I have become one with the mosquitoes. We have reached a coexistence. I let them buzz rapidly around my head and bite me as they please and they, in return, fly into my ears and open mouth in order to, I assume, keep me clean and safe.

I considered putting on my bug net this morning, but I couldn’t be bothered. I just let the little bugs buzz. I thought they would fall away as I took the inevitable climb out of town, but alas, they stuck with me as I rose. 

Even with my hop-along friends, it was a beautiful hike this morning. The uphill was steep but the trees were dense, the temperature hadn’t gotten too hot yet and there were plenty of streams and brooks at which to fill my water bottle. 

I stopped for a snack next to one such brook at the base of Bear Mountain and ate a second breakfast – licorice and an uncrustable, I knew, were what I needed to hurry through the climb. It was so lovely, I ended up spending close to an hour there. 

But as I felt the heat growing, i knew I had to get going. I started the climb up the mountain and passed a group of campers. I waved as I walked by and heard one say to another “how is he not dead?” I assume there were talking about the fact that I wear long pants and long sleeves for protection from bugs and sun, but it was a bit of an intimidating question. 

As I kept climbing, I passed by group after group from this same camp. There must have been a good 50 campers out there with 2 maybe 3 counselors in charge of leading them to the top. As the group spread out across the whole mountain, it seemed like it would be an amazing feet if those counselors didn’t lose at least one or two campers. 

At the top of the mountain, I stopped and chatted with a couple. Their kids had apparently just left for college and so they were working on getting back into hiking. The woman (BooBoo) had apparently thru hiked in 2000! We talked about how much more intense her hike must have been – without phones or internet. Guessing where the next water source would be and basically just wandering North each day. Never really sure of where she was. 

After bear mountain there were two more major climbs for the day. The first one was not steep but was exposed. While it was beautiful, it was HOT. Today was 90 degrees and incredibly humid. I looked it up and the “feels like” temperature hit 99. No wonder my energy was zapped. 

The second climb was up Mt Everett (though in that heat it felt like it was up Mt Everest). It was a steep climb up an exposed rock face. It felt like a sneak peak of what is to come as we get further north into New Hampshire and Maine. Even though this climb was less exposed, it was still hot as can be and I was drenched in sweat when I reached the top. And ready to eat! 

I came down the other side of the mountain until I was in a shaded parking lot with a picnic table. I sat down and indulged in a pear, salami, cheese and uncrustable lunch. “Want a ride to great barrington?” A man called out from a car. It was so hot and so tempting to say yes. But I declined. I still had 8 miles to go. “Well how about a Gatorade at least?” That I did not declined and downed an ice cold Gatorade. I felt so much better immediately. 

The rest of the day was downhill. I started out moving quickly, but my Achilles decided that it didn’t like that. It ached in protest and I found myself slowly plodding the rest of the way. My muscles took turns cramping, not necessarily from exhaustion or even dehydration I don’t think, but just from the heat. I’m not cut out for these hot, humid days.

I was trying to hitch a ride into town when a trail angel pulled up. He said he was refilling a cooler with cold drinks for hikers but offered me a ride when he was done. Giddyup and Buck rolled in as he was filling up the cooler and the four of stood around in the hot, hot sun as he told us story after story. Giddy-up being the polite guy he is, was encouraging him. I was standing silently in the back, just dreaming of the cold shower to come. 

After dinner and mid ice cream, I turned to dad. “How do you feel about taking a day off tomorrow?” I asked. I was exhausted. The heat was winning the war against me and tomorrow is expected to be just as bad. Dad didn’t put up an argument at all. Friday should be much cooler and I’m ok waiting for that. 

Key stats:

Miles: 21

Elevation gained: 4,400 ft

Mile marker: 1528

Primary source of protein: mosquitoes