It’s a shame we only got to sleep 5 hours in the bed at Ken and Trudie’s because it was extremely comfortable. However, we had to get back to the trail as soon as possible so we could get in as many miles as possible.
Rick, Ken, and Trudie were up when I made my way downstairs at 5:45. Rick was the first person I saw and his friendly face made me smile. Our plan was to leave at 6, so we didn’t have much time for breakfast, but there was coffee, an apple I had from our roadside picnic, and a delicious breakfast burrito Rick rustled up from the refrigerator. I still can’t get over how warm and welcoming the entire family was!
Ken and Trudie drove us back to Lake of the Woods, where Ken picked us up yesterday. The ride there was gorgeous, with fog sitting low in the valleys and the sun just rising. I sat in the back of the side by side feeling incredibly grateful for everything and everyone, especially Ken and Trudie who drove 30 minutes each way to get us back to the trail. They are amazing humans.
After we hugged Ken and Trudie goodbye but before we started hiking, I went on a mission to find my pStyle, which had fallen out of my pack yesterday. (Tip: always zip up your pockets as soon as you are finished doing whatever you need to do. If you don’t, you will inevitably forget and essential things will fall out.) The thought of hiking without my pStyle made me sad (again, ladies, seriously consider getting yourself one). I didn’t hold out much hope of finding it, but I actually DID! Whew.
I found my missing pStyle! Hiking life is so much easier with it
The low fog hasn’t yet burned off when we started hiking, which made the landscape very beautiful and my hands very cold.
Along with a lot of fog, there were a lot of cows on the trail. Cows crack me up with their initial curiosity followed by sudden fear. At one point I walked through a herd that decided to walk alongside me for a while until they got scared, when they’d run across the road and then walk alongside me again. They did this ridiculous maneuver 4 times.
We hiked our separate hikes in the morning. After meeting for lunch, our mothers will be happy to know that we hiked together the rest of the day, only because several hikers recently reported seeing a bear in the area. Since the terrain was full of short ups and downs, it wasn’t too difficult to stay together without compromising speed. Nick would pass me going down and I would pass him going up. It was fine.
We didn’t see the bear, but we did see lots of the bear’s prints on the trail. Based on the print, it appears to be a black bear, not a grizzly. Still, it looks like it’s pretty big.
We made it to camp before 8, which means I might get to bed at a decent time tonight! Even better, tomorrow is a nero - it’s only around 7 miles to the highway, where Mark and Mary will pick us up. It will be nice to spend the afternoon with them (after we get our chores done, of course).
Along the trail:
Camp:
