Day 41 - Upper Laurel Fork to river campsite
14 miles
This morning was rain showers and uninspiring terrain.
At 3pm we hit Dennis Cove Road and we could smell the grill before we saw the sign, "trail magic". And just like that the day went from blah to wonderful!
We stopped for a couple hours and @toesalad was able to get off his feet and relieve some of the swelling and pain from his bee sting. One of the hosts was a paramedic and wrapped Damien's foot for him.
We all enjoyed a full course bbq meal from hosts Jake and Jennifer who have family connections to a cabin on Dennis Cove Road.
At 5:30 we pulled ourselves away from rest and friends, hiked to Laurel Falls, the most spectacular water feature so far on the trail. The rhododendrons are in bloom and the hillsides are pink with the blossoms. Hiked along a gorge out of Laurel Falls. It was magical with the intense spring green, the profusion of blossoms and the water below.
We're camping tonight along a river, not sure of the name. Trail magic saved us the hassle of cooking supper so all we had to do was set up camp and hang bear bags before going to bed.
Tomorrow is Mother's Day and we'll be hiking as usual but this afternoon's trail magic, the beauty of Laurel Falls and this campsite all feel like a Mother's Day gift to me.
