Date: 2004-09-11
From: Gentian Pond, NH

To: Hiking at a Snail's Pace
Miles today: 9.6

This morning, I got up earlier then most of the people at the campsite. A man and three teenagers were tenting nearby. They also got up early and disassembled their tent. The man was barking orders at the boys in a loud tone that was almost certainly waking up people in other tents.As soon as I began hiking, the trail led me up a 1,400 foot ascent of Mount Success. I reached the exposed summit and met a thru hiker in his twenties. He had arranged some rocks to form the letters FDNY, which stands for Fire Department New York. The hiker is a firefighter in Connecticut and today is the third anniversary of 9/11.A couple of miles later, I was descending into a low spot in the woods between two mountains. Misty vapors were rising from damp logs that were being exposed to the sun for the first time in the morning. I walked by the mist and noticed a blue sign. It identified that location as the beginning of Maine.My reaction was one of quiet satisfaction. I had known approximately where the border was located; it was not a surprise. I was also preoccupied with deciding where on the ground I would be placing my shoes with each step.On the New Hampshire side of the border, the terrain was steep and rugged. These conditions remained along the trail in Maine. There were many steep inclines with wet rocks and roots. The hiking was often treacherous.I met a southbound thru hiker in his late twenties named Utah Mike. We had camped together back in The South. He had "flipped" and was now heading toward a finish at Delaware Water Gap in Pennsylvania.I was climbing a steep incline and bending forward, possibly to reach for a handhold. To my surprise, a snake slithered below my face.The hiking was exceedingly difficult. It was impossible for me to make decent headway. The frequent steep inclines, especially the descents, slowed me down to a snail's pace.Another reason for my slow pace is soreness in my left ankle. I had turned that ankle a few days ago and the joint has since been tender and vulnerable to spraining. My knees, my left heel, and my ankles are feeling fragile. It is something like a car with brake pads that have become thin. All of these steep inclines, and the constant stepping downward, are wearing on my lower joints. I sense that if I descend these slopes too quickly the pounding on my joints will cause me physical injury. So I am hiking slowly.My slow pace is also attributable to the dangerous conditions on these steep grades. One wrong step or one wrong placement of my wooden hiking sticks could have resulted in a long fall resulting in serious injury or worse.On one descent, I placed the bottom tip of my wooden hiking stick into the dirt between some roots located beside the trail. I leaned on the stick for leverage. The pressure caused the stick to cave into a hollow space under the roots. The hilt of the stick and my hand and ended up at ground level; this caused my upper body to lean sideways which in turn disrupted my balance on steep incline. I spun around on my feet and regained my balance without falling down the slope.Besides my seemingly fragile joints¢ hopefully a temporary condition¢I felt weak from a stomach ache. I do know the cause for this condition.There were some nice viewpoints on both sides of the border. My favorite one was Goose Eye Mountain (3,854 feet) in Maine, offering a panoramic view of the White Mountains in the Presidential Range, a distant paper mill in Berlin, New Hampshire, and mountains, hills, and woods in Maine. I ate lunch on the summit with Hans, The Rabid Marmot Tribe¢Sardine, John, and Steven¢and Gordy, a female thru hiker in her twenties that I am acquainted with.I had planned on hiking sixteen miles today but ended up traveling just over nine miles. I arrived at the Full Goose Shelter and Campsite at around 4:30 p.m.. It was occupied by thru hikers T-Bott, Hans, Gordie, a section hiker called One Way, and a weekend hiker. Almost everyone was talking about how difficult the hiking has become, and how their mileage expectations had not been realized.I had expected to reach East Andover, Maine in three days; that is where I will resupply. It is probable that it will require four days to reach the town.It is great to finally be in Maine, the final state of this journey. But there will be some tough, and at times, dangerous hiking before I reach Mount Katahdin. I must hike cautiously to prevent a trip ending injury to my knees and ankles.