Sunday, 24 July 1.0 mile, 0:35
Mountain Pride Penstemon
Chelsea was still feeling poorly this morning so she opted to move just one mile (and six hundred feet down) along the trail to rest some more. The hike went easily and soon we were at Rush Creek Forks. It is prettier than last night’s site with more shade and plants. On two sides we have coursing streams that join with each other and then two others to form a wide turquoise pool below our camp. On three sides are low, rocky knolls with interesting views and flowers. While Chelsea rested and wrote I did laundry: I swished my clothes in a zip-lock bag filled with icy stream water and Dr. Bronner’s for the wash cycle, then replaced the soapy water with fresh water for the rinse cycle. Then I wrung out the clothes and twirled them over my head for the spin cycle. Finally, I spread them out on a sunny rock to dry, turning and moving them occasionally to keep them in the sun. During the day different groups of hikers passed by our camp. Two women, Vicki and Roberta, stopped to chat a bit. They said they are moving slowly so we might pass them some time. I spent the afternoon exploring this area and found many flowers that I hadn’t seen yet. Especially lovely and abundant in this little spot was Mountain Pride Penstemon, a sweet cluster of pink trumpet-shaped flowers with fuzzy white throats and tipped with tiny yellow pillows. Later in the day as we finished our supper we were joined by Dave from Cambridge, MA. It was nice to meet someone from the northeast. Most folks that we have met are rather surprised to hear that we have come all the way from Maine. Chelsea is feeling better after her day of rest and we’re hopeful we can hike tomorrow.
