AT Day 151: Into the 100-Mile Wilderness

Daily Miles: 15.1, Total Miles: 2,097.8

Another big breakfast at Shaw’s and Poet took myself and a few other hikers out to the TH. For NOBOs, this is the start of the 100-Mile Wilderness.

Decent skies in the morning but very humid so worked up a good sweat though not much elevation gain. The ever-present rock now looks more like slate than the usual granite and more slippery. Add that to the exposed tree roots. I passed by several ponds and forded a couple of streams – definitely couldn’t keep my feet dry.

As the rumble of thunder got closer in the afternoon, a slight drizzle turned into a steady rain. I ducked into the Long Pond Stream Lean thinking I might wait it out. Then decided to just strip off my wet clothes.

Slingshot, a Canadian hiker, was already at the shelter. We were soon joined by Ocho, a soon to be high school senior and her father with the trail name, Dad. They also started the AT last year but got stopped by the torrential storms and rain in New York. These lean-to shelters are supposed to hold six hikers but four are much more comfortable.

Warm, buggy and intermittent rain, I put on my head net, put in my earplugs and got a few hours of sleep.