Mileage 6.6
Camped at Mirror Lake
Today we hiked the 7-ish miles to Mirror Lake. The name belied the surprising amount of wind we encountered there. I wanted to see what I was capable of, speed wise, and set off to do the 6.6-mile jaunt in two hours. I failed. The way was hilly, the pass was still snow-bound, and I lost the trail. I left camp at 9:55 and ran, literally ran, into camp at 10:56. Shucks. My pack currently weighs something ridiculous, maybe 40 pounds. I feel like a weekend backpacker. We have so much food. I somehow ended up with 11 dinners for an 8-day section, so my task for tomorrow's zero will be finishing as many as I can. This is a great spot for a zero. There are a bunch of little trails for exploration, and the warmest lake we've yet encountered. Today marks the three week point of my adventure. I was very surprised to discover this. I suppose it's been broken up a bit, but it still certainly doesn't feel like it's been that long. However, I feel like I have done some major adjusting to trail life. Yesterday in town, I felt like I was out of my element, almost. Sitting in the lobby of the inn with our stuff scattered around the floor or wandering around a gas station store with my pack on, I felt like an outsider. When we walked into the woods to camp for the night, I felt comforted to be back in the serenity of the forest, as if this were the default. Tomorrow, we celebrate the fourth by doing absolutely nothing. Huzzah!
Good place for a zero
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