I slept good on top of Pearis Mountain, and decided to take an impromptu day off.

I had a late breakfast followed by a visit from a very friendly doe.

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This site has some of the best water on the trail, an artesian spring that I’ve never seen dry at the top of the hill, and pours cold water even on the hottest days of summer.

I found a tree to make a decent bear hang. Not my best work but it fits the recommended specifications.

I cooked dinner in the evening over a fire: always a good time

Aftet dinner my doe friend came back to visit me.

Today started out with a few dozen bees buzzing around my things at 6am. They were friendly and didn’t sting me. They probably just wanted my salt that I’ve left deposited on every piece of gear.

After quick breakfast I left out in a hurry to try and beat the heat. There is a drastic difference in heat between 4000 and 1000 feet of elevation.

While the day was mostly uneventful, I did encounter a very handsome lizard friend and talked to some sad oaks.

It seems the blight isn’t just for chestnuts anymore.

I stopped at Jennings Creek to cool off before going up to Cove Mountain.

There is no water source here but a storm kicked up and I collected about 2 liters.

The storm didn’t dampen my spirits nor hinder my fire starting abilities.

I even made a super sexy bear hang.

I ate supper, made a log entry, and am now lounging and feeling very full of myself for thriving and defying the elenents in an inhospitable area with the odds stacked against me.

Like Alex Supertramp said, the only thing missing is someone to share it with. Without someone to talk to I sometimes make bold statements over a fire.