Date: 2018-08-19
From: Route 4 Rangeley

To: Poplar Ridge shelter
Miles today: 10.7

The cottage was comfortable but I woke around 1am in the middle of a night sweat, damn 50's, to the TV still on and River asleep with the remote under her covers. My rustling about must have woken her because she found the remote and turned it off. Around 5:30 I got up and redied myself and my pack for the day and made my last berry smoothy package for breakfast. I was ready at 6:45 and relaxed before Stacey came to check us out and bring us back to the trailhead. We checked out on her cell phone with our credit cards. It's incredible what technology has allowed us to do out here! At the trailhead Stacey helped with our packs and gave us hugs. It was warm and motherly even though she's younger than us. She drove away and we walked across the street to the trail.The first few miles were a gradual incline and at Eddy Pond the trail changed and 2 miles of real climbing began. I sweat buckets! I was going to take a rest on the open summit of Saddleback but there were lots of day hikers and dogs, so I passed by and opted for a rest at a spot between Saddleback and the Horn where I ate the rest of the dark chocolate blueberry macadamia nuts Brian sent me and called to talk with him. I was feeling very annoyed and grumpy today but felt much better after our conversation. I hiked up the Horn where the sign was gone and took a silly picture with the remaining post. Then there was the climb up Saddleback Jr. By the time I got there I sat under the sign and snapped a selfie but couldn't muster a smile. I reminded myself to actually let me off the hook for the crappy mood. We all have those days. Sometimes I feel like a locomotive and sometimes I feel like the caboose. Today was a caboose day and it probably didn't help that I rationed my water so I wouldn't have to carry extra weight. I know it affected my hike because I could feel it in my cognitive function of my hiking, my slow reaction and choices. I was more than ready to arrive at the shelter and did so around 4:30. I thought briefly about getting in another mile but decided it wouldn't be wise, what if I didn't find a tent site, and the ease of the shelter was speaking to me. Dr Who was the only one there and I'd met him earlier in the day when he passed me. He'd just woken up from a nap and was in a happy and talkative mood which I settled into. An hour later I'd still not seen River and was becoming concerned so I texted Brian to see if he could look at her tracker and see where she was. A moment later she arrived looking just as I'd been feeling. She'd actually called her wife and asked to go home but her cat Destiny told her she couldn't come home until she finished the trail. So I guess I'm not the only one in the dumpster today. We rolled out our tyvek to claim our shelter space and chatted with a couple of hikers who stopped to have dinner then hiked on. Knots and Earth Heart arrived and also had dinner. Knots had also been in a bad mood and Dr Who confessed to hiking angry all day. All of this made me feel better. In the shelter Buddah had left a Dr Seuss book "oh the places you'll go" which River read out loud to the group. The book and the conversation completely changed the mood of all and we were happy to be together. Blueberry arrived and joined us. She'd hiked a 20 mile day to escape a pink blazer and was happy to spend the night with us. Knots and Earth Heart decided to stay and tent instead of hike on, feeling happy and like a small family now. After filling my belly with some Annie's GF shells and white cheddar with added bacon bits I got ready for bed and crawled in next to the memorial for Geraldine Largay (Inchworm) who spent her last night of safety at this shelter in 2013. The next day she stepped off trail and became lost. She lived 26 days but searchers could not find her. Her remains were found in 2015. I didn't know her but have hiked with and met 2 women who did. On this night I prayed for her and her family, that they are all at peace. I know tomorrow I'll hike where she did and pass by the same area where she left the trail. I'll be thinking of her. Tonight the people in this shelter have made an impact on each other and are grateful for it. We go to sleep feeling much differently than when we arrived. It's an evening I think I'll always remember fondly.