Day 12
Did I sleep last night? I dunno. I went to bed at sunset and tossed and turned a lot, and at 3:45am I felt rested enough to get up. Besides, it was going to be another hot one today (80+ degrees), which meant I had to get an early start to beat most of the heat.
I start to rise and a rain shower falls on my head. Though I slept with my rain fly off with plenty of ventilation, the inside of my tent is soaking wet. I get out of my tent. The outside is soaked too. It didn’t rain, this is just what happens when you pitch your tent in a meadow.
I carefully get everything out of the tent and am successful at keeping most things dry. I’m packed up and on the go at 5:45. The wet tent makes my pack heavier.
Through the fields and some woods, in a road, then the sun is up and I am into another section of LaBudde Creek…and there is gunfire. Hunting season. I forgot. I quickly pull out my blaze orange nylon construction vest and throw it over my entire pack. As I continue through the woods, I see a hunter standing on the trail. Later, I hear more gunshots VERY close to me. I sing (badly because I am out of breath from going as quickly as I can) to keep reminding hunters that I am here and would like to not get shot.
My 4 road walking miles today are easy because they are in the shade. I pass a pub by a lake that is open for breakfast. I enter. There’s no one there but the bartender. I buy a 7-up type soda, chug it, thank the nice lady, and continue on my way.
I’m getting hot, but then I reach a road underpass and take a break in the shade while I dry my tent in a sunny patch. As I wait, I connect with SailorLimaBean, a thruhiker coming from the opposite direction whom I have been communicating with since we both began our hikes. I look forward to meeting her when our paths eventually cross.
Next comes the Greenbush segment. Yay! Shaded woods for the rest of the day – and for all day tomorrow through the Parnell segment! There are ups and downs galore, but my body welcomes them as it’s been a while. I hiked NH’s insanely rugged and steep White Mountains for many years in all seasons, and my muscles quickly remember what they are supposed to do.
I pass the jovial crew who are busy rerouting part of the trail. They are doing a ton of very hard work in hot and buggy conditions. I thank them.
Speaking of bugs…this section through to my home for the evening (KMSF NU Shelter #5) is the worst I’ve had it yet regarding mosquitoes. I apply Off, and that works – but I forget to spray my compression socks, and the bucking fugs bite right through the thick material. Arg. I am grateful I brought a small container of anti-itch cream.
I am very ready for the water pump close to the shelter since I ran out of liquids a mile back. The thing works, but it takes a good ten strong pumps before the water starts flowing.
The shelter is nice, but there is a pile of (bat?) poop inside and I am worried about winged nocturnal visitors. I pitch my tent outside and enjoy lounging on the shelter’s outside benches for the rest of my afternoon/evening. There’s a privy here in excellent condition, and I am happy not to have to squat in the woods. Simple pleasures.
Day 13
KMSF NU Shelter #5 – KMSF NU Shelter #1. 24 miles
When I planned this section and reserved the shelters,I got the math wrong. Did not really want to do a 24-mile day, but oh well.
I woke up at 3am and wanted to keep sleeping. However, the weather called for 84 degrees and a fair bit of humidity, so up I got to take advantage for the cooler predawn hours. Oops. I forgot to charge my headlamp last night. It flashes to let me know it is on battery saver mode (less light), and I wonder how long it will be before I have to resort to using my cell’s flashlight.
Dry tent! Yay! I pack up and am on trail by 5am.
Through woods and fields in a diminishing headlamp. I made good time, though with the high humidity I did sweat buckets even without the sun. Got about five miles in before the sun rose, and thankfully my headlamp held out (enough).
Lots of ups and downs, but that was okay because almost all of it was in shaded woods. Dealing with 84 degrees in shaded woods is a lot different than dealing with 84 degrees in direct sunlight on asphalt.
Lots of pretty meadows and trees. Also lots of hunters! Two of them were right on the trail! I heard gunshots VERY close to me many times all day. I wore my blaze orange vest, but there were also times when I called out “Yo! Coming through!”
My motto for the day was “prevention, not depletion.” I filled my water bottles at every opportunity and drank. I did not want to feel miserable today.
The highlight of my day was meeting Delux and Komorebi, two hikers who were out for the weekend but are seasoned thruhiker of other trails. It was so nice meeting them! They kept me company for the rest of the day, eight miles of it. I really enjoyed talking with them, and Komorebi graciously offered to help me if needed on other parts of the trails.
My last two and a half miles were difficult. I was hot, sweaty, filthy, and very tired. Made it though.
I bid goodbye to my new friends and went to my booked shelter. Two guys were still there even though it was now 3pm, but when they saw me they hurried their packing. They were friendly, but I wish they had offered me their leftover scrambled eggs I saw sitting by their fire. I considered mugging them for their food – all I had left was a jar of peanut butter and some raisins.
Day 14, Sept 16, 2024 IAT
KMSF NU Shelter #1 to West Bend motel. 11.5 miles
Another sleepless night. I am quite comfortable with my sleep system, the shelter area was lovely, and I miraculously did not have aches and pains. I just couldn’t sleep. And I NEEDED to sleep.
At 4:15am I told myself I could lay there another two hours..just 11.5 miles today to a motel, not a big day. The forecast said 86 degrees, but I could make it there before the air reached that temperature even if I slept in. But I wasn’t sleeping, so I got up and packed.
It takes me two hours to break camp with all my routines. I do a series of stretches, eat, pack. At 6:15 I was on trail. Only hiked with the headlamp for about ten minutes.
Woods and pretty meadows. Some really nice early morning views over fields, and a fun walk right through a cornfield. Only a short road walk today, and on it I met Marcia Winston Terry and her husband, eastbound hikers. I’ve read some of their posts, and it was nice to meet them.
More meadows, more woods, a few hilly bits, including one up an Ice Age esker (winding ridge formed by glacial meltwater deposits).
The trail popped out in a business area. It was jolting to suddenly see all that concrete and a ton of stores.
It was too early to check into my motel, so I went to the nearby GoodDay Cafe. The menu was a work of art. The only things left in my pack this morning were a jar of peanut butter and some raisins, so I was hungry for real food. As in, really hungry.
I therefore ordered the “Hungryman Breakfast” – two eggs, two sausages, two pieces of bacon, four large pieces of French toast, and a side of fresh fruit. I also got a large glass of apple juice, a large glass of milk, and green tea that came with half a liter of hot water. And a glass of cold water. I don’t usually eat red meat, by the way. Nevertheless, my body yelled at me to get the sausages and bacon.
I sat there for over an hour and relished every bite. I did not feel full when I was finished. Instead, I felt strong, like I could take on the world.
I guess hiker hunger has arrived.
Next, I visited the nearby grocery store to resupply. Went to my hotel afterward and they let me check in early. They have laundry facilities – woo hoo! My hiking dress, bike shorts, sun hat, and socks are truly disgusting. Covered in dirt and grime. Am I officially hiker trash yet? Probably not. I think I need to go at least another 500 miles before I earn that title.
