Waptus Lake Layover, page 16

After setting up camp, I rinsed myself and swished around my dusty hiking clothes. Waptus Lake is big enough to go swimming in and not feel guilty ... but NO lake is big enough to suds up clothes.

The wind was blowing briskly, so I put off boiling water to wash my hair. No need to get too carried away with this bathing stuff, I decided. Mica approved of my moderation, evidently thinking it meant a quicker dinner for her. Such a practical dog!

Mica drinking from Wakptus Lake

It had been a long, hard day and I was bushed. After feeding Mica, I got out a candy bar and washed it down with a stiff swig of Kool-Aid. It seemed that a little more celebration was in order -- after all I had made far more progress than I had hoped to and things seem to be on the upswing physically. After due consideration, I burrowed deeper into the pack and came up with a small plastic bottle of bourbon. Skoal!

I read Far Pavilions (a fine book about the British in India) and then dozed off to sleep listening to owls, finches, ducks and frogs. It was simply ... swell.

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