No surprise my feet still felt pretty beat this morning. Exhaustion and the incline on which I’d pitched my tent made for a poor nights sleep. This morning I took my time to get ready, not particularly exited to start hiking. I left almost an hour after the others. I could already tell that today would be another hot day. Still early, the sun was shining bright. To make sure I ‘d make it into Sierra City in time to collect my packages, I had to manage well over 20 miles today. After checking my maps I settled for what would be a 23-miles. This leaves 18 tomorrow.
Real soon after hiking out I felt the effect of yesterdays grind; It was very slow going. Sluggish I trotted along, not really caring about my progress, accepting my legs were shot and that I’d just have to find out how far they’d carry me today. Fortunately there was little pick-me-up waiting for me a couple miles in. The trail would pass a resting area along the highway, and they had vending machines! Cold soda, hurray! As soon as I arrived I dumped my pack and got a bottle of icy cold lemonade. I’d been pretty dehydrated after the big day, and I had finished all of my water during the night. The pink lemonade would be the first thing I drank today. It was so refreshing and good that I did not hesitate to get another bottle. I chatted with a couple of section hikers, procrastinating getting on with the long day I was dreading.
Finally I pulled myself together and hiked out into the burning sun again. It was now 1100 and I’d done 3.7 miles. Excellent progress (…). As the miles slowly passed, my feet started to warm up and feel a little better. The majority of the morning and early midday were uneventful. I listened to podcasts and music and even though I was not hiking fast, I managed to keep the length of my breaks limited. 
Somewhere during the afternoon I caught up with Photo-op and Rocket, and I would leapfrog with them during the short breaks were taking. They told me their intended campsite for the night, but that was a little bit too far for my taste. I’d like to get into camp earlier and hike out earlier too. When I was filling up my water-bottles, Photo-op and Rocket showed up, only now they were backtracking towards me. Surprised I asked what was up. They’d hiked right past the flowing spring, and since it would be the only water-source for the next 9 miles, they decided to hike back a mile. Photo-op told me that he had sighted a bear, one mile ahead on trail. Photo-op yelling and making loud noises to make his appearance known, but the (small) bear seemed not the least bit phased. After he and Rocket hiked out again, within a couple of minutes we could hear their loud screams through the woods. All of us figured that they’d must have run into the bear again. Hopefully now that they were teamed up, their screams would suffice in chasing it away.e it off. When I caught up with them later, they told me that the bear still could not have cared less about their presence. It had just stayed put. I believe they ended up hiking around it from a safe distance. There was no trace of any bears when I hiked through the section. No mauled thru-hikers today.
The final hours of the day were tough, as my fatigue started to set in. During the down-hills my feet got pretty sore again. Fueling up for the climbs (there were 3 one-mile climb in the final section) I managed to get myself at the tops without being completely shattered. Around 2000 I made it to camp and had indeed hiked the 23 miles I intended to do. Surely I noticed the strain of yesterdays 30-mile day on my body. I’m just happy that it didn’t inhibit me from getting the planned mileage in. I paid the price this morning, but in the end it all worked out. Tomorrow we’ll be stopping in Sierra City to get resupply sorted and we will probably camp in town to head out again early the next day.
We’ll ask if we can have six in
If not we’ll have to have two
Well, you’re coming up our end, aren’t you?
So I’ll get one with you
Won’t he let us have six in?
Especially not with the food
He could have just told us no though
He didn’t have to be rude
You see her with the green dress?
She talked to me at the bar
Wait, how come it’s already two pound fifty?
We’ve only gone about a yard
Didn’t you see she were gorgeous
She were beyond belief
But this lad at her side drinking his Smirnoff Ice
Came and paid for her Tropical Reef
And I’m sitting going backwards
And I didn’t want to leave
I said, “It’s High Green, mate
Via Hillsborough, please”
Red Light Indicates Doors are Secured – Arctic Monkeys
