I’m running out of time in town to write and post all my blog entries so I’m consolidating/skipping.
Day 7 was East Branch Lean To to Carl A Newhall Lean To
Miles today: 10.8
Total miles: 78.6
We slept in this morning and also slept in the lean to last night for the first time. We spent the morning climbing uphill until a lunch break at Logan brook shelter. Then we continued our climb with a strenuous ascent up to white cap mountain. The views were amazing but it was exhausting. We had lunch at the top and then had a descent then a climb then a descent then a climb and yep you guessed it, another descent and then a climb. My blisters were doing a lot better today thanks entirely to my wonderful hikin partners Sharing athletic tape and wrapping my feet for me. I was more tired than usual throughout the day, I think bc I needed more to eat. I had a package of six cheese cracker sandwiches and at the top of each of the three mountains after White Cap I rewarded myself with two crackers. We got to the shelter after a long downhill around 5 and had dinner. Some northbounders came in around 6 and we talked to them for a bit. Coops dirty mike chino and ace. One was from mass. Long day tomorrow, 16.8. I’m leaving the tape on my blisters as bad and gross for them as it may be because I don’t have enough to retape them the before getting to monson. I hope it holds up because I have two long 16 mile days then only 3 miles and monson!!! And food and showers and beds and 114 miles complete! It’s crazy how much better not being bothered by blisters made my day.
Day 8: Carl A Newhall Lean To to West Chairback Pond
Miles today: 11.6
Total miles: 90.2
James (Wolf Birs) snored so much last night that ray set up his tent in the middle of the night. It was rainy this morning and none of us felt like getting up. Didn’t get hiking til around eight.
Day started out with me falling in the river immediately after the lean to and breaking one of my trekking poles. And getting wet feet. So then I hiked the next five or so miles with just one pole and had to keep alternating sides because one leg Would get an extra work out. Finally I found a good walking stick and used that the rest of the day. The morning was pretty easy, almost all downhill. Forded a river which was knee high and wide but easy to cross. Feet were wet the rest of the day. Then lots of climbs up to chairback mountain. Hiked with brittani all day and ran into Popeye and thorny and mdot. Hiked uphill at Popeye and thornys pace and learned very slow and steady is easier. Got to what we thought was chairback but still had another huge climb. Got to the lean to and James and nick had waited two hours for us even when they wanted to go seven more miles. We convinced them to camp by pond. We found canoes and oars that were unlocked and went out in the pond. So pretty. Ate by pond. Boys caught minnows and ate them whole. Sleeping on an incline. Ugh 17.8 tomorrow. I hope my feet feel better. They are still bad but tape helped before. Then monson day after!!!!!!!!
Stung by a bee today too