AZT Map Miles 553.3
Miles Hiked 543.0
Elevation 3,688 feet
Miles Hiked Today 19.6
I got an early start after an oatmeal breakfast. I wanted to hit 550 miles today. The trail had no single large elevation gain, but it did gradually go up most of the day. Still, I was making miles even though I took a half hour off for lunch.
There was water cached for me at a trailhead about 16 miles into the day. Surprise! The water was there and unopened. I took 3 liters and marked the bottle “public” so other hikers could have it.
It was only a little before 3 PM so I kept going. I reached my mileage goal and continued hiking. I was intent on making miles on the AZT today. When it was time, I started looking for a campsite. The good campsites were not to be found, and I bypassed the marginal ones. As the time approached 5 PM, I stopped being picky and found a decent spot. It had to be cleared of stones and rocks, but it worked. It was a long day but the extra miles made it worth it.
