We were surprised to wake up to rain. We knew it was supposed to rain in the afternoon but thought we would have good weather in the morning.
We got up, packed, and tried to figure out the best plan for the day. Since the weather was looking horrible and storms were moving in later in the day we decided to slack pack 6 miles from where we got off trail and hike back to four pines.
It was a good move. We got the six miles done and were back to the hostel right as the storms started. It rained most of the day with thunder and lightning; we were happy to be in a safe dry place for the day.
For the most part we relaxed all day. We went with the shuttle driver to drop someone off at the airport. He was going to stop at Walmart on the way home and we wanted to get a few things from the store. We all pitched in a got a few frozen pizzas and some ice cream and apple pie.
A few different hikers showed up throughout the day. This is an interesting place and it seems like we got here just in time to meet some interesting hikers. It's been great being here we've had fun and it felt good to stay dry when it was raining.
We're going to get up tomorrow, have breakfast, and make our way to the trail. It should be a great day for hiking it's supposed to be in the low 70's.
Day: 183
Miles hiked: 5.9
Total Miles hiked on the trail: 1492.7
Baby Bear: 1
Bald Eagle: 1
Bluegill: 2
Butterflies: 8
Chipmunks: 3
Cows: 24
Crawfish: 1
Deer: 20
Donkeys: 2
Grouse: 1
Horses: 15
Hummingbird: 1
Inchworm: 1
Really Big Dog: 1
Mice: 2
Moose: 2
Nest of bugs: 2
Newts: 2
Owl: 1
Rabbit: 1
Red Squirrel: 1
Skunk: 1
Snail: 1
Snake: 3
Squirrels: 12
Toads: 3
Trout: 2
Turkeys: 4
Turtles: 107
Vultures: 6
Woodpecker: 1
I woke up to the sound of rain last night around 2. I was glad we ended up staying in the shelter because it rained all night and into the morning until 10:00 a.m. So much for an early rise! Since it was raining and lightning we staying in the shelter until it stopped. It felt good to sleep in and it felt even better knowing all of our stuff was dry!
The rain didn't make the temperature any cooler either, it actually just made it worse. It was very humid all day and we spent most of the day going up a mountain. Due to the weather we didn't get far, only 5.5 miles.
We're staying at Marble Spring campsite tonight. We have 49 miles until the next town, Daleville. Our plan is to get up early tomorrow and try to get over the next mountain before more rain moves in. I think it's supposed to rain for a couple hours in the afternoon. We only saw two other hikers today, the girl that was camping at the shelter with us, and a section hiker.
According to Bubbles, she finally found someone who walks the same pace as her!
Day: 176
Miles hiked: 12.7
Total Miles hiked on the trail: 1412.4
Baby Bear: 1
Bald Eagle: 1
Bluegill: 2
Butterflies: 8
Chipmunks: 3
Cows: 24
Crawfish: 1
Deer: 20
Donkeys: 2
Grouse: 1
Horses: 15
Hummingbird: 1
Inchworm: 1
Really Big Dog: 1
Mice: 2
Moose: 2
Nest of bugs: 2
Newts: 2
Owl: 1
Rabbit: 1
Red Squirrel: 1
Skunk: 1
Snail: 1
I woke up at 2:30 to the sound of rain. When we went to bed it was sprinkling a little but not too much was coming through the canopy of the trees. When the rain woke me up it was obvious it wasn't stopping anytime soon and the tent was completely soaked. The inside was ok but it gets a damp feeling all over. I didn't think too much off it and went back to sleep but every so often I would wake back up and it was still raining hard. We ended up waking up around 4:30 and staying in the tent until 5:30. Luckily my pack and gear was dry under the rain fly.
We packed the gear and headed towards Kennebec River. There’s a man there with a canoe who takes you to the other side. The river is too dangerous to ford so a guy shows up everyday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. to take hikers across. There is a dam upstream from the Appalachian Trail. Although the river looks like you might be able to ford it, if they open the dam the river can rise up to five feet in only minutes!
It rained all the way there. The hike was 3.7 miles. It was cool when the ferry man showed up because we saw him loading the canoe into the water. I sat in front and Bubbles sat in the middle. Only two people can be ferried at a time so Smudgy had to wait for his turn. Since I was in the front I had to help paddle to the other side. The guy in the back paddled to steer the canoe and I just paddled on the left side against the current.
When we got to the other side of the Kennebec River we headed to the Bed and Breakfast right off the trail. As soon as we got there we hung our tents on the line to dry and the owner made us cheeseburgers and we had some drinks. He had a nice little re-supply shop and sold burgers, dogs, and milkshakes. We didn't need anything because we had a food drop sent there. He was nice and we ended up talking and eating a couple of burgers and some milkshakes while our tents aired out. We stayed for a few hours talking with hikers and the owner. It was nice to dry off and chat with everyone.
Instead of staying we got back on the trail and went a few more miles and set up camp at a stealth spot. The plan is to get up early, make coffee, and get on the trail early. We have a couple climbs early in the day.
I hiked 16.7 miles today. We slack packed over the Bigelows. It rained all day and there were no views so I didn't even take out my phone to take pictures. We wanted to just get this part of the hike over with because it's the last big mountain range before Katahdin!!
Day: 139
Miles hiked: 16.6
Total Miles hiked on the trail: 1085.1
Bear: 1
Chipmunk: 1
Deer: 1
Lizard: 1
Snakes: 4
Toads: 2
Vulture: 1
Zoo Animals: 2 foxes, 1 porcupine, 1 bobcat, 1 turtle, 2 bears
We got up and went over the Crocker Mountain and it was a tough start to the day. We had about a 1,330 foot climb in about a mile and it was tough! I guess I'm glad the climb was at the beginning of the day to get it over with but it was difficult.
As soon as we got up in the morning it looked like it could rain at anytime so we wanted to get moving before it started raining. It's never a good idea to go over a steep climb when it's wet. It was hard to get up because I didn't sleep well last night and I wanted to stay in bed. I knew that I needed to get on the trail because of the rain in the forecast. We were excited to get the day over with because we made arrangements for Tom to pick us up at Route 27. As soon as we started going over North Crocker the rain started. It was just a drizzle at first but quickly turned into hard rain. Right around that time Tom text us and asked about how long until we would make it to the parking lot. He said we were having burgers and potato salad for dinner. That definitely helped us get down the mountain a little quicker but it was a slippery wet hike.
When we got down to the parking lot there was a little overhang for us to stand under to not get rained on and Tom was there in 20 minutes. We didn't know what to expect when we got picked up from Tom but what we found out was that he's a really nice guy. He showed up with his dog which made me happy because I miss my dog. I wish she was here and love seeing dogs. His dog’s name is Max and he's super friendly. Tom took us to his house and showed us where we could stay, we have a bed and he said to get comfy and make yourself at home. We washed our clothes and took a shower which felt great especially since we were soaking wet. While we were getting cleaned up he made lunch. Cheeseburgers, potato salad, fruit, yogurt, and ice cream! What a lunch it hit the spot.
I woke up last night around 2:30 to the sound of heavy wind and rain. Of course, since I was up, I had to pee. I waited for the rain to die down before I went off into the darkness to find a tree. It was hard to fall back to sleep after that because I found myself paying too much attention to the sound of the forest. I eventually dozed off but woke up off and on until it was time to get up.
We were going to get up early and get going but it started to rain again so I just laid there listening to the rain and wasn’t too motivated to get up, pack, and get everything wet. We got on the trail around 8:30 and we went eight miles today.
We planned to meet at the Bemis Mountain Lean-to it, about 4.4 miles into our hike. As soon as I got there it started raining. Bubbles wasn't too far behind and got in before the heavy rain started. We had lunch and waited for the storm to pass. Usually we don't make hot food for lunch but since it was raining the three of us split a ramen bomb.
We wanted to go another eight miles and planned on meeting at the brook about another four miles away. I got there in good time and I was hoping to find a spot to fish but there wasn't a deep enough spot. I fell in the way down to the brook, I fell hard. My feet slid out from underneath me and I bounced off my left hip. It hurt but I got up and made my way down to the meeting spot. It turns out Bubbles and Smudgy fell on the way down too! That rain made the rocks slippery!
When Smudgy showed up we were waiting on Bubbles and decided maybe we had gone far enough for the day. The spot by the brook was perfect for camping and there was plenty of room. When bubbles showed up and saw we were setting up camp she was happy and didn't complain about stopping.
We have plenty of water for tonight and will be able to drink a lot before we start tomorrow, this is a good spot to stay! We're getting up and hiking 13 miles to a town to get Smudgy's resupply. There's an IGA in case we need a couple extra things too. I want to pack out hot dogs and roast them over a fire tomorrow night, it should be a good day and I'm excited to get to a grocery store and get some extra supplies.
Today I hiked 7.9 miles. We are taking our time today because Southern Maine is very hard. A buddy of mine told me to stack rocks for his late grandma and to take a picture in her memory.
The day was hot and humid because it rained. The down hill was very slippery. So now we are stealth camping for the night at Bemis Stream.
For my friend Joseph's grandma
RIP
Day: 132
Miles hiked: 7.8
Total Miles hiked on the trail: 1022.1
Bear: 1
Chipmunk: 1
Deer: 1
Lizard: 1
Snakes: 4
Toads: 2
Vulture: 1
Zoo Animals: 2 foxes, 1 porcupine, 1 bobcat, 1 turtle, 2 bears
We woke up today and had to wait on the post office to open so we could get a few packages. I had a new backpack sent here because mine broke about a week ago. I had to tie the shoulder strap on with a piece of rope. REI is good about replacing things especially when you’re on the trail, they're very understanding. We also had a food drop here and a guy named Spoontula sent us a package with candy and cookies. Spoontula also threw in a couple beers from Vermont for us and one broke in the box! It was a cider and it was leaking everywhere!
We were going to get on the trail right after that but rain was in the forecast and the sky was getting dark so we decided to stay where we were. It's not too much fun hiking in the rain and setting up camp in the rain, not to mention the rocks get super slippery when they're wet.
We ended up camping behind the Red Hen Diner in Andover. It's a small restaurant that lets hikers camp out back for free. Instead of paying to stay at the hostel we decided to save some money and camp instead. It was a nice relaxing day... We sat on the porch and ate sandwiches from the general store across the street. It was nice watching the rain from the porch instead of hiking in it!
We're planning on getting on the trail early tomorrow and getting some miles in. It feels good to rest and recuperate for an extra day but I'm excited to get back on the AT and seeing some more of Maine! Day: 127Miles hiked: 0Total Miles hiked on the trail: 1070.9Bears: 0Bluegill: 2Butterflies: 8Chipmunks: 3Cows: 24Crawfish: 1Deer: 20Donkeys: 2Grouse: 1Horses: 12Hummingbird: 1Inchworm: 1Really Big Dog: 1Mice: 2Nest of bugs: 2Newts: 2Owl: 1Rabbit: 1Skunk: 1Snail: 1Snake: 2Squirrels: 11Toads: 3Trout: 2Turkeys: 4Turtles: 107Vultures: 6Woodpecker: 1
Today I hiked 6.9 miles. I was planning on hiking more but a storm came in. While trying to make it to a campsite I slipped and sprained my ankle! I wasn't sure where the camp was or how I was going to walk because it hurt so bad. My sister helped me to figure out that the campsite was almost a mile away and I hobbled through the pain. Luckily there is a stream here so I can put my ankle in it to help with the swelling. I'm going to rest here and wait for Bubbles and Sprout to catch up and let my ankle heal.
This is how I felt about getting back on the trial today!!!
This is what happened to my ankle!!!
Day: 118
Miles hiked: 6.9
Total Miles hiked on the trail: 965.3
Bear: 1
Chipmunk: 1
Deer: 1
Lizard: 1
Snakes: 4
Toads: 2
Vulture: 1
Zoo Animals: 2 foxes, 1 porcupine, 1 bobcat, 1 turtle, 2 bears
We arrived at Hikers Welcome Hostel and I was beyond happy to be there. The night before was a wet and miserable one with mosquitos galore but we made it out alive :)
Sprout enjoying TV at Hikers Welcome Hostel
Whiskers relaxing at Hikers Welcome Hostel
Happy to be out of the rain
We washed our clothes and dried out our tents and took hot, wonderful showers. It was so lovely. Smelling clean and enjoying the company of other cleanish hikers is refreshing. The hostel is very accommodating to hikers. They had a fully stocked fridge of pizzas, ice cream, and sodas. There was a rack with every possible option of pop tarts known to mankind and chips. The nice thing was if you wanted any food you took it and marked it on your sign in sheet. Everything was honor based and that was great.
Place to hang out and eat. Notice the fence in the background with very little wood stacked
WARM water showers!!
Laundry time!
Flushing toilet makes me happy!!
They had just built a barn full with bunks this year. It smelled of freshly cut wood and was heavenly. Robby and I set up our stuff and tried to relax for the rest of the day.
Bunks at Hikers Welcome Hostel
I wasn't that relaxed though. I was nervous about hiking Moosilauke. Usually I am not an anxious person. I'm pretty carefree and confident, but having read about The White Mountains for so long, specifically about how challenging they are and how unpredictable the weather is, completely intimidated me. I had been nervous since before we entered New Hampshire. I really thought I might not be able to do it. When you get negative thoughts into your head they can fester and boil over and infect all your moods. My happiness was even tainted with fear. I questioned countless Southbound hikers about the trail and how they felt about The Whites and if they were hard, ect., ect., ect.
I had a fitful night of sleep and when the morning came and it was raining I was so happy I could have cried. The north side of Moosilauke is extremely steep and dangerous, especially when it rains. I knew we wouldn't be hiking in bad weather! I had another day to contemplate my success rate though The Whites. I got to know Legion, the guy who runs the hostel and his girlfriend. Sweets. Sweets has a dog Bell, who is as cute as a button. I loved spending time with her and she helped calm my nerves. Sweets actually started her thru hike in Rockfish gap and right around the same time as me last year, with her parents! I really liked talking with Sweets and thought she was hilarious. She always had a cup of cherries and she shared them with me.
On the third day we got all packed and ready to go and the weather report was bad again. We decided we would wait another day and hope to enter the White Mountains in better weather. Another day was filled with anxiety and fear. When a third day of rain came we knew we had to leave. We couldn't afford to stay at a hostel for three nights! Robby asked Legion if he could do work for stay and legion put Sprout, Whiskers, and me to work. I did laundry and the boys split wood. We were so happy to be staying warm and dry again.
Work for stay - splitting wood
Notice the progress!!
When we woke up in the morning we got all packed and ready to go and legion asked the boys if they wanted to help clean out the town reservoir. They quickly said yes and went with a few Glencliff townsfolk to help. Robby said it was a really cool experience and he was more than happy to help.
First page of letter
Second page of letter
When they got back we were about to take off when we were asked if we wanted to slackpack Southbound over Moosilauke. We talked about it and said, “Sure, why not?” MadDog was helping out Legion and Sweets at the hostel when we got there four days ago. He had the infamous green storm trooper shirt on, which meant he could answer any hostel questions we had. He also educated me a lot about the Whites and recommended that we go over all of the presidential peaks instead of following the Appalachian Trail around them. He took us on the 40 minute ride to the north side of Moosilauke. We said our goodbyes to MadDog for good, his aunt was coming to get him so we wouldn’t see him when we got back to the hostel.
We began our trek over the first mountain which is considered part of the White Mountains. At first I was scared, but then I just got excited. It was a tough climb, but it was so beautiful. Words can't describe the way I felt when we summited! I was so proud of myself. I cried a little and hugged Sprout. It was a surreal feeling to be looking out over the White Mountains on top of Moosilauke!!
The bottom sign did NOTHING to ease my anxiety!
This natural heart in the rock made me feel better!
Going up the trail
Looking down what we just hiked! Scary!!!!
Sprout near a spring
Me on the trail!
View of the mountains!
It's important to stick to the trial so vegetation is not trampled and killed
We are up so HIGH!!
Sprout on Mt. Moosilauke
Trail going up
View from trail
We made it to the summit!!! 4,802 feet!!
Sprout and I on the summit!
Sprout and I heading down the trail
Whiskers, Sprout, and I enjoying the view. We earned it!
Whiskers
A spring running down the mountain through Moss. Natures filter!!
When we got back to the hostel we celebrated and Legion handed me the green storm troopers shirt! He told me to get the breakfast count for the morning and help out! I was honored. I really like Legion and Sweets and could have jumped for joy to be helping and part of the team! Haha.
Storm Trooper shirt!!!
We stayed one more day at the hostel and took a picture before we left the vortex that is Hikers Welcome Hostel!
Me with BigFoot!! Dad is his #1 fan on youtube!!!
How to Poop in the Woods - Funny cartoon at Hikers Welcome Hostel
"Go Heavy" - Funny cartoon at Hikers Welcome Hostel
