August 9, 2004

I awoke at 3:00 a.m. today.  I was asleep in my tent bundled up in my sleeping bag when I felt something crawling across my face.  I sleepily fumbled for my headlamp as I listened to an unknown critter scamper all around me.  When I turned on the headlamp, I saw a mouse scurrying inside my tent.  Yuk!  I screamed, of course, loud enough to wake up Bear and Loon.  Bear wandered over to my tent to help me get the mouse out. And...just like that, the night invader was gone.  He exited through the same hole that he gnawed to enter...right above a pocket where I had left a Skippy wrapper.  Bear brought me a piece of duct tape to mend the hole, but my tent was wet from the rain and it did not stick.  So...from 3:00 a.m. on, I just sat there wearing my headlamp watching the mouse hole

My hike today was seriously hampered by my lack of sleep.  What was supposed to be a 15.5 mile day and a climb over Stratton Mountain, ended up being an eight miler instead.  Tomorrow, I will make up today's missed miles.  I will climb Sutton Mountain very early to enjoy a masterfully painted sunrise.