We're pros by this point. Lára and I helped lead for the day, we hiked through the more scenic parts of Shenandoah, and we all bonded over frisbee and lentils.
It was a quick pack-up in the morning, and the weather was perfect with no sign of rain. Lára and I had the opportunity to be team leaders for the day, so we alternated between map and caboose duty and helped each other navigate all of the trail intersections throughout the day. Today was 6 miles, and we started off at a reasonable pace and high spirits. I spoke with Inés a lot, and by the time we reached the fire road portion of the trail, I had learned a somewhat useful amount of Spanish ("Jo tango peadras in mis thapatos" - Credit to Inés).
We paired up on the fire road, and learned a little more about the lives of the others in our hiking groups. Lunch was short and sweet, with a round of Hot Seat, before we entered a more wooded area for the final stretch. I was able to speak with more people on in our group, and we grew to know each other better through stories and jokes from home. I learned that Ryleigh is super fun and smart. Nico is tired :) and sweet. Liam is extremely funny, and knows the lyrics to every song he's ever listened to. Tamas is extremely knowledgable and secretly loves to make jokes. Inés, forever a sweetie, is one of the kindest and most spontaneously hilarious people I've every met. Naomi is sweet and has the best stories. Lára loves animals, just a little, and is a constant source of joy. Christina is unfalteringly considerate and kind. And Dani is thoughtful and incredibly knowledgable in the backcountry. The views were cool, but the best part of the trails was talking with each of them.
Lára and I were able to help scout ahead and to find the next campsite, and after a thorough sweep for any dead branches or hazards at the site, we introduced the rest of the group to our new home. We hung the flags, made the tents faster than I ever though I would be able to, set up the gear-age, filled up the water purifiers at a nearby stream, and had free time while the assigned chefs made dinner.
Another one of my favorite memories was playing frisbee with a few members of the group before dinner. We found a clearing, and tried to knock a water bottle off the trail marker with a frisbee (note to self: don't challenge the top archer of Western Australia to a game of aiming). We threw the frisbee in the weeds a lot, and made a beautiful dance, and really improved on rolling our r's (Naomi will always be the best at r-rolling). The appreciation bead ceremony from that night was especially memorable because it felt so comfortable. I remember we laughed a lot - until someone fell off their bear can - and the campsite actually felt like home with the flags hanging up, and the kitchen area organized, and most importantly (spoiler alert) the weather was dry and sunny.
We reflected on the day by writing on our flags, said our goodnights (Buenos Nachos, everyone), looked at some cool moths and beetles that were attracted to the light in our tents, and went to bed in a nice dry sleeping bag. I think I only woke up when the barred owls started yelling at each other.