Distance hiked today: 29.1 miles / 46.8 km.
The views are back, hiking in more open terrain, or at least with some open hills among the forest.
I had a lunch break at a nice tentsite with a spring - only there was a deer laying in the pool above the spring, just cooling off. I don't blame it… it's roasting hot out here. When the deer left we let the water settle before scooping some to filter.
Then there was a huge downhill into the valley, just over 20 miles. This section is heavily forested, and I counted the blowdowns just for fun - 199 of them, before I ran into some locals who were coming up the trail with a chainsaw, clearing as they went. It's amazing the vast majority of the trail is so well maintained, so I can't complain about this section. With 2650 miles of it, it's a feat in itself that it even exists.
I camped at a free campground just outside of the town of Seiad Valley, ready to head in in the morning.
Total trail mileage: 1649.5 miles / 2654 km
