking distance and the knowledge of our location motivated my feet to continue stepping. The varieties of trees changed on this stretch of road. On my way to Sultan there seemed to be a few more people. Once again I ran through rain. I wanted to make sure I reached our campground early because I was expecting to meet a new friend. The Thunderbird RV resort had reserved us a campsite for the evening and I wanted to be prompt and clean when I met John Nunn.
Again I rain through rain and scenic beauty. When we reached the campground Crystal dressed for dinner in record time. John came to pick us up and took us to his large home to dine with his wonderful family and friends. He had prepared salmon. We had heard lots of rave reviews about the fish in the area. I was glad Crystal tried the delicious treat. We told stories for a while and had lots of laughs but we still had a few more miles to go so the night had to be cut short. Even though we had planned to see John again before we left, he made sure to send me back with a big bag of cookies. It was more fuel to take me into the city. 
Leave a reply