We were on the trail as soon as we could see without headlamps. The next stretch is thru the forests which makes for a darker trail. Donna has taken the trail name of Peter Pan. She has given Don the name of Tinkerbell, but do not think that is going to stick as he has the right of refusal. Wendy is liking the name of two bandanas. She has been carrying two different ones tied to her pack. Shale lake was our breakfast destination. It came with an abundance of low bush blueberries. There have been lots of deer sightings along the trail. We have also seen marmots and pikas. We meet “two Brothers” whom I had read about in a blog that they had written before we started. They had been rerouted in southern Oregon. We also met 65 year old “Mad Hatter” He has been doing short sections of the trail over the last 5 years. He has a goal of completing the entire trail by next year. We are entering into an area of large burned forests. The newly burned areas are black and white in color while the older ones have colors of green as new trees and bushes bring back some life. All trails thru these burned areas have a dirty, sandy ash texture.Our socks need to be washed daily. No need to push hard today as our pace is regulated by our upcoming resupply day after next. A shallow lake called Rock Pile is our destination. The sun setting behind camp has a hue of reds and yellow. The color is a result of all the smoke and ash in the air.

Mileage hiked 15 miles - Rockpile