I am camped out on the Franciscan’s soccer field and enjoying all the thru-hiker company here. It was a hot day and I arrived at the Friary pretty overheated. The free shower solved that, though. It was cold. Freezing cold. Heart-stopping cold. Remind me to just stink next time—I’m never doing that again.

I ran into Moonpie again, and spent 7 pleasant miles hiking and chatting with her. I met Stanimal & Big Foot. Mouth and Tarzan, Skyline & Sundance, Condor and Einstein round out the crowd.

It was a fairly hard 15 mile walk, but at least the trail went though some pretty spots today. The trail goes through the zoo at Bear Mountain. So I got to see another bear, as well as a fox, coyote, bobcat, porcupine, and a bunch of other creatures. They look far happier in the wild!

Want to see something funny? Like cruel, funny? Put a 48 ounce soda loaded with ice in front of a thru-hiker on a really hot day. Then make it so he can’t open the zippered pocket of his shorts in order to pay for this soda.

My zipper’s still stuck. But I cut through my shorts with my pocket knife in no time flat and the soda’s long gone.

It’s a hot and muggy 76 degrees right now and I am hoping the temperature drops out before bedtime in ½ hour or so.

My knees were sore today and I have a mildly sprained left ankle. But it’s better than I deserve considering yesterday’s lunacy! I didn’t get rolling until 8 this morning, so I’m hoping for an earlier start over tomorrow’s planned 19.