July 4
Mile 573-587
A little chilly last night! I had to pull out my puffy in the middle of the night to keep warm.
I had a super hard time getting motivated. Pennsylvania took off and I didn’t see him again until late in the afternoon. I dragged myself through the day. Not my day to shine.
I saw a squadron of fighter jets fly over in formation. That’s when I remembered that it was Independence Day.
The first water was at Golden Oaks Springs, which is just as lovely as it sounds. The water gushed into a large trough full of tadpoles. I dipped my hands in and got a handful. I love the feeling of tadpoles wriggling in the creases of my fingers. Not wanting to leave the spring, I made up chores to keep me there. I washed my socks and ate some tacos and did a little yoga.
I didn’t have it in me to keep pushing after dark. I found a nice grove of trees and told myself I could stop there.
Spinstera 
Hi Gretchen,
I’m following your blog from Nz.
I’m a thru hiker of sorts, having hiked most of Te Araroa Nz long trail. Im laid up with a herniated disc.. For real. A dumb thing for an outdoor woman to get. So I am learning patience and letting it heal while following your journey. Hope you don’t mind. You go girl.
Cheers Fi
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