August 22, 2018
Gooseberry Falls East to Cove Point Loop Ridge
Superior Hiking Trail Thru-Hike: Day 8
Morning
Expected mileage for today would put me either at Fault Line Creek or Cove Point in Beaver Bay, except there's supposed to be crap water at Fault Line, and I think Beaver Bay will be closed by the time I get there. We'll just see, eh? I do need to keep an eye on water today.
Very wet campsite, but I learned something at least! Rain fly DEFINITELY helps with condensation inside the tent. The rainfly still got super wet but at least it's not like when you brush up against the inside of the tent and everything gets soaked.
I slept really well except woke up at two because I had to pee, which reminds me that I need to make an electrolyte drink.
Ok, I can see the glow of the sun starting so I'm going to stop writing and start packing.
Evening
Made it within 2 miles of Cove Point, camping on this GORGEOUS ridge and unsure if I should cowboy camp or put up the tent. Thinking about things like being cold vs. wind breaking the poles of the tent, things getting wet, mosquitoes if the wind dies down.
I heard a great term while listening to Allan Watts today, which is buji (Japanese) pronounced like bougie. It means 'nothing special', but not how that initially sounds. It means extraordinary, but by NOT trying to stand out, and being even more wonderful and exquisite because of it.
I ate almost a pint of salsa today because 1) it is heavy and 2) it was separating and weirding me out.
I took extra water this afternoon so I wouldn't have to drink from the Beaver Pond at Fault Line, and because I took extra water I have the flexibility of camping on this beautiful ridge.
The air is beautiful right now. The humidity of the air, the temperature, the breeze is lovely. It's so weird to have so much time to hang out—I stopped hiking at 5pm today after 20 miles; I'm so used to pushing 23 at the minimum. Getting to camp when there's still hours and hours of sunshine left is, well it's wonderful. Just hanging out with nothing to do except whatever I want to do. Feel the breeze, hear the sounds, slowly add more layers as the sun gets lower in the sky.
Since I'm cowboy camping after all and need an office to be open tomorrow for my resupply, I think I will sleep in until 6am. I want to try and walk to and past Bean and Bear lakes tomorrow so I can camp somewhre non-ridgey or less ridgey the next day: that section is supposed to be really ridgey and it's supposed to rain on Friday. I don't want to be on a ridge in the rain.
I started writing out all my mileage for the rest of the trail and then decided, you know what, I'm not going to plan out every last detail. I'm going to know that if I make 20 miles one day, that doesn't change my average, and if I make more, then I don't have to do as many the day after. And if I make less, I might just have to finish on September 1st. Everything will end up exactly as it should.
The Night Train
I had this wonderful moment and I had to share my experience. The view in the scene is just as the sun has set and it's almost completely dark, but there's just a little bit of purple, orange, pinkish on the horizon. I'm looking out on the ridge over the valley and the trees are now silhouettes. Behind me the moon is rising. It looks full.
Then, down in the valley a train honks its horn waaaaamp waaaamp and I look over and I can see it! I see the headlight of the train winding through the valley, and it is magical. I feel very comforted by the environment of the ridge right now. I love it.