Date: 2005-07-31
From: Trapper John Shelter

To: Ore Hill Shelter
Miles today: 19.3

Lots and lots of ups and downs today. I went over Smarts Mountain and Mount Cube, both which have pretty good steep ascents. And then at the last climb was up to the Ore Hill Shelter here at the Atwell Hill Road. It was kind of surprise 1,000 footer. Always annoying when the last piece of the day to the shelter is uphill. Very rugged and beautiful walk today. Good thing it was not raining. The climbs to both Smarts and Mount Cube have a lot of rocks; boulders that you have to walk steeply up through; a lot of roots sticking up out of the ground. And then you get to the top and it is exposed ridge walk on smooth surfaces.Psychologically, I had a very difficult time. I¢ve had a hell of a time trying to walk into Glencliff here. I¢m sure it has a lot to do with the fact that Mount Cube is what knocked me out last time; took a lot of falls. I told OC1 the other day that the piece going out of Hanover to Glencliff scares me, and really, just walking over wasn¢t that bad. It just happened to be that I was in bad shape last time, and that I walked in the rain for all of that. Those rocks and those roots in that section are very, very treacherous when they¢re wet. I really had to talk myself into getting this far. I¢m only seven and a half miles from Glencliff, but the whole time I was thinking to myself, ¢I could just cheat. I could hit a road here and not even bother with this. Go and get a ride into Glencliff and get it over. Just not have to face it". I don¢t know why because it¢s just trail; just like any other trail. It took me until I got to the road to talk myself out of it and keep going. Today was actually a great walking day for me. I got 19.3 miles done. I got here before 4:30. I woke up late. I didn¢t get moving til 7:00. And yet I made good time and didn¢t really feel it. My conditioning is way up now, from the last couple of weeks of all the ups and downs. I¢m feeling pretty confidant about getting into the Whites and the Presidential Range. Actually, my knees were in pretty good shape for the first time in a couple weeks. They actually felt good. I wasn¢t in a lot of pain.I briefly considered, because I got here at 4:30, that if I walked another 2 12 or 3 hours I could get into Glencliff before dark. Of course, I¢ve already said I wasn¢t going to do another twenty mile day, and here I was considering doing twenty seven miles. I decided not to. As long as I¢m walking, I can¢t feel it, but I stop, even for a few minutes, the fatigue sets in. I knew that I was very tired and there was no point in it. I can¢t get to the post office if I got in there because I¢d be getting in late. I¢d be paying money to stay there tonight. I¢d be rushing around. I¢m sure that by 7:30 at night, OC1's already made a trip to the store to get pizza and food and stuff. I¢d be screwed there. I just figured I¢d lay back, take what I¢ve got, my 19.3, and store up my energy for another day, which will be the day after tomorrow. I intend to walk into Glencliff, the 7 12 miles, take my time; take my shower; get my mail drops, which I have a crazy number of six or seven boxes there; consolidate everything; sit down and make plans for what I¢m going to do for mail drops through Maine, because I think I¢m going to need one or two more than I have and send it out from here. The one draw back is that I won¢t see OC1. I¢m fairly certain he won¢t take a zero day there, so he will be walking out of there in the morning before I walk in. Maybe I¢ll catch up to him; maybe I won¢t. Like I said, his priority is not to finish Katahdin with me. His priority is to finish by August 31. So he¢s got to hike his own hike. If I catch him, I will; if not I will do likewise. Hike my own hike.