Date: 6/27/20
Daily Miles: 13
Total Miles: 261
It was pretty warm when we went to bed last night, but pretty cold by the time we woke up in the morning. The area where we slept has a lot of streams crossing through, so it almost felt like a damp cold.
Within the first mile of the day, we encountered Berry Creek which was extremely swollen. The photo of the creek in our navigation app shows a very small and tranquil stream, but what we encountered was about three times as wide and pretty deep. The current looked really strong and because it was so deep, we decided to all link arms to safely get across.
Even though we were all linked, it was still really hard to get across because the current was so strong. The water went up to SweetPea’s butt and the water was frigid. Luckily we made it safely across and then we had to deal with the pain of the freezing water on our feet and legs. It took awhile for our legs and feet to warm back up.
The rest of the miles today were pretty mild with gentle ups and downs. While the trail could be soupy at times, it was generally pretty easy walking.
Around 11:30am, we got to a dirt road where we were able to walk three miles to get to a trailhead where we were going to be picked up by the hostel owner in a nearby town.
It turns out the owner was expecting a confirmation call from us today, which is kinda weird, since there is almost no service in the area. But after waiting for him for over one hour, MountainMan started walking around until he found a spot with one bar of cell service. He got in touch with the hostel owner and our ride was on its way.
So, we are staying in the tiny village (population 36) of Jackson. Even though it feels like there is nothing here, it is actually a tourist destination with hot springs. We are now well-fed, clean and warm. Couldn’t ask for anything more.
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