They say not to sugar-coat the trail experience. I'll try not to here. Today has not been my favorite section of trail. Aside from environmental factors: mood, energy levels, calorie intake...it wasn't any of that. Today I diecovered that I really don't like "green tunnels." When the trail is covered in foliage and trees and you can barely see sunlight. Since last night, we have been winding in and out of deep gullies. So deep that it becomes dark hours before the sun goes down. I feel happy to see sunlight just beyond, surely it's around the next bend, only to find that the next bend looks just like the last. Climbing higher and higher toward the sun, so close, we're almost there, to find that the mountainside has grown higher and I am no closer to reaching that sunlight. There are sections of trail that appear to be old, old wagon roads. As primitive as widened footpaths along the gully walls. It's almost spooky to me. Poison Oak is everywhere, not just by water. It was 110 degrees today, heatwaves wafting through canyons, amid cooler air. 10pm still hiking, looking for any campsite, washing the poison oak from our bodies in the creek by headlamp. Tired. Now, we're camped in the one possible campsite for miles, a small patch just big enough for our tent right on the edge of the trail.

2 good, good, great things about today?:

1.) Berries!

2.) Cleaning up and napping by a beautiful glacial milk river.