I had a tough go of it today. Not sure why. The day started and ended with 1000+ foot climbs, but I've climbed worse at higher elevation. I've also had more foot pain, more sun, less water, less food, and worse mental states. So it is a mystery to me why this day took so much out of me.
I started the day, as I mentioned, with a 1000+ foot climb. At the top I entered the Trinity Alps wilderness, which looks a bit like the Sierras in miniature (pictured). The trail mostly cruised on a level, with a few hundred feet up and down throughout the day. I stopped at springs and used my taped up water filter. Filtering takes twice as long now, because I lose half of the water to leaks. Worse, it's like a cartoon; for every leak I plug, two more pop open. Now each time I use the filter it gets a little less efficient as more and more water escapes.
I hit forest highway 93 around mid-afternoon. From there it was a long climb out of the Trinity Alps and into Russian wilderness. This wilderness is named for several prominent geographical features, including Russian Peak and the Russian River. It is also home, though, to some lesser known features such as Track Suit Springs, BMW Ridge, and of course Mycousinviktorhefixyourcarcheap Creek. I stopped on the shoulder of a mountain to snap a picture of myself with Russian Peak and the headwaters of the Russian Creek in the background.
I did have a fun little discovery today. I was hiking up the ridge away from highway 93 when I saw something shiny just off trail. Now I'm blonde, so shiny things naturally pique my interest. At first I thought some rude person had left a bit of glass, but then I realized it didn't look man-made. I got closer and when I realized what it was I began playing the Indiana Jones theme in my head. I looked around, then rubbed the stubble on my chin. I grabbed a handful of gravel and hefted it. Hmmm... I rubbed my chin again and let loose a small portion of the pebbles. Then as slowly as I could I eased the object off the ground, immediately replacing it with my handful of pebbles...
Ok, yeah, so I get bored sometimes. You're lucky playing Indiana Jones is the craziest thing I do and/or share on my blog with the public. Anyway, I found a piece of an obsidian arrowhead (pictured). Technically I'm not allowed to take it (antiquities laws) but hey, Indiana Jones destroyed all kinds of stuff of great archaeological value and nobody blames him!
I made it 31 miles today and am camped by a stream beneath Statue Lake. I have water purification tabs working on my spare bottle of water overnight. So in the morning I'll either have clean water or I'll be having a very crappy day.
