18 miles today. Total miles so far: 248.5
Day 17: Flattish spot to Yellow River.
Everything was wet in the morning, and I slept in a bit after missing sleep due to the storm, but the pine duff all around me was soft, a welcomed change from the previous days' roads. Then everything got too soft, with several muddy, flooded, and boggy areas that slowed my progress. It was getting warm, and the still, humid air reminded me of several days on the Sheltowee Trace the previous year. Spring plants were everywhere, and most areas were now shaded with leaves. But the mosquitos were also out, and I had to don my head net in some areas to keep them away from my face. I was able to call Jeff from a hilltop bench and confirmed in the rare hiker register book that no one else was near me on the trail. After setting up I'm a nice pine grove, I tried to sleep but thunder kept moving closer. The wind came up strong and fast, and it was probably the most unpleasant storm I've been in while camping. I had enough signal to confirm that it would move through quickly, but after two nights of storms, things were getting uncomfortably damp.
