Another easy day today, I hiked up Bridge Creek this morning and then up to Rainy Pass on Highway 20. From the highway, I hiked just a little way up the hill towards Cutthroat Pass and set up an early camp. I walked 10.2 miles, 16.4 km today.

I woke up early this morning and took my time packing up camp. When I left, there was intermittent rain, but the sun was also trying to come out through the clouds. The unsettled weather added to the end of season atmosphere.

As I climbed Bridge Creek, the rain stopped but the sky remained cloudy. I walked among steep mountains with cloud capped peaks, covered in trees. The leaves were beginning to change colour on some of the trees, and splashes of bright yellow stood out against the evergreens.

On the way up the creek, I was caught up by Gucci, someone I haven’t seen since Idyllwild. He reached the terminus some time ago, but is now back filling in missing miles. We caught up and chatted as we walked for about an hour or so. Both of us have experienced so much since Idyllwild, it was awesome to get the chance to share stories and reflect on the hike.

At the highway, Gucci completed his section, so we went separate ways. I had a quick break at the trailhead and then headed up the hill towards Porcupine Creek

I got to a campsite on Porcupine Creek at about 3:30 pm, and had a similar decision to make as yesterday. There was camping further ahead, but it might take a few of hours to get to, meaning I’d arrive close to dark. There might be nice views of the mountains up there, or it could all be lost in cloud. A few spits of rain sealed the deal for me. I set up camp, happy enough with 10 miles, there’s no rush to finish from here.