Date: 2016-07-12
From: Guilder Pond Picnic Area

To: Mt. Wilcox North Shelter
Miles today: 21.9
Weather: clear sky

Jul 12, 2016 - MOSQUITOS! I woke up this morning and lay in my tent for a while. Without moving my head, I could count 12 of these bugs from hell. I dreaded unzipping my screen and stepping out into no man's land only to be assaulted. I managed to pack up camp in less than 20 minutes and practically ran from the picnic area with breakfast in my hands. I hiked a quick 8 miles in the cool morning air to the intersection of Route 7 with hopes of catching a hitch into Great Barrington, MA to do some laundry. You can only wear the same socks for so many days before the buildup of gross matter starts to actually damage your feet. I would not be getting a shower, unfortunately, which makes 5 days without a proper one. On top of the mountain this morning, I looked out to find the surrounding peaks protruding from a literal sea of clouds. This is always one of my favorite views on trail - next thing I know, my descent plunges me down into the clouds and the sun is completely blocked out. Hitchhiking was a piece of cake - as soon as I threw my thumb out there, an elderly woman in the first car we saw pulled over her minivan to give the 3 of us a ride into town. We were dropped off in a plaza containing a grocery store, a laundromat and the Great Barrington Bagel Company (they claimed to be the 'Best NY style bagel sandwich - we'll see about that). Great P got the laundry started, Peach went to the grocery store and I walked to the deli to grab sandwiches for everybody. I ordered 2 sandwiches for myself including a sausage, egg and cheese on an everything bagel. While the bagel sandwich was excellent, there's just something about the bagels in NJ and NY that can't be replicated anywhere else. Plus, sausage pales in comparison to the greasy goodness of Taylor Ham. After a good 3 hours of hanging around the laundromat, we caught a hitch back to the trail. The driver actually got out of his car and offered us blunts rolled with his homegrown marijuana. I politely declined, but that was so nice of him. I started up the first significant hill of the day and as I summited, I noticed that the trail started to go down the same side (west) of the ridge that I just came up. As I descended, I wondered why the trail builders couldn't just keep the trail flat until it crossed over the ridge. But then, I heard Peach coming in the opposite direction. Shit. Somehow, I had turned myself around and walked down the southbound portion of the trail I had just walked up. Both frustrated and amused at myself, I turned around and climbed the hill for a second time. I was happy to see that the trail did end up passing over to the east side of the ridge. The next 12 miles were fairly uneventful unless you count the swarms of flies and Mosquitos constantly badgering me. I wear my headphones just so I don't have to listen to them. I reached the shelter that was our destination for the night and couldn't find Great P anywhere. I left a message with Scavenger and pressed on to find some better campsites. I didn't find one until 2 miles later at the Mt. Wilcox North Shelter. Sweaty and tired, I started to pitch my tent with an absolutely incredible number of mosquitos and flies incessantly pestering me. I stuck my trekking poke into the ground and it snapped cleanly in half. Then, I lost it. I took the rest of the pole and destroyed it on a nearby tree. Finally, out of breath, covered in numerous new welts, I set about honing a tree branch to temporarily hold up my tent while the bugs continued to bite. After 45 minutes, I finally had my tent up and I just sat inside hiding from the bugs while I tried to calm down and dry the sweat off my body. Great P and Peach rolled into camp around then and saw my situation. Luckily, I could use Great P's spare pole to make my tent a little sturdier than it was with the stick. I ate a quick dinner in my tent (the other 2 did the same - it's really not possible to sit outside anymore regardless of bug nets of bug spray) and tried to stretch out my stiff legs. I hiked 21.9 miles today, which makes nearly 43 in 2 days over much tougher terrain than I've seen recently. Tomorrow, I will need to tone it down a bit. It feels ridiculous that something like bugs is a serious mental challenge on this trip, but it's tough to explain just how bad they are. Throw in some humidity, high temperatures, and sore muscles, and this just fucking sucks.