Ed & Mike-AT Experience: July 16-August 5 114.5 Miles from Katahdin

Day 23 Leaving Lincoln, Garfield Ridge Shelter 10.3 Miles

Today I headed back to the trail after a day of healing and relaxing in Lincoln. I convinced the guy at the front desk of the motel I stayed at to give me a ride back to the trail, unfortunately he was new to the United States and didn't speak much English so he took me to the wrong trail. No matter, I was able to find a connection from that trail back to the Appalachian Trail and it even let me get to see part of the trail for a second time. Extra credit, but beggars can't be choosers right? And I had made it back to the trail which was all that mattered and once I got back to the trial there was a man giving out food and drinks and trail magic all around. Not a bad way to start the day.

Everyday in New Hampshire seemed more difficult than other states but it was also so beautiful. I had fantastic views everyday. This was one of the states I had been thinking about since I started the trail and I was finally here, at the Whites! It was incredible and lived up to all the hype.

Our big ascent for the day was South Twin Mountain a ~ 900 ft climb to 4900 ft. The trail was steep and challenging. I must pay attention to where I put my feet, poles and hands. For me it's "active" hiking. It requires my concentration not to slip or fall. As I ascend I watch the trees. As they grow shorter I know that I am nearing the summit as I approach tree line. My effort increases as I get closer.

The trail while strenuous and demanding was also beautiful. Sunlight filtered through the shorter trees giving a serene texture to the forest. It felt special to be there.

Once I was above the tree line and reached the summit of Little Haystack Mountain at 4800 ft. the views were simply spectacular and the best on the trail so far. After lunch we moved along the ridge to Mt Lincoln (5089) and then Mt Lafayette (5291). We the worked our way down the steep descent to Garfield Ridge Shelter. We covered only 10.3 miles on the trail but they had been among the toughest so far.

I stayed at a shelter near the top of Garfield Mountain where JW (Just Walkin), Caboose, Obsolete, Mr. Leonard and Jingles were all also staying. It was a good night among friends.

Day 24 Ethan Pond Campsite 14.5 Miles

Today was another tough day in the Whites but beautiful and ended with rain coming down but luckily I made it to the shelter just in time. My bag I used to collect water and then filter water through had gotten a couple of holes in it. Luckily, Obsolete saw this and very generously gave me his bag. Thanks again for that Obsolete. It was another good, tough day of hiking.

Before making it to Ethan Pond Campsite, I stopped by Zealand Hut. There, Tid Bit a Croo member, was cooking and offered us some burnt cookies that he would not be able to sell. I ate them with enthusiasm. They would fuel mefor the remainder of our hike today. Thank you Tid Bit. The trail turned uncharacteristically flat. I have not had trail like this in NH. It ran along a former railroad bed. I was able to pick up my pace and make up time. We arrived in camp just after 4pm. It started raining shortly after I arrived so I was thankful I made it into camp on before getting wet. I was also able to take a dip in the pond that was by the shelter before the rain, which was a treat.

Day 25 Lake of the Clouds Hut 14.1 Miles

The rain that started late last night continued through the morning. The hike for the day would take me up a ~2700 ft ascent to Mt Webster and another ~ 150 to Mt Jackson. The climb up Webster was one of my most difficult and challenging yet. The steep rocks, boulders and roots were wet from the rain. Everything was slick. Each step and pole plant required a thoughtful placement to avoid slipping. A fall on the steep ascent would result in injury. I slowed my pace and took my time. The trail was not well marked and it was very foggy. Several trails run over the mountains and it is easy to take a wrong turn. I managed to stay on the correct path today.

The trail took me by views that would have been spectacular if not for the heavy fog. Despite this I felt a sense of accomplishment in the climb and reaching the summit. I met Obsolete, Caboose and Ox at Mitzpah Hut which was our intended destination. It was only 1 pm and we contemplated hiking another five miles to Lake of the Clouds hut. This would put us within 1.3 miles of Mt. Washington. Lake of the Clouds is a popular hut that holds 90 guests. Unfortunately there were no vacancies. Our option would be a "work for stay" that the huts offer to a limited number of thru hikers. There is no camping at the hut. It was a risk to go and we decided to take it.

We arrived at the hut in good time at 4pm. Olivia welcomed U.S. and offered us work for stay. We would clean up following breakfast in the morning. In return we could eat dinner after the guests, sleep on the floor and have breakfast in the morning. Food is basic and plentiful. The hard part is not the work. It is the waiting. Dinner was at 8pm and lights out is after 9:30pm.

A number of other thru hikers arrived and the "croo"were kind enough to give us all work for stay. I appreciate their hospitality and welcome as working visitors. The hikers congregated at a table in the lounge. We passed the time discussing our travels and comfort of the hut. We had our late dinner. plentiful and tasty.

Lights out at 9:30pm. Late for me but grateful for the shelter and meals. The hut is a busy day lace at night. The guests must go through our path to use the restroom. It was a poor nights sleep for me as guests went in and out with their head lamps. None the less I am thankful for the croo's hospitality and warm welcome.

Day 26 White Mountain Hostel 1.3 Miles

Activity in the hut occurs early in the morning. Guests began to gather in the lounge waiting for coffee as I rose. The thru hikers gathered to have coffee and meals from our packs for 1st breakfast. We waited for the guests to finish. We then had a 2nd breakfast of pancakes and oatmeal. Afterwards we completed our work obligations by sweeping floors and making beds. The "croo" was polite and offered us gracious hospitality. My special thanks to Olivia and Sam for making us feel welcome. We left after 9:30am to summit Mt. Washington. The summit was covered in fog, misty but clear below. On our way up we passed a sign that basically says the worst weather in the world can happen here, people die here often so be alert. It was a great way to start a days hike.

The terrain was barren rock and boulders accented by delicate wildflowers that grow in the cracks and crevices. The contrast wad fascinating. The temperature was warm as we began. As we ascended on the short hike up the gentle winds picked up and rain drops began to fall. It was a strenuous hike to the top but not that difficult. The trail is well marked with cairns. The trail maintainers have created flat rock surfaces that make it easier to walk. It also keeps hikers on the trail to minimize the impact on the environment.

Then suddenly everything changed, a heavier fog came in and it started sprinkling. This is nothing new, I've seen it almost every other day this trip it seems but this day was different. I quickly put my pack cover on after feeling bigger rain drops. I pass a sign that says Mt. Washington Summit 0.6 Miles. Right after I saw that, the wind picks up, the rain starts to come down heavier and then the hail starts. In about 2 minutes I went from being dry to soaking wet, cold and honestly a little scared. The weather changed in an instant and I had just read a sign about people dying here. The wind was so strong I could barely stand. Once I would reach the top of the mountain the Summit center would tell me that they were recording winds going 70 mph. Eventually I would make it to the top, but it was without a doubt the scariest time I have had on the trail. I am thankful and blessed to have made it up without injury.

I would meet the rest of our hiker crew at the top, all of which got an earlier start than me and were for the most part dry. Here we would make our decision that it would be unwise to go any further today. Most of them just had to look at my face to come to that conclusion. We found a shuttle that would take us down the mountain and then found another shuttle that would take us to a hostel, the White Mountain Hostel. The amazing thing was, once we went down the road 2,000 feet or so it was like we were in another world. The weather was sunny with no rain. But if you looked up the mountain, you could see the fog, rain and hail continuing. Eerie.

Day 27 White Mountain Hostel 13.5 Miles

Today was without out a doubt the most beautiful day I have had on the Appalachian Trail yet to date, but I will get there. We started the day at the White Mountain Hostel where Marnie had cooked a large breakfast for us and had arranged a couple of shuttles to get us back to the top of Mt. Washington where we would be slack packing 13.5 miles. We didn't make it back to the top of Mt. Washington until around 9:30am which is a late start for us. But the weather was beautiful, winds only 50 mph which isn't too bad and no rain and more importantly, no HAIL.

I could not take enough pictures this day, I took over 100 and could've taken many more. It was so incredibly beautiful, with views of all the Presidential's and even better were the views of the trail we had already completed. I took my time and slowly made it down to Pinkham Notch by around 5:00pm where a shuttle picked us up and immediately took us to go resupply. After resupplying and getting some dinner, I finished off the perfect day by eating a half gallon of ice cream while soaking my feet in an Epson salt bath. Great day!

Day 28 Imp Shelter 13.1 Miles

Today was a tough one. We climbed the Wildcats, a group of mountains that make up a ski resort during the winter and they were MAJOR elevation changes all day long. We climbed a few thousand feet and then descended a few thousand feet, and we did that a few times. It was tough, the saying about the Wildcats is that they BITE YOU!!! And that is exactly what they did to us, they wore us out. It was a tough but beautiful day.

We were able to stop by the last hut on our journey, the Carter Notch Hut. Which is the smallest of the huts in the White Mountain range but we received fantastic hospitality by Scott, on of the croo workers. He even heated up some pork chops for us in exchange for some sweeping and getting rid of a few spiders and cobwebs. Easy work for pork chops. Thanks again Scott.

Towards the end of the day, Obsolete and I were hiking together and enjoying the views until we saw one view we didn't like. Rain clouds rolling in.... We quickened our pace but unfortunately we weren't able to make it to the shelter dry. Obsolete even took himself a small spill on some slick rocks and then he missed the shelter sign. So he receives about 1 mile of extra credit for the day. It seems to have rained on us about every other day of this trip. The locals of each town have told us that this has been the wettest summer they can remember, which makes for bad hiking but that won't slow us down. We persevere with a smile on our face, what else can you do?

Once we reached the shelter we met a very nice couple that were section hiking the trail and were from Sevierville, TN. We talked about the future dominance of the Vols and how they would undoubtedly win the SEC Championship this year. It was a fun night in the shelter once we were able to get dry. The shelter also had a family who had young kids, twin daughters and a son so we were able to bond about being twins. Good exhausting day!

Day 29 Back to White Mountain Hostel 8.0 Miles

It was an easy one today as we made our way back to the White Mountain Hostel. It was only 8 miles and after the rough few days we had before, this one was a cake walk. We only had a 1,000 ft. ascent and a slow 3,000 ft. descent over a long period of time. Caboose and I hiked most of the day together and were actually able to chat instead of huffing and puffing up and down mountains. There are so many amazing people on the trail from all walks of life and I feel blessed to have gotten to know so many of them.We made it back to the hostel in time for lunch and enjoyed our last day there. Marnie and Steve were such great hosts, thanks again for everything.

Day 30 Gentian Pond Shelter 11.8 Miles

There were two major high points of the day as were left the White Mountain Hostel and one low point. The low point was that someone swiped one of my hiking sticks. I found this particular stick in Georgia in 2012 and it had been with me pretty much the entire time on the Appalachian Trail. But unfortunately, I guess someone else needed it more than me. The positive is that it is only a stick and I will not start crying over it. If there is one thing there is an abundance of on the AT, it would be sticks. This is the only thing that has been stolen from me so far in the many many miles on the trail so it's not that bad.

As far as highlights go, today we would cross 1,900 miles hiked on the trail. It is a great feeling to see these points and gives you a sense of accomplishment. Another highlight was seeing a momma moose and her calf. I had been seeing moose droppings for quite a while in New Hampshire and had all but given up seeing one until a momma was bathing in the pond near our shelter. We were able to watch them for quite a while and it was a breathtaking experience. They were both so much bigger than I had imagined and the both moved very gracefully through the brush and water. That was towards the end of a relatively easier day on the trail which was a great way to end it.

Day 31 Full Goose Shelter 9.6 Miles

We had a relatively short day due to the fact that rain was coming and we were approaching Mahoosuc Notch. Mahoosuc Notch is known as the most difficult or most fun mile on the Appalachian Trail because of the difficult terrain and the fact that you literally have to crawl thru small crevices and scramble from rock to rock climbing your way around. We did not want to do the notch in the rain and were advised that doing so can and usually ends in injury. So we made camp early and were joined by many other hikers who had the same plan.

Although it was a short day, we hit another big milestone and that was crossing the NH-ME border!!! Thirteen states down and only one more to go!!! It's hard to believe that I am already getting so close to finishing this long journey, but I am going to enjoy every day until it is over.

Day 32 Baldpate Lean-to 12 Miles

Well after much rest, today we would tackle Mahoosuc Notch. South bounders have been warning us about the difficulty of the notch for days now. They were right that it was difficult, but it was also a blast. On easy terrain I average about three miles an hour, more difficult terrain I can usually still make about two miles an hour. The one mile of the Mahoosuc Notch took me about one hour and forty five minutes. Caboose compared it to a challenging theme park for hikers and I think that is the best way to summarize it. We all put our hiking poles/sticks on our pack, took our time and scrambled thru it together. There were several times where we had to take our packs off and drag them behind us thru a hole or push it on ahead of us. All of us fell and struggled at one point or another but we all had a blast doing so. The notch was something interesting, there was even ice down in it.

After the notch, which I would later find out is just a name for a very steep descent followed by a steep ascent very closely together, we would climb Mahoosuc's Arm. South bounders had also been warning us about the difficulty of this, but I did not find it that challenging. I guess maybe I had built up how demanding the climb would be to where once I got to it and did it, it wasn't all that bad. Another good, memorable day in the books.

Day 33 The Cabin 8.0 Miles

Marnie at the White Mountain Hostel gave us one piece of advice when we left which was to stay at the Cabin in Andover. The Cabin is listed in our guide books but all it says is reservations only. Marnie hasn't steered us wrong yet so we took her advice. She said we would be the type of guests the operators of the Cabin would want. Our group is little more seasoned than most of the other hikers on the trail. Most of the hikers on the trail are somewhere in the age range of 18-23. Our group includes myself, a 67 year old, two 60 year olds and a 49 year old. Apparently, we have more manners and are better behaved than the other hikers on the trail.

So we made reservations, our group of five now which was Obsolete, Caboose, JW and Mr. Leonard along with myself. We have been hiking together since around Hanover, NH and all have basically the same goals in mind. So after an eight mile hike, which was pretty challenging due to the rain that came thru the night before, we made it to the road where we met the hostel owner Earl or "Bear."

Earl welcomed us into his car and after joking around with him while driving along he apologized to us saying all they were offering for dinner was steak and lobster. We all thought he was kidding of course, and what a cruel joke to play on hungry hikers. At this point, I can pretty much eat 2,000 calories for lunch and still be hungry so this is not something I like to joke about. Most of the time on the trail is spent talking about what we are going to eat once we get to town. But as it turned out, timing is everything and a couple of times a summer Earl and his wife Margie or "Honey" serve some blessed hikers steak and lobster. It was such an amazing meal with beautiful steak, lobster, corn, homemade bread, with carrot cake and moose track ice cream for dessert. I had seconds of lobster, carrot cake and ice cream.

What an amazing place with such kind people. Honey and Bear started the hostel 21 years ago to have something to do in their retirement. Margie and her two younger sisters, the youngest of which is 78 years old, hike Mt. Katahdin as well as other 4,000 ft. mountains in Maine every summer. Their hostel is there way of giving back to the hiking community. Amazing people that we would get to know over the next few days as they slack packed us several miles

Lobster

Day 34 Slack pack 10 Miles and back to the Cabin

Another fun day of slack packing was ahead of us. The day did start out a little foggy and wet after another thunder storm and raining from the night before. I am starting to think the New England area doesn't know any other weather except for rain. The hike wasn't too bad this day and after reaching our destination the sun came out and all five of us soaked in some rays while we waited on our ride from Earl. After we got back to the Cabin, Obsolete showed me some sewing tricks. It appears that 1,900 miles is about what my packs limits are. There is now a nice long rip right on my pack that was getting bigger by the day until Obsolete showed me how to fix and repair it. Thanks again Obsolete. Honey cooked us beef stroganoff for dinner tonight with brownies and ice cream for dessert. I, of course had seconds again.

Day 35 Slack pack 13.3 Miles back to the Cabin

Another powerful thunderstorm hit the area the night before, but thankfully we were indoors. We had a fewclimbs today one of which was Old Blue Mountain. Before we reached Old Blue, we stopped at a shelter where Obsolete was tasked by Bear to do a little trail magic of cleaning up the trash and bringing in some toilet paper. Very nice of Obsolete to do and at the shelter we found a group of young French Canadians who were at a summer camp where they spent ten days on the Appalachian Trail and did repairs on some of the shelters. They were making a new privy at this shelter. Thanks for all you do guys, it was very interesting to talk to you.

Once we climbed to the top of Bemis Mountain, we met a MATC member. That is a Maine Appalachian Trail Club member. These are the people that do all the trail maintenance and shelter repairs along the AT in Maine. The volunteer was replacing a worn down sign there and after talking with him for twenty minutes or so we asked him what he was going to do with the old sign. He said he wasn't looking forward to carrying it down the mountain. We asked if we could carry it down and give it to Bear and Honey to hang in the Cabin. The volunteer, of course knows Bear and Honey because there are less than 200 people in this area, and thought it was a great idea to give it to them. So Obsolete took the trash out of his bag and gave it to me and then he carried the sign down the mountain.

After we were picked up from the trail and went back to the Cabin, we took Bear's truck to the store. He handed the keys over to a bunch of guys he had just met. What world am I in where this happens? Anyways, on the way out of the store Caboose decides it would be a good idea to buy Bear a nice bottle of Jameson for all his hospitality. So at dinner that night, we presented to Bear the bottle of Jameson and to Honey the old trail sign. They were both very moved and kept saying to each other, "This is why we opened this hostel." It was a very sweet and moving dinner. Another fantastic experience in the books.

Day 36 The Hiker Hut 13.2 Miles

Unfortunately all good things must come to an end and it was time to leave the Cabin. Thank you again Bear and Honey for everything, it was quite an experience and a blessing to spend time with you. Today was going to be a great day though because I was going to be reunited with Pantry, a woman I had the pleasure of hiking with in 2013. She was doing her thru hike then and Mike and I hiked with her off and on for some time. She lives in Maine and her brother owns a hostel in Maine and we had arranging a meeting there.

Pantry ran up to me as soon as I walked up and it was as if we had never stopped hiking together. We caught up very quickly and I enjoyed a nice bath in the river next to the bunk house. After a quick run into town, Pantry cooked me a delicious Spanish meal with a lemon zest pie for dessert. It was so good and we also had garlic bread and a salad. I have been eating much better than most hikers on the trail. We laughed and enjoyed a very nice evening together. Thank you for everything Pantry, all the food, advice and hugs. It was great seeing you.

Another wonderful thing that happened at this stop was I received a package that Rachel had sent me from home! It included my new shoes, which were very much needed. It also included my new water filter, cookies from my wonderful sister Lindsey, thank you Lindsey they were delicious. And some of my favorite candies from my mother. Thanks Mom and to Rachel and all. It lifted my spirits in ways you cannot imagine. Thank you!!

I was also able to meet someone I had been dying to meet for some time on the trail and that was the Bionic Woman. First, a little back story. Today I knew I was getting new shoes but my feet had been killing me for a couple hundred miles now. But today was especially bad for some reason. It was all I could think about for the first two hours of the day. Every step hurt and I couldn't get my mind off of them. Then, suddenly down the hill I see the Bionic Woman. I had already heard of her but had not met her yet. The Bionic Woman is a German thru hiker who has one leg and one prosthetic leg. She is incredible. After talking to her for several minutes I am just in awe. And after beginning to hike on I laughed quite loudly to myself thinking, "God you are full of humor." Here I am complaining to myself about how much my feet hurt and then I walk up to a woman who only has one foot!! Just incredible!

What an inspiration, it was a pleasure meeting you Bionic Woman

Day 37 Spaulding Mountain Lean-to 18.7 Miles

This was one of the most difficult days I have had on the trail thus far. I knew my hiking buddies, Caboose, JW, Obsolete and Mr. Leonard had stayed at a shelter two miles further up the trail and I wanted to catch them. I also knew they were planning on going to the Spaulding Mountain Lean-to which was almost a 19 mile day for me. Pantry and her brother Steve both told me it was possible but very difficult. They did not give the most encouraging words, saying that this was one of the hardest days there was in Maine. Either way, I was determined and was hiking by 6:00am in order to catch my friends.

Well they were right, it was extremely difficult but I hit my goal. There were four large mountains, including the Saddleback's, to climb this day and each one was more challenging then the last. By the time I reached the fourth mountain I was spent. I remember thinking about laying down in the middle of the trail to take a nap, that's how tired I was. I knew if I did that though someone might think I was dead. So I stopped and ate some food trying to get some energy. I started up the mountain again and about twenty minutes later the same feeling came over me. Rain clouds had already moved in and the sprinkling was starting so I knew I needed to push forward but I just didn't have the energy. So I stopped and ate some more even though it was beginning to rain on me. This final bit of food gave me enough energy to reach the top but my oh my I was worn out. Shortly after I arrived at the shelter the sky opened up and the rain fell down. Thankfully, our crew had all made it there before the rain started. We all agreed that the day was a challenge.

Day 38 The Stratton Motel Hostel 13.5 Miles

We had three climbs for the day instead of four so I was happy about that and we would also be crossing the 2,000 mile marker. WOW, I can't believe I have walked over 2,000 miles! I can actually say, "I've walked thousands of miles," which gives me a feeling of disbelief. So many things have happened in those 2,000 miles. I have met so many incredible people, received such incredible support from friends, family, bosses and strangers. Many thanks to all for your help and love. The journey is coming close to an end with only 188.2 miles left to go!

Day 39 Slack packing 19.5 Miles back to the Stratton Motel Hostel

The day started with trail magic, Spartacus, a thru hiker who is from Maine offered to give us a ride to the point on the trail we would start our slack pack from. A free ride that would've cost us $60.00 from the hostel owner. Thanks again Spartacus. The day included some difficult mountains to climb that included the Bigelow Mountain range. A few thousand feet climbs and descents to go through the day.

It started off beautifully but as soon as I reached the top of one of the Bigelows, Avery, I started to hear thunder and see lightning. Not something you want to see when you are above the tree line and walking on the ridgeline where you are the tallest thing around. Of course I was at about the center of the mountain so it would've been pointless to go backwards. I threw my pack cover on my pack and my jacket on just in the nick of time. The sideways rain started along with hail and strong winds. This was similar weather to what I experienced on Mt. Washington, however I was miles away from any type of shelter. Thankfully, I was able to get below tree line before I was fried by lightning and was able to wait out the storm before I climbed the next mountain. The ground was covered in hail, I described it to another hiker as looking like a bean bag chair exploded all over the place. I was soaked head to toe but luckily it wasn't too cold out and I was able to stay warm enough to finish the day. What other choice did I have anyways?

After finishing the rest of the hike, I reached the road around 5:00pm and was able to hitch a ride back into town. Once everyone got back we went to dinner together and Mr. Leonard got a surprise call from his son that he would soon be a grandfather. A great way to end an adventurous day as we laughed and celebrated not being cooked alive by lightning.

Day 40 Pierce Pond Lean-to 13.5 Miles

We got an intentional late start on the day today. We were told it was going to be an easy one and the motel next door was serving a giant breakfast of French toast for me but it didn't start until 7:00am. So we slept in didn't actually get on the trail until almost 9:30am, three hours later than our normal start time. Breakfast was well worth the late start. We arrived at camp by 3:00pm, the terrain was easy with only rocks and tree roots as our obstacles. I made a fire after a swim in the pond and set up at one of the most beautiful camp sites I have seen to date. There was a shelter that overlooked an incredibly big pond (not sure what their definitions of ponds are here but in Tennessee you would call this a lake) with a fire going and the sun setting on the water, it was almost perfect. The weather at night was also perfect, not to hot and no rain which has been a rare thing. Great day.

Day 41 Bald Mountain Lean-to 18.7 Miles

Today we would cross the Kennebec River. A large river on the AT that did not have a bridge and was too large to ford across. There was a ferry that took us across and our ferry driver aka canoe driver shuttled people from 9:00-11:00am each day. So I started my 4 mile hike from the shelter to the river around 7:00am and made it there about twenty minutes before 9:00am with just enough time to have second breakfast with Caboose, Obsolete and Mr. Leonard. After Hillbilly Dan,. the ferry driver, took us across, we were able to meet his wife who was selling drinks and food at the road where Caboose bought me an Orange Soda. Thanks again Caboose, it was delicious.

The day only had a couple of small climbs but still, 18.7 miles is a lot of miles no matter what the terrain. We arrived in camp around 4:00pm just before the rain started coming in again. I was once again in the shelter with seven other hikers. Everyone was very respectful though and went to bed at a decent time but here is the amazing thing. I woke up around 3:00am to use the restroom as I usually do and noticed an anomaly. We had eight hikers in the shelter, and not a single one of them was snoring! The shelter almost always includes one snorer, so to not have any was certainly something out of the ordinary.

Day 42 The Shaws 22.0 Miles

I awoke at 5:00am. I had big plans for the day. The rest of the group was planning on doing a 16 mile day and then another 6 miles the following day into Monson, the last town before the 100 mile wilderness. I wanted a zero day before I started on the 100 mile wilderness so I was determined to do all 22 today. I was hiking on the trail by 6:00am and was making great time. I made it to the shelter 13 miles away by 11:20am and that was with fording 3 rivers, which was a fun experience where I didn't even take my shoes off to do. They were already soaking wet from all the rain the night before.

So after lunch, with 9 miles left to go I was in high spirits. Until I started to hear the thunder and then see the lightning. My pace quickened but I wasn't quite fast enough. My last hour of the day was spent in a downpour but thankfully, the rain stopped once I reached the road and I had one bar of service to call the hostel to come get me. Right after I called though a kind man who was already headed to the hostel stopped to see if I needed a ride. How fantastic! Thank you so much, and it was an owner of another hostel in Millinocket, where I would stay after Katahdin. Thank you again for the ride Chief!

As we pulled up to the hostel who do I see? Caboose and Obsolete had finished their 16 miles and were arriving just before me and Mr. Leonard and JW were on their way. We went to dinner that night where we started planning our last 8 days on the trail.

Day 43 The Shaws Zero Mile Day

Today I am taking my first zero day since Lincoln, NH and my body is thanking me. It needs the rest and I am able to finally update this blog. The owners of the Shaws are extremely pleasant people who thru hiked the trail in 2004 and I have enjoyed some great conversations with Poet. The day has been nice except for the rain, but I would rather watch the rain from outside then be walking in it. Thank you Lord for a safe trip so far! Rachel will be meeting me in the 100 mile wilderness on Tuesday and we are planning on finishing on Thursday the 13th. Love to all, see you soon.