Through the Wilderness: Day 2 + 3

June 4
Hurd Shelter - Rainbow Stream Lean-To (11.5 miles)

I claim this day to be the Day of Bogs! We all hate bogs. We especially hate bogs in the rain. This day was destined to be tough. I was dreading our first day of rain.




However, I was pleasantly surprised how much I liked the rain due to the fact that it kept the bugs away. It was nice to rinse off a bit too, but dang those bogs were bad. I was so angry at the bogs but had to stop and take a photo so I can show you all what we were hiking in. Think 13 miles with wet feet... bad news...




It's funny- I catch myself getting angry at the earth. I get mad when I step in a bog and my foot gets drenched or when I'm looking straight up at ANOTHER rock face I have to climb. Stacey and I yell and curse at the mountains like it's their fault they are tall. Sometimes it helps but most of the time it just drags your mood down. I tried to stop myself from being mad at the bogs this day. Even though I was absolutely miserable the last 6 miles of the hike I forced myself to see the beauty in the pesky mosquitoes and the swampy bogs. It's mind over body people.

I stopped a lot to rest my feet. Balancing in roots and rocks all day is exhausting. The long rainy day was worth every bit because we stayed at a killer campsite. You had to cross a slippery log to get there. I inched across ever so carefully as the boys just walked over like it was no big deal. I promise it's harder than it looks.





The boys built a great fire and we sat and talked for hours about what gear we were going to send back home. I've learned that the fire is the best friend around camp. It brings everyone together. Plus it masks our stench.




Quote of the day: "Where's my sword??" -Fire Squirrel as he searches frantically for his machete

June 4
Rainbow Stream Lean-To - Wadleigh Lean-To (8.1 miles)

This was a pretty mild day of hiking. We had more ups and downs from the past few days. I had 2 big wipeouts on top of the rainbow ledges. (Thankfully, no serious injuries) We kept a slow but steady pace. All of us are still enjoying Maine's scenery. Still no moose. . .

Dad left a note in the dirt that said "ET 5 :)" and a group of SOBO's behind us thought it meant Estimated Time 5 minutes. Yeah, it definitely wasn't 5 minutes to the next shelter. They weren't too happy at the time, but it made for a funny story later.

Stacey and I realized that we didn't bring enough food to get us out of the wilderness. We each had one cup of rice for dinner and went to bed with growling stomachs.