"Always the black fly,...

...no matter where you go"
- Wade Hemsworth


June 17, 2001


Today started very well climbing up Nesuntabunt Mountain and coming down to Wadleigh lean-to.  It was fast and furious and I covered my 8.1 planned miles for the day by 12:30 pm.

I started with a buzz cut and clean shave.  Wait 'til you see me at the end of the AT!

There was a note saying a bear was nearby and there were lots o’ bugs so I ate lunch and moved on.  I skirted around Nahmakanta Lake and headed toward Nahmakanta Stream Campsite.  

Pristine, not a ripple, Nahmakanta Lake ("many fish")

It was a hard ≈ 6 miles going through a thunderstorm (lots of rain, little thunder) - my first storm.  I got soaked but my pack seemed to stay dry under my pack cover.  Slowride arrived about 30 minutes later as tired as I am.

Good news is I am ahead of schedule!  Tomorrow I should make the White House Landing Wilderness Camp.

I set up my tent and cooked dinner that evening all under constant motion.  I even ate my food walking in circles because there is always a cloud of black flies and mosquitos following you in the 100 Mile Wilderness.  This is the disadvantage of being a Southbounder who hikes this section in the Spring, which is the time these malicious bugs swarm.

Once my meal was done, I retreated to the safety of my tent.

The great thing about Black Flies [info - not for weak of heart] is they aren’t very bright.  That makes them easy to kill.  I just killed about 20 in my tent because they just crawl on the ceiling trying to get out.  Mosquitoes are smarter and go for humans!  They also have those long-needle mouths which can reach through my web of hair.  Fortunately, it takes ‘em a bit of time to find a good sticking place so I feel them crawling and get them.

I thought the rain would thin out the bugs but it seems to have brought them on full force!  There are hundreds (a little less) crawling around on the outside of my tent.  Insane!

100 Mile Wilderness Tent Activities

• Black Fly Rodeo - open up the flap and let a swarm in.  Crack flap open, catch ‘em bugs and drop ‘em out.
• Bug Poppers - watch a bug crawl around on the tent and then flick the piece of tent under their feets.  Laugh at the bug.
• Silhouette Guessing Game - try to guess which kind of bug is walking around the outside of the tent.  Try to get all of one bug type on tent (see Bug Poppers.)