Up early, feeling alright. I got moving late.
I didn’t get far before the knee started again. I took a break around midday and read in the shade of a bush for a while. I kept going after about two hours. I ended up doing 10 miles — not much, but better than the day before.
On the way I walked directly over a rattlesnake lying across the trail like a stick. It didn’t move at first. I nudged it and it shifted slightly. I tossed it into the brush so nobody would step on it. My second rattlesnake encounter.
I camped near a water source. Five of the nine people there spoke German. I cooked my usual rice and wrapped it in a tortilla. One of the better meals I’ve seen out here. Most hikers don’t cook at all — they rehydrate something cold or eat that expensive freeze-dried food. Each to their own.
The next day I felt rough. Bad headache. I decided to take a zero day. Not much to report — I stayed, I rested.
