Sunday, August 30
Start: Steamboat Lake
End: campsite near Huckleberry Mtn
Miles: 31.1 miles (+0.25 for campsite)
Gain/loss: 5010’/5472′
Listened to: book- Cursor’s Fury; Words of Radiance
After staying up past 9pm yesterday and with the cold wind, I didn’t get up until 5:30am but I packed up quickly and was back on trail by 6:20am.
I had trouble getting into a groove but it was easier today than yesterday, since I switched to wearing my shorts rather than pants, due to issues of chafing from the waistband. Partway through the day, I noticed that one of my shoelaces had snapped so I tied it back together.
Around 2 or 3pm, at a road crossing there were two NOBO hikers who live nearby doing some kind of trail magic, though they only had hot dogs and apples left and one of them made comments about how I must be a section hiker because of “the size of my pack.” I’m kind of getting sick of NOBO attitude, especially since these people only hiked from Campo to Lone Pine; they didn’t come close to thru hiking. While there, I ran into Davis, a local who is section hiking most of WA.
I hiked off and got to my final destination by 5pm. I filtered water, made my dinner, ate, and packed up again, intent on hiking another 2.7 miles to a lovely camping spot, though it’s dry. About 1.3 miles into those miles, I come across Davis, heading back down the trail for the site we just left. He had seen a cougar and couldn’t get it to move from its perch on a tree right next to trail. I tried going up the trail, and it was still there. I tried shouting and yelling and clanging my sticks twice, about 10 minutes apart, all to no avail. I finally backed down the trail before turning around and hiking back the way I’d come. I’m tenting here tonight with two other hikers, including Davis. Hopefully the cat is gone in the morning.
