I started early and began the hike into Benchmark. The trail ascended Welcome Creek, went over a saddle, and dropped down to Straight Creek. In places the entire valley was flooded and the trail and the creek were one and the same. I tried to stay up on the sides but the mud became too thick – easiest to just walk in the creek. After a mile or so the creek became much better defined and the trail climbed up to the side of the hill making for much easier travel. On the trail I met Spaghetti and Meatballs and her friend Windman.  Later I met Lucky – a young guy from Denver whom I talked with for a half hour.

I had arranged a ride with Teri into Augusta at a particular time. I found myself running late as usual and was moving as fast as I could.  I was going downhill and stepped just before the end of a branch that was laying parallel to the trail. The branch caught on the front of my shoe and lifted up as my leg moved forward. It kept going up and up and I couldn’t dislodge it. My momentum kept my body moving forward but my leg was still stuck two feet in the air and unable to move forward causing me to fall flat on my face in the mud. What kind of insane coincidence of geometry could allow this to happen? Good grief! Amazingly I was fine, so I got up and continued, albeit at a slower pace.

When I got to Benchmark the sky opened up and rained with lightening and the works. I had a heck of a time finding Teri. Benchmark is a big place and I was never clear on exactly where we would meet. I spent a good half an hour wandering through the Benchmark campground in the rain looking for her.  I was 45 minutes late, but she waited for me. She is awesome. On the way to Augusta we saw a couple of bull moose in the creek below the road.  This was quite a treat.  Teri said she had never seen them here before.

Augusta has several SOBO hikers.  Most of them are at the Wagons West campground.  I am there right now doing my laundry.  I just met a CDT hiker named Booboo who gave me an update on the trail north of here while we waited for our laundry to finish.

My room at the Bunkhouse Inn is small but clean.  This is a converted house from 1911 with 9 rooms, 3 shared bathrooms, and no TV’s.  Teri takes care of everything including cleaning the rooms.

I had one of the best burgers ever at the Buckhorn bar.  After my laundry is dry I need to do my grocery shopping and then maybe get a pizza. The rain is finally letting up which is good because the last two days have had rain about 50 percent of the time.