August 9th Lils Lake to Six Horse Spring

The horrendous shits. Three times last night I had to quickly vacate the tent because the intestines were rumbling like Mt. Vesuvius in its heyday and my capacity to clinch was being quickly overcome. My body just purged whatever was in it, including a lot of liquid, which left me weak and dehydrated. Not sure what caused it- bacteria laden lake water, bad trail hygiene, overexertion, spoiled tuna, etc. Thankfully, I never felt like tossing my cookies, but wasn't sure what the morning would bring. In the end, I made up my mind to break camp and, at a slow pace, put in as many miles as I could in such a state. The first three miles were an ascent to the shoulder of Diamond Peak, where I was able to fill up on water directly from a small stream formed by the melting snow. Oh, so cold and tasty. Pure. A long descent to Summit Lake had me slowly but surely beginning to feel better, which led me to believe that the worst was over. Summit Lake itself is one of the bigger ones I've passed, taking over a mile and a half to skirt its western shore. A water cache at windigo pass gave me confidence in knowing that at least I didn't have to worry about water purity. One thing that I knew before, but was reinforced today, is that the body is an amazing machine. In spite of last night's trials, I finished the day where I wanted to, 31 miles further down trail, at Six Horse Springs. Nice campsite on a ridge near a trail junction. The wind is rushing through the tree tops, but my tent is barely rustling. The main advantage is that the wind is keeping the skeeters at bay. I heard enough of their high pitched whine outside my head net today. Rushing wind or rushing water. Take your pick. It's always a pleasant way to drift off to sleep listening to the sounds of nature.

Pacific Crest Trail Markers

Signs of Reasurrance

31 Miles