Nobody Warned Me About The Porcupines, and other very short stories

On the 5th of July, I traveled along the southern border of Glacier National Park. I quickly realized that hwy 2 (which runs along the park boundary) was quite difficult to bicycle, so I decided to try and hitch hike. A long 20 minutes later, a retired electrician in a large RV gave me a ride to Essex, about half way through the park. From there, I biked to East Glacier. I camped just outside East Glacier (in the National Forest, not the Indian Reservation) that night and welcomed my dad, Ben, off the train the next morning.

We explored the park and the adjacent National Forest over the next few days. 

 America is where premium gasoline is cheaper than bottled water. Photo by Ben Y.

Photo by Ben Y.

Porky

At 0015 on the 7th, we awoke to a rustling in the vestibule of the tent. Ben slapped the tent, and when he pulled back his hand, there was a porcupine quill in his finger. After removing the quill, we saw that the creature appeared to be eating the ground where we had peed, apparently seeking out the salts of our urine. Soon, it moved on to richer salt supplies. Including, but not limmed to:

• My helmet strap (completely severed)
• The foam of my helmet
• My safety vest
• Leather bicycle seat
• Fabric bike bag handle
• Ben's backpack (rendering one zipper useless)

It showed no interest in our food. Unfortunately, it hardly seemed to notice loud noises and bright lights, and throwing rocks only scared it away briefly. 

Hitchhiking

I think my american flag boosts my hitchhiking success rate. Going from Essex to West Glacier, Ben and I were picked up by a former Marine. He had served for 30 years and he spent each of the 30 minutes we rode together telling us a story from his time in uniform. 

Free Lunch

Today, around 1300, I stopped for a drink of water. A grey haired man wearing glasses said hello, asked me where I was headed, and offered me a sandwich. I learned that he and his wife had ridden their tandem bicycle in 49 of the U.S. states - they were on their way to Alaska. Yes, they shipped their bike to Hawaii. The sandwich that Barbara made for me was good, and it was served with a pickle. 

I'm camped tonight on Lake Inez. There are ripe huckleberries, no mosquitoes, and the water is perfect for swimming. I'm still struggling to get photos from my camera to my phone, hence the lack of pictures. Tomorrow I'll be back on our planned route to the East coast, still not sure when or where I'll meet Elijah.