Days 21 & 22 of Wisconsin-Minnesota Hike

Mon., June 21 - We talked about 7:30am and Jim was doing well. He had a pleasant evening at the local bar & grill eating a nice supper and talking to another customer who lives locally. He was disturbed much of the night by heat lightning. Sure enough about 4:30am there was a thunderstorm for a couple of hours. Once the rain lightened up, he went out to explore the park area. He had been wondering how he would get water to make his breakfast. He found an old-fashioned pump and then an outhouse - all the comforts of home! Since his tent was soaked, he moved everything over to the pavilion and draped the tent over a picnic table to dry it a little before packing up. After breakfast he was on the trail just before 7:30, after discarding excess food to lighten his pack for this final day of hiking. The skies don't appear threatening yet, just overcast with patches of blue - quite a cool breeze blowing - optimum hiking conditions for Day 21. The forecast does call for scattered showers & thunderstorms, so he hopes to get most of his mileage in while the weather is nice. We talked again briefly at 9:45 while he was taking a half hour rest at one of the trail picnic tables in Osakis, MN - temps still cool & breezy. He is really thrilled with this Lake Wobegon Trail - the amenities on the trail itself, as well as the access to local towns, just a few feet off the trail. It would be a perfect trail for a day hike - no need to carry food, just stop in town for a nice lunch break - what a nice support for local businesses. I could even be talked into an all day hike with those luxuries!
Once again, the best laid plans.... Jim called about 2:30 and google maps failed him AGAIN - the Holiday Inn was not where they said it was!!! It was all the way on the other side of the highway interchange. Once he realized it wasn't where he thought it was, he called them and they gave him directions to walk another 4 miles. He said "I can't possibly walk anymore today - can you pick me up?" They asked if he had a reservation and he said "yes" (thank God I had made one last night - we don't usually do that). They arranged to pick him up at the Burger King nearby. Then they asked how they would recognize him! He said "I'm the guy with a 3-day beard growth and a large heavy pack on my back - not any others like me here". He told me that his legs are really tired and he could not walk even another mile today - time for this hike to end! We talked again at 3:00 and he had been picked up and was in his room. He had even set up his tent on a patch of grass near the parking lot to dry it out. He was drinking large amounts of iced water. And the good news is that the man who picked him up will drive him to the bus stop tomorrow morning (he was planning on a taxi). So I guess all's well that ends well. Fortunately, the hotel has a restaurant on premises so he won't have to walk far for his dinner. We talked again briefly tonight and Jim did have a nice dinner in the hotel restaurant.
Miles Today - 17 Total Miles for This WI-MN Hike Segment - 376.75

Tues., June 22 - We talked early this morning and Jim had a good breakfast at the hotel and then caught his pre-arranged ride to the bus station. When we talked he was waiting for the bus to arrive. We talked briefly as I was leaving the soup kitchen this afternoon and his bus ride was pretty much on schedule and it dropped him in downtown Minneapolis where he caught another bus (as the only passenger) to the airport. When we talked he was waiting at the gate to board his plane to Chicago and then a connecting flight to Newark. He did call from Chicago to say he had made it that far. Later in the evening we had a terrible thunderstorm here in New Jersey - I sure was hoping this wouldn't delay Jim's flight! Lo & behold, his flight was a half hour early. So the weary traveler is now home safe & sound and apparently none the worse for wear. We'll see if he can fit into dress shoes to go to work tomorrow... Jim has now walked 2,125 miles and more than halfway across the country. Thank you all for your interest in Jim's travels - see you in September when Jim will finish Minnesota and more than half of North Dakota.