8.0 miles, 1900' gain, 3000' descent

Another chill, damp day, although the storm had passed by the time we got up in the morning. After a short climb we strolled through the majestic flat open area known as Grand Park (where it was too cloudy for any views today), passed the scenic overlook of the West Fork White River (allegedly, as it was too cloudy to see anything there today), lost a ton of altitude descending through forest to said river, crossed it while feeling thankful that log bridges were in today (as this would otherwise be a challenging ford), then regained a bunch of altitude climbing through more forest to reach our camp.

While approaching Grand Park we saw what I'm pretty sure were elk tracks being followed by big cat prints.

The theme of today was huckleberries, which were in prime season throughout our trip. It's so benevolent of the mountain to offer both sustenance and an excuse to stop and catch your breath, growing conveniently at hand height right next to the trail. There are many varieties, some interchangeably described as blueberries while others are bright red in color. There are the darker purplish blue ones, with rich flavor like a cello playing a C# with heavy vibrato. Also the lighter blue/grey berries that have an almost velvety sheen and taste brighter, like woodwinds sustaining a minor sixth chord. Later on we will find the higher altitude varieties, which grow in low mats and are shyer, tucking away indescribably sweet berries beneath their leaves. We experiment with various combinations. A single berry proves too little to get the full impact. A handful of 5-10, sometimes mixing cellos with woodwinds, provides the perfect explosion of juicy vigor in the mouth.