June 9
Deep Creek Hot Springs – Silverwood Lake
Mile 308 -326 (18 miles)
Saturday morning at the Hot Springs and the day hikers were hiking in early. I didn’t bother with a morning dip. I filled up my water bottles from the cold stream and set off. Right away the trail had a completely different feel. The rocks were covered with graffiti! Who goes into nature and thinks You know what all this natural beauty needs? Spray Paint! There were even boulders with gray boulder-colored paint covering up the graffiti.
I stumbled around in the heat until I came to the first dam, which seemed to be holding back the desert sand. 
Past that the trail went back down to the creek. I ate lunch at a crossing and splashed around a bit. 
The second dam had actual water behind it. When I got to the edge, somehow it was already dusk. Billions of gnat swarms hovered at face level so I had to walk with one hand flapping. I’d meant to walk another two miles to meet Pumpkin at the campground with the pizza delivery. But I spied a little campsite with pit toilets next to the water’s edge. There was just enough flat gnat-free space for my tent. 
Spinstera 