I have a good nights rest and get up early in the morning and actually start hiking before daylight at 4:30.  I am a morning person and I just hike faster and better in the morning before it starts to heat up.  Most of the hike today is pure forested walk but still very rocky.  More wild flowers and I have seen this far and all I took pictures of today.  Most of these were taken at Lemiti Creek about 5 miles into the days hike.  The creek actually had some cold water in it.  I use the lifestraw to get the cold water right out of the creek.  Very refreshing.

An amazing sea of purple flowers in an opening of the trees.

During one of the ascents there is a hiker that is actually going slower than I am.  I can see that she is having a very hard time walking.  Her name is Liz with a trail time of “Wild Oats”.  I did not ask how she got the name, I should have.  She has twisted her ankle hitting a rock on the trail just the wrong way.  So easy to do.  Her goal is to complete Oregon.  She is married, has 2 kids and they allowed (her word not mine) to go on this Oregon adventure as long as she had a device where they could track her.   Sounded vaguely familiar.  She says she has some bandages that work great on blisters and gives me some of her supply.  We pass each other the rest of the day as one of us rests and the other is walking.  I’m resting a lot because my feet are now on fire and each step is felt.  It’s always something on the PCT.  I am a bit discouraged because I am feeling good otherwise.  My trail legs are back and my stamina is back and now my feet are causing issues.

The next water source is a placed called Warm Springs River.  The PCT Hiker application indicates that despite the name, this river has very cold water.  Coldest water since the High Sierra’s was the claim.  Really looking forward to getting there which I eventually do.  Eventually….. actually it is only 1:30 in the afternoon.  I have done 15 miles and the water is as advertised.  Deliciously cold!!  I dump all the water I have and fill up with the cold water.  My feet ache and so even though it is only 1:30, I have had it for the day.  The camping is not very good at this spot but I find a flat spot and claim it as my own.  “Wild Oats” stays her for a long time as well with her feet submerged in the cold water for as long as she can take.  Eventually however she decides to try and make a few more miles.  I spend the rest of the day with my feet elevated.

Turns out Warm Springs River is quite the PCT destination and by dusk there are 10 people at least that have found somewhere to place a tent.  Places I never would have considered.  Around 8 pm three guys come in and set up next to me.   They are very hyped up and loud and so excited that they have just finished a 33 mile day.  And what makes it better, they say, is they did most of the 33 miles high as a kite.   About 9pm I warn them that I am getting up early to leave.  So are we they say.  What time I ask.  9 in the morning they respond.  I indicate I will be up packing at 3 and will try to be quiet.  So I guess we each have are own way of doing things.  The catch phrase of this PCT season seems to be “you have to do your own hike”.  I have heard it over and over again.

When I get up at about 3:15 I can see there are even more tents in the area.  People came in late an must have been desperate and I can’t even imagine being able to sleep on the ground where they had tents.

Iphone: 11.7 miles, 30363 steps, 5 floors

Lenora’s Story:

We continue to be up and down.  While I have a day to stitch and rest from a restless night Don is again struggling.  This time it is feet. I end up spending the entire day trying to line up lodging for next week after we leave here.  It is frustrating as so many towns near the trail are very small and the lodging is often not a chain but a local business and do not advertise online.  Finally gave up.  There is always tomorrow.