Miles: 19 Steps: 43,276 Elevation Gain: Strava probably knows Faith in Humanity: shout out to all my fellow hikers. So many super nice and at least interesting folks. Thank you! Another amazing day! Big climb to start the day. So humid. So beautiful. At the very top of the mountain there was a memorial to a 5 year old who ran off in 1880 and his body was found right at the summit 5 months later. Little Ottie... There was also a Copperhead, a very venomous snake at the summit! Pretty cool to see. The Punchbowl Shelter was a nice spot for lunch. The guidebook says Little Ottie haunts this place. There was a Birds next in the shelter so I thought Ottie must be a friendly ghost! Last time I was here, on my Southbound Thru Hike, the pond was super stagnant due to drought, there was a big animal near the water source much of the night, and I awoke to 3 mice on me at once! Haha, good times! After lunch was 10 miles of downhill then moderate terrain. Plus, a big thunderstorm with some very heavy rain periods. My trekking pole broke completely so I only have one, which I don’t like, but it makes it perfect to hold my umbrella in the other hand. The rain was strong, but at least it cooled down the humid and hot day! It’s been raining so much lately! I wonder what total accumulation over the past 7 days has been? Over 10 inches??? I set my tent up in really not an ideal spot. If the stream rises 10 inches my site will for sure flood. Haha, then as I’m here another storm comes in and it starts dumping rain, oh well! Excited about the adventure of tomorrow!