I got off to an early start at ~6am and hiked the 9 miles to the water cache. I walked most of the way with style, which kept my mind off my sore feet for a while as he walks at a good pace and likes to chat. I had a 2 hr lunch break at the 3rd gate water cache and met kip, who offered me some of his coffee he had just brewed. He had bought it back from a recent trip to india and it was delicious. He brews his coffee cowboy style like me where you just put the grounds into the pot, stir it a little, and let it settle. Beats blend 43 any day.
A water cache is a store of water that a trail angel voluntarily fills up to prevent hikers from having large dry stretches. This cache split up a 20 mile dry stretch that I would have had to carry water for! There must be over 100 1 gallon jugs in the cache so it boggles my mind how much time and effort goes into preventing the caches from going dry.
i had been having problems with my appetite over the last few days and unfortunately i could barely eat half of my mac'n'cheese for lunch. This worried me a little as I knew I needed the energy in my body. After almost vomiting trying to shove it down my throat, I buried the leftovers and set off. The first 4 miles were great and I made really good time. Unfortunately, the next 7 miles didn't go so well my feet were hurting really bad. I had recovered from my blisters but the whole base of my foot was sore and swollen. It feels like you have been standing on your feet all day, but rally bad. With increasingly intense foot pain i hobbled the to get into barrel springs (mile 101) at around 8pm. It was my longest day of walking yet with 21 miles.
Fortunately a team of trail angels had set up camp at barrel springs, had started a bonfire and bbqs and were cooking every hiker chilli dogs and vege burgers, as well as handing out cold beers and Gatorade. This blew my mind. I was planning to set up camp and fall asleep with no dinner, but instead I had my first ever chilli dog. When eating it, it made me wonder why chilli is not compulsory for all hot dogs. Plain hot dogs with no chilli may be banned if I were to one day become head of state. I shared my whiskey around with some other hikers and we all had a grand old time by the fire. A good end to one of my hardest days yet.
