Sunday, July 21st

Sunday, July 21st. Day 33

Today's miles = 22.5 Total CDT miles = 484.6

No sleep again last night. I was so congested all night and I couldn't get myself to stop coughing. After hours of trying to find a sleeping position that I could breathe in I fell asleep, just in time for the 5am alarm to go off. There was also a big animal that got about a foot from the tent wall last night. I'm guessing it was a moose or elk because I didn't hear it snort or sniff like a bear would. I made some noise and it moseyed away.

This morning was another coffee morning. I have a feeling that now that I have started I won't be able to stop. I was doing so well. On the PCT I had gotten myself to a point where I could not hike in the morning without my coffee. This makes sense as in the non-hiking world I can't do much of anything in the morning without coffee. But for this trail I cut myself off. I didn't even bring coffee out here and I chose not to drink much or any while in towns. And then it happened.... Starbucks Instant Via French Roast blend was on sale at the grocery store - 50% off!!! I relapsed and I don't care. I am an addict and thats just the way it's going to be.

Today's hike went well for me until the last 3 miles. I don't know if I was hungry or thirsty or just getting tired but I started to feel like I may fall over. So, I sat, ate, and drank before finishing out the day (there was nothing I could do about just being tired). The morning was cold (all made better by that first sip of glorious coffee) and the afternoon got up into the 90's. Right as it started to get hot today we entered a burn area. This is a bad combination because with the burn area there comes no shade. It was a sunbrella day.

We leapfrogged with Flyboxer for most of the day today. We saw him at water sources and also had lunch with him. He accidentally hiked three miles in the wrong direction this morning. The CDT has been kind of difficult to find lately. Turns out we are camped near him tonight as well. Monkey and I chose "Surprise Lake" as our camp destination tonight and when we got here there wasn't anywhere good and obvious to camp. So, we began to scout the area. We didn't want to push on because this lake is the last water for 15 miles. Just over a little hill by the lake we found Flyboxer set up.

Right before the last climb today Monkey and I realized that there was wildfire smoke in the distance. I have been smelling wildfire smoke for days. It has a very distinct smell. So, we climbed the mountain to try to get a better view of where the fire might be located. There was no view at the top. But the wind is blowing in the other direction and the fire seems to be far enough away at the moment. There is no ash falling from the sky where we are.

I'm looking forward to Darby on Tuesday. I'm placing all my anticipatory hope in the fact that the grocery store in town has a cheesecake for my birthday. I plan on eating the entire thing...well, maybe Monkey can have a piece; a small piece. I found out today that Flyboxer and I share birthdays. He wasn't planning on going into Darby but I have begun trying to convince him to have a co-birthday celebration. Hopefully he succumbs to the peer pressure.