Day 1

It has been said that the start of a journey always starts with the first step.  My first step was somewhat shaky.  It is Thursday 10-27-2011 and I have packed and repacked my backpack three times to try and get the weight down so that it is feasible to carry it around for a couple of years.  After leaving behind many things that I had classified as important for this trip, it was still very heavy.  I decided to give it a go and get on with this long-awaited first step, I was getting ready to lock up the door to this wonderful place that I had called home for the last 14 months, but who should pull into the driveway but my trusty friend and landlord, Lura.  She was killing time before a doctors appointment and had stop to see how much of a mess I left.  To her surprise, I was still there.  Lura ended up giving me a ride all the way to Bandon.  We said our second good byes and I started my little walk.  1/2 mile later I took that way-too-heavy of a backpack off and called my friend, Pidd, to offer her lunch and ask her for a favor.  Pidd came to my rescue and we had lunch and then ended up driving north to Coos Bay, where I purchased a little trailer that is normally used to pull behind a bicycle, and a different tent as I had jettisoned my other tent to lighten my load.  Pidd then took me back to her place in Bandon where we put the new bike trailer together and then she drove me all the way to Gold Beach.  I camped on the beach there with the stars shining overhead and the sound of the waves crashing on the beach.  That was my first day.  I am writing this from a friend's house in Redwood Valley, Ca. on my fourth day, as it was not in the cards to post before now.  123 miles today which includes some detours.