Location: Safford Notch A hard rain convinced me to stay in my sleeping bag this morning. I heard thunder in the distance, even though the rain rattled the tin roof of the lean-to like a snare drum. I decided I would not take even the slightest chance with lightning, because of my last encounter. Wolfman […]
Trail Name Wayward – AT Thru-Hike Day 23
Location: Unnamed Shelter July has come and I am three weeks into my trip. Today I’ll say that I’m done with cigarettes. I’ve visited two towns, drank beer three nights and been around smokers each of those nights, and I have resisted temptation. In The Forks, ME, I didn’t even crave nicotine. This hike has […]
Calling Loons on Pierce Pond – AT Thru-Hike Day 22
Location: Pierce Pond, ME The last day of June. I missed the shuttle to the trail head this morning. Northern Outdoors only runs one shuttle a day, so I walked the highway to Longley’s store. It’s specifically stocked for the thru-hiker and is owned and operated by the same man who operates the canoe ferry […]
Northern Outdoors Zeros at the Brewery – AT Thru-Hike Day 20 and 21
Location: Northern Outdoors (Carratunk, ME) No entry. I hiked to Northern Outdoors. I failed to hitch a ride because of the rain. I felt awkward, almost embarrassed, about hitchhiking. I felt angry when people didn’t pick me up. The road was full of logging trucks that sped down the highway, spraying me with water each […]
Second Longest Hike and Worst Fall To Date – AT Thru-Hike Day 19
I left the lean-to this morning before Gino and Kyle had finished their breakfast. Gino snored loudly and I didn’t sleep well. The loons on the pond woke me up this morning. The loons sound like howling dogs, and they talk back and forth at first light. I thought the day might be rainy, however […]
Zero Day in Moxie Bald Shelter – AT Thru-Hike Day 18
I decided not to leave Moxie Bald lean-to today. When I woke up, the rain was falling hard. Wane No and Brooks left for Caratunk. I stayed in my sleeping bag and fell back asleep. I soon awoke with a stomach cramp. I just made it to the privy on time. I think I caught […]
Meet Sourball, the author of Dreaming the Appalachian Trail – AT Thru-Hike Day 17
Tim and Eric left Horseshoe Canyon lean-to before me today. I left after eating two bowls of Raisin Bran and a granola bar, a pretty typical breakfast for me out on the trail. The day started easily. The trail was flat and straight and I followed the Piscataquis toward the West Branch ford. When I […]
Horseshoe Canyon – AT Thru-Hike Day 16
I left Shaw’s alone today around 2:00pm. I only had to hike eight miles to the next shelter. The Nerd Herd, as Tim calls them, a group that we met on the trail, left early in the morning for Moxie Bald. Tim and Eric returned to highway 15 to restart their hike. I decided to […]
Kayak Fishing on Lake Hebron – AT Thru-Hike Day 15
Location: Shaw’s Boarding House, Monson, ME Tim and I woke up early to fish. We ate the first breakfast and then headed out in the rain to buy a Maine fishing license and rent a canoe. We couldn’t find a canoe, so we rented a two man kayak. Tim, from Boiling Springs, PA, has recently […]
Shaw’s Boarding House – AT Thru-Hike Day 14
Location: Shaw’s Boarding House I hiked the last ten miles to Shaw’s in the morning. I was highly motivated by the thought of a town with hot food and cold beer. I left the campsite last. My body requires more and more sleep to recharge. My legs were wobbly today. I don’t yet have the […]