This morning, still within the line of sight of the Motel 6 I stayed in last night, I managed to pour gasoline all over myself. Maybe I was too quick on the trigger at the pump? Maybe there was some back pressure in my gas tank? Regardless, the tank hit overflow, and something needed to be done about my gasoline soaked shoes and pants.
Despite my valiant effort to commandeer the bathroom sink and salvage the valuables, nothing was saved. The scent of gasoline was inescapable.
What I did learn is shoes can air dry within an hour or two if you hang them outside of the car. And if nothing else, I needed them outside of the car to avoid losing my sense of smell for life.
I pitched the kicks and pants at the Denver REI. We’ll find out tomorrow if the replacement shoes I bought are suitable for the PCT hike. I’ll put them to the test tomorrow while stomping around Moab, Utah. There are two (2) national parks here within the radius of two (2) Midwest suburban Wal-Marts. I plan to at least snap some photos at both.
For tonight I’m relying on input from a Denver REI employee to find (in the dark) suitable BLM land just outside of Moab to camp. I’ll just sleep in my car and hope my sleeping bags thick enough to function as blinds.
