Weekly Overview
DAY 113
August 23, 2019
- Route: Sabbath Day Pond Lean-To (Mile 1962.2) to Poplar Ridge Lean-To (Mile 1982.3)
- Daily Mileage: 20.1 miles
I assumed the spot where I set my tent up last night was a pretty good indicator I really wanted to be alone. It wasn’t sociably close to the shelter, and I’d stuck to my tent when eating dinner and doing my camp chores. Nothing about my actions shouted, “hey come over here.”
But then, around 9 pm, a bunch of 20-something kids came stopping around my tent with their headlamps on. They were chattering with each other and kept passing within inches of my tent saying things like, “What about here?” or “Are you sure?” Then I heard a dreaded word I couldn’t ignore: bear bag.
Apparently, I’d picked a spot that was just far enough away from the shelter that it seemed like a good distance for these hikers to hang their food for the night. Oh, hell no! Tell me, you’re not actually thinking about hanging your bear bag over my tent!
After I grumpily asked what the heck they were doing, their oblivious jackass leader (with his headlamp shining in my eyes) explained they weren’t really hanging their bags on the branches over me. They were searching for the bags they’d already hung in the woods because they couldn’t find them.
Ah jeez! After some deep breathing to calm myself, I scanned the branches in my vicinity, and told them their bear bags weren’t there and shooed them away.
Then I laid back into my tent where I resigned myself to fitful sleep, waking up about once an hour to test if my injured knee had swollen too much for me to bend it. Satisfied that it was merely tender and painful, but still mobile, I’d drift back off again.
PRIVY COUNCIL
Once morning rolled around, I was feeling better and cautiously tested how much weight my knee could hold. I didn’t think anything was broken. But I wasn’t going to unwrap the bandage on my knee and look at how gnarly the injury was either. I would tighten everything down, hope for the best, and just see how far I could go today.
Before departing the shelter, I paid my morning visit to the privy. (It’s now been 700 miles since I’ve had to dig a cathole! Yes, I’m still playing that game). There was a bit of reading material that some clever soul had decided to post up on the door about the historic Privy Councils of England – I assume to humor (and educate) the shelter’s visitors.
And just below it was a laminated sign from the Maine Appalachian Trial Club. At least they put some humor into their LNT reminders and acknowledged how insanely rocky Southern Maine was. Bravo to the author!
REUNION
The first 10 miles of the day toward the town of Rangeley were pretty mellow and didn’t involve any crazy steep climbs or obstacle course maneuvers. I was keeping a moderate 2 mph pace, which wasn’t great, but it was certainly faster than I was moving last night after my fall.
Throughout the morning, I passed several heaps of grape-sized pellets on the trail. This moose scat was evidence that these giant beasts had to be nearby. But, I still hadn’t seen one. Were the moose really that shy?
I passed ME-4 (a paved highway) a little before noon, and soon thereafter ran into Luna. He’d taken a double zero at the Little Red Hen Diner & Bakery back in Andover (where I’d last seen him) so he could rest his injured ankle. And today was his first day back on trail.
Luna figured he had two options. The first was to just get back on trail where he’d hopped off back near Grafton Notch. But, that would mean he’d be several days behind all of us. Or, in the alternative, he could jump up to Rangeley (50 miles ahead of Grafton Notch) and hike with his trail family until Katahdin.
Luna went with the latter choice. He had all the time in the world to be out here, and he could go back an make up those 50 missing miles once he was done. He’d rather finish the trail with the people he’d made this entire journey with since early May. So, we were reunited once again!
DRY ROCKS
Luna’s bum ankle and my injured knee made us the perfect hiking companions this afternoon. We both wanted to take it slow and avoid any more pain.
The next 10 miles were a big climb up to the summit of Saddleback Mountain, followed by the Horn, and Saddleback Jr. Each time we made it to the top of one of the peaks, you could see tons of lakes surrounding us. The views were quite nice and made it worth the work.
Much like the earlier peaks of Baldpate Mountain and Mt. Beamis, the tops of these mountains were covered in alpine terrain with large rock surfaces and lots of exposure. We were above treeline for several miles and it felt like we were trekking on granite the entire way.
Lucky for us, it was a super sunny day – so all the rock surfaces were dry. It was fairly easy to walk on them today, and I didn’t slip and fall once! What a nice reprieve from yesterday’s experiences.
Luna and I were poking along at only about 1.5 mph through this section, but it didn’t feel as tedious with a friend to pass the time with. Our slow pace was fine with us. But, it also meant we didn’t get to Poplar Ridge until just before dusk.
Just beyond the ridge, there was another shelter filled with tons of college-aged kids hanging out and being rowdy. It really wasn’t my scene. So once again, I set up my tent well away from the shelter.
I found a flat spot on the ridgeline surrounded by trees and bushes to block the wind. Once the sun went down, it got quite chilly and the wind started howling, so I was glad I’d nabbed this spot.
Luna decided to hike about a quarter-mile further up the ridge before setting up his tarp, and then came back to my camp spot to eat dinner with me. Over our late meal in the dark, we formed a plan. We’d get up super early tomorrow and head out well before the kids in the shelter woke up.
And, if all went well with our early start, we might even make it to the 2000-mile mark on the trail tomorrow!
DAY 114
August 24, 2019
- Route: Poplar Ridge Lean-To (Mile 1982.3) to Hostel of Maine/ME-27 (Mile 2003.8)
- Daily Mileage: 21.5 miles
Luna and I were up early, just as we’d planned, and we were moving by 5:45 am. I’m kind of hoping my knee will hold out and I might even be able to push a 20-mile day so I can camp close to the highway that heads into Stratton. I’m running a little low on food, and it wouldn’t hurt to get into town to grab some more giant bandaids and Neosporin for my busted up knee.
Last night’s campsite along Poplar Ridge meant the beginning of the day was mostly downhill for the first hour before climbing back up to Lone Mountain and Spaulding Mountain.
Several sections of the trail were covered in muck and mud, but there were also plenty of bog boards (aka bog bridges) to keep hikers out of the worst of it.
Bog boards are essentially a series flat lengths of wood nailed to the logs in order to form an elevated walkway over a muddy trail. When the weather conditions are dry, these boards are an awesome way to stay out of the mucky soil.
But, as I’ve found out recently, these log walkways are also slick as ice when they get wet. So it’s a 50-50 proposition on whether they are something I want to traverse. I have to balance my desire for mud-free shoes against slipping and falling from an extra 18 inches of height.
THANK YOU, CCC!
The bog boards weren’t the only tricky part of trail to navigate this morning. The AT was also strewn with massive tree roots that had knitted their way across the trail making it incredibleydifficult to move with any speed – assuming you wanted to stay upright!
Once I got up Lone Mountain, I pulled ahead of Luna and didn’t see him the rest of the day. My knee was still hurting, but I was able to keep a steady pace on the uphills. It was the downhills that were my problem. It must be something to do with how my weight is distributed on my kneecap as I’m going down.
Just before lunch, I came to a rock next to the trail that had a giant plaque mounted on its face. It was commemorating the Maine Civilian Conservation Corps. This boulder was near this spot where the CCC finished building the final section of the Appalachian Trail in 1937, linking Springer Mountain to Mt. Katahdin!
And just beyond that was the a bunch of sticks that crossed the trail telling me I only had 200 miles to go only my own journey to like those two locations!
The CROCKERS
After Luna and I parted ways, I spent most of the day leapfrogging with two other thru-hikers. In fact, I was making excellent time before lunch. That left me feeling pretty confident that I could get to town this evening.
But then I hit the Crockers! The climb up South Crocker was so steep I had to stop over and over again to catch my breath. It was so difficult, it felt like I was going to have a heart attack. Even after nearly 2,000 miles, this trail can kick my tail!
Despite this punishing climb from hell, the descent after South Crocker toward the saddle was super easy. And then it was just another 0.5 mile up and over North Crocker before I the long 5-mile descent toward town.
There weren’t any shelters or established campsites on the backside of North Crocker, but Guthook showed a number of small streams running down the mountain. All I needed was a flat spot to set up camp nearby one of them, and I’d be set for the night. Then I could catch a ride into Stratton in the morning and top off my supplies.
On the way down the mountain, I passed the most wonderful sight. A series of rocks were set up to delineate this as the 2000-mile mark! Hot damn. I’ve hiked 2,000 friggin miles!!!!
I know this number isn’t any more special than the 1,800-mile or 1,900 mile mark. But, there was something awesome about seeing that round number and feeling the wonder of the moment. How many people can say they hiked 2,000 continuous miles?? Very, very few!
HOSTEL OF MAINE
I was so lost in my excitement after the 2000-mile mark that I walked all the way to ME-27 (ie., the highway that went to town). If you took the highway in north, you’d head toward Stratton. Conversely, the other direction took visitors toward the Carrabassett Valley – a major ski destination in winter.
Another hiker was already standing in the parking area just off the trailhead and I joined him, figuring he was hitching into Stratton. In reality, he was slackpacking from the Hostel of Maine, which was out near the foot of Sugerloaf Mountain (in the opposite direction).
He told me the Hostel of Maine was a really, really nice place. They even had a shuttle enroute to pick him up in just a few minutes. Hmmm.
It might be a good idea for me to head somewhere with a shower so I could clean out the wound on my knee. I hadn’t touched it since my big fall two days ago. There was only so long I could make do with just tightening the ace bandage over my blood-stained dressing each morning. At some point, I’d need to sit down, clean it up, and take care of myself.
Staying at a hostel seemed like a far more reasonable plan than just heading into Stratton for more supplies, and I didn’t see any downside (other than the cost, of course). So, I was headed there for the night!
DAY 115
August 25, 2019
- Route: Hostel of Maine/ME-27 (Mile 2003.8) to East Flagstaff Road (Mile 2020.4)
- Daily Mileage: 16.6 miles
The Hostel of Maine was even more wonderful than I’d hoped, and it was exactly what I needed to reboot. The place looked like a gorgeous log cabin resort set in rural Maine, and I got a hot shower, laundry, and a chance to clean up my knee.
The owners, Justin and Melanie, were truly delightful hosts. Honestly, I really felt like I was sharing their home as a regular houseguest, not just a smelly hiker passing through! In addition to a gorgeous building, they also had a room set aside as a resupply store and there was an Italian restaurant a mere 500 feet down the road! So I had pretty much everything I needed.
The other hiker I’d met at the trailhead last night was named Some Other Guy (or SOG). After I got cleaned up, he said he was walking over to the Italian restaurant for dinner and invited me to join him. The two of us had a fantastic meal and told our respective stories to each other while we shared a table and some wine. It all felt so civilized!
All told, I think I made the best decision ever stopping at this hostel. Justin and Melanie even offered a shuttle service out to Flagstaff Road (16.6 miles to the north) so I could slackpack southbound from there back down to the trailhead on ME-17 where I’d caught the shuttle last night. Plus, I’d get to stay at their awesome hostel a second night!
So that was my strategy for today. I’d catch a ride out to Flagstaff Road and then slackpack SOBO for the day. I figured hiking without my full complement of gear on my back today will give my injured knee some much-needed rest too. Especially since this next section through the Bigelow Mountains promised to be a really, really challenging stretch of trail.
THE BIGELOWS
The drive out the long, dirt roads to the trailhead was a bouncy one. I was heading out there with two other hikers, so I was on their collective schedule to get moving this morning, and we didn’t arrive until around 9 am.
The trail took an immediate steep climb toward Little Bigelow Mountain, but once I got up to Little Bigelow Ledges, it was so worth it. The views here were so awesome, I could see all the way south to Sugarloaf Mountain where the hostel was located!
It was a sunny, clear day without a cloud in the sky – and there were mountains and lakes as far as I could see. There were even small signs from the MATC telling hikers where to go to find the views.
Then, around 12:45, just as I was headed up toward the highest of the Bigelows (aka Avery Peak), I got the best surprise ever. My trail family was heading NOBO while I was heading SOBO today, so we all ran into each other on the trail.
We immediately hugged and stopped to hang out, and it was like part II of our Little Red Hen reunion back in Andover. I’m still half a day behind them with my bum knee, but hopefully I’m getting some decent miles today and that effort will help me catch up. I’d really love to summit Katahdin with them and share that moment of joy.
Once I got to the summit, I was treated to the most wonderful lunchtime views atop Avery Peak. I could have stayed up there forever! It was simply sublime.
Avery Peak might be my absolute favorite spot on the trail! And if it’s not in my #1 spot (I still have a bit of trail to see yet), it’s in the top 5, for sure. I spent an entire hour on the summit, just soaking up the sun and enjoying my lunch.
There was an AT ridgerunner hanging out on Avery Peak, and we spent my lunch break talking about thru-hiking, RV travel, and parts of Maine we both liked.
I spent all of August 2018 here in Maine, but that visit was mostly along the coast out near Acadia National Park and then down near Freeport and Portland. Though, I also went whitewater rafting up on the Penobscot River and spent a week out hiking near Baxter State Park.
So it was cool to compare and contrast parts of the state we’d each seen. And, we could both definitely agree on one thing – Maine is simply beautiful.
TRAIL MAINTENANCE
The remainder of my SOBO hike back to the trailhead where Justin was picking me up was super slow going. The southbound elevation profile showed Avery Peak as my biggest climb of the day, but I still had several more significant mountains to head over before I got back to the highway. There was Bigelow West, plus North and South Horn.
As I approached Horns Pond, I heard something I couldn’t quite place. It sounded like loud hammering. It wasn’t that familiar tapping sound of a woodpecker. It was more like someone was building a house out here in the middle of the backcountry.
When I rounded the bend to the Horns Pond, I was surprised to see a bunch of lumber stockpiled there in the middle of nowhere. Plus, there were people milling about from the MATC (Maine Appalachian Trail Club). Ok, it all made sense now. That pounding noise I’d heard earlier was their efforts to rebuild some bog boards that had rotted out over the winter.
It surprised me to see that the median age of the trail volunteers seemed to be 70 years old! Holy cow. These Mainers are some tough (but dedicated) folks. I appreciated all their efforts and thanked each volunteer that I passed.
Seeing them out here only further reinforced the idea that I really need to find a trail to volunteer on. I do a lot of complaining about how much the AT sucks as times. But I can only imagine how much worse it would be without dedicated folks like this! It makes me feel like giving back more than ever right now.
THE LAST STRETCH
After Horn Lake, I had one more downhill, then it was supposed to be mostly flat, easy walking to the trailhead. Well, at least that’s the story one of the trail maintainers told me during my snack break at Horns Pond.
Those final two miles might have been relatively flat, but they weren’t exactly as easy as advertised. Perhaps I was just feeling the fatigue of a long day. Or maybe my busted up knee was slowing me down. But, I felt like the miles between Cranberry Stream and the trailhead were kind of overwhelming.
All the big feelings (frustration, pain, fatigue) seemed to hit me at once and I slowed my pace considerably. Instead of showing up for the shuttle a half hour early (as I’d planned), I was actually 2 minutes late!
Luckily, Justin didn’t leave me behind. It was time to head back to the hostel to ice my knee and make a plan for tomorrow.
The next town (Caratunk, ME) was only about 20 miles ahead, and I’d had Keith mail a decent-sized resupply box there several weeks ago. So with the knowledge that I had that complement of food waiting for me, I planned to head out tomorrow with a super light food bag. I’m hoping a lighter pack continues to give my injured knee the break it needs to get me to the end of this trail.
DAY 116
August 26, 2019
- Route: East Flagstaff Road (Mile 2020.4) to Pierce Pond Lean-To (Mile 2036.8)
- Daily Mileage: 16.4 miles
This morning involved the same exact ride out to East Flagstaff Road as yesterday. But instead of slackpacking south to the hostel, I would be heading north with my full pack once again.
Rev and Sunshine were last the hostel last night too. They’re still a full day behind me, and are heading NOBO into the Bigelows today.
As we caught up at the hostel last night, they announced they’re hoping to summit Katahdin on September 4th. We are so close to the northern terminus now that people are actually thinking about their summit dates. It’s hard to believe we are really near the end! I can barely get my mind around it after nearly 4 months of hiking north.
Anytime someone asks me about my own plans, I simply shrug. I don’t have a particular day picked out to summit Katahdin and I don’t really care what day I finish. I honestly don’t care whether I’m the 200th or 1,200th thru-hiker to finish the AT this season.
My only requirement is to summit Katahdin and finish my hike on a nice day.
As I told Rev, I already hiked to the top of Katadin last summer. I have that experience under my belt. But, the one thing I regret was hiking up on a crummy weather day. It wasn’t raining or anything. But it was so cloudy, we didn’t get very good views from the top of Maine.
If my afternoon on Avery Peak taught me anything yesterday, it’s that I want a beautiful day to finish my thru-hike. I want to be able to see blue sky and all my surroundings. So, if I show up in Baxter and the next few days are rainy or miserable, I’ll wait at the base of Katahdin for a better day. I want to end my thru-hike on a high note!
OVERNIGHT WOES
I didn’t sleep the best last night, despite my comfy bunk at the hostel. One of the other guests kept propping open the door to the balcony, and our room just got colder and colder as the night wore on. The temperature dropped down to 41°F outside, so I was freezing, and I finally just got up to shut it without consulting the others in the room.
Then around 3 am, horrible knee pain tore me right out of a peaceful sleep and kept me awake for the next hour straight. I began to wonder if slackpacking actually made my knee injury worse. My mileage wasn’t crazy (16.6 miles), but maybe I was going too fast up and down the terrain without the extra weight to my full pack on my back. I sure hope that’s not the case!
My knee was feeling better this morning. It was still sore, but it had none of the cramping pain I’d felt in the middle of the night. Nonetheless, when I got back out to Flagstaff Road, I vowed to take it super easy.
The terrain was rocky and long tree roots constantly criss-crossed the trail, but the elevation change was definitely more mild than yesterday’s stretch through the towering Bigelows.
There was a nice beach along Flagstaff Lake that would have been a lovely spot to camp if I’d spent the night out here. And I couldn’t help but wonder how far ahead of me my trail family was now.
BENEDICT ARNOLD
I passed a whimsical sign about an hour into the day announcing that I’d passed the 2000-mile mark. I don’t know how long this sign has been here. The actual 2,000 mile mark was 20 miles south of here.
Each year the AT changes its distance due to re-routes and closures. Last year, the AT was 2,184 miles, and this year it’s 8 miles longer at 2,192 miles. So who knows. Maybe a few years ago, this spot really did mark the 2,000-mile point of the trail.
I took a relaxing lunch alongside another lake, near Arnold’s Point beach where I took my shoes off and soaked my feet in the cool lake water. The terrain was so mild today, and the elevation profile in Guthook seems to show pretty moderate hiking from here until the 100-mile wilderness.
Thank goodness for small blessing. My body needs the break. Southern Maine was so much harder than I thought it would be!
After lunch, I passed a sign telling me all about a military expedition led by Benedict Arnold as he passed through Maine (yes, that Benedict Arnold). The trail I was following is the same overland route his troops trod in 1775 to get around the heavily-defended St. Lawrence River as they made their way to Quebec. Hmmm. The things you learn out here.
The American Army picked this route because of the absence of mountains, and I was more than happy to stick to easier terrain too. I felt like I probably could have hiked faster this afternoon, but my knee was only feeling so-so, and I decided not to push the pace. I was just going to shoot for a moderate (16.5-mile) day and head to the Pierce Pond Lean-To tonight.
HARRISON’S
I picked the Pierce Pond Lean-To as tonight’s stopping point for more than one reason.
The most important one was the fact that it was 3.5 miles south of the Kennebec River. The river is about 70 yards wide, and the current moves swiftly enough that that ATC recommends against hikers fording it on foot. So, tomorrow I’ll need to pay to get ferried across the Kennebec in a canoe operated by a local outfitter.
Of course, this also means I’m on his schedule. I can’t just show up at the Kennebec River whenever I want and get ferried across. There was no chance I was going to make the last ferry across this afternoon (at 4 pm), so it seemed silly to push any further than the Pierce Pond Lean-To tonight.
The second reason I was stopped here had to do with pancakes. There a short side trail that leads from this shelter to a local fishing lodge called Harrison’s Outdoor Camp.
Tim Harrison runs the place and he offers a reasonably priced breakfast in the morning with his famous homemade red, white, and blue pancakes (pancakes with blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries). Yum! So, I needed to pop in this evening to pay him for breakfast and let him know I’d be joining him and his patrons in the morning.
The third, and final, reason I picked this spot to stop for the night was because it provided the best sunset views from my tent. Maine’s lakes and ponds are plentiful. And it truly was a lovely way to spend the night in the backcountry! Even if there weren’t any moose to watch.
DAY 117
August 27, 2019
- Route: Pierce Pond Lean-To (Mile 2036.8) to Bald Mountain Brook (Mile 2055.4)
- Daily Mileage: 18.6 miles
Although my knee behaved itself most of the day while I was hiking yesterday, it woke me right out of my sleep again at 4:30 am this morning. My kneecap was filled with that same wicked agony that plagued me the night before. I don’t know what is going on, but the pain was so strong I wasn’t able to fall back asleep again.
Once the sun was up, I hobbled back over to Tim Harrison’s place for breakfast and hung out in the kitchen enjoying the warmth from the stove and a nice cup of hot coffee.
When I swung by to make my reservation last night, I got to chatting with Tim and a few other hikers hanging out. He’s an eclectic guy, a terrific piano player, and generous soul. Plus, his pancakes are 100% worth the stop!!
CROSSING THE KENNEBEC
With a full belly, it was time to head over to the shores of the Kennebec River. It was only 3.7 miles from the Harrison Outdoor Camp, so it didn’t take long. And when I arrived, I was third in line for the canoe shuttle.
The guy operating the shuttle basically had to paddle back and forth between the two banks all day long. He could only fit two hikers (and their gear) in the canoe with him at a time. And it was pretty slow going to paddle across and back.
I’m sure he had a good bit of SOBO traffic earlier in the season, but it was exclusively NOBO traffic this morning. So, the guy would paddle over to the north side, drop his passengers off on the bank, and then paddle back with an empty canoe.
When my turn came, I chose the spot in the middle of the canoe. There were only two oars, and hiker up front and the guide in the back of the canoe were paddling the entire way. So my sole job was to sit there and not rock the boat. Literally.
It was a pretty uneventful ride, and far easier that trying to swim across the Kennebec with a full pack. Thank goodness for small conveniences!
MOSS & MY MISSING PACKAGE
On the opposite side of the river, I took a short detour off trial to the tiny town of Caratunk. This was where I was supposed to pick up my resupply box that would get me to Monson, Maine (my final resupply point).
As I stolled up to the Caratunk House, Moss was sitting in a rocking chair on the porch with no shoes on. Moss’s feet were completely swollen with some sort of rash covering about 50% of their tops/sides.
Moss, Trail Magic, Gear Boy, and Luna caught the canoe across last night and they’d spent the evening here hanging out and relaxing for a bit. Unfortunately, Moss had to break off from the group when they departed because their* feet were in such pain. I could definitely see why!
*(Moss’s pronouns are they/them)
The red inflammation on Moss’s feet didn’t look like anything I’d see before. And they were so swollen and tender. It looked much more serious than my poison oak rash or some sort of heat rash. So Moss was toying with getting a ride to urgent care to get them checked out.
As Moss continued to Google possible conditions and self-diagnose what was going on with their feet, I went inside to pick up my resupply box. The guy in charge went through his roster of hiker packages twice, but he couldn’t seem to find my name on his clipboard.
Huh, that was odd. I know Keith mailed a package here. He mailed it at the same exact time he mailed my other resupply box to Hanover. And I got that mail drop just fine. What was going on?
The two of us went through every single box in their storage area, just in case someone wrote my name down incorrectly or stored the package without writing down a name. But no luck. It wasn’t there! My resupply box was missing!!
This wasn’t good. I had barely any food left in my food bag because I was attempting to have a light pack for my knee’s sake these past two days. I’d really been counting getting my resupply box here.
Luckily, the Caratunk House had a small makeshift camp store attached with some basic hiker foods. Most of them weren’t vegetarian friendly, but I poked around to see what they had. I was sure I could cobble a small resupply here, even if I had to eat ramen and Snickers for every meal.
In addition to my food resupply, I also found some ibuprofen and an inexpensive knee brace that I bought on a whim. The knee brace wasn’t a perfect fit, but at this point, I’ll take any additional support I could get.
And honestly, I only have 37 miles to go before Monson. I could probably be there tomorrow evening if I push hard. All I need is for the terrain to continue like it’s been yesterday and today. And for my knee to hold up, of course.
LET’S GO
With my resupply sorted out, I bid goodbye to Moss. I really just wanted to hang out on the porch and talk all day, but that wasn’t a smart plan for either of us.
I needed to make those 37 mies to Monson. And Moss needed to go see a doctor to get that foot thing sorted out ASAP! Sitting there and enjoying each other’s company wasn’t going to get either person closer to their goal.
So I hiked back to the Kennebec River on the edge of town and found where the AT returned to the woods. The trail was fairly moderate, but it was clear I was climbing. At least when I got to top of a climbs lately, there were usually views. So I didn’t mind too much.
All told, I finished 18.5 miles today. Not too shabby of day, considering I had a nice leisurely breakfast at Tim Harrison’s place this morning, I had to wait my turn to get paddled across the Kennebec River, and I spent an hour at the Caratunk house hanging out with Moss and dealing with the search for my missing resupply box.
It was a decent day of hiking with good scenery. And tomorrow, I should be within striking distance of Monson, which is only 22 more miles ahead. I doubt I’ll make it there by tomorrow evening because I haven’t hike that big of a day since Vermont (though my hike to Hostel of Maine was awfully close to that distance).
And once I get to Monson, all I have left is the 100 Mile wilderness!! I sure hope I see a moose soon. I’ve been in Maine for 150 miles now, and haven’t seen a single one!
DAY 118
August 28, 2019
- Route: Bald Mountain Brook (Mile 2055.4) to Monson, ME (Mile 2077.5)
- Daily Mileage: 22.1 miles
OK, this is starting to get ridiculous. Three nights ago (back at the Hostel of Maine), I was up at 3 am with searing knee pain. The following night, I was awake at 4:30 am with the same issue. And last night, the agony returned at 2:45 am.
My knee seems to be holding up fine during the day while I’m hiking. It hurts, but it’s tolerable. But something is happening at night when I’m sleeping that is bringing on this unreal pain. It was so bad last night, it brought me to literal tears!
Once again, I was sure my thru-hike was over. I was going to have to limp into Monson and call it quits 100 miles from he northern terminus. What the hell?!?
I eventually got up and started moving around at 5:45 am and hoped being upright would improve my condition. At first, my right knee was super stiff and resisted any weight I put upon it. But, it slowly warmed up and I was able to pack up and head out at 6:45 am.
My limited food supply might be the one thing propelling me forward right now. I don’t have the luxury to hang out and take it easy with this knee. I need to keep making progress and at least get to Monson. Once I’m there, I can resupply and consider taking a zero or two to give my aching knee a rest.
Yeah, SANTA ISN’T REAL EITHER!
The climb up Moxie Bald was a lot easier that the elevation profile in Guthook made it out to be. I was bracing for the worst, but was pleasantly surprised.
But even better than that, I could see the outline of Mt. Katahdin resting on the horizon just a bit more than 100 miles ahead! It felt like it was actually within reach. I could see the end of the AT!
Then the trail took me down to a nice lake and through some pretty chill terrain. I saw plenty more evidence of moose today, but still no blasted moose. The state of Maine acts as if there are simply moose everywhere up here, but I’m starting to doubt they exist.
I wonder if moose are like leprechauns or the Easter Bunny. Adults tell kids all kinds of cool tales about them and you see lots of kitschy cartoon items and stuffed toys in their shape. But do they really exist. Or are moose just a figment of people’s imagination?
Are mean-spirited Mainers coming out here and stamping hoof prints into the mud and scattering “moose pellets” near the trail to keep us believing this charade? Is it like that game parents play by putting milk and a plate of cookies out for Santa on Christmas Eve??
GOOD HIKING
Along the trail, I’m starting to see signs that autumn is just around the corner too. Some of the foliage is starting to shift colors and I even saw hints of red and yellow in my surroundings.
At first I dismissed the though. It was too early for fall colors to start. But then it dawned on me that Labor Day is just around the corner. In a few more days it will be September!
Much of the day spent hiking on trail best described as “AT flat.” The trail would get rocky or root-covered in placed, but the overall elevation was mild and I was making good time. I was even hiking at my normal 2.5 to 3 mph pace again. It’s amazing how much faster I could move here compared to Southern Maine!
I was moving as such a good clip that I arrived at ME-15 (the road that heads into Monson) at 5pm! Holy cow. I hiked 22 miles before 5 pm. And with a bum knee. I didn’t expect to make it to here until sometime tomorrow.
I called Shaw’s – the most famous hostel in all of Maine – to get a ride into town. They had a shuttle heading out to the trailhead within 30 minutes, and when I arrived in Monson, I felt like a superhero. Not only had I made it the the final town before Mt. Katahdin, but I’d done it much quicker than expected.
And the best part about getting to Shaw’s was my reunion with Toaster, Daffodil, and Moss! Yeah!!!
Moss went to the doctor yesterday after we parted ways in Caratunk and got something to help with the foot ailment/rash. Unfortunately, the doctor also recommended a few zeros to let the swelling go down before getting back on trail.
So Moss did the logical thing and jumped ahead and take that time off in Monson, where there would at least be a big comfy hostel to hang out and lots of friendly faces coming through (including mine!)
My heart could just sing. I was wanting extra time to hang with Moss, and now, here it was!
Moss caught me up to speed with everyone’s status. Trail Magic and Gear Boy had been here earlier today too, but I just missed them. They’d headed off to begin the 100-mile wilderness about 90 minutes before I arrived and were propelled with sheer excitement to get to the end.
Luna was still here in town though. So the five of us (me, Moss, Toaster, Daffodil, and Luna) would have the entire night to hang out at Shaw’s and chill.
DAY 119
August 29, 2019
- Route: Zero Day at Shaw’s Hostel in Monson, ME
- Daily Mileage: 0 miles
After all the pain I’d had in my knee the past three nights, I decided the best thing I could do for myself was take a zero in Monson today. My knee isn’t going to hold up if I keep hiking like nothing is wrong. So I spent the day hanging out in Monson with Moss.
Shaw’s Hiker Hostel is a legendary stop on the AT. They’ve converted the entire inside the house into bunk rooms, and they also have a guest house out back with even more beds. Plus, they let hikers tent on the property. All told, there had to be 30+ hikers staying here last night or attending their blueberry pancake breakfast this morning.
Shaw’s also has another building on the property they’ve been converted into a gear and resupply store. They had all the typical hiker foods there so everyone doesn’t overwhelm the one tiny general store in town. And it’s the first real place SOBO hikers have to swap out their gear on the trail (kind of like Neels Gap does for NOBO hikers).
I decided to buy for a new pair of shoes during my zero. The last time I replaced my Altras was back in Massachusetts, which means they have about 600 miles on them. I think this might be one of the reasons I’m having pain in my knee each night. My shoes are just shot. So even though I’d hoped to get all the way to the end of the trail on just 4 pairs of shoes, that doesn’t seem wise now.
I also replaced the inexpensive knee brace I’d bought at the Caratunk House for a better one at Shaw’s. I was explaining my injury to Hippie Chick (one of the hostel owners) and she pointed me in the direction of a knee brace that might provide better support for the rest of the trail.
Plus, she helped me develop a plan to get to the end of the trail without having to carry a super heavy pack through the 100-Mile Wilderness.
Most NOBO thru-hikers head into the final 100 miles with 4-8 days of food, which can be pretty heavy carry. Shaw’s offers a slackpacking option that would allow me to lighten my pack for the first 30 miles of the 100-Mile Wilderness.
On day 1, Shaw’s shuttle would drop me off 15 miles up the trail and I could slackpack SOBO and come back to the hostel.
Then on day 2, they would drop me at the same spot again but I would slackpack NOBO to Katahdin Ironworks Road (approximately 30 miles up the trail). When I got there at the end of day 2, their shuttle driver would meet me with a food drop containing the rest of my provisions for the final 70 miles.
That idea sounded just about perfect. I suddenly had the confidence that I could make it to the end after all. Only 113 miles until I summit Katahdin, baby!
WEEK 17 SUMMARY
- Lowest mileage day: 0 miles
- Highest mileage day: 22.1
- Days with rain: 1
- Number of zero days: 0
- Number days slackpacking: 1
- Number of nights I slept at a hostel: 4
- Nights spent in my tent or an AT shelter: 3
- Favorite spot on trail (so far): Avery Peak
- Nights that wicked knee pain woke me right out of my sleep: 3
- Number of resupply boxes that mysteriously went missing: 1
- Pairs of shoes I’ve completely burned through so far on the AT: 4
- Mornings I got to eat blueberry pancakes for breakfast: 2 (at Harrison’s & Shaw’s!)
- Number of moose I’ve spotted so far: 0 – do they even really exist??
- Total miles hiked this week: 115.3