Day 16 - Junction 421

It was still cloudy and flurries but I decided to get going and hope that the weather would improve further up the road.

I knew the next junction was 52 km ahead and I would go as far as I could weather permitting and my feet. I started to put cotton between my toes which seemed to help some.

The drizzle continued. I had gone 20 km and the rain was on and off. I was doing everything I could think of to encourage myself to keep going. The wind wasn't bad but it was cold and wet.

Over the next 20 km or so I passed Birchy Lake which was kind of in a valley. The scenery was beautiful. I had passed a number of RV parks but once I left the valley there wasn't much in the way of camping spots. I had gone about 45 km and still no where to camp. I kept telling myself there would be something around the corner or over this hill but there was nothing until I saw a sign for a restaurant at the junction 5 km ahead. I knew I would beable to pitch my tent there so I would keep going. I kept telling myself just a little further and then I can rest my feet. The weight of my back pak and wet feet were starting to take its tole on my feet.

Finally I could see the restaurant in the distance but it looked closed. There was an RV lot where I could set up my tent. By now it was raining harder. I was a bit worried how I would dry stuff over night but my first concern was to get out of these wet clothes and shoes and rest my feet. I would worry about the rest tomorrow.

I saw a truck parked beside the restaurant so I decided to try the door. Am I ever glad I did. It was open and so was the restaurant. What a relief. I sat down and didn't move for a few hours. I ate and had a few cups of coffee. Thats where I met a couple more Angels. Ruby and her daughter Laura worked the restaurant. We talked for a long time. By now it was snowing heavily. I also met Leone who had stopped at the restaurant shortly after I did. She had traveled from Alberta with her dog K-Cee and was on holidays. She would park her Van there for the night. Ruby and Laura had invited me to stay with them instead of setting up my tent. They were a Godsend. I showered, washed and dried my clothes and slept in a warm bed.