Tough, tough day today! I enjoyed myself much of the day, walking & talking mostly with Chestnut. Rockhound & MoonPie joined us at times and we all hiked together for the last 5+ miles. Rockhound powered our charge for the shelter at that point since my more leisurely pace wasn’t going to bring us in ‘til after dark. As it turned out, we did the last 5.5 miles including 2,000 feet of ascent in less than 2 hours and got in 30 minutes before dark. I’m pooped!

Barren Mountain had a nice view this morning. Chestnut & I enjoyed the warm sun & crisp air looking down on the wilderness beneath us. Since he’s doing the International AT—650+ miles past Katahdin—this isn’t quite the end for him. His perspective both as a repeat thru-hiker and because he’s still hiking for 700 miles helps counter my dash for the finish.

The roots made the day tough & long. There was one wide but shallow ford late in the day that was quite refreshing. Being forced to cool down your feet is always a good thing. The trail was full of PUDs—pointless ups and downs—that just sapped our energy.

I just ate dinner in my tent listening to the gusting wind up here at 2,000 ft. There are a few more peaks tomorrow, then it’s pretty much level from there to Katahdin, just 70 miles of flat walking.

9:30pm already. I’ve got to get to sleep & get ready for another hard push tomorrow! 80 miles to go!