Miles today: 16.0
Hours on the Trail today: 12
When I woke up the man in the other tent was already packing up. I called out a "Good Morning" to him and he jumped a mile high because he hadn't heard me come in the night before and thought he was alone at the site. And that is how I met Skullman. He is 23 and just started south, like me. He is strong as an ox and has size 15 boots. He hiked out ahead of me, but part way through the day I saw him again. I call him Skullman because he has a human skull clipped onto his pack. Skullman got it at the Body Exhibit when he was in high school. His name is Salvatore Skullereli and his purpose is to weight the rope for hanging the bear bag.
I saw Dave and Lynn breaking up camp at their campsite a couple miles down the trail and stopped to chat for a minute.
So, I learned today that this 100 Mile Wilderness is a misnomer. It is not actually a wilderness, it is an old growth forest. And while there are signs at both ends that say there is no turning back for 100 miles there are actually about three or four access roads through it at which you could hitch a ride out if you needed to. So I am glad to know there is a safety net that is stronger than I was lead to believe.
At about 7:00 I was very very tired and was wondering if I would make it to the shelter before dark. I was feeling very discouraged and nervous that I had overestimated the miles I was able to hike and that I was going to be in danger since I didn't have any light. At that time Dave and Lynn caught up to me!! I explained that I didn't have a light and was nervous. They let me tag along with them all the way to the shelter. They were great. They were in the same sixth grade class, then both married other people, divorced, and re-met each other. The rest is history in the making. They're fun. And we share political views, so that makes spending hours together more fun.
When we got to the shelter there were already about five people there and a fire was going. I've never been happier. I put my stuff in the shelter with Skullman, and a man and a woman. You know, when I was in high school I went overnight for a team trip and I was the only one without store-bought matching cute pajamas. And I felt ridiculous. But that has been true my whole life, looking at other kids' cool-latest-expensiver stuff while wearing hand-me-downs or not even knowing that what I had wasn't cool. I'm used to it. But this time, I climbed into the shelter and I had all the latest gear. And I could talk about it. I knew why I picked the pack I did, and why it was better for me then the pack she had, and how much they both cost. Or I knew my tent was as good as his hammock, or whatever. It felt really good. And a little strange.
Mushrooms
I'm standing in this river.
I'm also standing in this one!
Here I am, in white/purple sitting in the shelter with my cool stuff.
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