I really dislike driving. Every time I get behind the wheel of a car, I can't shake the thought that I'm driving a weapon. One lapse of concentration and I might end up not only killing myself but also innocent people around me. The larger the vehicle, the scarier is it.
When I thought of my personal nightmare jobs, there's one that rises about the rest - worse than lawyer, assembly line worker, and sales representative: Truck driver.
Fear leads to curiosity, and I wanted to learn as much as I could about my nightmare job. So I turned to a book.
Meanwhile, my mom and brother were visiting from California. I wanted to show them what my typical weekends were like, which meant taking them on a hike. I picked a trail that was long but only medium difficulty. I incorrectly assumed that it would be a delightful family outing amongst nature.
I drove them to the trailhead in Washington's Olympic mountains. Out here on a rural peninsula, there are far fewer trucks than you find on the main arteries that run from city to city. And the low speeds on the forest access roads means I feel safer despite all the potholes and occasionally having to back up to let other cars by.
Then we set off to Marmot Pass along the Upper Big Quilcene Trail.
The Place: Marmot Pass, Washington USA
Guide: Marmot Pass Upper Big Quilcene - WTA
Distance: 11.5 miles round trip
Elevation Gain: 3489 ft
My Rating: 3.5/5
It was one of those hikes where most of the trail is pretty generic - gorgeous Washington woodland, rushing rivers, wildflower-filled meadows, bla-bla-bla. And I was in the phase of life that was all about accomplishing goals no matter what sacrifices you must make. So I was determined to get to the big money views at the end of the trail.
Even if it meant the sacrifice was my own family.
My brother started tiring early. He spends most of his time stationary in front of video games and Youtube videos. Of all of his interests, the outdoors is conspicuously missing.
He complained about the mud and the stream crossings. He complained about the threads made by dangling caterpillars that kept getting tangled in his hair. He complained about the steepness of the trail and the sun in the sky.
Eventually, he stopped complaining and just sat on a log by the side of the trail. No amount of encouragement could get him to move.
If I were a good sister, this is where I would have said, "Nice try!" and escorted him back to the car. But we were three-quarters of the way to the pass, so we left him behind.
By this time, my mom, fifty-four years young and tough as nails, had slowed down considerably. We were so close to the end!
"Go on ahead," she said, "and I'll go my own pace and meet you there."
I bounded ahead like an irresponsible monster and scrabbled my way up to Marmot Pass. The payoff didn't disappoint - from the crossroads I could see dozens of peaks in one direction and the distant blue of Puget Sound in the other.
I resisted the allure of continuing down one of the other trails and settled in with my book to wait for my mom.
The Book: Trucking in English by Carolyn Steele
Goodreads: Trucking in English
Pages: 354
My Rating: 4/5
Blurb:
"So here's the plan. I'm going to train to drive a truck and go long-haul. I can get paid and maybe write a book at the same time. What do you reckon?" "Go for it Mum, how bad can it be?"
This is the tale of what happens when a middle-aged mum from England decides to actually drive 18-wheelers across North America instead of just dreaming about it. From early training (when it becomes apparent that negotiating 18 wheels and 13 gears involves slightly more than just learning how to climb in) this rookie overcomes self-doubt, infuriating companions and inconsiderate weather to become a real trucker. She learns how to hit a moose correctly and how to be hijacked. She is almost arrested in Baltimore Docks and survives a terrifying winter tour of The Rockies. Nothing goes well, but that's why there's a book.
I loved that the author wasn't your stereotypical truck driver, which made her experience more relatable. However, Carolyn already had a leg up on me since she used to drive ambulances in the UK.
Even if the idea of shifting all those gears drives me crazy, I could still relate to some of the feelings that drew her to driving 18-wheelers. The open road is so alluring... if it weren't so butt-numbing and full of other drivers of questionable ability.
I learned a lot about the day-to-day minutiae of trucking. How to detect that your 18-wheeler is about to jack-knife. How difficult it is to cross the US/Canada border. How to fudge a logbook so that it looks like you drove within the legal number of hours.
Admittedly, a lot of the book isn't very exciting because Carolyn is actually quite competent at truck driving. There are no big disasters, only some minor mishaps.
In the end, I really enjoyed the insight into the life of a trucker. And it does seem just as exhausting and stressful I imagined. I think there should be a book like this for every job - if you know of any others, let me know!
Finally, I glanced up from my book and spotted my mom. She'd made it to the pass exhausted but in one piece. I was so proud of her.
When we got back to the log where we'd left my brother, he was gone. It turned out he was so eager to leave he had run downhill all the way back to the car!
I now realized how distorted my view of hiking had become - when you regularly walk 20 miles up and down mountains in a day, you begin to think of an 11-mile hike as "medium" difficulty. But for people who hadn't been conditioning all summer, it wasn't an exhilarating way to get some exercise and connect with nature. It was torture.
Making my family go on that hike was like someone forcing me become a truck driver. There are some things it's just better to leave to others. Then you can simply read their tales when they're through. :)
What's your nightmare job? Let me know in the comments! (I upvote my favorites.)
Thanks so much for reading! All photos and words are mine unless otherwise noted.
- Katie, @therovingreader
!steemitworldmap 47.8278 lat -123.0408 long Hike through the Olympic mountains to sweeping views at Marmot Pass. d3scr
More "Adventure Reading"
- "Prince of Tides" on a Volcano
- "A Fire Upon the Deep" After I Fell Into Gem Lake
- "Bitter Fruit" at a Guatemalan Lakeside Oasis
- "Juntos" on the Indian's Nose
- "Moloka'i on Kauai's Pihea Trail
- "Light in August" On Cerro San Cristobal with a New Dog Friend
- "Winter" at an Incredibly Scenic Fire Lookout
- ”The Emperor’s Soul” and Abandoned Mines in Gothic Basin
- Plus more to come each Friday!
P.S. I'm hosting a contest for anyone who wants to have their own Adventure Reading experience! (No hiking required.)
