Date: 2006-08-10
From: Mountian View Pond

To: Branch of Nahmakanta Stream
Miles today: 20.1

The full moon reflected in the lake near our campsite was a beautiful site to see when I woke up in the middle of the night. The weather's been nice enough to leave the rain fly off of the tent when we retire, and since the tent body itself is almost entirely mesh, it makes for some nice stargazing. We woke up around 6:00, and as we sat around contemplating breakfast, it started to sprinkle ever so slightly. For a second or two I debated putting the rain fly on the tent and throwing all our gear inside while we ate, but instead I opted for the speedy pack-up. There wasn't much sense in getting the tent wet just so we could stay dry an extra half hour. We would be on the trail shortly anyway, and we could certainly eat breakfast in the rain. As it happened, the sprinkling stopped in a few minutes anyway.Today was the halfway point for Josh, and we congratulated each other numerous times, since we'd just about run out of things to talk about that were actually interesting =). Josh's feet were still pretty sore, and I finally was able to persuade him to take some Advil, which I've been carrying the whole time but haven't used much. We call these little miracle tablets "vitamin I," for Ibuprofen, and Josh and I were both amazed at their effect. We kept up a steady pace all day, and had cranked out more than twenty miles by late afternoon. The 100 Mile Wilderness is notoriously remote, but not completely so. White House Landing is the one opportunity thru-hikers have for rest and resupply along this stretch of trail, and Josh and I had planned on taking advantage of this opportunity when the time came. To do so, however, we had to hike a little over a mile off the AT on a side trail. The trail leads to a dock on a small lake. Hanging by a piece of string from a nearby tree branch is one of those aerosol can fog horns, along with a not instructing hikers to give a short blast to summon pickup by boat. Josh and I were both excited about our free boat ride, if you can believe that =). But that was just the beginning- when we arrived we went inside to find about 7 other hikers, plus the friendly couple who run the place, all busy with dinner preparations. WHL's claim to fame is their one pound hamburgers. They have a scale in the kitchen, and they just keep mounding on the meat until it registers the full 16 oz. Then it's shaped into a giant paddy and cooked to order. You can probably tell from the picture that we enjoyed them immensely. I smothered on so much ketchup, mustard, relish, and mayo that the thing became a huge delicious mess that I had to eventually put down and attack with knife and fork (yeah, a real knife and fork! Even that's a luxury since all I carry is a spoon =). Mrs. WHL (sorry I don't know her name) even cut up fresh cucumbers for us...After dinner we purchased enough snacks to get us to Baxter State Park (BSP), and chatted with the others. It turned out that I was the only thru-hiker there who was nearly done (there was another couple heading to Katahdin, but they had skipped a few hundred miles farther south that they were going to have to go back and finish). Being this far North is pretty fun, because I get a lot of congratulations. It's more than just the words though- something deeper has happened over the months. In the early states thru-hikers are often viewed with skepticism, disdain, or even sympathy. Rightfully so, because we're green, untested, and have everything to prove. Most of us will quit the trail before the half-way point. But up here in Maine, a couple thousand miles later, it's a different story. I sense awe and admiration from many people I encounter, and the congratulations they offer are sincere. It's a great feeling, knowing that you've proved yourself, earned respect within the AT community, and are on the homestretch. Every one of the Nobo hikers that WHL sees have faced countless hardships, overcome obstacles, and in a word, ENDURED. They're seasoned veterans, and entirely set apart from the newbies they once were. And it feels great to be in that place. You're so close to the finish here at WHL, that they even sell bottles of champagne that you can pack the rest of the way to Katahdin to celebrate with! Too bad I don't drink...The flip side to what I just explained, if there is one, is that those miles have sometimes taken their toll. Even if you're still excited about the trail, your body might be showing signs of the abuse. We may be absolutely pumped about finishing, but we still look and smell like the overworked, undernourished, hairy nomads we are. I only mention this because while Josh and I were sitting at the dinner table, Mrs. WHL confidently quizzed me, "So YOU'RE the thru-hiker and HE'S just joining you for the last section, right?" I was surprised and impressed, wondering that it could be that obvious. She continued, "Well, he (indicating Josh) looks too healthy to be a thru-hiker. He doesn't look gaunt." Haha! Can you believe that? I mean, I'm happy that I have that thru-hiker look, but apparently that means that I look gaunt. No matter, I'm sure my ravenous appetite will quickly replace the pounds I've lost once I stop hiking. And that point, my friends, is just around the corner!