Beauty in the Rain - Day 298

  What I thought was going to be a generally drizzly day became an all-day rain.

When we were at Sonju Lake before, it was blue-sky-water-red-trees. Gorgeous! Today, it was a gray-foggy. But gorgeous in a different way.


Sawmill Bog had a nice boardwalk. Despite the name, it didn't seem to have bog plants, although it's large and might have some in other areas.


The best part of the day was something I thought was going to be awful. Once again, one should not make assumptions. Almost at the end of the day was a big climb up to what was only referred to as a "vista." That's probably because none of these hills or lakes seem to have names. There was a pretty big climb up, but it wasn't a terrible rocky scramble. And even in the fog and rain, The view was neat. Those steep, narrow bluffs just plunge down to a 400-foot-deep valley.


The trail curves around the hill, and you also get a view in the other direction. Apparently, that lake isn't even a permanent body of water, it's only an intermittant wetland. But I love the mystical look of it all.


OK, the descent was partly a steep and rocky scramble, but by then I was happy with the visual treat, so I wasn't grumbling.

The real problem of the day was very loose clay mud. It was impossible to walk fast without falling. Even walking like a penguin did not guarantee stability. I slid and sat down in the mud four times, and took one hard fall. Just one small bruise on an arm though, so all is wall. I hiked for 8 1/2 hours today- I'm tired.

Marie says my socks are classic. I told her I know how she can get a set.


Miles today: 14.4. Total miles so far: 3529.4.

See rocky and Rugged