What Goes Bump in the Night and Trail Laundry

Starting Trail Mile 1321 and elevation 7349 ft.

I am trying to set several posts to publish automatically on certain dates as I've been without cell service more lately, and will be without entirely for at least a couple of weeks very soon.  So I won't be posting link updates on Facebook, but please check back about every 3-4 days for my next installment.  And the venture continues.

Even though I had a wonderful camping spot and my food was safely stored high in a tree, I did not sleep well.  I laid listening to sounds in the night, trying to determine what was the wind in the trees and what was animals moving around in the full moonlight.  Just as I was drifting off, I hear a loud thump, followed by a weird screech.  It was in the distance, but I lay trying to figure out what it could have been.  Even though I had my alarm set at 5 am, I lay in my nice warm bed feeling the sleeping time I had gotten was too short.  As I climbed out of my tent, I was rewarded with a doe and her two very tiny babies walking by.  As I reach for my phone to take a picture, my motion spooks the mom and they are gone.

Lots of downed trees.

Forest and interesting rock outcroppings.

Must hike down into a canyon for water.

I have to stop mid-morning for water.  I must hike 0.3 miles off the trail to a spring.  I decide to cook breakfast and do laundry.  With more natural water sources, I'm now carrying only one change of underwear and socks.  I find a nice flat spot to spread out, filter water, wash

Natural Cub Spring with cold, good tasting water.

Breakfast cooling, and laundry drying.

clothes and eat.  I'm tired  today, not liking my pack, and for some reason, really having to force myself to eat.  I make more adjustments to my pack, finish my duties and hike the very steep climb back up to the trail.
I enter a very dark, pine forest.
Then about 2-3 hours later, it opens out onto open lava beds with interesting rock formations and the return of my lizard friends scampering ahead of me on the trail.
The hike was beautiful throughout the day.


I had planned to camp at Cold Springs.  However, about 45 minutes before reaching the springs, I come upon a camp with several NOBO thru hikers.  Feeling safety in numbers, I ask to camp with them for the night, hoping for a night of better sleep.  This was not to be the case though.  I hear what sounds like a bear rolling a bear canister around across the trail.  The guy next to me shines his light in the general direction and yells at the sound.  It stops.  As I'm reading a book, something bumps the side of my tent.
I'm prompted up on my pack and the entire pack is pushed a bit.
I clamp my hands, and whatever it was moves on.  Needless to
say, it was another restless night.

Forest gives way to lava fields.

Top of the world,

Gorgeous!

Large burn area

Still going the right way.