Day 57: A Maze of Downed Trees

Our morning started in the snow, with several miles of navigating and bushwhacking to slow us down. After we finally dropped below the snowline, we met some Southbounders who told us there was just one more 2 mile stretch of snow, then clear trail for over 200 miles! We were so excited. We walked briskly through the woods, enjoying the sunshine, the flowers, and the birds. It is obvious the trail maintainers have not gotten to this section of trail – probably due to the snow this year – as there were dozens of downed trees across the trail. We climbed, ducked, and bushwhacked our way through the mess until our legs were both cut up. It is clear this area had a rough winter. We made it 27.6 miles today, and spent the day with a hiker we met at camp last night from Germany. We had a campfire and time to relax before dark, because the sun is out until nearly 9 pm now. It’s starting to feel like summer.