Tuesday, 7 August 2018
Mike Urich Cabin (305.6) – Tentsite (324.8): 19.2 miles / 354.5 total miles walked
I do not enjoy camping near other people. It’s always too loud. Especially if you really want and need to sleep, they end up chopping wood at 10 pm. At which point I yelled at them. It helped for a while….long enough for me to fall asleep anyway. When my alarm went off at 4:45 I was not a happy camper, but I still packed up and started walking. Cause what else are you going to do, right?
After filling up water I tackled the first climb, passing the few miles to the next water with some audio books. About a mile before the water source the Norse Peak area started.
In September 2017 lightning caused a fire to break out here, which ended up burning 50,000 acres (~20.000ha) before it was contained. The trail through this area was only recently reopened and I met a trail crew about to do some more restorative work here. Thank you so much for your effort!!!!
This recent burn area was eerie, but so indescribably beautiful. Everything was quiet, the smell of charcoal still in the air. And tiny green plants, pushing its way out of the destruction, back to life.
Sink and I took a breakfast break at the only water source for another 8 miles of burn area.
It was another hot day, but I managed to get through the exposed climb and burn area by 1 pm. It was so extremely dusty and the trail mainly consisted of ash and sand today, that my legs and feet are even filthier now. 😅
And yes, the dirt on my feet got there through my shoes and socks. We spent some time at the nice spring, talking to a northbound section hiker (hi PapaOats) and tackled the last 6 miles to camp at around 4 pm.
There were a few small climbs, but mainly just walking along an exposed ridge. And I had phone service!!! So I got distracted by the Internets, but still managed to make it to camp by 6:30. We’re cramped into a spot meant for one tent, but we made it work. And I really enjoy using Sink’s old tent, ahhhhhh the bug protection. Some more fuel for the furnace (Mexican Rice with Mountain House Breakfast Skillet and Mashed Potatoes), hopefully I won’t wake up starving again at 1 am. I guess the insatiable hiker hunger is here.
Today is also my official trailversary…..I started this thing exactly 1 month ago.