Day 113 : Etna - Kelsey Creek

Day: 29.07.2018 Miles hiked today: 29.3 Miles / 47.15 km Total Mileage: 1'629.0 Again I had a bad night sleep due to the heat. I hope it will cool down when we are back on the trail and up on higher elevation. I mean I'm Mr. Freeze but these temperatures are even too much for me to handle! The agreed hitch back to the trailhead arrives on time and we are back on the trail by 6:40am. After 5 minutes hiking we pass the 1'600 mile marker. I'm very tired all day, hiking along and daydreaming. While hiking to the first water source we hike through newly burned areas (like 1 year ago or so), which is a little depressing. At the water source I meet a couple who are hiking South. They tell me that all the smoke is too much for them and that they have decided to return to Etna and hitch up further north where the smoke is less bad. Right now the smoke is not bad at all, but they said that in a couple of miles it's getting very bad. The women feels sick and her eyes are burning. So far I haven't felt anything because of the smoke so I'm for sure gonna hike on if the trail is open. The hike is actually very enjoyable in the morning. Once hiking through the burned areas and gaining in elevation we finally hike on a more apline landscape again and there are many wild apline flowers blooming. It's simply beautiful. But there are some very very steep sections in between (or may I only feel they are damn steep because I'm so tired!), which are not that enjoyable anymore, they are a pain in the a** for me! I need a good night sleep soon! We break for lunch on a hidden spot up on a rim, where we would have a great view. But the smoke has become thicker now and we don't get to see anything. The only positive thing about the thick smoke is that it blocks the sun. The afternoon hike is not that enjoyable anymore as it was in the morning. The smoke is thick and we hike through a lot of burned areas. Burned areas are always a little depressing but also fascinating as you can see how flowers and bushes start to grow again and it's a beautiful contrast in colours with the black burned trees and the green and colourful flowers and bushes. Also the afternoon has some very steep but thankfully short sections for us to hike. I finally reach the camp spot after 7pm, extremely reliefed that I'm here now and totally out of energy. I set up my tent, wash my feet and legs in the outlet of the lake and start cooking when also Duchess and Parmesan arrive. It was a very long and though day today. But it's gonna be another hard day tomorrow. We are hiking to Seiad Valley, where I have send my bounce boxes to and hence I need to go the the post office which closes at 4pm. That means that I have to hike the 27 miles to get there before the post office closes, that's going to be quite challenge! Hence, I'm going to bed as soon as I've eaten up my dinner and prepare myself for an early start tomorrow!