Cloud Pond Lean-To 29 Jun 05 Day 13 Wednesday

Today was a really long day. I should have stopped at Chairback Lean-to like I had planned but for some reason I pressed on. I was just going to hike a couple miles over the next mountain and camp near the stream. I changed my mind, decided I wanted company. So today was a 17-mile day with some good hills and mountains mixed in. The lean-to is some ways off the trail but it is really nice here. The frogs and crickets are singing. Hopefully after such a long day, I will be able to sleep.

The shelter is quite full tonight. It holds 6 and we are 5. Tomorrow I am going ot make for Wilson Vallye Lean-to then try to push out the next day. I may take a zero day in Monson but will see how I feel when I get there. My feet are quite sore right now and may still be sore tomorrow but at least I have no blisters. We had to ford a stream so my boots got soaked. Basically my feet have been wet most of the day.

It has been such a ong day today that I barely remember this morning. I did see a moose today on the trail. I scared her off my banging my poles together. She didn't want to have her picture taken which was too bad. There were some really tough boulder sections on the trail today. It was hard to go over them and swat the blackflies away.

It seems Nicole also had a run in with the same moose I did. She managed to get pictures and charm the moose with her tin whistle. Her trail name is "Moose Charmer."

I am starting to really look forward to Monson. Today was hard physically and mentally. I am still not sure I am cut out for this. Right now my knees hurt a bit and my feet are hender. I will try for a later start tomorrow morning and try to rest everything. Tomorrow should only be ~8.7 miles so I can rest up tomorrow also.