Date: 2015-08-21
From: Katahdin

To: Long Pond Stream Lean-to
Miles today: 15.5
Weather: overcast clouds

Sardine shelter tonight!The Wilderness didn't start too badly, except that it is a rainy, wet day. I fell a couple of times. I get irrationally FURIOUS for about two seconds every time I slip. But then I feel better again.My mood picked up once I was on the trail, despite the gloomy beginning to the day. The hike began well.Pebble, who works at Shaw's, dropped Silent Force and I, plus a gaggle of section hikers, off at the trailhead. Pebble insisted on taking a picture of Silent Force and me, despite the fact that it was raining and I was itching to go. He nearly made a speech about the impending end of our hikes. It was kind of dramatic.And then... I set off into the wilderness! Pausing, of course, to take a picture (actually Silent Force took my picture for me) of the sign warning that there is NOWHERE to obtain supplies for the next hundred miles, and that you should carry food for at least TEN days with you.I had three breakfasts, three lunches, three dinners, and a boatload of snacks. The bucket drop system was much better than weighing myself down with 30 pounds of food.So... the wilderness began with some ups and downs, but wasn't bad. The term "Hundred Mile Wilderness" implies that the trail is WILD, and overgrown, and that you may be pushing your way through tightly-packed tree branches on a trail you can barely follow for miles. This was not the case.Hiking in the rain isn't THAT bad, but I do not really enjoy being wet all the time. I would rather be dry, at camp, in my sleeping bag, than suffering with wet socks.I ate my lunch quickly at a deserted shelter because I just wanted to be DONE and DRY.One thing about traveling with my new trail family is that we all hike at a similar pace, and we all leave camp around the same time in the morning. I never know when someone might catch up to me. Silent Force catches up to me all the time.Do you know what that means? I can't engage in a good mid-hike cry, because who knows if someone might pop up behind me, and ask, "WHAT NOW, RED PANDA?!". Of course, I do it anyways sometimes, but I am more careful. I try to only cry briefly, and only when I know that I am ahead of the group.I think about the point of this journey...Was it to find myself? Some days I think that there is nothing to find. More and more, I think I just needed a plan. I needed an adventure. I needed to BE myself, out in the woods, free from the influence of society. I needed to assert my individuality after losing Jim. I needed to get away. And I wasn't ready for real life.So why not hike the AT? I think it was a WONDERFUL idea.Except for the rain. The rain is not wonderful. One section of exposed ridge was kind of dangerous, and I inched along trying not to slip on the wet rocks. Of course, the rain picked up as I hiked this part. Slippery rocks make me grumpy.The guidebook listed three fords today. I caught up to the Aussie Legs (I accidentally scared Redback, who didn't hear me coming up behind her) just before the first one. We tried to determine if it was possible to rock-hop across. Should we go for it, and risk a crash into the stream and wet gear? Or should we take the safe route, and pull off our boots and socks and wade across?I became the guinea pig, carefully stepping my way across on the VERY VERY SLIPPERY rocks. Seriously, so slippery! I am extra glad to have my poles to brace myself in times like these. It is not easy to balance on one foot on a slippery rock while you reach out your other foot and attempt to make safe contact with ANOTHER slippery rock.I managed to make it safely across without an accidental swim.I was not so lucky with the next two crossings. I didn't fall, but couldn't rock-hop. Instead, I removed my shoes and hung them from the ropes strung across the rivers, sliding them along as I crossed, clutching them tightly to keep myself upright in case I slipped. The water felt quite pleasant, and I splashed it over my legs to remove a bit of the mud and debris. I don't know how I always get SO DIRTY. Pine needles and mud and bits of leaves EVERYWHERE, all the time!I passed a few ponds today. There were no moose to be seen I passed a dirt road and saw a weird small truck thing. WILDERNESS MY BUTT. Just beyond it was a sign for trail magic. IN THE HUNDRED MILE WILDERNESS.Birdman was coming down the trail. His friend, Yogi Bear, used to do trail magic with his father. Yogi Bear died, however, so now his father and Birdman carry on the tradition. They have a small old cottage an eighth of a mile from the trail.Birdman gave Silent Force, who showed up right after me, a ride to the cabin in the awesome little ATV-truck-thing (I want one!), and asked us if we were hungry or thirsty.It hadn't been long since I had eaten lunch, but I ate anyway.He cooked me a HAMBURGER! It was slightly undercooked for my tastes... I prefer my meat not to still be bleeding when I eat it, but I enjoyed the heck out of that burger anyway.Even better, he also cooked corn on the cob for me! I FREAKING LOVE CORN ON THE COB.Who would expect such wonderful magic in the Hundred Mile Wilderness? I love the trail.The Aussie Legs, as well as Kodak and the group that he is hiking with, soon arrived and feasted as well.It was quite an enjoyable break.I was the first of my trail family to leave, heading out to the next shelter a couple of miles north.I ran into Iso, who had decided to bypass the trail magic. He also chose to tent right past the river crossing a mile before the shelter, having heard that there weren't many good tent sites near the shelter itself.I felt bad leaving him there, but knew the Aussie Legs and Silent Force would at least be passing him soon.When I arrived at the shelter, there were already people inside. Uh oh. Not a good sign!In the end, Silent Force, Muddy Duckling, Firebear and I managed to squeeze in with the two southbounders and the section hiker that had arrived before us. Redback decided to tent. I offered my umbrella to keep her things dry while she set up.Of course, it later ended up POURING and I was stranded in my nice, dry clothes with no way to pee without getting soaked. I held it. I held it for a loooooong time.It rained a LOT tonight. Poor Redback is off in her tent, stranded in the rain.I prefer the heat to the wet. I would so much rather be sweaty and hot than have to navigate around puddles and worry about getting my clothes wet and be stuck in the shelter. I HATE THE WET.I feel like I am going to start growing mold by the time I get to Katahdin.Muddy Duckling's hot cocoa smells very good this evening.I am crammed in at one end of the shelter. Once dry, I thoroughly enjoyed reading some of my book and snacking on M&Ms while snuggled in my sleeping bag.I nearly had a panic attack when I started to feel water drip down on me. WAS THE SHELTER LEAKING?! Was I doomed to become a midnight puddle?! It was just condensation from my water bottles, though, in the pockets of Gertrude, who is hanging above me. I tucked my bandana under the pockets to catch the drips.I am thankful for my trail family, and a dry place to sleep. I am thankful for magic in the middle of nowhere. I am thankful that my entrance into the wilderness went well, despite the rain.