Thoughts from my 10.5 mile hike today:

The trail I was on had very long, steep uphill sections and nice long downhill sections. I wondered, is it better to love the downhill parts and hate the uphill parts, or to be even-keeled throughout the journey? I think I concluded that loving & being grateful and happy during the downhill made the uphill easier to bear, because you had the memory of happiness to remind you that not all is bad. Pictures coming soon…

Also, what I realized I love about hiking is the smell of the mountains. The awesome sights are to be appreciated, but the smell of the air is what takes the trip to another level of enjoyment.

Now for smores & fire.