Going back...

This is a catch up blog..... so I am going back to when I pulled the hood up over my head on the highway (see post: I got to use the hood). When I returned to the van I slid into a seat and began to give up control..... there was nothing I could do ... the flu was kicking in. We drove to the border town of Shelby where we thought we would get a hotel. That's where the truck stop comes in. No hotels available. None. No where. But the truck stop bathroom floor was wide open and I settled in. Cindy, unfortunately in the same predicament, took the opposite stall. I remember three distinct comments from that night. The first came from a young woman as she entered the bathroom
" Hooooly shit"... I knew what that was about but could do nothing but lay there in a ball waiting....Another woman came in asking for a ride to a funeral. I replied that I could not help as I was sick... she replied "listen I can pay I am not broke ass"  I wanted to reply that I indeed was but just laid there on the floor. I had assumed nearly every curled position  you can take inside a stall when finally my feet slowly slid out underneath the door and into the open floor space. The third comment I heard was..." Maaaaam?" Two and a half hours later Cindy and I were finally able to stumble to our van and Jenny and Jan got us across the border to Lethbridge. Lucky for the truck stop there.... a hotel room was available.


ELKFORD (second night of the race)....After a second day of cold rain many racers gathered in Elkford in a hotel. My room did not have hot water. CHIT! I was already on a down turn and did not have enough energy to inquire so I went to bed dirty. I mean dirty. It rained all night. In the morning I was able to eat a bit of breakfast and was feeling a bit optimistic about the day. We set out one by one and in small groups  and as we twisted and turned deeper and deeper into the woods I noticed a set of prints to my right. The prints were so fresh the mud stood in perfect pyramids between its pads. No claws. Looked a lot like .....cattie prints... but desert plate sized!!  Oh chit!  They went on for a mile. My nerves went on for much longer than that.