I certainly did not go far today, but I would like to think the reason is a valid one. As soon as I made it to my lunch destination, it started to downpour. I fortunately did not get wet, but I also didn’t hike the reminder of the day, even when it had died down around 6:30pm. Even though I didn’t get wet, I did get biten quite a lot staying the night in that shelter. I do not think I slept longer than an hour. The constant buzzing in the ears drove me crazy. Worst of all, I was hot that night and the seemingly only way to aviod the mosquitoes was to be constantly covered. I thought there would be less and less mosquitoes going north, but it is turning out that might be the opposite case. I have a feeling it is because of all the natural ponds and lakes up here. Anyway, I will not be staying in a shelter even if it is raining, for a while. Tenting all the way!
Oh just in case I have not mentioned it yet on the blog, when there are a pile of sticks in the way of a path, it means that path is not part of the trail. I have personally found it to be much more effective than a turning white blaze, since the majority of the time hikers look at their feet.