Beautiful...
Embracing Etiquette with Teresa continued... see introduction post (1-29-10.)
ON PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
Whether you live in a big city with a rapid-transit system that is usually packed, or a small toen bus, there are things you must remember to do and not to do.
If you are sitting on a bus, and the bus is filling up, do not leave a bag, backpack, or other objects in the seat next to you. A polite rider offers their seat to someone that needs it more – a pregnant woman, parent with young children, an elderly person, a mother holding a baby, a person with an armload of packages, or someone who looks frail or tired.
When standing, move to the middle of the bus or train, making room for passengers at the next stop. Make sure that you have maneuvered your way to the door by the time you reach your stop.
Backpacks are a source of frustration and a person should take the pack off of their back and carry it around the waist.
Keep your conversations quiet and try not to yell over the noise on the bus. DO NOT use profanity or talk intimately on the bus or train.
On rainy days, do not put your wet umbrella on a seat or the overhead rack. Keep the umbrella on the floor in front of you at your feet, making certain not to let it stick into the aisle.
If eating is allowed on the public transportation, try to keep it to a minimum, such as a candy bar. Try not to smell up the train or bus with something like French fries.
Tomorrow we will cover specifically Riding the Bus.
See you soon,
Teresa
xoxo
7 of us started hiking towards Goldmeyer Hot spring in Washington state this past Saturday for a 2 day hike. 1 of the hikers was only hiking part way for the day hike only. Our plan for the hike started out as 5 miles in, set up camp, soak in the natural hot springs, make dinner, play cards and talk, wake up the next morning, re-soak in the hot springs, pack up camp and hike back 5 miles to the vehicles.
A 5 mile section of the road was closed due to road wash-outs just before the hiking trail began. We did not know this since the closure was not posted. Second, if following the closed road all the way to the Goldmeyer Hot springs site, the hike would have been an additional 5 miles. Well, this is a hike and we felt the road would not be as scenic as the trail. Come to find out, again not posted, the trail was about 10 miles long (alone) and washed out by previous ragging rivers from floods in the past! What was suppose to be a leisurely 5 hour hike turned into a 8 hour hike Saturday. The weather WAS perfect for hiking and our scenery provided by nature could not have been any more gorgeous but many of us were carrying a 40 to 45 pound backpack for the first time along with conquering boulders, fallen old growth trees and slippery rivers that had washed through the path. 
Some of us carried hiking poles; I did not and now know better!
We all stayed in good humor and worked to keep each other's focus positive and happy. Our bodies were beyond fatigued but what we saw in our surroundings was awe-inspiring and memories I will keep with me forever!
Some of the downed timbers we had to either climb over, under or around were gigantic monuments to nature. Even though we were all grumbling towards the end for each new tree we had to maneuver because of aching muscles, we never lost track of the beauty we were surrounded by.
When we finally "did" arrive towards the end of our 1st day of hiking (amazing how we all gained our third or fourth wind at this point) we had to scale 3 logs. Where each log ended, the next one began for us to balance on while crossing a river bed.
By now, it is evening. We started driving towards our hike at 6:45 in the morning, arrived at a carpool junction by 7:45, started out as a combined group in several cars and arrived at our hiking destination by 9:30 and actually started hiking by 10 a.m. When we arrived at the hot springs, we were look at around 6:15 p.m. All of us pitched together and set up camp first. Then, after checking in, made the last 1/4 mile hike up a steep hillside to get to the hot springs. Without our backpacks, we must have flew up the hill because I honestly do not remember struggling to get to our destination: Sitting in pools of hot water to soak our sorry muscles. The pools were a little smaller then I thought they were going to be but all 3 pools were etched in the rock with one pool actually in a cave setting.
The pools are hard to see here but I was getting to tired to take pictures, sorry. Below is the changing area.
Next to where we were soaking, there was a steep river/waterfall with huge boulders along the river path and loud, rushing water. This picture is way at the top and to the side of the river. 
Back at camp on Sunday, we had endured rain overnight and all our belongings were wet. Carrying everything back meant another heavy load because of being soaked. We may have done this hike a little to early in the year.
We were not allowed to have a campfire and the only way to cook was by propane heat. Needless to say, Sunday, all of us were pretty cold until we started out hike home. I would also like to add that none of the group had any problem hiking the road back to our vehicles. We still had a 5 hour hike in the pouring rain with our sore muscles lugging heavy backpacks but we knew we were headed HOME! The adventure was amazing and even though we learned what endurance truly was for each of us personally, I still believe we were all happy that we made this trip.
