Date: 2013-07-28
From: Stealth camp near stream

To: RPH Shelter
Miles today: 12.6
Weather: light rain

I slept well last night, but I was still pretty tired when it came to get up. Stuff didn't seem to keen to get up either. I wished I'd gotten moving 15 mins earlier, because it started to rain lightly as I was eating breakfast. I headed out, but I didn't have any energy or motivation. I got two miles down the trail to a road with a pump house and water spigot, and I just didn't want to go any further or farther. I filled my reservoir, and then I just sat down in the grass and cried. I was ready to quit. If someone appeared at that moment and asked if I wanted to go home and quit the trail, I would say, yes. And that up-set me even more. For the first time, I really doubted if I had the mental chops to pull this thing off. I called Tom. I heard his voice and his excitement to hear mine, and I started wailing. I told him to talk, talk about anything, just talk. So he talked, and I cried. And then the crying started to turn to a chuckle. And the chuckling turned to laughter. And the laughter turned to relief. Crisis diverted. We talked for 35-40 minutes, and I felt so rejuvenated afterwards.A few miles later, I encountered a group of lady hikers. They were out for a day hike. Not one of them asked me if I was scared to be here alone, but they did ask if I got lonely. Yes, I got lonely, especially as of late. One of them asked me about my knee, I was wearing the knee band. As it turned out, she was a physical therapist. She did a little examine and made an adjustment. One of the other ladies offered up her knee brace. I told her I couldn't take it, but she insisted. I thanked her and put it on immediately. Their presence and consul was exactly what I needed at that moment. Thank you, Universe.I decided to hike down the side trail to the Clarence Fahnstock State Park. There was a concession stand and grill down there, and I knew another good meal would do me good. The side trail wasn't too steep, but it was rough and covered in patches of sharp, shifty slate rocks and beaver-eaten trees. As I went along, I wondered if I'd made the right decision. A fried-chicken finger sandwich, French fries, cookie, Gatorade and lemonade later, I knew I had chosen wisely. The park also had showers, but they were another 1/4 mile away, so I washed up in the sink. It was past 2 pm when I headed back out. Two fathers with their kids stopped to talk to me and ask about the trail. I was proud to tell them how far I had come.I got to the RPH shelter. It's right on the road, and there are two local pizza places that deliver pizza. I had planned to order a pizza, wolf it down, and then hike another 4 or 5 miles. Sqeptiq was there when I walked up. So I chatted with him while I waited for my pizza. It came, and it was HUGE, so big that the sides were folded so it would fit in the box. Sweet. And then it started raining. We moved under the porch area. I inhaled the pizza and talked with some SOBOers. They were some of the first that I had met that had hiked all the way from Katahdin. They were still full of enthusiasm and wanderlust, and I did my best to try to absorb a bit of their energy. The shelter filled up, and I gave away the rest of my pizza. I knew these hungry hikers would appreciate it far more than I. With the rain coming down, I decided to call it a day. I hadn't made it nearly as far as I had hoped, but I loved hanging out and talking with everyone. I needed more of "this" than I've been getting lately. So once the rain let up, I pitched my tent. Hopefully I can make up the miles tomorrow.