8/13/1999 ~ Riga Leanto (19.8 miles)

I feel like I hiked for 18 hours today. I did start pretty early, and I barely made it by dark.  There was a hell of a view on the way up here at Lion's Head, but the weather was looking very threatening.  The 'Plateau Campsite' wasn't really an option because it was very close to a road.  While I'd rather have waited for this last climb until morning, I know I wouldn't have slept well down there.

I really had to get in to Salisbury because my water filter seized up. I was expecting that though (though if I'd gotten one more day out of it, today would have been easier), so I had a SafeWater Anywhere filter in this drop. Riga has a fabulous view straight east, so I decided to stay in the shelter and brave the bugs.