Sleeping in the king sized bed was so wonderful that I slept in until 8 again. I didn’t mean to sleep so long. Even though I didn’t set an alarm, I figured I’d be up at 7 at the latest - I guess I’m even more tired than I thought. Nick didn’t wake me, either, which I am grateful for even though it meant a late start.
Because I slept so late, instead of getting a ‘real’ breakfast from Lambkins we simply ate extra snacks. Then we packed up and made our way downstairs, where I was sure we’d see someone at the front desk.
We did not.
Everything was closed, just as it had been since our arrival. No response to calls. No payment taken. I’m worried about the owners. Hopefully they’ll get in contact with us at some point so we can pay for our stay.
still closed with no response to calls. Very strange
We stopped for lattes at a drive up coffee shop (a latte is a true treat these days) and then we walked across the street to the gas station, where I stood with my thumb up, looking for a ride.
I didn’t get a warm feeling from many of the locals who passed us by. One elderly lady actually threw her hands up and shook her head disapprovingly as if to say, “no way in hell am I stopping for the likes of you.” Her response to seeing us made me laugh. Just as I was beginning to lose hope, a guy getting gas asked where we were headed and told us to get in.
The guy, Mike, was going to a job interview for a cook on a private ranch. He seemed to have all sorts of interesting stories to share and I’m grateful he offered us a ride in his trusty, dusty car. While I hate the vulnerability of hitching, I absolutely love the chance encounters with truly amazing people hitching provides.
Mike gave us a ride back to the pass- I hope his interview went well!
I’m glad we stopped for lattes before leaving town because we were on the spine again, almost all day, and I needed all the extra energy I could get. There was over 6,000 ft of total elevation gain and almost 5,000 ft of decent today, so it was most definitely not an easy day of hiking. Water sources weren’t plentiful, either (there was only one source 6 miles in until we got to camp) so we both hiked a little dehydrated, too. But, of course, the views were amazing up there on the spine so I’ll take it.
The weather was great, too - warm and sunny. Nick might say it was too warm, but I’d never say that. :)
Towards the end of the day, we came down off the spine and hiked into a valley. There wasn’t a lot of water down there, either (the lake on the trail was completely dry), so we met at a water source about 0.25 miles off-trail, where we made and ate dinner at the water before hiking back to the trail and finding a place to camp. I got to the water first and was greeted by a young buck, who didn’t seem to care about my presence at all. As I sat there, filtering water, he kept coming back, just walking nonchalantly around the area.
When the sun disappeared behind the mountains, it got VERY cold, especially since I was just sitting there, filtering water. By the time Nick arrived, I was in almost all my layers and there were a few more deer hanging around. It was nice being so close to them and I felt at one with nature.
It was very dark by the time we finished eating and we had our headlamps on while setting up camp. I don’t mind the dark but I do mind the cold, and it was very cold. I know it’s getting late in the season and that I’m going to be cold more often than not, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it. I will endure it, though, and when I am back on Maui I will remember what it was like to be cold and I will be even more grateful for Maui’s warmth.
:)
Along the trail:
Camp:(pics taken the next morning, of course)
