This was a beautiful night of sleep. So good in fact that I left over an hour later than usual. In the sense of clearing spider webs (with my face) that was good since I wouldn't be first down the trail so wouldn't find many, however by the end of the day I could have really used another hour of light. The days are short up here!

By 10 o'clock I slabbed up the final section of Baker Peak. The final bit to the summit is a fun and somewhat steep ascent over a fractured rock backbone. The views were excellent especially back toward Peru Peak. I had my picture taken here by a section hiker.

Then it was a long downhill through the woods. The trees are finally starting to change. The color season has been delayed because of the unseasonably warm weather. I snacked at Big Branch Shelter where I was besieged by black flies in 2000.

There were few more highlights during what turned out to be a long grind to Minerva Hinchey. The first was the nice suspension bridge over Big Branch, the second was the gorgeous little Rock Pond, and the third were the enigmatic rock cairns around White Rock Mountain.

There were a fair amount of ups and downs today. It added up to around 2,200 vertical feet. Now that isn't much in a mountaineering sense like what I had been doing in the Andes or even Colorada, but it sure wears a person down after 19 miles wearing a pack in the heat. Left Foot and I are both somewhat beat down here at the shelter. Fortunately food, wine, and sleep have a way of healing the body and mind.

And before I forget, I jogged partway down White Rock Mountain and WOW are my lower quads sore!