Out of camp by 7 into the cool cloudy air. We walked in a cloud haze for the first couple hours. Had my hat and gloves and even long sleeve shirt on for most of the morning.
Once the air started to warm up, the clouds were gone and we got some excellent views that continued for the entire day. Most of the walking today was on ridges or high up on the mountains providing great views and for much of the day, walking in the sun.
The blue berries are at peak in this area, and we probably burned at least an hour picking. One stop, I was just picking and eating….then later, I stored what I picked in one of my water bottles, thinking that would be the best way to keep them from getting smashed in my pack. These blue berries seem to be a mix of high bush and low bush, or at least we come across patches of both. Fortunately, they are at a bigger size than what we saw in the last sections of trail.
Again saw lots of weekender backpackers out. Perfect weekend as its the holiday and great weather. Even saw a guy who was out trail running 60 miles over 2 days to celebrate his 60th birthday. One of the more interesting backpackers that we crossed paths with was a guy using a goat as a pack animal. The goat had a pack on each side, both looking fairly substantial. In retrospect, I wish I had inquired more about it. We also met a couple bear hunters. Qball and I had come up on a bear this am. I heard him but he was behind and above me quite a ways, so I didnt see him.
Tonight we are camped down from the mountain ridges near a small creek. Just the four of us. I have been eating a hot meal every night recently. Carrying just my cookpot, I have been making cooking fires quickly when we get into camp, boiling up a couple cups of water and adding it to Ramen, instant potatoes, or a pasta side. Tomorrow is stuffing night…looking forward to it.
Daily Distance: 25
Trip Distance: 2,506.2
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