Etna to Bushcamp
7.5 miles
Mile 1607.2
I woke up to the other hikers in the bunk house packing. I’d slept in, finally getting out of bed a bit past 7 to gather my things before walking down the street with Spikes to grab breakfast at a cafe. I ordered a breakfast croissant with bacon and an espresso.
The sandwich was bomb, but lost it’s taste after scorching my tongue on the boiling espresso. In no rush to get back on trail, we walked back to the hostel to take care of some phone chores while relaxing in the shade of the grassy lawn.
There was a music festival in town today, which is probably why all the rooms had been booked the previous night. It started at 11, so Spikes and I headed back downtown to check it out.
Honestly, it was rather dismal, but maybe we were just too early. There was an assortment of vendors in the street, which had been closed to traffic, and a few stages setup.
After poking around a bit, we headed into Paystreak Brewery to buy sandwiches to pack out for dinner. We ordered a round of Trinity Wheat to sip on as we waited for our food. The staff was incredibly friendly, the owner even bought us a round of their Paystreak IPA, which wasn’t available for other patrons.
Once our to-go order arrived, we headed next door to grab a quick bite at Denny’s Distillery. We made friends with a few locals as we waited for our food at the bar.
After eating, we headed back to the hostel to grab a ride from the owner back to the trail. We’d enjoyed Etna immensely, but it was time to hike. A bit past 1 we were making our way up the trail once again.
Shortly after starting we crossed the 1600 mile marker before entering into Marble Mountain Wilderness, the last of the three large wilderness sections in the area.
From there the trail meandered up and down rocky ridges, passing through a few burn areas.
I enjoyed this rock someone had left next to a trail register…
The last few miles to camp wandered through a burned forest, offering little shade.
When we arrived at camp I walked down the hill to fill our bottles before pitching my tent. There were loads of bugs, but no mosquitos, so I’m not complaining. The reuben I’d packed out for dinner was terrific, maybe the best town food I’d pack out yet!
After dinner we watched a bit of Netflix before hitting the hay.
Cheers!