More of this Feature • The Trail Marking Crew • Day Zero • Day One • Day Two • Day Three • Closing Ceremonies • Photo Album

Related Resources • 3-Day Walk Locations • Step by Step Through an Avon 3-Day Walk

Day Zero
I quickly located Dee, Julie, Paola and Cheryl and we went through the video, check-in, registration, tent assignment and towel service sign-ups.  We also were to be issued vehicles and communications gear.  We located Gretchen, Kimberly and Victoria and were told that we should get on the road as soon as possible, skipping the afternoon All-Crew Meeting.

We checked out our three vans and a 4-door pickup towing a golf cart on a trailer.  We were supposed to use the golf cart to mark the Day Two trail, but didn't need it on Day One.  Each vehicle also was issued a radio and a cellphone.

The vans were already stocked with signs, stakes, drinks, cooler, and a tub full of tools and other supplies.  We grabbed our tents and gear and towels and tossed them into the vans also.  As an advance team, we would be camping a day ahead of the walkers and other Crew.

We Need a Plan
Our first stop was a nearby restaurant for lunch and to formulate a plan.  We all got a first look at the trail and decided it was best to drive the whole route first, then regroup, sort out the signs, and mark it in reverse.  That way we would be on the correct side of the road to get out and place the signs, rather than having to cross the road or highway.

After lunch, we drove the 22.5 mile route from Enumclaw to Auburn.  We went through a couple of construction zones where we would be allowed to mark.  This took about an hour and a half.  Arriving at the Day One Camp in Auburn, we pulled everything from the vans and sorted it.  We split things up between the three vans and the pick-up.  Gretchen split up the route into segments of about a mile and assigned us segments.  We would leapfrog down the route, ensuring that we got everything covered and helping each other as needed.

We Start Marking
My van mate was Julie Hunt, a teacher from Enumclaw.  We were both University of Portland graduates, about 15 years apart.  I managed to get Julie to be the driver, although neither of us was comfortable driving a full size panel van.  I was navigator.  From my point of view, we were a great team who got along very well.

The trail markings are corrugated plastic signs, which can be attached to existing poles or we could pound in metal stakes to hold them.  I wanted to avoid placing stakes - as I discovered that most ground was too hard to easily pound them in.

It was about 4:30 pm by the time we began marking.  Julie and I had the first mile backwards from the Auburn camp.  We wore our safety vests and Julie was a very careful driver and parker.  I took care of watching traffic so I didn't become road kill.  We finished our first segment in about an hour and proceeded past the other three teams to our second leg, near the Crestview school.  We completed that leg but didn't see the Victoria-Kimberly team who we should have met up with, and we couldn't reach them by phone or radio.  So we decided it best to mark their segment also.  We did so and as we finished they drove up.  They had decided after marking their first segment that it was the wrong side of the road for safe walking and had to take it down and repeat the marking.  We handed off and went on to our third segment.

The Fall of Night

After our third segment, the sun was setting and we stopped for dinner at a Wendy's on Highway 410.  We both ordered the spicy chicken sandwich.  Mount Rainier was gorgeous in the alpenglow from the Wendy's parking lot.

Now it was night, we cracked open glowsticks and got out flashlights and I was happy to be wearing a reflective vest and reflective socks.  We marked down the side of Highway 410, taking care to mark each side street and store driveway with signs cautioning drivers that walkers were going to be crossing.

We met up with the other vans and pickup by cellphone and radio and completed the last segments to the fairgrounds.  Julie and I were done around midnight.  We then started the twisting drive back to Camp One in Auburn.  We checked the markings as we went.  One snag was the construction road closure, now completely blocked off with equipment.  We used the maps to find a way around it and into Auburn to Camp One.

We pitched our tents at 1 am.  The Camp Set-up Team was already camped and asleep and we joined them.  The tents went up very swiftly.  It took me about a half hour to relax enough to go to sleep, my hands and wrists tired from the new activities.

Next Page > Day One - Friday August 10

Photos copyright August, 2001 Wendy Bumgardner, licensed to About.com