090904

 

Salt Lake City, UT to Winnemucca, NV

Thursday September 9, 2004

     6:39am  I woke up around six. I packed up all my stuff and smoked a cigarette. I'm going to get up and start walking. An eighteen wheeler just pulled up right here, maybe he'll give me a ride to the truckstop.

                   I crashed by the Candlewood Suites.

     6:42am  Oh yeah, I crashed out next to the Evans Welding Fabricating Building. This old abandoned building. For sale or lease. Contact J. Copinga.

     6:46am I stopped under a highway. I'm going to smoke a cigarette and smoke some weed and keep walking. I think I have a mile to go for the next gas station.

                  I had a good walk this morning. I walked around the whole airport.

     7:32am  I picked up a work glove that was on the side of the highway. I might need it sometime. A blue work glove.

     7:55am  That blue sign says Lodging on Red Brothers Drive.

     8:09am  Cool, exit 113. Gas/food.

                   There's an eighteen wheeler pulled over over there. I'm going to see if he'll give me a ride.

                   The dude in the eighteen wheeler said he wasn't going that far.

     8:29am  I walked over to the Salt Lake International Center. There's a Subway here. I might be able to eat. And a gas station. I can go take a shit.

     9:29am  I came to the Phillips 66 here and took a shit. I bought me a burrito for two dollars. The two dollars that guy gave me the other night. Oh yeah, from that gay dude on the bus. That's right. I bought a burrito and I smoked a cigarette. I asked the cashier if I could ask for rides and she told me I couldn't. That I had to stay off the property. Oh well.

     10:19am  I walked over here to the West I80 on ramp. I'm going to stand here and stick my thumb out. Please Love, grant me a ride.

     10:45am  I'm giving up. I'm going to start walking on the highway.

     10:50am  Mile marker 113.

     11:11am  Mile marker 112. Sixteen minute mile exactly. Approximately four miles per hour.

                     Visitor Center next right. Maybe I'll get a ride.

     11:20am  I came to some bridge to rest my feet. I've been hauling ass, man. Just hauling ass.

     11:31am  I'm up from my rest.

     11:37am  Mile marker 111.

     11:49am  Wendover 110. Reno 511.

     11:53am  Mile marker 110. Another sixteen minute mile.

                     Did another sixteen minute mile. It is my consistent persistency which will ensure the success of this mission.

     12:00pm  I got my destination. I see a billboard for a Flying J truckstop. A mere ten miles away. Exit 99. Let's see how long it takes me to get there.

     12:10pm  Mile marker 109. Sit and rest.

     12:19pm  I'm up walking again. I didn't sit down and rest. I took a couple shots of Muscleblast and I'm gone.

     12:35pm  Passing mile Marker 108. One down, nine to go. 

                     I'm not going to stop. I'm just going to keep going. I feel great.

     12:51pm  Mile marker 107. Another sixteen minute mile. Now I'm going to stop and rest.

     1:03pm  Leaving mile marker 107.

     1:20pm  Mile marker 106. I'm going to keep going.

     1:26pm  I just passed a big sign that said Saltair Drive one mile. Exit 104.

                   Saltair Drive. One word.

     1:30pm  Passing sign that says Great Salt Lake State Marina. Magna. Exit 104.

     1:33pm  Passing sign that says Saltair Drive, ½ mile. It doesn't seem like I've walked that far.

     1:37pm  Mile marker 105. Four down, six to go.

                   I'm going to rest behind the bridge.

                   This bridge is right after Exit 104. The Saltair Drive exit.

     1:50pm  I came to bridge to rest. I see the mile marker not too far away.

     2:00pm  I am up walking. Up from my rest.

     2:05pm  Passing Mile marker 104. Five down, five to go. Halfway there.

     2:29pm  Passing sign that says Tooele 17 miles. Wendover 103 miles. Elko 212 miles.

     2:32pm  Marker 103. Six down, four to go.

     2:34pm  I found a wallet on the ground. I'm going to see what's in it.

     2:39pm  I never told you I'm walking along the Great Salt Lake. I've never seen it before. I'm almost to marker 102.

     2:40pm  Mile marker 102. Seven down, three to go.

     3:03pm  I had a great long rest. I'm going to walk the remaining three miles.

     3:04pm  Entering Tooele County.

     3:13pm  Passing Mile marker 101. Eight down, two more to go.

     3:17pm  There's a View Area coming up.

     3:21pm  I came to the View Area and Ray in his RV is going to give me some water. I appreciate it, brother. I was going to die, hehe. Thanks.

     3:25pm  At the View Area John and Kerry, in a blue van hooked me up with a ride to the truckstop. I appreciate it, guys. Everybody gets credit, thanks.

     3:29pm  They let me ride. Oh yeah, that wallet. I found a Subway card in it. I wonder if there is any points on it. I'm going to check at the Subway.

     3:32pm  Cole's going to hook me up with some gasoline for my stomach. I appreciate it, brother. Everybody gets credit, thanks.

     3:41pm  The Subway card had twenty one points on it. The dude hooked me up anyway. Even a soda. He made me a badass chicken sandwich.

                   Welcome to Tooele, Victor.

     4:15pm  I walked over to the TA across the street. Truck Stop of America. I'm going to ask for rides.

                   Oh yeah, I got hooked up by the guy Cole. He was all, "Yeah, we all smoke here." He came outside and I gave him my presentation. I got all the way up to where I sing the NOFX song. I couldn't tell him my whole story because he had to go to work.

     4:22pm  Cool, I got permission from the girl who works here when she walked by. I asked her, "Hey, are you guys going to run me out of here for asking people for rides?" She told me not at all.. Oh yeah, then I got an idea. I went inside and found the same girl and asked her, "Hey, would a sign be inappropriate?" She said, "No, I don't think so." She even went and got me a box and cut it for me. I made my sign. I wish I had a camera. All it says is WEST with a question mark at the end.

     5:09pm  I already got my ride. John's getting me closer to California. I appreciate it, brother. Everybody gets credit, thanks.

                   Man, John came up to me and asked me what direction I was headed. I didn't ask. He offered. He told me he could get me as far as Winnemucca, NV.

     6:37pm  We're almost to Wendover, like four miles away. John is telling me that over on the left there's this building that used to be an old army base. That's where they trained the people who dropped the two atomic bombs back in Hiroshima.

     6:38pm  We're entering the Silver State, Nevada. Elko County Line.

     6:44pm  Entering the Pacific Time Zone.

                   We stopped in Welles to use the restroom. John was nice enough to get me some snacks. I appreciate it, John.

     9:18pm  I just got dropped off at the Flying J Travel Plaza in Winnemucca, Nevada.

Next day..