The Yard Sale and Smooth Dirt

Miles 19.3

Camped at mm 323.9

Anji bought a container of oxygen for me and some pepper spray for herself while we were in town yesterday. Yes, you can buy canned air. Mine is called Boost. We were supposed to buy a pulse oximeter too, but we both get anxiety in grocery stores, so that little item was forgotten. We’ll get one in Lake City.
It was 32 degrees last night and our tents were frozen this morning. By the time we were ready to leave camp, we couldn’t feel our hands or our feet.
Fall fell last night too. Pieces of aspen leaves are now bright yellow. Overnight.
We passed by piles of logs that reached well into the sky. Slash piles that we guessed would eventually get burned.
We got to a little creek and there were a bunch of other hikers there already. They’d stolen our idea and laid their tents and gear out to dry from the rain last night.
Yard Sale! They called out as we walked up. We laughed and spread our tents out to dry as well. Everyone took pictures of the yard sale in the middle of nowhere.
The trails were smooth and easy. No rocks. Just Smooth Dirt. The sun was easy on our skin and the breezes were just right.
We cruised along all day through wide open spaces of waving grass dotted with huge pine trees. Bright blue skies. Almost an unbelievable blue. Poofy clouds here and there. Chatting and laughing and telling stories.
It took 28 days to have a perfectly wonderful day on the CT. 28 days.
…but this was it.