What an interesting day. As usual, once I got up Gavin was long gone. I hiked down to the next water source, Tunnel Spring and spent some time there filtering water and breakfasting. I took enough to get me to Apache Spring, some 11 miles distant.

The day started quietly, I met a couple of Canadians (Tim and Nieve) and chatted a while, but then saw no-one for hours.

After about six miles my right quads started playing up a bit so I cut my pace right down. By now the promised winds were starting to arrive, and it was getting pretty blustery on the West side of the ridge.

There had been a coastguard chopper circling for hours, and later I actually met a couple of coastguard officers. They had been winched down to pick a 65 year old off the hill but the winds meant that they themselves had to be left there because it was too dangerous for the chopper. Last I saw the coastguard men had been picked up (the chopper hovered about 100m from me) and the 65 year old was in the care of fellow hikers. They will keep him warm and we’ll, hopefully, until the winds ease tomorrow.

I don’t envy him, temperatures down to -6° tonight, brrrr! Thank God I carried the extra weight of a winter sleeping mat and a decent sleeping bag.

Anyhow, the last few miles were a mass of fallen trees and the trail down to Apache Spring was almost non-existent. None the less I made it, got some water, and pitched my tent. My gourmet dinner was Idahoan instant potatoes and pink salmon, in the dark! I am at 6847′, probably my height record.