8/18/20; mile: 1,799; elevation: 6,759 ft.
A good campsite (with water nearby, of course!) and a good night’s sleep can do wonders. Having a plethora of places to shit in comfort is nice, too! With the proximity to the Highway 140 and the number of camp spots nearby, I was kinda worried about critters, but I didn’t have any issues. I loaded up on water for the morning hike; I have 11 miles until the next source at Christi’s Spring.
The melancholy isn’t nearly as strong this morning. Yes, I’m still walking in a green tunnel and started the morning by going uphill with a couple of liters of water. Mt. McLaughlin, where? Even worse is walking by the huge-but-far-away Fourmile Lake; certainly not worth walking that far as well and down for water. And yet, I’m still walking northbound. I haven’t quit just yet.
So for the majority of the day, I just put my nose down and walked. After the water stop in the first third of the day, I finally broke out of the green tunnel as the trail climbed into the higher elevations of the Sky Lake Wilderness. Good thing for the distraction. Carrying water for 14 miles is something I haven’t had to do since the Hat Creek Rim. I don’t miss it. However, fortune is shining on my again as I choose a campsite near a small creek. It’s my first campsite with a view in quite a while, and the sunset just makes it that much better. The site also has sitting logs, making life just that much more tolerable. My blisters are hurting, but don’t seem to be getting worse. I took pictures today, so I must be doing better.
Savior out.