Another cold morning greets us we get out of our sleeping bags. The seasons are changing! The days have been warm and it is a good hiking temperature. Nights, however have been dropping below freezing. Wendy has not slept well due to the cold and she would like to see if Jeff can pick her up where the trail crosses the highway. We are able to connect with Jeff and he is available to pick her up. Within 15 minutes of arriving at the highway, Jeff is there in his little red car. He brings us water, which is great because the last marked water is absent. He also brings his Mom a giant Kit Kat bar. Life is good! We say goodbye to Wendy. Soon she will be showered and getting a train ticket for the ride back to Portland. We, on the other hand, cross the highway, take a food break and prepare to head up to Brown Mountain. We are awed by the next section of trail. It goes through a major lava field.The trail is well maintained and is covered with red volcanic rock. A lot of effort went into this trail construction. We take advantage of using our umbrellas as shade. There is no natural shade, the sun is hot and the black rocks reflect heat back at us. Camping spots are minimum and when we find one right next to the trail we take it. Right as we are finishing dinner, here walks Theresa. She is looking stronger every time we see her. She is going to continue hiking tonight so we may not see her again. Tonight it is warm, quite a contrast from the previous week.
