17.5 miles today. Total miles so far: 266.
Day 18: Yellow River to Mondeaux Esker.
The morning's hike was pretty nice! The storm cleared out the humidity and brought cooler temps. The Lost Lake Esker was a nice section on what's essentially a small ridge left by a retreating glacier. High ground = dry ground, but after that, it was back to boggy, waterlogged sections. I was very glad for my hiking poles as they kept me out of some deep sections. In one awful section, some of the worst trail I've ever been on ever, the mud was sometimes a foot deep, necessitating careful stepping and cautious progress. It was truly bad, and I don't think that section of trail should exist. I started looking for road walking alternatives, but once I emerged from the mud pit, it looked like the trail would head to higher ground, so I persisted.
Then I met my first long-distance backpacker on the trail (just 18 days in!). Billy Goat was also stoked to see another solo woman backpacker, her first after several hundred miles on the trail. We exchanged some trail info and carried on our separate ways. Hike on Billy Goat!
The trail continued on high and dry ground. Deeper into the section, I neared civilization, including a recreation area with both a privy and a garbage can! A bit farther on was a more developed area where I could get water, charge my phone a bit, and make a new plan since I wasn't going to get as far as I'd planned due to negotiating the waterlogged sections. I made dinner while checking options and decided to go less than a mile up to an established campground. That would add more miles to the next day, but I badly needed to get my feet cleaned and dried sooner rather than later.
