Day 90 - just about perfect weather and blue skies again (31.9 miles)

August 7, 2021

Miles: 31.9 miles

Steps: 69,916

The wind really picked up over night and my tent didn’t hold up too well. I don’t think I staked everything down properly and my taping job on my poles was loose causing parts to fall. I had a lot of dirt and dust blow in and everything was covered when I got up. Let’s just say it was hard getting up and hiking this morning.

Finally got hiking by 8am, that’s twice in a row.

I had a short uphill but it sure was steep and rocky so it was slow going. The good news was the skies were clear so I got some great views. I figured the rain the day before put out some of the fires and the winds blew out the smoke. I figured it wouldn’t take long for the haze to come back but it was blues skies all day long.

At the top of the first mountain I had a steeper climb down on rockier trail down to Lewis & Clark Pass.

From the pass it was right back up on rocky trail. I kept thinking I needed nicer trail to hike on and it didn’t take long for it to get much smoother on the way up to the ridge.

Once up on the ridge I was there most of the morning and early afternoon. I got some of the best views in quite some time. It was a lot of up and downs but the views made up for it.

I started my decent off the ridge and down into a valley which I went straight back up only to go back down into thick woods. I made my way all the way down to a creek where I had my long afternoon lunch break. With such a nice creek and I had such dirty clothes I decided to wash them in the creek. I didn’t have any soap but just washing them in the water made a big difference.

After my break I followed the creek upstream all the way to camp. Got some more great views as the sun was setting on my way to camp.