Date: 2019-09-02
From: Manchester, VT

To: Carrabassett Valley, Maine
Miles today: 0.0

I¢m currently sitting in a hostel in Carrabassett Valley watching the rain come down and enjoying a day off. Since my last update I¢ve gone through the hardest stretch on the trail, the White Mountains and Southern Maine, and Katahdin is almost in site. The end is close, less than 200 miles away now and people are starting to think about things like finish dates and what they will be doing post trail. As many hikers at this stage, I¢m filled with a mixture of emotions. A sense of almost surreal bemusement at how I possibly hiked this far and excitement that a goal I have been working towards for almost five months is almost complete. But also a feint and growing sadness that this amazing journey is almost over. New Hampshire was challenging for sure but amazing and one of my favorite sections. I had hiked a lot in the Whites before doing the trail but it was an entirely different experience this time around. The Whites just had a different feel to them than other sections of the trail. I found it similar to when I played basketball, like mentally preparing for a playoff game versus a team you know you should beat easily. Mileage expectations went out the window as some 15 mile days in the Whites were harder than a 22 in Virginia. The climbs were tough, the descents were tougher, and the views were just epic.I got lots of hospitality at the AMC huts along the way and ate plenty of left over sausage and eggs (in exchange for washing some dishes). I only stayed at one hut though, Lake of the Clouds near the summit of Washington, and went to hostels, friends houses (shoutout Renee and Pete) or stealth camped the other nights. While every day in the Whites was difficult, the descent down after Washington and Madison was particularly tough on the body/knees. The trail is above tree line for almost 12 miles in that section and you navigate from cairn to cairn on lots of loose rock and boulder fields. My knees were hurting really badly after but all I could think of was how fortunate I was that it wasn¢t raining. After Washington, two of my friends from work, John and Ryan, came and joined me for Wildcats and got a taste of the trail. I met up with my dad and family friend Chris Horsch that night and ate a great hamburger and potatoes dinner. I had been planning to go home that weekend and my dad left a car for me at a trailhead in Gorham to drive down to the lakes region.After not driving for four months it felt very strange to be behind the wheel again and I think I went about 10 miles under the speed limit for the first half an hour before I got my bearings.Being home was great and I got to see a lot of friends and family for the first time since I left. I ate tons of food and slept in a bed for three nights in a row- what a treat. I got back on the trail a week ago today and hiked through another very difficult stretch in Maine featuring Mahoosuc Notch, Old Speck, the Crockers, and lots of mud and rough trail. Maine definitely has a different feel to it, more remote and rugged than New Hampshire with far fewer people on the trail. I stayed at a hostel in Andover and then hiked two hard days to Carrabsset Valley. I now have exactly 189 miles left and think I can finish by September 14th at the latest, putting me right under my initial goal of five months. I¢ll miss the hell out of this trail but definitely looking forward to having a warm bed and indoor plumbing again. A shave and haircut will also be nice. My next post will be a post-trail recap. On to Katahdin! - Kevin ¢Crypter¢-Kevin