Day 109, miles today - 22.3, total - 1,535.3

July 4, 2013

Tent site near Jug End Road to Shaker Campsite.

I started hiking this morning at 7:00. It looked like it was going to be a very hot day.

The first six miles were mostly level and unobstructed. It was in a low area and a little muddy at times. There were also a lot of mosquitoes. When I went at a brisk pace, 3.5 to 4 mph, they didn't bother me at all. So I maintained a brisk pace as long as I could. I passed the Shays Rebellion Monument. I'm not familiar with it. I'll look it up when I get a chance.

As I started up East Mountain, at a slower pace, the mosquitoes hit me in force. There was a cloud of them at the top of my backpack. I was soaked with sweat, which they seemed to love. I was getting a mosquito bite every few seconds. I was smacking them as best as I could. This was one of the harshest conditions I've endured. I just told myself to keep moving and that at some point this would pass. I also thought that I'd feel better about the situation if I were hiking with someone. Near the top there was a small stream. I stopped to drink a lot of water and to rinse off. It felt great. The further up I went the better the mosquito situation became.

A little further up was a rock overlook. It had a great view of the valley and also the mountains that I had hiked across the day before. I could see Mt. Race which had the awesome view. At the overlook were two families of dayhikers. One family was from Massachusetts and the other from Connecticut. They asked a few questions about my hike. The lady named Nadia asked if I would like some food. That was an easy question to answer. I had two pieces of chicken, an apple and some chips. It was a great unexpected treat. I had went from a harsh situation with the mosquitoes to trail magic within less than one hour. Once again, life was good.

I stopped at the Tom Leonard Shelter for an extended lunch break. I stayed for two hours. After eating I took a short nap. It's been so hot and humid during the day that this seems to make sense.

I passed a large pond that had a lot of beaver activity.  I don't know if they are responsible for the whole pond or not, but they had dropped a lot of trees. 

I got to the Shaker Campsite at 7:15 pm. Calamity Jane and Bain were already there. Sundance came in at 8:15. There are several weekend hikers here too. Some are Boy Scouts. The campsite was pretty crowded but we all made do.