I felt better the next morning so I decided to continue. I slept in until 8am because I was counting on hitch hiking 10 or so miles from Box Canyon to Longmire. It turned out to be 12 miles of the loveliest road that I have ever driven.

I had a quick breakfast (oatmeal and hot chocolate) and was on my way by 8:30am. My right knee was bothering me and my small toes needed tape but besides that, I felt pretty good. There was a fellow ahead of me that I quickly passed. I asked him how far it was to the road but he wasn't sure. He said it was 10 miles to his camp at Nickel Creek, which is close. If I had more food and patience I might have joined him. Unfortunately, my three-day trip had turned into a mission.

The weather that morning was excellent. High clouds blocked the sun to the east and it even rained a bit. Someone must have been watching out for me because the forecast called for clear skies. I passed a girl my age traveling solo in the opposite direction. She asked how I was doing and I responded alright. She chuckled as though she could read my mind.

I welcomed every bit of shade the clouds could offer even though the trail was mostly downhill. The area between Summerland and Indian Bar is beautiful and I was glad that I decided to continue. There wasn't much snow but the terrain provided reason to return in the spring.

I rested on a small peak above Indian Bar. From here it was downhill along a ridge and into trees. I passed quite a few people headed up, mostly day trippers. This helped me believe that I wasn't too far from the road. Indeed, it wasn't long before I passed a sign that said 5 or 6 miles to Box Canyon. That meant a couple hours. I stopped at Nickel Creek to fill a water jug and freshen up. I didn't want to scare off any potential drivers with my wearied looks. Then again, they might feel sorry for me and give me a ride all the way to my truck. Dream on.

The road was only a few minutes away. It was 1pm and though my body had worsened my mind had improved. I didn't even consider crossing the road and continuing on the trail up Stevens Canyon. My pack went down and my thumb went up.

There were plenty of cars even though it was midweek. I had a ride within minutes. This one surprised me though. I was expecting to jump in the back of an old beat up truck. Instead, a small car with two older guys in the front seat pulled over. I almost didn't even bother lifting my arm. My pack barely fit inside their truck but there was more than enough room for my body in back of their 2-door. Turns out they were from out-of-state. I informed them of my goal. They informed me of their guidebook. They said that a person can hike 15 miles in a day. I said that I hiked over 30 the previous. We stopped short of an argument and the driver shared a joke about endurance. They dropped me off at the turnoff to Paradise and I thanked them once more for the ride.

I had passed the trail so I ended up bushwacking to the Narada Falls parking lot. I figured that this would be the best place to catch a ride down to Longmire. The place was packed. There were more cars but I ended up waiting longer for a ride. I stood in the sun for nearly 30 minutes before a truck finally pulled over. I threw my gear in back and jumped in. The guy worked for the park service and was taking photos at Paradise. I think he was head of safety for the guide service. We reached Longmire after several minutes of chat. He dropped me off at the inn where I prepared for one of the few highlights of my trip.

The restaurant provided my mind and body with a much needed break. I ordered a burger and fries. It wasn't much but it did help replenish my spirit and more importantly my salt buds. My wallet was well worth the extra weight.

There was still plenty of daylight left so I decided to continue towards Indian Henrys. I filled my camelbak and left Longmire around 4pm. I had hiked this section of the Wonderland a few years back during a one-day trip up Pyramid Peak. It didn't take long to remember the elevation gain. My right knee was still bothering me so I took it slow. Still, I passed a large group of hikers below the switchbacks leading to Devils Dream. The campground was full so I didn't bother stopping. The bugs were terrible so I would have kept going regardless. I don't know where the misquotes came from but they were out in full force. I frantically waved my arms and even tried running on some of the flats. The swarm kept up. I eventually stopped in one of the meadows below Indian Henrys. My bug repellant was buried deep in the top of my pack. Several seconds seemed like an eternity and I ended up abandoning the cap in the bushes. Once covered, the bugs left my skin but continued to swarm my pack. I searched the 100 yards of trail that I had paced while juicing myself but I never did find the cap.

Indian Henrys was only a few minutes away. I stopped by the ranger shelter but it was locked. The walls were thick and the windows were caged. I wondered what good is a shelter if nobody can get in it? I considered sleeping on the porch but there were still lots of bugs and the surrounding water looked dirty. There was still 2 hours of daylight so I decided to continue.

My frantic attempt to chase away the bugs somehow relieved the pain in my knee. I managed a good mile of downhill until I passed a flat spot next to a creek that I couldn't resist. It felt wonderful to chill my feet in the cold water. I didn't wade too long because it was getting dark. The remaining hour of daylight was spent eating, drinking and stretching my legs.

My map kept me entertained. This was the first time that I had actually read a map for all that it was worth. I estimated that it would be another 30 mile day with plenty of ups and downs. I really wanted this trip to be over.

I set my alarm for 5am and went to bed around 9pm. Most of my body was in pain and my bivy sack didn't allow me to stretch. Exhaustion outweighed the pain so I managed to sleep.

What could this trail do to me that it hasn't already done?

Day Three