Anyway, on 4-4 I did about 8 miles, and there were a couple challenging mountains that everyone thought were much more challenging than I did. We had a fire again, and By the way, sticking your sore blistered feet in an ice cold stream is amazing.
4-5
A bunch of us planned on getting to a camp site right before an area that required a bear proof canister to stay there because of increased bear activity. Right as I got to the campground and as I was setting up my tent, it started pouring rain, then lightning started striking all around us. Fantastic views on the way up though. I was taking it slow then, still going about 8 miles a day. Vader burned part of his beard when we were starting the fire after the rain stopped. We shared stories around the fire all night. Volker is a policeman from Germany. Vader spent last summer harvesting weed in northern CA for the legal medicinal pot use over there.
The next morning we woke to more rain, and we heard a tree fall only a hundred yards away. Probably hit by lightning the day before. Turns out they do make a noise. We packed up our soaking wet tents and got on our way. Insane amount of fog that day. So much that there were no views. Just fog.
Hiked up Blood Mountain, and on the way down I took a wrong turn and was rock climbing down the mountain until I realized that was wrong and I climbed back up and found the right way. In the fog mind you. On a super slippery moss covered 45 degree rock face. Turns out I wasn't the only one either. Everyone from our group did the same thing.
At the bottom of the mountain we got to a fantastic hiker hostel. The trail runs right through the building, and it's the only place on the whole trail that goes through a building. It's also an outfitter that offers a free pack shakedown to offer advice on what you don't need. My pack was 45lb when I started on the 2nd, and now it's down to 32lb fully loaded with food and water. Much nicer to carry.
I took the best shower of my life. The caretaker of the hostel, Pirate, a thru hiker many times over, cooked an amazing BBQ pork, bean stew, salad, baked beans, and homemade cornbread dinner. Best dinner of my life. Some one did a beer run. Best beer of my life.
Baltimore Jack, another worker there told us tons of colorful stories and gave good advice for hiking. A kid earned himself the trail name 21 by saying he was 21 to get a beer, but later giving himself away by saying he was hiking after high school and before college.
4-7
I woke up to the smell of pancakes. Best pancakes of my life.
Got an early start, and was the first one to the shelter rather than one of the later arrivals. Hiked 11.5 miles, and plan to do 11 more today. Dave got the trail name Bumblebee by being hit by a bee in the head. It's getting colder so it turns out my cold weather stuff isn't just dead weight. Time to get a-hiking.
Aaaaaaaaand done hiking. I lost my Internet connection halfway through publishing this morning. Pulled a 13 mile day today. +2 endurance points! Got some trail magic today. After hiking down Blue mountain, two Nova Scotians were handing out pepsi and Easter candy. Sweet deal. We were told that after the next mountain after that there would be a person with Easter dinner. That, as it turns out was highly exaggerated over the countless people that passed the message along.
Got to the camping site, and of our group, only John, Andrew, and 21 made it. Hopefully I'll see the other guys again. Now lets try to put this bitch on the Internet. Goddammit. Lost connection again. WAIT! ITS BACK!! RETRY!!
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