3 Highlights:
• Trail angel water after 20 km
• Clouds and shade—a rare gift
• Companionship on the trail with Semper Dry and Hop
Daily Summary:
• Distance hiked: 52 km
• Starting point: km 3895
• Ending point: km 3947
• Weather conditions: Mixed
Daily Reflections:
Woke up in the middle of the night to pee—because of course I did. Realized it was time to get up anyway. I messed around with my gear for what felt like forever. I swear, it’s like my brain decided to play a little game: “Put things in the wrong place and then panic.” Opened the sleeping bag stuff sack twice to find my gaiters—first they weren’t there, then magically, they were. Classic.
Then things went downhill. The water source we camped by was in a cold valley, so naturally, my fingers froze while filling bottles. Just as I was finishing, one of the pack straps decided to rebel. My frozen fingers couldn’t fix it, and—well—let’s just say there was some colorful language involved. I had a little meltdown. Not exactly a shining moment, but hey, at least I apologized to Hop and Semper Dry before we started walking. Gotta keep the peace.
The first 20 km were heavy—literally. I was hauling 5 liters of water, which felt like carrying a boulder in my pack. Then, out of nowhere: trail magic. Three big jars of fresh water, just sitting there like a gift from the hiking gods. People are amazing. Even though we didn’t really need the water by then, we sat down and enjoyed the moment. Semper and Hop were good company, which helped balance out the morning meltdown.
The hiking was steady, and around lunch, I somehow ate too much—again. Nuts, beef jerky, dark chocolate, peanut butter… Not insane amounts, but enough to make me feel like I swallowed a brick. Three hours later, I was still regretting it.
We trudged on, and by the time we reached camp, we could see the lights of Grants flickering in the distance. A shower, good food, and coffee are calling my name.
Good night.
