Date: 2016-08-04
To: View Entry
Miles today: 21.0
Weather: light rain

Day 115- August 4, 2016Today we left a noisy shelter site where it's over crowded area was filled with loud inconsiderate section hikers and some sobo. I left the guys, who were still packing up, so I could get walking while I had the energy. Dregs caught me quick because I had to keep making pack adjustments, but I soon got a lead on him from a long down hill. I hiked by myself most of the day, listening to my sword of truth book. I stopped at around 10:30am at a stream and footbridge with a camp site where I told dregs I would wait for him so we could get water for a large climb and eat lunch. It was much earlier than anticipated so I just waited for him and when he showed up, I consulted with him on our next stopping point. I left and headed up a beautiful mountain full of berch trees and pines, mossy boulders, ferns and all sorts of rich greens. It smelled incredible, like a fresh cut Christmas tree mixed with the freshest most pure air I've ever breathed. It was wonderful though the climb was long and in some parts steep. At the top, I came across a fire tower that I had promised dregs I would climb to the top of. I am so terrified of heights and have only made it to the top of one other towers that was not as high. Some section hikers encouraged me as I started the climb alone. Half way up, a couple came rushing up behind me. I stared at the floor board and let them pass as I clung for my life on a small beam. I waited there, unable to bear moving lest they need to squeeze by me or I feel pressured to move out of their way while they moved about. I waited until they decided to come down and then I continued my journey upwards. I had to keep telling myself they were normal stairs that I just needed to walk like any other. But then again, sometimes I slip down steps in normal life... That thought didn't help much but I kept going all the way up. Shaking, I crawled up into the top of the tower and quickly took some pictures and then sat on the floor. I heard from below me dregs call up asking I I was up there. I answered him and he came up to join me. It felt like an earthquake, him walking up, and it was terrifying. He reached the top and found me sitting on the floor holding on. He gave me encouraging words as I insisted that I go back down now. The hardest part is the first few steps going down. I turned around and stepped down as if I were climbing a ladder. Keeping my eyes focused on the steps, I made it all the way down. Very proud of myself. We ate lunch at the bottom and then I hiked on to our next meet up spot, a shelter. Once there, I got water from a pond and talked to a few other hikers, walked back up and dregs and trooper showed up not long after. We figured that only two more miles were necessary to make our goal into town tomorrow, but I ended up skipping the 2 mile camp site in hopes that there would be a good spot in another mile or so. There wasn't. It was 6 miles from the last shelter rather than 2 before there was any camping. I found a spot with a beautiful view of layering mountains. Trooper showed up and then dregs called me looking for us. He had though we went down to a shelter that was .5 off down a hill and was very upset when we weren't there. He made it to us later and then more hikers showed up. We all ate dinner as we watched an orange sunset. 21 miles