This time I actually got moving from the campground, even if it was already afternoon. First downhill to a parking area, with a lot of day hikers and people out for a walk. From there on the road was closed — landslide, or something similar. After that, a good stretch uphill.
At some point I checked the map for the next water source. I had managed to hold the map upside down, which led me to believe I had already walked past the spring. Wouldn’t have been the first time. So I turned around and walked back down. Until at some point I thought: something here doesn’t add up. And yes — walked down for nothing. The spring itself was fine. A small amount of water seeping out between the rocks. I filtered around three litres, since the next source was about nine miles away.
The mountain isn’t particularly high, but everything around it is flat, so the view was excellent anyway. At one very steep section I saw footprints and trekking pole marks going straight down. The ground was loose. I have no idea who would go down there, or why. I kept going.
For a few miles the trail followed the ridge. The original plan had been to camp at the spot just past the next water source, but I didn’t feel like another campsite full of people. Slightly below the ridge I found a small hollow, sheltered from the wind, and spent the night there. From that height the view out over the plain on the other side was genuinely spectacular. Pretty cool.
I made dinner. At the moment, one thing I eat is ramen bombs — instant ramen with instant mashed potatoes, which soak up the leftover noodle water. Picking the right brand of ramen matters for the taste; with the wrong ones the whole thing tastes off. Weight-wise they’re solid, and unlike tortillas, the noodles don’t break or crumble. The tortillas I bought at the start of the trip held together fine. The ones I get here, less so.
The alternative I still keep around is Knorr rice mix with tuna (officially: Knorr Rice Sides) — tuna because it’s cheaper and has more protein than chicken. That goes into a tortilla, or into the pieces of one once it has fallen apart. I still prefer it to ramen bombs, but the bombs are faster and lighter.