A plate of eggs benedict and three cups of coffee started my day off right. The owner of Callahan's came around to thank me for staying, which was nice of him. The girl who offered me a ride yesterday also came around to say goodbye, which was also nice. And weird. I think she has a homeless fetish.
I set out at a slow pace, determined to find a rhythm that would make good miles but keep my feet happy too. The day wasn't terribly warm, and the trail was fairly level, both of which helped. I wound my way along open hill tops and through sun streaked forests. Soon I passed Pilot Rock (pictured), then Hyatt Lake, and finally Howard Prairie Lake, near which I am now camped.
I stopped at the lake earlier, because it has a campground, but I didn't feel like shelling out $18 for a site. Not when the shore is lined with so many dead fish that I was afraid I would be camping in a biohazard zone. Besides, there was a family at the camp that, by themselves, made the camp far too crowded. For one thing, they had like 14 kids. Worse, they're the type of people who scream and yell late into the night without regard to the people around them. I know this because I stopped for dinner at a picnic table nearby. I watched a beautiful sunset over the lake as I ate (pictured). However, the mood was somewhat tarnished when I heard the mother yell at her child "don't push that stroller here! Don't you see the fucking rocks!?" Her daughter, FYI, was probably about 5 years old. Classy. Still, kid got off easy in my book. You don't yell at a 5 year old, you just slap them a little and say "see, THIS is why your daddy left us."
After getting my fill of "Jerry Springer Goes to Camp," I decided to fade back into the woods. It was getting dark, so I switched on my lamp and hiked maybe half a mile further. I was going to camp cowboy style, but you would be amazed at the crazy looking bugs you see at night. It's funny, I sleep out a lot, and usually don't give a second thought to insects. I've woken countless times with spiders on my face or ants literally in my pants. Still, when your light shines on a spider half the size of your thumb, and then you look around and they're everywhere - well, you start to rethink using the tent.
I hiked 32 miles today, and probably saw as many deer. In fact, I can hear one grazing about 10 yards from my tent right now. Hope their clomping around doesn't keep me awake.
