Outdoor Adventures with Ancient Brit
PCT 2002 - August 15th
Day 114: Thursday 15th August
Thielsen Creek Camp – Tolo Mountain
We left about 7am in the morning and were soon passed by Peter and Ed and
“Cheddarhead” who had camped, along with Teresa, higher up Thielsen Creek.
When I told “Rogue” that I used to teach sport in England, a long discussion ensued
after he had said “Sport isn’t part of education and shouldn’t take place in schools”. He
had been expelled from school, as a 15 year-old, for refusing to take part in any sport. In
most American schools the emphasis is on American Football, Baseball and Basketball,
with a highly competitive commercial attitude even at the school level. Most of their
school sport is taught by failed professional sportsmen who have only really got an
interest sport as an elite activity. A very different attitude than the “Sport for All”
emphasis I had been used to when teaching sport in an English school. I was in a school
where much of the sport was taught by enthusiastic academic staff and they tended to
develop a good rapport with the less able games players.
I left “Rogue” when he stopped to repair some blisters and walked with
“Cheddarhead” for a bit. He was from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and although he generally
walked fast, he didn’t usually start until after 8am. At the moment he was also having
blister problems and he had cut big bits out of the heels of his boots to alleviate the
problems.
At lunch I had just stripped to dry off and was surprised by a young German couple
walking south from the Oregon/Washington border down to Crater Lake. After lunch
“Rogue” caught up again but he had to drop down off the ridge to Six Horse Spring for
water. I had not wanted to make this detour so I had carried enough water for the whole
day and for tonight’s camp. I arranged with “Rogue” to camp ahead on the broad ridge of
Tolo Mountain.
I camped early at 6.30 pm having completed an easy 20 miles along broad ridges
through forest with only occasional views of the big volcanoes. “Rogue turned up about 90
minutes later.
Day 114: 20.3 miles 7.34 hours Camp: Tolo Mountain
Thielsen Creek Camp – Tolo Mountain
We left about 7am in the morning and were soon passed by Peter and Ed and
“Cheddarhead” who had camped, along with Teresa, higher up Thielsen Creek.
When I told “Rogue” that I used to teach sport in England, a long discussion ensued
after he had said “Sport isn’t part of education and shouldn’t take place in schools”. He
had been expelled from school, as a 15 year-old, for refusing to take part in any sport. In
most American schools the emphasis is on American Football, Baseball and Basketball,
with a highly competitive commercial attitude even at the school level. Most of their
school sport is taught by failed professional sportsmen who have only really got an
interest sport as an elite activity. A very different attitude than the “Sport for All”
emphasis I had been used to when teaching sport in an English school. I was in a school
where much of the sport was taught by enthusiastic academic staff and they tended to
develop a good rapport with the less able games players.
I left “Rogue” when he stopped to repair some blisters and walked with
“Cheddarhead” for a bit. He was from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and although he generally
walked fast, he didn’t usually start until after 8am. At the moment he was also having
blister problems and he had cut big bits out of the heels of his boots to alleviate the
problems.
At lunch I had just stripped to dry off and was surprised by a young German couple
walking south from the Oregon/Washington border down to Crater Lake. After lunch
“Rogue” caught up again but he had to drop down off the ridge to Six Horse Spring for
water. I had not wanted to make this detour so I had carried enough water for the whole
day and for tonight’s camp. I arranged with “Rogue” to camp ahead on the broad ridge of
Tolo Mountain.
I camped early at 6.30 pm having completed an easy 20 miles along broad ridges
through forest with only occasional views of the big volcanoes. “Rogue turned up about 90
minutes later.
Day 114: 20.3 miles 7.34 hours Camp: Tolo Mountain
Mount Thielsen
Rogue and
Howlock Mountain
Howlock Mountain
Rogue in camp
 |  |
| |