Date: 2013-09-13
From: Campsite near South Arm Rd

To: Stealth site near a dirt road
Miles today: 12.2
Weather: clear sky

Day One Hundred Eighty Nine - (12.2) Campsite at South Arm Rd to Stealth site near a dirt roadThere was a huge thunderstorm last night and it was still raining when I got up. I packed as quickly as I could and after feeding Melkie and getting his pack on I told Zenmaster and Canadian Bacon that I was getting a head start on the giant hill in front of us. Almost immediately I had to cross a brook, there were rocks to hop across but the first one would have been an awkward jump so I just walked into the brook and got it over with (my feet were already wet so what did it matter). After the brook we crossed the a road and then a steep climb began. Taking it really slowly it was bearable and when I thought the steep part was over I stopped for a break and that's where Zenmaster and Canadian Bacon found me. There was still a lot of up left but most of the steep part was over with only a couple more tough places. To be honest I thought it was going to be way worse because of the wet everything but so far so good. It stopped raining and I had hopes of drying out my soaking wet tarp that was weighing my pack down when we got to the shelter but the shelter took forever to get to. We ended up stopping for lunch on the side of the trail and by the time we finally got to the shelter is was just a quick stop to get more water. The trail so far in Maine has had more mud and roots than Vermont and more rocks than Pennsylvania but its hard to complain about because everything is so beautiful here. On the mountaintops there are amazing views and in the woods on the trail there is more of everything, more types of pines trees with their individual smells, more varieties of moss and a general sense of peacefulness. I would say the place seems magical but magical isn't the right word. It feels like I'm out in the wilderness for the first time in six months and it feels like this is how a woods should be with only the sound of birds or the occasional grunt of a larger animal that is somewhere nearby yet I never get to see. Even though the trail is much harder and it takes longer to get anywhere I am loving it. Although I do wish it would stop raining! We had planned a seventeen mile day today and by 1pm it had become obvious that we needed to revise our plans so then we planned a fourteen mile day instead. At 5pm the heavens opened and it rained like I've never seen and the thunder and lightning were soon to follow, it was so loud and so close and there was absolutely nothing we could do but try to get down off of the mountain as quick as we could. The problem is that with water streaming down the trail and the rocks slippery as hell we couldn't move very fast. We crawled down the mountain at a snails pace trying not to think about the lightning but really just trying not to fall. We were almost at a dirt road where we had been told we would find campsites when we came across trail magic! Someone had left a case of gingerale on the side of the trail, it wasn't the warm, dry house with hot chocolate that I had been fantasizing about coming down the hill but it was awesome! Thanks anonymous trail angel! We came to the dirt road and started to panic when we didn't see any campsites but within minutes we ha found the perfect spot and were busy trying to set stuff up as quickly as possible in the pouring rain. So our day ended up even shorter but we knew it would be stupid to attempt to hike on. Melkie was soaked so there was no way he was coming in with me but Canadian Bacon let him come in her vestibule, now I have the hammock to myself for the second night in a row. My tarp isn't quite set up properly one side is a little too high and water is pooling on the tarp instead of draining down. I already have my dry clothes on and don't want to strip down just to fix my tarp, I hope it holds! Good night World!Trouble