Ok, so I’ve learned my lesson about the importance of treating your water. 5 days ago, i was struck with a serious intestinal bug, causing me frequent panicked trips to the restroom. This is neither fun nor convenient while trying to hike 15 miles a day, so me and my buddies pulled into Rangeley, ME yesterday. After scoring a doctors appointment for this morning, my suspicions were confirmed that the little bug causing me so much inconvenience is likely Giardia. It’s a relatively common thing for hikers to get, especially on long distance hikes, considering the wide variety of water sources you encounter.

So, folks, I’m holed up here for two or three days, taking a regimen of antibiotic. Supposedly, I’ll start feeling better in 3 days, at which point, i’ll skip ahead a bit and resume my hike, keeping my time schedule.

Let my affliction be a lesson to you all, treat or boil your backcountry water! Those signs placed by the forest service at water sources warning you of the risks are no joke!