When Mosquitoes Attack

“Mosquitoes remind us that we are not as high up on the food chain as we think”

-Tom Wilson

I Left early on Monday morning instead of Sunday. My mom drove me to a spot near Sheffield MA and dropped me off at the trail on the side of Holmes rd. She pulled into a muddy spot that functioned as a parking area and I jumped out of the car moving quickly, eager to be on my way. She opened her door and immediately said, “Holy shit.” And I asked, “oh you mean the mud?” and she replied, “No, the mosquitoes.”

It was then that I realized they were everywhere. Huge swarms thick and voracious in the humid midmorning air. I got my pack on quickly, said goodbye, and started off at a brisk pace up into the Berkshire Mountains. The first part of the hike was all up. I had myself convinced that if I could just get up high enough the tree cover would thin out and a breeze would take care of the bugs. So I pushed hard. It was during this sprint to the top that my heels began slipping and rubbing against my shoes. I should have stopped immediately and retightened them (I am still breaking them in so this wasn’t completely unexpected) but I didn’t. I was so maddened by the little stings and the inhalations of 3-4 bugs at a time which always sent me into a coughing and spitting fit, that I just kept going trying to outrun them.

I reached a point where I knew mosquitoes or no I needed to take care of my feet. So I stopped and endured the constant attack while I used moleskin to pad my heels and tightened my boots. Then I kept going, looking for some exposed patch of sun and breeze. I found it on a big rock that was marked on the map by a little camera symbol. I took off my pack and went out on the rock with my Gatorade. It was quite lovely, not only to get away from the bugs but to look down on the river and houses and woods below. It made it worth the trouble. I rejoined my annoying traveling companions and dashed to the next scenic view point just half a mile away. It was even lovelier than the first with a 180 view and 5-6 birds of prey circling in the area. I figured they either spotted a dead animal or could smell me.

I walked on to the shelter thinking at one point I must have passed it, but I hadn’t and arrived and went through the process of collecting and treating water. Another hiker arrived. Gary is a retired cop in his 50’s. He is 150 miles short of completing his second AT section hike. We made dinner and chatted then I set up my tent and went to bed. In removing my shoes and socks I also removed the skin on my heels. They were raw. I slept poorly and got up around 8. Gary had left. I dressed and made breakfast my heels protesting the whole time. I packed up and left.

The first part the trek away from the Tom Leonard shelter was a lot of tricky and slippery ups and downs. I was fine on the downs but every time I had to climb up it would force my raw heel against my boot and put me in agony. It got to the point where I had to psyche myself up for each uphill section. Also, the mosquitoes had returned with the morning and were still trying to suck me dry. I knew the trail to my next stop was all uphill for about 2 miles and I decided I couldn’t do it. I’ve had enough problems with my feet and I wasn’t going to let the blisters get any worse. I needed to rest them. So I called my Mom for an emergency extraction. I ended up getting picked up about 5 miles from where she dropped me off.

I am letting my heels heal for a couple days back in NH. I have determined that my backpack is way too heavy weighing in at 46 Lbs I thought I was dying, and at that weight it makes my hip belt slip putting all the pressure on my shoulders and back. Not fun times. I am going use this time to get my pack down to 30lbs. I’ll pack less food, clothes, book and electronics. I would rather not have an Ipod to listen to if it means carrying a ton of extra shit that goes with it like a solar charger and cords etc.

I’m also going to make a new sternum strap because the one I have keeps slipping and breaking off.

I have near 1000 bites on my body. This is not an exaggeration and might even be an understatement. All total I lost at least 1 oz of blood and I look like I have measles.

There is supposed to be a frost on Friday that will kill all the mosquitoes that hatched after Irene making the Berkshires a little more inviting.

I am probably going to hike Mt. Monadnock sometime this weekend just to make sure my heels are healed enough to keep going and to test out a lighter pack. I should be returning to the trail in Mass for a stretch early next week. Just in case I will be bathing in deet before I leave and wearing mosquito netting over my hat.

So while I didn’t hike the distance I hoped for I did learn a lot. I’m still game for the trek and I will keep going.

Departure is imminent

I figured that since I wrote the majority of that last post on the 10th I should update my update.

My departure date is this Sunday September 25th. I wanted to leave tomorrow but southern Mass will be experiencing severe thunder storms and record rainfall. While I understand that walking in the rain will be a frequent occurrence on the trail I don't really want to begin hiking on a day when the weather channel web site sounds scared of the amount of rain that is going to fall. I have also been waiting for some fabric and shock cord that I need to finish my equipment and it won't get here till tomorrow.

It'll take me about 12 days to hike the state from south to north. Afterward I'll finish putting my mail drops together at Flying Goat Farm, and then head back down to the Mass/Connecticut border and start hiking south.

I'm getting pretty antsy. I spent the day getting high on mineral spirit fumes while I sealed the seams of my tent and rain gear. As it turns out if you mix Sillnet silicone sealant with odorless mineral spirits you can thin it out a bit giving it better penetration and making it easier to apply. Plus you get way more messed up. It also seems to dry faster.

Dehydrating cooked lentils right now, very exciting.

I am trying to make all my foods as instant as possible so that if I can't use my stove I can just soak everything for a bit and it will still be edible.

Three days and counting.

Preparing

In New Hampshire.

Well I made it through and made it out. My thesis done and all paperwork complete.

All my boots are off and I am functional if not fully physically prepared.

Arrived in NH on the 4^th at about 5 am after driving the whole way. Had a couple rock outs to the Mama Mia soundtrack complete with upper body car dancing vigorous enough to keep me away long after I was too tired.

Another thing that kept me alert in the wee morning hours was hitting a skunk just before I crossed the NH border. I rounded a curve at a moderate speed but alas not slow enough to avoid the skunk. Our eyes locked for a second before he disappeared under the hood of my car. He knew he was going to die. The memory and the smell of him lingers.

I have spent the last few days preparing for my trip. Mostly by sewing until my brain feels as though it will explode. I have made :

1 hiking Skirt

2 shorts

a pair of gators

Modified one of my brother’s dress shirts into a hiking shirt

Added extra ventilation to an rei shirt

Hemmed polarfleece pants

Made hip belt padding extenders

90% of a rain skirt

90% of a rain cover/poncho

90% of a Bear Bag

Left to do:

Hem snow pants

Speaking of Bears I have been listening to the most recent episodes of Smodcast while sewing and the last two have included an unusually high number of references to animal attacks. Now Kevin Smith is terrified of sharks which is understandable and he often works it in to a smodcast somewhere. But these podcasts talked more about bear attacks. Brutal and awful ones where people where not only killed but eaten.

Now I have heard my fair share of bear attack stories and know the chances of being attacked by one is remote while I’m on the AT especially since black bears are pretty shy and want to avoid me even more than I want to avoid them. However in the words of Bill Bryson, “ it’s not as though they have signed a treaty” the threat still exists. I am taking comfort in the fact that the attacks they were talking about were perpetrated by brown and polar bears and took place in Russia and Norway.

One of the attacks was on a 20 year old girl who called her mother during the attack and described how she was being eaten. I will not be calling my mother during a bear attack. If I am having a break from being attacked I will call the forest service and/or the police. If I am being attacked I will be using my hands not to hold my phone but to fight with the bear… grabbing rocks ,sticks anything that can be used as a weapon.

I am not criticizing this girl for calling her mom just pointing out that it seemed like a serious misfire of the fight or flight instinct. So rest assured I will not be calling any of you during a bear attack. At the end of the podcast Kevin Smith said, “So don’t go into the woods.” I think he may have been talking to me…I’m not listening.

I am going to have to adjust my route yet again cutting out Vermont completely this year. With my increasingly late start and the flooding from Irene it seems best to avoid that area for now. I’ll still be attempting Massachusetts to Georgia though. And 1,500 miles is still a good long walk. How far I get will be determined by the weather and my ability to function in it.

I have figured out the majority of my P.O. Drops. They are as follows:

(none in Mass as I will hopefully be close enough to get someone in my family to come out for a drop off and day hike)

New York: Wingdale (zip 12594) I will be picking up 8 days worth of supplies.

Greenwood Lake (zip 10925) I will be picking up 7 days worth of supplies.

Pennsylvania: Delaware Water Gap (zip 18327) 10 day supplies

Duncannon (17020) 10 days

West Virginia: Harpers Ferry (25425) 11 days

Virginia: Waynesboro (22980) 8 days

Big Island (24526) 5 days

Catawaba (24070) 6 days (this stop may or may not have a good source for my starches you want to send something when it is most necessary this would be one of the times to do it.)

Pearisburg (24134) 8 days

Atkins (24311) 6 days (another potentially limited supply stop)

Damascus (24236) 11day

North Carolina: Hot springs (28743) 6 days

Fontana Dam (28733) 6 days (limited supplies)

Georgia: Hiawassee (30546) 6 days.

Mail can addressed as follows: Jessie Blackmer

General Delivery

City, State Zip

Please hold for Thru-Hiker

(estimated date of arrival)

I may opt to have my mail drops sent to an outfitter or hostel if I plan on arriving on a day when the post office isn’t open. If so, I will post it here on the blog and on twitter well in advance.

My diet will be consisting mostly of foods with more than 100 calories per oz. I will be eating approximately 9oz a day of carb heavy foods like instant potatoes, oatmeal, and rice. So feel free to send me a box of Minute rice if you feel the urge. I will also be eating a variety of nuts, dried fruits and veggies, beans, and tvp. I’ll also be using Nido milk powder and dehydrated cheese, eggs, and sour cream.

If you want to send me a little care package here are some suggestions/guidelines.

Seeds: Roasted and salted are best. I love pumpkin and sunflower seeds.

Candy: Pretty much any candy without gelatin, which is pretty much any candy. I will be including an oz of m&m’s in my diet each day, so maybe not m&m’s. I hear snickers really satisfies and heath bars are a personal favorite.

Cookies: Please make me yummy cookies. I needs them. They are my precocious. If you send baked goods please either vacuum pack them or double bag them with a piece of bread to keep them awesome. I will also accept any other baked goods nom nom. I will be missing them sooo much. I’m not a real raisin fan but I will eat them.

Letters: Yes please.

Nuts: Love the nuts. Just please no Brazil nuts (they seem to go bad quicker than other nuts) and no pine nuts (I am allergic to a fungus that grows on them).

Dried fruits: I will have a ton of bananas, mangos and craisins so anything but those would be greatly appreciated.

Soy Jerkey: Yesssssssss. I’ll be your best friend or your jerkiest…..

Dried beans: Unless they are instant, like in an instant soup mix, It takes too long to cook them.

If you are finding all my P.O. Bullshit kind of confusing and just want to send me a letter or something non perishable you can also send it to Cara Sammons at Flying goat Farm. She and Devin and maybe Ari will be sending out my essential food boxes and could include something additional in them.

Their Address is at the top of their web page :

http://web.me.com/mcsammons/Flying_Goat_Farm/Welcome.html