Day 45 (August 8)

Short, 10-mile day today. I started by climbing Barren Mountain, Fourth Mountain, Mt. Three and a Half, Third Mountain, and finally Columbus Mountain. At 3:00 p.m., the sky unloaded again. I was five minutes from the nearest shelter, so that's where I'm at tonight. The wilderness was no small challenge today: lots of ups and downs. I had no mouse problem last night, but the guy sleeping next to me did. The mice were scampering all over his pack which he had hung on the wall. He had three individually-packed prunes the mice literally threw out. It sounded like basketballs hitting a wood floor. They don't like prunes: didn't even nibble through the wrapping. Two more days of mountains before the last 40 miles of wilderness which are completely flat but boggy. Take care.