July 13, 2024 Fox Farm Pond campsite to White Pine campsite 15.9 miles The frogs were singing last night. It was cozy. It’s so much easier to enjoy the nature out here when I’m in my tent away from the bugs. There was also something scuttling around my tent that woke me up. Mouse? Chipmunk? …
July 12, 2024 Stewart River Campsite to Fox Farm Pond Campsite 20 miles In the morning I have a relatively quick coffee and pack up as fast as I can. We have a big day, our first and maybe only 20 miler of the SHT, and it’s time to get to it. The latrine at …
July 11, 2024 Two Harbors to Stewart River Campsite 5.5 miles Town day morning! Guess what I do on this town day morning? If you guessed quiet morning time to drink coffee and write, congratulations! You know me or have been reading this blog for a while. The morning time is less peaceful than it …
July 10, 2024 Silver Creek Campsite to Two Harbors 4.2 miles To the surprise of literally no one, the early start we had planned does not happen today. This is probably mostly because the idea of having to do all that mud again makes me so depressed. We have to repeat the same mile we …
July 9, 2024 Blueberry Hill Campsite to Silver Creek Campsite 19.6 miles by SHT Actual miles hiked: ~17.5 I jolt awake with my alarm completely disoriented. I did that thing again last night where I had to pee really bad but just didn’t want to get up so instead I lay there uncomfortable, awake, for …
July 8, 2024 Beaver Bay to Blueberry Hill Campsite 14.7 miles I am determined to have chill morning coffee time in the gorgeous lobby of the lodge, and that’s exactly what I do. It’s quiet as I write and sip my alive juice. I wouldn’t consider myself a morning person, really, because I don’t enjoy …
July 7, 2024 Silver Bay to Beaver Bay 5.7 miles It’s starting to rain as I write and drink coffee in the lobby this morning. The weather app tells me that it will stop by the afternoon, but I’m dubious. It looks dark, threatening, and settled-in. Ah, well. I guess we will be getting wet. …
July 6, 2024 Stealth campsite to Silver Bay 7.8 miles My alarm goes off at 5, I become conscious, and the first thing I see is slugs. All over my tent. The more I look, the more I see. Alright, that’s it. This trail is shifting something indelible in my brain. I will not exit …
July 5, 2024 Leskinen Creek Campsite to stealth site 15.0 miles Happily, it did not in fact rain last night like the original forecast said it would, and the morning is lovely and sunny. I take my sweet time waking up and drinking coffee and writing and before I know it, it’s after 8. Oops. …
July 4, 2024 Campsite in Manitou State Park to Leskinen Creek Campsite 14.5 miles On the AT in 2019 I noticed a pattern: almost always, a terrible day was followed by an amazing one. A hot day of steep climbing was followed by trail magic. Cold rain preceded dry warmth. Blueberries after a thunderstorm. There …
Sarahmarie Specht-Bird 