Day 17 – 07/18/22 – “Walk for a Mile, or Walk for a While”

Today I had a GUEST WALKER!  Tom is another Air Force veteran whom I met last night. After a wonderful conversation, he has decided to join me for The Walk today.

We began our day at 3:49am, and discussed the mission behind this walk, and my thoughts on the movement. Although we ran into a little misty rain in those early morning hours, I truly enjoyed having someone to walk with and talk with as we made our way through the darkest hours and into the approaching dawn. 

One of my supporters said to me today, “I believe the whole United States that believes in freedom needs to put their walking shoes on. We don’t need gasoline for that.”

I agree, and responded with “Gas is cheap when you use your feet.”

We stopped to observe some ruins alongside the road. 

When the Pony Express began their route through this area in 1860, their station was built approximately 1.5 from this point.  Cold Springs Station was built in 1861. It was used as a stop on the Overland Stage & mail route from 1861 to 1869. Like other “Home stations,” this is where the driver ended his route and weary travelers could obtain a meal and meager overnight lodging. The horses were changed here, and there was offered blacksmith services and a wagon repair shop. The buildings likely consisted of nearly square, one-story hewn, cedar-log or Colorado pine structures, of one to four rooms. The home stations were most often two to three times larger than the smaller swing stations, and had sheds and other outbuildings. These larger stations were usually about 50 miles apart. In addition, they offered telegraph services. 

Located less than half a mile to the north of Cold Springs Station sits the remains of the telegraph building.  The telegraph line which connected Sacramento, California to Omaha, Nebraska was completed in 1861.  The telegraph building was used as a maintenance station for servicing the telegraph line in the area. Once the messages began going out over the wire in 1861, the Pony Express discontinued their services.

Once the railroad opened north of this area in 1869, both Cold Springs Station and the Telegraph Building were abandoned. Stage services and the telegraph line were no longer needed, thusly the ruins seen today.

We even stopped to get our picture taken for posterity. An enjoyable day.

At 7:12am we walked in to our stop location, where George and Barbara were awaiting our arrival. Bless them for their gift of two nights free stay.  We needed it today as there were a number of preparations to make for the next segment of The Walk.  For the next 50 miles, there is little to nothing to offer us meals or lodging.  It will truly become … the loneliest highway.

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