Anyone who knows Brianna will not be surprised by this statement: the girl loves her breaks. Sure, we take a lot of necessary breaks for heat and feet, it’s really about how she has the ability to slip into them so naturally and never come out. I’ve got at least a picture a day of her leaning back on her pack, shoes off, eyes closed. If I didn’t remind her that we had to move on, we may still be back at mile 100!
*Don’t get me wrong, I like breaks, I’m just not as good at them.
Last night’s quick camp was a success. The forest was quiet and we slept without an alarm set for the first time in a while. It turns out we were really fortunate in stopping early like we did, the spot we were shooting for had swamp water. This is why Brianna & Marty hiking Prime Directive is so important: Do not pass by a good thing in search of something better… especially when sunset is imminent.
Today found us hiking on Federal land, the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest. I’ve only had this experience + our Upper Peninsula hike, but so far, Federal lands have the best paths and premade campsites around. We have seen a lot of people today, they just pitched their tents in the middle of the forest because they can. If you’re willing to carry all your water and gear in, you really can camp anywhere you want. Pretty cool.
Trails were really challenging today. The combination of heat & body fatigue are hitting us hard, only tapped out a 14 mile day. End of day hiking is painful. Your mind wanders and you start to miss little rocks and roots, kicking them hard, awkwardly stepping on them in ways that aggravate an existing blister or begin to form a new one. This is something we need to do better.
Luckily, I planned for shorter days in the west and longer days in the east. Also, even more luckily, Mel is coming to visit and we will be taking a zero mile day this week. Luckiest, Mel has new & bigger shoes for Brianna!
For the Alliance!
Yay! I’m stoked Mel’s going to join you two for a bit. Give the guy a hug for us! Carry on, carry on.