Date: 2017-07-04
To: 2,000 Miles and Counting
Miles today: 78.3
Weather: light rain

06/29/2017 - Spaulding Shelter - 18.7 miYou can't predict mother nature. I left Rangeley at 6am and the plan was 10 mi before the rain started. When I got to the first shelter at 1:30 and no rain l decided to push for the next shelter and see if l could best the rain again. l got rained on a little but nothing that caused any issues. I can't believe I did 18.7 it almost made up for my zero. Tomorrow¢s next shelter is again 18.6 mi which I am not doing. I will overnight in Stratton and get back on the trail in morning. It's still about a 14 mile day and I'll be inside dry. Overall it was a good day, but hard on my feet again. Still passing south bounders but thinning out. Only a few hundred start north and go south. I haven't seen any northbound hikers for a few days...they are out there! Pic today was me on a peak freezing, tomorrow will be warmer.06/30/2017 - Stratton - 14 miRain again, why not!!! I¢m soaked again from the morning hike. The rain let off as the day progressed but thunderstorms are in the forecast with flash flooding in mountain areas. There was a warning for hikers so I hiked 14 mi and hitched into Stratton for the night. I¢ll probably zero tomorrow and have to make it up. I¢m still seeing south bounders each day. It's nice to be dry even though it's only a temporary reprieve. Getting closer in spite of the rain. I think I'm at about 150 miles to go. I passed the 2000 mile mark today. I'm in the club! No pics again acct weather.... I had a fellow hiker take this pic as he passed thru Wadleigh shelter in the 100 mile wilderness.... Still there!!07/02/2017 - Little Bigelow Shelter - 15.5 miI'm glad I stayed in Stratton for the weather... it poured !!! One mi into my hike I had a ford in front of me, normally a rock hop but with the storm no way. I saw a tree across the stream about 20 yards downstream so I went for it, and I made it. Beats pulling off shoes n socks... unless you fall in! It was a beautiful day to hike. The trail was horrible but the sun was out and the temp was perfect! As usual the mileage ate up my feet. Tomorrow I may do 18 since my feet hurt so much today. that will put me in position for the ferry across a river that you must not ford!!! And a chocolate shake the next day in town....YUM. Today I climbed my last mountain over 4,000 ft. until Katahdin....Yahoo !!! The pics are views today... I'm getting there....a little closer each day now....I'm starting to feel it....07/03/2017 - Pierce Pond Shelter - 20.1 mi18.1 is the actual trail mileage... The other 2 mi is because I missed a turn and had to backtrack....dang it! That is the worst feeling. Anyway, I'm in position for the ferry ride tomorrow morning. I have 3.5 mi to hike to the Kennebec River for my ferry ride. After that I'm diving into a chocolate milk shake!! Then back on the trail. I'm 3 days out of Monson. Then into the 100 mile wilderness. Still planning on a summit of Mt Katahdin on the 15th. You will never guess in a million years what I saw on the trail yesterday. Moms trail name is Kanga and the 16 month old baby she is carrying is Roo. Dads trail name is Sherpa because he is carrying everything, and I mean everything !!! Amazing !!! Today I slogged along in a minimum of 5 miles of bogs...awful ! I can smell my shoes from here and they are 10 ft away.I saw another 2000 mile sign so here it is. The other pic is a mushroom I saw as I hiked. I'm not sure if I had a flashback or not! And the other is roots on the trail....try to hike over these for mile after mile....lotto fun!07/04/2017 - Pleasant Pond Shelter - 10 miUp early and headed for the ferry.... I arrived at 8:15 for a 9am ride....I'm always early. Short n sweet...then on my way to that chocolate shake....Yum. After that I headed to then next shelter and plans for the one after that.... Guess what...Rain again! Forecast for partly cloudy....lol it's been raining for 6 hrs now ! So I'm stuck at 10 mi today with 8 other hikers in a 6 person shelter. Ughhhh. Tomorrow I'll head north while the rest head south. The pics today....the view from the shelter when I woke. A waterfall .... A good example of a Maine hiker bridge.... My ferry operator and notice the blaze in the canoe...it's the official AT route.... I'm cold...wet, again! And I don't like being a sardine !! Come on sleep....sweet relief !!!