The Heart of the Oregon Coast

With a whole month to keep track of, it’s kind of hard to keep dates, places, and times straight. We were so sure that the Tillamook Valley and Nestucca Valley “short cut” had saved us a day . . . and then we realized that our working itinerary hadn’t given Lincoln City any attention. It frightened us at first, but Lincoln City is only five miles from top to bottom, not twelve, so there was only a small adjustment necessary. The answer to yesterday’s “tease” question, obviously, is no -- Lincoln City is not as spread out as Florence. Florence is, indeed, twelve miles long and will likely take a full day to pass through. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

The eleven mile journey today was really the first taste I’ve had of urban walking. Yes, I used to walk in the city every day with my dog Rembrandt, but not like today with crosswalk signs to obey and traffic to dodge. The air near Tillamook was memorable for its own unique reasons, but I am praying to forget the obvious amount of exhaust fumes through the five miles of downtown Lincoln City. It’s a charming town and is self-described as “The Heart of the Oregon Coast.” But it has four lanes of auto traffic, much of it idling at a standstill for periods that last as long as a red light. I initiated some of those red lights by pressing the crosswalk buttons, but I’ll only take partial blame for the exhaust odors. I take none of the blame for the driver that almost hit me as I was crossing a driveway into a coffee stand. If you are old enough, perhaps you remember the Odd Couple television series where the opening credits always showed Oscar Madison nearly getting hit by a taxi. He responded with mean gestures and harsh words. Well, that was me today, minus the mean gestures and the harsh words; I was praying the Rosary, as I have been at the start of each day. That’s a sure cure for those prone to mean gestures and/or harsh words! [If you aren't old enough to remember the Odd Couple, nod knowingly and allow me the ancient cultural reference.]

I haven’t mentioned all of the prayer intentions along the way. Some of them are personal and wouldn’t bear mentioning here; I hope you’ll allow me that. Nonetheless, each day has had a special ”theme” of prayer and today I devoted myself to praying for all teenagers. Our youth group at the Church of St. Mary in Eugene had (and has) a special place in my heart. Given that 1^st Way Life Center in Eugene sometimes ministers to very young women, I was especially attentive to their prayerful needs today, too. I also prayed for youth ministers, volunteers, core team members, all young people who have been led closer to Christ (especially through the Eucharist), and those still waiting for the Spirit of God to touch them in a meaningful way. If all that weren’t enough, I prayed for young people who are looking for a way out of gang life or any other things that keep them from being free. I wore a t-shirt today which says, “A job is the surest way to stop a bullet” and “Jobs Not Jails.” The shirt is from Homeboy Industries in L.A. Fr. Greg Boyle has established Homeboy in order to make and find jobs for gang members in order to get them out of that life. If you are prone to pray, please put in a word for Fr. Greg and the young people he is serving. St. John Bosco is the patron of young people and I think he stays pretty busy these days. Pray for us.

Yesterday, passing through the southern end of the Nestucca Valley and through Neskowin, I passed the 100 mile mark. I also climbed to 752 feet and felt a genuine sense of accomplishment when I reached the peak. I find that the uphill walking is actually the easiest to do because the walking stick can be used to propel me up the slope, so to speak. It is common that 5-6 hours of walking will net me an average of 2.5 miles per hour. Paul’s GPS unit, however, often reads 3.5 miles per hour or more when I’m going uphill. It may sound odd, but the flat stretches are boring by comparison. And the downhill stretches are good for a true pounding on my feet. What I mean by “boring” is not that there is an absence of God’s beauty all around me, but the arm, leg, and mind teamwork of the hilly and mountainous parts isn’t there in the same way.

The Pilgrim

The walking stick which I’m using is a beautiful piece of hand-carved Oregon Juniper. One of the Wednesday Bible Study small groups at St. Mary’s teamed up to give me the stick as a gift. Tim and Ana Cooper will be embarrassed by the attention, but they were the key people who arranged for the gift. I’ve never walked anywhere with a staff or a stick or a cane, but I cannot imagine walking without one after this first week of the Pilgrimage.. It is helpful in cushioning the impact of the downhill walking, it keeps me balanced on the flat portions, and (as I’ve said) it is something like a ski pole in making climbing relatively easy. The stick was made by Kevin and Tyler Strauslin in Eugene. People all along the way have commented that it is a beautiful piece of work. Some have asked what kind of wood it is and where they might find one. A teenager from Taft High School here in Lincoln City, evidently choosing not to eat cafeteria food and in search of lunch off campus,, said, “Dude, that’s the hottest walking stick on the coast!” That was fun to hear, partly because I was praying for teens all day and partly because it’s been a long time since someone called me “Dude!” Again, St. John Bosco, pray for us.

Contest: Help me name the stick!

(Send a comment and I'll choose the best name)

Tomorrow: ahead to Newport and then camping near Waldport.