Date: 2021-07-04
From: Height of the Lands

To: South Arm Road
Miles today: 13.3
Weather: clear sky

After a surprisingly decent seven hours of sleep (does funky wet shoe smell contain some anesthetic properties?)  and a nice breakfast repast, we were shuttled to the Heights of the Land (picture above, before the fog rolled in five minutes later) and began the SOBO hike back towards Andover at 8:30.  After yesterday¢s 20 miles I thought I¢d be a little more dead-legged to start the day but actually felt kind of spry. The fifth day in Maine was a copy of the previous four, with cool temps and overcast skies. The forest was wet through and dripping, so I went ahead and donned my rain kilt for the third straight day in order to keep my hiking shorts somewhat dry. Just 20 minutes in we came to a road crossing just as Gregg, a local Trail Angel, was setting out some trail magic. He had cookies, drinks and granola bars that they put out everyday at 9, 12, and 3. He also told us that there is a local group that does a weekly ¢banquet¢, cooking food for the hikers. All they ask in return is that hikers sign their register. How awesome is that?  After chatting with him for 10 minutes we started our climb 2000 feet up Bemis mountain. Once again, as soon as we went above 2000 feet we were back walking in the clouds for the next 6 hours which has been the modus operandi for us in Maine. Every mountain we¢ve crossed has been socked in with varying degrees of rain and wind. But, it¢s not something that I can control so I just try to roll with it and then enjoy the day for what it is, not what it isn¢t. It can be so still and peaceful with the trees dripping softly and the ground underfoot muffled by the damp.  The only things to watch out for were roots, rocks, and moose droppings. Just after noon I crossed paths with Grumpy Cat, who had been off trail for 8 days last month to celebrate his retirement from the US Army Rangers.  He was knocking off some sections up here in Maine during the poor weather, then will go back to New Hampshire to hike when it gets warmer. He¢s probably about four days back but it wouldn¢t shock me if he passes by me before the end of Maine. It was good catching up with him.I caught up to one SOBO hiker on a steep downhill section about half a mile from our pick-up point at South Arm Road. He was really struggling in the wet rocks and fell twice, cursing as he did so. But he got up both times, which is the important part. He was trying to go as fast as he could to meet his 3:30 shuttle and got to the road just in time. On the way back to the hostel we made a side trip to the convenience store in Andover where we had a random celebrity citing as Tucker Carlson was at the register as we walked in. Do with that what you wish. Back at the hostel I did the standard clean up and laundry and then did some planning for the next few days. Dinner was Shepherds Pie and then brownies and ice cream for desert. Miss Honey joined us and told us some trail stories and some history of the hostel. We also celebrated the birthday of one of her neighbors who thru hiked back in 1977. So I¢m starting to zero in on a possible finish date in Maine around the 22nd or 23rd of July. It looks like when I do finish NOBO (the Good Lord wiling) I¢ll try and take Amtrak back down to Roanoke, Va to continue my flip-flop. Hope everyone had a great 4th of July!