Group W Bench

I’m coordinating a visit with Kim.  She is going to meet me  at some point where the trail cross a road.  Targeting Hyatt Lake.  Because of this, I’m using my cell phone in the middle of the day, a rare occurrence.  I’m stopped by a water source.  Several other hikers show up and plop down in the shade for lunch.

While this is going on, I get an email from Russell the Quatermaster.  He has been  playing Trail Angel to Alex, Dan from Florida, and two other friends.  They are basically the whole State of Oregon ahead of me.

Now this may be the first time you have seen “Russell” and “Angel” in the same sentence.  We’re talking about Angeling, the verb, not Angel, the noun.  The only people who ever thought of Russell as Angel the noun are either now Octarians and of questionable memories, or are finally Angels for real and probably know better by now.

Anyway, in his capacity as Trail Angel he shared these thoughts from the Group W Bench.  (Being a certified Draft Dodger, the Group W Bench is something he is a relative expert on.)  This is from Russ’s email:

Group W Bench
Today I took some PCT hikers to REI downtown. I browsed for a bit and then took my preferred shopping position which is on the nearest bench or chair waiting. This particular bench was near the front door so I had lots of opportunity to observe the comings and goings of REI patrons. One person who caught my eye was an old dude like me on his exit from the cashier’s area. I noticed him because he was tall, broad and had long gray hair. (Not what you’re thinking here ok?) He was wearing cut off jeans and as I scanned down his long legs I thought it odd that he was wearing, what appeared to me to be, women’s sandals. Not that there’s anything wrong with that! But then as I looked closer I noticed that his toe nails were painted bright red.

A bit over red line on the weirdometer for me.

Back to the water source.  One of the guys I’ve been seeing off and on for the past two weeks is here, named Neon.  His toe nails are painted in neon colors.  Each a differ shade.  I did not know there were that many neon colors.  And in no way do the toe nails distract from his general fashion motif.   According to trail scuttlebutt, he just left NASA after 27 years of service.  I guess if I worked for the same company for 27 years, I’d want to let my Freak Flag fly as well.

Red toe nails in Portland?  Let’s Keep Portland Weird.  During lunch at the water source, in the course of general conversation, were heard these words:  “Let’s keep Oregon neon”.

So where do think those people on the Group W bench came from?