It takes us all morning to walk the last 4-1/2 miles of the Middle Fork canyon. The miles seem so long. We take our last and coldest bath in the river at breakfast.

We emerge from the canyon at Snow Lake. This reservoir isn’t on our map, so we guess it must have been built in the last few decades. It’s use is not apparent, except for recreation. There is a boat ramp and campground, but not a soul at either. The campground has water, so we fill up.

Our route goes cross-country through a pretty little canyon. It also seems to head straight for a plume of smoke that looks like a forest fire. We can’t tell how far away it is.

When we climb out of our canyon we arise into a different world. The sky opens up and the T-Bar Grasslands spread out for miles. I’m overcome with euphoria from the change. I hadn’t realized how good it would feel to leave the constrictions of those narrow canyons.

We find small roads to follow north. With great effort we make 14 miles by dark. We’ve entered hilly, forested terrain now, and can no longer see the plume of smoke ahead. We make camp by the forest service road we’ll continue along tomorrow.