Day 37 – Partnership Shelter to Long Neck farm and hostel

A morning search for the dishsoap was unsuccessful. We caught the 8:30 shuttle, which dropped me off at Walmart. The shuttle service is basically part of a free public transit system for the Marion area.

Based on advice from a hiker on the shuttle, after my resupply I walked 2 miles to the other end of town past the interstate,  and hitchhiked back to the HQ from there. I didn’t have to wait too long, maybe 10 minutes,  before Phoenix  (real name, not trailname) picked me up. He’s a private shuttle driver and had a paid ride waitng at HQ so I got up there for free.

I started hiking with Serial Killer, who got their name from a minor accident that produced a lot of blood, then ran into Two-and-a-half, who likes to make breakfast with three pouches of instant oats, but often drops one and catches it in midair, losing half the contents. I mentioned that I would be staying at an alpaca farm hostel, and he seemed interested. 

Around 2 o’clock I arrived at a one room school house and the Settlers Museum (but badly sprained my ankle on flat ground). There I met Silver and Forge. Forge looked vaguely familiar.  I mentioned the alpaca farm to them and they also sounded interested.

The most interesting thing about the Settlers Museum was how there was absolutely no mention of who was here before the settlers. I mentioned that to Silver and Forge, and basically was told “The winners get to write tge history books”.

I got to Long Neck Farm around 5pm. A few alpacas were out as I climbed the hill, but they were not atcall interested in another hiker. At the hostel I met Apollo, a young’en who plans to wake up at 5 tomorrow.  I said I might try to do the same. Silver, Forge, and Two-and-a-half artived later. Unfortunately they had all either eaten at the Mexican restaurant down the highway, or ordered takeout from it, so here I am, on the eve of my birthday,  eating a veg burrito at El Burrito Loco all by my lonesome. Hopefully people won’t all be asleep by the time I get back to the hostel.

Mile 534.4 to mile 546.1 = 11.7 miles