where we go from here

I move on tomorrow, whether or not the knee's ready. Commenters and emailers have, with increasing frequency, been asking me whether I might switch to biking or some other way of crossing the country if my knee gets too bad. I'll think about it; if this walk has taught me nothing else, it's "Never say never." I suppose changing the name to "Kevin's Roll" is better than changing it to "Kevin's Gimp."

I'll be hiking to a campground by Exit 151, and will stay there a night or two. From there, I'll move on to Boardman (Exit 164), where a campground lies about 13 or so miles from the Exit 151 camp. Here, too, it'll be one or two nights; I'll likely purchase my painkillers while there.

Boardman puts me at about two days' walk to Umatilla, nearly 24 miles away (I'm not sure I should try 24 miles in a single day). Once in Umatilla, CS host Amanda and her hubby will take me in for a night or more (if Amanda's mother-in-law has anything to say about the situation, it'll be "or more": the MIL apparently wants to meet me).

Walking from Umatilla to Walla Walla puts me first on Route 730, then on Route 12. After Umatilla, I'll spend a night at Hat Rock State Park, after which I'll be passing through the Washingtonian towns of Fort Kelley, Wallula Junction, Reese, Touchet, Lowden, and finally Walla Walla. If anyone knows of places to stay or camp along that route, please tell me.



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