Poplar Ridge Lean-to

********WARNING: NOT FOR THE SQUEAMISH********

Well alllllllrighty then. I got up at 5:30 this morning eager to start the day. As always, I boiled water for my Breakfast Essentials/instant coffee mix and drank it before full daylight. I kept wondering why it was lumpy and tasted different, why my lips and nose felt numb, and why I seemed to need to go to the bathroom more than usual all morning. A little later, I went to clean my pot and put on my shoes and realized what had happened. There were slugs everywhere. I had boiled a slug and mixed it with my drink. Note to self: check pot with phone flashlight or headlamp before mixing morning coffee. 😱

I had set my sights on a 14.9-mile hike for today, but I just didn't realize the rigors of this terrain. This bleeping section of the Trail goes straight up and straight down, over and over and over again. After leaving camp at about 9 a.m., we headed across and down Lone Mountain, followed by a 1,750-foot descent to Oberton Stream. After crossing the stream, we climbed Poplar Ridge, another steep ascent.

After this climb, we were completely exhausted, so I decided to set up camp near the Poplar Ridge Lean-to (Mile Marker 209.7).