June 13, 2025
‘Red line’ mile marker 727.8 to 749.0
Hiked today: 21.2 miles / 34.1 km

We had a better day hiking today. The weather remained fine and sunny but not too hot, and the track was mostly dry. The few small streams were easily jumped across, so we have dry feet tonight and dry socks and shoes for tomorrow.

The forest we are going through is a combination of aspens and conifers, and the contrasting greens make a pretty sight. We saw a beautiful blue jay this morning, and we’ve enjoyed watching the nimble little chipmunks. While walking through forest, we have startled elk and deer that thunder off away from us 

Late morning, we came across a campground with trash cans and pit toilets. We tried the tap, but unfortunately, it must have been disconnected. Right over the hill, though, there was a large lake, Hopewell Lake, and plenty of people were around the shores or on boats fishing. It seemed that they were having good success catching rainbow trout. For us, it was easy to fill the bladder with water from the lake, and then we set off again to find a quiet spot for lunch.

After a gradual climb, we have come over a hilltop and are camped just up from a small creek.