Last night was really cold. I was zipped up in my bag with a buff wrapped around my head and still shivering. I eventually got warm enough to sleep, I just needed to stay very still :). Must have been around 30. Morning was cold as well so I stayed zipped up till 7 then jumped out and got moving. Dark Horse was still in her tent when I left.
Today I need to bust out some miles. I’ve 46 to go to get to Shelter Cove and a pickup! I’ve left burnville behind and now walking through some beautiful old growth forest. The beauty comes with a price….skeeters. They go from bothersome, to thick, to outrageous. Near the end of the climb, there is no stopping them. I’m spraying this crappy repellent called Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus which the eco friendly gal at REI convinced me to buy instead of Deet and it does not work worth a damn.
So I’m walking, slapping off skeeters, spraying, and generally miserable. Then it gets even worse. I’m talking clouds of mosquitoes. They are going up my nose, mouth, eyes. I inhaled several, ate even more. Goddamn. Finally I stopped and unloaded my bag to find my headnet. That improved things a bit and I made camp at the first spot available at the top of the hill. I jammed into my tent and sat there eating trail mix for dinner. There is no way I’m unzipping this tent !
Thank God this day is over.