So far, the 100 Mile Wilderness has lived up to its name. Our walk today was filled with roots and rocks & mud as well as waterfalls and beautiful rivers to ford. It was a great day—but tiring!

The breakfast at Shaws is an institution. Mr. Shaw would ask if you wanted a 2×2, 3×3, 4×4 or more. That was the number of eggs, bacon, and pancakes he would heap on your plate. After a huge 3×3 breakfast at Shaw’s, I hit the post office and called Heather again to fix our new plans for a summit on the 10th. Leprechaun, a former AT & PCT thru-hiker and current AT ridge runner in CT, decided to hike with MoonPie, Chestnut, Rockhound and I for the day. We rode in his truck to the trailhead, walked past the signs warning us that there were no services available for the next 99.7 miles, and into the wilderness.

The funny thing is that we passed about 8 people, 3 dirt roads and a set of railroad tracks today! It’s rough, but it’s not incredibly remote or wild. Because of our 11am start, we got only 15 miles in before making camp around 7pm. We’ll make up some miles in a couple days once the terrain flattens out a bit more.

We had to ford a river for the second day in a row. Big Wilson Stream was flowing fast to mid-thigh. There were no falls but lots of fun trying to stay upright and avoid the deep spots!

We had a small fire tonight and toasted marshmallows. I’m trying to come to terms with the end of this trip and enjoy it to its fullest at this point. As much as I want to get back to Heather and my life at home, this is an experience I will not likely have again.

The stream is thundering right past my tent as I finish writing tonight. Should be a great night to sleep with the soothing noise and all my built up fatigue. 100 miles to go!