Because I had cell service for much of the walk and got a new external power bank in Butte, I got to call and catch up with quite a few folks that I haven’t chatted with in awhile. What a gift! Also-lunch on the side of the road.
About 18 miles into my day, I passed through the small town of Harrison and got to mingle with some locals on the porch of their tiny general store.
It’s times like these to get to truly sit down and listen to the concerns of rural folks that are so special to me. Although some of my views differ in their practical application, the foundation is the same and I am so thankful for their honesty and kindness towards me.
After Harrison, I walked 10 miles through a thunderstorm which was not quite so exciting, but when I rolled into the tiny town of Norris, I saw the unmistakable silhouette of two other hikers trying to hitch out of town.
When they were unsuccessful, a group of guys who are renovating the old bar in Norris invited us in for a magical night of company, beer, and shelter from the driving rain.
It takes so very little to make a hiker happy…the piece of plywood I got to sleep on might as well have been the Ritz Carlton. This is the magic of the trail, and these guys are the angels of the trail. For this reason hiking will always be my space to reset and remember that being human is pretty awesome afterall.
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