Day 74 - 13th June - Harpers Creek Shelter to Humpback Mt. - 15.5 miles

Today my feet deteriorate and I develop blisters on both feet. I check my boots and notice that I have worn out my inner soles and there are big holes .

We hike a really shitty section from Reed Gap - 4 miles of absolute hell on rocks. We meet trail maintainers building a new track and we meet Regina the ridgerunner, an older woman ranger who is like the police on the trail.

Alison watching the trail building with rocks

We stop for lunch at the shelter where Doc spent last night and discover from the logbook that he had rabbit stew for dinner because one of the hikers who hence forward changed his name to 'Rabbits Foot' killed a rabbit with a rock while he was going for a crap. Then they cooked and ate it. Poor thing.

We meet two slackpackers heading south back to the Dutch House - Blue Sky and Sanman. We stop and cook dinner at 4.30 by the highway - and have a good hour of just relaxing before we load up with water and start the climb up Humpback Mt. We hope to do another 2 miles at least. Only 0.5 miles from the road, we come across Laurel Spring and some wonderful trail magic to lift our spirits - honeybuns hanging from a tree in a shoppping bag and 6 cans of lemonade in a cold water soak, so they are ice cold.

Laurel Spring Trail Magic, with honeybuns on the tree in the background

We drink 2 cans, eat two honeybuns and keep walking until we reach an amazing viewing point, with a wonderful sunset, and a view to a ski village and ski runs in the far distance.

We make camp here, and Humpback Mt is one of the more memorable campsites on the whole trail.