The Priest, June 11th

The views were spectacular at Cole Mountain. I'm so glad that I stayed. The sun rise happened from behind some trees so it wasn't quite what we were expecting but it was such a nice night. At some point my head was close to the end of the tent and it got really windy suddenly causing it to flap in my face. I had to get up to pee during the night too and the moonlight was just so bright that I didn't even need my headlamp for anything, I could see clear as day.

It's another hot day again. Dirty Duck and I were quite desperate for water so got an early start down the mountain to the campsite where everyone else stayed last night. Dungeon Master still hasn't caught up with us. Not sure where he is.

Today was going by rather smoothly. It didn't get too hot until later in the day. I saw a rat snake on the trail.

I stopped in at a shelter along the way for lunch and there was a mouse in a little nest. It was so cute. Dirty Duck checked it out and disturbed the little one so it was ruining around the rafters but I got to see it pretty good. It was quite entertaining.

I passed Spy Rock. I thought that it was just another look out that looks kinda the same. I want to kick myself for it because Scout and Dirty Duck told me that the views were great and there were ponds with freshwater shrimp and tadpoles.

I got pretty sick towards the end of the day, I'm not really sure why, I think it has to do with the heat but my stomach was doing flip flops because of it. It felt awful. I stopped to go gardening in the woods expecting a brown  waterfall but was disappointed to find that whatever was in my stomach was not ready to come out. I did however plant a much more solid piece of fertilizer in the ground. When packing my roll of toilet paper into its zipblock bag I accidentally dropped it into my full cathole. I had a spare bag in my pack thankfully. I can't believe I did that!

The flies were like slave drivers today forcing me along the trail. They are the worst I've experienced out here and I'm being driven mad my them. I am being so heavily bitten up. I didn't get ant relief until I set my tent up in camp and got inside. Once I got to the camp and sat down my stomach finally started to calm down. I had passed a girl on the way up who was day hiking. She offered my snacks and I declined. I feel crazy for declining trail magic but I didn't even want to think about food. She did leave grapes on the picnic table here for everyone to snack on, those were amazing!

The Priest Shelter is on the top of Priest Mountain. It is a trail tradition to confess your trail sins by writing them down in the log book here at this shelter.  Some were hilarious to read. My trail sins were peeing in the water a little bit when I went swimming because it was so shockingly cold, not digging every cathole deep enough when there's a lot of rocks in the ground, and staying at the NOC hostel a night without paying.

Tonight at The Priest Shelter I'm at mile 827.3 with 1362.5 left to go.