Post Katahdin

First of all, thanks for all the comments, messages, emails, and text
messages. I will try to respond to everyone as soon as I can. I have
reception in town but not at the hotel.

I had to make the post from the summit brief yesterday, but I am now
in Millinocket, ME for the day. I took all the required photos
(including one with my suit jacket and tie) and dropped off the pebble
I carried from Georgia. My dad then hiked back down the AT (Hunt
Trail) while Lauren and I hiked over the Knife's Edge and down the
other side to Roaring Brook Campground.

The Knife's Edge was steep. Really steep. On either side of the
trail was a cliff that dropped 1000 feet or more. The trail required
a bit of climbing and down climbing. I don't know if I would hike the
trail again.

The weather yesterday turned out to be better than I was fearing. It
was clear in the morning for our ascent up the mountain. Once we
reached the top we were in a cloud, but the cloud would occassionally
clear off. The rain held off until we made it most of the way across
the Knife's Edge, but then it did rain the rest of the day.

Lauren and I made it down to the bottom and weren't waiting too long
before my dad showed up. He was bringing two other hikers back to
Millinocket (one of which was Soccross, who I stayed with at the Inn
at the Long Trail). We went back to the hotel, took showers, and
changed into dry clothes.

My parents randomly ran into friends (parents of a fellow Boy Scout,
Kyle) yesterday who are up in the area to rehike Katahdin. They
happened to be in the area and were two of the people that I did a lot
of backpacking with when I was younger. So, they had dinner with me,
my parents, and Lauren.

Today is the first of the post-hike, real-world days...

Day 163 - 8/25 - KATAHDIN!!!

Daily mileage: 5.2
Total trail mileage: 2179.1
Starting location: The Birches Lean-to
Ending location: Katahdin, ME!!!!
Weather: 59 degrees in the morning. 63 - 67 degrees during the day.

I am at
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=45.904401,+-68.921478

I MADE IT!!! I have now finished hiking all 2179.1 miles of the
Appalachian Trail. It took me 163 days and I traveled through the end
of Winter, Spring, Summer, and the beginning of Fall. I walked
through 14 states from Springer, GA to Katahdin, ME. I climbed
countless mountains and I have no idea how many feet of elevation
gain. That was a whole lot of steps for man, one tiny bunny hop for
mankind. But, I have made it.

Meeting up with my dad and Lauren wasn't a problem and we got started
by 7:20. Yep, the climb was steep, but it sure was spectacular. A
large part of the climb is above treeline. The views are amazing.

Now I just need to get back down from Katahdin...I'll post more later.

Day 162 - 8/24

Daily mileage: 13.4
Total trail mileage: 2173.9
Starting location: Hurd Brook Lean-to
Ending location: The Birches Lean-to
Weather: 64 degrees in the morning. 68 - 79 degrees during the day.
Clear and sunny all day.

I am at
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=45.885738,+-68.993609

I got a late start since I only had to do 13 easy miles today. I
survived the 100-Mile Wilderness and then made my way down to Abol
Bridge. Katahdin got really big now. There was a fantastic view from
the bridge, and today was a really, really nice weather day. Too bad
I didn't summit today. Right past the bridge was the Abol Bridge
Campground and Campstore. I picked up lunch there as well as some
food supplies to get me through today and tomorrow. I hung out there
for a long time. After that I stealth showered in the Campground.
The shower was coin operated, but I think it was only for registered
guests. Well, nobody said anything or questioned what I was doing as
I walked in, took a quick shower, walked out, and headed down the trail.

After that was a pleasant walk through Baxter State Park. The trail
was very flat, devoid of most rocks and roots, and traveled along many
streams, rivers, waterfalls, and ponds. The weather was so nice today
that I didn't really feel like walking though.

I made it to Katahdin Stream Campground and registered with the
Ranger. I am northbound thruhiker #194 for this year. I think I was
#60-something at Harpers Ferry, but that was before my time off
trail. I really thought there were more people ahead of me. Well, I
registered at the Ranger station in the Campground, but the shelter
that they put us in is way away from the Campground. I guess they
think we stink so bad that there is no way they would put us near the
normal guests. So, one final night in my hammock in the woods.

I am not really done with Maine yet, but I am practically there. The
biggest distinguishing attribute of Maine is water. This is a serious
drought year for Maine, and yet there was still water everywhere.
There were plenty of ponds, lakes, streams, rivers, waterfalls, bogs,
puddles, mud pits, etc. There were still mountains with views (and
steep climbs), but there was plenty of hiking along the lower
elevations as well. Maine was one of my favorite states on the trail.

So, tomorrow is Katahdin. 5.2 miles left to go and 4000+ feet of
elevation gain. Much of the climb is above treeline. I can't believe
I am at this point. The plan is (and I hope this works out as I
haven't been able to talk to anyone for a bit) to meet my parents and
my highschool friend Lauren (whom I haven't seen since highschool) in
the Campground in the morning. Then my dad, Lauren, and I will hike
to the top. I might hike the Knife's Edge trail after reaching the
summit depending on the weather. Then, down the mountain and into town
to begin my life after the trail. One possible hiccup is the
weather. The latest report indicated that it will be clear in the
morning, but then clouds and rain will move in during the late
morning. There is a 100% chance of rain in the afternoon. But, this
is a better report than the Thursday report.

Other than seeing people from home, the things I am most looking
forward to in "real world" life are the ability to take showers every
day and the ability to cook real food. I am not looking forward to
the cars, general bussyness, and waste that society brings. I will
miss the quiet and peacefulness found on the trail as well as the
opportunity to see new things, meet new people, and stay active. What
I will miss most though are the people on and around the trail that
have been so generous and friendly. I am hoping to be able to give
back. Not just to the trail community but to strangers at home as
well. As I transition back into the "Real World", I am also hoping to
remain active (maybe not 15-20 mile active, but whatever I can manage)
and to live a simpler life. The trail has taught me that one can live
on very little and still be comfortable. These might be lofty goals,
but I will try my best.

1 more day left on the trail :(

Day 161 - 8/23

Daily mileage: 22.2
Total trail mileage: 2160.5
Starting location: Nahmakanta Lake Campsite
Ending location: Hurd Brook Lean-to
Weather: 62 degrees in the morning. 63 - 73 degrees during the day.
Cloudy all day. A little drizzle midday.

I am at
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=45.818568,+-69.018424

MOOSE REALLY DO EXIST!!! I FINALLY SAW TWO :). The sighting occured
at 7pm on Rainbow Ledges. Wow, they are big creatures. They ran in
different directions when they saw me. I was stunned, so it took me a
few seconds to remember to pull out my camera. I did get a blurry
picture of one of the moose jumping across the trail. The sounds they
made when running through the woods sounded just like what I heard the
other day and before Saddleback, so I am guessing both of those times
were also moose that I just couldn't see.

The rest of the day was also great. The trail has continued to be
nice, especially with the changing leaves. It passed by more ponds,
lakes, streams, and waterfalls today. Rainbow Lake had really, really
clear water. Unfortunately though there were big leaches (4-6 inches)
in it. Katahdin keeps getting bigger and bigger. There was a really
nice view from Rainbow Ledges right after I saw the moose.

There have been a lot of great campsites throughout the Wilderness.
Cloud Pond Lean-to, Antlers Campsite, Nahmakanta Lake Campsite,
Rainbow Springs Lean-to, and Rainbow Lake have been the highlights.
Too bad I couldn't stay at all of them.

I don't want the trip to end. I did manage to get another night in
the woods by not going all the way to Abol Bridge, but tomorrow I have
to head to the Campground. I only have a couple more miles left
before emerging from the Wilderness. Then I will head to the Abol
Bridge Campstore to pick up a few more supplies (and icecream and
beer!).

18.6 miles left to go. 1 night remains.

Day 160 - 8/22

Daily mileage: 21.2
Total trail mileage: 2138.3
Starting location: Crawford Pond
Ending location: Nahmakanta Lake Campsite
Weather: 60 degrees in the morning. 63 - 73 degrees during the day.
Cloudy all day.

I am at
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=45.737533,+-69.107598

With each day, the forest is becoming more alive with colors. Today
half the ferns turned yellow. A lot of the leaves are starting to fall.

I am really enjoying the 100-Mile Wilderness. Yes, there are cars and
access points, but the number of roads are far less frequent. The
trail has been very pleasant and there have been tons of ponds and
lakes and streams along the way. I was making really good time today
as the trail was pretty flat.

I have been hiking with Red Beard, Minus, and Kagel for the last week
or so. Tonight we camped next to a lake and built a fire. We found
fresh water mussels and cooked them over the fire. They were smoked
over white birch and freshly seasoned with olive oil and ramen
spices. They weren't the best, but they were free calories.

I am running low on food. The trail magic yesterday and the trail
magic today (a woman was at one of the logging roads with oranges and
sodas) has helped a lot, but I am just burning too many calories now.
Good thing I am almost out of the Wilderness. I think I will be
leaving with an empty food bag, but not starving (well, more than
normal).

This might be my last night really in the woods. I have two more
nights, but they both might be in campgrounds. It depends on where I
end up tomorrow night. I can't say I am completely excited about
being at the end.

Unfortunately, I heard that the weather forecast now looks iffy for my
Katahdin summit on Wednesday. Hopefully the forecast turns more
favorably.

40.8 miles left to go!

Day 159 - 8/21

Daily mileage: 16.6
Total trail mileage: 2117.1
Starting location: Carl A. Newhall Lean-to
Ending location: Crawford Pond
Weather: 58 degrees in the morning. 60 - 74 degrees during the day.
Partly cloudy all day.

I am at
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=45.615831,+-69.126676

I saw Katahdin! There was a really good view of the mountain from
White Cap. White Cap had really nice views in general as well. The
trail down obviously had a lot of work done to it. There were really
nice stone steps most of the way.

The rest of the day was easy. I made good time. Everyone said that
after White Cap the trail is pretty much level until I reach
Katahdin. So far that is true.

The leaves are really starting to change now. Some of the leaves are
red, yellow, and orange. It is starting to feel like Fall too. I am
glad I am getting a few days of Fall before finishing up.

I am camping near a pond. There are 4 others here, 3 of which
thruhiked last year. One of the girls broke her arm at this point
last year and continued to hike to Abol Bridge until it could be taken
care of. They gave me a bit of left over food and Snickers.

62.0 miles left to go!

Day 158 - 8/20

Daily mileage: 16.8
Total trail mileage: 2100.5
Starting location: Cloud Pond Lean-to
Ending location: Carl A. Newhall Lean-to
Weather: A little rain last night. 56 degrees in the morning. 59 -
69 degrees during the day. Clear and Sunny all day. Very windy last
night and during the day.

Today had a lot of great views. Everything in sight was forest,
lakes, or mountains. No man made structures. And, the weather was
gorgeous. It was nice to have a cool day again.

There were a lot of day hikers though once I got near Gulf Hagas. So
much for it being "Wilderness". I was originally planning on hiking
the full Gulf Hagas side trail, but a lot of people said that the
waterfalls aren't nearly as spectacular as normal given the low water
levels this year. I decided to just go a little off the AT to see the
first falls. There were huge pools of water in the gorge, and I
finally found a way to climb down to water level. I went swimming
briefly in one of the pools, but the water was really cold. The pool
was over my head.

Before swimming I got stung by a bee on my leg. It still hurts, but
the cold water helped to dull the pain. Hopefully it doesn't swell up.

I am eating too much food now. My hunger level went even further up.
I should have enough food, but my bag will probably be empty by the
time I reach Abol Bridge. At least my pack weight is getting to be
more reasonable again.

78.6 miles left to go! There are only 2 more climbs left greater than
1000 feet of elevation gain. One is tomorrow. The other is
Katahdin. I am guessing that tomorrow will be the last time I get
phone reception before I finish, so this will likely be the last post
for a couple days.

Day 157 - 8/19

Daily mileage: 15.3
Total trail mileage: 2083.7
Starting location: North Pond
Ending location: Cloud Pond Lean-to
Weather: 61 degrees in the morning. 68 - 82 degrees during the day.
Clear and Sunny all day.

I am at
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=45.418836,+-69.354214

Today was a nice day of hiking. The weather was great, and the trail
passed by many streams and waterfalls. A few of the waterfalls were
flowing through rocky rivines. There were a few fords, but they were
mostly rock hops this year. I was almost across one when there was a
gap that was just a little too far to cross. I could have gone back
to find a better way, but it was easier to get my one foot a little
wet. It dried out quickly.

I stopped at one of the shelters for lunch. A chipmunk joined me and
would not go away. I was pushing it around with my trekking pole and
tapping it on its side. It didn't care.

I heard something big move through the forest off the trail. By the
sound it had to be either a deer, moose, or bear. I haven't seen any
signs of deer in a long time, so I am guessing it wasn't that.
Unfortunately I could not get a view because the forest was too thick.

The Barren Ledges and Barren Mountain had awesome views. So, of course
I stopped for a while at both points. On top of Barren Mountain there
was the sketchiest tower along the AT. The top platform was gone, and
the stairs were replaced with an iron ladder. I went up it (even
better views), but I couldn't also bring my camera. So, no pictures
from the top.

Cloud Pond is a really nice spot. The water was warm, but I didn't go
swimming. If I got here earlier in the day I would have.

I suppose I can now start to list the remaining mileage. 95.4 miles
left to go. Under 100! And today was the last Thursday on the trail
(assuming I get good weather to summit next Wednesday).

Day 156 - 8/18

Daily mileage: 7.1
Total trail mileage: 2068.4
Starting location: Blue blaze to Monson
Ending location: North Pond
Weather: 72 - 76 degrees during the day. Partly cloudy all day.

I am at
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=45.353295,+-69.486205

I woke up and had a monster breakfast at the hostel (3 pancakes, 5
eggs, 7 pieces of bacon, 7 sausage links, and a pile of home fries).
It was great and was my last real meal before Katahdin. After that, I
resewed my pack again but this time with much thicker thread that my
mom sent. Hopefully it holds this time. If not, I have more thread
and needles with me.

I got back on trail by 10, which was later than I was hoping but about
what I was expecting. I started out with a good pace. Although, as
soon as the coffee wore off the lack of enough sleep started to affect
me. I quickly realized that the only way I was going to make it to
Cloud Pond was if I hiked the last bit in the dark. I didn't feel
like doing that, so I started to look for a good campsite as I walked
along.

Then I found one. North Pond is fantastic with small islands and
peninsulas. There was a clearing near the edge of the water at a bend
in the pond. It isn't the clearest view of the main body of the pond,
but I can see down one branch of it. So, I set up my hammock.

I am now in the 100-Mile Wilderness. The sign when I entered said to
turn around if I wasn't carrying at least 10 days worth of food.
Oops. I guess I should go back.

I am on the hunt for moose. I didn't see any tonight, but I am going
to shift my hiking schedule to improve my odds. I will try to get up
early and stay near as many ponds as possible through the Wilderness.

Day 155 - 8/17

Daily mileage: 15.6
Total trail mileage: 2061.3
Starting location: After Moxie Bald Mountain
Ending location: Blue blaze to Monson
Weather: Thunderstorm last night. 65 degrees in the morning. 70 -
82 degrees during the day. Clear and sunny all day.

I am at
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=45.285491,+-69.499955

Ugh, I missed a moose sighting. If I continued the last mile in the
dark last night I would have made it to the shelter. Those that were
there saw a moose at 5:30 in the morning.

Today had the first required ford for me that wasn't just a rock hop.
It was only up to my ankle, but most of the fords didn't involve me
getting wet at all. This has been a drought year for Maine, so all
the streams and rivers are very low.

I was going to go to the next road crossing before going into Monson
(another 3 miles), but I would have missed the post office time. So,
I decided to do the 3 miles tomorrow. On the last stretch I ran into
the guy that works at the hostel that I met in the Whites and in
Stratton. He gave me a ride into town.

I saw so many hikers in town that I expected to be much further
ahead. They are all faster hikers, and I had taken the zero and
nero. I have no idea how I caught up.

I had dinner at the pub which turned into hanging out which turned
into drinks. My food ended up being free since they took a while to
bring it out (they were distracted with the Health Inspector coming
through). So, I just had to pay for dessert and drinks. I finally
left as they were closing down. And, I still need to do laundry.

I want to stay at Cloud Pond, which is a bit over 20 miles from here.
So, either tomorrow will be a long day or I will have two short days.
I have enough time to do either, so it all depends on when I get out
in the morning.

Day 154 - 8/16

Daily mileage: 21.8
Total trail mileage: 2045.7 (approx)
Starting location: Pierce Pond Lean-to
Ending location: After Moxie Bald Mountain
Weather: Rain last night. 62 degrees in the morning. 65 - 69
degrees during the day. Cloudy all day. Rain in the morning. On and
off drizzle the rest of the day. Foggy at times.

I am at
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=45.271057,+-69.762014

I got up early, packed up, and headed over to the pancakes. They were
good. Breakfast consisted of 4 rasberry pancakes, 4 blueberry
pancakes, 4 apple pancakes, eggs, sausage, coffee, and juice.

After breakfast I headed down to the Kennebec ferry where Dave the
Ferryman gave me a ride across in the canoe. The Kennebec River can
be a dangerous ford, because there is a dam upstream that releases
water at unscheduled times. The water level can rise 2 - 4 feet
during the time it takes someone to cross. So, the canoe ferry has
become the official AT route. The canoe even has a white blaze in the
bottom of it.

A few leaves are already starting to change. Either they are changing
early this year or Fall in Maine starts much earlier than further
South. I had been saying that my one regret about how I did this trip
was that I wouldn't be able to hike in fall. Perhaps I'll get a few
days of Fall afterall.

I have been seeing and hearing loons for a couple days now. Last
night they were especially loud though. Of course it probably helped
that I was right next to the pond.

The trail today was great. It was really easy terrain followed by a
rocky climb up Pleasant Pond Mountain followed by really easy
terrain. Coming down Pleasant Pond Mountain was slow, but other than
that I was making really good time. I decided to stop at the middle
shelter to make dinner before continueing on and ran into Warcry. I
ended up talking to him and a Southbounder for much longer than I
intended before heading out. Which meant that I was hiking up and
over Moxie Bald Mountain in the fog, mist, and approaching darkness.

Going up the mountain was neat since the rock cairns would emerge from
the fog. However, for the record, coming down wet rock slabs in
failing light is not fun. Miraculously though, I did not fall at
all. Someone said that La Sportiva shoes get better grip after the
rubber has been worn down a little. It seems like that might be
true. I didn't slip too much today even though there were plenty of
wet rocks. I was going very slowly so I didn't lose the trail and
didn't fall. When I got back in the trees I found a place to pitch my
hammock. Hiking the remaining mile or so to the shelter will be much
quicker in the morning when I have light.

Tomorrow I head into Monson. Monson is my last time off trail before
entering the 100-Mile Wilderness and climbing Katahdin. Just over 130
miles to go!

Day 153 - 8/15

Daily mileage: 10.0
Total trail mileage: 2023.9
Starting location: West Carry Pond Lean-to
Ending location: Pierce Pond Lean-to
Weather: 56 degrees in the morning. 73 - 81 degrees during the day.
Clear and sunny all day.

I am at
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=45.240339,+-70.055485

The trail today was great. It was very gradual and had minimal rocks
and roots. It was close to the easiest terrain that the AT offers.
And, it passed by a number of really nice ponds. And yet, I did a
short day.

I had to stop at Pierce Pond because of the famous pancakes tomorrow
morning and because of the timing of the Kennebec ferry. So, it was a
forced short day. The next two days will be longer though.

When I got to the shelter, I set up my hammock directly next to the
pond. Then, I went swimming for a few minutes. After that, a few of
us walked over to Harrison's Camp to let them know we will be coming
for breakfast and to fill up our water bottles with "wicked good
water". I saw the falls and the tons of hummingbirds at the feeders
right outside the cabin.

I returned to camp, made dinner, chatted with the thruhikers and past
thruhikers about places along the trail, and then am going to bed
early. Mmm, I can't wait for pancakes.

Day 152 - 8/14

Daily mileage: 0.0
Total trail mileage: 2013.9
Starting location: West Carry Pond Lean-to
Ending location: West Carry Pond Lean-to
Weather: 71 - 77 degrees during the day. Clear and sunny all day.

I am at
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=45.158124,+-70.099633

I sat around all day and pretty much did nothing. It was great. I
got up in the morning when the rest of Team 22 (those that had
previously been planning on summitting on the 22nd) showed up. They
were continueing on though and were just stopping for a food break.
After that I ate breakfast, read some, took a nap, read some more,
cooked some food, hung out at the pond, and read some more. By late
afternoon someone else showed up and then a few people from across the
pond arrived by boat with brownies, beer, and other goodies. Then a
Dragon Fly and a few section hikers came in. It was a more relaxing
zero than in town, because I didn't have to take care of any chores.
Short day tomorrow to Pierce Pond where I can get pancakes the
following morning.

Day 151 - 8/13

Daily mileage: 14.6
Total trail mileage: 2013.9
Starting location: Avery Memorial Campsite
Ending location: West Carry Pond Lean-to
Weather: 53 degrees in the morning. 74 - 78 degrees during the day.
Clear and sunny all day.

I am at
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=45.158124,+-70.099633

We got a late start this morning. Rather than getting up at 2am like
planned we got up at 2:30am. I had set a backup alarm for 2:30, and
it was fortunate that I did.

I packed up everything in the dark and started hiking up to the
summit. Fortunately a moose didn't come down the trail in the middle
of the night and accidentally step on me. I was out of water so I was
hoping to pick some up at a spring on the way to the summit. Well,
the spring was dry, but there was a muddy puddle nearby. Rather than
hunt around in the dark for better water, I decided to filter the
muddy water. I am glad I have a filter rather than purification
tablets for times like these.

After I got water, I continued to the top, wedged myself in between a
rock crack, and made dinner/midnight snack/breakfast and tea. Apple
Juice, Scout, Smokestack, Zen, and Devo arrived shortly after.

Avery Peak was probably an ideal location to watch the meteor shower
from as well as look at the stars. The night was so clear, and we
were on top of a ridge above treeline. It was fantastic. It was such
a rewarding experience, and I am definitely glad I got up early for
it. The sky was the clearest I have seen stars since I was in New
Zealand.

But, it was cold. I had on most of my clothes including my down
vest. Zen pulled out her sleeping bag. The temperature wasn't really
that cold (low 50s), but there was no protection from the wind and we
weren't moving.

When the sun started to come up, we moved 100 yards along the ridge to
be near an old building up there. That point was better to watch the
sunrise from, and the building shielded us a little from the wind.
One of the windows of the building was broken out, so we climbed
inside for a bit. There was a bunch of broken glass and entering
probably wasn't the best idea, but fortunately nobody got hurt. The
sunrise was the best sunrise I have seen all trip. Again, it was
definitely worth getting up early for it.

After the sun was up it was a normal day. I passed the 2000-mile
mark! I can't believe I have walked over 2000 miles in the last 6
months. I took a lot of breaks during the day since I was in no rush
and still got to West Carry Pond fairly early. They rerouted some of
the trail since I was last in this area (12 years ago?). I do
remember the dirt road, the pond, and the lean-to though. I decided
to stay at the pond and will likely zero here for the sake of zeroing
somewhere on trail.

I went swimming in the pond for a bit. It was crazy to think that I
had most of my clothes on in the morning to try to stay warm and I was
swimming by the afternoon to cool off. The water wasn't too cold.

There were a number of small, furry creature encounters today. I
stopped for a quick break on the trail, and a squirrel started to
angrily chirp at me. I looked up, and it was sitting on the branch
and would try to false-charge me. I don't know what it thought it
would do. Then at lunch there was a chipmunk that would come within a
foot of my leg to try to get a crumb. It was all over the place and
wasn't afraid of humans at all. Then, when I was sitting at the lake
I saw a ferret-like creature run along the rocks. I don't know what
it was, but it had a body like a ferret, just smaller.

My pack is continueing to fall apart. My repair job on the shoulder
strap wore through the other day so I had repaired it again. Today
the zipper for the top compartment broke, rendering that pouch
useless. Good thing I can fit everything inside the main
compartment. Katahdin is definitely the end of this pack's life.

I forgot to mention yesterday that barring bad weather when I try to
go up Katahdin, my summit date has been set. I should be finishing
August 25, which is less than 2 weeks from today. That gives me
enough time to take it easy through the rest of the trip.

Day 150 - 8/12

Daily mileage: 8.0
Total trail mileage: 1999.3
Starting location: ME 27
Ending location: Avery Memorial Campsite
Weather: 69 - 74 degrees during the day. Mostly clear and sunny all day.

Consuming 7 slices of pizza, a pint of ice cream, and a bottle of soda
immediately before climbing a mountain was not a good idea. The first
few miles were painful. Having a full pack out of resupply didn't
help either. Interestingly, the hike got easier as the mountain got
steeper. By then i had digested some of the food.

On the way up I passed by a pond. A beaver was swimming around and
didn't care that I was there. Unless it was blind, deaf, and had no
sense of smell, it knew I was at the edge of the pond. It got within
5 to 10 feet of me and was still just floating around.

I got up to the west peak of Bigalow Mountain and waited for sunset.
It was above treeline and the sunset was fantastic. Then, I hiked the
remaining 0.3 miles to the campsite.

I was expecting to see Zen, Devo, and Apple Juice there, but I was not
expecting to see Smokestack and Scout. They had both said that they
really needed to push on. Since our plan was to get a couple hours of
sleep and then get up around 2am to hike up Avery Peak for the Meteor
Shower, I didn't want to waste time setting up and taking down my
hammock. Besides, the campsite was pretty full. Smokestack had found
a spot for his hammock and Apple Juice and Scout were Cowboy camping
on the ground there. So, I also rolled out my pad and am going to
sleep literally 2 feet from the trail. If I roll over I will be in
the middle of the trail.

While sitting here a small owl decided to fly all around our camp. It
was flying from branch to branch and was watching us. We became
paparazzi and all had our cameras out. So, when someone saw the owl
flashes would start going off.

Tomorrow will be a very early start. I am going to shoot for either
West Carry Pond or Pierce Pond. I had planned on doing a zero on
trail at some point during this trip. This was the area that I had
been thinking of doing so. And then there are legendary pancakes near
Pierce Pond. So, the next few days might be easy days.

Day 149 - 8/11

Daily mileage: 13.5
Total trail mileage: 1991.3
Starting location: Spaulding Mountain Lean-to
Ending location: ME 27
Weather: 59 degrees in the morning. 60 - 73 degrees during the day.
Cloudy and foggy in the morning. Partly cloudy the rest of the day.

I am at
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=45.140581,+-70.443472

The beginning of the day was pretty easy. But, then the climb up
Crocker Mountain was really steep. It was around a 1500 ft ascent in
1 mile. But, it wasn't rock slabs so I didn't slip at all while going
up. After a long gradual descent from there I arrived at the road
where there was a cooler with sodas.

I started to try to hitch into town when a truck coming in the
opposite direction pulled over. It turned out to be the ridge runner,
and he was bringing Scout back to the trail. He offered to bring me
into town. Apple Juice and Smokestack then showed up.

Zen and Devo were already in town. Unfortunately I missed the post
office hours by 10 minutes. After a shower I got dinner, which
included a Wolf Burger. A Wolf Burger had bacon, cheese, and a
sausage patty on it. After that was the typical pint of ice cream.

Tomorrow I will head back to the trail but will only do 8 miles.
There is a campsite right below the exposed Avery peak. There is
supposed to be a meteor shower and that should be the clearest place
to watch it from.

Day 148 - 8/10

Daily mileage: 16.9
Total trail mileage: 1977.8
Starting location: Piazza Rock Lean-to
Ending location: Spaulding Mountain Lean-to
Weather: 65 degrees in the morning. 65 - 79 degrees during the day.
Partly cloudy most of the day. Cloudy, thunder, and showers in the
late afternoon.

I am at
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=44.995683,+-70.341478

The hike today was great. Again, I lucked out with weather and had
fantastic views from Saddleback Mountain, The Horn, and Saddleback
Junior. The trail was above treeline for a lot of that hike and the
climbs weren't too bad. This was the terrain that I had 5 months of
training for. There is a lot of elevation gain and loss, but I could
hike it rather than climb it. And then the latter part of the day was
really, really nice. There weren't too many rocks or roots and the
trail was gradual and dry. It was going through a forest that was
fairly open, but it was green because of the ferns and moss.

I passed the 90 percent point today. About 200 miles left to go! I
want to finish, but I don't want the trip to end.

Apple Juice and I were sitting and talking at the previous shelter
when I noticed a creature emerge from the woods. I thought it was a
dog, but then realized it was a rabbit. A very big rabbit. Apple
Juice thinks it was a snowshoe rabbit with its summer coat. The feet
were huge.

In the late afternoon I started hearing thunder, the sky got very
dark, and the wind picked up. I was expecting to get drenched at any
moment, but the rain didn't come. It did shower a little bit but only
after the thunder cleared off and the sky got less dark.

It seems like everyone is falling apart as soon as we hit Maine.
There have been a number of people sick, and they have been forced to
take 3-4 days off. There have been a number of injuries. A few have
been talking about the possibility of quiting. Fortunately my only
problem has been my pack falling apart (my repair job is holding for
now).

Tomorrow I head into Stratton for a night off and to get more
supplies. It is my second to last resupply point. I am a day ahead
of my revised schedule, but now that I am so close to finishing I will
need to make the rest of my schedule more firm.

Day 147 - 8/09

Daily mileage: 15.7
Total trail mileage: 1960.9
Starting location: Bemis Stream
Ending location: Piazza Rock Lean-to
Weather: Rain last night. 67 degrees in the morning. 68 - 73 degrees
during the day. Cloudy in the morning. Partly cloudy in the
afternoon. Thunder in the evening.

I am at
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=44.835386,+-70.721852

Today had a lot of ponds. I passed at least a half dozen today. At
one of the ponds there was a sandy beach. It was cold, but it was too
good to pass up. So, I had to go swimming. And then I sat around for
a while as I dried off.

There was also a lot of mud today. There were a number of bog
bridges. Some were using other bridges for support. Some were
floating in the water and mud at one end, so when you stepped on it
the bridge would go under water. In one spot, I stepped on a log,
another bridge started sinking, and a third started twisting. It was
like the staircases in Harry Potter. But, all in all it wasn't too bad
and I didn't get too wet or muddy.

I got to the Lean-to along with Apple Juice, Smokestack, Scout, and
Iceman. I decided to stay in the shelter for the first time in a very
long time since it looked like it was about to storm and I didn't feel
like setting up my hammock.

Tomorrow I head up Saddleback Mountain. Hopefully there are good
views in the morning.

Day 146 - 8/08

Daily mileage: 20.7
Total trail mileage: 1945.2
Starting location: Surplus Pond
Ending location: Bemis Stream
Weather: 51 degrees in the morning. 64 - 71 degrees during the day.
Cloudy all day. Drizzle in the early evening.

I did a 20 mile day! It has been a long time since I have hiked more
than 20 miles in a day (without checking I think the last time was in
Vermont). And, as far as 20+ milers go, today probably had the
toughest terrain. There were a number of long and steep climbs and
descents (Wyman Mountain, Moody Mountain, Old Blue Mountain) and a
bunch of smaller climbs. But, for the most part the trail was nice
today. This was probably the last time I will do a 20-mile day for
the rest of the trip.

I crossed two streams today that are usually fords. I rock-hopped
them. People said the water has been chest high before at both
streams. I am hoping that means the rest of the fords coming up will
also be easy to cross.

In the early evening it started to drizzle. Once it started raining a
little harder I decided to stop and put on rain gear. After I got my
rain coat out of my pack and my pack cover half on, the rain stopped.
If I always had my rain gear on it would never rain.

At the first shelter today the chipmunks were all over the place. One
was eating something off the ground and was maybe 3 feet from me. The
whole time it was watching me and if I made any movement it would dart
away. One chipmunk found a candy wrapper that someone had left. It
was crawling inside and throwing it around trying to find food.

I might try to get part way up Saddleback tomorrow, but I'll see what
the trail is like.

Day 145 - 8/07

Daily mileage: 1.9
Total trail mileage: 1924.5
Starting location: East B Hill Rd
Ending location: Surplus Pond
Weather: 64 - 81 degrees during the day. Mostly clear and sunny all
day.

I am at
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=44.673410,+-70.863291

After waking up and taking care of resupply, I headed down the street
to get breakfast. The main street was a zoo because of the festival.
It was especially crazy because Andover is such a tiny town. I was
able to get a table in the restaurant though. After a full breakfast
I picked up a pint of ice cream and returned to the hostel.

Sweettooth had just finished a 4.5 mile race (he came in first for his
age group), and Sweettooth and Bugsy were headed to the parade so I
joined them. We saw firetrucks from probably every nearby town. They
were giving out candy to the kids, but they didn't have any pity on
thruhikers. We then had a BBQ chicken meal at the fire station while
Smokestack and Apple Juice entered a pie eating contest. The contest
wasn't what we had imagined though. The person that won had to eat
the pie the fastest without using their hands. Thruhikers are
endurance eaters not sprinters, so the two only received honorable
mentions. After that we had fried dough, looked at the submissions to
the photography competition, and saw all the historic cars that had
been assembled.

After that I returned back to the hostel to see what time everyone was
getting shuttled back to the trailhead. It turned out that the time
was set for 3pm, and people had just started watching Ocean's 11.
While watching the movie, I was contemplating taking another zero, but
I should keep moving or I will never finished. When we were loading
up the van though, everyone else except Smokestack and me decided to
bail and take a zero.

I got back on trail by 3:30, but I wasn't committed to hiking through
the rest of the daylight. I just wanted to get back on trail, because
breaking free from town is always the hardest part. Now that I am out
here I can more easily get going tomorrow. So, when I saw a really
nice campsite next to a pond, I decided to stop despite going less
than 2 miles.

I read the rest of the afternoon. I was hoping to see a moose by the
pond as there are lots of nearby droppings. No moose yet, but I did
see a beaver swimming around. The temperature dropped quite a bit and
I had to actually put on my fleece.

I am hoping to do a long day tomorrow and get back on track. There is
supposedly a pond up ahead with a nice sandy beach for swimming. That
might be out of my reach tomorrow, but that all depends on how early I
can get started and what the terrain is like.

Day 144 - 8/06

Daily mileage: 12.8
Total trail mileage: 1922.6
Starting location: After Old Speck Mt.
Ending location: East B Hill Rd
Weather: 58 degrees in the morning. 63 - 68 degrees during the day.
Partly cloudy in the morning. Cloudy in the afternoon. Rain in the
afternoon.

I am at
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=44.668373,+-70.893199

Today was hikeable! Actually I made really good time. Sure there was
a mountain to climb up and over, but most of it was either fairly
gradual or had stone or root steps. There were only a few sections of
the slick rock slabs.

Baldpate Mountain was awesome. There were great views and it was all
exposed. Climbing up to the peak was climbing an enormous rock, but
the rock had natural steps worn into it. Fortunately I was well off
the top by the time the rain started.

I was able to arrange for a shuttle into the hostel before I descended
to the road. It was good that I was able to as there was no reception
at the road, there was almost no traffic to try to hitch from, and the
town is 9 miles from the trail.

It turns out that tomorrow is Andover's annual festival. It looks
like a very tiny town, but there a bunch of people here for the
event. There are rumors of a pie eating contest, so I may have to
enter prior to returning to the trail.

Apple Juice had a sewing kit so I tried my best to repair my pack. I
am sure it won't last long though. I am just hoping it lasts long
enough to get to Katahdin.

Day 143 - 8/05

Daily mileage: 8.7
Total trail mileage: 1909.8 (approx)
Starting location: Before Goose Eye Mountain north peak
Ending location: After Old Speck Mt.
Weather: 67 degrees in the morning. 64 - 81 degrees during the day.
Cloudy all day. Thunderstorm in the early afternoon.

I am at
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=44.580684,+-70.962810

I made it out of the Mahoosuc Notch alive! Actually it was a lot of
fun and only took a little over an hour and a half. It was a big pile
of boulders. Sometimes I went over; sometimes I crawled under. I
only had to take my pack off a couple times, but my poles were useless
so they stayed strapped to my pack the whole time. I had to use all
the tricks I had learned from bouldering (where to distribute my
weight, how to grab or push off of holds, how to test a hold before
applying all my weight, etc.).

I hear Boston got injured and had to go out to get his wound cleaned.
I heard he fell and got a gash down to the bone. He is alright
though. Really, after seeing the terrain I am surprised there aren't
more injuries.

When I dropped down into the rocks the temperature dropped
considerably. It felt like air conditioning. I even saw a few sheets
of ice in the caves. When I climbed back out, my glasses immediately
fogged over because of the sudden increase in temperature and humidity.

When we entered the Notch we started to hear thunder. Fortunately the
rain didn't come until we were about 3/4 of the way through the
Notch. If it was raining the whole time it would have been much harder.

I didn't see the moose bones that are supposedly in the Notch.

There were a few points today when I stepped on a wooden bog bridge
and it would sink into the mud about 6 inches. No, there is no way to
get through Maine without getting wet and muddy. Someone said that
last year most of the bog bridges were 2 - 3 feet under water and
mud. But, this year has been a pretty dry year so hopefully I don't
run into that.

My pack is falling apart even more. Today one of the shoulder straps
came unstitched. It isn't as bad as it sounds since there is another
strap that is still attached, but it isn't as comfortable. I am
hoping I can find a needle and thread in Andover so I can fix it. I
guess 2000 miles is the limit for the pack. Hopefully I can squeeze
out another 300 or so.

After Speck Pond I could start hiking again. It felt good to be able
to walk without fear of falling down. Of course that could have been
the coffee I made at Speck Pond (someone gave me a Starbucks instant
packet the other day and I just found it). Hopefully tomorrow is just
as walkable since I need to do a decent number of miles to hit town.

Day 142 - 8/04

Daily mileage: 10.3
Total trail mileage: 1901.1 (approx)
Starting location: Dream Lake
Ending location: Before Goose Eye Mountain north peak
Weather: Thunderstorm last night. 68 - 76 degrees during the day.
Cloudy and rain in the morning. Partly cloudy and hazy the rest of
the day.

I am at
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=44.504886,+-70.989318

Once upon a time I could predict how long it would take me to get
somewhere and a 12-mile day was considered a Nero. But then, New
Hampshire and Maine came along. I couldn't make my 12-mile target.
Yea, I slept in and got a very late start. But still, that shouldn't
have been a problem. The trail today was half hiking and half
climbing. The climbing part would have been fine but the rocks were
wet, I have a pack on my back, and I don't have my climbing shoes. I
was trying to be careful, so I was going really slowly. And then it
started to get dark and I was hearing thunder so I decided to stop.

Last night I thought something ran into my hammock. It felt like some
animal bumped into the tarp. What really happened is that one side of
the tarp was pitched too close to the horizontal so the rain water
accumulated until it overflowed.

My pack is falling apart :(. The zipper along the front pouch is
coming unstitched. I knew I put safety pins in my first aid kit for a
reason. Hopefully they hold until Katahdin.

These shoes let water flow through in the smallest of puddles and
streams. It isn't bad for this stretch as I was going to get wet
anyway (and being able to quickly dry is more important), but if I had
these shoes in March I probably would have had frostbite. The water
was cold at times and this is the middle of summer.

I HAVE NOW COMPLETED MY THIRTEENTH STATE. New Hampshire is done.
Only one state left! New Hampshire had a lot of rocky climbs and
descents, a lot of views, and a lot of hiking above treeline. So far,
New Hampshire was my most difficult state but also my favorite state.

Well, I told everyone that I was heading to Maine and now I have
reached Maine. So now I am done; mission accomplished. Wait, what?
There is almost 280 miles left? And these are the most difficult?
Well, I better get walking.

Tomorrow I go through the Mahoosuc Notch. It is considered the most
difficult mile on the trail and requires a lot of boulder scrambles
and crawling. Supposedly most people take 2 - 3 hours to do the one
mile. I hope the rocks are a little drier than they were today. If
not, I might need even more time to get through the Notch.

Day 141 - 8/03

Daily mileage: 9.6
Total trail mileage: 1890.8
Starting location: US 2
Ending location: Dream Lake
Weather: Rain last night. 68 - 76 degrees during the day. Cloudy all
day. Rain in the morning. On and off drizzle the rest of the day.

I am at
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=44.443738,+-71.093008

After getting up, having breakfast with Hopi across the street, and
packing my bag, I finally headed back to the trail. Fortunately the
rain had pretty much stopped. It didn't take more than five minutes
to get a hitch, which is the third time I have had to hitch on the
trip. The guy that picked me up was on his way from Vermont to Bar
Harbor, Maine and had hiked this section of the AT before.

Now that I am out of the Whites I started seeing a few bugs again.
They aren't bad, but through most of the Whites I didn't see any
bugs. I have heard that I successfully missed blackfly season.

I ran into a guy heading in the opposite direction, and I asked him if
he was thruhiking and where he was headed. He said yes and to the
next shelter. Since the next shelter is past the road for Gorham, I
made the observation that he was skipping the town. He said he
already went into town and he was headed North. At this point we were
both confused since we were headed in opposite directions and we both
thought we were heading North. Well, it turns out that he saw a
moose, got turned around at the pond, and accidentally went back the
way he came from.

Unfortunately the moose was gone when we got to the pond. I missed it
by 15 minutes! There were plenty of fresh tracks in the mud though.

The new shoes seem to be working. At least they aren't falling
apart. They seem to have better traction, but it is hard to tell
since the rocks were all wet today. I did slip a few times. The
shoes don't even pretend to be waterproof, but even after stepping in
a puddle they feel dry within a few steps. My other shoes stayed wet
much longer.

This is the first time I am in my hammock and using my stove in a
while. I had to remember how to set it up. The huts spoiled me. I
am camping out next to a lake and am hoping a moose comes by in the
morning.

Day 140 - 8/02

Daily mileage: 0.0
Total trail mileage: 1881.2
Starting location: US 2
Ending location: US 2
Weather: Partly cloudy all day. Rain and thunderstorm in the late
afternoon and evening.

I am at
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=44.387534,+-71.171923

Today is my 5 month anniversary of starting at Springer, GA! So, I
took the day off. Actually, I intended on going on the trail. But, I
woke up and was still really tired. I haven't done many miles lately,
but I have been sleep deprived. I went and had breakfast and started
to take care of town chores when I realized that there was no way I
was getting done prior to the checkout time. So, I decided to zero.

I did manage to get my broken treking pole fixed and get new shoes :).
I am so happy to have a pair of shoes now that are actually attached
to the sole at the toes. Hopefully a new tread will help on the rock
slabs. I am trying a new type of shoe though (La Sportiva), so I'll
see how they work out.

Other than that I got my package, did laundry, got lunch, hung out at
the hostel, caught up on internet stuff, and made dinner. Although
for a zero day I did walk around town quite a bit and probably did 5-6
miles (without my pack of course).

Day 139 - 8/01

Daily mileage: 15.2
Total trail mileage: 1881.2
Starting location: Carter Notch Hut
Ending location: US 2
Weather: 58 - 79 degrees during the day. Partly cloudy all day.

I am at
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=44.387534,+-71.171923

While the Hut Croo was doing breakfast, the four of us thru-hikers
completed our Junior Naturalist packet. I enrolled, did my school
work, and graduated all in the same day. They only had packets for up
to 12 years old and our combined age was 103, so we had to get by with
what they had. We filled it out and submitted it just in time. We
were included in the graduation ceremony and said the pledge. So, now
my new title is Junior Naturalist Hobbot.

People kept giving us stuff today. Apple Juice had helped carry a
guy's pack into the hut yesterday and agreed to help him carry it
out. In return the guy gave each of us $20. Other people gave us all
sorts of food. I entered the Whites with 6-7 days of food and left
with 7-8 days of food.

I am now out of the Whites. I had so much fun thanks to the Hut Croos
and all the people I met. I was considering yoyoing the Whites (turn
around and doing it again), but I should probably finish getting to
Katahdin and then think about coming back.

The only way to get into Gorham was to hitch. This was my second
hitch all trip. It took a little longer this time, but I eventually
got a ride. I stopped at the Barn hostel because a few other hikers
were there. Tomorrow I get new shoes!