After the greatest day ever, complete with a grizzly encounter, today started off almost the complete opposite. Condensation is a normal risk of sleeping under the stars and at 7,000 feet of elevation it was something I came to expect. It was something I was willing to accept with the chance to see the current meteor shower without any light pollution around (and it was incredible). But, the condensation freezing was not what I expected. I woke up to ice on my sleeping bag. And while packing up in the cold I broke the charging cable got my phone. It was at 74% when it happened, and that is all I would have to work with for 3.5 days to Lincoln. I yelled some words I didn’t know I knew at the misfortune and couldn’t do anything but move forward. I set off, dawning all my layers until the day warmed up. It took until 10am when I was finally comfortable. Through a viscous burn area and along rivers and creeks I went. All day I only met a ranger and two hikers, Formidable and Big John. It was a day consumed by my own thoughts, with very little interaction. It was complete solitude. Late in the evening I saw mountain goats braving the steep rocks and sat and enjoyed the sight before continuing to the top of Switchback Pass to sleep. Switchback Pass was perfectly named with the nature of the climb.
Miles 39
Total miles 3472
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