The Green Tortoise Part Vlll

As the bus pulls out of the parking lot and onto I-80 East, I slip into the forbidden bathroom and change into my bathing suit.

Joe tries to get a party started in the front of the bus but Driver Dave stops him with another rule.

"People, there is another rule!" Conversations stop quickly so we can hear the latest rule. I start to wonder if he makes these rules up along the way just as he sees fit.

"RULE NUMBER 10: YOU MUST ASK THE DRIVER IF IT IS OKAY TO DRINK! Sometimes it is cool to have a drink on the bus, other times it isn't and the Driver always has to know when you're drinking." He focuses his attention to those sitting near the front of the bus and gives a hard gaze. They listen intently.

"In some places it will be okay for you to have a drink, and other places it's not cool. Just ask, okay?" he says nodding his head looking for head bobbing as a response.

Joe pipes in, "Can we have a drink now?"

"No." Dave says. "We are going on a hike and then into hot springs and it is a bad idea to mix alcohol and hot springs. But once we are back on the bus you can have a drink."

He turns his attention to the rest of us and says, "You know, you don't have to drink to have a good time."

This statement wins my heart. Maybe my immediate fears are all wrong! Maybe this won't be a party bus. Maybe, just maybe, this will be a great trip.

Maybe.

Joe grumbles in disappointment and puts the bottle of vodka he produced away for later.

I feel bad for Driver Dave having to be the "bad guy" in this situation but appreciate him and what he does. He and Cassie work their asses off grocery shopping, driving and keeping the bus safe with all these people on it. It seems like a thankless job. And it reminds me so much of the kind of work I used to do...babysitting a bunch of people who would push the rules as far as they could...showing up for work drunk, being late, stealing. It was a thankless job and I imagined myself as a bus driver for the Green Tortoise, treating "Sol" (the name of our bus) as my own.

Immediately I banished the thought from my head as I gazed into the sleeping cupboard. No thank you! When I had the Malibu Stacey Funtime Camper at least I was able to have a large bed and she was oh, so comfortable to sleep in. God bless Malibu Stacey.

"Are we there yet?" Joe asks in his thickest New York accent. Joe is not only a republican spin master, he is an ammature stand-up comedian.

"No." Driver Dave says as drive by the second exit to Elko. "It'll take about an hour or so to get where we're going."

People return to their small clusters and wonder what will be for dinner since many are very hungry from a full day hiking. It is getting late in the day. Some people stopped by the deli to pick-up fried chicken as a snack, others munch on Pringle's potato chips and Elfin' chocolate cream cookies. I have a pint of raspberries, an avocado and a couple of hard boiled eggs.

The bus pulls off the freeway and drives through the desolate town of Wells, Nevada. It was a destination for the Western Shoshone Indians during the 1840's and 50's and then became a stop for pioneers moving west for gold. When they crossed the salt beds after crossing the mountains, Wells became a destination to replenish gear and supplies before the long haul through the Nevada desert and Sierra Mountains.

Many of the old buildings have been restored but the town still looks abandoned; depressed. Now there are a couple of truck stops that are open but not too many other businesses look thriving as our bus drives down main street.

We cross over railroad tracks and onto a smaller road, then another turn and onto a dirt road. The bus finds our location and turns around before we rise to exit, gathering our things. Driver Dave instructs us to bring a towel and our flashlights since it will be dark when we are hiking back to the bus.

Like school children, we do as we are told grabbing things and stuffing them into our day packs. As we exit the bus we are each handed something that will be a part of our dinner to carry into the hot springs. I am handed a big box of assorted crackers and take all the cardboard off.

"People, we are on private land and we leave no trace that we were here. That means what we carry in, we bring out. Everything. Got it?" Driver Dave instructs.

"Is there a bathroom?" a voice asks.

"Only the bushes." Driver Dave replies. "We will be stopping much later tonight at a truck stop to "Miracle" the bus so you may want to hold number 2...or take a shovel with you, it's in the bay. Should I get it out?"

"No." the voice replies.

"The hot springs are about a mile that way," he points east. "You are gonna have to cross a stream and I don't know how high it will be but pay attention because when you're walking back, it will be dark out so try and figure out how to cross in the most shallow spot."

"Start walking." He says.

We head down the dirt road in the middle of nowhere, Nevada.

I am a walker. I walk just about everyday at least three miles a day. Before this trip, I was walking up to eight miles in a day so I know how far a mile is and when we'd been walking for about thirty minutes, and still no sign of the stream, I started to get concerned. It was clear that we were on the right road, since there were no other options before us. Wild sage brush and black flies were everywhere. As we the road made a slight turn to the left, we saw about a hundred heads of cattle all mooing "hello".

An amours bull chased after several cows in hot pursuit. Young calves were being escorted away from the road and the intruders by their protective mothers. Several people in our group started mooing hello back to the animals and the field filled with sound.

"Watch your step." I say to my companions as cow pies were everywhere. Cows appeared on our left stopping from crossing the road to let us by first. I waved.

We had walked two miles and still no sign of the stream.

"Did we miss it?" Someone asked.

"I don't think so." Someone else replied.

The group was getting tired. Many had already hiked five miles today and we were not at our destination yet. Everyone was hungry. We all were starting to smell.

A half a mile later and we see the stream. Headed towards us is a family carrying a cooler. I stop and ask them if we are close to the hot springs.

"Yup." The father replies. "It's about another mile or so that-a-way." And he points in the direction we'd been walking in.

The stream is icy cold glacier water mixed with cow manure and many in the group stop waiting for someone else to cross first. The young boys start crossing and take a step into the icy waters. "Come on in! It feels good!" they cry to the people standing at the edge.

I move forward, see how far the water comes up on their waist and choose a different spot. Icy waters hit me mid-thigh and I quickly trot across the stream assisting others come across. Judy from Australia is an active woman. Once crossing the waters she says to me that she is worried about crossing the stream in the dark. Several others say the same. I offer to lead them back immediately following dinner once we hit the hot springs.

A half a mile later and we arrive at the hot springs. Cassie spreads out a large blanket and she and Driver Dave start gathering all the ingredients we carried. It is a smörgåsbord of appetizers such as hummus, carrots, Brie, horseradish cheddar cheese, crackers, lunch meat, rolls, grapes, brownies, cookies. We swarm the food wet from a quick plunge into the hot springs.

"Let's not think about how dirty we all are in this warm bath water." I say as we sit snuggly in the small hot springs. The springs feed into the stream that we crossed earlier. The Europeans are excited that there is a cold water plunge after being in the hot water.

When we are eating a customized pick-up truck pulls up to our spot and four drunk local early twenty guys emerge. They open the coolers in the back of the monster truck and start drinking beers. I say hello.

"You all walk here?" they ask.

"Yeah." I say. "That was our bus back there a ways."

"Damn! That's a long walk!" one of the guys says to me. "Want a beer?"

More than anything, I thought to myself...but Driver Dave said no drinking at the hot springs and I was just about ready to head back with Judy.

"Better not." I say. "Don't want to get in trouble..." and I look over my shoulder towards Dave and they nod knowingly. I was glad there were kids with us. They were playing with Driver Dave and they guys seemed to understand that we weren't drinkers. Maybe they thought we were Christians or even Mormons. There are a lot of Mormons in Eastern Nevada.

"You about ready?" Judy asks me holding a small plate of food.

"Yup." I say. I tell the guys we're headed back before sunset and excuse myself. They head for the hot springs and start playing "Dunk the Little Guy". I did not want to hang-out with the locals and was glad Judy was eager to get back to the bus.

I tell Cassie that Judy an I are headed back and ask if there is something for us to carry. She hands me extra mustard that we didn't use and hand sanitizer. Judy gets uneaten crackers and some rolls. We stow the items and start to head out. Several other travelers grab items from the buffet and follow us.

"One mile? One mile? Bloody Hell!" Judy says angerly. Like many of the other travelers, she did not know that she would be walking eleven miles today. She was tired, cranky and wanted a good hot shower. We all fantasized about hot showers that day and everyday until we got one in the Grand Tetons.

I am a fast walker and once we crossed the stream, I asked Judy if she minded if I walked faster, at my normal pace. She said she didn't mind and she'd meet me on the bus so I moved ahead alone.

It was the best walk on the trip. The cows mooed hello and I watched the sunset across the high desert enjoying the purple wild flowers, green pastures, yellow hay fields. I savor the peace and quiet on the bus, still warm from the setting sun. The temperature drops dramatically outside and I feel bad for the people walking back to the bus cold and in the dark. I am so glad that we returned early.

I change my clothes, pull out my sleeping bag, make an emergency bag to take with me in case I have to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night that has my wallet with ID, cell phone, shorts and a bra and my daily thyroid medication. I pray quietly to myself as I prepare for another nights sleep on the bus.

Oh Dear God...
Please hold my bladder tight as we travel tonight. May the other people be warm and safe as we drive through the night. I am serious God. Keep us safe. We need the protection. Thanks for the snacks and for Judy wanting to come back early. I really loved the walk...thanks for all the beauty. Amen. Ashey. Namaste.


I sleep through everyone returning to the bus tired and hungry again from the walk back and am awakened at the truck stop when it is time to "Miracle" the bus. They let me keep my sleeping bag where it was and as soon as I can, I crawl back to sleep not knowing where we are headed next.

To be continued....

So much love,
All the way from over here....
Linda