Date: 2014-07-22
From: Stealth Site

To: Unnamed Gap
Miles today: 13.5
Weather: light rain

I can't get over how tough the trail still is. Hoping after we left the Whites and now the Mahoosucs things would calm down and I guess really, they have; but some sections are still surprising. Couple that with a full pack after a zero day and I become a whiner again. There are now longer flatter sections but in between are still mountains. And Maine feels a lot more wild. Less road crossings, less day hikers, no reception, and a trail that is much more rugged. It's well marked and well maintained but some places are extraordinarily rough. Slept in a little this morning. I think the days in town were slowly taking me out of my cycle and into a blissful slumber. Woke after six, about an hour after normal but was up, ate, and ready to go by seven. I was almost all packed up when I heard a "Dune!" from the trail. It was Survivorman heading through. He and I are roughly on the same schedule between now and the end so we'll probably see a lot of each other. I packed up and joined him for the slow hike up to Wyman mountain. We both remarked at how drained we felt. I know mine was from those zeroes. It's so hard to get into it again but I know tomorrow will be some sort of gargantuan day. It just always is so as long as I do 14 I'm good. Took a break at Hall Mountain shelter and I considered taking a nap but Dinosaur showed up so we all chatted then in turn got the gumption to haul our packs back on and move. Dinosaur is a cool chick! She's from Germany and I first met her with Bean Dip in Damascus. They've been hiking together for a while and with other girls. Bean Dip and Dino I guess have visa restrictions (Australia for Bean Dip) and need to finish the trail so they and their friends have made it their own. They dropped the having to hike every inch mantra and moved to moving north through adventure. Some days they hike, others they do something different but are still making their way to Katahdin. Dino is hiking a alone at the moment and has never camped alone so is going to find a spot to be alone in the next few days. Funny, I often prefer being alone. All made it down the very steep Sawyer Notch and I considered camping there but it's only ten miles. Left Survivorman, who is heading into Andover, and Dino, who already had her shoes off, to tackle the other side of the notch. A seriously steep uphill that continues about 2000 feet to Old Blue Mountain. Ugh I hated this. It's very warm here and the sweat is dripping off me. The plan is to summit then stealth on the other side where the book shows it's flat and has water. Both of which I need. I really want this to be over with and right on cue I get to the flat area and there's a little stream. Just enough to fill my bottles up. Now for a tent site. Oh - lots of moose prints btw. I've seen piles and piles of droppings but these are the first prints. I keep walking and it gets to this narrow trail through very tall spruce trees. I see a side path that has debris on it (commonly done by the trail maintainers to keep hikers from tenting outside the designated areas) and step over and find the perfect site. Nice and clear. Logs for sitting. A good bear branch. There's even an old firepit. I'm done. Ready for dinner and a little reading. Yay! And to boot, I'm four miles ahead of schedule to meet Debbie in Monson so hoping to get a little longer rest day in Stratton on Saturday before the final push through the Maine woods. Hey! And there's Dino. There's another little spot right near mine she's taken so I won't be alone tonite.