129.8 miles!

Eleven days on the trail, two days of rest, and only four days behind what was clearly an optimistic schedule. Turns out I am SLOW. Likely a mix of a small stride, the rugged Northwoods, and perhaps more so than the others, not being in as good of shape as I thought.

The second day I almost gave up after barely completing the 15.5 section shared with the Gandy Dancer. Each segment of the trail is rated 1-5 based on elevation changes and level of challenge to the average hiker. The Gandy Dancer is an easy 1-1 and it left me doubting everything. I started off strong, making good time at 3mph with no pain. Around 12 miles I began to feel off and wobbly, and realized I had miscalculated calories and was about to “hit the wall.” Breathing exercises and locomotive arm motions mentally propelled me forward the last three miles while my body protested each step. Thankfully, Eric had food when he picked me up and I quickly came back to life once in the truck. Though it felt like giving up, I took the next day to rest, acknowledging that it may take more than a few days to go from a desk job to walking 15+ miles a day.

There is so much more to share but it’s late. In short, the trail is gorgeous, challenging, and breathtaking.