Dave's Camino Blog: It had to happen...

I I had breakfast with Pépe this morning. He is a soft spoken man of few words who is living day-day with his horse. I told him I was going to do the trail and he said "it's to difficult, take the road along the river". He had just come that way the day before. I told him I was on a pilgrimage and wanted to do the trail anyway as part of the Camino. He said the river road is an alternate route for the Camino and it counts. Next time a soft spoken wise old man named Pépe tells you to do something, seriously consider talking his advice.

It rained last night which made the incredibly steep, rocky trail a mess outside of Saint Cômte. As I was starting to leave, more rain. The trailhead outside of town was a bog with water and mud 6" deep in places. It was so rocky, muddy and steep that I was pushing and carrying my bike for close to 3 hours for sometimes a few feet or even inches at a time. The few hikers that were on the trail passing me kept saying "Bon Courage" ...It started drizzling near the top and the trail was so tight that it made for miserable conditions. I cut my shin on the petal while pushing my bike uphill and I had to stop and search for a bandaid. It's one of those cuts that looks way worse than it is.

Downhill was not much better and also not rideable but finally got to a section I thought might be rideable. I was desperate so I did it, but took two minor falls. I was going very slow and no injuries at all , but just added insult to the day. After getting down to paved road it's like finally! I rode for for a while and then the trail split off and turned off into a steep muddy trail again. After about 20' and lifting my bike with packs over a rock about 3', I gave up and went down to the road and thought of Pépe.

I'm in another historic small town called Estaing staying at a private house that has about 7 rooms for pilgrims. I'm meeting up with an ever expanding group of Camino friends tonight for dinner which is really nice. It's almost worked out being forced to do a single stage at time since I get to see the same faces day after day. I found out that a few of them took one look to the trail and decided to do the road. I also found out that the hikers have named me "That California biker guy". I wonder what that translates to in French?

Note to self...listen to Pépe.

Bon Nuit;

dàvé

One section of the trail today