Sleeping in the firefighter’s cabin last night was great. The windows have mosquito nets so there are no mosquitoes. For the first time in a long time, I was asleep when the alarm went off. I hit snooze for fifteen minutes, but I can’t sleep in today. So fifteen minutes later I got up and packed up.
The trail heading north down Smarts Mountain definitely needs more fires, but I managed not to get lost. After coming down from Smarts, I went up to Mount Cube. I enjoyed the climb and the views were different enough to make it worth it. At this point in the hike, the views become repetitive and I prefer to have interesting flora and fauna.
After Mount Cube, the trail went up and down, but less. Unfortunately, the mud continued. The trail alternated between a low-flow stream and mud for the rest of the day with only the occasional dry patch. Near the end of the day, I stopped at the Hikers Welcome Hostel. I initially planned to spend the night. But three hikers I know were headed to the shelter: Murder Leg, Digs, and Cowboy. I packed on extra calories and walked the last mile to Jeffers Brook Shelter.
Today I featured more climbing than I expected looking at Farout. The Farout trail profile randomly changes the x-axis scale without being able to find any pattern. Sometimes it’s 10 miles, 2 or less. Today it changed again and I didn’t realize that the flat profile it showed was just a scale artifact. I need to check AWOL more, at least for things like exact mileage and difficulty.
- Breakfast: Oatmeal with blueberries, chia and almonds.
- Dinner: taco poha with tuna and chicken pico curry
- Snacks: cereal bar x2, met rx bar, lenny and larry protein cookie, clif bar, peanut m&ms, nature valley protein bar
- Bonus: pizza, klondike bar
- Known today: Quaker, Boulder
- Days without a ramen bomb: 106
- Today I give thanks for: Having a full belly
This website contains affiliate links, which means The Trek may receive a percentage of any products or services you purchase using links in articles or advertisements. The buyer pays the same price they would otherwise pay, and their purchase helps support The Trek’s ongoing goal of bringing you quality backpacking information and advice. Thank you for your support!
For more information, visit the About page of this site.
