All Done

The last week and a half has gone by incredibly fast.  Since my last update, I've hiked the 100 mile wilderness, summited Katahdin and spent 3 days back in civilization.

I stayed in Monson on the 16th because the rain was coming down so hard.  Everyone who was in town the day before stayed an extra day to avoid the rain, so on the morning of the 17th, there was a group of about 10 hikers that all left around the same time and stayed together through most of the wilderness.

Normally, there are a half dozen rivers that you need to ford within the wilderness, but because there had been so much rain, rivers that were normally pretty low were considerably higher.  It was no longer  possible to rock hop across the river.  Instead, you needed to take off your shoes and sock and switch into something that could get wet (in my case, my crocs).  And the rivers that you'd normally need to form became even higher.  There was one river the first day that had such a strong current, that the only safe way to cross was via a tree that had fallen over the river.  The first day was especially stressful and tedious.  After that, there weren't too many fords.

Towards the end of the third day, we arrived at the summit of White Cap Mtn, the last mountain with any kind of elevation.  What made White Cap Mtn special was that is was the first time I was able to see Katahdin.  Apparently, you can also see Katahdin from the Bigelows (some large mountains a few days back), but on the day I climbed those, it was to cloudy to have any good views.  I had to have someone point out Katahdin for me, because I didn't see anything that looked like the pictures that I've seen.  I was also confused because I didn't see any mountains that looked especially big.  The reason it didn't look that big, I figured out later, is because it is still SO FAR AWAY - 70 something miles.  It was a great view, because it helped to give some perspective.  And it also showed me where we would end up.  Epic!

That day was also great because I got some much needed trail magic.  I only carried five day's worth of food into the wilderness, even though I knew it would take six days.  Not only was I not carrying enough food, but the food that I was carrying was very sugar-centric, which I don't normally do (it was all I could find at the gas station in Monson).  All day, I had been thinking about cheese and meat.  And when I got to the bottom of White Cap, I ran into a couple hikers that I had started with who were waiting on some day hikers to return to their car which was parked on a logging road.  These day hikers had indicated that they had brought some food with them and that it was in their car's trunk, available once they had finished their descent.  They had lots of good stuff, including cheese.  One item of food that was especially delicious was chips + salsa.  I've been through lots of towns on my hike, so I'm not completely cut off from non-camping food.  But one food that I haven't had in a very long time was chips and salsa.  It tasted amazing!

The rest of the wilderness was a pretty easy hike.  And we were also lucky with the weather - only a little bit of rain on the fourth day.  When I finally reached the end of the wilderness, I was thoroughly hungry.  Fortunately, they had a camp store there with hot food.  After that, we entered Baxter State Park and settled in at the shelter at the base of Katahdin, five miles from the summit.

It was only five miles from camp to the top, but it was one of the more difficult hikes on the trail.  4000 foot climb over about four miles.  And the climb was not easy either - a lot of hand-over-hand climbing.  I had heard this ahead of time, so I left my hiking poles at the ranger station and I'm glad I did.  The top had an amazing view in all directions, but it was also incredibly windy.  One of the other hikers going to the top that day was hiking with his father who was not in very good shape.  We all waited on the top for them (I was up there almost 2 hours), but the weather started to look a little scary - so, at some point we had to abandon the original plan and head down.

That was the 23rd.  After that, I headed into town (Millinocket, ME) and caught a bus the next day headed for Portland.  (As it turns out, the farm I was headed to is actually closer to Augusta, and I had gotten my Maine towns mixed-up.  It wasn't an issue, though, because the family I'm working for dropped their daughter off at college south of Portland and was able to pick me up on the way back.)

It's been a strange experience so far.  I've gotten so used to hiking all day that I don't know what to do with myself off of the trail.  It's hard to accept that I'm done.  Ever since I crossed the border into ME, I've had my eye on Katahdin, but now that it's over, I'm in a sort of limbo state.  I hope the transition back to normal life is smooth!

Monson, ME

I just arrived in Monson early this morning.  I was planning on doing some eating, loading-up on supplies, doing my internet chores and moving on, but then it started raining.  And then I got pretty wet and cold.  So, it looks like I'm taking the day off.

Monson marks the beginning of the 100 miles wilderness.  Compared to the terrain we've been hiking for the last few hundred miles, it's supposed to be easy.  I'm not too worried about it.  The only thing that makes it a little difficult is that it's super isolated, so you pretty much have to carry a week's worth of food - at least that's what I'm doing.  And then guess what happens.  YOU'RE AT THE END OF THE TRAIL!!!  Yeah, I'm pretty excited.  Er, I would be, but the rain is wearing me down at the moment.

I haven't been able to write much lately because the last few towns have either not had a library or the library has been closed b/c of an event or some bizzare, budget-cutting hours.  That's actually the case here too, but luckily the hostel/b&b I'm at right now is letting me use their computer.  So, here are some thing's I've left out of my last few posts:

Maine is awesome view-wise and feeling-wise.  Compared to previous states, it's very rural.  It actually reminds me a lot of Northern MN - but with mountains.  They've got lots of mosquitos here.  Lots of lakes.  And the occasional moose as well - although, I hear the MN moose aren't doing too well.

Speaking of moose, I saw my fifth moose yesterday.  I had just started hiking, and I snuck off the trail a bit to go to the bathroom.  As I was doing my thing, I heard something off to the side.  Something heavy and moving slow.  I thought it might have been a human or even possibly a manbearpig.  "Oh no.  Caught going to the bathroom - again!"  (Yes, this would have been the third or fourth time.  I'm lazy when is comes to giving myself privacy.)  But, no, it was an antlered moose, moving slowly through the woods and pretty close by too - maybe 15/20 yards away.

On a serious note, I also learned recently about a thru-hiker who died earlier this year.  I had heard a few weeks back about someone who had drowned in a lake in ME, but didn't know too much about the circumstances.  He was just off the shore, near a shelter with a number of other hikers nearby.  Apparently, he was swimming on a full stomach and experienced muscle cramps and couldn't stay afloat.  This was back in June.  They had his picture in the shelter and a memorial next to the lake.  It's really sad.  Since this happened in ME, the ATC awarded him his 2000-miler status posthumously and some other hikers spread his ashes atop Katahdin.  The way I see it, at least he died doing something he enjoyed - and not of a heart attack, in his apartment, alone.  RIP...

Back to a less-serious note.  Monson marks the end of the road for my running shoes.  I've been avoiding it for a long time, but it's time to say goodbye.  I got replacement shoes back in VT (~400 miles back), but couldn't bring myself to throw away my old running shoes.  I've had these guys for 2.5 years and they've been with me on Mt Fuji, hiking around the Himalayas, my one and only marathon, a number of half-marathons and most recently the AT since Connecticut.  At this point, there's almost no fabric left on them, and I have to dump out dirt and trail-debris several times a day.  Not worth it.  Goodbye guys...

From AT 2012

One more week left!

Stratton, ME

Another town with no library, so it's gonna be another short entry.
The past five days have been wet and a little bit lonely.  There's been a virus going around hikers, so I've been trying to avoid shelters and outhouses.  It's worked so far.  From what I hear, the really tough stuff is behind us - so, I'm pretty excited about that.  Until next time...

Slow Going

Maine is tough.  Mahoosic Notch.  Look it up.  It took me two hrs to cover one mile.  That is all for now.  Back to my ice cream...

I saw a moose

Yeah. I saw a mom and two calfs. Sorry, no pics.

Eight-Hundred Pound Beaver

I'm in Gorham, NH right now, which is the last town that the trail passes in NH before it enters Maine.  It's the first town I've been to since my last post.  For the last week, I've been hiking the White Mountains, which has been very tough and very rewarding.

My week got off to a pretty good start as I was leaving Frankin, NH.  I was at a breakfast diner last Thursday, eating with a couple other thru-hikers.  I came into town via Kinsman Notch, but most of the other hikers had come into town via Franconia Notch - which was another 15 miles or so ahead of where I had gotten off of the trail.  The other hikers were waiting for a shuttle to take them back to the trail, and when it arrived, they paid their bills and took off - leaving me there by myself.  I took my time and enjoyed my meal.  I was in no hurry since I was planning on hitchhiking back to my notch.  When it came time to pay my bill, the waitress informed me that it had already been taken care of by a group that had been at one of the other tables.  Unfortunately, they had already left, so I didn't have the chance to thank them.  What a great surprise!  Once I get off the trail and have income again, I'm going to have to make sure I pay it forward.

After that, I walked down the road for a mile or two before I got to a part of the road that takes me to where I got off of the trail.  I set my pack down and stick out my thumb and I've got a ride within five minutes.  That's a record for me, I think.  I get back to the trail and start hiking, and I quickly find out just how hard the White Mtns really are.  The rumors are true!  Even with a belly full of delicious and (somewhat) nutritious food, I am pooped within a few hrs.

The composition of the trail has changed a lot in the last 100 miles or so.  Before, there were stretches of somewhat flat trail, with some soft footing.  When the trail climbed or descended, it was at least somewhat gentle.  There might be some rocks, but they were always arranged in such a way that you could climb them like a staircase.  Now, there's a lot of jumping and sliding.  I've had to take my pack off a few times b/c it's too difficult to descend while I'm still wearing it.  In the last week, I've been averaging one or two falls a day.  It's usually on some slick rock that's just a little too steep for my tread-worn shoes to grip, and before I know it, I'm on my back, cursing the trail maintainers.  Fun times!

There are a few things that make hiking in the White Mountains different from hiking elsewhere on the trail.  Like I mentioned in my last post, the Whites have some pretty hardcore weather, but they also have some exposed ridgeline and some nice views.  Another thing that makes the White Mountains different is that the trail goes by a number of pay-to-stay huts.  These are essentially rustic hotels set up near the ridgeline.  People hike up the side trails and pay anywhere from $40 to more than $100 a night to stay in an enclosed building with running water and hot meals.  There's no TV or internet, so the experience is somewhere between real camping and a real hotel.  Anyway, these huts take the place of the more traditional (i.e. three walls and a roof) shelters that thru-hikers stay in. Thru-hikers aren't too keen on shelling out that kind of money just to sleep in the mountains.  So, as a compromise, the AMC (the organization that maintains the huts and the trails within the White Mountains) has set-up a system where thru-hikers can "work" in exchange for lodging at these huts.  They will usually only take the first couple hikers that arrive, and in cases where the weather is especially bad (and there's nowhere safe to camp nearby), they will accept more.  It's a pretty good deal for us hikers.  Normally, the work is something simple like cleaning dishes or the kitchen and in exchange, you have a warm place to sleep and one or two warm meals.

My first experience with work-for-stay was interesting and hard to top.  It was at the first hut that northbounders pass after they've climbed up and over the two Kinsman mountains.  Normally, northbounders will zip right past the first hut b/c the next road is the best way to get into Franklin, NH to re-supply on food.  In my case, I had already re-supplied at the last road crossing - so, I figured I'd stop by and see if they had any work-for-stay positions available.

Before I had even taken my pack off, there was a hut care-taker (called "croo," they're usually a small group of college students working in the huts for the summer) outside asking if I could work that night.  Absolutely, I said.  "Cool.  Just wait out here until the pay guests have finished their dinner and then you can come in and chow-down on the left-overs."  After the guests had finished their meals, I was invited in and given pasta, salad and cake - and some beer to wash it all down.  Delicious and much-appreciated!  As I was stuffing myself with all of this, they told me what the situation was.  Normally, they'd have me do dishes or something, but they were more or less already taken care of.  Instead, how would I feel about dressing-up as a beaver and having little kids hose me down with water guns.  Interesting.  Sure, why not.

At the appointed time, one of the croo gave a presentation about beavers for all of the guests.  Beavers have big teeth for chipping away at trees.  Beavers have big, broad tails that they use to slap the water when frightened.  Beavers have water-proof fur.  That sort of thing...  Then, to demonstrate all of these qualities, the croo-lady had me don some buck-teeth made of paper, a sweater to represent the fur, a canoe paddle to represent the tail and a transparent poncho to represent the water-proof-ness of the fur.  And the grand-finale of this demo was giving a bunch of enthusiastic kids super-soakers so that they could test just how water-proof my "fur" was.  Turns out the poncho didn't quite cover the bottoms of my pants.  Where do you think those little brats aimed at?  Yup.

So, yeah, that was fun.  The work as silly and different, I got some good food and good beer and later that evening (after the guests had gone to sleep) the croo got together in their bunk room and played music for a couple hours.  Everyone there played some sort of instrument: guitar, ukelele, banjo, fiddle.  Great way to finish an otherwise rough day.

From AT 2012

The rest of the week has gone by pretty quickly.  I got pretty lucky with the weather.  Too many hikers get to Mt Washington and can't see anything b/c the top of the mountain is in a cloud, but I had great views when I was there.  I ran into rain a couple of times and hit some strong winds along some of the ridgelines, but for the most-part I was super lucky with the weather.  The one downside to having good visibility along the ridgelines is that I've got a pretty bad sunburn now.  Yuck!

On the gear front, I've had some pretty bad luck recently.  On my first day in the Whites, I fell and landed on one of my trekking poles and now it's slightly bent.  And then another day, my last remaining water bag broke.  So, now when I want to filter my water I have to simultaneously squeeze the bag and the spot where it's leaking.

This post had been a bit wordy, so if you made it all the way down here, that's cool.  During the presentation, I learned something about beavers that I didn't know.  According to the girl doing the presentation, 12000 years ago there was a species of beaver that weighed 800 lbs.  Wouldn't want to come across one of those guys...  Thanks for reading.

White Mountains

I'm writing this post from the safety of a library in Lincoln, NH.  The trail, which follows a ridge 3000+ ft above me, is about to get pretty rough.

Yesterday, I climbed and then descended Mt. Moosilauke.  I believe it's been the biggest ascent so far on my hike.  (There have been bigger mountains, but the climb has always started from a ridgeline instead of the base of the mountain.)  The climb took almost three hours, but it was rewarded with an amazing view.  For the first time in a while, the trail went above tree line (the point above which trees cannot grow because of temperature, wind and altitude).  I could see every direction, but I couldn't linger too long because the wind was pretty strong - strong enough that I had to walk at an angle to stay standing.  And it's not even the biggest. 

The next few days will have a lot of exposed ridgeline and some relatively high summits.  I've heard a lot from the southbound hikers that I've been meeting over the last couple weeks.  Mt Washington (the highest mtn in the White Mountain range has some pretty bizarre weather.  The highest temperature ever recorded on the summit is 74 degrees.  Seventy-four degrees!  Ever!  That's the highest!  The summit receives snow every month of the year.  The other day, a hiker told me that the wind chill temperature was below freezing.  And this is in July!

So, I'm a little nervous about the next week.  I've heard so much about the White Mtns during my hike.  Yes, they are dangerous and have extreme weather but they are also the most beautiful views on the trail.  This is why we're out here.  The bad news is that it's supposed to rain pretty hard over the next few days.  So, there's a decent chance we won't be getting much of a view.  Bummer.

On a happier note, I've had a pretty good time on the trail since leaving Hanover a few days back.  I had a great time in town with my Aunt and Uncle.  They spoiled me pretty good.  I got some pad thai, lots of desserts, gelato and some trail snacks as well. 

Then, a couple days out of town, I got to meet Ice Cream Man.  The Ice Cream Man (Bill) is a retired guy who lives near the trail and encourages hikers to stop by and get some water and ice cream.  Bill's sons hiked the trail a long time ago and they got a lot of support during their hike, so he feels like he needs to give back to the current generation of hikers.  It was a great afternoon sitting around on Bill's porch and we even got in a game of croquet too.  Good times.

This library's got a time limit on their computer, so I gotta go.  Thanks for reading!