Date: 2010-04-05
From: Standing Indian Mountain

To: Winding Stair Gap - Franklin
Miles today: 22.1
Weather: clear sky

So what can possibly make a fast paced, easy, 22-mile day more complete? To be sitting at a Mexican restaurant just a handful of hours later. I have a beer in one hand (so what if it¢s 10:54 a.m.), chips and guac in the other and two plates filled with cheesy, spice gooiness. Yea, I said two plates. So I¢m here in Franklin since the logistic options for travel are better. The route from Standing Indian Mountain, other than just that quick steep up Albert Mountain, lend themselves to easy long miles, just look, it was a 22-mile day and its only at the end of the first week. My legs feel like mid-thru-hiker legs. This part of trail is unusual for the AT in that the AT diabolically ALWAYS finds something to take you up and over whether it needs to or not. Called P.U.D.'s ¢ Pointless Up¢s & Down¢s, they take a bit of time to let go of when you¢re on your first big hike. And because the AT wiggles around as much as it does, you never really know which mountain in the distance will be your fate, but not today. Countless times I was gearing my mind up for the mountain in front of me only to surprisingly skirt its footprint. I say thank you to the planners for this, sometimes its nice to just walk as opposed to sweat like a pig. I¢ve really liked my previous times of using the shelters as my base camp, but this hike was completely different in that I never used them except that first night at Stover Creek where I cook dinner there. Hiking and then ¢throwing it down¢ for the night at a certain hour allows you to experience the wilderness more acutely. There¢s a greater sense of freedom that doesn¢t happen while using the shelter system. Both are good, but for me, I¢m comfortable having a touch more ¢Postcard¢ time where for first timers it might be too big a leap on the adventure. My first thru-hike I always stayed in the shelters, on the second, thanks to this fabulous Rainbow Tarptent, I ratcheted up my tenting. This short hike saw me tent out exclusively when not in town for chores. Avoiding all the hubbub from this large thru-hiker heard agreed with me ¢ the late winter and delayed starting dates has it awfully crowded currently. Those 25 hikers at the shelter the other night, many whipping out cell phones every minute isn¢t my idea of getting out there. However, within the craziness, there are lots of wonderful people. As stated in the recent National Geographic film, America¢s Wild Spaces; The Appalachian Trail, they labeled the AT as ¢The Peoples Trail.¢ Its accessibility and with nearly two million touching a part of the AT each season, it¢s a good moniker. But I feel, especially at this time of the year that it¢s ¢The Thru-Hikers Trail.¢ You constantly hear the section hikers saying ¢I¢m JUST going to so-and-so location,¢ feeling that they must use the word ¢just.¢ As mentioned earlier, the AT is at its most magical when it is faced the first time. Sectioning is a nice, short term distraction, but unless one is still working on that first 2000-Miler rocker patch, sectioning need not be prolonged distances as I once considered doing to reconnect with the feeling of the outdoors that so pleased me on my thru¢s. What I learned is that the daily discovery of new land is a powerful motivation which I was unaware of my first hike and just started becoming aware of during my second.I have grown a bit guilty about lollygagging¢ around in the mountain forest when more significant life adversities continue for my family members. So instead of what I thought I needed, a long half-hike, I¢ve already achieved and felt what I truly needed, a temporary escape to AT Land. And since I¢m a planner, Franklin offered better logistical options for getting to Amtrak and back north than continuing. That and the whole guilt thingy.I have been able to help a handful of dreamers heading for Maine with some gear chats, strategy talks, encouraging words and showing a few how to simplify things for the journey ¢ actually turned one hiker around and got them going northbound when they were following their compass reading of north, which had them going southbound. Hey, she wasn¢t the first to have that happen. I like helping others, it was the main reason I wrote my book with that section named ¢Have more smiles in your miles.¢ Of course, helping is a double-edge sword, they sort of have to let their ego relax and reach out to you ¢ don¢t want to be an Annoy-it-all. But pack weight will never determine whether someone makes it or not, no that still comes down to outlook, emotional strength and joy. It¢s just for me personally all those aspects can be enhanced by lighter pack weights to the positive side.Today I learned a little factoid about Mt. Katahdin this year. Seems last year two locals lost their lives up there due to early winter conditions within the normal October 15th closing of Baxter Park. As a result, Mt. Katahdin and Baxter will close a week earlier, and this may become the new standard. When the shuttle driver giving us a lift into Franklin finished dropping this bombshell, a strange silence fell over the hikers riding into town. I broke the awkward silence by saying to the group ¢By the time you guys reach Maine, you¢ll all be Olympians in your fitness, you'll be there in time.¢I heard seven sighs of relief.