88) June 11: Attack of the Killermosquitos ;-)

 

June 11, day 74, PCT km 2,809 to 2,844

Total kilometers: 1,129

 

Departed 9:30 am, in brilliant sunshine. Good thing the trail is mostly through shady forest.

Traversed Route 66 several times. Found a lovely spot for lunch by a creek with a bridge. Ate, washed, filled up our water supplies, and had a quick siesta. The trail was downhill for the most part, so we were able to grind out the kilometers.

 

After 16 km, we refilled our water supplies at a spring. Then picked up the pace. Toward evening, thousands of mosquitos suddenly attacked us. Which really made us move our popotins. For Sabine, who was especially maltreated by the beasts, it was unbearable. At 9:30 pm, we'd covered a terrific 35 kilometers and called it a day. Because of the lateness of the hour, we decided to cowboy camp. Bad idea, because the mosquitos were joined by a horde of ants. Since Olli has an open sleeping back (quilt) and slept in shorts, he spent most of the night fighting off insects creeping up his legs instead of sleeping. He was very glad to see the sun come up at 5 am and it was time to make coffee.

 

In the morning, Sabine discovered the t-shirt she'd placed on a tree stump to dry had been chewed on during the night, presumably by a rodent. Three holes - one big one and two small ones - in rather inappropriate places.

 
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