Day 94 - Truly Alone

We got up early at Gem lake after a good night's sleep. I'd only woken up once during the night, and saw through the mesh at the top of my tent, the milky way. I'd never seen the stars so bright and plentiful before, and being half asleep, I almost thought that I'd dreamed it. I would wake up every night after, trying to see the same brilliance, but I was never able to see the stars like that again. The moon was waxing, and was likely the culprit.

We ate breakfast, packed up all of our things, and said goodbye to Gem lake. It had been good to us, but we were growing restless and were ready to move on.

As we hiked towards Buck Lake, where we were planning on spending the next night, we passed more and more beautiful scenery.

Unlike the first day of hiking, this day was mostly flat, and narrated by lakes and streams. Not to mention that our packs were noticeably lighter from all the food we'd eaten.

We took our first break at Wood Lake, where I pulled out my book and read, while Bill fished.

Bill fishing

After reading for a bit, I climbed up some boulders to see if I could get a better view of the lake. I waited until I reached the top before I turned around, and saw that there was a whole mountain range that had been hiding behind the trees.

Peak-a-boo!

Wood Lake was so long, that by the time we reached the end of it, we were almost at our destination, Buck Lake.

Walking along Wood Lake

As we reached our campsite at Buck Lake, I couldn't believe that there was still another lake more beautiful than the two we'd seen already. Having arrived at just about lunch time, after our leisurely hike, we munched on cheese, salami and crackers, and enjoyed another cocktail by our new private beach. I stretched out my tired legs, and breathed in the fresh air. At 14 miles in, we were truly alone. 

Lower Buck Lake