I stepped out of the tent around 5:30 and the man in the next tent over had already packed everything up and was leaving. In the dark.
I hit the trail at 6:59. For the morning and part of the afternoon, the trail followed the rim of the crater, more or less, meaning I got occasional glimpses of the farmland through the trees, then the path would descend on the outside of the rim for a while before climbing back up.
I met Mountain Goat, a.k.a. Hunter, who says we met at Gooch Mountain Shelter weeks ago (Day 2 for me, day 3 for him). He did seem familiar. We chatted several times as we ran into each other along the trail. He’s very friendly, probably mid 20s. We were trying to figure out where to camp, but by our last meeting at a stream to refill as much water as we could (no more water source for 8+ miles) we hadn’t really figured anything out. The nearest shelter was not only 12 miles off, but half a mile off the main trail. He moved on ahead of me while I chatted on the phone with my son Wolf, and I didn’t see him again. By 5:30 I had walked 20 miles, which was my minimum goal for the day, so I started looking for a campsite.
The trail followed abandoned forest roads most of the afternoon, but veered a bit uphill towards the end. I spotted a flat site big enough for 2 or 3 tents just doenhill from the trail. It turns out the spot was on the old road. I set up camp there. It’s now past 7 and no one has walked by since I arrived, so I guess I’m on my own.
I took almost no photos today (other than of plants) because trees blocked the views almost everywhere.
Mile 570.1 to mile 591.3 = 21.2 miles