Afternoon Trials

How did I end up sitting in a small tavern at a roadside stop in the middle of nowhere, nestled between two towns which are themselves nowhere?

A tale that brings us from a sunny morning with lush intentions to a frigid afternoon and an $80 towtruckbill. Now, surgically implant within that a 6 kilometre hike along a deserted logging road, a dead car by the side of said road, a frozen lunch, numbness reaching all extremities...all, and a staff at the tavern who were less than willing to help.

Short version. I decided to go into the bush some km's west of Prince George along a logging road and do some hiking. I got there, to my destination, and started to getr ready. I was listening to the radio..on battery power. NOt a big deal, normally. But today, oh today, the battery decided to die. Yes, die. Leaving me stranded some km's along a logging road that was not going to be used until monday morning. I was prepared for the cold, not all of it but some of it. I had enought gear, lunch and the will of survival to walk my way out and hitch a ride to the tavern, and then reel in some help. It was just a boost, after all.

But then it got cold. And I got colder. Even before I left I could not feel my feet or fingers, and I figured I had 2 hours of a walk ahead of me back to the main road. Damn it.

SO, i decided to take one more swig of my coffee and head out. I took a sip...and my mouth and INNER MOUTH was so cold I honestly could not feel the coffee until it hit my upper throat. I was a little concerned. Concern only grew as I kept going. I rigged up a way to keep my face warm(er) but my hands were a challenge. Then I figured that out. Then my toes. Oh sweet damn my toes. I was resigned to the fact that I was going to lose my pinky toe...I was honestly and very readily able to cope with the fact that in sucha short itme I had negated ever having a pinky toew again. Hospital, take it off, smoother it with some sort of overly-expensive cream and wait it out. But no - I discovered dancing! Yes, dancing while walking was enough to fight off the toe-cold and soon my feet were remedied by my body heat.

...

Some time later, I makeit to the tavern.

Call a tow.

He will be an hour.

Have a beer.

He comes. Real nice chap, but he has to coem from far and the bill is going to be $80 (another guy wanted $150). We go rescue my car, and I am on my way.

From so simple a beginning, so complex an afternoon took place (anyone catch the quote?!?). And cold, oh the cold. I was fearing the cold the whole time. And I was fully dressed in proper gear. It was that cold.

Anywho, that was that. Im home now and going for sushi. Walking there, no less.