Date: 2023-04-24
From: Groundhog Creek Shelter 

To: Unnamed Tent Site
Miles today: 18.5
Weather: few clouds

Today was a long day and it ended up being quite a bit tougher than I had anticipated when I looked at the A.T. guide the day before. But, there were some great views and an awesome trail magic spot.One of the tougher sections was the climb from the shelter to Max Patch. It wasn't as big of an elevation change as yesterday, 2,897 feet to 4,629, but it just seemed like there were more sections that were quite a bit steeper. But the view at the top was amazing. The whole area was cleared for cattle grazing (not sure if it's still used for that purpose, but I don't think it is) so there are no trees to block any of the views. I don't know the exact size of the area, but it's enough to give a 360 degree view of all the surrounding mountains.The other notably difficult climb was coming out of Lemon Gap. It wasn't very high, about 700 feet, but for whatever reason, parts of the trail just got really steep. Fortunately at Lemon Gap I came across one of the best trail magic spots yet.There was a former PCT (Pacific Coast Trail) hiker named Midnight Rider there and he had a stand setup. He was only giving out one thing, but that one thing was freshly made apple fritters covered in a maple glaze. And when I say freshly made, I mean he didn't start making them until you got there. They were hot, messy, and absolutely delicious.He said he moved to the area partly because he wanted to open up a burger/ice cream restaurant. He had done a trial run sometime before and there seemed to be a lot of interest, so he was out doing the apple fritter thing while waiting for some logistics to get completed for his restaurant. If his burgers and ice cream are as good as the fritters, then I think he's got a good shot a success.Now I'm at an unnamed campsite that's a little under 8 miles from Hot Springs. Yesterday I called and reserved a room that has a jacuzzi tub in it, so I'm definitely looking forward to that.There are three other ladies here at the campsite with me. They are first time backpackers and are headed into Hot Springs tomorrow as well. I think they said they started at Max Patch and are doing this as a sort of trial run to see if they like it.This will be the first time that I'll be sleeping at a tent site and not at or near a shelter. If I thought I could make it to the next shelter, I would, but that would put me at 23 miles for the day and that's just too much for me. The tent site is decent, but pretty small. It just fits the four of us and definitely requires some careful steps so as not to trip over stakes and tent cords. My tent is also at a bit of an angle, so I'll be sleeping a little sideways this evening. Other than that, it's pretty nice. It's on a rock outcrop, so there is a cliff nearby that has a fairly decent creek flowing down below. There's also a pretty good water source close by. All in all, it could be worse.Breakfast: Good To-Go Breakfast Hash. This one had butternut squash, spinach, feta cheese, and rosemary. It also continued the trend of me not being able to find a good hot breakfast option. It wasn't terrible, it was just rather bland.Snack 1: I finished up the bag of dried apricots I had.Lunch: 2 peanut butter tacos and some Nice! tropical trail mix. This has been my favorite trail mix blend so far. The dried fruit gave it the sweetness that I usually like better.Trail Magic: Fresh apple fritter made by Midnight Rider.Dinner: Knorr Chicken Brocolli rice with added chicken. This probably would have been better, but I didn't mix it well enough so all the seasoning was still at the bottom of the packet when I ate it.Dessert: Starburst jellybeans