Day 3 - Camp Cove to Black Rock Camp

Before going to sleep last night I took a late night walk down the trail and to my surprise the moss covered wall was littered in dots of blue light. Glow worms. After using all the battery life on my camera photographing them I went to bed with much joy.

I awoke around 6:30am to the sound of hikers getting ready to hit the trial. There were tons of people camped at my site with me so the morning was busy. Everyone was cooking breakfast or packing up their gear. I made a slow start with lots of stretches and hit the trail by 8:30am - as I felt no rush - ready for a more strenuous day then the last. My body still hurt, but the pain in my foot had gone down, and instead the pain in my right thigh had gone up. I payed careful attention to it making sure I stopped every opportunity I had to give it a good stretch. Resting pigeon pose has been my favorite.

The hike was all uphill until about noon when I reached a hut. This was the only water source until I hit my camp tonight. When I filled my bottle with water it was a light yellow color. I took a look inside the tank and the water was filled with worms. I filtered the water for myself and 3 other hikers who didn't carry one and continued my uphill hike toward Black Rock. Though today was the hardest hike of the Queen Charlotte, it was by far the most beautiful. Grand views of the sound were visible for most of the track, which gave me lots of opportunities to stop, stretch, and enjoy the vast beauty around me. I walked most of the day without music, listening to the many sounds that cicadas make. Sometimes they sounded like a strange variation of a cricket, and other times they would clap their wings together in such a way that it sounded like dry wood being burned over a hot fire. Imagine that sound being mimicked one thousand fold across the entire Queen Charlotte. If you didn't keep a eye out for them they would come flying in blind and hit you right in the face. I lost count of how many cicadas dive bombed me today.

By 3 o'clock I reached my camp. It was small, only enough room for 5 tents, and I was happy to be one of the first to set up. Within a few hours the camp was full and I was chatting with some new friends. An older kiwi couple camped next to me were extremely interested in my Zpacks Duplex tent, and I was happy give them a tour. I talked with my camp mates for a little while before finding some nice solitude. Day 3 complete, and I feel the pain. My body aches, and I hope it knows that this is just the beginning. Many more days ahead.