The day began in the bowels of an abandoned military bunker, a relic of forgotten wars. He emerged from the shadows, a lone figure silhouetted against the peak, his zero drop trail runners glided across damp moss and gnarled spruce and fir trees, shrouded in low-hanging clouds that seemed to grasp at him, threatening to engulf him in their murky embrace. The silent green of the forest beckoned, tempting him to surrender to its eerie allure. But he couldn’t afford to stop, couldn’t let the emerald abyss consume him. Ahead, the promise of birria ramen tacos in Seaside lured him, fueling his determination to press on despite the agony of newly formed blisters on his feet.
Reaching the ocean’s edge, he shed his shoes, feeling the sand beneath his raw soles. The pain bit at him like a hungry predator, but he gritted his teeth and forged onward. The coast stretched endlessly before him, a trail of untamed beauty and uncharted territory. His destination lay farther north, yet he had to pause and seek refuge among the dunes, allowing his battered feet to find respite and heal.
The sporadic rain danced upon his skin, mixing with the sweat and the remnants of an old candy bar he had unearthed in his pack, a fleeting taste of sweetness that would sustain him no more. Tomorrow held uncertainty, the unknown lying in wait like a shadowy adversary, but he was a wanderer of the wilds, a seeker of mysteries, and he knew that every step forward revealed secrets yet untold.
#OregonCoast #wandering