It’s Friday May 3 if I still have my dates straight. And ah, morning still, and we just hit Deep Creek which is actually a really big deep creek.

Pete: (laughs)

It even has a bridge going over it otherwise we’d have to swim across. And ah, yeah, it’s still morning and kinda cold, but if I was hot and sweaty it looks just like the kind of place that would invite you for a swim. But ah, we follow it for, i don’t know, more than 10 miles today I think. And ah, at one point along it there’s a hot springs. So today looks like its gonna be a pretty juicy day. For now its breakfast.

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That bush there?

Yup, there’s a rattlesnake. How the fuck am I going to get around that bush?

(crunches)

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Here’s a crazy bird song

(quiet bird)

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I’d say probably, as expected, the hot springs were the highlight of the day. Although they, there was a bunch of people there just like the, the guidebook said there would be. It ah, it wasn’t bad sharing it with them at all.

Pete: A bunch of ah, like kinda manly men, types.

Yup. Who would announce, you know something ah, “HEALING FROM MOTHER NATURE EH? WATER’S GREAT!” to everybody who kinda wandered into the spring.

Pete: Yup. And, and then they surprised us about half an hour into our stay there with announcing to everyone that were, ah, going to the Renaissance Fair. And how kick ass the Renaissance Fair was.

And how in past years they had showed up on horseback in costume. And gotten in free.

So, yeah, that was kinda entertaining. And yeah, oh man, the springs and the swim just felt terrific. And I was pretty careful about the sun, and didn’t get too roasted I don’t think. And eventually I took the, the last hot pool felt so good I got out my umbrella and just kinda curled up underneath it in the hot pool for awhile. That was nice.

So ah, that really refreshed me, at least, and ah the miles after that felt pretty good and went pretty easy although, after that it pretty much got really populated, and there was graffiti on the rocks, and some bridges with graffiti on it. And just looked like, all the signs were painted over with graffiti, and just looked more and more populated. And finally we come around the bend to a HUGE, big old dam. With a little tiny reservoir on the other side. (laugh)

Pete: it was gone

Just a little pond really. But there was a big old dam and we kinda went down it and ah, and went to the riverside of it. And ah, crossed the river again. We had to take off our shoes and wade. And ah, walked along, watched the river disappear into the dam through a big huge grate. And ah, pretty much after that we crossed the very end of Hiway 178 where it turns to dirt road. And ah, went south through some little hills. We met another hiker, it was kind of a unique individual named David. And we did, we had a kind of a conversation with but it was realllly slow paced. Like we would say something and there would be a long period of silence. (Pete laughs) And then David would make a sound like (a long whine turning into the word ‘well…’) not, usually not unintelligent at all or unobservant but just verrry slow. And ah, he looked like he couldn’t have cared less if we just walked on by, or when we left, or whatever. And ah, said he had had, he must be persistent, he was kind of a heavier-set kind of guy. And ah, he said he had problems early in the trip with tendonitis and it held him back for a few days. He’s gotta be pretty persistent. He said he’s gonna walk till about nine tonight. And ah, he passed us up here in our chosen campsite just a little while back. And this place is buggy but otherwise there’s water nearby and its a pretty good spot. Tommorrow looks like its just going to be heinous little switchbacks around a big reservoir all day long.