8/14: rest day at Rising Sun

Woke up tired but relaxed, knowing it would be a rest day. No tent to pack, no cycling clothes to sausage-stuff my body into. 

We'll probably keep strenuous activity to a minimum, taking a bus back to St. Mary at the entrance of the park, getting lunch and food for dinner. 

I find that I'm more productive with blogging when I'm offline. With no distractions or news to catch up on, the words come out more readily and fluidly.

Went out to the lake and enjoyed the lapping waters for a bit:

They say that high level athletes have trouble doing deliberate rest. Not a problem for me. I can intentionally rest, soaking in the sun's rays languidly on the shore. In fact, everywhere I went today, the default was to sit down and take pains to be resting. My legs, my back, my arms. I want to be 100% charged for tomorrow.

We then waited around forever for a shuttle to take us the 5mi back to St. Mary, where we had another competent lunch. 

There was in TV in there playing the Olympics. There was no such thing in the visitor center at our Rising Sun camp. Actually, the spectacle and competition of the Olympics is something I do miss out here on tour. 

We shopped and brought food back only to run into a quick rain shower, for which we ducked into our tents for an hour. When we emerged like Columbia ground squirrels, the whole place was dry like nothing'd happened. 

The visitor center indeed didn't have a TV showing Usain Bolt in the 100m sprint, if indeed he made it to the finals. 

So now I sit not knowing the results and not want to be spoiled. 

We'll go to sleep early tonight and wake at 6:30 to hit the big climb of our trip. There's extra pressure from part of the road in GNP being closed between 11-4 because of heavy traffic. We will build no fire.