Day 36. July 31st.
I was grumpy when I got up at 5. I packed in the dark. At the store, I charged my electronics and filled up my water bags. Nobody was stirring when I left at 6:30.
I passed some clean, earnest hikers going the opposite direction. By the time I got done with the highway walk and started on the trail, they had turned around and were following me.
I made pretty good time. The clean, earnest hikers stayed fairly close. It sounded like two men and one woman who wouldn’t shut up. I could always hear her.
Later, I entered a burn area. It looked relatively recent. As the temperature climbed, I broke out the umbrella. It is a luxury being able to create your own shade.
Towards the end of the day, I began an uphill ascent. I wanted to camp higher near water so I would be in a position to tackle a high peak (Devils Peak) early the next morning.
Fortunately, I found a great site that had a stream and great view. I pitched my tent, ate, washed clothes, and was glad to get in my tent by 9.
it was a perfect night. The only mistake was that my tent was in the way of an uphill deer trail so a couple times in the night bewildered deer were shocked to encounter my tent and scampered off. Far better than drunk RVers.
backpacking over the hill 