Day 3 start

Again not much sleep, but what the heck, got a steep 7 miles to go, Greg wishes me well, but I manage to fit my boot over my immensely swollen foot:

and hobble off (also can hardly sit cuz of my bruised coccyx & got a nicely scraped up right arm to boot)….the moderate inclines not so bad but every boulder and root stopping me short, not so much pain (amazingly!) but the tedium & exhaustion in using my upper body and makeshift walking stick to traverse the bumpy path incredibly wearying – doesn’t help that I’m even feeling nauseous so not up for any more of my (mashed up) PB & J sandwiches or hardboiled eggs or even now-sickenly sweet gorp….

Then, after many hours, through the still deathly quiet valley I’m suddenly swooped by an owl…! (what kind is it, Smane?):

And why did he do this five more times, once at least hitting my head with feet or wings? Was it cuz my hair looked like a rats nest? Well, I did put on my hat and he then left me alone.

And on & on & on I trod….I’ve learned my lessons now: no more solo hikes, some mountains ARE hard to summit, so many of the ‘nervous nannies’ were right (for once), etc, etc,…..

But all this “I told you so”s hardly helps my incredibly long and arduous ordeal...9 + more hours along this Sisyphean trek and I make it back to the car...whew, and my foot can still press the pedal...