Thursday

At the beginning of my hike, a fellow hiker told me, on a particularly
precarious section of trail, that she was taking "mindful steps". I
have taken these words to be my personal mantra and I think this is
the key to less twisted ankles, stumbles, and face plants. However,
what I have found is that because I am sporting my new dorky looking
"boonie" type hat to keep my ears from frying to a crisp, I must
occasionally look UP as well. It partially obstructs my vision because
of the brim and I have nearly knocked myself out cold on numerous
occasions. A couple of times I was able to see the low hanging branch
or blown down tree a few feet away. One time I looked up just in time
to see it a couple of inches away from my face, and one unlucky time I
never even knew what hit me. The moral of this story? Enjoy the views
from ALL directions.

I am camped near the Hogback ridge shelter 15 miles away from where I
started out this morning. I just love the names of these shelters.
Last night I heard coyotes howling and yipping all night. I also heard
a pair of owls yelling at eachother all night. It was a wild and crazy
night out here in the zoo. I won't be forgetting my earplugs tonight.