Date: 2015-09-09
From: height of the land

To: road to Rangely
Miles today: 13.2
Weather: light rain

D.No's foot is hurt. He can't really walk on it. They plan to get off the trail for a couple of days to see if rest helps, but we all seem to know this is it. They are not sad, they have hiked from Georgia to Maine and know they have accomplished a huge challenge. And to this wonderful attitude , I say yay! I am very happy that the are happy. C.Shell will be hugging her grand baby soon, something she has longed to do everyday. But.... what about me? Who is going to keep me company and make me laugh so hard my guts hurt? Of course I'm kidding- but I am really sad that j won't be sharing the summit with my two friends. I have hiked much of this trail by myself, so I'm not worried about that. Besides, as I type this ,Katwalk is in Stratton, itching to hike. She will hike the last 190 miles with me and I know we will have fun.Cherri drove us in the morning, first bringing me to Height of The Land then D.No and C.shell to the Farmhouse in Rangely. It was cold and cloudy, rain was in the forecast. We were all feeling blue. Just before we reached the trailhead, Cherri played Best Day of My Life in the car- and as the song played, the sun came out.   I said goodbye to my hiking partners, and we all huger and cried a little. I know it must have been an emotional moment for them, leaving the trail that has been their home for 5 months. I said goodbye to Cherri, our new friend and wonderful trail angel. I hiked out, the trail went in the woods and they faded away behind me. I was hiking with red eyes, a little tearful, when a giant Adonis of a man passed me. He asked how I was doing and I said I was sad- just lost my hiking partners, and he said the trail was a good place to drop tears and that he had dropped a few over the last months. Then he disappeared ahead with his long strides, but I felt good about what he said.I passed a few people in a hiking group doing a two week section. They were my age and a little older. When I got to Sabbath Day Pond, I took a break at a little table to eat lunch. That hiking group reached the pond, stripped down to their underwear, and jumped in for a swim. Looked like fun, but I wasn't hot enough yet to swim. The hike was not terribly challenging today, but with some rocks here and there I did not make fabulous time. There were lots of ponds and lakes, not many views, but it was a gorgeous hike. A good day to process my thoughts.About 5:30, it started to rain. I had texted D.No and C.Shell and found out that they were at the hostel a few miles from the road crossing I was about to reach. A man at the road crossing asked me if I wanted a ride there as soon as I emerged from the woods, and even though it was not in my plans, I said sure! I mean, when something makes such an effort to be what is supposed to happen, why fight it?I got to the hostel, a really big and interesting farmhouse, and with the blessing of the owner, I camped on the floor in my friend's room. C.Shell offered me the makings for a sub and the three of us enjoyed one last night- reminiscing about the last few amazing months we have spent hiking The Appalachian Trail. All of the views, the climbs, the interesting people. The hotel rooms and pack washing routine, the Big Macs,the rain, the pain, making it to Maine, the tears and smiles. We have dug deep together, and while this journey seems pointless at times, I know that I have learned a lot. With these two people I have learned how to be a better team player, I have learned how to work in the best interest of the group and do it without throwing a fit because it didn't go my way. I have learned how to listen and laugh again, and this is something I once had and lost, and now I have it again and cherish it.My time on this trail will be finished soon too, and all of this will be a memory. Soon I'll be boring people with my stories, Glory days!