I woke around 5:30am today. The earliest day in a while. It was so very cold out but I stayed warm all night. Robin gave me her new insulated inflatable sleeping pad and I tried it last night. I have never slept on one before and it was okay. My back hurt a little bit but I can’t tell if it was from the slope of the ground or not. I left camp at 6:40.

The trail was very cold and wet. Branches and grass soaked me all morning. A heavy fog was over the trail. I felt sad and wanted to go home. I’m too affected by the weather. The sun came out shortly after and I felt a lot better. I passed by a campsite where there were close to 10 tents still there. I stopped for a break about 9 miles in and loads of hikers were around. The trail was gorgeous today. It dipped down into lush, mossy forests with massive ferns and leaves. Then it climbed high with the most fragrant pines I’ve smelt yet. The sun was warm but the air was still very cold. I took another break then pushed on.

We had two big climbs today but I was done with them. I hiked on and eventually came to the road where we’d camp. Panther Creek Campground. A woman gave us trail magic. I tried to drink a sprite but it was too sugary and gross. AB and I walked and eventually found a campsite at the campground. The large group rolled in after us. We finished 25 miles by 5:30. That felt good.