Miles hiked: 16.9
Mile marker: 1199.9
It’s 4:00 AM. The night is still dark with only a sliver of a moon somewhere above the trees. We rush to get ready and it’s before 5:00! We need to get to the post office before it closes at 12:30.
We walk in the dark. I’m leading, but as soon as my ankle rolls on nothing but loose dirt and degree, I step aside and let Luxy pass. This small misstep lost me some confidence.
We continue on in the dark. Luxy is moving faster and I was and I’m having a hard time keeping up with my smarting foot.
Walking in the dark is always a little spooky. Quiet. Small noises scurry through the trees. A dark shape looks like a bear.
There is a small uphill that feels much bigger than it actually is. It’s getting light now and our headlamps go into our bags.
For the next several miles, we fly through forest. We cross bridges that smell like the sweet trees and fresh water of Washington state.
We detour down a dirt road Luxy found on the map.
Soon, we make it to the paved road and walk into Sierra city! What a fast fourteen miles!
We grab breakfast at a cafe and it’s a really good egg hash with mushrooms! Best on trail!
We spend the next several hours showering, doing a resupply, resting, and going back to the cafe for a chicken sandwich — also very good!
And I got a strawberry milkshake that was good! I’m impressed with the food here. It all meets expectations for what it should be! It wasn’t perfect, but it was good!
It’s about 5:30 when Rafiki, Luxy and I hike up a 3.5 mile hill. A dangerous looking rock walk — it’s not actually that dangerous — shows off a quiet and green landscape.
Soon the tents are up and a pink sunset presents itself. The clouds look like the soft waves of an ocean.
A beautiful night!
The Wonderland Journal 
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