Adventure Possible

Trial & Error in a Life of Adventure

Subscribe by Email to AdventurePossible.com
  • Life of Adventure
  • Books
  • Sponsorships
  • Weekend Adventures
  • Appalachian Trail
  • Bike America
  • RV’ing
  • The Kelleys
You are here: Home / Maine hiking / Second Longest Hike and Worst Fall To Date – AT Thru-Hike Day 19

Second Longest Hike and Worst Fall To Date – AT Thru-Hike Day 19

July 12, 2013 by Mark Kelley Leave a Comment

Share adventure with others

  • Tweet

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 as soon as I left the shelter the sun peeked from behind gray clouds and I knew the day would be nice.

I crossed two mountains today. The first I climbed easily, but the second involved the 4½ mile climb that Sourball had warned me about. The climb was gradual and not terribly technical, but there were at least 50 blow-downs on the trail. Many of the downed trees had sharp broken branches that could impale a person. Many could not be climbed over, but I had to push through the brush on either side of the trail. Frustration mounted as my pack frequently snagged branches. When I’d bend to get under a fallen tree, I’d reach a point that my knees could no longer support my weight and I ended up crawling through the mud to pass the obstacle.

I had one bad fall today. I had built up a good pace on a granite trail. I approached a log footbridge over a muddy ditch and kept the same pace as I stepped onto it. My feet slipped and I landed almost entirely on my elbow in the rocky ditch. There was a significant amount of blood, enough that I dug the first aid kit out of my pack and cleaned and dressed the wound.

I finished the 13 miles, making today my second longest day on the trail. The downs still hurt, but my knees are starting to feel better with the help of Ibuprofen. I rest less on the ups. My asthma bothers me little because of the exertion.

Tomorrow I’ll get up early and head to Caratunk, ME, a smaller town than Monson. I won’t make it in time for the ferry, so I’ll spend the night at Northern Outdoors and transcribe my journals. I’ve heard that the river camp has a microbrewery, a pool, and a hot tub!

Share adventure with others

  • Tweet

More adventure, please!

Filed Under: Maine hiking, Mark's Appalachian Trail Thru Hike Tagged With: injury, Maine Wilderness

Share your comments... Cancel reply

Subscribe to Adventure Possible

Click to Buy eBook

Buy This eBook from AdventurePossible.com ($4.99)

Based on the actual adventure and transformation of Mark Kelley, publisher of this website, who struggled mightily on his hike through the rugged and remote 100 Mile Wilderness on the Appalachian Trail.

Once reached Amazon Top 20 Best Seller List for Adventure Travel eBooks.

Buy It Now. Support Adventure Possible. ($4.99)

Meet the Adventure Possible Family

kelley family photo

Hi, My Name is Katie and I Married an Adventurer.

Quitting My Job

How can we afford to quit work and to travel for a year?

Are we investing for the future while we travel long term?

How much does it cost to RV around America for a year?

Adventure Possible in the News

Live a Life of Adventure in 15 Steps

Our family has adopted an approach to modern life that builds adventure into life's trajectory. We call it the Adventure Possible Life. In a … Read More

Main Navigation

  • Life of Adventure
  • Books
  • Sponsorships
  • Weekend Adventures
  • Appalachian Trail
  • Bike America
  • RV’ing
  • The Kelleys

Dream Big

  • Live a Life of Adventure
  • RV across America
  • Bike across America
  • Hike the AT

Resources

  • Checklists & Tools
  • Adventure Sponsorships
  • Weekend Adventures

Shop

  • Shop
  • Cart
  • Checkout
  • My Account

Get Involved

  • Contributing Writers
  • Buy our Books
  • About The Site
  • Meet the Kelleys

Social

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Search

© 2013-2016 ProTrack Marketing LLC. Raleigh, North Carolina. Google+ Publisher.