It rained through the night, not particularly heavy but steady. By 5 when my alarm went off it had stopped, only the sporadic drip from tree leaves remained whenever the breeze blew. I was able to eat outside. My sleeping bag was a little damp, and of course I had to put away a wet tent (I found the missing tent peg) but otherwise the rain was no problem at all.
I spent a fair bit of time early in the day snapping branches off that were obstructing the trail. I do this a lot when it’s wet out. If I remove a branch I would otherwise have brush against me as I walk by, it’s one less soaking for me and a favor to anyone coming later. But today I also did it to keep me pace slow, as my knees were very stiff early on and the left one bothered me on and off all day.
The trail continues to be a mix of rocky sections and rooty sections, with occasional easy sections in between. Lots of planks or logs nailed to smaller logs formed passages over wet areas. Some of these log or plank paths can seem pretty dicey, and some wobble disconcertingly, but so far none has broken underfoot.
Boots passed me and told me he had slept at the shelter then gone for a pancake breakfast at Patterson’s, a fishing resort. I expect that’s why he, as well as Brother Bear and Slip, were so eager to push through to the shelter last night.
I met Boots again on the shore of the Kennebec river. He was waiting for the ferry. A man paddled a canoe across the river at a point about sixty yards wide. He sat on a makeshift seat in the center. We placed our packs fore and aft of that seat: the ferryman took the stern, Boots the bow, and I say idly in the middle. It was an easy crossing and took a couple of minutes.
The highway was a short hike from there. Boots sat on one side of it waiting for family to come pick him up, while I tried hitching south ten miles to a hostel that claomed to have a decent resupply. After nine cars in ten minutes I gave up and called the hostel. I got a free ride in from Beth, and was given the tour. Free laundry, shower and charging even fir day guests. The place was lovely, more like a B&B than a hostel. I met Quadriped, whom I had last seen somewhere in the South, as well as Magic Dragon and company, whom I had chatted briefly with at a shelter when I was stopping for lunch a few weeks ago. I plugged in my power bank, started my laundry (the smallest loaner pants they had were a 34 waist, so I had to tie two of the belt straps closer together using the bottom of the loaner t-shirt), started baking a frozen four cheese pizza, and had a shower. I was a bit shocked by seeing myself in the mirror. My upper body myscles have more or less evaporated!
After eating my pizza I resupplied. The only things they didn’t have were tree nuts (I went for peanuts instead) and granola (pop tarts for the next three days – I hope two is enough per breakfast!).
When I had weighed myself (158.8 lbs – yikes – lost 21.2 lbs since I started) and settled my account, Beth gave me a ride back to trail. The first bit was a steep climb, and even though I had resupplied for three days not four, it was a slow painful climb. But eventually I got my pace back. Initially I was hoping to go a few miles beyond the next shelter, but I didn’t have the energy to go on, and I heard thunder as I was filtering water at a stream a half mile away from the shelter. I made it to the shelter seconds before the deluge started. It lasted about fifteen minutes.
Escape was there – a 66 year old man from Georgia who owns two escape room locations. He was just saying goodbye to his friend who had slackpacked with him for a few days. He told me he contracted Lyme disease a month back and struggled to hike more than 6 to 8 miles while he was on his 28 day course of antibiotics. Only now is he feeling his strength returning.
The two of us are in the shelter. Two women doing a long section hike, along with their dog Oliver, are tenting downhill. The campsite is near a pond (read small lake) but I haven’t berm to see it yet. I may go shortly.
For dinner I treated myself to a freeze dried meal of coconut curry rice. I found some chanterelles again, just enough for a garnish.
It’s 32 miles to Munson where you start the 100 mile wilderness. I’m hoping to get there in two days so I have a zero there to rest. But I guess doing it in three means less stress on my body so we’ll see how the weather, my knees, and campsite distribution cooperate.
Mile 2039.3 to mile 2052.2 = 12.9 miles
Boots in the bow
The ferry man looks like Brent from work
