The noises and lights of town made it hard to sleep well last night. We wanted to get out of town early but still needed a fuel canister for the next section. The outfitter didn’t open until 10, so we decided to walk around town to look for fuel and a cup of coffee. For some reason every coffee shop in town seemed to not open until around 10, but we found a bakery that was open and got some pour overs and savory scones for breakfast. Every gas station had only propane fuel, every outfitter was still closed, but finally we found a hardware store that stocked a range of fuel and headed back to the trail.
We got to the trailhead around 10 and climbed ALL DAY. We went uphill for 18 miles, out of the shade of the forest and into the exposed rocky trail under the Castle Crags. It was hot and humid, we were tired and sweaty, but the scenery and views were still great. We are camped alone after 19.9 miles of hiking. The sunset is beautiful from high up on the ridge. We go over 7,000 feet tomorrow, so perhaps we’ll hit a bit of snow. Hopefully not too much.
That mountain is getting closer