Sep 9th 2022

I woke up cold but then I was in a valley and by a river not a good combination. 
I packed up  then put on a brew.  I was just about to drink.my tea when it began to rain ..bugger. I quickly finished packing. 
Where is my phone panic panic. I unpacked my tent which then got soaked. NO phone
I unpacked my Sleeping bag. now also wet. No phone
I emptied my pack until  I found it. I had packed it with my battery. Maybe I should have checked that first.
So now I have wet kit a wet pack and I’m cold and very late.
I had just gone 8 by the time I marched out.. CRAP ,Especially as I knew I had a big climb to do .
I pushed on as the rain fell, I heard something behind me i spun around to gree Google  he’s always late to leave  but can do big miles.

I blinked and he had vanished  so impressed….i pushed on and soon crossed over a creek on the other side was a tent spot this is where Cash was heading last night.  The trail now began to get steeper but there were switchbacks but they were steep. 
I kept climbing  and climbing god this is  high I thought.
After 40 minutes I began to see  frost even though I was pleased that i was wearing several layers on so was warm except my hands. 
With my crap start I wasn’t really in the  right sort of mood  for this climb but i pushed up and up  and across  and up and up. The rain continued to fall so with the rain and plants my feet were soon soaked. Oh  well.
I tried to put my other gloves on  earlier but due to cold hands I couldn’t pull them on .
I pushed on and then it began to snow ..such fun…it looked oh so pretty but soon became a challenge and hard work pushing through it and slipping. 
I had been climbing for over two hours  and I was getting exhausted  . I blamed this morning’s fiasco.
God I hope the sun comes out later or nothing will dry….
Still I kept climbing, now and then a clear  patch would appear in the swirling mist exposing beautiful  sights but then it was gone. At last I felt that I was the top…and then of course it was time to descend , but I’m descending slowly as I do not trust the snow. and then the snow is replaced with slippery mud even more fun… Loving it ha ha
I pushed on, through several forests then another climb up another cliff.  At the top is yet another amazing lake but this one is cold and grey. I follow the snowy footprints around the lake and into a burn area. Now the sun is trying to break through, come on sun you can do it. I follow  through the burn and begin to head downwards  as cliffs  begin to appear as the mist begins to lift.

Then four deer bound in front of me and then are gone. 
Good as I hadn’t seen any for a while. As I descend  I see a perfect rock to sit on and as its 12  I decide to call it lunch.
I was planning to make soup but its in the bottom of my pack  so tea it is lol. I open the summer sausage and cut off a huge chunk and then some cheese and biscuits.
Okay miles to do .
Well its definitely a day of two half’s. Before leaving I took off my rain jacket but kept on the second layer as it was still cold.
What a great afternoon strolling through meadows  or  warm forests .as I had a crap start  I wasn’t looking for big miles today and if possible would like to stop early to let everything dry out.
For the rest of the day the trail meandered its way through  the countryside fording rivers and little climbs.
The clock was whizzing around so at four I stopped for another break grabbed water  and removed the  second layer as it was now a hot afternoon.

Okay 6  should do it  i thought to myself…I  was now on the edge of a hill which I like and again flat  that I like
I pushed on until I came to another river.  This was wide and fast and once there was a bridge. As it was late in the day I changed  shoes for the crossing, it wasn’t too bad although the water was freezing.
Once across I changed  back and continued on . The trail then emerged by a rangers hut with a corral and in the corral were 3 beautiful  horses . I carried on past and was again walking around the edge of several hills with the river running below. 
I followed this for about an hour  before dropping down into another large burn area. I was now ready to camp but not  here.
I pushed on and on for almost another hour. Crossed another river  before deciding that I had, had enough 
My tent is surrounded by widow makers but I’m tired.

I put up my tent leaving the fly off to dry but by now the sun had gone in and it was  getting cold, bloody cold. So I started tea, finishing it off inside my tent.

Night all