Today I hiked 7.1 miles. It was very physical because it was mostly up today and steep. Climbing up the first hill was really tough. We made it to a stealth camp spot right after a small stream and now I'm setting up camp, getting ready for dinner, and then I'm going to sleep. It was too hard to hike and take pictures today!
Day: 131
Miles hiked: 7.1
Total Miles hiked on the trail: 1014.3
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
It feels good to be back on the trail! We had breakfast at the Red Hen with the family and Kathleen and Mb dropped us off at the trail. It's hard leaving them but we need to get back to the AT and get closer to Katahdin.
We hiked 7.5 miles and stopped at a campsite with a picnic table and fire out by a spring. It was a great spot. We got to camp early enough to start a fire and relax before some people showed up. I threw the line out a few times today but didn't really see anything. I can't wait to catch a trout. I'm getting up early tomorrow to make coffee and breakfast. I think we're doing 10 or 12 miles and we have a big climb first thing in the morning.
Today I hiked 7.4 miles. It was a nice calm day. We took a break at a pond a couple of miles from where my two older sisters dropped us off. It was fun to catch up with them.
While relaxing at the pond a fighter jet suddenly came zipping through!! It flew low right over the pond and was awesome to see!
I also hit 1000 miles on the trail today! I am very excited about it and proud too! We got to a good stealth site and I set up my tent. I'm going to bed early tonight!
Surplus Pond
Me on the trail with my new haircut!
Day: 130
Miles hiked: 7.5
Total Miles hiked on the trail: 1007.3
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 zeroed again today and got to see Kathleen, Mb, Shane, and Flying Dutchman. It was nice to see family and spend some time with them before we get back on the trail and head for Katahdin.
We went to this local spot and went swimming and it was so much fun. There's a high spot where you can jump in and not touch the bottom. Someone told us yesterday it was 40 ft deep! It would be awesome to live next to this swimming hole, I'd be there all the time!
On the way out we saw a few people going in to go trout fishing. They said the brooks and streams in Maine are filled with trout. That's good news because Poppa Lip sent a fishing pole for us to use. We’re trying to catch trout along the way. I'm going to send a few things home to try to make up for the extra weight. Kathleen made taco salad and it was delicious! We had a great time hanging out with everyone and I know it's going to be sad leaving them tomorrow but we need to get back on trail and head north! We're going to wake up and have breakfast in the morning and I also need to go get a fishing license. I'm excited to get back on the AT and see some more of Maine’s backcountry!
Kathleen at the swimming hole
Bubbles at the watering hole
Flying Dutchman at the watering hole
Smudgy Cheeks after jumping in
Flying Dutchman and Smudgy swimming
Bubbles and I enjoying a quick kiss
Bubbles conquering the swimming hole
Smudgy Cheeks getting ready to jump in
It was a beautiful creek
Finished the evening with ice cream from Kates Kones!
We woke up and packed our bags with the intentions of heading out and hiking as far as we could go! Instead, we stopped by breakfast at the Red Hen. It is by far one of the best places I have been for breakfast. Everything was fresh and made from scratch. It was an open kitchen and the chef is an amazing cook.
We were planning on hitchhiking out of town and hitting the trail right after breakfast but plans changed. We ate too much and decided it would be better to wait it out before we started hiking. Marybeth, Freddie, Kathleen, and Shane are coming up tomorrow to meet up with us one last time before school starts. We called and reserved a spot two houses down from where we are camping. It only made sense to stay where we were when we knew we had cell service and take another zero. Smudgy and I asked some locals and found a swimming hole nearby. If was a great zero. We swam and relaxed all day! We can't wait until tomorrow, it should be a great day spent with family!
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
