Date: 2023-07-03
From: Imp Campsite

To: US 2
Miles today: 8.0

After a miserable day and feeling exhausted, I slept in until almost 7. I don't think I heard anyone in the shelter until then, and was surprised I slept in so late. Onguard brough everyone their bear bags. Just about everyone headed off. One woman, who I think was jokingly calling herself SAM for slow as molasses, was the last before me to head out.  I met the caretaker and paid last night's fee, then headed out a little after 8:30.I recall my climb up to Mt Moriah side hike in the fall, 5 years ago, maybe taking an hour. It wasn't that bad of a climb as I recall. However, today I must have been pretty unenthusiastic or just fatigued in my wet, dirty hiking clothes and soaked boots, which still encountered plenty of mud slop. As I climbed up, I screamed at the top of my lungs, "I f***ing hate my life!" Being honest here, I've screamed this out many times before in the past month. Today, I got a reply from further up: "Me too!" It was SAM. I passed her on my way up. It felt good to know that someone felt the same way I did for a moment. I saw good views at Middle Moriah, and took a break there around 9:15. SAM arrived there and we chatted. Apparently she has had knee surgery in the past and was due for another. I felt like a wimp for bitching about the trail when another thru hiker had a tougher situation. Besides, the weather was sunny and it was clearing up, gradually.As I got higher up, there was too much fog for a view. I decided to skip 0.1 mile Mt Moriah summit spur. The initial descent was slow, with plenty of slippery rock slabs. Eventually I arrived to the Rattle River trail, coinciding with the AT, around 11:30. The trail mellowed out. There were a couple serious stream crossings across Rattle River, which was raging, but I enjoyed them. I took a break at Rattle River Shelter around 1:10, then got to the US 2 trailhead at about 2:30.Finally, time to relax. The hostel in Gorham was full, so someone from the White Birches Camp and Hostel, about 2 miles from town, picked me up. Once there, I got loaner clothes, took a shower, did laundry, and aired out my wet gear on a picnic table in the warm, sunny weather.I needed to resupply and replace my trekking poles. It was past 5, and the local outfitter store was closed, so that was a task for tomorrow- it looked Iike they would be open, if for limited hours. The weather forecast for tomo, Independence Day, still showed thunderstorms all day. Based on my miserable experience hiking yesterday, I decided to take a zero tomorrow.I decided to run some errands in town and eat. The shuttle driver, Bruce or Golden Waldo, dropped me off at an AYCE (mostly) Chinese food buffet, where I ate until I was uncomfortably stuffed again, and also took some take-out. The food might have not been all that healthy, but I loved eating it. Chicken with broccoli, green beans, sweet and sour soup, crab rangoon, steamed wonton, peanut chicken, pineapple chicken, fried chicken, fruit, jello, cake, pudding, and even ice cream I got to eat there: my one stop shop to fill my belly. I am making AYCE places a priority now.The Walmart was too far away, so I got a few days of food at the Dollar General. I went into Subway, and the nice lady who worked there gave me a cup of spinach free of charge! I needed it and was grateful. I'll have to buy something there tomorrow.There was a fair with rides and concession stands set up at the common grounds. I got a hot fudge sundae there for $8. It was tiny. I should have known.I tried to get a hold of the shuttle driver, but to no avail. I walked the roughly 1.7 miles back to the hostel. Not a terrible walk, but along a highway at night, not so safe. Apparently it had rained, and some of the gear I had not taken in the hostel before leaving had to be dried again. I went back into the hostel and found that Grit was there too! It started pouring not long after. I was exhausted, and fell asleep.