Got a later start today since we were chilly and didn’t want to get out of our hammocks. We were both wearing jackets and hats (and Beardoh even had gloves) when we started on the trail at 7:40.
We passed by Box Canyon early in the day which was really cool. We like seeing gorges like that one…a 115 foot drop from the bridge to the water!
The morning felt like it was mostly uphill as we headed to Indian Bar. Sweetpea’s hip felt quite sore this morning, so she was moving slower and we were stopping for more stretch breaks. Finally got some ripe blueberries on the climb today. Low bush blueberries were ready for picking. Some sections were picked over, but there were a lot of berries left.
We had decided to eat lunch at Indian Bar and we were quite hungry by the time we got there after 1:00. We were also quite thirsty as we had run out of water several miles back. There were a lot of other folks eating there as well….probably around 10 or more. We sat on the rocks in front of the stream facing the mountain and were quite content. We actually saw some folks with camp chairs that they set up so they could read their books in the sun by the river. While we were eating lunch a helicopter landed on a meadow near us. As far as we could tell, no one got out, but it was there for about ten minutes and then took off again. We have been hearing quite a lot of helicopters the past few days…not sure if it is search and rescue or just scenic tours.
After lunch we had a really long uphill climb and then things leveled off for a bit as we crossed multiple areas of snow, none too long. The trail was quite rocky and gravel-y which had Sweetpea going pretty slow on the steeper downhills. As we got closer to Summerland, we started to see a lot more people, as this is a popular place to camp. We were concerned about finding a site that would work since most were already taken, but luckily, the first site we looked at had multiple hanging options.
It has gotten quite cold this evening and the fog is starting to roll in…we think it is going to be a cold night here at the highest camp on the trail. We’re planning for an early start tomorrow as we have around ten miles to do and we want to make it to Sunrise for lunch. We have a big climb at the end, but it should be a good day.
Daily Miles: 14.5 miles
Total Miles: 84.2 miles
Questions or thoughts on this article? Please leave them below: