June 11, 2025
‘Red line’ mile marker 707.5
Hiked today: 19.5 miles / 31.4 km

Having paid for breakfast with our accommodation, we felt that we couldn’t leave without partaking of it. Instead of being on the trail before 6, we didn’t get going until 8.20. Breakfast included cold cereal, scrambled eggs with sausage, fruit, and yoghurt. We also made ourselves peanut butter sandwiches for lunch and included a hard-boiled egg each and some freshly baked biscuits.

The scramble up Box Canyon was not too tricky but I was relieved to get safely to the top because we had heard that a lady had slipped on the trail and fallen there only yesterday. She had broken her femur and was stuck waist deep in water until she could be rescued. That was despite her being a very experienced hiker.

From the top of the canyon, we continued a more gradual climb to the top of a hill and then on up along a cliff. The views were good but we didn’t stop long because it started to rain lightly and we could hear rumblings of thunder. The storm continued for an hour or more but the rain remained light and the thunder infrequent and distant. Nevertheless, it spurred us on and we hurried along the track. Unfortunately,  having our heads down in the rain, we missed a turn-off and wasted time and energy doing an unnecessary half mile uphill. We retraced our steps, found the track, and soon had located the tank from which we could get our next water supply.

While we were filtering water and eating our lunch, our friends Scooby Snax and Sunroof joined us, bringing with them Rob’s umbrella that had fallen out of the side pocket of his pack. Again.

The afternoon walking was less pleasant,  the path now being sticky mud that stuck to the soles of our shoes, making them heavy and clumpy. The path was confusing, circling around seemingly aimlessly across meadows. Finally, we felt that we had done enough and found a good sheltered spot for our tent and cooked up dinner. We ate some distance from the tent and again hung our food bags out of the reach of any marauding bears.