Today was the toughest day yet: in part because Lou’s sore throat had gotten worse, and in part because is was the longest, steepest hike of the trip. It took us four hours to cover just over seven miles and two mountains. Before I go further, let me just say that if you’re going to be gone for that long and sweat that much, take a bottle of bug spray. The stuff you apply before heading out wont last 30 minutes in the heat and humidity of an early July day. Also take about twice the water you normally need. This hike will drain you.
We left from our campground and decided to tackle the toughest uphill climb first. That would be Mansell Mountain Trail, unless you don’t have dogs, and then that would be the Perpendicular Trail. The next toughest was the very next climb to Great Notch. The truly humbling thing about this hike was that when we reached the part of the trail where it breaks off to the Sluiceway Trail a woman around the age of 70 in a skirt and tevas was sitting on a bench having just ascended. Of course, we said to each other, she probably does this hike every weekend. By the time we made it back to the RV our legs were noodles and our dogs were dog tired. We had never seen them so exhausted. There was no doubt that none of us would be able to stay awake long enough to see the fireworks.
