Date: 2006-07-03
From: Little Bigelow Lean-to

To: Pierce Pond Lean-to
Miles today: 17.3
Weather: clear sky

5:50 pmToday was one of my favorite days on the trail. Everything (pretty much) was great from the get-go. Today was our first perfectly beautiful day since New York, when actually it wasn't even that great because it was too hot. We woke up to sun, and there wasn't a cloud in the sky all day. I slept in a bit (6 a.m., woo!), and we took a while getting started because we knew it would be an easy day. We were out of the shelter by almost 7:30 and Kaptain and I hiked quickly to the "2000 mi" painted on the road 3.8 miles in. We took pictures and stuff, and Moses caught us there. I can't even say how great today was. Aaah! It's beyond words. This is what the A.T. is all about, I've decided. Days like today are the reason it's worth it. The terrain was very easy today. That certainly helped. It meant that we were able to walk at about 3 mph for much of the day without really working hard, which was extremely nice. At about 10 a.m. we stopped at a place by a shelter where there was access to a pond. We stuck our feet in and enjoyed the perfect weather. Boy, does a nasty streak in weather teach you to appreciate a sunny day of 65-70 degrees. 4 miles later we stopped at a tiny sand beach by the side of East Carry for lunch. I went for a dip and then lay in the sun to dry while eating. We stayed there for maybe an hour and a half, just enjoying. At that point we had come about 11 miles, leaving us just over six to go. Because we had so much time, I felt very relaxed waiting there by the pond. I wasn't in a hurry to hike on and it felt lovely. At about 1:45 Kaptain and I began the six, and stopped only once to talk to a SoBo. Both this morning and in the afternoon we talked about the trip. We compared memories and discussed what we had learned and how we felt. The two of us have been hiking together almost all the time for the past few days. I think it's because we both know that in just over a week we'll hike together for the last time, which is really hard to imagine after 120 straight days of it. As usual, we tend to know what each other is thinking. Anyway, the last 6 miles were as cruise-y as the beginning of the day. Flatter, even, if it's possible. There were some boggy bits, but nothing bad. I did fall once, hitting the meat of my butt on a protruding root. That really hurt a lot. But a little acute pain from a not-serious injury is hardly enough to spoil a day so otherwise pleasant. Upon arriving at this shelter we discovered a family out with two young girls and a little dog. I went for a proper swim in the pond, which was the perfect temperature. I hadn't really swum yet, but today was lovely. Maine, the way life should be. We came in and chatted with the people here. The girls are mostly cute. It makes me remember all the times I wish I were 8 years old again. Right now I'm happy to be 19. I'm happy. Maybe it's fleeting, but I don't care much one way or another. We were talking about religion earlier, Kaptain, Moses, and I. None of us are believers, but looking out at the sunset over the pond, I want to be. Like when Lockjaw and I looked at the stars and he pointed out the vastness and beauty and near-impossibility of such things, if you think about it.