It was cold and everything was really damp with condensation when we woke up this morning. I tried to shake the moisture from my rain fly and hung it outside my pack to dry as I hiked today. I packed my pack differently today, putting my clothes and sleeping bag at the bottom to help things fit a bit better. That seems to be working better than when I had my tent at the bottom.
The hike was really nice today and overall pretty flat. Early in the day I noticed a folded note on a log by the trail that said "Open Sesame." I couldn't resist so I opened it. It was a mixture of stuff about 4/20 and Easter and included several Bible verses. It also said, "You rock. You are beautiful. It's okay to be messy. You are loved." I thought that was neat. I folded the note back up and put it back on the log for the next person to find.
We made it to Big Butt Mountain! It wasn't as spectacular as I had expected. There was just a bit of exposed rock to climb up above the trees, but the view were good! I took a photo of Bear Bag and Wing It at the top.
Later in the day we had a long road walk on a flat dirt road. It was a wonderful treat. We were surrounding by flowering meadows on all sides. Spring is definitely starting to show its face. We lunched at Flint Mountain Shelter and hung our gear on trees and the bear cables to dry. I played "Gimme Shelter" and "Baby Got Back" for Bluebird and Wing It in honor of the day.
Soon after lunch, Jersey Girl's husband met us at a road crossing for trail magic. I had Yuenling! Yum!
I also crossed my first stile, a type of bridge that allows hikers to walk over fences. Stylez on a stile!
After the trail magic, the day felt long. It got hot, which makes hiking more uncomfortable. I walked with Kickapoo, a Nordic ski instructor from Colorado, for a bit. She has great positive energy and is fun to be around. We crossed beautiful streams and waterfalls today.
My hiker appetite is definitely back! I've been eating so many snacks. You'd be horrified to know what I eat out here. Let's just say it's probably 50% sugar and 50% saturated fat. My weight is holding steady though. I'll never be able to eat like this again, so I'm taking full advantage of it.
When we finally made it to the shelter for the evening, I set up my tent and hung my sleeping bag on a tree to dry out. It got slightly damp last night. I went to the privy and was warned that there was a 6-inch gap by your feet that could cause you to step in the fecal cone (poo pile). I didn't step in it, but my TP did roll into it. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!! Luckily, I still had one end in my hand, so I was able to reach down and tear off the uncontaminated portion. I trudged back to our campsite and shared the bad news. Luckily, Wing It had a spare mini roll that he gave to me. Stupid privy!
Best Thing: Drying my gear and having great weather, flat terrain, and views!
Looking Forward To: Our last full day of hiking before a town day.
It sounds like you are eating like a teenage boy :)
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