My alarm goes off at midnight.

I slink out of my tent and walk to the edge of the trees and look up.

The stars twinkle in the dark blue sky. It’s quiet save for the cricket symphony.

I let my eyes drift over the horizon, looking for signs of the aurora borealis. I think I see a sudden very faint color change in the sky but it lasts a second and is gone. Maybe a trick from my tired eyes. I’m seeing things.

I climb back into my tent. It was worth the try.

I sleep super hot and wake up several times to take my hat off.

I end up missing my alarm and sleeping in more than I normally do. Oops. Professor is already packed up and on the trail. He’s probably miles ahead by this point.

I slowly get my gear together. There are feathers all over in my tent. What is going on… ah, I find a small rip in the foot box of my sleeping bag. Noooo. I’m sad and do my best to patch it with some duck tape from my trecking poles. Sorry sleeping bag!

Eventually I am on my way.

The morning is beautiful.

The trail passes by a lake. Morning mist floats across the surface mysteriously.

The trail leaves the dirt road and travels into a forest.

More bear grass! It never gets old.

I am lucky and just catch Professor finishing his breakfast. I sit down for a break on the rocks and a hiker comes down the trail. It’s Running Bird, she is hiking the CDT northbound to Waterton and is in a bit of a bind. Something happened to her charging cable for her phone. She’s unable to use it and her phone battery is out! She doesn’t have any maps without it!

I offer my battery pack for her to charge. With my new solar panel I have unlimited juice (that is if it’s sunny and I’m not in a shady forest haha)

Professor hikes on

and I hangout with Running bird.

I want to get her phone into the green. It’s fun chatting! She trail runs and recovered from breaking her femur in 2018 and hiked the Pacific Crest Trail in 2019. Incredible! She also teaches and helps special needs students. Her partner has a support van and has been following her on the trail. All the more reason to get her phone back up and running so they can connect! Eventually it hits 25%. She’s 15 miles from the road and insists that is enough to get her there.

I hope it works out! Best of luck Running Bird!

I continue hiking.

A trail crew must have recently passed by here. There are fresh cut logs lined all along the trail. It makes me feel like royalty!

Not having to step over any downed trees! Thank you so much trail crew!

There are a lot of marshy meadows today.

I try to avoid having to get my drinking water from those, the water tastes kind of funny and it backs up my filter.

I come to one stream source labeled on the FarOut app as running but it’s definitely dry! Running Bird actually warned me of this water source. It’s fun getting trail intel from people hiking in the opposite direction. She wasn’t able to leave a comment because her phone was dead at the time.

I leave a comment on the FarOut app for other hikers behind me. Yay my first comment! There is no water here.

Professor and I leap frog. I pass two other hikers, Tropical and Quitter.

The 4 of us all leap frog, past a ridge and down into a valley next to a lake.

Two older women with humungous packs hike up from the lake with their dogs. They’re trail race volunteers and are marking the course for a 30K trail run tomorrow morning! How cool!

I hope I don’t get in the way of the runners haha

I find Quitter making dinner near a stream and join him. Tropical and Professor also join. It’s a nice spot! Right next to a beautiful grassy valley.

Professor and I decide to camp right along the trees and grass. The meadow is just magical, so green!

I take a beat to do a postcard painting.

I set up my tent under some huge pine trees with a view of the valley.

The earth is kinda springy and soft. Very cozy spot. I bet I’ll get good sleep.

This must be someone’s favorite spot because we find an odd bottle of liquor hanging in the trees.

Neither of us are brave enough to touch it haha.

We’re going to try and wake up at midnight again to see if there are any aurora borealis this time. Fingers crossed!