Date: 2014-07-27
From: campsite

To: ME 4 Rangely
Miles today: 14.2

We got up and i ate some breakfast, cindy wasnt feeling that well. That didnt sound good to me. Hiking with an upset stomach is not what anyone would call fun so i came up with a plan change. We could walk to rt 17, hitch a ride back to her car, she could bring me back and i could hike to rangely where she could pick me up at the trail. I ran that past her, she liked it. Now all we had to do is get a ride back to andover, a pretty long hitch. We hung out at a beautiful overlook with our thumbs out. It wasnt long when a couple pulled up that was willing to deliver us. Their daughter had hiked most of the trail a few years ago so they like to help people like people helped their daughter, it all goes around. It was quite a distance by road to get the twelve miles back to the car but they loved helping us and when we got to our destination they gave us muffins, fruit, and root beer! Amazing how people will go out of their way for strangers. She got me back to the trail and thats when i did something i wasnt going to do, i slackpacked. Thats when you dont carry your full pack, just a bit to get you to your destination where someone picks you up. I had originally intended to carry everything the whole way but with cindy waiting for me, why do it? Not to mention thunder was in the sky. I took my water filter and a couple snacks for the thirteen miles left. The terrain didnt look bad so i figured i would be done by four, thats when i told her to meet me. Off i went. Whoa, what is this hiking with no weight? My legs and feet were all screwed up like when you take off ankle weights. I felt like a baby fawn figuring out how to coordinate myself. Not long i got the hang of it and i was flying with little effort. I have heard people say that it doesnt make much difference, nonsense, i felt like tigger. I bounced along skipping over rocks like they were standing still. I jumped over logs way over logs. Wow, this is like cheating. At the first lean2 i was an hour in and four miles done! I sent cindy a txt to meet me at 2:45 thinking i would be done about three. Then it started to rain, no, it started to pour. Instantly soaked and the trail turned to a river, i slowed down. It was a pretty bland section off trail that i was not upset to be blazing thru. The best part was a sandy beach on a lake that would be great swimming, had it not been raining. I made it to the parking lot at three just in time for the sun to pop out. Soaked and muddy i wanted to go take a shower and dry my stuff. I felt a bit guilty about the slackpack but was happy my whole pack was not wet. We went back to the motel to do some shower laundry and get things hung up and a blow dryer in my boots. The rest of the day was finding food to fill the void. We ended up at the red onion for italian food. I had some good lasagna. After that we took a drive to look for moose. I had asked a local where the best place to go. We saw a lady moose and her baby then two lady moose. I love seeing them out doing moose chores but i would really like to see one on the trail. By this time it was time for a hiker to be in bed. We went back and crashed in bed. It was a good change of plan day. Cindy would have hated hiking in the rain and we got to see moose, all was right in the world.