Distance hiked today: 36.9 miles / 59.4 km.
To hike this many miles a day, I need to try to average at least 3 miles an hour throughout the day. The difference between 2.5 and 3 miles an hour over 37 miles is 2.5 hours, and that's the difference between making it before sunset or way after dark. 3 miles an hour is a brisk pace, and every 10 minute break adds up. At this point I'm hiking almost 20 miles at a time without breaks - maybe sitting for a few minutes on a climb. I eat, drink, take pictures, and even filter water while walking to keep making progress.
Maybe it's not the worst place to be hiking so many miles, since the mosquitoes are so bad you really can't stop to sit anyways without becoming a blood donor. Giggles lost her head net, and has gotten good at finding the "mosquito free zones" where a slight breeze or dry ground keeps them away so we can take a second to breathe.
The terrain is changing, and while walking through rocky hills and snow this morning it felt like the Sierras again. We had lunch by a nice lake that was bug-free, and went for a swim.
In the afternoon we had to climb up on some rocks to take a break away from most of the bugs.
We passed the 1900 mile marker, and camped on a dirt road. Longest day so far!
Total trail mileage: 1930.6 miles / 3106.3 km
