Day 104

What a fantastic day! This is one to remember! I woke up after having one of the best sleeps in my tent. (So happy with my new “wide” pad!) I skipped having breakfast and instead packed up quickly and hit the trail. I passed the old halfway point sign that’s still up, back when halfway was at mile 1,090 (2011). Funny that this sign is now over 1,100 miles and well past the current halfway point marked as 1,097.15. Oh how the trail changes every year. It always seems to get longer but never shorter. Anyway, I didn’t eat breakfast because I arrived to the famous Pine Grove Furnace General Store where many hikers attempt “the half gallon challenge”. I watched a few hikers start their morning by consuming half a gallon of ice cream. I don’t have anything to prove and just don’t care about “challenges” as I’d rather do my own thing so while my battery banks recharged, I was happier having two breakfast burgers (1st one was SO good, I had to order another) along with a chocolate milk, OJ and a raspberry tea. I felt fat & happy after that. I’ve heard from too many hikers after doing the half gallon challenge that they were sluggish, sick to their stomach and I won’t share what they said about going to the bathroom. I stayed there longer than I planned and realized if I was going to get to where I wanted to camp, I better get moving. The day was a wonderful hike and when it was getting after 4pm, I thought I’d just stop at the next creek that was supposed to have a camp area and call it quits a littler early. I could still make the miles up the next day and stick to my current plan. When I got there, it was like a mosquito-fest by the water so I filled up my bottles and decided to push on and find a place not so close to the water. What I didn’t know was after that spot was what I’d consider my first real boulder scramble where they had white arrows painted on the boulders so you knew which path through to take and a few times I’d have to toss my trekking poles up or down to the ground so I could use my hands to manage around these rocks. After that, I found the first nice camp spot I could find and it looks like I might get this whole campsite to myself! Been a long time since I got to camp alone with no one near me. Yay! Tomorrow I will hike 5 miles into Boulder City for breakfast or lunch (depending if I sleep in) and then head on to a Quality Inn on Route 11 and try to get their $60 hiker rate so I can get a shower. Goodnight all!