Date: 2009-08-19
To: View Entry
Miles today: 80.0

Dear readers,Ahhh... so much to say, so little computer time! The past week has been HOT! Our first heat wave of summer. I'm not complaining - Maine is the perfect place to be during intense heat with all of the ponds and rivers to swim in as we hike! I'm grateful we haven't had to deal with heat like this up until now. Springs are also starting to dry up. Ease of water access is something we've obviously taken for granted. Luckily, the 90 degree temps didn't hit until we were over all the tough stuff. Maine's terrain has been fabulously FLAT! And, the mud is drying up! I hear there is a hurricane moving up the east coast, however, and we'll be getting a day or two of rain soon.Currently, we are in MONSON! The last stop before the 100 Mile Wilderness and summiting! It's unbelievable. I never thought I'd actually get here. Now, all of a sudden, everything is a "last". I just took my last shower, we're doing our last load of laundry, it's my last bed, Gangsta and I sang our "town song" (Cheeseburger in Paradise) for a final time in the last mile before the highway into town. It's all very surreal. And, I'm feeling the most intense feeling of bittersweetness in my life. I (as well as most everybody else) is ready to be done hiking, yet nobody seems ready to face what's next, nor are we ready to part ways with the trail community and lifestyle we have all come to know, love, and live for the past 150+ days. We've done 120 miles in the last week, and we're about to do it again. We've got five 20 mile days planned through the 100 Mile Wilderness. Excitement and adrenaline will get us through. There is nothing Mother Nature can throw at us in the next 5 days we haven't seen before... even if it was 5 days of straight rain. It's crazy to know that when those 5 days are over and Gangsta and I meet our families on the "other side" at Katahdin Stream Campground, it's basically over. There is no more resupplying or hitting the trail again. I know this will not hit me until it happens, however.I am happy to say that the past few days have been wonderful, which feels like a nice change compared to how I felt after the Whites. We've been blessed with weeks of great weather, which has been awesome. I have to say, I think that dealing with 4 months of rainy weather is worth a sunny final 6 weeks. We've been camping on and off with Smile Train, Flex, Junior, and Wimbledon all week. They seem to be the only NOBO's around us lately. They are always full of surprises and seem to get random trail magic all the time, so we're never quite sure where we'll run into them at. Gangsta and I have coined them the "Fab 4" but I'm not really sure how they feel about that. We like it though. Today, we caught up to the Three Amigas, (Skittles, No Nails, and Moonwalker), three women we've been hiking on and off with since Georgia. We hadn't seen them since Hanover, NH so it was a fun reunion. Hopefully we will all be summiting together on the 26th. Yesterday, we crossed the Kennebec River via ferry (a canoe). The canoe is the official white blazed route of the AT since the river is a dangerous ford. Maine has had a ton of fords, but luckily, with the dry weather, none of the water levels have been high, and they've made for great excuses to go swimming multiple times a day.In the past week, I think I've experienced two of my best days on the trail. It's awesome knowing that this late in the game I can still be having favorite days out here. The first one went something like this:-Head outta camp early for a 22.5 mile hiking day-Get an orange from a dayhiker distrubuting trail magic to NOBO thru-hikers- 2 hours later get burgers, beer, and Cokes from a couple doing trail magic- 1 hour later cross the road with the famous 2000 mile marker spray painted on it and get a shot of Jack Daniels to celebrate with from guys waiting for a ride.-We saw our first porcupine (who knew they crawled up trees!?)-Arrived at Pierce Pond lean-to, one of my favorite shelters yet (it's right on a pond, great for swimming and sunsets) just in time for sunset, and a swim.- Gangsta and I had the shelter to ourselves so we got a big fire going once the sun went down and hung out-True to form, the Fab 4 surprised us by showing up well after dark and we hung out around the fire all night, before we knew it, it was midnight!THAT IS A GREAT DAY. And yesterday, Gangsta and I didn't see an entire person the whole day. I've never felt so isolated on the AT! We hiked along the beautiful Piscatquis to Horseshow Canyon Lean-To, which we had to ourselves. We did a short 13 mile day, giving ourselves the evening to relax around camp. In a daring act of bravery, while Gangsta was doing camp chores, I went down to the river and risked a skinny dip! Then a boyscout troop walked by... JUST KIDDING. I chanced the odds, seeing as we hadn't passed a soul all day, and luckily nobody came by when I was clotheless. Okay, so maybe I kept my socks on. I heard they give the best traction on wet rocks and I wasn't about to risk busting my ass on wet rocks, naked and alone. They worked well, as long as you can get over the goofiness of being naked except for socks. Thank goodness nobody walked by. It was the cleanest I'd felt since leaving town. It was beautiful scenery and I felt in deep backcountry. Who knew I was only 9 miles from Monson!? Maine definitely feels more remote. Again, Gangsta and I got a fire going last night (having really dry wood around is a treat!) and had good campfire conversation about what's to come for us after this grand adventure ends next week.Yesterday, we could have done 22 miles and pushed to Monson to zero today, which we often do, but instead we opted for 13 then 9 this morning, giving us an opportunity to get to camp early and enjoy being in the woods. With swimming holes galore and big mile days, we've been getting into camp late every day, making it feel less relaxing. It's nice to have ample time in town, but sometimes a free afternoon simply at a shelter is a welcome change as well, that allows you to enjoy your surroundings without the hiking. We did the 9 this morning by 11am, so it wasn't a big deal, and was definitely worth the relaxing evening around camp. Oh, AND, today, after an early morning ford, we came across a cooler of soda, some trail magic left by an '03 thru-hiker! It's the first time I think I've ever had a Mountain Dew by 8:30am, but was just what I needed to get to town.I hope to enjoy and appreciate the next week as much as possible. I'm sure that I will. Gangsta and I are having a great time, now that we're outta the mountains and hiking on very pleasant terrain with beautiful scenery. We're hoping to see our first moose this week, still. Our thoughts and conversation are constantly on the future (i.e. next week), and I know it will be a difficult transition for me. We are excited to see our families and to stop hiking day in and day out, but there is a lot I don't feel ready for. I've got a list of "Things I Will Not Miss" going on in my head, at the top of the list currently is mosquitos (they are bad!), and putting on wet socks and shoes every morning (they never dry out from all the fords), but the list of things I will miss feels infinite.After nearly 2200 miles together, Gangsta and I have perfected our hiking style together. People sometimes comment on how nice and helpful we are towards each other, even after all this timetogether. More often than not, I feel like an old married couple (minus the bickering). Believe it or not, we've never fought. Day hikers always ask if we started together and with smirks we always reply, "No, but we met on day one on Springer Mountain..." They can't believe we've made it this far together never parting ways, without having met before. But I guess that's why it's worked. We've had no obligations to each other. We've stuck with each other for no other reason than we've wanted to. I think we know more about each other than any person should ever know about someone, we know each other's quirks, we know when the other is grouchy and we don't take it personally, we don't always hike together- sometimes 100 yards apart, sometimes 10 minutes apart, sometimes together in silence, other times talking and laughing non-stop. When she says to get her a gatorade, I know she means a blue one. When I ask for Flipz at the grocery store, she knows its the white fudge ones, not the milk chocolate. When we want pizza, I know it means order a large pepperoni for us to split, when she does the laundry (which we always do together), I know she'll pull out all of my Icebreaker pieces so they don't go in the dryer. A very nice couple who recently gave us a hitch in the Whites bought us each matching anklets at the general store where they picked us up and told us as he handed them to us "The meeting of another person is never just by chance." Yup, we're trailmates for life. Her friendship, is by far and away, the one thing I will miss the most when this is over. I know the friendship won't end, it will live on in emails, texts (I might need to up my plan to unlimited), phone calls, voicemails, and hopefully visits (apparently, I need to become a UGA fan and come down and experience SEC football. Also, Gangsta has plans to have a pet brown cow which she will name Wags which I'll of course need to meet) After next week, the friendship will simply be different.And after next week, my life is one big question mark. A blank canvas waiting to be painted, if you will. That makes it sound so romantic. Unemployment and a dwindling bank account is the reality of it. It's exciting to know I have the world at my fingertips, able to do whatever I want, wherever I want, with nothing holding me back, but it's also scary and daunting, especially with the job market these days... With the economy, I know I can't be too picky, but I've learned that I need my job to pertain to the outdoors, in some way, shape, or form. That is my only criteria at this point. I also think I'd love to move to Colorado (Denver/Boulder, maybe?), but I'll go wherever I find a job that appeals (I'm more than happy to email anyone my resume to help me on the job-finding front)....With my 27th birthday quickly approaching, a huge part of me is ready to live a normal life, find balance, something I feel my life has been lacking for awhile. I want to move somewhere that I'll want to stay awhile, a place to call home, a job to do for more than a year. Dare I use that oh-so-scary term "settle down"!? (My mom is probably clapping her hands with glee, right now). But, the jobs that come along that suit my interest and passions always seem to be anything but that...Obviously, at this transition point, there is lots to think about, but for now I am going to push it all to the farthest back corner of my brain. I don't need those thoughts for the next 5 days - it's emotional weight I don't want to carry through the 100 Mile Wilderness. I've got 100+ miles to hike, more memories to make, and sweetness to suck out of the bittersweet. Katahdin, here I come...My next post will be after I summit. That's insane. Wasn't I just starting this journal? Thank you, to all of my readers, for following me, emailing me well wishes and words of encouragement, sending me care packages/letters (shoutout to Tim B for sending me the piece of mail from the farthest - Iraq!), and even a few who I've been able to chat with on the phone, during this incredible journey. Documenting my hike on Trailjournals has been nothing but a positive experience for me. Don't you worry, there will be Post-Hike entries, and of course, feel free to email me in the future regarding thru-hiking. I believe the best resource is someone who's just done it and I'm happy to lend any opinions or advice I may have. Think of Gangsta and I next Wednesday, August 26th! Happy *last* Trails,WagsPS- Yay for nobody waiting for the computer at the libraryPPS- Thanks, Mom for posting pics from the Whites, and to you and Dad for all of your support throughout the past 5.5 months. Can't wait to see you next Tuesday.