Waking before sunrise has not only become a daily occurrence but also a habit. With the snow seeming to finally subside for the most part I find it important to take full advantage of all the daylight hours. Per the usual, I was on the trail by 6am and pushing to put in a solid day and at the very least enter the 100 mile wilderness. The miles flew by early even with climbs up pleasant pond mountain and Moxie bald mountain. After these two 2k foot peaks the trail dropped down and the mud and water fun began. I crossed at least half a dozen creeks and rivers ranging from ankle deep to near my waste. Luckily there were none even comparable to the Kennebec and I was never tempted to shed my clothes and partake in a full swim across (see yesterday’s post). More than anything these crossings assured I stayed wet from the knees down while also carrying a large amount of mud with me. This pattern has wreaked havoc on my shoes and socks. Both are past the replacement point and I am trying to coax 100 more miles out of them before I will be able to begin the Pacific Crest Trail with a new pair of shoes. At the end of the day I was able to look up some options for transportation to the airport after I finish the trail but would love any support if anyone is in the area. I met my goal and crossed over the final road and entered the 100 mile wilderness. The sign says you should enter with no less than 10 days of food…I hope to do it in 2.5 days. In the wilderness I was greeted with very rough trail in which every 10 steps there was a tree draped across the trail. It was almost as if they were hurdles specifically set to irritate hikers. A constant pace was nearly impossible to keep and I gave up on the 40 miles I was hoping to achieve only a couple miles short due to this frustration. Logistically I need a couple big days before wrapping up this hike!
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