There is NO need to carry 10 days of food.

I say this for several reasons.

1) I've hiked the 100 Mile Wilderness. It took me 6 days. YES, this was at the end of an AT thru-hike and I was in great shape, BUT, because of a hurricane which blew through, I only traveled 6 miles on my next to last day.

2) The northern 35 miles of the wilderness are relatively flat. You can make pretty easy miles on this stretch.

3) The 10-day recommendation springs from the huge packloads of the 1980's. Pack weights are typically less than half the weight they were in those days (or even in 1999 when I thru-hiked).

4) White House Landing, .9 miles off of Mahar Tate Road (70 miles into the Wilderness for a NOBO), offers the option for some resupply (albeit fairly expensive).

5) There are options for having food cached about 1/2-way into the Wilderness. Shaw's boarding house used to do it, but since he died last year, the task has been taken over by Kathy Preble in Brownsville, ME. You can make arrangements by contacting her at svivor@midmaine.com or call her at 207-965-8464. You would mail your resupply to her and she would cache it at a pre-determined point.

I hiked in early September, and mosquitoes and blackflies were not a problem. I have heard from many resident Mainers that June is absolutely miserable for blackflies. Most of them recommend not beginning before mid-July at the earliest.

Depending on your other gear, your GG pack should be fine for you, particularly if you invest in some freeze-dried or instant/rehydrate meals (such as instant potatoes, stuffing, ramen, liptons in a cozy, etc).

For more detailed info on both the trail and services, check out the Appalachian Pages, Thru-hiker's Handbook (be sure to get the new version, not an older one by Dan Bruce, which were notoriously out-of-date), or the online version of the ALDHA Thru-hikers' Companion. They will help tremendously as the time for your hike approaches.