I wake up at 5:30am and start to get ready. Professor is a few steps ahead of me.

I linger to make my breakfast coffee.

It’s amazing what a goodnight’s sleep and some food can do, I feel great!

I pass where the Spotted Bear alternate rejoins the CDT.

The morning climb is a breeze. I catch up to Professor finishing his morning coffee with a view. We hike together to the China Wall.

It’s quite the sight.

The towering stone wall reaches into the clouds. The top turrets are lined with pine trees standing like sentinel citizens.

I feel like I’m witnessing something from a Miazaki film. Castle In The Sky meets Princess Mononoke.

I quickly drain my phone battery taking pictures but it’s worth it. My phone lens is a little scratched. I hope the photos look okay.

I pause to paint during lunch. Professor hikes ahead and I leap frog with Katchup Dady and Sloppy Joe.

Scraps, one of the Geologists, had messaged the Professor about a secret overlook marked by a very flat stone near the far end of the wall. I come across a very flat stone, this must be it! I turn there and find a secret trail into the trees.

It leads up a ridge to the most incredible view looking back over the wall. I find Professor there! I try to paint but it’s so windy, I don’t linger.

This area is just incredible.

The trail then descends into a beautiful forest of tall skinny pine trees with a short carpeting of green plants and yellow flowers covering the ground.

A cowboy looking for two lost mules rides by.

I hope he finds them! This place is expansive…

I hear the horse whinny in the distance and a mule calls in response. That’s promising!

I cruise along for the next several miles. I pause to make dinner at mile 222 and wait for Professor. There’s a patch of green trees in a burn section we chose to set up camp in, along with 10 other people haha

Most of them are weekend back packers but I meet a new CDT hiker, Milk Man, he’s from New Zealand.

The food hang pole is hilarious. It’s filled with so many food bags! I try my best to add mine without it getting caught.

For such a remote area the trail feels super crowded south of the China Wall. I remember it’s a holiday weekend! I’ve lost track of time completely.

The trees around my tent are a little creaky. I hope I can sleep!

Professor is hitching into Augusta tomorrow and has invited me to join. I have a box waiting for me at the Benchmark Ranch near trail.

It sure is tempting to go into town… I’d love to launder my clothes… and charge my devices… the Benchmark ranch charges $5 an hour per outlet to charge devices! And I am in need of charging after all the pictures and videos I’ve been taking! I would also probably have cell service and be able to call Doug and update my blog….. Hmmmmm

I have until tomorrow morning to decide….