April 15 | Miles 285.6 - 309

After the night of the epic bonfire, we rolled out around 7:30, cruising through the burn area with the promise of an end-of-day hot spring soak on the table.

We got our first (cloudy) views of Mt. Baden-Powell as we approached Deep Creek, which we first crossed on a massive wooden bridge. Maybe not massive on a real-world scale, but out here anything that counts as an evolved modern structure goes.

We passed the 300 mile marker, at which point I prompted the guys to pose for their boy band photo:

Touring with The Cold Soakers means I have given up my camp-stove-using ways in favor of sustenance that requires no heat to prepare. Think cold ramen mixed with instant mashed potatoes and a Sun Chip crumble topping for added texture.

We arrived at Deep Creek Hot Springs around 5 or so, and soaked in the warm pools with some tatted locals and nudist hikers. It was a little unsanitary. We opted to camp a ways down the road, setting out at the golden hour to find our spot.

We nabbed a sweet spot on a sandy beach right by the creek. I cowboy camped for the first time under a starry sky with the sound of the creek babbling just feet away.