Day 135

16 Miles

There were a couple brief moments of rain last night, but nothing major. Still had damp gear to pack up in the morning though. We had camped near Deep Lake with a few other groups dotted around the adjacent meadow. The water in the stream nearby was ice cold, but we warmed up a bit in the sun before starting. Two climbs outlined our day, but I struggled with all of it. The first was up to a trail junction that lead to Peggy’s Pond with a view of Mount Daniel beyond the next ridge. A beautiful sight to see. Descending is normally easy on the cardio, but rough on the joints. Today the cardio kicked my ass, both uphill and down. I asked to take breaks early and more often than normal. On the second climb, although moderately steep, I just couldn’t find a groove. The views were great though. Washington has proven to be incredibly scenic. Weekenders are out today and one couple even gave us advice on how to cross the upcoming stream. We listened, thanked them, and then made our way to it. The funny part is that their advice was garbage and we crossed at a much safer spot than the one they told us to use. They meant well. I shudder to think what sort of danger they get themselves into unintentionally. Camp was packed when we arrived around 5:35 so we ended up with a slanted spot, but we made it work. Savage Turtle and I Spy (Eye Spy maybe?) got in after us, but I’m not sure if they found spots. We have been leapfrogging with them today and yesterday.