The Casual and the Insane

Survived and made it to Andover! Also got a phone (which I'm writing from), which should be super useful as I am approaching the Whites and am sure to get some excellent views. Unfortunately, I am currently separated from my Trail family, so have no pictures for you. Knowing I was unlikely to get pictures (and so I could leave Double Dip and Camp Shoes something fun to find), I wrote Haikus each day to describe things. Also, apologies for spelling mistakes, for whatever reason auto correct isn't working and I don't have spell-check and am a physicist (so can't spell).

Day 16 (June 23): Bouldering!

Double Dip you're sick,
You can beat those kidney stones!
Hope you get well quick.

North Crocker Mountain:
easier than Bigelow,
but not much to see.

Mountain top sunshine
extends our short hiking breaks
Moose is here let's leave

Found the hidden view,
up the hill through fallen trees
Sugarloaf preview

Description:
Moose, Peaches, and I hitched back to the trail from Ray's cabin (took ~45 minutes), and started climbing the first of three mountains for the day. On our way up, we passed 6 other SoBos eating breakfast who had hitched out the night before and stealth camped on the mountain. 5 miles and 3000 feet up later, we were rewarded with a sign saying we reached the summit (there was no view).

Next, we had a breif dip down then back up (just 500 feet or so) to South Crocker where there was, while not a good view, at least something (if you knew where to look). We were passed by 2 SoBos (Columbus and Alex) who were booking it fast past the mountain.

We then had a pretty rough descent through some loose rocks/boulders, but all made it to our third mountain. The third mountain (Sugarloaf) was the most fun mountain we've climbed yet (aside from Katahdin), as it had a 1 mile bouldering section with full involvement of hands.

Eventually, we made it to our lean-to for the night, where we met up with Alex and a bunch of NoBos. The NoBos were fun, and shared lots of tips and advice.

Stats:
13.5 miles
1 mile up
Story time: suspended on account of all the people
Injuries: None

Day 17 (June 24) Weekend hikers vs. Thruhikers

Mouse in the lean-to
a hiker's horror story,
"It was on my face!"

Description:
This was an unfortunate day. We started off strong with Moose and myself attempting to go 17 miles, and Peaches denying it and calling us crazy (which translates to "see you there!"). We got a reasonable start (on trail before 7 AM), and Moose and I were booking it through the initial 5 mile descent we had.

*ferfurfel* (the sound of someone with a pack falling)
"Dang it!"

I turned around to see Moose on the ground, clearly in pain. I walk over and start getting out my first aid kit. By the time I arrive, she's fiddling with her left kneecap, which is clearly not where it's supposed to be. I gave her my compression bandage wrap and some Iburprofen. We walked the remaining mile down to the stream, and down the boulderng section a little slower.

We took a break at the bottom of the valley where a fordung was, right before our first mountain of the day. Moose's knee continued swelling. Peaches caught us, explaining he felt good enough to go the 17 miles. That was when I knew we wouldn't make it.

Throughout our lunch break, I read my wilderness first aid guide to see all the things we were doing wrong. It told us how we could make a better use of a compression wrap and that we should "be aware every step will cause further damage."

After suiting back up and Moose declaring that it was definitely worse, We decided to try to take some of her weight off. Peaches took Moose's tent, and I sprinted up the mountain, then sprinted back and took her pack the rest of the way up (she'd gone 1.4 of the 2.7 miles with her pack rather than wait for me to get all the way back). We decided to call it a day and just relax and read Ender's Game and see hos things were tomorrow, even though we made camp around 1:30 PM.

We were reminded that today was a Friday when 9 weekend backpackers entered the lean-to area and set up camp. You can pretty easily tell the difference between weekend hikers and thru-hikers. The former might have muscles and stay up past 8 PM. The later have dirt, grime, and bandages.

Stats:
8.0 miles
1500 feet down then up
Story Time: Ender's Game up to chapter 12.5
Injuries: Badly dislocated then hiked on left kneecap (Moose)

P.S. the haiku is because a mouse crawled across my face and woke me up the previous night.

Day 18 (June 25) The great divorce

MPG break up,
the Badass Squad is no more,
all hike their own hike

Saddleback Junior
pumps you up for its senior
still commands delight

Saddleback Ridgeline
Its alpine view reigns supreme
Maine's hills seem sublime

Came for the Privy.
Changed for the chaffing nethers.
Stayed for the logbook.

Description:
In the morning, Moose discovered she could no longer bend her left knee. She decided to take a zero. Not loving her enough to stay, Peaches and I left. I wanted to make up on lost time and try to get out of the middle of nowhere before trying to get a flight to Sacramento for a wedding, so aimed for a 20.1 mile day. Peaches wanted to not get injured and not be crazy, so planned a 15 mile day. Weirdo.

The view from the saddleback ridgeline was amazing. It was about 2 miles of exposed rock with a view of the rolling hills of Maine. If you looked back, you could clearly see all the mountains we had hiked in the past 100 miles or so. Also, because it was Saturday, there were lots of day hikers.

I think I passed maybe 20 day hikers in the 3 or so miles near Saddleback. You can identify day hikers by their small packs, very clean faces, lack of bug bite bleeding, lack of limping, and lack of sufficient leg muscle to get where they're going. One of them asked me if I'd come up from the ski lodge that morning. I looked confusedly at him and said "I came from Katahdin?" It was odd.

After reaching the first lean-to for the day, I stopped by and chatted with the weekend hikers who were staying there: a boyscout troop. They asked all about my gear and filters and stuff and gave me a slice of an apple. It was delicious. Then I kept hiking.

I passed the road for Rangeley (supposedly a fantastic city to stop in: it has THREE roads!!!), but just kept walking.

I passed a few more day and weekend hikers returning to their cars at the road. They seemed impressed at the size of my pack and the speed I was moving. I was getting nervous about my arrival time and the fire between my legs.

I failed to see the next two landmarks, which got me kind of concerned, especially since I was starting to chaff kinda badly (a first on the AT for me).

Eventually, I saw the privy at the campsite Peaches was shooting for (it had a trail blaze on it), so changed into my camp shorts. It didn't help.

5 miles later, I limped/waddled into Sabboth Day Pond lean-to to find a bunch of SoBos. Alex was there (still endlessly amused by the mouse on my face the other night), as was G Paw (one of the Canadians I started with). I also saw Donkey and Inch Worm (the guys who had returned my wallet) and met Cinder, Gonzo, and Troubador (who carries a guitar with him and plays it).

Stats:
20.1 miles
3000 feet up, 4500 feet down
Story time: wow these people stay up and chat around the fire until 9PM! Such nightowls. No time to read after that.
Injuries: Rashes where you don't want them.

Day 19 (June 26) I'll go........ this far....... I guess......

Categorical
Imperative states that we
Are ends not just means

Description:
I got up in the morning and decided to go 17ish miles, maybe try to keep up with Alex (who's booking it to Gorham by July 1 to meet a friend.... which might give me time to reach Hanover as I'd initially planned and easily get to Kyle's wedding) and go 19. By mile 3, the chaffing was back, and I knew the 19 wasn't happening.

At mile 6, I passed a road with a bench and a wonderful view. I sat there and ate my second breakfast - half a jar of peanut butter on 3 or 4 tortillas (first breakfast was 6 pop-tarts). G paw passed me, and I chatted with a NoBo who was pretty beaten down by the trail. In his words, he'd wanted to quit since mile 750, but he finishes what he starts. That sounds an awful lot like something I'd say and do. I resolved to consider quiting if I started hating it.

2 miles and 2 hours of waddling later, I made the 8 mile mark, where there was a shelter. I rested there and talked to some section hikers, who let me use their pump to filter from the shelter's "water source."

G Paw and I relaxed for about a half hour, then Donkey and Inch Worm came up. We chatted about how far we were going to go today (after all, it was only 12:30). Eventually, I untied my boots, so we collectively decided to stay there and not hike. G Paw had us lossen his pack weight by drinking his Whiskey which made me decide I should do a Kantian Haiku (yes Marshall, I'm aware I'm horribly misinterpreting the categorical imperative by having the word 'just' in their, but it was 5 syllables and I didn't think of the phrasing 'Are not means but ends' until after I wrote it. I have failed you.)

All in all, it was an enjoyable day with camradery, story telling, and waddling.

Stats:
8.3 miles
1000 feet down, 1000 feet up
Injuries: The Waddle - Donkey and Inch Worm suggest using axe spray. It earned them the nickname "fire-crotch" in Lacrosse. I declined for now.... just gonna take some short days.

Day 20 (June 27): Notches and Climbs

To carry water
or to trust the water source
That is the question

Description:
The day started out well enough (I slept in my hammock because mice), with me hitting the trail around 5:45 AM. I managed to sleep in until 4:50! Might be a new record. I passed a bunch of NoBos, which all consisted of the same conversation:

NoBo: "Hi!"
Me: "Howdy!"
NoBo: "How's it going?"
Me: "Well."
NoBo: "Good."

I think I was supposed to ask them how they were doing so their response of 'good' made more sense, but I always forgot.

Eventually, I made it down Old Blue Mountain to one of the roads to Andover, where I was staying next (there's also a road to Andover 10 miles later). Someone had left a trashcan out and there was a clear flowing broom. It was bliss. I threw away all my heavy trash, washed my feet, filled up on water, and checked to see if I had enough food I could make the next road or if I had to take this one. If all I ate the rest of the day was tortillas, peanut butter, and ramen, I would be good. So I decided to go on. I helped that everyone I camped with the night before caught up in that time and decided to keep going.

After that, we had a bit of a dicey hike. This was the first "Notch" we had hiked. I'm not quite sure how to describe the notches. I assume the name comes from the fact the elevation profile looks like someone just cut a 1000+ foot hole in the ground we get to walk through. They were steep. I waddled through (everyone else passed me even at my full waddle). I picked up a walking stick (my third for the trail). I called it "Fire Weilder," because it gave me something to do aside from contemplate the pain between my legs as I walked and gave a nice satisfying thump whenever I pounded it down. At least until it broke.

After the first notch, we had a second, steeper notch. It was 1.3 miles with 1500 feet of elevation gain. For thise of you who have hiked Flatiron or Thompson's peak, this was about twice as steep as the roughest parts of those. This was the first time since I got to the trail that I sincerly wished I had earbuds so I could just play some distracting pump-up music to motivate me to climb the mountain.

When we reached the top, there were a bunch of elementary achool kids on a 22 day backpacking trip. They decided to go down the notch and camp below. We also had a water source which was just a mud puddle. Made me glad I carried 3 liters of eater up the mountain (didn't need to drink that junk).

Later that night, Karate Kid showed up, even though I had expected to never see him again. Apparently he had to take two neros and a zero and go to a hospital because his big toe was horrible infected. He showed me a picture. Honestly, it didn't look that much better now that he's treating it. I might see him again.

Stats:
12.8 miles
3500 feet up, 4000 feet down
Injuries: unsure if my rash is going away or if the infected cut I found on my right ankle, the bug-bite turned bleeding blister on my left heel, or the fact my knees and I are no longer on speaking terms are just distracting me from it. Regardless, I'll take it.

Day 21 (June 28): Nero maybe?

East B Hill road hitch
Walked past graves without a ride
Thought I'd not arrive

Description:

Today, I slept in EVEN MORE! After getting up at 4:50 to no water, I was on the trail going down the mountain to Andover by 5:45. A section hiker the night before had told me it was the easiest trail he'd walked on in Maine. I agree. I probably averaged around 3 mph (once you factor in breaks for trying not to sweat out the last of my water and futulely searching for nice water sources... technically I averaged 2.3 mph).

When I reached the road (East B Hill) I needed to hitch from, I found trail magic: a gallon of water! Being a considerate person, I just drank a little over a liter and left some for others. I then started to walk to town (8 miles away).

Turns out, almost nobody drives on East B Hill road. Here's a log, as near as I can remember.

8:30 finished drinking water, started walking east
8:38 a pick-up truck passes me. Just the driver and nothing in the bed, but he doesn't stop
8:57 a gas truck passes
9:13 a logging truck passes
9:36 a van gives me a ride to the hostel I'm staying at.

Fortunately, all today, I've had no chaffing. I'm unclear whether to attribute this to the cooler weather, an improvement in my hiking ways, the easiness of the trail, the low milage I did, or the low milage I did in the days beforehand. Regardless, I'll take it. I also bought some Vaseline.

In town, I got a new phone, (where this update is coming from), ate lunch (a bacon cheese burger, a double bacon cheese burger with steak, and a chocolate cupcake with peanut butter frosting), and bouvht the next 6 day's food (20 bags of poptarts, 10 ramen, mashed potatoes, 3 spam, 4 tuna, 3 pasta sides, and some trail mix). It was wonderful. A bunch of the guys decided to buy a bunch of beers and whisky and go a mile further into the woods and have a party. I decided to stay in the air conditioning, do my resupply in peace, and figure out how in the world I'm going to get from Gorham NH to Sacramento CA now that I have access to a box of all knowledge again.

I also texted Peaches, Camp Shoes, and Moose to find out where they are, let them know I have a phone now, and try to arrange meeting back up after I leave and come back to the trail. Only Moose responded (the others probably don't have reception). Apparently, she took a few zeros and eventually wound up in Rangely (about 35 miles behind me), and is hoping to get back on the trail tomorrow. Peaches left today (presumably also from Rangely, since he hasn't been to Andover.... I guess he probably decided not to be a jerk and stay to help his friend with the gimp leg escape the mountains.... or maybe he got hurt, or took a zero or just decided to take some slow days. I'll probably find out eventually). Camp Shoes and Double Dip hit the trail today too, though they were back at Stratton (where I started this update, about 70 miles behind me). I look forward to seeing them again soon. After all, I need to finish readng Ender's Game to them! They're right at the exciting conclusion! Well, aside from Camp Shoes and Double Dip: they left, like, 3 chapter ago. Silly hospital visits.

After much internetting and calling, I've figured out I can take a bus then a plane to get from Gorham to Sacramento fairly easily... though I haven't bought tickets yet. That's a project for tonight (pretty late night tonight, it's already 5 hours past my bedtime).

Blessings,
David "Whiskers" Martin

P.S. there will be pictures next time (hopefully) now that I have a phone. Some of them might be good. Tomorrow I'm climbing some exposed rock which should have a good view, though there's also a thunder storm tomorrow and omnious clouds out my window... so We'll see. My priorities are something like: 1. Don't die, 2. Get where I want to go (8 miles away), 3. Take some cool pictures. So if I think I can safely take pictures of lightning striking as I cross exposed rock, I will. But if it means I'm getting to the shelter late? Read a different blog.

P.P.S. a NoBo told me the AT is harder to hike than the PCT (though logistics are easier for the AT). Aparently, the PCT has trails which aren't actually just roots and rocks. After gettin internet, it looks like the NoBo was right: while the AT is 500 miles shorter than the PCT, it has about 100,000 feet more of elevation gain/loss