Date: 2019-05-09
From: Hot Springs Elmers Sunnybank Inn & Hostel

To: Stealth Site mile 290.3
Miles today: 15.4

I am reading The Wilderness World of John Muir-edited by Edwin Way Teale. In one of the chapters Muir describes a fall he took while traversing the whole length of the Tenaya Canyon.  Muir had just spent two weeks in the Cities of Oakland and San Francisco.  He wrote:¢There,¢ I said, addressing my feet, to whose separate skill I had learned to trust night and day on my mountain, ¢that is what you get by intercourse with stupid town stairs, and dead pavements.¢ I feel as though when I am walking on the trail the terrain is alive, constantly changing, your feet never land the same. When I get into town there is a feeling of ¢dead pavement ¢ as every step is the same.  I have found that I tend to move toward grass or gravel when in town, if possible. Walking in the woods is much more satisfying to my feet. I had a great stay at Elmers Sunnybank Inn and Hostel. It was more like a B&B. Elmer is a great cook and breakfast was delicious.  Everyone, 3 guest, Elmer and two staff told their stories.  It was nice and I got some fruit and granola too. I left Elmers and went to the outfitters to pickup a couple Mountain House hiker dinners, I like them.  I weighed my pack with the food and water, 36 lbs. same as when I started.  I think a-lot of it depends on type of food and amount. The trail was nice today. It seemed to meander more than normal at times. I walked by a river in the sand. I climbed rocky inclines to Lovers Leap. Story has it, a young Indian girl leapt from the cliff after her father would not let her marry her love and another tribesman killed her love. She heard his voice in the river valley below and leapt from the cliff. The other tribesman was then killed by a panther. I walked through meadows and on gravel roads today.  I climbed an observation tower.  The trail was quiet again today. I did see a few through hikers. I got a picture with Longfeather. I met a lady with a really low starting number,111. I asked her about it. Her name is Unfazed. She started in February and it was just too cold do, she quit. She decided on Easter to come back onto the trail.  We chatted for a few minutes. The new shoes felt great, different, but great.  They are much lighter and more cushion. My ankles are a little fatigued because I have been wearing a hiker boot and these are low giving my ankles much more of a workout. 15.4 mikes in brand new shoes, NO Blisters?. So, I am trying to keep my mileage at 15 plus a day. I know I do less sometimes but I have to average 13 a day to finish in time.  The problem is the shelters are not spaced 15 miles apart. Today¢s shelters were at 11 or 19.6 , I stopped at the 11 but-it was too early and I still had miles in me.  I knew I could not do 20!  I found a hostel at 16.5 and was headed there. I told myself; if I could find a stealth site close to there I would stealth camp, if not I would go to the hostel because they have a tenting option. I found a very nice stealth site and I had enough water for dinner, coffee in the morning and maybe oatmeal. I can always walk a little and then eat.  This will be my first night stealth camping alone.  I am just off the trail at a site. There is a makeshift fire pit and probably 3 places for tents. I did have to throw a line a hang my food bag from a tree.Wildlife update: I did see four or five deer on the way into Hot Springs yesterday.  Someone at the last shelter where I stopped at for a quick break saw a rattle snake today. She walked right past it then heard the rattle. Her husband was behind her stopped and backed away. He was able to get a picture of it.