Leaving Anton's was tough. I thoroughly enjoyed my zero there, and the couple who owned the place were incredibly kind. The husband even gave me a ride back to the trail, although I had to wait until noon before he had time.
I had to take the side trail back up from the lake to the ridge, which made for an arduous uphill mile. I was feeling stronger, but the bugs had come back out. I wasn't surrounded by mosquitos today, instead it was the sand flies. They don't bite as much, they do swarm around my eyes though. Mosquitos upset me, because I know I'll have to deal with their bites for a while, but sand flies are frustrating on a level I have a tough time coping with. I think it's finally time to buy a head net.
I stopped at the first shelter, 5 miles in, and stopped to evade the bugs for a bit.
I was enjoying some food when the rains came. It poured, and I was glad for my timing. A couple ran over to join me under the shelter and enjoy some food, and then a bunch more people came as well. I couldn't get myself back up and moving again, so I spread out my sleeping pad and put together my little nest.
The mosquitos had finally returned, so Whitespear started a fire to try and smoke them out with the wet leaves. We were also joined by Rail Splitter, Mongoose, and Hermes. All of us decided to sleep in the shelter, hoping that mosquitos will abate. It's not looking good though. My plan for sleepwear is this: long johns, socks, underwear, shorts, long-sleeved shirt, buff wrapped around head and neck, bandana over eyes and forehead, cinched inside my sleeping bag liner, with my rain jacket covering me. By morning I'm hoping I won't be covered in bites, but that's beginning to seem like an extreme long-shot. Sleep, here I come.
