Start: 0730 - Killen Creek
End: 1900 - near Cispus River tributary
Miles (today): 29
Miles (cumulative): 2307 (2085 PCT, 149 alternate, 73 off)

Amazing!  Epic!  Beautiful!  Fun!  

Today was perhaps one of my favorite days on the trail - everything about it was great.  I started my day by eating breakfast next to a beautiful waterfall near our campsite.  It was so cold there was frost on the ground (and on the tent) but I enjoyed the serenity.

The hike started with me wearing most of my clothes - it was cold!! However, the sun was shining and I knew as soon as I got out of the trees it would be warm and glorious.  

Dirt Squirrel caught up to me after only a few miles and we ended up hiking together all morning.  It was fantastic!!  Hiking with Dirt Squirrel is great - she's one of my favorite people to hike with.  We passed Yucca and Sprout and ended up hiking with them for a bit, too.  We even ended up having lunch together, which was so much fun.  As someone who usually hikes alone, it was a delightful change of pace to hike with others.  Speaking of pace, I hike a lot faster with others (which of course I love).

After lunch, I left earlier then the rest and hiked alone for a mile or so (I don't like to take longer than 30 minutes for lunch).  Then I bumped into Roswell and hiked with him - he's still super fast and just hanging with him for a few miles felt good.  THEN I saw Day Hike/Tracker taking a break - he told me Jet was just ahead.  Awesome!  I love hiking with Jet!  I followed Roswell and let him sort-of pull me along until we caught up to Jet; then I let Roswell hike ahead while I fell in behind Jet, another one of my favorite people to hike with.  With Jet to keep me company (I love her, she and I have a lot in common), the afternoon flew by.  At one point we caught up with Aquarius and hiked with him, too.

We stopped for a break with only 4 miles to go to the campsite (everyone was planning to camp at the same spot).  Anxious to get going (I didn't want to sit too long and get cold), I hiked the last 4 miles alone, which was just fine because the scenery was so completely mind blowing.  Hike the Goat Rocks area - it reminds me of the Sierras minus all the snow.  It's awesome.  I stopped to take so many pictures it's amazing I made it to camp at all.  

When I stopped for water I ran into two guys out hiking for a few days. They told me there were a lot of college kids ahead and that camp spots might be tough to come by, so I claimed a spot at the first area I came across.  Aquarius did the same.  

So tonight we are camping with Aquarius and Miyagi, Dirt Squirrel, Jet Pack and Tracker, and three trail angels from Trout Lake.  Squirrel started a fire for us all to enjoy, the moon is full and beautiful, and I'm so incredibly happy I can't believe it.  :)

Along the trail: