Date: 2012-06-24
From: Whitehouse Landing Hostel

To: Rainbow Spring Campsite
Miles today: 19.7
Weather: light rain

It rained all last night, mostly steady, but sometimes hard. I slept in knowing that I really had nothing to do before breakfast. I had plans to get to breakfast a little early to see if I could discuss my options with Bill and his wife. So I rolled out of bed around seven, thinking I had enough time. Around 7:45 Bill's wife came by the bunkhouse to let me know that my breakfast was getting cold. I was surprised by this announcement because the sign in the bunkhouse said that breakfast started at 8:00 sharp.I was basically done packing, so I quickly headed over to the dining area. There I met Moses and his girlfriend Mackenzie and Matt and Taryn. Matt and Taryn were both going southbound, though I got the impression that she was only going a small ways and that he was attempting a thru-hike. Even though I was a little late, they left me plenty of food. I had some eggs, pancakes, bacon, and English muffins with coffee and OJ to wash it down. Moses was definitely surprised to see me there, so I explained that I was trying to see what my options were with regard to my shoes.Breakfast went by leisurely. Bill's wife had heard about my tale of woe from Bill apparently. She had me try on some old pairs of shoes, but they didn't fit. I overhead her telling one pf the customers that the road to Whitehouse Landing was in bad shape because if the rain, so this basically eliminated any hope of getting a shuttle into a major town. At this point I had basically resigned myself to basically hiking the remaining miles to Abol Bridge in my shoes.Right at the end of breakfast Bill's wife showed me how to use fishing line to resow my shoe back together. After a few demonstration stitches, I got the hang of it and set about trying to repair my shoe as best I could. Before I could finish my handiwork, Matt walked over and offered for me to borrow his size eleven hiking boots. At first I refused this generous offer, but Matt insisted. He said that he was going to send his boots back anyway because they were hurting his knees. He also had a pair of vibram toe shoes that he wanted to hike in. So I tried on his boots and they fit. I thanked him profusely. I agreed to mail them back to him when I got to Millinocket.Matt's generosity is the kind of trail blessing that makes the AT unique. I had started the morning in need of help, and a total stranger came to my aid. Matt is hiking the So Moses, Mackenzie, and I hit the trail about ten o'clock. The rain had stopped by the time we got the ferry back to the trailhead. The trail was a mess: muddy and covered in large pools of water. I hiked with Moses and Mackenzie for only a short while. I pushed after the second fjord.Because I got such a late start, I knew my chances of getting to Hurd Brook lean-to and meeting up with Groundhog, Goose, Mav, and D were slim. Still I pushed hard to make as many miles as I could.The terrain today was mist flat with a few steep climbs. However, it was very difficult to make good time due to the pools of water and mud in the trail and the constant dodging and stepping over roots. And the mosquitoes were ridiculous. Almost anytime I slowed down I got bitten multiple times, especially on my back and bum where I couldn't see them landing. That's right; they bit me through my clothing.I did find one brief respite from the bugs, a small strip of rocky beach on a lake. I ate lunch there and dried some socks.The last four miles, from 6:30-8:30, the bugs were biting me do ferociously that I was forced to hike with a jacket and a hood on so I wouldn't get bitten in the neck, face, and arms. Sweat was pouring from me by the time I made it to camp tonight. The mosquitoes made what should have been a memorable day on the AT for me into one of the most miserable days.Met a Southbounder named Allen who just started three days ago. We chatted for a while, and I wished him well.Tenting tonight. I'm hoping I can get an early start tomorrow to make it to the base of Katadhin. I hope it's not raining in the morning. I can only take one more day of the mosquitoes. Good thing I'm almost done.Btw, I had my first clear view of Katadhin today. It looks hard!