I got a long look at the sunrise this morning, though through the trees along the ridge.
As the sun rose there were occasional overlooks to take in the day’s views.
There were two different options for food and resupply today: a wayside or a campground with camp store. They were only a few miles apart, so it was one or the other, not both. The campground was closer to the trail, so that settled it for me and I decided to skip the wayside this time. Loft Mountain Campground was much larger than the last one, with a large store, shower, and laundry facilities. I bought a few snacks plus some much needed pain reliever and compression wrap for my leg. I didn’t need the showers and laundry, but they were impressive.
After the store I continued for a couple more miles and found a quiet place to set up camp along the trail. All areas of the park, unless otherwise marked by signs, seem to be approved for backcountry camping.
I noticed today that trees in the park are just starting to change color. And all the plants that have been flowering all summer are slowing down.
Having just eaten at the camp store, I went ahead and found a good tree for a bear hang for my food and skipped cooking dinner. I did get hungry later before I fell asleep. But, after dark and already resting in my hammock, it wouldn’t be an easy problem to solve until breakfast…