Take a Hike...: Day 5: Wadleigh Stream Lean-to to White House Landing

Today's Miles: 7.5
Total Miles: 45.7

I was completely looking forward to a short day today, but it was probably the longest short day ever! Packing up camp with everything still soaking wet was an annoyance, and definitely added a few more pounds to the pack. I don't think it would have been possible to dry it all. The only thing driving me at this point was knowing I was going to White House Landing, a small hostel on the edge of the lake a little ways off the trail. The trail today had a lot of incredible views as a good portion of it wrapped around a lake. There were even blue skies today, which was a welcome sight after yesterday. Th trail was hard to follow at some points because there were a lot of fallen trees blocking the path and a few flooded areas that covered whatever path had once existed. The mosquitoes have been so overwhelming, and I think this has been one of the hardest things to deal with so far. I have let out a few exasperated yells while hiking because of how irritating they can really get. There were two good sized streams to ford today. I made it without falling or losing anything, which is always a plus. My left hip started to bother me some today, probably aggravated because I took a pretty good fall after slipping on a wet log crossing a spring area yesterday. It made climbing over the felled trees a bigger challenge. I finally made it to White House Landing around 3:00. There is an air horn at the dock that you blow, and a boat picks you up and brings you across the lake. Just siting on the dock with my feet in the water was so relaxing. I would have been happy just throwing my tent up there for the night. I had a hot shower, a good dinner, and I'm the only one staying here tonight. It's a beautiful place to stay, and the owners are great people. I might not want to leave tomorrow!