Day 204

It was freezing when I woke up. Literally. I had to stay in my sleeping bag until the sun came up. I wasn’t in a hurry so I figured I’d just stay warm in my tent until the sun was up. It warms up quickly out here. I packed up everything and got ready for a short walking day. I had 3 miles of steep uphill and then 4 miles downhill into Eureka, Nevada where I was hoping to find a place to watch football and recharge.
The climb up to pinto summit was tough but I made it. It was a beautiful morning and once I was going downhill I was enjoying being out here. A man pulled over and asked if I wanted a ride into town but I kindly refused and explained what I was doing. He looked at me like I was crazy. Go figure…
I got into Eureka. There was a history plaque that said some guy found gold here and said, “Eureka!” That’s how the town began. It’s still a mining town but it has seen better days. Really awesome buildings though. Even the ones that are closed have a certain beauty to them. A true western mining town. Simple as that. 
I find the first motel and it was early but the woman who works there saw me walking up and got excited. She has helped a lot of walkers in the past. She hosted Nate Damm during his walk. I read his book before I began my walk and I got excited about my own journey as I read his stories. She was in his book. So here I was, on my own story now. She was a true angel to the walkers. I knew most of the other names she mentioned as she rolled down the list of walkers she’s met in the past. She is known as Barbie. 
She got me all checked in and I went across the street to a saloon (yes, a freaking saloon) to see about some food and some football. I got there just in time for kickoff and stayed there all day. I met some wonderful people. This town is owning up to it’s claim as the friendliest town on the loneliest road in America. 
The bartender was a character. I loved her immediately. Just happy and nice. She has had someone that she knew that has died from an overdose.  I hung out with her, some locals, and some other tourists all day. I didn’t want to leave when I did but I was exhausted and ready to shower and crash. I slept like a baby.