4/10

The hostel didn't wake me. I was far more awake and motivated than the majority of that lot very early on. Today is scheduled to be a short(ish) day of 15 miles, so I decide maybe Ill hang around the hostel for a long while. The kitchen area of the hostel is a small building with a lot of windows and all the essentials for cooking. Breakfast for me consists of oatmeal and a carnation instant breakfast with a scoop of protein. This is the first hostel where I have been able to weigh myself. Even with all me peanut butter and extras I have been shoveling into my face at every given opportunity, I am already down 8 lbs. I hope that is not correct. that scale had been sitting outside for a good long while from what I could tell, so it might have been off. I need to start figuring ways to increase my calorie intake at every given opportunity. 

For the next few hours I did nothing but sit in the breakfast area enjoying the sun break over the mountains. I don't know If I told you  I am now into my 6th book on the trip. I thoroughly enjoy completing my miles every day and having a lot of time to write and read. Rather than carrying a bunch of books and switching out or ditching them periodically over the trip. I managed to load my iPad with something like 10,000 pages to read over the period of my adventure. 

I didn't even bother gathering my stuff until after noon. Something about standing bear hostel just spells relax and don't go anywhere and relax. I didn't have too far to hike but I just couldn't gather myself to leave for the longest time. Today's hike wasn't nearly as far as some other days, but when I finally got together to leave it was almost 3. Coming out of the hostel was uphill and then some, not exactly the most fun way to get back on the trail after a half day of being relaxed. I ended up making about 15 miles and stopping at max patch. I came up to the top of max patch which initially looks like a mountain that has been cleared for farmland. The whole mountain itself is continuously mowed down to provide incredible views in every direction. I climbed to the top just as the sun set and with views in every direction, the hills became alive with color as the sun faded into Amber skies. To the east was a light blue with the border of mountains stretching to the west where each color flowed into a brighter version of itself. The sunset was an amazing sight to see and the perfect end to the day. A couple guys I had met at the hostel had spread a tarp out and were going to cowboy camp on the top of max patch that way they could watch the sunrise. Cowboy camping is where you don't set up a tent, you sleep under the stars in your bag and ground pad only. They were nice enough to share a free section of tarp with me. We put all our bags at our heads to provide somewhat of a wind shield against the chilling night wind. As the sun continued to drop and nothing to do on top of the hill, everyone who camped there faded quickly. I had trouble sleeping initially and took a short walk before going back to bed. The darkness revealed a whole new view, as lights in the distance made a beautiful display of a city beyond. The sky was completely clear also revealing an array of constellations only a few of which I could recognize. 

I got back in my bag and then while watching the stars, I faded.