Sunday, May 13

Distance: 11 miles
Weather: Warm, sunny

The campsite stayed quiet and beautiful. No animals, no people.

I am going to Maine.

Even though today was hot, and buggy (Deet and a headnet) and my feet hurt (took ibuprofen at noon) and I'm tired, I am still planning on going to Maine.

I was able to get enough phone signal to text Steve that I'm still walking . There was also a Happy Mothers Day text from Avery. Met a couple guys hiking south and asked them to pass on to any northbounders that MacGyver lost her hammock straps.

Now I'm at Rausch Gap Shelter, with no signal again. I'm supposed to meet Steve day after tomorrow at a crossing, but I'll be there tomorrow, and I have no way to let him know. I'm too tired to move or think, although even so I did laundry (cold spring water in one of my water bags) and strung up a clothesline to dry it, and disinfected my water filtering system, and cooked dinner, and set up my gear in the shelter, since there's absolutely no place for either a hammock or tent -- mountainside at nearly a 45* angle and covered with brush. So even though I'm exhausted and hurt all over, I'm going to have to sleep on a wooden floor.

A young couple stopped for dinner but moved on afterwards. When I introduced myself the man said, "Oh, did you find your tree huggers?" So the southbounders were doing their job!

Anyway, they moved on, I'm alone in the middle of nowhere, not worried but too tired to write anymore. As if I haven't already written enough. I need to learn the virtue of conciseness.