Start: Bethel, Maine (AT mi 1925.9). Stop: The Cabin (AT mi 1936.2). Today’s miles: 10.3 miles. Total AT mileage: 911.5 miles
My alarm went off at 7am (on my watch) and I was so tired that I turned it off and then turned on my phone alarm for 7:30.. Mark, the motel owner, was scheduled to take me back to Grafton Notch (where I got off the trail yesterday) at 8am. I sure like to cut it close.
I did get up at 7:30, but man oh man was absolutely every muscle in my body sore. Especially my arms. Those puny things aren’t used to doing so much work and yesterday was CrossFit mixed with a tough mudder, in my humble opinion. lol.. I tossed down some ibuprofen and set to work getting dressed, packing, and eating a quick breakfast. I made it outside to meet Mark at 7:59 and he rolled up in a different van at 8:02. Perfect!
He asked me if I’d be willing to help him out this morning, and follow him in the other van to drop it off at the mechanic for routine maintenance stuff, he promised it was on the way. I didn’t care, I would have helped him either way.. he’s so dang nice! After we dropped the van off, we hit the road. A few minutes later, another hiker called Mark and he had to turn around to go get him, since he was dropping us off at the same place.
We finally made it to the trailhead at 8:45, and then there was trail magic at the parking lot. Well, no hiker in their right mind would turn down fresh scrambled eggs and coffee.. naturally, I didn’t either. I actually started hiking just after 9am. I knew when I started I probably wouldn’t be making the 16 miles I originally intended. This is also when I came to terms with the fact that I won’t make it to Katahdin before my mom flies to Maine. Ahhh. So much pressure.
Anywho-the start of the trail was an uphill climb of 3+ miles to the top of Baldpate Mountain. The trail was so well maintained, rock steps almost perfectly placed the whole way! Don’t get me wrong, my sore body ached going up them and it took me a God-awful long time.. but I appreciated the trial maintenance crew’s hard work! Haha
At the top I sat down and uploaded yesterday’s blog. When I was done I realized it was practically lunch time, so I went ahead and ate up there, too. I sat there for at least an hour.. the scenery was hazy but gorgeous. Mountains upon mountains for miles, until the haze fuzzed them all out. I wished I could have just camped right there.
The downhill from there started off sketchy, steep rock faces that weren’t slick but the fear of sliding off the mountain was present regardless. Then I got into some slick business that definitely landed me on my already bruised butt a couple times. Ha, how great. I stumbled my way to the next shelter for what seemed like hours upon hours. I finally showed up around 2:30pm.
There was a couple there, southbound.. I was chatting with them about the idea that I had originally to go another 10 miles to meet my goal, and how utterly silly that is. They laughed and agreed. I decided I didn’t want to stay at the shelter, since I still had several hours I could be hiking. I was planning to go to a waterfall about 4 ish more miles away. They told me about a road crossing just past that and the name of a hostel that will come pick me up from there. Hmmmm.
I filtered some water and hauled out of there. When I got to the top of a small, unnamed mountain, I got service. I called the hostel and got the last bunk. They told me where to call again so they could come pick me up.. the trail literally turned into actual trail not long after that. I was cruising! I finally was back to hiking 2.5 miles per hour again! I got to the waterfalls and called the hostel back, I was half a mile away from the crossing.
I made it to the road crossing at 4:45. I didn’t have service there, so I sat in the parking lot.. took my shoes off and aired out my feet. Drank some water and looked at my app to attempt to come up with a miracle to make it to Katahdin by the time my mom gets here.. hahaha-I truly don’t think it’s going to happen now. But it is what it is.. we plan, God laughs. I’ll just have to get off trail those 4-5 days and enjoy every second with her, then finish up Katahdin and fly down to Harper’s Ferry, WV the day after.. whatever day that might be.
A nice lady came and picked me up about 15 minutes of sitting there. Another man doing a quick little hike to the falls said if my ride wasn’t there by the time he got back that he’d drive me to the hostel on his way home. Wow. I’m loving these folks in Maine, at least in these rural parts.
The hostel is very friendly and tightly fits a whole lot of hikers.. I got there right at dinner time, so I got to eat before showering. Dinner included salad, pork tenderloin (mom knows this isn’t my favorite, but ya know what? I ate it, I just wouldn’t do it again), mashed potatoes, corn on the cobb, greens, and garlic bread. It was at this moment-with my plate full and lemonade in my cup-that I decided I’m going to slack pack tomorrow and stay here again tomorrow night.. lol. They also gave us brownies and ice cream. AND-I get breakfast tomorrow, too. Yep-they’re going to have to kick me out.
I showered and organized my gear to slack pack 13 miles tomorrow. I wanted to do 22, but they’re all acting like I have 9 heads-so I’ll go with their flow since they know what they’re doing and have hiked these mountains before. Haha. It feels weird to slack and not actually get any further than I would if I carried my pack, but I’m just counting it as extra home cooked meals now. I’m getting 2 or 4 more meals out of this deal, not any saved days for my itinerary.
Anyway, it’s bedtime. I’ve got to find somewhere to plug in this phone and then climb up on my top bunk in a crowded bunk room. Hopefully it’s comfortable, or that’s going to make the next few days awkward.. since it’ll be my bunk those days, too.
Sweet dreams, y’all.
