It was a hard day all around. We spent the day going straight down into a canyon, crossing a creek, and then climbing straight back up the other side. We did this about 4 times. We worked our butts off, and at the end of the day we had only done 22 miles (with the effort of 27 miles).
To top it off, we were almost constantly in mosquitos. With snowmelt, everything is wet and a prime breeding ground for the little buggers. You have anywhere from 30 seconds to 2 minutes when you stop walking before they find you. So if you have to go to the bathroom, you throw off your pack and go as fast as you can so you can start walking again. If you want to take a break you either wear your "mosquito armor" (see previous post) or wait a few seconds to see how many are around. I must say that I have gotten good at shoveling food under my headnet and into my mouth. Luckily today we were able to find a breezy spot for a break that kept them at bay. It was very refreshing. We definitely weren't so lucky with our campsite. They swarmed us as we got the tarp set up, but luckily once inside, we only had a few to deal with, although we did sleep with our headnets on.
Many would read this and say, "And this is supposed to be fun?!" Well, yes...and no. Long-distance hiking is a lot like life; some days are better than others. Some days you love it so much you can't wait for the next and others you want to be at home watching TV. But you just keep going because it's a journey you've chosen to be on and most of the time it's amazing. And that's what you hold onto when mosquitos are swarming your head as you try to eat or sleep and you remember that tomorrow is a new day to look forward to and a new leg of the journey.
Total Miles:985.4
Miles Today:22.0
Camp 57: Mosquito Raid
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