September 14th, 2018
Today was challenging but fun. We’re making the best of the rainy days by telling ourselves that we’re testing our limits while improving our rain-backpacking skills. We originally planned to hike ~25 miles today to get closer to the warmth of the next town and be at a lower elevation. But, the rain cleared a few miles into the day so we seized the opportunity to immediately stop walking and dry out our tent. Right after we started walking again, the rain resumed for the rest of the day, so we were glad we took advantage of the situation when we did. As we climbed above 5,000 feet the temperature dropped, and the cold air mixed with the rain (and hail again) was difficult to enjoy. Also, this section of trail is very poorly maintained, with lots of overgrowth, down trees, and even a section that completely washed away leaving a steep cliff instead. We boosted our spirits by remembering that we’d have a dry tent to crawl into at night. Also, my spirits we dramatically boosted when I found a backcountry toilet that had been set up high on the side of a ridge with a gorgeous view of the mountains in the distance. It was the best view I’ve ever had while going #2. Since it was so cold and wet at high elevations, we decided to camp as low as possible. Therefore, after descending to 3,500 feet and before we started the next climb, we set up camp, even though that meant we only walked 14 miles today. On the bright side, it was nice to arrive to camp early. We set up the tent during another brief break in the rain, and we are camped near several of our trail friends. As we expected, it was wonderful to crawl into our warm and dry tent at the end of the day.
Left: Blueberries, Right: Huckleberries 
